Free Republic

McALLEN - Barack Obama's statements that he would consider renegotiating the decade-old North American Free Trade Agreement are drawing criticism from Rio Grande Valley business leaders. The treaty, which removed most trade and investment barriers among the United States, Mexico and Canada, has quickly turned into a point of contention between Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and his Republican counterpart, John McCain, whose pro-free trade stance calls for even more NAFTA-like trade blocs - specifically with Colombia and South Korea. Obama has routinely denounced the treaty as a deal that "put special interests over workers' interests," as he said...

Mexico ousts hundreds of police commanders Government is cracking down on corruption By James C. McKinley Jr. NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE June 26, 2007 MEXICO CITY – Mexico purged 284 commanders from the top ranks of its federal police forces yesterday as part of the government's effort to contain corruption and halt an underworld war between drug traffickers. “We know Mexicans demand an honest, clean and trustworthy police force,” Public Security Secretary Genaro García Luna said at a news conference. “It's obvious there are mafias that are acting to keep the situation from changing, to continue enriching themselves through...

Monterey County officials probe racially offensive e-mail SALINAS, Calif. (AP) - Some 3,200 Monterey County government workers received an internal e-mail with a racially disparaging cartoon, officials said. The cartoon, which was in computers Monday, depicts a ``Mexifornia'' driver's license with a photo of a sombrero-wearing bandit. The e-mail prompted an internal investigation by the county's Information Technology Department. The cartoon originated with an information technology worker who sent it to a few co-workers, he said. One of the recipients took offense and apparently distributed the cartoon countywide.