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PBC News & Comment: Pope gives 2-week notice

Last week, we hammered the Pope and Catholic Church for sex crimes and coverup; today, Benedict XVI announced his retirement…..We’re not suggesting the pope resigned because of our coverage or the new documentary Mea Maxima Culpa.  At age 85, the pope says he is not healthy enough to continue.  We get reaction from Thomas Reese, SJ, a Jesuit priest who was editor of the magazine America until the pope ordered him to be fired.  In this excerpt, Father Reese talks about the mixed record of Benedict, and says that he was quicker to respond to the sex abuse scandal than his predecessor.

–Rep. Alan Grayson has introduced a bill to allow citizens to buy health coverage from Medicare at cost, a simple and effective public option

–GAO reports that, after spending over $100 billion on missile defense, the systems don’t actually work

–Sen. Menendez of NJ issues strong denials as NY Times reports more evidence that he intervened to help a wealthy patron just last month

–manhunt continues for killer ex-cop in Southern California, and the use of drones sets a new and dangerous precedent

–Pakistan’s Supreme Court orders release of uncharged detainees in a story that parallels US practices

–Mali rebels reappear, in assualt on Goa

–change of the guard for US generals in Afghanistan

–Rick Perry is visiting California, hoping to steal jobs for Texas;  somebody should tell him that Jobs died in 2011