Yellow South of the Border billboard reading "Bear up a leetle longer, 16 mi" with a cartoon Mexican in a sombrero and a white polar bear

A South of the Border billboard near Dillon, South Carolina, counted down the miles with a sombrero-wearing cartoon Mexican, the caricature the attraction has sold to tourists since 1949. (John Margolies, Library of Congress)

What Happened Today – September 26, 2026

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North Carolina’s Columbus County set up a checkpoint Thursday night and asked Latino drivers where they were born.

Electrician Javier Carbajal showed a deputy his license on the drive home from work and was ordered out of the car anyway. His passenger, also an electrician, couldn’t produce papers and was taken. Siembra NC counts at least 10 people swept up at Tabor City’s second checkpoint this month, and by Friday their families were calling jails in three counties to find them.

Thirty-five miles away, perched on the South Carolina line, a cartoon Mexican in a sombrero has sold fireworks and mini golf to I-95 traffic since 1949. South of the Border was once Dillon County’s largest employer, and it still pays several hundred Carolinians from both sides of its border.

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🟢 GovBrief Intensity Score 36
Quiet Day. Weekend and holiday level.
Volume: Low (6)
Severity: Low (1)
Defining Moments: 0
Previous 5 Days
🟡104|🟠112|🟢76|🟡92|🟡85
100 = normal day. Volume is headline count. Stories weighted by significance. Defining Moments are the ones history remembers.
📈 What's Trending This Week
Based on analysis of the past 7 days of headlines, these are the most frequently covered topics and categories.
Story Categories
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Specific Topics
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Analysis covers Sep 20 - Sep 26, 2026 • Historical data
Today's Quote
BIG DAY FOR AMERICAN AUTO WORKERS AND CAR BUYERS! I have just approved new Fuel Economy Standards that TERMINATE Sleepy Joe Biden and Pete Boot-EDGE-EDGE’s ridiculous EV Mandate. The Dumocrats cost our Great Auto Manufacturers $Billions, forced Americans into cars they never wanted, and wasted Billions on Chargers that were never built.
Donald Trump, posting about clean air standards, on September 26, 2026
Yesterday's Most Read

Three Tampa Bay counties declare dengue emergencies as Hillsborough County's cases reach 170.

Catch Up

Today’s GovBrief News

War 1 of 6

Trump confirms rejecting Iran's offer to reopen Hormuz, as Saudi Arabia's foreign minister tells the UN the world has failed to protect Gulf shipping.

Trump pressed Xi to boost China's fuel exports

Source: CBS News

September 26, 2026

Environment 2 of 6

National Park Service's deputy director scouts three Grand Teton sites for a Major League Baseball ballpark, WaPo reports, as White House says it's no priority.

County officials never consulted

Source: The Washington Post [gift link]

September 26, 2026

Censorship 3 of 6

Networks plan to restart White House TV pool Sunday without CNN, which a judge returned to the grounds but the administration barred from Air Force One, NYT reports.

Skipped Xi summit footage in protest

Source: The New York Times [gift link]

September 26, 2026

Immigration 4 of 6

At least 10 people detained at North Carolina sheriff's checkpoint where Latino drivers were asked where they were born, advocacy group says.

Families can't find detained relatives

Source: North Carolina Newsline

September 26, 2026

Protest 5 of 6

Texas troopers arrest Austin City Council candidate while he walks his dog, on a riot charge from protests after immigration agents shot a delivery driver.

Says officers never showed warrant

Source: The Austin American-Statesmen

September 26, 2026

Good Government 6 of 6

Linn County, Oregon, opens a free mental health crisis center for all ages, aiming to keep people out of busy emergency rooms and jail.

Gov. Kotek wants one per county

Source: KMTR Eugene OR

September 26, 2026

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