Memphis basketball is bringing Texas-Rio Grande Valley wing Hasan Abdul Hakim on as a transfer The program announced Abdul Hakim's signing May 2 The 6-foot-8 Abdul Hakim becomes the 10th player Tigers coach Penny Hardaway has added since the 2024-25 season ended in March Despite his size and strong rebounding numbers He joins a roster that currently features a bevy of backcourt players Of the newcomers currently expected to play for the Tigers in 2025-26 only one (7-1 Aaron Bradshaw) is a true big man but he has been more of a perimeter player his first two seasons at the collegiate level Daniel Vieira-Tuck and Felipe Patino — are guards Memphis is also expected to bring back point guard Dante Harris who played 16 games for Hardaway in 2024-25 Abdul Hakim's addition leaves the Tigers with at least two open scholarships It's unclear whether All-American guard PJ Haggerty will return although The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman reported May 2 that NC State is the frontrunner to land him all-conference big man Dain Dainja has filed a waiver request with the NCAA (which is pending) for one more season of eligibility who has one season of eligibility remaining 6.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game in 2024-25 for UTRGV for what coach Kahil Fennell labeled at the time as an "unfortunate kind of situation." He shot 48% from the field and 32.7% at the 3-point line The Toronto native came up big in big games at UTRGV putting up a double-double against Creighton (26 points 11 rebounds) and dropping 19 points (with eight rebounds) versus Wisconsin he had 14 points against Oklahoma and 21 points against Grand Canyon Abdul Hakim played in 20 games during the 2023-24 season for the Vaqueros Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Four international students at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley are suing the Department of Homeland Security alleging its recent steps to terminate their legal immigration status based on minor criminal cases that have already been resolved are unlawful and designed to coerce them into leaving the country voluntarily The students in this case are two doctoral students in physics of Iran; and an undergraduate computer science student The group is among the more than 1,000 students nationwide whose status was marked as terminated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in its Student and Exchange Visitor Information System Immigration attorneys have told The Texas Tribune that being marked as terminated in SEVIS can have a much more immediate effect than a visa revocation While a visa revocation can prevent them from reentering the U.S. SEVIS removals can affect students' employment eligibility and are more difficult to appeal “If ICE believes a student is deportable for having a criminal record or a revoked visa it has the authority to initiate removal proceedings and make its case in immigration court,” Marlene Dougherty the attorney representing the students in this case wrote in the lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday strip students of their status and drive them out of the country without process.” Dougherty and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday UT-RGV officials informed the four students suing DHS that their legal status had been marked as terminated in SEVIS They all worked in some capacity for the university which terminated their employment after their legal status changed in the SEVIS database All have also come into contact with law enforcement in the past Castellanos was given a class C misdemeanor ticket for public intoxication in 2020 and pleaded guilty to failing to yield the right of way when turning left Timilsena was charged in 2024 with “intentionally knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury” to his wife The case was dismissed upon the prosecution’s request Gholami was charged in October with preventing or interfering with the ability to place an emergency call Wong was convicted of driving while intoxicated His conviction was dismissed after he completed a pre-trial diversion program Dougherty is arguing that none of those offenses and outcomes are grounds for their SEVIS removals She is arguing DHS violated the Administrative Procedure Act by arbitrarily and capriciously terminating students’ legal status in SEVIS She is asking a judge to order DHS to restore their legal status “All of the plaintiffs are valued by their university which desires for them to continue to be enrolled in school the plaintiffs’ ability to do so is in jeopardy,” she wrote International students at universities in Michigan and Georgia have also sued the federal government over their removal from the SEVIS database a federal government official has admitted that the Department of Homeland Security does not have the legal authority to terminate students’ status — the Department of State is responsible for that the official said — and doing so in SEVIS does not mean their visa is terminated The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival Texas’ breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase Choose an amount or learn more about membership Ask for the pork belly at Teddy’s Barbecue on a Saturday The joint run by brothers Joel and Jesse Garcia a few miles east of McAllen offers four varieties that day Skip the basic slices and sweet-glazed burnt ends and dig into the chicharrón The Garcias’ version of classic chicharrón isn’t just pork skin It’s belly meat with the skin attached It’s called crispy pork belly on the menu but Joel likens it to Mexico’s chicharrón carnudo with a slight crunch and a pleasantly chewy texture on your back teeth The pencil-thin slices aren’t dripping with fat because they’re smoked just long enough to make them wobbly “The idea is to still have some of that fat in there so that the meat stays moist but it doesn’t fall apart when we’re slicing it,” Joel explained To get there, he quarters a whole, skin-on pork belly and air-dries the pieces on a rack in a walk-in cooler for at least a day. Before the cuts go in the smoker, Joel layers Fiesta-brand Season-It-All on the meaty undersides and heavily salts the skins They’re smoked for several hours until they reach 170 degrees then immediately placed on a direct-heat smoker so that the skin faces the hot coals and crisps up in about ten minutes.  “It took a while for people to kinda catch on to it,” Joel said so he had to find something to do with the leftovers Ana Maria Garcia often made chicharrón en salsa for her family when the boys were growing up She uses the same sauce recipe at the restaurant where the dish is served for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays then adds cubes of the leftover crispy pork belly into the mild stew “This one is very familiar,” Joel said comparing the restaurant’s version with his childhood memories Ana Maria is a creature of habit when it comes to some things She makes the restaurant’s beef-tallow-fortified flour tortillas by hand but she doesn’t want to use it,” Joel said Enjoy one of her fluffy tortillas as the base for a chicharrón en salsa taco or get a couple on the side of the chicharrón breakfast platter which comes with her silky refried beans and crispy cubed potatoes “All I do is make the crispy belly,” Joel said “My mom makes the rest of that dish.” This article originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of  Texas Monthly with the headline “A (Pork) Bellyful.” Subscribe today We use cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience on our website. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy & Terms of Service MISSION — Mexico has agreed to deliver more water to the U.S in an effort to pay off its increasing water debt the water deliveries would still fall short of the total amount owed under a 1944 treaty Mexico will send up to 420,000 acre feet of water to the Rio Grande Valley by October State Department first announced the agreement Monday U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz laid out additional details of the agreement at a news conference Tuesday big step in the right direction," De La Cruz said praising President Donald Trump and his administration for pressuring Mexico on water This fight affects every South Texas family because every one of us needs water." This week’s announcement is the latest development in a years-long push by Texas farmers and elected leaders to force Mexico to deliver water to their parched land Producers all over the region have had to scale back dramatically Mexican officials cited their own issues with water scarcity for their inability to meet their treaty obligations Mexico must deliver 1,750,000 acre-feet of water to the U.S That averages to 350,000 acre-feet every year With more than four years into the current cycle Mexico has delivered less than 600,000 acre-feet If Mexico is able to deliver the proposed maximum of 420,000 acre-feet under the new agreement its total deliveries for the current five-year cycle would reach 950,000 acre-feet To address the more than 800,000 acre-feet that would still be owed Mexico agreed to an immediate transfer of 56,750 acre-feet of water at the Amistad Reservoir They also agreed to make monthly transfers at both Amistad and the Falcon reservoirs Mexico also agreed to increase the share of water that the U.S gets from the six tributaries managed by the treaty gets a third of water from six tributaries Mexico will deliver more water from the Río San Juan a flow not managed by the treaty and which cannot be stored at the reservoirs The two countries plan to meet in July to assess the hydrology conditions and evaluate the actions taken thus far They also intend to hold ongoing meetings to formulate a plan for Mexico to make dependable deliveries during the next five-year cycle the federal agency tasked with overseeing the treaty reached an agreement with Mexico to amend the treaty the treaty amendment allows Mexico to transfer water stored at the two reservoirs to the U.S and allows Mexico to deliver water it doesn’t need from the San Juan and Alamo rivers both of which were not included in the original treaty as acceptable sources of water deliveries will come with consequences and that the next step will be to make it part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement U.S. Sen. John Cornyn who has also led efforts to pressure Mexico to make more water deliveries thanked the Trump administration for obtaining a commitment from Mexico and accused the Biden administration of "sitting on its hands and letting Texans suffer.” “South Texas has been devastated by Mexico’s repeated refusal to deliver the water it has owed the United States for far too long and I commend the Trump administration for securing this critical deal for Mexico to finally send water to the region,” Cornyn said in a news release Cornyn led a letter to Senate and House appropriations committees asking them to withhold funds from Mexico until they agreed to provide more water “I will continue working alongside President Trump and his administration to push Mexico for consistent annual deliveries to live up to its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty and ensure our South Texas agriculture community has the resources needed to thrive,” Cornyn added U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez a Democrat from McAllen joined Cornyn’s letter welcomed the new agreement but insisted that any water from Mexico must be met with increased federal funding to improve the local infrastructure “We lose 40% of the Mexican water payments to evaporation and seepage,” Gonzalez said “If we don’t get our infrastructure in order Aiming to invest in other solutions for water De La Cruz formed the South Texas Water Working Group in August which focuses on developing water infrastructure to enable the region to be self-sustaining when it comes to water Cortez noted the agreement would only provide short-term stability and lamented the irreversible losses experienced by the region due to a shortage of water Last year, Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, the last sugar mill in the state, announced their closure after 51 years in operation due to the lack of water. As drought conditions persisted, limiting the amount of water that could be used to irrigate crops, the agriculture community grew concerned that the citrus industry could be next The Texas Farm Bureau expressed appreciation for the deal and for the critical relief it will bring to farmers over the next six months “The recovery of Rio Grande Valley agriculture will take time after years of hardship,” said Russell Boening “Mexico must make good on its new promise to deliver water.” To provide some financial relief to the farmers who have been unable to plant their crops along with the Texas’ congressional delegation secured $280 million in disaster assistance "I've been working on this problem for over 25 years," said Dale Murden "We have never had this taken to a level this high where we've finally seen some action." "This is going to help citrus get through the summer and it's going to help produce have a fall." Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Disclosure: Texas Citrus Mutual and Texas Farm Bureau have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here Contact: Hawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org  Martin Castro, Watershed Science Director, martin@rgisc.org Listing highlights urgent threats to water supply 4/16/2025 Washington D.C. —  The lower portion of the nation’s third longest river and a critical source of drinking water for over two million people along the U.S.—Mexico border has been named #5 on American Rivers’ 2025 list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® The river faces growing threats from water scarcity and insufficient federal investment in its long-term health.  supplies 100% of the drinking water for dozens of cities on both sides of the border and supports rural and urban communities There is also growing momentum amongst border communities to reconnect with the Rio Grande it remains one of the least-funded and most overlooked major river basins in the United States Flows have been reduced by more than 30% in recent decades according to the latest International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) data less than one-fifth of the river’s flows reach the Gulf “We support the increased attention given to the Lower Rio Grande since our agency is committed to protecting this crucial river basin and the communities that depend on it,” said Dr Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission “We recently negotiated Minute 331 with Mexico to improve the reliability and predictability of Rio Grande water deliveries and our utilization of a collaborative scientific approach to understanding the river’s past and future will help users prepare for reduced flows.” “A river that sustains richly diverse communities an invaluable agricultural economy and important wildlife habitat is disappearing before our eyes,” said Matt Rice Southwest regional director for American Rivers and growing demand continue to put unsustainable pressure on the river and its two primary international reservoirs and it’s time the federal government treated it as such,” said Martin Castro Watershed Science Director at the Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC) the state’s border security initiative has led to residents feeling like their access to the Rio Grande has been unjustly restricted “A river cannot speak for itself — that’s why it needs us,” said Jessie Fuentes an Eagle Pass resident and member of the Eagle Pass Border Coalition “The Rio Grande is a sacred source of life American Rivers and our partners at the Rio Grande International Study Center are calling on Texas lawmakers to support federal appropriations for: “We have a chance to shift the narrative and secure the future of this river,” said Tricia Cortez “It’s time to invest in our communities and in a thriving Rio Grande for generations to come.” but we have a chance to reimagine it as a symbol of binational cooperation and human flourishing,” said Rick Archer Founding Principal Overland Partners Architects “Through the Binational River Conservation Project we’re addressing urgent environmental challenges while creating a shared public space that restores the river’s natural and cultural significance.”  “We welcome the call for greater attention and investment to conserve the Rio Grande population and cultural growth along the river coupled with the ongoing drought in the watershed is placing unprecedented strain on the primary water source for South Texas border communities,” said John Beckham Managing Director of the North American Development Bank (NADBank) Learn more about American Rivers’ America’s Most Endangered Rivers 2025 including other rivers and the selection process.   the Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC) is an environmental advocacy group whose mission is to protect and preserve our only source of drinking water and our regional environment for present lives and future generations We seek to protect our South Texas region from the impacts of climate change by restoring nature and natural systems RGISC has unapologetically worked to bring impacted voices to the decision-making table using science Every $1 donated to American Rivers helps us make rivers clean and healthy for people and wildlife Don’t let the latest river news and actions pass you by EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated throughout The body of an 18-year-old from Matamoros was found on Sunday morning near Santa Maria according to Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino The body was found along the bank of the Rio Grande Trevino said the death is being treated as an accidental drowning Trevino said the victim was identified by his family as an 18-year-old from Matamoros and his name is being withheld from the public out of respect for his family.  Countries & Areas Bureaus & Offices About Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson President Trump prioritized ensuring Mexican water deliveries for Texas farmers under the 1944 Water Treaty Through the direct engagement of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau we are now delivering on the President’s promise Mexico has committed to make an immediate transfer of water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S share of the flow in six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle and municipalities in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley get much-needed water and reduce shortfalls in deliveries under the 1944 Water Treaty The United States and Mexico also committed to develop a long-term plan to reliably meet treaty requirements while addressing outstanding water debts—including through additional monthly transfers and regular consultations on water deliveries that take into consideration the needs of Texas users The United States thanks President Sheinbaum for her personal involvement in facilitating cooperation across multiple levels of her government to establish a unified path to addressing this ongoing priority We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the Government of Mexico to find solutions to the water scarcity affecting communities on both sides of the border including measures to promote water conservation and to ensure regular and predictable water deliveries to the United States We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience Two people have been arrested in connection with an alleged bomb attack plot at a free Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro The arrests were part of Operation Fake Monsters a joint investigation led by the Brazilian Justice Ministry The operation aimed to preempt any threat ahead of the singer’s historic performance on Saturday night Police in Brazil said on Sunday that the suspects — one adult male detained in Rio Grande do Sul and a teenager arrested in Rio de Janeiro — were allegedly planning to use improvised explosives No explosives were found during the operation Authorities stated the two suspects were part of an online group that promotes hate speech and attempts to recruit other teenagers while encouraging acts of violence One of the suspects was also found in possession of child pornography a spokesperson for Lady Gaga said the pop star and her team “learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks Her team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place.” Lady Gaga posted about the show Sunday on Instagram but did not address the alleged bombing threat: “Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night’s show—the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil The sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you An estimated 2.5 million people came to see me sing the biggest crowd for any woman in history I wish I could share this feeling with the whole world—I know I can’t you can find your way back if you believe in yourself and work hard You can give yourself dignity by rehearsing your passion and your craft pushing yourself to new heights— you can lift yourself up even if it takes some time Thank you Rio for waiting for me to come back Thank you little monsters all over the world The Rio event on Saturday was the biggest show of the pop star’s career that attracted more than 2 million fans to Copacabana Beach Editorial credit: Brian Friedman / Shutterstock.com The Mexican and United States governments announced on Monday that they had reached an agreement under which Mexico will immediately deliver water to the U.S — to which it owes a huge quantity of water under the terms of a 1944 bilateral treaty — and temporarily give its northern neighbor a greater share of the water in six Rio Grande tributaries the deal has appeased the United States government which has been pressuring the Mexican government to send more water to the U.S. with President Donald Trump even threatening to impose tariffs or other sanctions “until Mexico honors the treaty.” The 1944 treaty stipulates that Mexico must send 2.158 billion cubic meters (1.75 million acre feet) of water to the United States from the Rio Grande every five years the United States has to transfer 1.85 billion cubic meters (1.5 million acre feet) of water from the Colorado River to Mexico annually Four and a half years into the current five-year cycle, Mexico has only delivered about 30% of the water it is required to send from the Rio Grande to its northern neighbor which has been particularly severe in the north of the country has had a major impact on Mexico’s capacity to comply with the 1944 water treaty President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that her government is committed to meeting its obligations and will do so “bit by bit.” In a joint statement issued on Monday Mexico’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs Agriculture and the Environment said that the Mexican and U.S governments had reached an agreement “for the good of both nations to attend to the issue of water allocations from the Rio Grande in the current five-year cycle of water deliveries,” which concludes Oct “With the firm desire to continue with the fulfillment of its commitments under the 1944 treaty which has been of great benefit for the development of the northern border of the country Mexico has agreed with the United States to carry out a series of measures with the objective of mitigating the potential shortfall in water deliveries from Mexico,” the ministries said They said that the agreement provides for “immediate transfers of water” from Mexico to the United States as well as additional deliveries “during the upcoming rainy season,” which typically starts in late May Water is transferred from Mexico to the U.S through a binational network of dams and reservoirs While it intends to increase water deliveries to the United States to meet its treaty obligations the Mexican government stressed that a “fundamental premise” of the “actions” it will carry out is to “ensure the supply [of water] for human consumption” for communities in Mexico that depend on the Rio Grande It remains to be seen whether it can satisfy the United States without provoking major discontent in Mexico, where drought persists, water reserves are low and farmers have previously protested planned water transfers to the U.S. from specific reservoirs. Drought paralyzes northern states’ water deliveries to US: ‘No one is obligated to do the impossible’ The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S State Department also released statements on the new water agreement The USDA said that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins secured “the agreement of the Mexican government to meet the current water needs of farmers and ranchers in Texas.” “… The Mexican government committed to transfer water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle,” the USDA said Rollins said that “Mexico finally meeting the water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers under the 1944 Water Treaty is a major win for American agriculture.” “After weeks of negotiations with Mexican cabinet officials alongside the Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau we secured an agreement to give Texas producers the water they need to thrive we welcome Mexico’s continued cooperation to support the future of American agriculture,” she said “None of this would have been possible without the fervent support of our farmers from President Trump and his work to hold our trading partners accountable,” Rollins added In an April 10 post to social media Trump asserted that he would “make sure Mexico doesn’t violate our Treaties and doesn’t hurt our Texas Farmers.” “Just last month, I halted water shipments to Tijuana until Mexico complies with the 1944 Water Treaty and GIVES TEXAS THE WATER THEY ARE OWED!” he wrote The USDA said that the new U.S.-Mexico water pact “solidified a plan for immediate and short-term water relief to meet the needs of Texas farmers and ranchers for this growing season.” “It includes water releases and continued commitments through the end of this cycle which concludes in October The United States welcomes further collaboration with Mexico on their treaty agreements with outstanding water debts in mind specifically additional monthly transfers and regular consultations on future water deliveries,” it said The USDA also said that “Mexico’s persistent shortfalls in deliveries has led to severe water shortages for Rio Grande Valley farmers and ranchers costing jobs and threatening the local economy.” In a separate statement State Department said that the United States and Mexico “also committed to develop a long-term plan to reliably meet treaty requirements while addressing outstanding water debts.” “… The United States thanks President Sheinbaum for her personal involvement in facilitating cooperation across multiple levels of her government to establish a unified path to addressing this ongoing priority,” said department spokesperson Tammy Bruce The Mexican government said that the Mexican division of the bilateral International Boundary and Border Commission will monitor the “execution” of the “actions” Mexico carries out as it endeavors to meet its commitments under the 1944 water treaty It also said that Mexico and the United States had agreed that the treaty “offers benefits to both countries and therefore its renegotiation is not considered necessary.” The water agreement the two countries reached comes at a time when Mexico continues to engage in talks with the U.S. over the tariffs Trump has imposed on Mexican steel aluminum and cars as well as other goods not covered by the USMCA free trade pact In March, the U.S. president briefly imposed 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and most imports from Canada due to what the White House said was the two countries’ failure to adequately stem the flow of “lethal drugs” such as fentanyl into the U.S There continues to be a range of tensions in the bilateral relationship, including ones related to tomatoes and screwworm cases in Mexico but the potential for a conflict over water appears to have diminished significantly thanks to the agreement announced on Monday By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected]) ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC announced they reached an agreement that involves Mexico sending more water from their shared Rio Grande basin to Texas This is part of the 1944 U.S.-Mexico treaty which Mexico has not complied with its water sharing obligations since the previous administrations "Mexico has committed to make an immediate transfer of water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S and municipalities in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley get much-needed water and reduce shortfalls in deliveries under the 1944 Water Treaty," the State Department said in a statement Both countries also committed to developing a long-term plan to meet treaty requirements while addressing water debts including additional monthly transfers and regular consultations on water deliveries that take into consideration the needs of Texas ranchers Several Texas lawmakers have pushed Mexico to comply and deliver its water debt to the U.S "Mexico’s failures to uphold its water obligations have been devastating to Texas farmers and cities I have been fighting for years to secure those deliveries including by advancing sanctions legislation in the United States Senate and by emphasizing to both American and Mexican officials that the U.S.-Mexico relationship cannot proceed productively unless Mexico meets its obligations I worked with Secretary Rollins to secure a $280 million grant to provide critical economic relief in the Rio Grande Valley Mexico is obligated to deliver 350,000 acre-feet of water per year over a five-year cycle "South Texas has been devastated by Mexico’s repeated refusal to deliver the water it has owed the United States for far too long and I commend the Trump administration for securing this critical deal for Mexico to finally send water to the region," Sen Mexico has a deadline that is at risk of not being met since the end of the current five-year cycle approaches in October of this year "We deliver the maximum amount of water possible because we must first guarantee human rights including agricultural irrigation in several areas of the country," said the President of Mexico Heriberto Perez Lara reports for ABC-7 on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. 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Suscribe x MercoPress, en Español Montevideo, May 6th 2025 - 01:03 UTC Brazilian rice exports to Central America are keeping expectations high and are a formidable incentive for southern Brazilian states’ farmers to prepare for another crop year the leading destinations for unprocessed rice were while Costa Rica is expected to confirm a purchase of over 200,000 tons sometime before June Likewise other significant markets have been Senegal and Gambia in Africa the Rice Growers’ Federation of Rio Grande do Sul (Federarroz) encourages farmers to remain to export opportunities which could easily add to demand from the domestic market According to the federation’s president this international demand for Brazilian rice will impact the sector beyond this year producers will also feel the effects of this increased demand,” he noted a deal was closed for 30,000 tons to Mexico for R$82.00 (some US$ 16) per 50-kilo sack at the Port of Rio Grande The transaction was a significant indicator for the market especially in light of recent fluctuations The price was seen as positive for the export scale and its influence on domestic pricing Rio Grande do Sul accounts for about 70% of Brazil’s rice production and has a well-established logistics network to meet international demand particularly through the Port of Rio Grande one of the state’s main export gateways Overall 2024 was a great year for rice markets since India faced with crucial elections blocked exports but at a lower level,plus the fact that Mercosur countries have also had a bountiful harvest This story was produced by Grist and co-published with the Texas Tribune Jon Dale was 15 and an avid birder when he began planting native seedlings beside his house in Harlingen to attract more birds He hoped to restore a bit of the Tamaulipan thornforest a dense mosaic of at least 1,200 plants where ocelots and jaguarundis once prowled among hundreds of varieties of birds and butterflies Developers began clearing the land in the early 1900s and Dale's own father bulldozed some of the last coastal tracts in the 1950s less than 10 percent of the forest that formerly blanketed the Rio Grande Valley still stands Fish and Wildlife Service has restored 16,000 acres since the 1980s in a bid to protect endangered ocelots which has toiled for 150 years to restore ecosystems nationwide The nonprofit started working in the Valley in 1997 and took over the federal restoration effort last year It also leads the Thornforest Conservation Partnership a coalition of agencies and organizations hoping to restore at least 81,444 acres the amount needed for the ocelot population to rebound Although conservation remains the core mission the thornforest’s ability to boost community resilience to the ravages of a warming world Climate change will only bring more bouts of extreme weather to Texas and the Valley — one of the state’s poorest regions but quickly urbanizing — is ill-equipped to deal with it provide climate benefits that will blossom for decades: providing shade American Forests is launching its first “community forest” in the flood-prone neighborhood of San Carlos an effort it hopes to soon replicate throughout the region “People need more tools in the tool kit to actually mitigate climate change impact,” Dale says ‘This is going to be a tool.’ It’s been in front of us this whole time.” The Rio Grande Valley already grapples with climatic challenges Each summer brings a growing number of triple-digit days Sea level rise and beach erosion claim a bit more coastline every year an essential source of irrigation and drinking water for nearly 1.4 million people worsens as stormwater infrastructure lags behind frenzied development Three bouts of catastrophic rain between 2018 and 2020 caused more than $1.3 billion in damage with one storm dumping 15 inches in six hours and destroying some 1,200 homes Floods pose a particular threat to low-income communities that dot unincorporated areas and lack adequate drainage and sewage systems providing a much-needed gathering place for locals Dale had a thought: Why not also plant a small thornforest — a shady place that would provide respite from the sun and promote environmental literacy while managing storm runoff Although the community lies beyond the acreage American Forests has eyed for restoration, Dale mentioned the idea to County Commissioner Ellie Torres. She deemed it “a no-brainer.” Since her election in 2018, Torres has worked to expand stormwater infrastructure “We have to look for other creative ways [to address flooding] besides digging trenches and extending drainage systems,” she says so American Forests hopes to enlist researchers to study the community forest's impact in San Carlos That sentiment has grown as cities across the Valley embrace green infrastructure Brownsville is planting a “pocket prairie” of thornforest species like brasil and Tamaulipan fiddlewood in one drainage area has enlisted the help of a local thornforest refuge to add six miniature woodlands to school playgrounds The biggest challenge to greater adoption of this approach is “a lack of plant distributors that carry the really cool native thornscrub species,” says Brownsville city forester Hunter Lohse “We’re trying to get plant suppliers to move away from the high-maintenance tropical plants they’ve been selling for 50 years.” American Forests doesn’t have that problem Two dedicated employees roam public lands to collect seeds some of which weigh less than a small feather They typically gather more than 100 pounds of them each year and stash them in refrigerators or freezers at Marinoff Nursery 15,000-square-foot facility in Alamo that the nonprofit runs but it’s only sufficient to raise about 150,000 seedlings Another 50,000 plants provided by contract growers allows them to reforest some 200 acres without additional funding and an expansion of its operation it could take four centuries to achieve its goal of restoring nearly 82,000 acres throughout the Valley American Forests began a $10 million contract with the Fish & Wildlife Service to reforest 800 acres (including 200 the agency’s job solicitation noted was lost to the construction of a section of border wall) suggesting it could take more than $1 billion to restore just what the ocelots need is “worth the investment.” The nursery is currently growing 4,000 seedlings for four more community plots nursery workers just have to keep the plants alive All of them are naturally drought-resistant and raised with an eye toward the lives they’ll lead “We don’t baby them or coddle them,” senior reforestation manager Marisol Kuri says “We want to make sure they are acclimated enough so when we plant they can withstand the heat and lack of water.” It underscores the complexity of American Forest’s undertaking: While thornforest restoration can help mitigate climate change it only works if the plants can stand up to the weather The organization expects that in the future species that require at least 20 inches of annual rainfall could perish (some That doesn’t necessarily doom an ecosystem but it does create opportunities for nonnative fauna to push out endemic plants so it is best to avoid letting them take root Hoping to evade this fate with its restored thornforests, American Forests has created a playbook of “climate-informed” planting The six tips include shielding seedlings inside polycarbonate tubes which ward against strong winds and hungry critters while mimicking the cooler conditions beneath tree canopies Seedling survival rates shot up as much as 90 percent once American Forests adopted the technique a decade ago Another strategy seems abundantly obvious: Select species that can endure future droughts and his students have surveyed restoration sites dating to the 1980s to see which plants thrived Trees like Texas ebony and mesquite that have thorns to protect them from munching animals and long roots to tap moisture deep within the earth two species abundant in surviving patches of the original Tamaulipan thornforest didn’t fare nearly as well when planted on degraded agricultural lands and would require careful management Altering the thornforest’s composition by picking and choosing the heartiest plants would decrease overall diversity but increase the odds of it reaching maturity and bringing its conservation and climate benefits to the region A 40-acre planting at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge reveals how quickly this can happen a tractor wove through the site cultivating sorghum This little patch of the past does more than preserve the region’s biological history or defend it from a warming world It’s an attempt to reverse what naturalist Robert Pyle calls an “extinction of experience.” Most people have never even heard of a thornforest let alone witnessed its wild beauty at Santa Ana Dale and those working alongside him to revive what’s been lost want others to know the value this ecosystem holds beyond saving ocelots or mitigating climate change and that influence is evident as he speaks of the “almost transcendental” feeling he gets simply being in nature ‘Do you know how this is going to enrich your life?’”