The People

Christian singer Franni Cash discussed her solo career and new album Here I Am in a Christianity Today interview published Friday. The former We The Kingdom singer describes rebuilding trust and community after leaving a controlling church environment. She is joining Amy Grant on an eight-city tour as she develops her own musical voice.

Lost-and-found networks are working to reunite disaster survivors with personal belongings recovered from storm and flood debris. NPR reports that crews carefully separate sentimental objects from wreckage in work that can continue for years. Their efforts address losses that rebuilding homes and infrastructure alone cannot repair.

A strengthening September nor’easter is forecast to bring heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding to parts of the East Coast. NBC also reports continuing flooding after repeated downpours in the Southwest. Forecast impacts remain dependent on the storm’s track and timing.

Amazon announced a $20 million investment in water conservation in the Colorado River Basin. The initiative supports work including irrigation improvements and leak repairs, Good News Network reports. The announced funding targets a basin under pressure from heavy demand and prolonged drought.

California teenagers collected about 22,000 racquet-sport balls in a single-day recycling effort, Good News Network reports. The campaign diverted roughly 2,675 pounds of material from landfills. Organizers secured recognition for the record-setting collection.

Pennsylvania officials have reported four measles deaths, while the CDC’s national website lists one for 2026, the Washington Times reports. The different totals appear in separate state and federal reporting. The report does not reconcile the discrepancy.

The average thirty-year fixed mortgage rate reached 7.03 percent this week, up from 6.95 percent, according to Freddie Mac data reported by The Hill. NPR reports that rates have risen by more than a percentage point since the Iran war began. The increase adds to borrowing costs for homebuyers.

States can now order the season’s COVID-19 vaccines through the federal Vaccines for Children program, HHS confirmed to Ars Technica. Ordering opened after a delay of nearly a month following FDA approval. Officials have not fully explained the holdup, which affected a program serving children from low-income families.

The University of Mississippi identified two undergraduate students found dead in separate locations earlier this week. Officials said packaged kratom was found during both investigations but that no definitive link to either death has been established. The university urged people to avoid speculation while investigators determine the causes.

A Christianity Today profile revisits evangelist Michael Cassidy’s work bringing Black and white South African Christians together during apartheid. The African Enterprise founder describes prayer and relationships as continuing priorities in later life. Colleagues recall a ministry that connected evangelism with reconciliation across racial and political divisions.

Doctors Without Borders says it has opened a 50-bed Ebola treatment center in Nia-Nia as the outbreak spreads across northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. A new 22-bed center has also expanded capacity in Kisangani. The organization is working with the health ministry to increase access to care in the connected communities.

Local officials helped save the Au Bon Accueil cafe-bistro in Saint-Martin-sur-Ouanne, Burgundy. The business had been closed for eight months, Good News Network reports. Its revival restores a gathering place valued by the rural community.

A program at Wisconsin’s Redgranite Correctional Institution allows inmates to raise monarch butterflies. It began as an activity for people unable to participate in sports, Good News Network reports. The project offers participants a way to contribute to their community through caring for the insects.

Larry Pickett Sr and his son, Army cadet Larry Pickett Jr, have been recognized for pulling a driver from a wrecked car before it burst into flames. The rescue took place near Fort Montgomery, New York, in August 2025. The new recognition includes the Carnegie medal for heroism, according to The Guardian.

NBCUniversal’s annual shelter-adoption campaign helped place 135,000 animals in homes during August, Good News Network reports. More than 1,000 shelters participated in the effort. A related fundraising drive brought in about $480,000.

An FDA advisory panel voted seven to two, with one abstention, that the benefits of Grail’s Galleri test outweigh its risks, according to the company’s September 23 announcement. The panel also voted in favor of safety and effectiveness. The recommendation is not final FDA approval, and the agency’s review continues.

Typhoon Dujuan triggered landslides and flooding in the greater Tokyo area. Authorities reported seven deaths and five people missing on Tuesday, according to Kyodo reporting carried by Phys.org. The figures reflect the report’s latest confirmed account of the storm’s toll.

A former Family Dollar in New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward now offers clothing, household goods, toys and books at no charge, NPR reports. The building also serves as a roller-skating space. The project gives new life to a vacant storefront through shared community use.

New student data show improvement in reading after years of stalled recovery, The Hill reports. Scores in kindergarten through eighth grade narrowed the gap from pre-pandemic levels by about one-third over the past year. The gains mark progress while leaving a substantial recovery gap.

Kentucky defeated ninth-ranked Texas A&M 31–21 in an SEC matchup on Saturday. CJ Baxter and Kenny Minchey helped drive the victory, while Kentucky outgained the Aggies 196–20 in the third quarter, according to Fox News. The result delivers a major early-season upset for the Wildcats.

Justice Elena Kagan denied an emergency request to halt a California parentage judgment involving an infant born through surrogacy. Surrogate McKenna West had asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the dispute with the child’s biological parents. The denial leaves the challenged order in place; it is not a full Supreme Court ruling on the merits.

California health officials are warning of possible measles exposure after an infected passenger traveled on Amtrak trains and connecting buses. The journey crossed at least six counties, according to The Guardian. Authorities are working to notify people who may have been exposed.

A new field survey points to an improvement in Chesapeake Bay blue crab numbers, according to Good News Network. The findings follow several years of concern about the population. Conservationists describe the results as an encouraging sign for recovery efforts.

A fox cub injured by a car in Nottinghamshire, England, is recovering with help from swimming sessions. The animal, named Chance, had lost the use of its back legs after the June accident, according to Good News Network. Hydrotherapy is now part of its rehabilitation.

New York City has unveiled a plan to add trees, benches and a protected bicycle lane to Park Avenue. The proposal covers 11 blocks of the Manhattan street, according to Good News Network. The city aims to restore some of the avenue’s historic park-like character.

Amir Masih, a Christian from Punjab, remains in detention following his August 11 arrest, International Christian Concern reports. The allegations concern religious remarks and a video said to have circulated on social media. His case highlights the consequences of blasphemy accusations for members of Pakistan’s Christian minority.

Caitlin Clark said she would welcome the chance to play a WNBA game overseas. Her comments followed her experience with enthusiastic crowds at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. The remarks signal a player’s interest in bringing more league games to international audiences.

Nick Schick and his parents, David and Andrea, are working with hard-to-recycle plastics in San Carlos, California. Their business makes new products from materials that would otherwise be difficult to recover. The effort aims to keep those plastics out of landfills and prevent them from breaking down in the environment.

A 54-year-old chimpanzee named Pierre regained functional sight after cataract surgery at Chimp Haven. It was the sanctuary’s first cataract operation on a resident, according to Good News Network. Pierre began reconnecting with caretakers, other chimpanzees and familiar activities after the procedure.

Pastor John Sanqiang Cao is seeking to return to his family in the United States while battling late-stage prostate cancer. Christianity Today reports that his wife visited him in a Changsha hospital in April after nine years without seeing him face to face. The cancer had spread to his spine, adding urgency to the family’s effort to reunite.

A Haitian pastor detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement received a last-minute reprieve from deportation, according to the Christian Post. The decision came as his removal was imminent. The case draws attention to the personal consequences of immigration enforcement for clergy and their communities.

Prince George arrived at Eton College accompanied by Prince William and Catherine, marking a milestone for the future king. Royal watchers note the family is navigating a smaller working roster than in previous generations. The school has not commented on arrangements.

Former NFL lineman Joe Thomas grew Hall of Fame Farms from five cows and a bull into a 4,100-acre Wisconsin operation raising premium Wagyu beef. He says a focus on real food after retirement drove the shift. The ranch now sells directly to customers.

A feature traces how several NFL quarterbacks describe their faith deepening after losses rather than victories, beginning with a chapel service the night before Super Bowl XL. Players say the pattern reshaped how they measure a career. Team chaplains describe similar conversations across the league.

Tung Chee-hwa, who became Hong Kong's first chief executive after Britain handed the territory to China in 1997, has died. His tenure was marked by an economic downturn, a public health crisis and mass protests that led to his early resignation. He remained an adviser to Beijing afterward.

A Charlotte food bank received 270,000 eggs as part of North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson's antitrust settlement with three egg producers. The donation arrives as food banks report rising demand. Additional deliveries are planned under the agreement.

Ikhlaq Masih, a 17-year-old Christian, was severely beaten by a mob in a predominantly Christian neighborhood near Sheikhupura, Pakistan, after intervening to protect women. Local advocates say police have been slow to act. The family is seeking medical care and legal help.

In central India's Chhattisgarh state, the Ashray project provides housing and support for families displaced by regional conflict. Organizers describe it as a long-term community renewal effort rather than emergency relief. Demand has grown as displacement persists.

Callum Smith, 23, was born without arms and steers a race car with his feet, already reaching speeds above 110 mph. He is now working toward becoming the first armless driver to compete at Le Mans. His team has adapted the vehicle's controls to his technique.

Rock climber and father Jacob Gregory was bleeding out after a twenty-foot fall when EMT Will Soper carried blood for a transfusion 1.5 miles and 1,000 feet of elevation in thirty-one minutes. The run gave rescuers the time they needed to stabilize Gregory. He survived the fall.

More than 25 years after missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burned alive by a Hindu nationalist mob in India, the man convicted of leading the attack is seeking early release from prison. Gladys Staines, his widow, is again speaking publicly about forgiveness. The Odisha state government is being pressed to oppose the request.

Five chicks from a critically endangered penguin species have hatched at a South Carolina aquarium, joining two that hatched in May. Together they make up a record nesting season for the facility. Keepers say the births matter for a species in steep decline in the wild.

A woman who has reached 105 says her faith explains her long life, describing every day as a blessing. She has outlived most of her contemporaries and still attends church. Her family gathered to mark the birthday.

A 22-year-old Utah woman with Down syndrome has earned certification as an instructor for the UpBeat Barre fitness program. She led a class of about 60 people at a Kaysville gym alongside the studio's co-owner. Her family says the certification followed months of training and rehearsal.

A British infant named Macs who appeared to be in final-stage heart failure has been kept alive by a Berlin Heart, a mechanical assist device. His family says he is now absolutely thriving as he waits for a donor organ. The device is the only one of its kind available for children of his size.

A former college basketball standout who had been living out of a red backpack was recognized on the street by a fellow Indiana graduate. The chance meeting set off an effort that moved him out of homelessness and back into stable housing. The two men had not seen each other since their university years.

Vera Wang, a senior at an East Honolulu high school, discovered a fungus living in coconut husks that can pull plastics and sunscreen compounds out of ocean water. Her project won multiple awards at the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair. She is now working to test the method at larger scale.

Former Governor George Pataki disclosed that he is suffering from lung disease related to the September 11 attacks, days before the nation marks the 25th anniversary. Pataki led New York State during and after the attacks and spent extended time at ground zero. Thousands of responders and residents carry similar diagnoses.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez took several days off to sit for the United States naturalization test and returned to a surprise celebration from his teammates. Suarez was recruited out of Venezuela and began his career with the Detroit Tigers. Video of the clubhouse welcome circulated widely.

Sam Forstag, a Montana smokejumper, is running for Congress on the argument that the American working class is left playing a game of chance while neither party serves its interests. He traces the conviction to a snowstorm encounter as a college student in 2013. He is campaigning on economic security and disaster response.