Week In The News: State Of The Union, Pope Out, California Killer

State of the Union. Papal shocker. California’s ex-cop nightmare. Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

The State of the Union was just the start this week.  The President made his pitch.  The Republicans weren’t buying, much.  And off we went.

The pope will abdicate.  First time in nearly forever.  North Korea tested yet another nuke.  Ominous.  The LAPD hunted down a murderous one of its own.

We’ve got the GOP with an historic hold-up of a Secretary of Defense.  A giant airline merger.  “Blade runner” Oscar Pistorius charged with murder. And a nasty stranded cruise ship pulled to port.

This hour, On Point:  our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.
-Tom Ashbrook

Molly Ball, staff writer covering national politics for the Atlantic. (@mollyesque)

Gerald Seib, Washington Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal. (@geraldfseib)

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst.

The Wall Street Journal "The president actually has very little money to spend, so he proposed only limited new funding for these programs his party's liberal base loves. Spending caps, tax cuts, Republicans in Congress and the giant squeeze of entitlement programs that are sucking funds away from all else—all are tying his hands."

Reuters "Catholics reacted with shock on Monday to the sudden abdication of Pope Benedict, although the mood among many was one of respect rather than the outpouring of emotion which greeted the death of his beloved predecessor John Paul II."

Los Angeles Times "As the massive search for a fugitive ex-cop suspected of three slayings continued Saturday, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck announced that he was reopening the investigation into the firing of Christopher Jordan Dorner from the police department, the event that apparently sparked his vengeful campaign."