The Briefing 12-15-14

1) Sydney hostage situation points to importance of government preventing evil

Martin Place Lindt Chocolate Cafe siege: public transport and traffic diverted, Sydney Morning Herald (Patrick Begley, Tom Allard, and Jacob Saulwick)

Black Flag Is Hoisted as an Armed Person Takes Hostages in a Sydney Cafe, New York Times (Michelle Innis)

2) Confusion on Pope’s view of pets’ in eternity reveals priority of sentimentality, not Scripture

General Audience, Vatican (Pope Francis I)

Dogs in Heaven? Pope Francis Leaves Pearly Gates Open, New York Times (Rick Gladstone)

Pope Francis suggests that pets can go to heaven, The Independent (Andrew Buncombe)

Reports Wrongly Suggested Pope Francis Said Animals Go to Heaven, NBC News (Claudio Lavanga and Erik Ortiz)

3) Declining birth rate despite rising economy shows rewriting of ‘adult script’

U.S. Birthrate Declines for Sixth Consecutive Year; Economy Could Be Factor, New York Times (Tamara Lewin)