california

As Anglo-American settlers moved across North America, they had a significant impact on the land, clearing trees, expanding agriculture and building towns. As settlement expanded, forest fires — once an integral part of the natural world — were systematically suppressed. This practice had consequences when fires did break out, as they seemed to be increasingly large and severe.

July 2016 was the hottest month on Earth since people began keeping records, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It beat a record set in July 2015. Land temperatures were 1.8°F above average. July 2016 was also the 379th consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th century average.

On May 21, 2011 at 6 p.m., another predicted Judgment Day came and went without incident. While belief in this particular apocalypse was limited to followers of an Oakland, California, ministry called Family Radio Worldwide, for them its uneventful passing was devastating — many had sold their possessions and devoted months to the cause, only to have life as usual continue blithely on.

Given the nearly 2,000-mile border shared by the United States and Mexico — and the sharp differences in economic opportunity that each country offers — it is perhaps no surprise that Mexicans make up the largest immigrant group in America.

The United States is a country founded by immigrants, yet immigration has never failed to stir controversy. Much of the discussion centers on illegal immigration, but the number of people who arrive legally and their contributions to the U.S. economy — or their cost — has also elicited debate.