National

Since October of last year, border patrol has arrested almost a quarter of a million child migrants who crossed the border alone or with their family, a Customs and Border Protection official told Axios. 

Why it matters: The U.S. immigration system is not set up to handle this surge of young migrants mostly from Central American nations — and it's breaking down. 

Kids are being held beyond the legal time limits in Customs and Border Protection facilities, and the non-profit child shelters overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services are near capacity.

There are long wait times, sickness and even child deaths. 

By the numbers: In fiscal year 2014, during the child migrant crisis under the Obama administration, 68,541 unaccompanied minors were caught crossing the border.

With 4 months left in the current fiscal year, more than 56,000 unaccompanied minors have already been arrested by border patrol, according to CBP data. Tens of thousands of children also crossed with at least one parent during that time — for a total of more than 230,000 children apprehended for crossing the border. 

 “I have stools and benches, but I have no beds. . . . Our facilities are not built for long-term holding, and they’re certainly not built to house children for very long at all.”

What happens when a migrant child crosses the border

In just 40 days, more than 60,000 migrant children crossed into the United States.

Politics

Immigration

Politics & Policy

Data: U.S. Mass Shootings, 1982-2019: Data From Mother Jones’ Investigation; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios

The deadliest mass shootings in recent history have had one thing in common: the perpetrator used an assault rifle.

Why it matters: These weapons possess an incredible amount of killing power, and amplify the destructive will of the person who carries out an attack. Nine people died and 27 were injured in a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio in an attack that lasted 32 seconds. The killer used an AR-15 style assault rifle.

Since 1999, there have been 115 mass shootings (defined below) in which 941 people were killed and 1,431 were injured.

Of those 115 attacks, 32 — just over a quarter — involved semi-automatic rifles. But those attacks accounted for 40% of all deaths and 69% of all injuries.

Since 2017, 12 of the 31 mass shootings involved assault rifles — which caused 39% of the deaths and 92% of the injuries.

That includes the Las Vegas massacre — which alone accounts for almost 40% of all mass shooting injuries since 1999. The perpetrator of that shooting used over 20 assault rifles during that attack.

About the data: This chart uses Mother Jones' dataset on mass shootings, which tracks the events since 1982. Our analysis is focused on shootings since 1999 — the year Columbine took place.

The data classifies a mass shooting as an attack in a public place where at least 4 people are killed with a gun.

This benchmark was lowered to 3 in 2013, after a mandate from the Obama administration to study mass shootings. Events in the data reflect the lower benchmark after 2013.

What the deadliest mass shootings have in common

U.S. News

Mass shootings

The deadliest mass shootings in recent history have had one thing in common: the perpetrator used an assault rifle.Why it matters: These weapons possess an incredible amount of killing power, and amplify the destructive will of the person who carries out an attack. Nine people died and 27 were injured in a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio in an attack that lasted <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="32 seconds" data-vars-click-url="https://time.com/5643405/what-to-know-shooting-dayton-ohio/" data-vars-content-id="4211bafd-da85-41d4-b3b2-b51ff61e7c86" data-vars-headline="What the deadliest mass shootings have in common" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://time.com/5643405/what-to-know-shooting-dayton-ohio/" target="_blank">32 seconds</a>. The killer used an AR-15 style assault rifle.

Most of the vetting files had a section called "red flags," where the vetting team noted concerns about potential top officials. Axios categorized them all — for the nearly 100 people whose vetting documents we received.

Data: Axios analysis; Chart: Lazaro Gamio/Axios

Exclusive: Leaked Trump transition vetting documents

Behind the scenes: How Trump's team staffed the U.S. government

Video: Chris Christie confronted with his own vetting document

Chart: The consequences of the Trump transition

Chart: The "red flags" for top Trump officials

Axios categorized them all — for the nearly 100 people whose vetting documents we received.

Axios on HBO

Most of the vetting files had a section called &quot;red flags,&quot; where the vetting team noted concerns about potential top officials. Axios categorized them all — for the nearly 100 people whose vetting documents we received.<div><figure><div id="av-2019-06-23-vetting-breakdown-FJ3ZZ" style="max-width:100%" data-vars-category="embed" data-vars-sub-category="axios-visual" data-vars-asset-id="av-2019-06-23-vetting-breakdown-FJ3ZZ" class="gtmView"><img alt="Data: Axios analysis; Chart: Lazaro Gamio/Axios" class="axios-visual-newsletter-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/2019-06-23-vetting-breakdown/fallbacks/2019-06-23-vetting-breakdown-fallback.png" width="1725" height="1821"/><img alt="Data: Axios analysis; Chart: Lazaro Gamio/Axios" class="axios-visual-apple-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/2019-06-23-vetting-breakdown/fallbacks/2019-06-23-vetting-breakdown-apple.png" width="1242" height="2025"/></div><figcaption>Data: Axios analysis; Chart: Lazaro Gamio/Axios</figcaption></figure></div>

Capturing carbon dioxide emissions is probably unavoidable to address climate change, but the technology to do it is still in its infancy, expensive and not broadly understood.

The intrigue: We're here to show you something none of us can really see — CO2 emissions are invisible to the naked eye — and the technology that's just getting off the ground. Keep reading to see an illustrated description of the main ways CO2 can be captured. 

Capturing carbon, illustrated

The technology to do it is still in its infancy, expensive and not broadly understood.

Energy

Carbon

Column / Harder Line

Climate change

Capturing carbon dioxide emissions is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="probably unavoidable" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/earths-climate-change-liposuction-sucking-carbon-from-the-air-471783e6-3865-4904-8c06-759a7ad31511.html" data-vars-content-id="95c057f3-a6f0-4189-b1fe-8b0b4fe55ae7" data-vars-headline="Capturing carbon, illustrated" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/earths-climate-change-liposuction-sucking-carbon-from-the-air-471783e6-3865-4904-8c06-759a7ad31511.html" target="_self">probably unavoidable</a> to address climate change, but the technology to do it is still in its infancy, expensive and not broadly understood.The intrigue: We&#x27;re here to show you something none of us can really see — CO2 emissions are invisible to the naked eye — and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the technology" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/record-investment-pours-carbon-tech-company-053a1f7c-1e7f-42de-bf5a-8822fbd99971.html" data-vars-content-id="95c057f3-a6f0-4189-b1fe-8b0b4fe55ae7" data-vars-headline="Capturing carbon, illustrated" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/record-investment-pours-carbon-tech-company-053a1f7c-1e7f-42de-bf5a-8822fbd99971.html" target="_self">the technology</a> that&#x27;s just <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="getting off" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climatechange-carboncapture/do-mechanical-trees-offer-the-cure-for-climate-change-idUSKCN1S52CG" data-vars-content-id="95c057f3-a6f0-4189-b1fe-8b0b4fe55ae7" data-vars-headline="Capturing carbon, illustrated" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climatechange-carboncapture/do-mechanical-trees-offer-the-cure-for-climate-change-idUSKCN1S52CG" target="_blank">getting off</a> the ground. Keep reading to see an illustrated description of the main ways CO2 can be captured.

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Axios research; Get the data; Chart: Lazaro Gamio/Axios

America is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, on its way to becoming majority non-white in 2045 — but some parts of the country are changing more rapidly than the rest.

Why it matters: That's worth remembering as we celebrate July 4 at a time of accelerating changes and political upheaval. The counties seeing the greatest relative increase in racial and ethnic diversity are among the least diverse places in the country — particularly in the Midwest. 

How we made this: Using Census data, we calculated a diversity index for every county in the United States going back to 2009. Each number represents the probability that two people chosen at random will be of a different race or ethnicity.

The counties in the map are shaded by the percent change in the index value from 2009 to 2017.

The big picture: The country as a whole has a diversity score of 57.3, which means that there is about a 57 percent chance that two people chosen at random will be of a different background.

Since 2009, the country's diversity index has increased about 5 points.

The most diverse counties tend to contain a big city or be near one. Queens County, N.Y.  is the most populous (2.3m), most diverse (76.4) county we found using our measure. 

Miami-Dade County (49.9) is less diverse than the country as a whole, mainly because 70 percent of its population is Hispanic.

Of all counties with more than 1 million people, the least diverse by far was Allegheny County (35.7), which is home to Pittsburgh. 

The least diverse counties tend to be more rural, have smaller populations, and are farther from the coasts. In those places, a small influx of people can have a dramatic effect on its diversity score.

Population isn't everything. Hawaii County, which encompasses the state's Big Island, has the highest diversity score of all counties we analyzed (77.8), with a population of just 196,000. 

Some places are actually becoming less diverse — including Miami-Dade County as well as Hidalgo County, Texas (15.3), home of McAllen, Texas. Over 90 percent of Hidalgo's population is Hispanic.

Many counties along the U.S. Mexico border in a similar situation: they're majority Hispanic and becoming even more so, decreasing their diversity index.

Where America's diversity is increasing the fastest

Some of the most rapid changes are happening in the least diverse places in the country.

Diversity

America is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, on its way to becoming majority non-white <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="in 2045" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/when-american-minorities-become-the-majority-d8b3ee00-e4f3-4993-8481-93a290fdb057.html" data-vars-content-id="ae06eea7-e031-46a2-bb64-c74de85eca77" data-vars-headline="Where America&#x27;s diversity is increasing the fastest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/when-american-minorities-become-the-majority-d8b3ee00-e4f3-4993-8481-93a290fdb057.html" target="_self">in 2045</a> — but some parts of the country are changing more rapidly than the rest.Why it matters: That&#x27;s worth remembering as we celebrate July 4 at a time of accelerating changes and political upheaval. The counties seeing the greatest relative increase in racial and ethnic diversity are among the least diverse places in the country — particularly in the Midwest.

Lazaro Gamio

Stories

What the deadliest mass shootings have in common

Where America's diversity is increasing the fastest

Chart: The "red flags" for top Trump officials

What happens when a migrant child crosses the border

Capturing carbon, illustrated