After the city gave $2.2 million to the maker of Mortal Kombat and other video games (to keep the company from moving to the suburbs), protesters marched through the city in an Epiphany-themed demonstration.

Bishop Karl Lehman, chairman of the bishops' conference in Germany, became one of the Roman Catholic Church's most controversial figures over the weekend as he was quoted by Italian media as suggesting that Pope John Paul II should step down now that his health is failing. Other Italian media quoted him as simply urging the pope to consider retirement as an option. Either way, it's the first time such a major Catholic figure has broken the taboo of questioning the ailing pontiff's capacity to lead (See more coverage in the Associated Press, the Sydney Morning Herald, the BBC, and the UK Independent).

Roman Catholic news site EWTN reports that Bishop Christian Krause, President of the Lutheran World Federation, is "currently being pressured by his church not to attend" next Tuesday's Christian Unity Week event because the issue of indulgences, which set off Martin Luther in 1517, is such a controversial subject between Catholics and Protestants—especially German Lutherans. Nevertheless, Krause will attend, as will Anglican Archbishop George Carey and other Protestant leaders.

Gore, Bush, Bradley, Hatch, and McCain have signed the pledge, promising not to "mislead voters regarding your public record" and to "reject personal attacks." The "Framework for Civility also contains a promise to ...