What's really going on at the US-Mexico border

+ how you can help our work US Edition - Today's top story: Life on the US-Mexico border is chaotic. An immigration scholar explains why − and it's not for the reasons that some GOP lawmakers claim [View in browser]( US Edition | 4 June 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Swinging Wisconsin may be key state to watch in November]( - [Rotting seaweed is causing a real stink in the Caribbean]( - [LGBTQ+ broadcasting got its big break on public access TV]( From the Executive Editor The news doesn’t take a summer vacation, and neither do we. Our team will be hard at work helping you − and readers across the country − make sense of our complex world. Today we are kicking off our summer fundraising campaign, to close out our fiscal year in the black. We hope you recognize the urgent need in this election year for our evidence-based journalism to counter all the misinformation, half-truths and lies that abound on seemingly every topic; and we hope you respond by [supporting our work](. [I'd like to donate]( Thank you in advance for your generosity. Beth Daley Executive Editor and General Manager Asylum-seekers at the Rio Grande near the U.S.-Mexico border in Matamoros, Mexico, on May 11, 2023. Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images [Life on the US-Mexico border is chaotic. An immigration scholar explains why − and it’s not for the reasons that some GOP lawmakers claim]( William McCorkle, College of Charleston When a COVID-19-era policy was set to expire in May 2023, Republican officials predicted that the US-Mexico border would be overrun with migrants. That didn’t happen. International - [Mexico elects first female president − but will that improve the lot of country’s women?]( Xavier Medina Vidal, University of Texas at Arlington; Christopher Chambers-Ju, University of Texas at Arlington After historic win, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum will face pressure to address her country’s gender violence. Environment + Energy - [Rotting sargassum is choking the Caribbean’s white sand beaches, fueling an economic and public health crisis]( Farah Nibbs, University of Maryland, Baltimore County A leading driver of this seaweed invasion is pollution, carried down rivers and into the Atlantic Ocean from the continents. Politics + Society - [Trump’s rhetoric after his felony conviction is designed to distract, stoke fear and ease the way for an anti-democratic strongman]( Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University Donald Trump’s reaction to his conviction provides a textbook case of demagoguery – which erodes democratic institutions and can prime an audience for violence. His followers went right along. - [Wisconsin is a key swing state this year – and has a history of being unpredictable]( Jonathan J. Kasparek, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wisconsin voters elected conservative and liberal politicians in almost equal numbers from 2008 to 2022 − in this election, issues such as abortion, the economy and immigration are key for voters. - [Trump’s lawyers in lawsuits claiming he won in 2020 are getting punished for abusing courts and making unsupported claims and false statements]( Elise J. Bean, Wayne State University Federal judges and bar associations have meted out punishment to the many attorneys who filed meritless lawsuits claiming – without evidence – that the 2020 presidential election results were invalid. Science + Technology - [Messages can trigger the opposite of their desired effect − but you can avoid communication that backfires]( Sherry Seethaler, University of California, San Diego Research reveals lots of reasons why well-meaning attempts to inform, persuade or correct misinformation go awry. It also identifies ways to avoid these communication backfires. - [Pregnancy is an engineering challenge − diagnosing and treating preterm birth requires understanding its mechanics]( Melissa Skala, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kristin Myers, Columbia University; Michelle L. Oyen, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis How and why preterm birth happens is still unclear, in part because research on pregnancy tends to focus on developmental biology. Arts + Culture - [Scrappy, campy and unabashedly queer, public access TV series of the 1980s and 1990s offered a rare glimpse into LGBTQ+ life]( Lauren Herold, Kenyon College Because public access TV was relatively unregulated, shows could talk about sexual health and air racier segments that would have otherwise been censored on broadcast networks. Ethics + Religion - [An American flag, a pencil sharpener − and the 10 Commandments: Louisiana’s new bill to mandate biblical displays in classrooms is the latest to push limits of religion in public schools]( Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton The Supreme Court’s approach toward religion in schools has been shifting, creating uncertainty about legislation such as Louisiana’s. Health + Medicine - [Forgetting appointments, deadlines and that call to Mom − the phenomenon of prospective memory and how to improve yours]( Sarah Raskin, Trinity College Many medical conditions can affect prospective memory. But so can excessive alcohol use. Trending on site - [Is collapse of the Atlantic Ocean circulation really imminent? Icebergs’ history reveals some clues]( - [Trump’s prosecution is unprecedented in US – but other countries have prosecuted former leaders]( - [Does the US have a planned economy? You might be surprised]( Today's graphic 📈 [NOAA issued its busiest preseason Atlantic hurricane season forecast ever in 2024, far exceeding the 30-year average (1991-2020).]( From the story, [Hurricane forecast points to a dangerous 2024 Atlantic season, with La Niña and a persistently warm ocean teaming up to power fierce storms]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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