Beyond the Bubble
International News
An estimated 300,000 people filled St. Peter's Square on Sunday to witness the beatification of the nun often referred to by many as "the saint of the gutters."
The beatification of Mother Teresa means that she can be publicly venerated, making her one step closer to sainthood. However, in order for her to attain sainthood, proof of at least two miracles is required.
Monica Besra, a young Indian woman, said a stomach tumor she had disappeared after praying to Mother Teresa. The Vatican formally recognized this claim as a miracle last year, meaning she only needs one more miracle attributed to her in order to achieve sainthood.
Pope John Paul II praised Mother Teresa as an icon of the good samaritan, saying her goodness derived from having "chosen to be not just the least, but to be the servant of the least."
The Pope, who greatly admired Mother Teresa, was unable to read the entirety of his homily in her honor â€" the first time the physically deteriorating pontiff had not pronounced any part of a major papal address.
National News
John Allen Muhammad, the alleged mastermind of the Washington, D.C. area sniper shootings, previously allowed to act in his own defense, told the jury in a rambling but at times forceful opening argument Monday that he had nothing to do with the brutal crimes.
The bombshell move seemed the result of a strong philosophical conflict between Muhammad and his three court-appointed lawyers, whose tactics suggested they would focus more on avoiding capital punishment for Muhammad than on winning an acquittal.
But as soon as Muhammad strode to the lectern to present his opening statement, he made clear his goal would be to demonstrate that he was innocent of any crimes and was the victim of an unjust prosecution built on guesswork.
"They are saying the entire case is based on a theory," said Muhammad, who began haltingly in a lisping stutter, but seemed to gain confidence as continued to speak for 30 minutes.
Circuit Court Judge LeRoy Millette Jr.'s decision to allow Muhammad to represent himself came at the start of a dramatic first day of arguments and testimony in which the prosecution summarized its extensive circumstantial evidence linking Muhammad and the man accused of being his accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, to 10 fatal shootings last fall. Prosecutors said the shootings were part of a plot to extort $10 million from the government.
Muhammad has since decided against acting in his own defense, returning his attorneys, Peter Greenspun and Jonathan Shapiro, to the helm of his defense.
College News
Five days after New York University President John Sexton took measures to prevent suicides at the Elmer Bobst Library, a 19-year-old undergraduate leaped to her death, though from a different building. This case is the third in the fall term alone.̢۬Sexton restricted access to the internal balconies at the library, where two male students committed suicide in September. Plans were set to ring the high balconies with glass. Extra guards were designated to keep people away while the glass panels were installed.
The latest victim was at a friend's apartment at 1 University Place when she jumped out of a window in the sixth floor apartment around 10 p.m. on Friday, law enforcement sources said.
She was rushed to Saint Vincent's Hospital where she died, authorities said.
Entertainment News
"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," debuted as the top weekend movie with $29.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Quentin Tarantino's bloody vengeance saga "Kill Bill â€" Vol. 1," dropped to second place with $12.5 million, making its 10-day total $43.3 million.
"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" played in 3,016 theaters over the weekend, averaging a strong $9,649 per cinema.
The overall box office soared, with the top 12 movies grossing $105.3 million, up 43 percent from the same weekend last year, when the horror tale "The Ring" was the top movie with $15 million.
-Written by Lance Dwyer