Flávio Bolsonaro, a leading candidate for president and son of coup-plotter and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, saw his prospects crater after an investigation and released messages by the Intercept Brazil, linking the younger Bolsonaro to Daniel Vorcaro, a disgraced banker at the center of massive bank fraud.
(“Bolsonaro and the Banker,” May 16, 2026, The Economist)
The shocking death of six migrant men found in a railroad car in Laredo, Texas on May 10, is a glaring reminder of the risks for those trying to enter the U.S. through the southern border. Migrants from Central and Latin America, and elsewhere, face dangers from human traffickers, U.S. border agents and right-wing militias.
(“A Horrible Way to Die”: After Deaths in Laredo, Experts Prepare for Lethal Summer Heat at the US-Mexico Border,” The Guardian, May 16, 2026)
As summer approaches, the snowpack in mountain ranges across western states is at a dangerous low point, signaling new wildfire risk; lower water allocations for farmers and jeopardizing affordable hydropower electric supplies. Despite a scattering of spring snowstorms, western states are confronting the impact of a deep-snowpack deficit.
(“As Drought Worsens, Western States Brace for Wildfires, Water Shortages,” Stateline, May 8, 2026)
