Julie Watson.

Herpetologist David Mora reaches for a red-legged froglet in a restoration pond that is part of a cross-border effort to bring back the native species in both Baja California, Mexico, and Southern California, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, on a ranch outside of El Coyote, Mexico. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The call of a native frog is heard again in Southern California thanks to help from Mexico and AI

Efforts to restore the red-legged frog to Southern California, where it had all but disappeared, seemed doomed when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and restrictions were put in place at the U.S.-Mexico border. But scientists were able to airlift coolers of frogs’ eggs from a tiny population on a remote ranch in Mexico and race them across the border to plant them in American ponds. Biologists have been using artificial intelligence to confirm that the batch not only hatched but went on to breed in a remarkable experiment to restore an ecosystem. The red-legged frog is the latest species to see success from binational cooperation along the near-2,000-mile border.

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FILE - A woman records with a phone along the beach as a sign warns of contaminated water Dec. 12, 2018, at Imperial Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

US and Mexico sign accord to combat Tijuana River sewage flowing across the border

The United States and Mexico have signed an agreement outlining specific steps, funds and a timetable to clean up the longstanding problem of the Tijuana River pouring sewage across the border and polluting California beaches. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and his Mexican counterpart Alicia Bárcena signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday. Under the agreement, Zeldin said Mexico will complete its allocation of $93 million toward completing infrastructure projects. Mexico also will adhere to a specific schedule.  Billions of gallons of sewage and toxic chemicals from Tijuana have polluted the Pacific Ocean off neighboring Southern California over the years, closing beaches and sickening people.

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Alejandro Barranco arrives at the Metropolitan Detention Center to check on his father Narciso, who was recently detained by federal agents, on Monday, June 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Marine veteran says Border Patrol agents beat his dad, while agency says he swung trimmer at them

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran says he was shocked to see a video on social media of his father being beaten by masked U.S. Border Patrol officers as he was pinned to the ground during a weekend immigration arrest. The Department of Homeland Security said in a post on X that his father, Narciso Barranco, tried to assault the agents with his weed trimmer during Saturday’s arrest. As the Trump administration works to ramp up immigration arrests, the government crackdown has drawn scrutiny and protests. Narciso Barranco is now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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