What A Week

This was a crazy week in the news.  There are so many stories I am having a hard time deciding which one to choose from.  Below are a summary of my top four:

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns

Pope Benedict has decided to retire after 8 years of service.  At the age of 85 he no longer feels as though he can completely fulfill the duties of the Papacy.  This breaks a 600 year tradition of the Pope serving until death.  The news of his chosen retirement has sparked many questions.  We may be witnessing the start of a new tradition of the Pope retiring instead of dying in office.  He has set the date of February 28 as his last.  The speculation of who the next Pope will be extensive until the Cardinals meet to elect the new Pontiff.

The State of the Union

The President’s annual message to Congress was delivered on Tuesday evening.  This is the time for the President to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and set the presidential direction for the coming year.  With our current economic situation, many Democrats and Republicans were supportive and critical of the president’s ideas about how to best support the continued growth of our nation’s economy.  I have not read the complete text, but I did read about money dedicated to fixing bridges and roads in addition to a proposed increase in minimum wage.  In addition to the economy, the President addressed other matters of foreign affairs, including North Korea (see below).

Christopher Dorner, former LAPD, is thought dead after massive manhunt

Christopher Dorner, a former member of the LAPD, has been at large for the past week.  After being released from his position as a police officer, this former Naval reservist vowed to bring revenge on the police force and their families for his firing.  He killed the daughter and fiancé of a former co-worker last week.  After evidence indicting Dorner was found, a manifesto was discovered on Facebook in which he listed the names of his potential victims.  For the past week he has committed numerous crimes over and above murder.  On Tuesday evening he was allegedly found in a cabin in the mountain resort of Big Bear.  A shootout occurred between police and Dorner which resulted in an additional death and injury of San Bernardino officers.  Eventually, Dorner’s cabin caught on fire.  The police are still investigating to ensure Dorner was in the building at the time. 

North Korea Third Nuclear Test

On Monday evening, North Korea conducted its third nuclear weapons test.  The U.S. Seismological Department detected an earthquake with a 5.1 magnitude in the mountains of North Korea.  Later it was discovered and confirmed to be a nuclear tests carried out by the North Koreans.  North Korea is a communist state.  It is estimated that at least 25% of the country’s children live in absolute poverty.  One of the contributing factors is North Korea’s continued investment in nuclear warfare instead of investment in the necessities for its people.   This test was held against the direct wished of the United Nations and their biggest ally, China.  North Korea has continued to invest in weapons of mass destruction in order to defend itself against the cruel treatment and ongoing aggression of the United States.  Although many experts agree it will be sometime before North Korea will possess the ability to launch an attack against the United States, with each test they get one step closer.

Have you heard of any of the above stories?  What about the stories interests you?  Which story do you think is the most important and why?