What's really happening down on the border

The hours-long closure of a busy port of entry, a volley of tear gas and a possible deal announced prematurely all added to confusion along the U.S.-Mexico border this week -- especially in Tijuana, where thousands of Central Americans are waiting.

Jesse Costa/WBUR Cutting the C-section rate will mean more challenging, rewarding deliveries like these As a 37-year-old mom who had a previous cesarean section, Melisa McDougall was already a likely candidate for a cesarean section. Add a twin pregnancy in which one baby is poorly positioned and in many hospitals, she would be guaranteed one. But a Boston-area hospital is piloting a new model of care, with clearer communication and better patient-provider teamwork. Still, it was a dramatic journey into the world for Bryce and Brady. Dennis Cook/AP We won't see a presidency like George H.W. Bush's again Bush was the last in a line of presidents molded by World War II — an experience, one writer says, that enabled politicians to view their opponents as brothers in arms instead of enemies to be defeated. Although his campaign for president was marked by a now-familiar nastiness, his quiet professionalism in office, including in foreign affairs, appears almost quaint now. "He saw himself as a deal-maker, not as someone who had all the right answers," a historian says. "There was a humility about him that's been lost." Guillermo Arias/AFP/Getty Images Tear gas, diplomacy and an ever-longer wait for answers: Tijuana's tumultuous week Thousands of Central American migrants are arriving at the U.S. border, only to find ports of entry dropping the number of asylum cases they'll hear to a few dozen per day — or even closing entirely, as the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere did for a few hours. Some stalled migrants are protesting, and some are taking jobs in Mexico. Many on both sides of the border are waiting to see what the new Mexican president might agree to. @johnachau via Reuters 'I love you, and Jesus loves you. Jesus Christ gave me authority to come to you' That's what missionary John Chau shouted at North Sentinel Island from offshore on his first trip there, a few days before he was killed and buried by the isolated islanders. His attempt to evangelize to the Sentinelese, who long have resisted contact from the outside world, has drawn a lot of criticism, including from some of his fellow Christians. "Chau had no business going to those people," wrote one columnist. "Nobody speaks their language. How on earth could he have witnessed to them?" Loren Lighthall/AP A businessman's generosity helps students and staff of a burned Paradise, Calif., school — and gives them a reason to reunite Bob Wilson came north from San Diego with two suitcases full of $1,000 checks — enough for each of Paradise High School's 980 students and 105 staff members, including teachers, janitors and bus drivers. It also gave them an opportunity to mourn — and celebrate — together, one student said: "We got out and we're so lucky." About 5,000 students have been displaced by the Camp wildfire, among the worst California has ever seen. You received this message because you're subscribed to our Best of NPR emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002