Morning Update: You Come At Gayle King, You Best Not Miss

A new apprehensions record at the border, the WWF was warned about abuses, Trump's youngest-ever federal judge. Your BuzzFeed News newsletter, March 6.

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A record number of migrant families are showing up at the US–Mexico border

US Border Patrol agents apprehended 36,000 families in February. That’s a new monthly record for the agency, as it struggles to manage a surging number of parents and children arriving in remote areas along the border.

More than 76,000 migrants crossed the border without authorization last month — more than double February 2018 — according to US Customs and Border Protection. That includes people who entered through an official border crossing without proper documentation.

For context, the last time apprehensions were near these levels in the month of February was in 2008. Still, these numbers are at historic lows when compared to the 211,328 people apprehended in February 2000.

Researchers believe the increase in migrant families along remote areas of the border is fueled by the US limiting how many asylum-seekers it can process daily.

An internal report shows WWF was warned years ago of frightening abuses

Earlier this week, a BuzzFeed News investigation revealed that the World Wide Fund for Nature has for years funded and equipped paramilitary forces that have tortured and killed villagers living near the national parks it supports.

The beloved charity said it would launch an “independent review” of our findings. But a leaked report shows the WWF was warned years ago about abuses by anti-poaching rangers.

The report’s author said the charity never publicly acknowledged his findings “because it incriminated them.”

SNAPSHOTS

California’s attorney general won’t charge the Sacramento police officers who fatally shot Stephon Clark. Clark, a 22-year-old unarmed black man, was killed in his grandmother’s backyard by officers. The California justice department concluded that criminal charges against the officers could not be sustained.

President Trump just put his youngest-ever judge on a federal court. Allison Rushing, 36, was confirmed to the 4th Circuit over concerns about her lack of experience and conservative views and affiliations.

FDA chief Scott Gottlieb has resigned. The head of the Food and Drug Administration, who took stands against teen vaping and online opioid sales, said he wants to spend more time with his family. He was generally seen as an effective leader.

A 4-year-old reached under a fence to play with a husky, then the dog bit off his hand. The boy is recovering from emergency surgery after he was airlifted to a Salt Lake City hospital. According to authorities, reattaching the limb isn’t an option because it was “probably ingested” by the dog.

R. Kelly said “I’m fighting for my fucking life” in his first interview since being charged with sexual abuse. Kelly is facing multiple charges of sexual abuse. He denied them to CBS This Morning’s Gayle King. People praised King for keeping her cool while seeking answers.

Will Smith might be playing Venus and Serena Williams’ dad in a film and it’s sparked a debate about colorism. After reports emerged that Smith is the frontrunner for the role of Richard Williams, some people think the role should be played by a darker-skinned actor: “Was Mahershala not available?”

Trump’s cuts to aid for Palestinians have totally disrupted women’s breast cancer treatments

In February, the US effectively stopped government aid programs benefiting Palestinians. That aid totaled hundreds of millions of dollars — and human rights groups say its disappearance is devastating and politicizes human health.

Among the programs that were lost is a $50 million project that provided prenatal care for Palestinian women, treating the injured in Gaza, and funding mammograms and biopsies for women.

More than 1,000 women who had mammograms done through the program were flagged for follow-up appointments. Now they’ll have to seek them elsewhere.

Our reporter Megha Rajagopalan teamed up with contributor Abu Bakr Bashir to have a closer look at how the US cutting off aid will affect the lives of Palestinians.

24 books that will help you face a new beginning

On this end, the weather is transitioning from a brutal winter to the early promise of spring, so I’ve been thinking a lot about new beginnings.

A restart or a second chance is something we all often seek out. Literature and film that reflects a new life is often romanticized.

To that end, we’ve collected some of the best books that can accompany you as you figure your way through a new beginning. I hope they’ll be trusty companions along the way.

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