Mexico

Migrants from many countries were previously able to cross the US border on foot and turn themselves in to officials to begin asylum proceedings. But since May 12, it's become much harder, and those turned down are banned from re-entering the US for the next five years. Many are now trying to secure appointments through a US government app, but spaces are limited.

The US government changed the rules governing how people can seek asylum at the US-Mexico border last week, as a pandemic-era policy called Title 42 expired. Although it may become more difficult, thousands of people are still making their way from South America to the US border, including migrants from all over the world. Some are making their way through the Darien Gap, a dangerous jungle that separates Colombia and Panama.

​​​​​​​The number of migrants waiting on the Mexican side of the border appears to be dwindling. Shelters in cities like Ciudad Juárez are emptying as many migrants have decided to surrender to US authorities before Title 42 ends on Thursday evening.

In Capurgana, a small town on the southern edge of the Darién Gap in Colombia, about 300 people are arriving each day to make the grueling trek across the jungle, which lasts three to four days.  

With Title 42 restrictions set to end on May 11, migrants have been crossing into the US in large numbers. There are now as many as 2,500 migrants camped out in downtown El Paso, Texas. The city's mayor, who estimates that 10,000-12,000 more people are in Juárez, waiting to cross, has declared a state of emergency.

Scientists have been studying changes in animal physiology and behavior, some of which they believe are linked to rising global temperatures. They say the adaptations are beneficial, but may have limitations in the long term.

Pollution and trash carried from the Tijuana River to the Pacific Ocean have long plagued swimmers and surfers on both sides of the US-Mexico border. A recent court settlement is bringing hope for cooperation.

Migrants from as far south as Chile are walking north to the United States, hoping for a better life. But before they make it to that border, they must make it across Mexico's southern border.

​​​​​​​Mexico is hard at work on a huge development project that the country’s president hopes will rival the Panama Canal. It won’t be another waterway, but when it’s finished, the Interoceanic Corridor will connect ports on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Mexico in numerous ways. President Andres Manuel López Obrador is looking to the US for support on the project. But Indigenous communities are fighting the decision. 

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, and masks became a primary tool to combat the disease's spread, their usage has dropped off dramatically around the world. But many Mexicans are holding on to their facial coverings, and cultural differences are impacting mask use around the globe.