The Potter's House, a historic Washington institution that functioned as a combination of a coffee shop, bookstore, and event space, faced survival difficulties after its sudden closure in January. For decades, this center served as a 'cosmic space where everyone went,' offering free meals to the needy and supporting social justice organizations.
The closure occurred amid questions regarding management and financial status. However, in recent months, the space has begun to fill with people again. Among the visitors is Jerry West, a Pentecostal pastor, who presented a six-month pilot program. This program aims to determine if it is possible to resume the beloved place while ensuring financial sustainability through its non-profit organization, Uplift 202.
West emphasized that The Potter's House was always a welcoming place where people found comfort and a sense of home. Previously, the center distributed 20,000 free meals annually and provided rent based on affordability, allowing anyone to find refuge.
Opened in 1960, The Potter's House was one of many non-profit ventures created by the progressive, non-denominational Savior Church. Local historian Shay Corey notes that this church sincerely served the community without engaging in aggressive proselytizing. The center played an important role in addressing local social issues such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, and homelessness, and for a long time was considered a sanctuary for immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities.
Many charitable organizations in the Adams Morgan area, including the homeless aid center Christ House and Jubilee Housing, originated from discussions at The Potter's House. Despite its social significance, economic difficulties were always a problem, as the coffee shop was never a profitable business.
After the Savior Church split, ownership of The Potter's House transferred to Eighth Day Faith Community. Although Eighth Day did not manage daily operations, in recent years, staff focused on social justice issues, educating immigrants about their rights and keeping Narcan on hand. In 2024, The Potter's House applied for independent non-profit status, which was approved in 2025, allowing it to receive grants unavailable to religious organizations.
However, control over the cafe's operating funds never transferred to the new non-profit structure. The situation complicated when serious financial problems surfaced, leading to the temporary closure in January, after which the doors never reopened. Instagram posts reported a lack of funds to continue operations and the layoff of all employees. Kate Lasso, a representative of Eighth Day, stated that the store had $145,000 in unpaid bills, and in December, the building was foreclosed upon due to $7,470 in unpaid unemployment contributions.
Lasso filed a complaint with the Washington police on March 28, alleging that a former employee made unauthorized transactions with The Potter's House credit card. In June, at a public meeting, Gail Arnall, another Eighth Day representative, reported serious financial problems discovered by the church in December. On February 27, Arnall sent an email to a board member accusing The Potter's House's former CEO, Justin Bray, of taking over $10,000 to pay rent for his apartment.
Bray denied these accusations, stating he was unaware of them and had not contacted the police. He claimed that the financial problems were known before December and existed even before he started in June 2024, saying, 'I will stand on this mountain—everyone knew what was happening every step of the way—and if someone says otherwise, they are not telling the whole truth.' He also mentioned tensions between Eighth Day and The Potter's House over the cafe's desire to become a separate non-profit entity.
Despite skepticism from some visitors about the center's ability to restore its original character, supporters insist on preserving its spirit. Jac Allee, a former employee, noted that she and other laid-off workers tried to cooperate with Eighth Day to save the cafe after the financial issues were discovered. Eighth Day viewed Uplift 202, founded by West and leaders of Freedom Church DC, as a solution. Eighth Day agreed to grant Uplift 202 the right to lease the building and use the name for a six-month trial period.
However, at a meeting in June, former employees and visitors expressed concerns about the socially conservative views of the Pentecostal church. West stated that although his church adheres to a 'traditional view of scripture,' he is separate from Uplift 202, and that his work as a pastor in the Washington police department would not affect the store's stance toward immigrants. Nevertheless, some attendees objected to any potential police presence.
Subsequently, West stated that he felt unprepared for the questions, having only conducted three weeks of negotiations. He stressed that his religious beliefs compel him to love all neighbors, and that 'adhering to biblical beliefs does not give me permission to treat people worse than with dignity, kindness, respect, and sincere care.' Kathy Doan, a representative of the Eighth Day board, said the church wished for the cafe's return but would no longer cooperate with West's non-profit, as they are focused on creating something sustainable.
Aliza Cohen, a former bookstore manager, expressed hope for preserving the spirit of 'radical inclusivity,' calling for the space to remain safe for marginalized members of the community. Currently, the store remains closed.
The French Parliament approved a bill on Thursday that establishes the right to euthanasia and assisted suicide. The law was passed with 291 votes in favor and 241 against.
A woman prevented the attempted kidnapping of her newborn niece at a maternity ward in the state of Piauí, Brazil, last week. The suspected individual in the incident is a nurse from the facility who was on her day off.
According to the source G1, the suspect tried to take the baby in a bag, but she was stopped by the aunt. The event took place at the Dona Evangelina Rosa Maternity Ward in Teresina on July 6th.
On the day of the alleged kidnapping, the nurse, who had worked at the hospital for two years, was on vacation but decided to come to work. Video footage from surveillance cameras shows a woman identified as Auricélia Rocha with an infant in the maternity ward corridor. She allegedly told the mother of the newborn, who is only 14 years old, that she needed to take the child for examinations, including a diaper test.
The nurse entered the room with the baby, and sensing something was wrong, the aunt decided to wait for her at the door. A few minutes later, Auricélia Rocha left the room without the baby, taking a large bag, and went into the restroom. The aunt, Daniela, felt something was amiss and followed her. Daniela told the program 'Fantástico' from G1: 'She goes into the bathroom, I am already watching this situation. I feel that this is not right.'
According to the aunt, the suspect came out of the restroom dressed differently. Around 1:45 PM, about 15 minutes after the nurse took the baby from the mother's room, Daniela approached her, pulled out the bag, and saw her niece inside. She stated: 'When I pulled it out, the baby was there. I asked: 'Woman, for God's sake, what are you doing with this girl in this bag?'. I immediately took the baby out and called for help.'
Auricélia Rocha was detained and is subject to pre-trial detention. José Alberto Alencar, Director of Administrative and Financial Affairs of the Dona Evangelina Rosa Maternity Ward, expressed regret over the incident but denied any accusations of a security system failure. The case is being investigated as an attempted kidnapping.
Police found a room prepared for an infant in the nurse's home, containing diapers, clothes, a bathtub, and a crib. According to delegate Hugo Alcântara from the Civil Police, the investigation established that Auricélia's family believed the nurse was pregnant, although the woman never provided tests confirming pregnancy. Investigators also reported that relatives thought Auricélia was pregnant despite the lack of medical confirmation. Her defense also claimed that the nurse was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was taking psychiatric medication.
Approximately 1500 residents of the informal settlement of Boxwood Road in Kenville, Durban, face daily difficulties due to the lack of proper basic sanitation services, a situation common in many communities across the country.
The settlement was established in 1998, and for the past two years, residents have been forced to use buckets for flushing in communal toilets. Currently, only one permanent building with sanitary facilities is available, which, according to plans, should serve this densely populated area. However, in reality, this facility has four women's toilets, three men's toilets, and two showers.
The situation is worsened by the deteriorating condition of the sanitation facility itself: broken doors and missing toilet lids are found everywhere. Furthermore, in some cases, pipes leak for months, causing significant frustration among inhabitants.
Zandile Zulu, a community member since 2014, requested the replacement of the roof and complete modernization of the entire complex. Nikive Moalusi described how burst sewage pipes created 'a huge mess' in the living space. She noted that Bab Butelezi usually provides temporary solutions to prevent sewage from entering people's huts, but the problem invariably returns.
Zacharia Butelezi, who has been the community leader and toilet caretaker since 1999, is forced to personally monitor the cleanliness of the premises. He reported that he now buys his own cleaning supplies because the dirty toilets negatively affect his nearby spaza shop.
Butelezi has repeatedly informed municipal officials about the ongoing problems, but his requests were ignored: officials visiting the site only took notes and left without bringing about real changes. The eThekwini Municipality has not responded to the submitted questions. Nevertheless, signs of improvement have emerged: Ward 34 Councillor Andrew Akkers announced that the municipality has allocated and approved a budget for updating sanitation facilities in his ward, including Boxwood Road. Work is planned to begin next month.
