"Dog days" refer to the hottest, most sultry days of summer when heat saps energy and little seems to happen. Not this year. Not from a news point of view.

As we reach the mid-point of the tradition summer season, July 15, we were still digesting a new papal encyclical and the historic meeting between President Obama and Pope Benedict.

Meanwhile, in Washington, the Senate Judiciary committee was grilling Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomajor and a short distance away congressional committees were busy writing health care legislation likely to effect our lives for years to come.

Here's one take [1]on the importance of this moment.