According to a report from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, state actors are involved in disappearances in Mexico at an “alarming” rate. The Guardian reports that the sweeping investigation found a rising number of disappearance cases, where more than 130,000 people have gone missing, mostly over the last 20 years after the government declared war on drug cartels.
(“Disappearances in Mexico Involving State at an Alarming Rate,” Guardian, May 11, 2026)
Schoolchildren in the central Zambian city of Kabwe are ingesting airborne toxic material from a closed zinc and lead mine. According to the Yale 360 blog, exposure to the neurotoxins from the closed mine can damage mental development and physical health of youngsters. The Broken Hill mine and smelter were shut down in 1994, but never cleaned up. An estimated 6.4 million tons of lead contaminated waste continues to pollute the city. Ninety-five percent of young schoolchildren have blood lead levels far above World Health Organization standards.
(“As Zambia Pushes for New Mining, a Legacy of Pollution Looms,” Yale 360, March 19, 2026)
Yellowstone National Park spans nearly 3,500 square miles primarily across northwestern Wyoming, with sections in Montana and Idaho. On the outer reaches of Yellowstone, sits the Wild Eagle Mountain ranch, one of a growing number of billionaire-owned ranches, that encompass some 12 million to 22 million acres and supports the largest concentration of wildlife in the contiguous United States.
(“Fortress Yellowstone,” In These Times, April 6, 2026)
