PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Undaunted by a dangerous journey over thousands of miles, people fleeing economic hardship and human rights abuses in African countries are coming to the U.S.-Mexico border in unprecedented numbers, surprising Border Patrol agents more accustomed to Spanish-speaking migrants. Read more

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Some Alabama sex offenders who abuse young children will have to undergo "chemical castration" while on parole, under a new law, but the requirement has prompted legal concerns and appears to be rarely used in some states that allow it. Read more

PORT HADLOCK, Wash. (AP) — At least one Washington state waterfront landowner has said yes to a request to allow dead gray whales to decompose on their property. Read more