Free Republic

Columns of gas and ash 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) high were detected after two strong explosions from the Popocatepetl volcano, Mexico's Cenapred disaster-management agency said Friday. The first blast came at 10:14 p.m. Thursday, followed by another a little more than two hours later. The explosions deposited glowing fragments up to 1.5 kilometers from the crater as well as columns of ash and gas that were carried northeastward by the prevailing winds, Cenapred said. Popocatepetl, which rises 5,452 meters (17,875 feet) above sea level, is located about 64 kilometers (40 miles) from Mexico City. Mexican authorities have prepared contingency plans...

Tamara Morales paid homage to her grandfather on her lunch hour at the fast-food chain Chipotle on Thursday. "I told the guy behind the counter, 'Give me the most 'picante' salsa,'" said Morales, in Spanish. Morales was preparing for "El Dia de los Muertos," or "the Day of the Dead," a holiday when the spirits of the deceased are said to return and reunite with loved ones. Her grandfather, Manual, died six years ago at the ripe age of 87, she said. He had a loud voice and a penchant for spicy food, so Morales was going to savor the...