Obama-Calderon

As reported last week by Norman's International, President-elect Obama will meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderon today in his first meeting with a foreign leader since elected in November.  

Predictably enough, violent crime in Mexico, immigration, trade and the U.S.-Mexican border will be at the top of the agenda, reports the BBC.

Down and Out

Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced plans to inject nearly $150 million to ailing industries in an effort to save jobs.  The move is part of a larger '25-point' plan that includes freezing gas prices and increased unemployment benefits, reports the BBC.  

Because 80% of Mexican exports go to America, and the dependence of many communities on remittances from Mexican laborers in the United States, the economic downturn here has had dramatic implications there.  

Plans for infrastructure building are expected to create another quarter-million jobs later in the year.    

Spanish Language News

The evening news came on as scheduled last night on the Mexican Televisa network. Outside the Monterey station, two cars pulled up. Men with ski masks jumped out and sprayed the entrance with bullets, then lobbed a grenade into the station.

The attackers left a note nearby warning the station to stop reporting on violence due to drug cartels.

In case you haven't noticed, Mexico is in the midst of a quasi-civil-war amongst its extremely powerful drug cartels and goverment forces. It's a god damn bloodbath down there.

"15 journalists have been killed and many newspapers have stopped investigative reporting on drug cartels" since 2006, reports the BBC.