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 News Around the Americas
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Drug Seizures at U.S.-Mexico Ports Up 20 Percent
 Susan Shroder
More than 145 tons of narcotics were seized at U.S.-Mexico ports of entry in San Diego and Imperial counties during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, a 20 percent increase from the previous fiscal year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said Tuesday.
Obama to Deploy 34,000 More Troops to Afghanistan, Report Says
 John Byrne
The White House on Tuesday signaled the end of months of deliberations on US strategy toward Afghanistan, announcing that President Barack Obama would reveal his decision within days.
Is the American Criminal Justice System Out of Control?
 Capitol Hill Blue
Conservatives and liberals have finally found an issue where they agree: The over criminalization of the American justice system. Both sides say the system is out of control, going after too many people for too may trivial matters.
 The GOP's New Litmus Test: Even Reagan Wouldn't Pass
 MSNBC
Conservative Republicans have a new litmus test to determine who is, or is not, qualified to be a member of the party of the elephant.
The Wild West of US Drug Enforcement
 BBC News
The Obama administration hopes to curb the flow of drugs into the US by sending extra federal agents to the US-Mexican border.
Mexican Drug Cartels Control Cocaine in the Americas
 Eliot Brockner
There is significant evidence, highlighted in a report published last month by the United Nations Development Program, that Mexican cartels control shipping lanes throughout Central America, preying upon weakened states such as Honduras and Guatemala as gateways to ship illicit drugs.
Honduran Leader: US Weakened Anti-Coup Movemen
 Associated Press
Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said Monday the United States has weakened efforts to reverse the coup that ousted him, while a U.S. envoy says his country has clearly opposed the ouster and will examine upcoming elections closely for fairness.
Brazil's Crack Epidemic - Yet another Tough Nut to Crack in War on Drugs
 Mario Osava
In Rio de Janeiro, between 80 and 90 percent of homeless people are addicted to crack - a cheaper, potent, highly addictive form of cocaine that is sold in small chunks and smoked rather than snorted - according to estimates by mental health professionals and social workers who try to help this segment of the population.
US Economy Goes Down and Suicides Go Up
 Capitol Hill Blue
Suicides in the United States may be increasing during the worst recession since the Great Depression. But the recession may or may not be the reason more people are taking their lives.
Thousands Demand Closure of Fort Benning's School of the Americas
 Scott Galindez
This weekend, thousands of people gathered at the gates of Ft. Benning to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the killings of 14-year-old Celia Ramos, her mother Elba Ramos and the six Jesuit priests with whom she worked at the Central American University in San Salvador.
Palin Leaves Fans Hanging in Indiana
 Capitol Hill Blue
Sarah Palin left fans hanging in Noblesville, Indiana, when she aborted her book signing appearance there and bolted back to her bus.
15 Are Indicted in Chicago in Push on Mexican Cartel
 Randal C. Archibold
Federal authorities said Friday that they had struck a blow against a major Mexican drug trafficking group operating in the Chicago area, indicting 15 members responsible for one of the more significant cocaine distribution networks there.
Obama's Job Approval Rating Below 50 Percent
 Reuters
President Barack Obama's job approval rating has dropped below 50 percent in a second major poll in an indication he is suffering from the long healthcare debate and weakness in the economy, Gallup said on Friday.
Obama's Weekly Address: Traveling Abroad for Our Economy at Home
 The White House Blog
In an address recorded in Seoul, South Korea, the President discusses his trip to Asia. He talks about his push to stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Iran, and around the world.
Vietnam Vet Stages Hunger Strike in Front of White House to Raise Awareness About PTSD
 Mary Susan Littlepage
Since Veterans Day, Thomas E. Mahany, a 62-year-old Vietnam War veteran, has been on a hunger strike in front of the White House to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder and protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Giant Holes in New US Banking Rules
 The Real News Network
Tom Ferguson: Admin. asked for too little in the banking bill, nothing is preventing another banking crisis.
Postal Service Limits Letter To Santa Program
 Associated Press
Starry-eyed children writing letters to the jolly man at the North Pole this holiday season very likely won't get a response from Santa Claus or his helpers.
US Court: Army Corps Liable For Katrina Flooding
 Dave Alsup
The Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a shipping channel linking New Orleans, Louisiana, to the Gulf of Mexico led to catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina, a federal court ruled Wednesday.
Honduran Congress Will Rule on Zelaya After Vote
 Freddy Cuevas
Honduran lawmakers will not decide whether to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya until after upcoming presidential elections, the congressional leader said Tuesday, a decision that could undermine international support for the vote.
Escobar Son Accused in Medellin Cartel Crimes
 Vivian Sequera & Frank Bajak
Colombia's police director says the son of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar was directly involved in cartel business, even killings, rejecting the denials of a man whose reappearance is creating a sensation in Colombia 16 years after his father's death.
Arctic Ownership Claims
 Zachary Fillingham
Rising global temperatures and melting Arctic ice are changing the geopolitical reality in the far north. In the span of a decade, the Arctic has gone from being considered a ‘global common’ to a hotly contested economic goldmine.
Sarah's Pissed Over Newsweek Cover? You Betcha!
 Capitol Hill Blue
Newsweek magazine dug up an old Runner's World photo of Sarah Palin in running shorts and used it on the cover for a story entitled How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sarah?
US Government Lost $98 Billion from Waste, Fraud, Abuse
 Hope Yen
More than $98 billion in taxpayer dollars spent by government agencies was wasted, much of it on questionable claims for tax credits and Medicare benefits, representing an increase of $26 billion from the previous year.
Buenos Aires Grants First Marriage License to Gays
 Vanessa Hand Orellana
Two men were granted a marriage license in Argentina's capital on Monday, breaking ground in a country and region where laws ban gay marriage.
Obama's Bow: Courtesy or Groveling?
 Foster Klug
Some conservative commentators seized on President Barack Obama's deep bow to Japan's Emperor Akihito over the weekend, accusing the U.S. commander in chief of groveling before a foreign leader. So did he?
War Threat Between Venezuela and Colombia Increases
 Jeremy McDermott
The threat of a war between Venezuela and Colombia increased over the weekend after both countries deployed more troops along their border and President Hugo Chavez branded his Colombian counterpart a "mafioso".
US Meets Immigration Reform Benchmarks
 David Morgan
The United States has dramatically improved security along its border with Mexico and met other requirements set by lawmakers in 2007 for passing immigration reform, a top U.S. official said last week.
Nicaragua Seizes Arms Cache from Mexico Drug Gang
 Agence France-Presse
Nicaraguan police have seized a large cache of weapons and explosives from suspected members of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel after a police car chase outside Managua, a spokeswoman said.
Ousted Honduran President Won't Recognize Vote
 Freddy Cuevas
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya insisted late Saturday that he will not accept any deal to restore him to office if it means he must recognize elections later this month.
Abortion Becomes a Key Issue in US Health Care Debate
 Julie Hirschfeld Davis
Abortion rights groups, outflanked and outnumbered in the health debate, are scrambling to regain lost ground after the House passed a health bill with strict abortion limits.
Accused 9/11 Mastermind to Face Civilian Trial in US
 Charlie Savage
The Obama administration said Friday that it would prosecute Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, in a Manhattan federal courtroom, a decision that ignited a sharp political debate but took a step toward resolving one of the most pressing terrorism detention issues.
Ousted Honduran President: US Weakened, Yielded
 Kathia Martinez
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya accused the U.S. government of weakening and changing course in the conflict over the June 28 coup that saw soldiers hustle him out of the country.
Obama's Weekly Address: Veterans Day and Fort Hood
 The White House Blog
The President looks back at a week where we honored those who serve on Veterans Day, and mourned those we lost at Fort Hood.
Obama's Afghan Delay: Indecisive or Strategic?
 Robert Burns & Ben Feller
President Barack Obama's drawn-out decision-making on Afghanistan is sending messages. To the Afghan government: Clean up your act. To the Pentagon: I'm no rubber stamp. To the American public: More troops can't be the sole answer.
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