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United States
Supreme Court Votes Against TPS
The Supreme Court said it will allow the Trump administration to strip deportation protections for over 350,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. The ruling lifts a hold enacted by a California judge that kept Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in place for Venezuelans whose status would have expired last month. TPS allows people to live and work in the U.S. legally if their home countries are deemed unsafe due to crises like wars, natural disasters, or other “extraordinary and temporary” conditions. In addition to designating Venezuela for TPS, the Biden administration created or expanded programs for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, and Ukraine. Monday’s high court decision could lead to deportation for as many as one million migrants, hailing from more than a dozen nations. Lawyers of the TPS holders in the case said this ruling represents “the largest single action stripping any group of non-citizens of immigration status in modern US history”.
This map depicts the number of individual TPS holders by state of residence. Click on the map to learn more.
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Spain
Airbnb Crackdown
On Monday, the Spanish government ordered Airbnb to remove 66,000 listings that it claims are in violation of legal requirements. Studies reveal that the rise of short-term vacation rentals is related to the disappearance of permanent housing across Spain. An estimated 90% of all short-term rental listings in the country are available on Airbnb, amounting to an estimated 360,000 properties. Locals are unable to afford housing because of the rise in short-term vacation rentals across the country. The Spanish housing crisis is among the worst in Europe and protests against over tourism’s role have been taking place since 2017. Airbnb says it will fight all challenges from the Spanish government. However, many Spaniards are welcoming this crackdown. Last year, Barcelona announced a plan to close down all short-term rentals by 2028 to protect local housing. News outlets are warning tourists about potential protests and anti-tourist actions taken across Spain.
This map shows that neighborhoods with higher concentrations of Airbnb’s have significant depopulation in both Madrid and Barcelona. Click on the map to learn more.
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United Kingdom
Rivers Going Dry
The United Kingdom faces a “medium” level risk of drought this summer, as many rivers across the country are already at an “exceptionally” low level. Spring 2025 has proven to be the driest for the United Kingdom since 1961, and several rivers, including Mourne, Eden, English Tyne, Conwy, and Welsh Dee, saw their lowest levels ever recorded for the month of March. Warm and dry conditions are predicted for the coming summer months, leading authorities to warn citizens of potential water usage restrictions. Environmental activists contend that the coming crisis was avoidable. No new reservoirs have been built in the U.K. in over 30 years, and the river health crisis is exacerbated by sewage and chemical contamination, with researchers finding there were at least 513,234 spills into U.K. rivers in 2024.
This map depicts rainfall levels across Great Britain, comparing 2024 and 2025. After a very dry spring, several U.K. rivers are listed as “exceptionally” dry. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What U.S. state is home to the longest cave system in the world?
A: Kentucky
As far as topographers know, the largest karst landscape (a type of topography that results from bedrock dissolving into caves, sinkholes, underground springs, and other subterranean characteristics) in the world is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Mammoth Cave, the longest known cave system in the world, includes 426 miles (686 km) of surveyed passages beneath the hilly woodlands of Kentucky’s Barren, Edmonson, and Hart Counties. The cave system has been evolving over millions of years, with significant geological formations dating back to the Mississippian period (approximately 359 to 323 million years ago). The cave network has five different levels that go as deep as 379 feet (116 m) below ground. Research teams used modern laser scanning tools along with traditional measuring equipment to discover more than 400 unique rock formations.
Source
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Q: What country’s Alps are also known as the Accursed Mountains?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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