Hard Numbers: El Salvador vs gang talk, crap demand soars, Delhi sees meat beef, Ukrainians at the US border
15: A new law in El Salvador threatens people with 15 years in prison for sharing information about gangs. The measure, passed amid a state of emergency due to gang violence, is meant to stymie communication between them. But human rights advocates already worried about the authoritarian leanings of President Nayib Bukele say it could be used to stifle free expression more broadly.
9: There’s a big beef in the Indian capital of Delhi, where local officials of the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party asked meat shops to close for the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri (Hindus regard cows as sacred animals). The move provoked online outrage from opposition leaders and Indian Muslims, who said the move was discriminatory.
14: Prices for good-quality solid manure in the US state of Nebraska have recently risen to as much as $14 per ton, nearly double their normal price. Farmers’ demand for this sort of crap has soared globally because it’s a substitute for chemical fertilizers, which are more expensive than ever as the war in Ukraine undercuts supplies.
2,000: More than 2,000 Ukrainians have arrived at the US southern border in recent days, seeking refuge in the United States. President Biden recently pledged to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, and he plans to lift pandemic-related restrictions on immigration in May. Those two moves together could generate a fresh border crisis as officials struggle to cope with a soaring number of migrants.