There is a huge caravan of Central Americans headed to the US, and Mexico is not going to stop them
Trump says “NO MORE DACA DEAL!”
To get you to why he says this, we need a bit of a walk-through. Yes, it was one of those weekends again.
First, the background: Right now, there is a massive group — hundreds and hundreds — of Central Americans who are headed toward the US border. They're in Mexico without authorization, but no one's made any effort to stop them.
Where are they from? About 80% are from Honduras. They’re fleeing poverty but also political unrest and violence.
Who organized this caravan? A group of volunteers called Pueblos Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders. Yes, the volunteers are also surprised by the size of the group.
Dude, I’m still not clear on why a caravan. The caravan is intended to help migrants safely reach the US, bypassing not only authorities who would seek to deport them, but also gangs and cartels who are known to assault vulnerable migrants.
And what’s their plan? The people in the caravan hope US authorities will grant them asylum or, for some, will be absent when they attempt to cross the border illegally.
Is that going to happen? More likely, the crossing will set up an enormous challenge to the Trump administration's immigration policies and ability to deal with an organized group of migrants numbering in the hundreds.
Okay, back to Trump. He responded to a Fox News report about the caravan with an attack on Mexican authorities. He said he doesn’t support reaching an agreement on DACA. He also threatened to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Wait, why DACA? Trump says he thinks “these big flows of people” are “trying to take advantage of DACA.”
But doesn’t DACA… Yes, you are correct, no one in the caravan would qualify for DACA. It applies specifically only to people who entered the US as minors and have lived here continuously since 2007.
Okay, and now? The caravan is on its way. Our reporter Adolfo Flores has been doing extraordinary work while traveling with them — you should follow him. His pictures are incredible.
And you might want to watch out: We’ve been keeping an eye on conspiracy theories about the caravan.
After the black flags of ISIS, Iraq now faces the White Flags
ISIS may be retreating but those who study the Middle East closely will tell you: You’d do well to hold off on claiming victory.
In the wake of the collapse of ISIS strongholds in Iraq, the black flag of ISIS may no longer fly but militant groups are rebuilding, and they pose a real threat to the country’s stability.
One of those groups calls itself the White Flags. It’s built a stronghold in the mountains, where it launches its attacks. Its members dig tunnels to scuttle back and forth between nearby Kurdish and Arab areas, firing mortars at Shiite militias along the mountain range.
The White Flags are led by Hiwa Chor, a one-eyed militant in his early forties.
As Borzou Daragahi reports from Iraq, “Chor and his men may well be the future of violent extremism in the Middle East...”
One official told us: “They are ISIS, but they gave themselves a new name.”
China just announced it’s imposing tariffs on 128 products from the US
The move escalates fears of an outright trade war. China imposed tariffs on 128 products imported from the US, including pork, berries, almonds, and apples.
China's move comes after President Trump signed a package of tariffs targeting $50 billion worth of Chinese imports.
China's newly announced tariffs target about $3 billion in US goods, which is only a small amount of what is exported from the US. In 2017, the US exported a total of $115.6 billion in goods to China, and China exported $505 billion in goods to the US.
Quick catch-up
Undocumented teens: A judge just ruled that the Trump administration cannot block undocumented teens in US custody from getting abortions. It’s a big win for the American Civil Liberties Union, which has been fighting a lawsuit on behalf of several undocumented pregnant teenagers who were prevented from gaining access to abortion.
Stacey Dash: The Clueless star has ended her bid to represent California in Congress. Dash had filed to run as a Republican in a heavily Democratic district that includes parts of South Los Angeles and surrounding communities.
Tesla crash: The car company says the SUV involved in a deadly crash was driving on autopilot. The vehicle crashed into a concrete lane divider on a California highway, and its driver died. The man’s family says he repeatedly complained the car's semiautonomous system veered toward the divider. Tesla said the SUV's logs show the driver's hands weren't detected on the wheel for six seconds before the collision despite several warnings.
The Mormon Church: In a historic move, the church put two nonwhite men in top leadership posts. A Brazilian man, Ulisses Soares, and an Asian American man, Gerrit W. Gong, both joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the second-highest governing body in the church. Since its founding in the 1800s, the church has had top leadership with only European ancestry.
Chick-fil-A will soon be bigger than Taco Bell, Burger King, and Wendy’s
Who saw that coming? Chick-fil-A is on track to become the US's third-largest fast-food restaurant in the next few years in terms of sales, behind only McDonald’s and Starbucks.
The chain is currently seventh nationwide, but it’s on its way to a top three spot — and could land there as early as 2020.
As Chick-fil-A rises above its station, new challenges arise. Venessa Wong writes that “digital progress presents a challenge to Chick-fil-A: how to translate its trademark cheery service and abundant free food in stores — which helped create its loyal customers in the first place — when its primary point of contact with some customers becomes a touchscreen.”
Read Wong’s deep dive into the rise of Chick-fil-A at this turning point in the company’s direction.
Here are the best of the worst April Fools’ Day pranks on the internet
Yes, that’s right, the brands are at it again.
Lexus put out an ad for “the world’s first service that uses human genetics to match you with the car of your genes.” Netflix announced that it acquired Seth Rogen. Head & Shoulders announced its new product “Knees & Toes.”
Okay, okay, I laughed pretty hard at some of these. Enjoy the best of the worst.