Biden, addressing U.N., will argue his vision has ‘produced results’

NEW YORK — In February 2021, two weeks after he moved into the White House, President Joe Biden reminded the nation’s diplomats of his promise to restore American leadership in the world. In a speech at the State Department, he summed up his election in three words: “America is back.” On Tuesday, Biden will confront the limits of that promise when he addresses world leaders at the United Nations for his fourth and final time as president. The White House said he will make the case... Read More

These maternity homes offer sanctuary, but it can feel oppressive

Laura C. Morel is examining maternity homes as a part of The New York Times’ Local Investigations Fellowship. For this article, she interviewed, among others, 48 current or former residents, employees and volunteers from homes across Florida. In Naples, Sunlight Home offered refuge and a fresh start for pregnant women on the brink of homelessness. It also required them to get permission before leaving the property and to download a tracking app on their phones, former residents said and its... Read More

The United Nations Is a Mission Field

I flash my United Nations (UN) access badge to the police officer, and he waves me through the security barrier. As I approach the plaza, I see snipers with rifles on the roof and hear a dozen different languages. Black limousines are everywhere as presidents and prime ministers converge in New York City, preparing their speeches for the UN General Assembly, which kicked off earlier this month.  It’s been five years since I became Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC)... Read More

With Drug Abuse Raging, Zimbabwe’s Churches Turn from Punishment to Mercy

A drug abuse crisis is raging in Zimbabwe, with experts and medics warning that a staggering 57 percent of Zimbabwe’s youth are involved with illicit drugs, from cocaine and ecstasy to tainted cough syrup and illegally brewed beers.  The church hasn’t been spared, and many leaders say they’re unsure how to respond.  “At first, ten years ago, we would suspend church youths dabbling in cocaine or ecstasy pills or illicit whiskies, intimidating them with Bible verses,” said... Read More

Brenna Blain: ‘Suffering Clarified My Theology’

The first thing you notice about Brenna Blain is probably her tattoos, a patchwork of ink stretching from her shoulders to her hands. A death’s-head hawkmoth spreads its wings around her neck, with a marking at its center that resembles a human skull. For this 28-year-old Christian speaker and teacher in the Pacific Northwest, her brazen ink isn’t a liability—it’s an invitation. The neck tattoo opens unlikely conversations with those she says “would never choose to talk to a... Read More

Give Gen-Z Students Some Credit

If you tried to design an ideal setting for learning how to be a good neighbor, it would look a lot like a college campus. As the president of a campus ministry, I might be a little biased in that assessment. But imagine the reality that a brand-new college student faces when they come to campus for the first time. Thousands are already there from every walk of life: athletes, musicians, activists, artists, people of different cultures and ethnicities, introverts and extroverts, people who... Read More

Today in History: September 24, Protesting NFL players take a knee

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 24, the 268th day of 2024. There are 98 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 24, 2017, more than 200 NFL players kneeled or sat during the national anthem after President Donald Trump criticized the players’ protests in a speech and a series of tweets. Also on this date: In 1789, President George Washington signed a Judiciary Act establishing America’s federal court system and creating the post of attorney general. In 1869, thousands of businessmen... Read More

Heat add Nassir Little in unanticipated move to 15th standard contract

MIAMI — Instead of remaining at 14 players under standard contract for training camp, a total that had been expected due to the team’s position hard against the highly punitive second apron of the NBA luxury tax, the Miami Heat have reached agreement with forward Nassir Little on such a deal, the South Florida Sun Sentinel has confirmed. Ineligible for a two-way contract due to his five seasons of NBA tenure, the agreement with the No. 25 pick in the 2019 NBA draft out of North Carolina... Read More

Thousands flee southern Lebanon in search of safety and shelter

By FADI TAWIL and MOHAMMAD ZAATARI, Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Thousands of families from southern Lebanon packed cars and minivans with suitcases, mattresses, blankets and carpets and jammed the highway heading north toward Beirut on Monday to flee the deadliest Israeli bombardment since 2006. Some 100,000 people living near the border had already been displaced since October, when the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces began exchanging near-daily fire against the... Read More