1. It's the National Day of Prayer
It seems like most daily papers have some article on local National Day of Prayer events today, so we're listing it as today's top news story. But honestly, there's not much news about today's events. Bush's speech was almost exactly the same one he has given at prayer breakfasts and days of prayer since his first inauguration. Even the 90-hour Capitol Bible Reading Marathon isn't really new: It has preceded the National Day of Prayer for the last 17 years. There's a protest of sorts called the National Day of Reason, where atheists are donating blood, but it doesn't look big enough to make much news. Anyway: People are praying today. Great! We hope they pray tomorrow, too, when the cameras are off.

2. Vatican excommunicates Chinese bishops
The Vatican has excommunicated two bishops ordained by the state-controlled Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, whose ordination had been opposed by Roman Catholic officials. The Vatican also excommunicated the two bishops who performed the ordinations. Catholic blogger Amy Welborn asks an interesting question: Does the excommunication of the ordainers "imply then that all of the previous bishops consecrated in the CPA have indeed had the tacit approval of the Vatican?" Discussion follows, with the general answer "not really."

3. Judge: San Diego cross must go. Really. "It is now time, and perhaps long overdue, for this court to enforce its initial permanent injunction forbidding the presence of the Mount Soledad cross on city property," U.S. District Judge Gordon Thompson Jr. told the city of San Diego yesterday. He originally ruled that the cross was unconstitutional in 1991—and it's been a long battle ever since. If it's not ...