Headlines from the New York Times for Friday, August 11, 2017

Trump Doubles Down on Threats Against North Korea as Nuclear Tensions Escalate

President Trump escalated his war of words with North Korea on Thursday by declaring that his provocative threat to rain down “fire and fury” might not have been harsh enough, as nuclear tensions between the two nations continued to crackle.

Rejecting critics at home and abroad who condemned his earlier warning as reckless saber-rattling, Mr. Trump said North Korea and its volatile leader, Kim Jong-un, have pushed the United States and the rest of the world for too long. Continue reading “Newspaper Prayers: Friday, August 11th” →

Headlines from the New York Times for Thursday, August 10, 2017

At Least 50 Migrants Drown as Smuggler Throws Them Into Sea

BEIRUT, Lebanon — The migrants — average age 16 — were fleeing two desperate places, Ethiopia and Somalia. They were headed to the shores of another, Yemen.

But early Wednesday morning, as they were about to reach land, they were thrown into the Arabian Sea by a boatman they had paid to take them across the water, according to the United Nations migration agency.

At least 50 of them drowned. Continue reading “Newspaper Prayers: Thursday, August 10th” →

Headlines from the New York Times for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Trump Threatens ‘Fire and Fury’ Against North Korea if It Endangers U.S.

President Trump threatened on Tuesday to unleash “fire and fury” against North Korea if it endangered the United States, as tensions with the isolated and impoverished nuclear-armed state escalated into perhaps the most serious foreign policy challenge yet of his administration.

In chilling language that evoked the horror of a nuclear exchange, Mr. Trump sought to deter North Korea from any actions that would put Americans at risk. But it was not clear what specifically would cross his line. Administration officials have said that a pre-emptive military strike, while a last resort, is among the options they have made available to the president. Continue reading “Newspaper Prayers: Wednesday, August 9th” →

Headlines from the New York Times for Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Secrecy and Suspicion Surround Trump’s Deregulation Teams

When President Trump ordered federal agencies to form teams to dismantle government regulations, the Transportation Department turned to people with deep industry ties.

One appointee had previously lobbied the department on behalf of American Airlines. Another held executive roles for several electric and hybrid car companies regulated by the department. A third was a lawyer who represented United Airlines in regulatory matters. Continue reading “Newspaper Prayers: Tuesday, August 8th” →

Headlines from the Internet for Monday, August 7, 2017

I live with the ability to have abundant varieties of food. That is not true of many in the world. Below are the statistics for fellow citizens of the world. I don’t relate well to numbers, but I can imagine the people I love living in the circumstances that are faced by millions of people. Certainly, the needy and vulnerable of the earth are worthy of our prayers.

Number of hungry people in the world Continue reading “Newspaper Prayers: Monday, August 7th” →

Headlines from the New York Times for Friday, August 4, 2017

Opioid Users Are Filling Jails. Why Don’t Jails Treat Them?

NEW HAVEN — When Dave Mason left jail in October 2015 after his 14th criminal conviction, the odds were good that he would end up dead.

A man with a longtime heroin addiction, Mr. Mason was entering one of the deadliest windows for jailed users returning to the streets: the first two weeks after release, when they often make the mistake of returning to a dose their body can no longer handle.

Standing outside the New Haven Correctional Center, clutching his few belongings in a brown paper bag, Mr. Mason appeared precariously close to taking that path. His ride never showed up. He had no money, no contact with his family and nowhere to live. Continue reading “Newspaper Prayers: Friday, August 4th” →

Headlines from the New York Times for Thursday, August 3, 2017

Trump Can’t Save American Christianity By ROD DREHER

(Note, I have only excerpts from this article. If you have access to the New York Times, it is worth your time to read the entire article.)

According to Genesis 1, in four days, God made the heavens, the earth and all the vegetation upon it. But four days after Anthony Scaramucci’s filthy tirade went public, Team Trump’s evangelical all-stars — pastors and prominent laity who hustle noisily around the Oval Office trying to find an amen corner — still had not figured out what to say. Continue reading “Newspaper Prayers: Thursday, August 3rd” →