Drug-related border crime on the U.S. Mexico border is not showing any signs of slowing up.  More than 3,400 people have been killed this year due to increasing corruption and power of drug cartels in Mexico.  According to El Universal, a national Mexican newspaper, a drug war related death occurs every 48 minutes in Mexico.  The Associated press estimates at least 23,000 people have been murdered in Mexico since Mexican President Felipe Calderón declared war on all drug cartels in 2006. Presdient Calderón has requested help from the United States military to aid him in his efforts to stop drug trafficking between Mexico and the U.S.  Calderón claims that the U.S. needs to share responsibility because of America’s mass consumption of drugs that feed the problem by driving more money and inevitably more power to the drug cartels.  In a recent visit to the nation in March, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged the need to accept responsibility and to provide support to the Mexican government.  “We know that the demand for drugs drives much of this illicit trade, and that guns purchased in the U.S. are used to facilitate violence here in Mexico. The United States must, and is,…

President Barrack Obama signed a bill today that some consider to be one of the most influential pieces of legislation in our nation’s history. The comprehensive Health Care Reform Bill was passed by the House late Sunday night in a 219 to 216 vote.  The Senate’s version of the bill was passed by the House without any changes made. However, in order to please House Democrats, an additional measure to the bill was passed along with it the same night, known as reconciliation.  This reconciliation clause will now go to the Senate for further debate, where Democratic Leaders are confident that they have enough votes to pass it as well.  The bill is estimated to cost $940 billion over the next decade.  Some of the bills components include: prohibiting denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, enable children to stay on their guardians health care plans until age 26, an increase in a medical payroll tax for individuals with an annual income of 200,000 and joint filers with an annual income 250,000 and over.  The bill will also require most employers to provide coverage to their employees or face penalties, as well as require most individuals to obtain coverage or face…

In a combined effort by Attonery General Greg Abbott and Governor Rick Perry, the Texas state government has filed a law suit against the Environmental Protection Agency.  The intent of the law suit is to overturn a U.S. Supreme court ruling in 2007 giving the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Greg Abbot’s main point of argument is that the data used by the EPA is inaccurate.  Abbot gave examples of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change and the Climate Research Unit at Great Britian’s East Anglia University, (the two research groups cited the most by the EPA in the 2007 ruling), manipulating data and excluding critical information in their studies. Perry claims that Texas has already significantly reduced amounts of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emitted without government fines and mandates.  However, current data supports that Texas is responsible for up to 35 percent of the Nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.  This lawsuit is one of many efforts by Rick Perry to limit federal government interference in Texas.