Pope's resignation a new angle to a tough news beat

For Rome's Vaticanisti -- the name for the Rome-based press corps that follows the pope -- covering the closed world of the Holy See is like attending to a nuclear missile silo; it's largely routine until the balloon goes up.

Opaque, hierarchical and arcane, the Vatican is a tough beat even for seasoned reporters. It involves paying punctilious attention to papal routine -- never missing the often dreary papal audiences on a Wednesday and the uneventful address from the Vatican on Sunday.

Even then, getting blind-sided by stark Vatican announcements that drop without warning is a risk that comes with the round. While many might see shades of Dan Brown in the Vatican's media style, some of it can be attributed to the tradition of humility that comes with holding the Chair of St. Peter.Big on understatement, low on fanfare, first news of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation came in a low key speech read by the pope in Latin at a routine consistory, a type of ecclesiastical council meeting.

"It's important, but it's not one of those events that you underline over and over again in your agenda," French Vatican reporter Charles De Pechpeyrou told the HuffPost Italy. "If you're covering it, you're doing so just as a precautionary measure, to report what happened."Italy's ANSA news agency, whose correspondent Giovanna Chirri understood the Latin, was first to break the news. Other correspondents at the consistory struggled to make sense of the speech.

"At a certain point, for example, I caught the word 'incapability' in the pope's speech," De Pechpeyrou told the HuffPo . "I turned around and spoke with my Mexican colleague. We noticed that Pope Benedict had a sad look on his face, not his usual look. Something wasn't right. Then, when cardinal Sodano mentioned the 'sadness,' we finally understood. Then Father Lombardi confirmed his resignation over the phone."

For the Rome press corps -- laboring under the cycle of constantly falling governments, Mafia stories, and offbeat it-could-only-happen-in-Italy stories -- regime change at the Vatican (arguably one of the biggest news stories in the world) provides a raison d'etre to a sometimes sleepy beat.

Now, Pope Benedict's resignation -- the first in 600 years -- has rewritten the rule book; not just for the Vatican, which now goes through a complex and unprecedented interregnum, but also for the Vatican press corps.

Normally, Vatican-watching requires close attention to the pope's health - a source of low-burning anxiety for the press corps who are charged with the difficult task of taking the pulse of a man who, at best, is often seen at a distance of hundreds of meters and, at worst, whose health is a closely guarded secret.

It was a running joke among Vaticanisti that the pope is always in robust health until he is dead.

Certainly for the small, undermanned U.S. wire agency that I worked for in Rome during the 1990s, keeping on top of Pope John Paul II's health was a full-time job.

"I don't like the sound of that cough,'' my then-bureau chief, Charles Ridley, once quipped during the weekly papal audience on Italy's national Catholic television station, Telepace.

It was the kind of remark that tempted fate.

Ridley may have been a press corps veteran of five papal deaths dating back to Pius XII in 1958, but he was not sure he could survive another one.

"A papal death is an unbelievable sweat,'' he recalled at the time. "Six weeks solid, sleeping in the office and filing at all hours. I wouldn't want to go through that again at my age.''

When I asked him how he had felt when John Paul I, after being chosen to succeed Paul VI in August 1978, died 33 days later, he shot me a horrified look, as if I had asked how he had felt after a family tragedy.

"How do you think I felt?'' he shot back. "It was absolutely heartbreaking!''No cough went unremarked, no tremor unnoticed. The health of the Pope took on a life outside its subject and, in the absence of any hard information from the Vatican, was often decided on journalistic consensus.

Whether the Pope "spoke in a clear voice'' or looked "tired" depended entirely on which angle you were coming from -- well for a man who had Parkinson's disease but not very well for a man who used to go skiing on his holidays.

In journalistic terms, a papal death is rolling thunder.

It's not just the death; it's the funeral, the curia, the conclave, electing cardinals, Vatican insiders, pope-makers and pope-breakers, the coronation. Every country in the world with a sizeable Catholic population holds out the hope that its cardinal will get a chance at the top slot. For a wire service, they must all be served.

Adding to the agony is the simple fact that the exact second of any natural death is always an unknown. As John Paul II's health began to falter, networks and agencies, as a measure of their anxiety, had already begun to cut deals with landlords to rent apartments adjacent to the Vatican to get the best possible shots.

While our agency didn't have the firepower of other wire services or networks, it did have history on its side. With a complete set of files on three papal deaths, it was a formidable armory containing detailed background stories -- parts of which could be used again in some form or another -- on the death, the funeral, the conclave, the election, the coronation.

Running through the yellowing subsidiary wire stories on papal deaths of yesteryear was like opening a time capsule. They included such gems as an embalming that had gone wrong, fouling the air for the mourners lined up to see the pope lying in state. Another story detailed how Italians had outraged foreign dignitaries by clapping the coffin at the funeral (a wholly normal custom at Italian funerals).

Like a nuclear missile silo, my agency's Vatican file had its own doomsday file - a hardbound manila folder on which a typewritten sticky label had emblazoned in telex font capitals: WHAT TO DO IN CASE THE POPE DIES. While many of the instructions dated back to 1961 and could be safely ignored, it was still an interesting study in panic.

The first step was to put a call through to the London bureau, the instructions read: "It should take you no longer than three minutes for the operator to get you a line," it hectored.

The next step was to source the news to the Italian wire agency ANSA or Vatican Radio releasing a bulletin that read: VATICAN CITY -- ANSA REPORTING POPE DEAD at a lower wire speed priority. The pope could actually be dead for hours, and the world fully informed of the fact, before the news came officially from the Vatican press office.

Only then could the bulletin: VATICAN CITY -- OFFICIAL POPE DEAD be released at "flash'' priority -- the highest wire speed reserved for papal deaths, presidential assassinations and a few other world beating news stories.

After the "flash" went out, as Ridley recalled at the time, it was a total circus and anyone's race.

"It was hugely and highly secretive, and there were rumors flying around for weeks,'' he told me. "The whole thing was fairly agonizing.''

The secretive conclave, in which electing cardinals are "locked in'' the Vatican until a decision on the next pope is made, is tension personified. The only indication as to whether a decision is made comes from the burning of the ballots at the end of each day. According to Vatican lore, the smoke is black (due to the fact that the ballots were mixed with damp hay) when a decision is still to be reached and white when a new pope has been decided.

In the case of John XXIII, the smoke went from black to white to a sort of grey color and back to white again, Ridley recalled.

"The whole thing was sort of medieval,'' Ridley told me at the time. These days chemicals, rather than hay, are mixed with the ballots to prevent the kind of confusion that occurred with John XXIII.

The most nerve-racking part of the enterprise, however, was backgrounding the more than 100 electing cardinals, all of whom theoretically had a chance at the top job.

"And they always chose someone you'd never heard of. I remember John XXIII was just the papal nuncio in Paris -- no one considered him for a moment," Ridley told me. "And all the time, if the other (agencies) were ahead by five minutes, you were lost.

CIA nominee John Brennan defends drone strikes

CIA director nominee John Brennan has defended the US drone-strikes programme at a Senate confirmation hearing.

Mr Brennan said the US only took such action as a last resort and was careful to prevent civilian deaths.

The hearing was repeatedly interrupted by protesters as the nominee began to deliver his testimony.

The session comes after lawmakers received secret memos on the rationale for drone strikes on Americans working with al-Qaeda abroad.

Mr Brennan, 57, who is President Barack Obama's top White House counter-terrorism adviser, was a senior CIA official under President George W Bush.

'Significant concerns'

As he began to deliver his prepared remarks on Thursday, he was interrupted several times by protesters, prompting committee chair Senator Dianne Feinstein to order a recess.One of the demonstrators held a sign saying "Brennan = Drone Killing".

During later questions, Mr Brennan said some Americans believe that strikes are used to punish for past transgressions.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," he said. "We only take such actions as a last resort to save lives when there's no other alternative to taking an action that's going to mitigate that threat."

The US has ordered about 350 drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004 - according to data from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the New American Foundation - with the large majority occurring during the Obama administration.

Correspondents say there has been no suggestion that members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence object to Mr Brennan's nomination.

He is expected to be confirmed by the panel and later by the full Senate.

When asked about waterboarding, Mr Brennan said it was "reprehensible and should never be done again", but declined several times to say whether it was torture.

"I had expressed my personal objections and views to some agency colleagues," he said during the hearing.

"But I did not try to stop it, because it was something that was being done in a different part of the agency under the authority of others."

He added that during his time at the CIA during the Bush administration, he had been told that waterboarding and other extreme interrogation methods produced "valuable information".

But he said that after reading a 300-page summary of a 6,000-page report on CIA interrogation and detention policies, he did "not know what the truth is".

Drone court?

Mr Brennan's hearing comes a day after the Department of Justice agreed to send Congress documents laying out the legal rationale for targeting and killing US citizens who are suspected of working with terror groups.The justice department acted after NBC News published a leaked internal memo explaining some of the legal arguments.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the administration was making an "extraordinary accommodation" in allowing lawmakers to view the secret documents.

The CIA has carried out drone strikes in Yemen, where three American citizens linked to al-Qaeda have been killed: Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old-son and Samir Khan.

Recent opinion polls have suggested that the US public generally supports the drone programme, especially when compared with the possibility of ground assault.

Ms Feinstein said on Thursday the committee should look into the creation of a special court to evaluate evidence against Americans who might be targeted through drones, similar to the scrutiny applied to eavesdropping on citizens with suspected ties to terrorist groups.

And outgoing defence secretary Leon Panetta, who headed the CIA from 2009 to 2011, told NBC News on Sunday that he favoured shifting most strikes to the military, saying it would make the programme "much more transparent".

Mr Brennan was considered for the top post at the intelligence agency in 2008.

But he withdrew his name from consideration amid questions about the role he played during the CIA's use of waterboarding, viewed by many as torture.

Gay rights: How U.S. leads the way

Philippe Coste is the staff New York correspondent for the weekly L'Express. He also writes a blog on "lexpress.fr." His book, recently published in France, is about populism and the American justice system: "Quand la justice dérape" (When Justice goes off track).

A week before Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to mention gay rights in his inauguration speech, the French had already made history on that matter. Believe it or not, on January 13, there were half a million people on the streets of Paris, demonstrating against gay marriage.

The French Catholic church is supposed to be at its last gasp, but it seemed strong enough to mobilize parishes, religious school parents and the common conservative citizen against a project of "mariage pour tous" (marriage for everybody), that had long been part of the new Socialist President François Hollande's election platform. Now that the law is being debated in parliament, it will likely pass within a month, but the ruckus will have stripped it of provisions deemed essential to the gay community: the equal rights, even if they are married, to start a family and raise their children. It may also trigger off a new culture war.The Church would not have enjoyed that success alone, had it not found the most unexpected and efficient leader, in the person of Virginie Tellenne, alias "Frigide Barjot." The nom-de-scène of this enterprising entertainer, known for her long-time connection to the RPR, the party of Jacques Chirac, means "cookoo," and was a rallying cry for silly demonstrations, in the 80s, against cold weather in Paris, before she met God in 2004, and proclaimed herself "Jesus's PR person."I saw her recently on a French TV channel while, in her trademark miniskirt and fishnets, she was debating a lesbian activist named Caroline Fourest, who asked Barjot how she felt about "gathering hundred of thousand of people in a demonstration against the equal rights of another community." She answered that she "loved gays," reminding the audience she often "partied like crazy" at Bananas, a well known hangout of the hip Parisian LGBT crowd. Translation: gay was okay as long as it stayed in the "cage aux folles," in drag, in an entertaining margin, but certainly not in the mundane realities of everyday life, where it is way more complicated.Indeed. Frigide, just like a majority of the French, supported the civil union enacted in 1999, the so-called Pacs, designed mainly for same sex couples. It gives some rights, but doesn't legitimate partners as parents. Marriage would. And there is the rub: adoption, medically assisted procreation. "What about the bloodline? What about mother nature, and the right of kids raised that way to know their true origin?, shrieked Frigide, oblivious to the fact that children adopted or medically procreated with donated eggs by straight parents have the same problem. It all boiled down, at the minute of truth, to that question: "What about their right to be raised normally? she asked. By a mommy and a daddy?"Having witnessed the debate on same-sex marriage in the United States, that episode confirms one more difference between our cultures. Contrary to the Americans who, in spite of blunt evidence, still worship the act of marriage, with its fairy-tale rituals of proposing and funny kneeling, the French have a much more pessimistic, more realistic even, vision of the knot. But when it comes to families and raising kids, they seem to believe in the enchanted world of yore.In America, the same-sex unions were often seen as the sinful problem, as the Christian banners, "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" proclaimed around the country. But children were nobody else's business for those willing to adopt, or procreate with the methods available to anyone able to pay for donated eggs, sperm or a surrogate mother.France is another story. In a country where unrealistic conditions slacken usual adoption, gay prospective parents have had to act as any straight single person would, ask for an adoption authorization, and, to improve the chances ... get the child in another country. The law debated these days may grant their partner equal parental rights for adoption. As for medically assisted procreation, it is another problem: As of today, it is simply forbidden unless the couple is heterosexual and married or able to prove they has lived together for at least two years. Surrogate mothers are prohibited in France, plain and simple.

Hollande himself, though he promotes gay marriage as a progressive symbol, admitted he doesn't personally favor allowing medically assisted reproduction to homosexuals, and with the assent of many socialist party officials, had these corresponding measures postponed -- for parliament to decide -- as another law to a future debate, in March.

One reason, besides the obvious fear of a culture war with the conservatives about sacred family values, maybe the fact that the government already pays four attempts of medically assisted procreation to heterosexual couples and doesn't wish to have to extend this costly favor to gays, nor, more importantly, does it want to change at any price the national moral doctrine.

Assisted reproduction is considered in France only as a way to treat the medical condition of infertility. Being gay is not an illness, neither is, for a woman, the fact that she has no man. As a consequence, French babies are born en masse from single and not-so-single mothers in nearby Belgium or Spain, where specialized services are legally available for a price. "These children already exist in France," concluded Caroline Fourest on the show."They were born from gay parents and they simply deserve to have it recognized."

John Kerry eyes revival of Middle East peace talks

US Senator John Kerry has warned that a failure of a two-state solution in the Middle East would be "disastrous", at his confirmation hearing as secretary of state.

But Sen Kerry said he believes there is a "way forward" on peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

US-brokered peace talks in the Middle East broke down in 2010.

Sen Kerry sailed through his hearing to replace Hillary Clinton at the helm of the state department.

A Vietnam veteran and a senator since 1985, he was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, losing the election to George W Bush.

'Disastrous'

He is chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, which conducted Thursday's hearing. It was led instead by Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey.Sen Kerry warned "the window or door on a two-state solution could shut - and that would be disastrous for all concerned".

"Perhaps this can be a moment where we can renew some kind of effort to get the parties into a discussion to have a different track than we have been on over the last couple of years," he said, adding that it was unclear what government would emerge from Israel's recent election.

The Massachusetts senator did not give details of possible plan, saying he did not want to prejudice any new effort.

During the five-hour hearing, Sen Kerry also said "we will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon".

"I repeat here today: our policy is not containment. It is prevention and the clock is ticking on our efforts to secure responsible compliance," he told the panel.

He said he hoped the US and its allies would maintain diplomatic pressure against Iran, but said Iran had to prove its nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.

Sen Kerry also spoke about American efforts to strengthen its relationship with China, saying it would be "a tough slog". And he described himself as a "passionate advocate" on battling global warming.

'The right choice'

He was introduced by Mrs Clinton, Republican Senator John McCain and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

"John is the right choice," Mrs Clinton said of her designated successor. "He will bring a record of leadership and service that is exemplary."

Her recommendation was immediately echoed by Sen McCain.

"Witnessing almost daily his exemplary statesmanship is one of the highest privileges I've had here," he said.

Sen Kerry's nomination as secretary of state opens his Massachusetts Senate seat.

The place will temporarily be filled by appointment by Democratic Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. A special election will follow within months.

Sen Kerry was Mr Obama's second choice, after UN Ambassador Susan Rice became embroiled in controversy over last September's raid on a US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Republican senators accused her of deliberately misleading the American people over the nature of the attack, which left four Americans dead.

The Obama administration angrily rejected the claims, but Ms Rice withdrew her name from consideration for secretary of state.

Clinton takes responsibility in Benghazi attack, clashes with Republicans

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee she took responsibility for not adequately protecting U.S. personnel in the Sept. 11 attack on a diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the killing of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

 Defending the administration’s immediate handling of the attack, Clinton clashed at times with Republicans over the account the administration gave in the initial days after Sept. 11.  She told Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican, “we did not have a clear picture” of all that was going on in Benghazi although she did acknowledge that senators had “legitimate questions” about the administration’s account.Sen. John McCain, R- Ariz., -- after telling Clinton “we are proud of you” and that all over the world “you are viewed with admiration and respect” -- delivered a blistering criticism of the Obama administration’s handling of the events in Libya.

“There are many questions that are unanswered and the answers you’ve given this morning are frankly not satisfactory to me,” McCain told Clinton. He added “the American people and the families of these four brave Americans still haven’t gotten the answers they deserve.”

He asked Clinton whether she was aware of numerous warnings from Stevens and other Americans in Libya that the facility in Benghazi was not capable of resisting a sustained assault. He also said there had been other warning signs such as an attack on the British ambassador to Libya.

He angrily asked Clinton why Defense Department forces were not nearby to defend the Benghazi facility.

Last month a report issued by the Accountability Review Board (ARB) appointed by Clinton, blamed State Department officials for “systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies” that led to protection for the Benghazi facility that was “grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place.”

In her response to McCain, Clinton said, as she did to other senators on the panel, that some additional information on the causes and circumstances of the attack is in the classified portions of the report issued by the ARB. Senators and Senate staff can read the classified portions of the ARB report, but the public cannot.And she blamed members of Congress for holding up additional aid to Libya that might make the country more secure and less chaotic. 

In his questioning of Clinton, Sen. Rand Paul, R- Ky., told her, “I’m glad that you’re accepting responsibility. I think that ultimately with your leaving, you accept the culpability for the worst tragedy since 9/11, and I really mean that. Had I been president at the time and I found that you did not read the cables from Benghazi, you did not read the cables from Ambassador Stevens, I would have relieved you of your post.”

He added, “It’s a failure of leadership” which cost the Americans in Benghazi their lives. “I think it’s good that you’re accepting responsibility-- because no one else is.”Paul also argued that U.S. personnel ought to never have been sent to Benghazi “in a war zone” without a military guard. “You shouldn’t send them in with the same kind of embassy staff that you have in Paris,” he added. 

Clinton replied that all four State Department officials criticized in the ARB report for their roles on the Benghazi events had been removed from their jobs and placed on administrative leave. “The ARB (report) made very clear that the level of responsibility for the failures that they outlined was set at the assistant secretary level and below.”

The furor over the Benghazi attack helped derail one possible nominee to replace Clinton at the State Department, UN ambassador Susan Rice, whom Republicans assailed for using administration talking points that portrayed the incident as a spontaneous response to an inflammatory anti-Islamic video.

But Clinton told the committee that in the hours and days after the attack, “I was not focused on talking points” and “I wasn’t involved in the talking points process.”

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But she said Rice and the Obama administration did not try to mislead the American people about the cause of the attacks. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” she said as she sparred with Sen. Ron Johnson, R- Wisc.

She angrily told Johnson that at this stage it did not really matter what the precise origins or motives of the attack were: “What difference at this point does it make?”

In her opening statement, Clinton told the committee, “As I have said many times since September 11, I take responsibility.  Nobody is more committed to getting this right.  I am determined to leave the State Department and our country safer, stronger, and more secure.”

Clinton's voice choked with emotion as she recalled the return of “those flag-draped caskets” from the Americans killed in Benghazi and put her arms “around the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters” of those killed. 

Clinton also used her testimony to deliver a vigorous call for continued U.S. involvement in the North African nation of Mali where the Obama administration is aiding French efforts to defeat Islamic jihadist forces.Clinton said she had accepted the ARBs recommendations for improvements in security procedures and had asked her subordinates “to ensure that all 29 of them are implemented quickly and completely.” She said these changes are designed to “reduce the chances of another Benghazi happening again.”

Clinton will also testify about the Benghazi episode Wednesday afternoon before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

On Thursday the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold its confirmation hearing for Clinton’s successor, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who is the committee’s chairman and is likely to be confirmed without any opposition.

NRA chief: Obama makes 'mockery' of American freedoms

The National Rifle Association chief issued a blistering retort to President Barack Obama's inaugural address, accusing him of name calling and limiting American freedoms.

Wayne LaPierre has been silent since his controversial response to a shooting massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

In a speech late Tuesday night , he took shots at Obama's inaugural address.

"President Barack Obama quoted the Declaration of Independence and he talked about 'unalienable rights.' I would argue that his words make a mockery of both," LaPierre said at a hunting and conservation event in Reno, Nevada.LaPierre took issue when Obama addressed absolutism and criticized gridlock in Washington.

"For now decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay," Obama said Monday.

"We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate."

LaPierre accused the president of name calling and questioned that statement.

"So what is this 'absolutism' the president attacks?" he asked. " And what are the so-called 'principles' that he wants us to settle for instead? Obama wants to turn the idea of 'absolutism, into a dirty word, just another word for extremism."

The re-emergence of NRA's potent mouthpiece comes on the same day of another school shooting that captured national headlines -- the wounding of three people on a Texas college campus.

His speech also comes as Obama and some lawmakers focus on passing gun control measures. Polls show more people are warming up to the possibility.

Last week, Obama proposed background checks on all gun sales, and bans on military style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

With relatives of some of the 20 children killed in the Connecticut rampage looking on, Obama also signed 23 executive actions -- which don't require congressional approval -- to strengthen existing gun laws. They also take related steps on mental health and school safety.

In his speech Tuesday, LaPierre set his sites on Obama's proposal to expand background checks to anyone buying a gun whether at a store or in a private sale at an auction or convention.

"There are only two reasons for that federal list of gun owners — to tax them or take them. And to anyone who says that's excessive, Barack Obama says you're an 'absolutist.' He doesn't understand you. He doesn't agree with the freedoms you cherish," he told the cheering crowd of hunting enthusiasts.

The tit-for-tat continues a running battle between the president and the powerful gun lobby.

Last week, the NRA released an advertisement that called the president an "elitist hypocrite," and asked why he opposes the idea of placing armed guards in every school -- a proposal pushed by the NRA -- despite the fact that his own children attend a school with similar security.

The ad was only slated to air on the Sportsman Channel, but has gained strong media attention, both on the airwaves and online. It has also garnered criticism.

Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey criticized it for making a reference to the president's children in a political attack commercial.

Speaking at a news conference last week, the outspoken governor decried the move as "reprehensible" and argued that the group lost some credibility by making the ad.

"And I think for any of us who are public figures, you see that kind of ad and you cringe. You cringe because it's just not appropriate in my view to do that," he said. "They've got real issues to debate on this topic. Get to the real issues. Don't be dragging peoples' children into this. It's wrong."

Obama finally meets Machiavelli

U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama attend the Commander-in-Chief's Ball, honoring U.S. service members and their families, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Monday, January 21, in Washington after Obama's second Inauguration as the 44th U.S. president.

It's a good bet that millions of Americans on Monday greeted President Barack Obama's magnificent second inaugural address not just with applause and cheers of approval but with loud sighs of relief.

Gone were his first inaugural speech's bizarre equal division of blame for the wreckage of real lives between the "greed of some" and the so-called "collective failure" of the rest of us. Instead, Obama rang out his commitment to equality for all, not the "shrinking few and lucky" who call the rest of us simply "takers."

Nor did our president chide us to put away ''childish things" by seeming to describe deep differences over "perpetual war," climate change, immigration, equal rights, voting rights, rights to decent wages for honest labor and rights to "basic measures of security and dignity" as "petty grievances."This time around, Obama offered us not song and dance morals from an old Depression musical comedy to "pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start all over again," but solid, specific support for the serious New Deal pillars of Social Security and Medicare.Almost for the first time as president, he dared to utter the word "poverty" in a major address, and declared ''we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice."

These moments and more earned his speech the warm response and respect it deserves. Now it will receive the careful analysis it cannot escape. This will reveal even more profound differences between Obama's second inaugural speech and his historic appearance on the steps of the U.S. Capitol as the president of color few believed they would see elected in their lifetimes

.

1. His first inaugural address was a puzzling disappointment after the passionate convictions he expressed so powerfully in both his primary and general election campaigns. Some suggested that his finest moment was Election Night in Chicago's Grant Park. No one who followed his campaign, including his opponents, could have been surprised by his second inaugural speech.

2. Monday's words were those of a leader who has chosen to fight for the change he believes in over flailing attempts to placate that only produced astounding charges that he was unwilling to compromise when in fact he had given so much in doomed efforts to do just that.

3. His repeated calls for "We the People" to work together were not-so-subtle warnings of who would be responsible if the U.S. government is unable to do so. No blame-splitting this time.

4. Even Obama's delivery and demeanor conveyed conviction, not the sense that a press aide might soon emerge from Caesar's tent beside the Rubicon to explain that his thinking is still "evolving."In this second inaugural address, Obama the Candidate became Obama the President without a trace of the bait and switch to which too many citizens have become so accustomed that in their cynicism they cease to vote at all. He spoke as a leader who has stopped splitting differences and is prepared to make choices and fight for them -- together as We the People if possible, alone as Obama the President if not.

Opinion: Obama's America, better than what Founders imagined

In fact, Monday's speech felt as if after four frustrating years of trying to appease his opponents, Barack Obama had finally met Machiavelli one night in the Lincoln Bedroom and learned that when faced with two equally powerful opposing forces, a president must choose, or both will attack him. He sounded like a leader who knows now that the difference between making a choice and making love is that decisions don't feel better the longer you can draw them out.

As Obama goes from celebration to celebration, his supporters and his opponents have a much clearer idea of what he will do tomorrow, and for the next 1,000-plus days he is president.

This time when he tells banks and insurance companies that "a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play," they will do well to believe him. Because even with all the cash he collected to fill the coffers of his campaign, Monday's speech makes it clear he will not let it line the coffin of his presidency.

It betrays no security measures to mention that the Secret Service chooses oddly accurate code words for the presidents it protects.

After Obama's first inauguration, that could have been "dancer." After Monday's address, it could legitimately consider ''leader." If the president is able to act in accordance with his second inaugural address, it's not impossible now to imagine "Lincoln." He wasn't afraid to fight when the nation would not stay together.

Flu season fuels debate over paid sick time laws

NEW YORK (AP) — Sniffling, groggy and afraid she had caught the flu, Diana Zavala dragged herself in to work anyway for a day she felt she couldn't afford to miss.

A school speech therapist who works as an independent contractor, she doesn't have paid sick days. So the mother of two reported to work and hoped for the best — and was aching, shivering and coughing by the end of the day. She stayed home the next day, then loaded up on medicine and returned to work.

"It's a balancing act" between physical health and financial well-being, she said.

An unusually early and vigorous flu season is drawing attention to a cause that has scored victories but also hit roadblocks in recent years: mandatory paid sick leave for a third of civilian workers — more than 40 million people — who don't have it.

Supporters and opponents are particularly watching New York City, where lawmakers are weighing a sick leave proposal amid a competitive mayoral race.

Pointing to a flu outbreak that the governor has called a public health emergency, dozens of doctors, nurses, lawmakers and activists — some in surgical masks — rallied Friday on the City Hall steps to call for passage of the measure, which has awaited a City Council vote for nearly three years. Two likely mayoral contenders have also pressed the point.

The flu spike is making people more aware of the argument for sick pay, said Ellen Bravo, executive director of Family Values at Work, which promotes paid sick time initiatives around the country. "There's people who say, 'OK, I get it — you don't want your server coughing on your food,'" she said.

Advocates have cast paid sick time as both a workforce issue akin to parental leave and "living wage" laws, and a public health priority.

But to some business owners, paid sick leave is an impractical and unfair burden for small operations. Critics also say the timing is bad, given the choppy economy and the hardships inflicted by Superstorm Sandy.

Michael Sinesky, an owner of seven bars and restaurants around the city, was against the sick time proposal before Sandy. And after the storm shut down four of his restaurants for days or weeks, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars that his insurers have yet to pay, "we're in survival mode."

"We're at the point, right now, where we cannot afford additional social initiatives," said Sinesky, whose roughly 500 employees switch shifts if they can't work, an arrangement that some restaurateurs say benefits workers because paid sick time wouldn't include tips.

Employees without sick days are more likely to go to work with a contagious illness, send an ill child to school or day care and use hospital emergency rooms for care, according to a 2010 survey by the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center. A 2011 study in the American Journal of Public Health estimated that a lack of sick time helped spread 5 million cases of flu-like illness during the 2009 swine flu outbreak.

To be sure, many employees entitled to sick time go to work ill anyway, out of dedication or at least a desire to project it. But the work-through-it ethic is shifting somewhat amid growing awareness about spreading sickness.

"Right now, where companies' incentives lie is butting right up against this concern over people coming into the workplace, infecting others and bringing productivity of a whole company down," said John A. Challenger, CEO of employer consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Paid sick day requirements are often popular in polls, but only four places have them: San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and the state of Connecticut. The specific provisions vary.

Milwaukee voters approved a sick time requirement in 2008, but the state Legislature passed a law blocking it. Philadelphia's mayor vetoed a sick leave measure in 2011; lawmakers have since instituted a sick time requirement for businesses with city contracts. Voters rejected a paid sick day measure in Denver in 2011.

In New York, City Councilwoman Gale Brewer's proposal would require up to five paid sick days a year at businesses with at least five employees. It wouldn't include independent contractors, such as Zavala, who supports the idea nonetheless.

The idea boasts such supporters as feminist Gloria Steinem and "Sex and the City" actress Cynthia Nixon, as well as a majority of City Council members and a coalition of unions, women's groups and public health advocates. But it also faces influential opponents, including business groups, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who has virtually complete control over what matters come to a vote.

Quinn, who is expected to run for mayor, said she considers paid sick leave a worthy goal but doesn't think it would be wise to implement it in a sluggish economy. Two of her likely opponents, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Comptroller John Liu, have reiterated calls for paid sick leave in light of the flu season.

While the debate plays out, Emilio Palaguachi is recovering from the flu and looking for a job. The father of four was abruptly fired without explanation earlier this month from his job at a deli after taking a day off to go to a doctor, he said. His former employer couldn't be reached by telephone.

"I needed work," Palaguachi said after Friday's City Hall rally, but "I needed to see the doctor because I'm sick."

Sundance Film Festival 2013: Celebrity Hotspots!

When they're not in the theaters premiering their films there is no doubt a few stars will be trying to check out Utah's amazing mountains for some skiing or snowboarding. Luckily there are more than a few people trying to help get them up there!

The Burton Experience: 

in past years actors like Aaron Paul have enjoyed Burton's complimentary snowboard lessons with Burton’s expert "Learn To Ride" instructors including Jack Mitrani, Danny Davis and Gabi Viteri. After being outfitted head to toe in new Burton demo gear, VIP guests hit the slopes for one wild ride, and are greeted at their Pig Pen lounge with Vermont-inspired comfort food and music by DJ Spider.

Neffland Park City: 

Neff has teamed up with Park City to create a one of a kind snow park complete with candy cane rails, snow-cone jibs and so much more. They're also offering free lessons with a pro.

Oakley Learn To Ride: Director and Entourage star Adrian Grenier, along with many others, will head up some of Park City's impressive mountains armed with Oakley gear and lessons from professional riders. Before their trek, guests will be treating themselves to New Era caps, Emergen-C to keep the flu away, and Cream of Wheat. Element Electronics has set up a photo booth so the memories can be shared with the world via social media.

Between screenings there's no better past-time for celebs than swag shopping. Here are a couple places you may catch them.

Village At The Lift [825 Main St]: 

Park City's most anticipated gifting area and lounge is back for another season. During the day, actors like Kate Bosworth will be treated to UGG Australia boots, Samsung technology, portraits by Getty/WireImage, food by Animal, Tea of a Kind, Icelandic Glacial water and delicious snacks by Brownie Brittle!

Nintendo Lounge [738 Main St]: Sundance's stars will be dropping in to lighten the mood by demoing the brand's new Wii U and Nintendo 3DS XL as well as upcoming games.

Nikki Beach Private Lounge [201 Heber St]: 

Film festival and nightlife stable Nikki Beach Worldwide is coming to Sundance for the first time to take over the indoor-outdoor rooftop patio at The Sky Lodge Hotel.

Miami Lounge [625 Main St]: 

Festival-goers like Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell will check out this Miami inspired lounge, which includes live DJ performances, Rotten Tomatoes/Sirius XM Live Broadcasting, complimentary food and cocktails. There will be gifting like shoes and accessories from Carlo Pazolini, cocktails from Disaronno, leathers from Rudsak, clothing and jewelry from Johnny Was, snacks from Sabra Hummus, Lifeway Foods, HINT water, as well as a variety of other brands.

Kari Feinstein Style Lounge [444 Main St]: 

Stars like Josh Kelley and Katherine Heigl will stop in to check out the latest in clothing, jewelry, exciting getaways, electronics, gadgets, high-end skincare and cosmetics.

TR Suites Gifting & Style Lounge [136 Heber Ave]: 

In the past, guests like Octavia Spencer have dropped by this lounge for Dove Hair blow outs and styling services as well as cosmetics in the COVERGIRL Beauty Lounge. Guests will also be checking out ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water, Sensa Weight-Loss System, National Geographic, Sean John, The Teaologist, Sabra Dipping Co., Macaron Magnifique, Power Mat, Lenovo Powered by IZEA, LYFE Kitchen, and Hint Water. Music provided by the 4AM DJs.

Chase Sapphire on Main [692 Main St]: 

All guests can enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres courtesy of Chase as well as enjoy VIP cocktail parties with Sundance talent like Ed Burns, on the dramatic jury this year. The space also features a gallery with memorabilia from past festival films, such as Little Miss Sunshine and Garden State.

The Everest Mansion [Private]: 

With the help of Saygus Vphone LTE, Everest will make its debut at Sundance Film Festival hosting celebs like James Franco late night and kicking off each morning with an organic breakfast bar including Sheila G's Original Brownie Brittle snacks, along with yoga sessions courtesy of Moksha Yoga. Following the healthy early morning activities, the day will lead into various informative and educational events, such as The Everest Challenge, Women In Media Panels, and a Illumin8 Tech Summit brought to you by Money Desktop.

McCafe Lodge [427 Main St]:

Escaping the cold is a Park City pastime and guests can count on having at least one place to take a break from the snow as McDonald's McCafe welcomes guests attending the Film Festival to warm up and recharge at the McCafe Lodge in association with media partners Cinefix.com and Wonderwall.com.

Outdoor Retailer Innovation Gallery [580 Main St]:

The Innovation Gallery, produced by Liz Ferrin Productions, gives Sundance filmmakers, celebrities, media and industry a glimpse into the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show taking place in nearby Salt Lake City, its brands, and the spirit of the outdoors and its pivotal role in independent film.

Beyonce, Katy Perry to perform at star-studded inauguration

President Barack Obama's inauguration is shaping up to be an event as star-studded as any red carpet, with performances from heavy-hitters like Beyonce, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Usher and Brad Paisley.

Beyonce will sing the national anthem and James Taylor will sing "America the Beautiful" on the West Front of the Capitol on Monday in Washington. Clarkson will sing "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Planners of the event said the president personally selected the performers.

Pop-rock trio fun., who had a wild year with two No. 1 hits, a near-platinum album and six Grammy nominations, will perform for first lady Michelle Obama, Sasha and Malia and Jill Biden on Saturday at the Kids' Inaugural Ball."It's been amazing year, and 2013 is kicking off with us doing the inauguration ... it's just an incredible thing," said lead singer Nate Ruess. "I think the three of us care so much about Obama and so to be invited, I can't even deal."

The band will be joined at the concert by Perry, Wonder, Keys, Usher, Smokey Robinson, Paisley, Marc Anthony, Mindless Behavior, Nick Cannon and the cast of "Glee."

"I think they're all very talented people. Stevie's my brother and so is Usher," Robinson said in an interview. "I know Katy...I'm very happy to be performing among them."

While there will be no shortage of star power, it's not quite a repeat of the 2009 inauguration when everyone who's anyone flocked to Washington for a televised concert on the Mall.

The first time around, Beyonce was a surprise guest, singing the Etta James classic "At Last" for the Obamas' first dance. Her husband, Jay-Z, was another surprise at the private staff ball, singing "99 Problems but George Bush Ain't One." The Jonas Brothers -- then favorites of the Obama girls -- performed at the kids' concert and U2, Springsteen and so many others performed on the Mall.

There may still be surprises in store, but plenty of performances are assured. Keys, Paisley, Chris Cornell, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson and Anthony will perform at the Commander-in-Chief's Ball on Monday.

Will.i.am, who debuted the song "New Day" at 2009's inauguration, will be at a number of events, including OurTime.org's "General Now Party" on Saturday, which also includes John Legend, Jessica Alba, Common and Flo Rida. Eva Longoria will host the "In Performance at the Kennedy Center" event, which celebrates Latino arts and culture, and will feature Antonio Banderas and Rosario Dawson. And 25-year-old pop party girl Ke$ha will perform a charity concert Monday.

The Creative Coalition will host parties Sunday and Monday that is expected to include Eric Stonestreet, Connie Britton, Taraji P. Henson, Melissa Leo and David Arquette, among others.

Like will.i.am, soul crooner Legend will attend multiple events, including Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball II with 2 Chainz, Brandy and Pharrell. BET also has a ball that comedian-actor Wayne Brady will host; performers include Bell Biv Devoe, Doug E. Fresh, MC Lyte and Jermaine Dupri. And Pharrell will host an event late Monday that supports education.

Clarkson says she continues to gush when she thinks about all that's going on to celebrate Obama's second term in office.

"I'm excited to be a part of it honestly. I'm more stoked about (it more) than maybe a lot in my career," she said.

Jennifer Aniston Named the New Face of Aveeno Skincare

Jennifer Aniston -- one of the most famous faces in the world -- has been named the new face of Aveeno, the Just Go With It actress' rep announced Jan. 17. Rumors of the partnership -- and Aniston's "eight-figure" payday -- were first reported by The New York Post in June.

"We can confirm that Jennifer Aniston will be partnering with Aveeno for skincare," Aniston's rep, Stephen Huvane, confirmed to E! News. "You can expect to see the results of this collaboration later this year."

Aniston previously starred in ad campaigns for L'Oreal and Living Proof, a haircare company that recently hired her as a "spokesperson and product creator." The Friends alum has also endorsed SmartWater and her own eponymous fragrance.

Justin Theroux's fiancee follows in the footsteps of All My Children actress Daniella van Graas, who previously represented Aveeno. In March 2012, Aniston listed her other favorite skincare products in an interview with InStyle.

"I've used Neutrogena face soap since I was a teen. I also like Dr. Hauschka Rose day cream, which I now mix with sunblock," the actress said. "Also, there are these Angels Makeup collagen patches that my makeup artist, Angela Levin, designed. You put them under your eyes before doing your makeup, and they moisturize the skin. Nice for a morning pick-me-up."

Galerry:

12 most beautiful churches in America

Medieval labyrinths, intricate stained glass, even a sculpture of Darth Vader-- There's no question that America's churches are just as intriguing as their European counterparts. And not just in grandeur--the stories behind these architectural masterpieces are downright biblical.

Whether it's a grand cathedral the length of two football fields or a stunning chapel that has been hand-crafted deep in the forest, the most beautiful churches in America are as diverse as the country itself. From coast to coast, we found 12 of the most architecturally inspiring churches. No matter what your religious affiliation is, everyone can find enlightenment in the towering domes, mosaic artworks, and impressive sculptures, not to mention the stories behind these buildings.


The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
New York City


The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine is well worth the 20-minute subway ride from Times Square. The Episcopalian Cathedral takes up an entire block and is tall enough to hold the Statue of Liberty. In fact, the only church that beats it in size is St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The limestone-granite structure is impressive enough to rival any European church--but it didn't begin looking quite the same as it does now. When architects George Heins and Christopher Grand Lafarge first built the structure in 1892, they designed it in Romanesque-Byzantine style. Several fires and a couple of decades later, Ralph Adams Cram took over the structure and transformed it into the French Gothic style we see today. The Great Rose Window above the bronze doors on the Cathedral's Amsterdam Avenue side is the largest stained-glass window in the U.S., with more than 10,000 pieces of colored glass. Make time to stroll around the 13-acre grounds too--in addition to the cathedral's impressive Peace Fountain, which depicts the battle between good and evil, white peacocks roam the grounds too and if you're lucky you'll spot one.

Washington National Cathedral

Washington, D.C.

There is no shortage of churches in Washington, D.C., but none quite so noteworthy as Washington National Cathedral (officially called Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul). Not only has this religious institution been the site of 21 presidential funerals--from William McKinley in 1901 to Gerald Ford in 2007--but national heroes such as Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson are interred here. As befitting our capital, the 517-foot-long building is an imposing ode to worship. The design is Neo-Gothic through-and-through, from its limestone exterior with its steep arches to its stained glass windows and flying buttresses. It took 83 years to build and was only officially finished in September of 1990. The modern completion led to a surprising detail--a sculpture of Darth Vader at the top of the west tower (a contemporary representation of evil). Standing in for good, you'll find a more traditional approach to religious sculpture--288 angels. Head up to the Pilgrim Observation Gallery near the Wisconsin Avenue entrance for magnificent 360-degree views of Washington, D.C.

St. Mary of the Angels
Chicago


It's something of a miracle that this stunning cathedral still exists. The first St. Mary of the Angels was built in 1899 in northwest Chicago and soon became a parish school. The present-day church was completed in 1920 following several struggles with material shortages during World War I. When the Kennedy Expressway was built in 1960, many residents left the area and in 1988 the building was closed and prepared for demolition. Fortunately, the remaining parishioners and the priests of Opus Dei were able to work together and officially save it three years later. Major repairs soon began, including the preservation of the 26 nine-foot tall angels that line the roof. Like most Italian Romanesque churches inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, St. Mary of the Angels was designed in the shape of a cross, with a large dome in the center and two bell towers at its sides. Stained-glass windows inside the church depict the 12 Apostles, the Stations of the Cross, images of the saints and angels, and various other biblical scenes (there is also a painting of the Virgin Mary and Jesus that was reportedly smuggled out of communist Poland).

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
St. Louis, MO

The Archbishops of St. Louis during the early 1900s were very persistent in their desire to build the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis--not even a devastating tornado at the time could stop them from raising the $1 million needed to construct the Byzantine and Romanesque style Cathedral. In 1908 the cornerstone was laid and the project was dedicated to Christ and King--King Louis IX that is, officially making St. Louis the city's patron saint. From 1930 to 1988, a series of beautiful Byzantine-inspired mosaics depicting the life of St. Louis was added, and in 1997, Pope John Paul II designated the site as a Cathedral Basilica, visiting it for himself in 1999.

Cathedral of Saint Paul
St. Paul, MN




The Cathedral of Saint Paul was built in 1907 when Archbishop John Ireland saw a growing need for a larger place of worship in the area. The Cathedral itself was designed in the Beaux Arts architectural style and is now a major piece of St. Paul's skyline. In 2012, the Vatican declared the site to have a "bond of spiritual affinity" with its sister church, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome--which means, in plain terms, if you make a spiritual pilgrimage to St. Paul's Cathedral in Minnesota, it's considered to be the same thing as making a spiritual pilgrimage to the Basilica in Rome, symbolically speaking. As a result, the Cathedral brings in tens of thousands of people who come to pray and admire the beautiful bronze grills that portray the major events in St. Paul's life from his conversion story to his eventual martyrdom for the church. It's not all about St. Paul though--the Cathedral's Shrine of the Nations was built to honor other saints who are important to the ethnically diverse people who have helped make the church what it is today.

Thorncrown Chapel
Eureka Springs, AR


Located deep in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, Thorncrown Chapel sits on top of 100 tons of local stones, allowing it to blend almost entirely into its natural surroundings. The 48-foot-tall structure also has 425 windows to let in views of the forest growing around it. Arkansas native Jim Reed originally purchased the land as a place to put his retirement home, but instead decided to create a peaceful spot where travelers could worship in a natural setting. Native pine was used to build the structure, and every piece of wood was literally carried in, since using large trucks would disturb the integrity of the forest.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at High Hill
High Hill, TX

There are several painted churches in this vibrant German-Czech area between Houston and San Antonio, but St. Mary's at High Hill is known as the Queen. The church was built in 1906, and 18 of the stained glass windows portraying Biblical scenes were purchased from Germany by members of the community and donated to the church. Inside you will also find carved statues of Jesus, Mary, and the saints, as well as a ceiling decorated with frescoes of angels, birds, vines, and grapes. The church's main event is a parish picnic the Sunday during Memorial Day weekend, with plenty of German food and performances by German and Czech bands.

Memorial Presbyterian Church

St. Augustine, FL

Built in 1889 by Henry Flagler as a memorial to his daughter following her untimely death due to childbirth complications, Memorial Presbyterian Church is Florida's oldest Presbyterian Church. The design was inspired by Venetian Renaissance style (namely St. Mark's Cathedral) and the church features a 150-foot tall copper dome with a 20-foot tall Greek Cross at the top. Inside, the great Baptismal Font was carved from a solid chunk of Siena marble while the floor is modeled after a classic Venetian floor pattern using different sized square and rectangular tiles. The choir performs from behind an ornately carved screen, and every pew, door, and panel is carved from a rich mahogany from the Dominican Republic. Flagler himself was the son of a Presbyterian minister and he later designed the stained glass windows you see today depicting the lessons of the Apostles' Creed. The bell tower and the five pillars that surround the church actually predate the structure--they were incorporated from another building that housed this congregation that dated back to 1826.

Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France
New Orleans, LA

Overlooking iconic Jackson Square, the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France is our country's oldest continually used Catholic cathedral. Established in 1720, the original Cathedral was dedicated to French King Louis IX and was where colonists and slaves alike were baptized. Unfortunately, the original church burned to the ground in 1788 when a candle set fire to the altar's lace draperies. A second cathedral was built in its place in 1794 and was later restored in 1849 to the condition you see it in today. The Cathedral features a central clock and bell tower and an Italian organ dating back to 1825. Luminaries have been visiting the church throughout its history. Andrew Jackson came to the Cathedral in 1840 as he returned to New Orleans for the commemoration of Jackson Square and Pope John Paul II paid a visit to this historic cathedral in 1987.

Grace Cathedral
San Francisco, CA




Grace Cathedral in San Francisco's Nob Hill has a look reminiscent of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The elaborate stained glass windows were inspired by biblical stories--the Passion, Crucifixion, and the Beatitudes are depicted in the St. Matthew window and the story of Christ healing the paralyzed man is shown in the St. Mark window. The masterpiece is the window illustrating the Twenty-Third Psalm (The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want). It was created in the medieval style of presenting the scene from the bottom up, so that it symbolically rises to heaven. Grace Cathedral is also home to an indoor and outdoor Labyrinth, recalling a tradition dating back to France's Chartres Cathedral in 1220 when people would walk the winding path of the design as a way to release their troubles, meditate, and return to God's healing power. The Cathedral has been hosting celebrated authors and scholars ever since it was completed in 1964--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached here in 1965 and crowds reportedly filled the Cathedral, front steps, plaza, and parking lot. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, Isabel Allende, Carlos Santana, Sandra Day O'Connor, and the Dalai Lama have all been honored speakers at Grace Cathedral's Gresham Hall.

Wayfarers Chapel
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA


Wayfarers Chapel, about 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, is the perfect combination of nature and architectural genius. Designed by Lloyd Wright, the son of Frank Lloyd Wright, the "tree chapel" was made to be a natural sanctuary encased in glass with views of the surrounding forest and the nearby Pacific Ocean. These are typical traits of Organic Architecture, which aims at using nature as the framework and regards the space inside as sacred. Wright also designed the surrounding Chapel Gardens, home to Redwood trees and roses that bloom all year round. Completed in 1951, the Wayfarers Chapel was built along the Palos Verdes peninsula so that travelers could rest and give thanks to God for the beauty around them. People of all religious backgrounds are welcomed to take advantage of the beautiful natural setting--evening weddings are celebrated inside the glass chapel lit only by candlelight.

The Cathedral of Saint Andrew
Honolulu, HI


Located in Honolulu's historic district, the Cathedral of St. Andrew serves as a reminder of Hawaii's long Anglican (Episcopalian)-Hawaiian history. In 1861 the reigning royalty offered up a portion of their royal garden and Queen Emma herself later traveled to England to raise money and commission arches and limestone columns (the rest of the stones were quarried in Western Oahu). Hawaii's first Gothic vaulted Cathedral was finally completed in 1886 as a memorial to Queen Emma's husband, King Kamehameha IV. The colorful Great West window of the Cathedral was the largest hand-blown stained glass window ever built at the time. Queen Emma is also given credit for being the force behind St. Andrew's Priory School for Girls, which shares the property and doubled as Oxford College among other locations on the television show Lost--the stained glass windows of the Cathedral's Parke Chapel and the Gothic arches of Davies Hall are also featured in a number of episodes.

President Obama Unveils Sweeping Plan to Curb Gun Violence

Flanked by four children from across the country, President Obama today unveiled a sweeping plan to curb gun violence in America through an extensive package of legislation and executive actions not seen since the 1960s.

Obama is asking Congress to implement mandatory background checks for all gun purchases, not just from licensed dealers; reinstate a ban on some assault-style weapons; ban high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds; and crackdown on illicit weapon trafficking.

The president's proposal also includes new initiatives for school safety, including a call for more federal aid to states for hiring so-called school resource officers, counselors and psychologists, and improved access to mental health care.

Obama will sign 23 executive actions on gun violence -- policy directives not needing congressional approval, an administration official said. Among them is a directive to federal agencies to beef up the national criminal background check system and a memorandum lifting a freeze on gun violence research at the Centers for Disease Control.

The announcement comes one month after a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., left 26 dead, including 20 children. Obama called it the worst moment of his presidency and promised "meaningful action" in response.The proposals were the work of an Obama-appointed task force, led by Vice President Joe Biden, that held 22 meetings on gun violence over the past three weeks. The group received input from more than 220 organizations and dozens of elected officials, a senior administration official said.

The task force recommendations were presented to Obama on Monday.

Obama today also nominated a new director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which regulates gun sales and leads enforcement of federal gun laws. The agency has been without a confirmed director for six years. Obama appointed acting director Todd Jones, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota, to the post, if the Senate confirms him.

The administration's plan also calls for aid to states for the hiring of more so-called school resource officers, counselors and psychologists. Obama also directed the Department of Education to ensure all schools have improved emergency response plans.

The proposals are already being met with stiff opposition from gun-rights advocates, led by the National Rifle Association, which overnight released a scathing ad attacking the president as an "elitist hypocrite."

"Are the president's kids more important than yours?" says the narrator of the NRA ad. "Then why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools, when his kids are protected by armed guards at their school?"

Obama has questioned the value of placing more armed guards at schools around the country, though his proposal does call for placement of more police officers at public schools. The NRA opposes most of the other gun restrictions Obama has proposed.

Convincing Congress to vote for gun control measures will also be a tough task, with many Democrats expressing skepticism that new restrictions on gun sales can be effective, much less pass.

"Is [the assault weapons ban] something that can pass the Senate? Maybe. Is it something that can pass the Senate? I doubt it," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat and gun owners, told a Las Vegas TV station on Friday. "So I think there are things that we know we can do."

Debt ceiling debate: Obama stakes out position

America is "not a deadbeat nation", US President Obama has said, warning Republicans not to hold the economy to ransom on the federal borrowing limit.

He told a White House news conference it would be "absurd" to use the debt ceiling as a negotiating chip.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner said a debt ceiling rise should be accompanied by spending cuts.

The US is expected to hit its $16.4tn (£10.2tn) borrowing limit by February unless lawmakers act.

Monday's press conference came a week before the inauguration ceremony in Washington DC that will begin Mr Obama's second term.

'Ransom'

The Democratic president warned lawmakers that they would "not collect a ransom... for not crashing the economy".

"The full faith and credit of the United States of America is not a bargaining chip. And they [Republicans] better decide quickly because time is running short," Mr Obama said.

"America cannot afford another debate with this Congress about whether or not we should pay the bills we've already racked up," he added.

"We are not a deadbeat nation," Mr Obama said.

Afterwards, Mr Boehner, leader of the House Republicans, acknowledged the economic peril of failing to raise the debt ceiling. But he indicated the House would attach spending cuts to any legislation to raise the borrowing authority.

"The American people do not support raising the debt ceiling without reducing government spending at the same time," he said in a statement.

Speaking on a day marking a month on from the massacre at a Connecticut primary school that shocked the nation, Mr Obama also said he would present proposals for gun control later in the week.

He said stronger background checks, control of high capacity magazine clips, and an assault weapons ban were all measures he believed made sense.

"Will all of them get through this Congress?" he asked. "I don't know."

The National Rifle Association and some lawmakers have suggested that any plan to ban assault weapons would not pass Congress.

Ahead of the debt ceiling fight, the White House in recent days has stated it will forgo two extraordinary measures suggested by the president's allies and by left-leaning pundits.

The White House will not order the treasury to mint a $1tn platinum coin - an accounting measure that would allow spending to continue.

Nor will Mr Obama invoke a clause in the 14th amendment to the US constitution declaring that "the validity of the public debt of the United States... shall not be questioned".

The last debt ceiling battle between Congress and Mr Obama ended in July 2011. The ceiling was raised $2.4tn in exchange for automatic across-the-board spending cuts scheduled for 1 January 2013.

Mr Obama had previously said he wanted a permanent extension of the debt limit as part of a deal to avoid those spending cuts which, combined with a package of tax rises, was known as the fiscal cliff.

A last-minute deal in Congress avoided most of those tax rises and deferred the spending cuts by two months, but the debt ceiling limit was not part of the negotiations.

In preparation for the debt ceiling fight, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has already cut payments into the pension and disability fund for government workers and to the health benefits fund of postal retirees.