Claire Harbage

The National Butterfly Center is a habitat for more than 100 species of butterflies. The proposed barrier would cut off 70 percent of its property, putting it in a no man's land along the Rio Grande.

The Rio Grande Valley is the busiest stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border for crossing. NPR recently spent time on both sides of the border here, where immigration is part of everyday life.

Racing requires a pair of pigeons. The male is the racer, and he flies back to the female during the race. But some Indonesian men love this sport so much, it's been blamed for a rise in divorce.

The public ferry system is a key link for a diverse nation spanning some 17,000 islands. "We serve all the people," says the captain of a ferry linking majority-Hindu Bali with majority-Muslim Lombok.

Indonesia's founding philosophy includes the notions of unity and social justice for all. But there are growing concerns that the country is becoming less tolerant than it once was.

An orange streetlight glows over the sandy street corner. The surrounding alleys and cement buildings disappear into darkness at the edge of the light. It is 11 p.m. on this July night, temperatures are still in the high 80s and a cool breeze is nowhere to be found.

Young men ...