As homelessness overwhelms downtown Phoenix, a small business wonders how long it can hang on.

A Sandwich Shop, a Tent City and an American Crisis

Chinese officials say Xi Jinping’s upcoming trip to Moscow is a peace mission. But U.S. and European officials say he aims to bolster Vladimir V. Putin.

China as Peacemaker in the Ukraine War? The U.S. and Europe Are Skeptical.

Manhattan prosecutors investigating a payout to Stormy Daniels may be poised to make Donald J. Trump the first former president ever to be criminally indicted.

Inside the Payoff to a Porn Star That Could Lead to Trump’s Indictment

In a deal brokered by the Swiss government, Switzerland’s largest bank will buy its smaller rival for about $3.2 billion.

UBS Agrees to Buy Rival Credit Suisse

The bank was using an incorrect model as it assessed its own risks amid rising interest rates, and spent much of 2022 under a supervisory review.

Before Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the Fed Spotted Big Problems

A lab leak was once dismissed by many as a conspiracy theory. But the idea is gaining traction, even as evidence builds that the virus emerged from a market.

Lab Leak or Not? How Politics Shaped the Battle Over Covid’s Origin

Quotation of the Day for Sunday, March 19, 2023.

Quotation of the Day: Yes, There Were Upsets, but They Seemed Like Something More

Eli Saslow traveled to Phoenix to spend time with the owners of a sandwich shop and the people who live in a homeless encampment that surrounds it.

With Empathy, a Writer Searches for the Tension Points in America

Who’s really in charge of our online behavior? No one, David Auerbach argues in “Meganets.”

Move Over, Metaverse. Here’s Something Meaner.

Meta conducts another round of layoffs. Fresh inflation data shows price increases remain stubborn. And TikTok’s C.E.O. will testify before Congress this week.

The Week in Business: A Banking Crisis

Since the orchestra’s music director was last on the podium in November, his successor has been announced. He came back blaring with Messiaen.

Review: Jaap van Zweden Returns to a Changed Philharmonic

Adam Vincent wants you to solve and then run for your life.

What the Fish Said

Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber seem to have had a thousand ideas for “Pit.” All of them appear to have been included.

Review: A Dance Gushes With an Outpouring of the Inner Self

New York Times v. Sullivan established a standard for defamation lawsuits. But the case was not about Times journalism.

The Ad in the First Amendment

America’s central bank and its counterparts around the world are rushing to cushion markets against the impact of bank problems.

Federal Reserve and Global Central Banks Act to Shore Up Dollar Access

Among the funds to bet on the rescue deal were two that specialize in buying the bonds of companies on the brink of bankruptcy.

Hedge Funds That Bet on Credit Suisse Rescue Face Uneven Results

Stanford is the first top seed in the women’s tournament to miss the round of 16 since Duke in 2009. The surprise run for the men’s No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson ended in a loss to Florida Atlantic.

Stanford Is the First Women’s No. 1 Out, Falling to Mississippi

President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, welcomed in the Emirati capital with a 21-gun salute, is gradually re-emerging after the global shunning that followed his violent crushing of his country’s 2011 uprising.

Assad’s 2nd Diplomatic Trip in Days Speeds Easing of Isolation

A festival responds to the assaults and insults of war by celebrating the composer who shaped the nation’s contemporary music, Borys Liatoshynsky.

Review: Protecting and Defending Ukraine’s Cultural Identity

The Cougars and Crimson Tide, the remaining No. 1s in the N.C.A.A. men’s tournament, both played this weekend in Birmingham, Ala. They will headline a wide-open round of 16.

Houston and Alabama Size Each Other Up From the Same Arena

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has dropped Boris Johnson’s bombastic approach to foreign policy, reflecting the new British leader’s personal style and the country’s changed global status.

Sunak’s Pivot Away From ‘Global Britain’ Makes Friends on World Stage

Fearing that an already-bloody year could worsen during Ramadan, Palestinians and Israelis met for the second time in a month.

Amid Violence, Israeli and Palestinian Officials Meet to Promote Calm

Kim Jong-un, the country’s leader, has called for soldiers to be “a driving force” in increasing food production, a reflection of the North’s economic and geopolitical challenges.

To Combat Food Shortages, North Korea Deploys the Military

The United Nations-affiliated agency faces pressure from some member nations to greenlight ocean mining — and from others to slow it down.

Leader of International Seabed Mining Agency Admonished by Diplomats

Pérez led nearly the entire race while his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen calmly carved his way up the grid from 15th to second. Red Bull’s rivals should be worried.

March 19, 2023

Headlines from March 19, 2023

A Sandwich Shop, a Tent City and an American Crisis

China as Peacemaker in the Ukraine War? The U.S. and Europe Are Skeptical.

Inside the Payoff to a Porn Star That Could Lead to Trump’s Indictment

UBS Agrees to Buy Rival Credit Suisse

Before Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the Fed Spotted Big Problems

Billboard 200

One Thing At A Time

SOS

Manana Sera Bonito

Red Moon In Venus

Midnights

Historical Context for March 19, 2023