Justice Without Jail Time; Inside New Immigration Crackdowns; Brand Seduction

Plus, a surprising economic exchange that's driving the spread of HIV in some communities.

Stories And Podcasts You May Have Missed Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images Are you a Pepsi person, a Coke person or something else? What do you think that says about you — and how did manufacturers get those ideas in your head in the first place? Hidden Brain looks at how brands construct their identities to turn their own customers into their best marketers. Recent reporting and government reports say there are horrendous conditions at U.S. Border Patrol facilities where thousands of detained migrants are being held. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez even called them concentration camps. That's a loaded term, NPR's Code Switch podcast notes. But is it a fair assessment? Dave's Killer Bread was sold in 2015 for $275 million. That was just 14 years after Dave Dahl returned, after years in and out of prison and addiction, to his family's bakery. How I Built This explains how the story of his struggle became a key to building a soaring brand.  A few short decades ago, the United States was in many ways beholden to OPEC, the consortium of oil-producing countries that could send gasoline prices skyrocketing or crashing around the world. Today, OPEC's power is much lower -- in part because the U.S. is now the largest oil producer in the world. The Indicator looks at how we got here.  Stories Of The Week Anke Gladnick for NPR After a violent crime, can there be justice without jail time? D.C. prosecutors say they've found some success engaging young offenders and their victims in a process called restorative justice. NPR sat in on the initial conversation for one case, in which a 16-year-old boy had assaulted a transgender woman.  More than 6,000 migrants who came to the United States to ask for asylum have been sent back to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso. "Remain in Mexico" is a cornerstone of President Trump's immigration efforts. "I have never seen people as scared, who are just viscerally terrified," says one immigration lawyer. In another effort to punish immigrants in the country illegally, the Trump administration this week threatened individuals with $500,000 fines. Along lakeshores in sub-Saharan Africa, activists believe an ingrained practice is contributing to the spread of HIV: the use of sex to settle debts between fishermen and the women who sell their catches. The women say they do not consider themselves sex workers — simply women in tough circumstances, trying to eke out a living. June's jobs report showed a rebound from the previous month, and unemployment remains rock-bottom at 3.7 percent. But the economic picture isn't all sunshine: A trip to California's Imperial Valley shows that the benefits of that hot labor market aren't spread around evenly. And another economic figure has been steady for several months now: One of the leading indicators of a looming recession. NPR's Nina Totenberg says this Supreme Court term was a time of transition for the Justices — and that next year's cases, which likely will include tests of gun rights, DREAMer deportation and abortion law, will provide even more high-profile tests of the court's new alliances and fault lines. For 17 years, Hermine Ricketts tended a vegetable garden in a small, sunny spot in front of her Miami-area home. Then local authorities declared front-yard veggies unsightly, and banned them. Ricketts' fight took her six years and all the way to the Florida State Capitol, but on Monday, she finally got her garden back, and planted okra, tomatoes, peppers and squash.  — By Christopher Dean Hopkins  What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: bestofnpr@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! 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