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Daily Briefing: A woman met a group of migrants at a school bus stop

Nicole Fallert   Paste BN

In real-life, a woman's short interaction with a group of migrants was over. But on the internet, it would soon take on a life of its own. No need to stock up on bananas after a port workers strike concluded. Country star Garth Brooks has denied sexual assault allegations.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. 🦴🎤 Welcome to the "scEras Tour!"

'No, this isn’t a public bus, this is a school bus'

Below is an excerpt from a Paste BN report on what actually happened at a Southern California school bus stop when a woman met a group of people who had crossed the border.

Shortly after 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, just as the sun sliced over the mountains east of San Diego, Guadalupe Dukes and her 6-year-old grandson, Gael, sat in their car, waiting for the school bus. Then a young woman tapped on the car window. In stilted English, the woman asked which way they should head to find a town. Dukes directed them, as best she could, toward the tiny hamlet of Dulzura, some six miles west. 

Then came a pivotal moment: Dukes warned the migrants to be careful on the busy road, saying “Watch out for the buses.” At that word: “bus,” the young woman’s eyes lit up. “Bus,” she urged her companions, who repeated the word to each other with hopeful recognition.

And at that very instant, Gael’s yellow school bus appeared. Seeing the bus, the young woman raised a whistle to her lips and blew, sending a shriek across the steady hum of traffic. Suddenly, more migrants appeared from the bushes. But Dukes warned the group no, "this is isn't a public bus" and it was intended for students. Hearing this news, the group never got close to the vehicle, and they certainly never attempted to board, Dukes told Paste BN.

This story started with a kernel of truth. But – much like other stories that have marked this election season – it included a mixture of immigration and possible danger, released into a country already wound tight over issues of border security. Keep reading Paste BN's account to find out what happened next.

US port workers reach deal to end costly strike

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Garth Brooks denies rape accusations

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Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.

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