Author Archive for Jacob Ertel

Mexican Presidential Candidates Shy Away from Drug-Related Issues

June 27, 2012
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Mexican Presidential Candidates Shy Away from Drug-Related Issues

With Mexico’s presidential election less than a week away, none of the candidates have firmly established their policies regarding Mexico’s Drug War, and have avoided divulging how they plan to combat the narco traffickers and cartels that have turned large areas of the country into violent warzones. The escalation of drug-related violence in the...
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Litigating Legality: The “Secret Justice” of the U.S. Federal Judiciary

June 26, 2012
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Litigating Legality: The “Secret Justice” of the U.S. Federal Judiciary

The United States' federal judiciary is turning its back on constitutionality. With the emergence of several legal cases involving the complicity of the United States in tortures and disappearances that have occurred over the past decade, it is becoming increasingly evident that our justice system is corrupt. According to writer Scott Horton of...
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Royal Spanish Academy Amends Definition of Marriage to Include Same-Sex Couples

June 23, 2012
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Royal Spanish Academy Amends Definition of Marriage to Include Same-Sex Couples

The Royal Spanish Academy of Language has announced it will revise the official definition of the word "marriage" in the DRAE (Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary). This change will mark the first time the DRAE recognizes marriage as more than the union of two opposite-sex partners, reports elpais.com. The new definition will include the...
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Obama Administration Vows to Stop Deporting Some Young Undocumented Immigrants

June 21, 2012
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Obama Administration Vows to Stop Deporting Some Young Undocumented Immigrants

Last Friday, June 15th, President Obama announced that his administration would stop deporting young undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children, if they meet certain criteria. While the President acknowledged that this was not a "permanent fix" to the deportation issues that have only been exacerbated under his presidency, his action, "effective...
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Uruguay Legalizes Marijuana

June 21, 2012
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Uruguay Legalizes Marijuana

The uruguayan government has announced its decision to control the means of production and distribution of marijuana, making it the first country in Latin America to do so. The goal of this measure is to combat drastic consumption and narcotrafficking in a drug war that, according to politician Eleuterio Fernández Huidobro, "has already been...
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Picasso Vandalized in Houston

June 20, 2012
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Picasso Vandalized in Houston

Last week the 1929 Picasso painting, mujer en sofá rojo was vandalized at the Menil Collection of Houston, Texas. The vandal approached the painting unhindered and spray painted the figure of a bull with the word "conquered" below it, reported elpais.com. Fortunately, the museum houses a conservation laboratory and the painting was salvaged...
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Vatican Investigates the Actions of an Argentine Bishop

June 20, 2012
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Vatican Investigates the Actions of an Argentine Bishop

The Vatican will consider taking punitive actions against bishop Fernando María Bargalló after videos and photographs showing him embracing a woman and displaying flirtatious behavior were distributed by various argentine media outlets. Despite the photographic content, Bargalló insisted that the woman he had been seen with was a childhood friend, reported elpais.com. In...
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Removal of Franco statue sparks legal controversy

June 18, 2012
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Removal of Franco statue sparks legal controversy

The Supreme Court in Madrid has denied an appeal from the Fundación Francisco Franco to relocate a statue of Franco on horseback to its original location in the La Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz. The statue was removed from the plaza in 2005 by the Ministry of Development. According to elpais.com,...
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Remembering the Children of the Spanish Civil War

June 18, 2012
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Remembering the Children of the Spanish Civil War

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the evacuation of 4,000 children from Spain by sea to the United Kingdom. A broadcast at 11:00pm on Monday, June 18th (tonight) on bbc.co.uk told the "heart-warming story of how British people welcomed the Spanish children, and strived to make a difference during [the Spanish...
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In a Time of Crisis, Soccer Remains a Constant in Spain

June 14, 2012
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In a Time of Crisis, Soccer Remains a Constant in Spain

While Spain continues to struggle economically, the country has one constant with which its citizens can be proud to identify: soccer. This was not always the case, however. In his new book, entitled La Roja: How Soccer Conquered Spain and How Spanish Soccer Conquered the World, writer Jimmy Burns explores the history of soccer...
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