Border Crossings Soar; New Depression Medication; Get Ready For 5G

Plus, the disconnect between college recruiters and rural high schoolers. [NPR] by Korva Coleman and Christopher Dean Hopkins First Up [Honduran migrants surrender to the U.S. Border Patrol after crossing a border wall into the United States. According to new federal data, the number of migrants apprehended crossing the border in recent months has surged.]( Ramon Espinosa/AP Here’s what we’re following today. Government officials say that border crossings have spiked 90 percent since last year, as migrants arrive at the border in busloads. Many are families who say they’re seeking asylum from violent gangs and poverty in Central America. [Border patrol officials and humanitarian groups say they’re completely overwhelmed](. North Korea rapidly is reassembling one of its long-range rocket test sites, satellite imagery suggests. [The move comes just days after a summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un ended abruptly]( followed by conflicting statements by the leaders on what each offered to and demanded from the other. Fewer than half of primary care doctors routinely test patients 65 and older for problems with memory and thinking. That’s according to a survey of doctors and patients conducted by the Alzheimer’s Association, which notes that [skipping the tests could lead to patients going undiagnosed until they’re severely impaired](. Medicare has made such evaluations a required part of annual wellness visits. Far more than other major economies, China's government plays a powerful role in how its businesses and economy operate. [The state directly controls most of the biggest banks and companies]( and at least one member of the Communist Party sits on the board of virtually every company of any size, one expert says. That top-down control likely is one of the major obstacles in the ongoing U.S.-China trade talks. An NPR investigation into FEMA’s buyouts of homes after disasters found that [most happened in neighborhoods that were more than 85 percent white and non-Hispanic](. NPR obtained the records after suing FEMA under the Freedom of Information Act. The U.S. trade deficit soared to a 10-year high in 2018, despite President Trump's ongoing efforts to bring it down through tariffs. [The trade gap is growing in large part because the U.S. economy has been strong]( leading Americans to buy more from other nations. White supremacist propaganda increased by 182 percent in 2018 compared with the year before, according to a new report by the Anti-Defamation League. More recruiting flyers and banners are going up off of college campuses, [and they are being worded more subtly to appeal to mainstream conservatives]( the report says. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily Good New option for tough depression cases: a ketamine variant in a nasal spray. Janssen Pharmaceutica Esketamine, a chemical cousin of the anesthetic and party drug ketamine, has received FDA approval. Capable of relieving depression in hours instead of weeks, the spray represents the first truly new kind of depression drug since Prozac hit the market in 1988, and [studies show it can help patients in millions of cases where existing drugs had failed](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper Rural students see fewer college recruiters, who aim for larger — and wealthier — student bodies. Maria Fabrizio for NPR It's common for urban and suburban students to see college recruiters on their campuses. That's not the same for rural students. "When we think about an urban high school, a college recruiter can hit 1,500 students at a time," says Andrew Koricich, a professor of education at Appalachian State University. "To do that in a rural area, you may have to go to 10 high schools." Researchers from UCLA and the University of Arizona also found recruiters disproportionately concentrate on private schools. Rural areas usually don't have those, or the more affluent pupils who attend them — and who require less financial aid from universities. Rural students may feel hesitant to visit college campuses, says Andy Borst of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Students come to campus with reluctance, feeling that it may be too big. Once they get there and talk one-on-one to a current student, faculty person or admissions staff, they tend to be less frightened," he says. And UCLA professor Patricia McDonough says some rural students have other emotional concerns. "You don't want to leave home, family," she says, "a way of life that you know and love." [Ultimately, rural students enroll in college at lower rates than urban and suburban teens](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [The imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday.]( Matt Rourke/AP - ["Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."]( That’s part of the traditional liturgy for Ash Wednesday, and some church leaders use the occasion to talk to their congregations about death and dying. - [On its way: 5G wireless](. The promise of faster online speeds could pave the way for new, innovative services. - [Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg]( says he won’t run for president. - India’s state-run airline has instructed cabin crews [to enthusiastically “Hail the Motherland”]( after each announcement. - Captain Marvel, the latest installment in the Marvel movie franchise, flies into theaters, and [NPR’s reviewer says it’s a satisfying if unsurprising trip](. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [dailynewsletter@npr.org](mailto:dailynewsletter@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) 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 Music, Politics, Health and more! 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