Mexico

UCLA and Steve Alford. A basketball program of unmatched pedigree led by a former prodigy who became a national champion and Olympic gold medalist before making a steady climb up the coaching ladder. On paper, a harmonic convergence. How they came together, a choreography of those themes, would make for a dazzling introduction, which UCLA held at center court in historic Pauley Pavilion last month. The aura of John Wooden, his contributions to sports and society -- and those 10 national titles -- was thick.

WASHINGTON - A Mexican drug cartel commander pleaded guilty Thursday to murder and attempted murder in a 2011 ambush south of the border that left one American agent dead and a second injured, and which sharply strained U.S.-Mexico relations. The commander, Julian Zapata Espinoza, 32, also known as Piolin, joined three other defendants who had previously pleaded guilty to various charges related to the shooting. The developments in federal District Court in Washington also provided new details about the attack.

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's giant Popocatepetl volcano may generate lava flows, explosions of "growing intensity" and ash that could reach miles away, the National Center for Disaster Prevention said Monday. Officials were preparing evacuation routes and shelters for thousands of people who live in the shadow of Popocatepetl, located 40 miles southeast of Mexico City. Officials have created a 7.5-mile restricted zone around the cone of the volcano. Popo, as the volcano is known, has displayed a "notable increase in activity levels" in the last few days, including tremors and explosive eruptions, according to a statement from the federal government.

When Jaime Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu opened their Bell restaurant 15 years ago, some customers wondered if they knew how to cook. Accustomed to Mexican food laden with sour cream, melted cheddar cheese and mild salsa that has long been served up in the Los Angeles area, patrons balked at eating La Casita Mexicana's enchiladas covered in pumpkin seed mole, cotija cheese and red onions. Many of the doubters, to the restaurateurs' surprise, were Mexican American. Regional Mexican cooking isn't a tough sell anymore.

Is Mexico safe? That's the question that gets a lot of media attention. When six tourists from Spain were raped earlier this month in Acapulco, speculation began anew. But the tourism board in Cancun, 1,200 miles away and in a state for which the U.S. State Department has no advisory, wants the public to feel safe about visiting that region of the country, especially with the spring break vacation period looming. About 45,000 people visit during the spring travel season. “Last year Cancun welcomed almost 4 million visitors, and while none of our tourists were victims of violent crimes, we understand that safety is always a concern when traveling to a foreign country,” said Jesus Almagauer, chief executive of Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In 1986, lawmakers decided the problem of illegal immigration had to be dealt with. More than 3 million people were living in the United States after crossing the border illegally or overstaying their visas. A new law signed by President Ronald Reagan gave legal status and a path to citizenship to most of those unauthorized residents - helping many secure a slice of the American dream but also giving fuel to critics who sought to turn "amnesty" into a pejorative. Less than 30 years later, the number of immigrants living in the country illegally is thought to have nearly quadrupled, and the freighted baggage of amnesty looms over new efforts to reform the nation's immigration laws.

Princess Cruises is taking the plunge and basing one of its ships year-round in San Francisco . The 2,600-passenger Grand Princess is offering trips to Alaska, Mexico , Hawaii and the California coast from the City by the Bay. Hawaii is a mainstay of the schedule, with frequent 15-day round trips in the spring, fall and winter. Ports of call include Honolulu ( Oahu ), Nawiliwili ( Kauai ), Lahaina ( Maui ) and Hilo ( Hawaii ) in the islands, plus Ensenada, Mexico.

Philip Hsiang and his wife, Mary Ann, used to pay almost $1,000 a year for a pair of cellphones under a family plan contract. But as recession gripped the economy a few years back, the Davis couple opted for low-cost prepaid phone service and never looked back. They shaved $800 off their annual phone bill, even though Hsiang could easily afford the pricier plan on his salary as an electrical engineer. "As a Chinese immigrant to the U.S., it's a virtue to be frugal," Hsiang said.

TONATICO, Mexico - Armando Guadarrama was navigating his taxi through the narrow streets of this central Mexico pueblo on a recent Saturday morning, some 2,000 miles from the Beltway. But like many here, Guadarrama was up-to-the-minute with the immigration reform push that is the talk of Washington. When he spoke of its odds, the 40-year-old could sound like a hard-bitten D.C. veteran, grumbling over a scotch at the Old Ebbitt Grill. He sniffed incredulously at President Obama's statement, a day earlier, that he was "absolutely convinced" that reforms would pass this year.

Mexico ranked 10th among the world's most popular tourist destinations, according to the latest estimate by a United Nations agency. But the country's head of tourism said she fears Mexico might drop a couple of spots, falling out of the top 10 list. "We have indications that we may drop one or two places, but we're not sure because the figures aren't ours, they are from the World Tourism Organization," Mexico's Tourism Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu told the Associated Press Monday.

TONATICO, Mexico - Armando Guadarrama was navigating his taxi through the narrow streets of this central Mexico pueblo on a recent Saturday morning, some 2,000 miles from the Beltway. But like many here, Guadarrama was up-to-the-minute with the immigration reform push that is the talk of Washington. When he spoke of its odds, the 40-year-old could sound like a hard-bitten D.C. veteran, grumbling over a scotch at the Old Ebbitt Grill. He sniffed incredulously at President Obama's statement, a day earlier, that he was "absolutely convinced" that reforms would pass this year.

MEXICO CITY - Responding to mounting concern about disorder in the Mexican state of Michoacan, officials announced Thursday that an army general would take over as its public security chief, overseeing both state and federal security forces. The appointment of the general, Alberto Reyes Vaca, was announced by state officials but had been arranged in coordination with the federal government. For President Enrique Peña Nieto's administration, the move is part of a promised new focus on the southwestern state, long a hotbed of drug cartel violence.

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's giant Popocatepetl volcano may generate lava flows, explosions of "growing intensity" and ash that could reach miles away, the National Center for Disaster Prevention said Monday. Officials were preparing evacuation routes and shelters for thousands of people who live in the shadow of Popocatepetl, located 40 miles southeast of Mexico City. Officials have created a 7.5-mile restricted zone around the cone of the volcano. Popo, as the volcano is known, has displayed a "notable increase in activity levels" in the last few days, including tremors and explosive eruptions, according to a statement from the federal government.

Siesta Suites Hotel is a charming place, in the heart of downtown Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, but serenely peaceful. It's small (20 suites with kitchens ) but comfortable. There is a long patio for relaxing and enjoying the gardens and the odd bird tweet, yet the Giggling Marlin and the Jungle are only a block or so away. It's professionally managed with friendly help. Siesta Suites Hotel, Calle Emiliano Zapata, Cabo San Lucas; (866) 271-0952, http://www.cabosiestasuites.com . Standard room or suite, $69 a night; penthouse, $80 a night.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico - Guadalajara police commander Juan Carlos Martinez took Mexico's national police vetting exam in April 2012. He failed. But no one in government would tell him why. A few months later, he received a phone call from a man identifying himself as a member of a drug cartel. Why don't you think about joining us, he said the man on the phone asked. You won't go hungry. Martinez, 38, declined the offer and maintains that he had been an honorable cop. But the phone call was not an anomaly.

LAS VEGAS - Floyd Mayweather Jr. hasn't fought twice within a five-month period since 2006. But after overwhelming Robert Guerrero by unanimous decision Saturday night, he's scheduled to return to the MGM Grand Garden Arena ring on Sept. 14. "We're going to be back in September," Mayweather said following his victory. The opponent of most interest is Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the unbeaten 22-year-old world super-welterweight champion who last month drew nearly 40,000 to San Antonio's Alamodome when he defeated previously unbeaten Austin Trout.

We all know that Mexico's drug war has taken a horrific toll - an estimated 50,000 deaths since President Felipe Calderón launched the effort in late 2006. But how much did Calderón's declaration change the crime rate? And now that president-elect Enrique Peña Nieto is set to take over in December, how much is likely to change? Travelers might want to dip into “Drug Violence in Mexico,” a recent report by The Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego. Though good statistics are often hard to come by in Mexico, authors Cory Molzahn, Viridiana Ríos and David A. Shirk have gathered a boatload of numbers, and they raise the idea that drug-related killings accelerated before Calderón declared war. As the report notes, the Mexican government counted 12,903 drug-war killings (a.k.a.

CULIACAN, Mexico - The cartel henchman nicknamed "El Loco" was reported behind the latest atrocity in Mexico's ever-more-depraved drug war: mutilating 49 people and piling their bodies - heads, hands and feet missing - by the side of a road leading to the U.S. border. Authorities say he acted this month on orders from the top commanders of the brutal Zeta paramilitary force, who wanted to send a message to the long-dominant Sinaloa cartel and its allies, in a new phase of a conflict that has claimed more than 50,000 lives in less than six years.

Re "Obama vows alliance with Mexico ," May 3 In trying to reduce the violence in Mexico, President Obama and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto are doing a hat dance around the obvious solution. As repugnant as it may be to some, decriminalizing drug use would quickly accomplish a number of goals: Drug cartels would lose billions of dollars, hampering their ability to corrupt public officials; law enforcement on both sides of the border would gain much-needed man-hours for use in fighting serious crimes; and billions of dollars wasted annually on a fruitless drug war could be recouped for use in bolstering the economy.

President Obama met in Mexico on Thursday with President Enrique Peña Nieto. Publicly, the two leaders focused on trade. That makes sense given the strong economic ties between the two nations and Peña Nieto's efforts to introduce more competition to Mexico's energy and telecommunications sectors in the hopes of boosting his country's economy. But privately the two presidents will also discuss bilateral security, including Peña Nieto's decision this week to require all U.S. law enforcement contact with federal police to be routed through Mexico's Interior Ministry.