Jason Margolis
The Deadly Cycling Streets of São Paulo
São Paulo is a tough place to get around. The city of 11 million – South America’s largest – has notorious traffic. Rush hour traffic jams can clog up more than 180 miles of road on a bad day. There is one quick way to navigate the streets of Sao Paulo though: Ride a bike. Problem is, you put your life at risk when you do.
Brazilian Music Choices for the Novice
Every now and then, we like to send our reporters to local record shops in different parts of the world to find out what’s hot there. We sent The World’s Jason Margolis to a shop in São Paulo, Brazil, and he sent us this report.
The Tribes of Rio’s Ipanema Beach
Being gay in Brazil has long been something of a paradox. Gay culture is openly celebrated at events like Rio’s Carnival. But being gay can bring taunting and ostracism. There’s one place though where it’s okay to be openly gay: the beach.
Lending Circles: Helping Immigrants in America Build Credit
For most of us, when we want to make a major purchase, we apply for a loan. But what if you have no credit score? That’s the case for many immigrants living in the United States – here legally or not. But one non-profit organization in San Francisco has adopted a novel way to try and change that.
Building Small Business Ties Between the US and Mexico
President Obama is visiting Mexico this week, the United States’ third largest trading partner. Most of the back and forth in trade originates from big multinationals. It’s much harder though for small Mexican entrepreneurs to sell their products in the United States. But those small-business ties are important. And the Mexican government is increasingly focusing on them.
Tattoo Culture Along the Texas-Mexico Border
Tattoos are symbols of identity and self-expression: they can represent attachment to another person or a place. These are trying times at the US-Mexican border, and many of the tattoo designs there reflect that life, as The World’s Jason Margolis found out in the Rio Grande Valley, in corner of southeast Texas.
Greening Executive Bonuses
Executive compensation remains at all-time highs. And now executives are finding new ways to reward themselves with bonuses. But it’s a plan that has many environmentalists excited.
‘Amnesty’: Sensitive Word in the Immigration Debate
A key sticking point to passing an immigration reform package in Congress will be how to handle the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US. It’ll be tough to sort out, especially since many can’t even agree on a proper term for the process.
Some Immigrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Afraid to Seek Help Along Border
Even if a woman is living in the US illegally, she is protected by law against domestic abuse. Still, some undocumented immigrant women along the Mexican border in Texas remain afraid to seek help. They fear increased US border security patrols.
Texas Border Residents Argue Against More Security
As Washington works on immigration reform, a number of Republican leaders argue that no plan can proceed without more security at the US-Mexico border. But as the World’s Jason Margolis found out along the border in southeast Texas, many feel there’s too much security already.
How to Measure the Effectiveness of Border Security
The US government has devoted a lot of resources to sealing the US-Mexican border. But just how effective has the build-up been, and what is the best way to measure it? Host Marco Werman speaks with Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who has been researching these questions.
Mariachi Music Gaining Credibility in Texas Schools
Mariachi music is a quintessential sound of Mexico. But in Mexico, it’s a style of folk music that’s never been taken all that seriously and certainly not among music educators. It’s considered bar music, unworthy of academic study. But it’s becoming different story just north of the border in Texas.
Justice Department Memo Makes Legal Case for Killing Americans Abroad
A leaked Justice Department memo is the talk of the town in Washington, and around the globe, Tuesday. The memo, obtained and published by NBC News, sets out the Obama Administration’s legal case for the targeted killing of American terrorism suspects abroad.
Should Immigration Reform Be Comprehensive?
President Obama has spoken a lot about the need for “comprehensive” immigration reform. That means taking on a lot: Securing the border, providing more visas, protecting worker’s rights, and figuring out how to deal with the 11 million unauthorized immigrants living in the US. That’s a lot to sort out. Some argue, too much to take on at once, especially when the parties agree on small pieces of the immigration debate.
The Skies Could Fill With (small) Unmanned Aircraft
Drones aren’t just used for spying and dropping bombs. The civil applications for unmanned aircraft are numerous, from spreading seeds on fields to delivering medical supplies to remote areas. The World’s Jason Margolis has more.
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