From NPR: Benedict XVI’s inspiration to voluntarily step down as pope fell to the last man to do that: Celestine V. To find his place in history you have to go back all the way to 1294. The frail hermit is thought to even be referenced in the classic Dante’s Inferno.
Kentucky: The McCracken County Fiscal Court voted to deny the county clerk’s office a hefty salary increase. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee airs its second ad attacking U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. A House panel passed a bill that would close a loophole that allows amusement ride workers to avoid paying fines for safety violations. The Army Corps of Engineers released a report on the 2011 Mississippi River flood that showed some of the system’s weaknesses. Kentucky state parks are offering a photo contest that can be completed at home, state parks and historical locations.
Tennessee: The debate over allowing wine sales in grocery stores turns to morality and the Bible. The state treasurer explains the new proposed hybrid retirement plan. Legislation preventing renaming or moving of war-related monuments, which came after Memphis city officials renamed three Confederate-themed parks, passed the state House yesterday.
