EL NOTICOTO MAGAZINE

First lady Margarita Zavala, the Pope and the President of México, Felipe Calderón SILAO, Mexico — Pope Benedict XVI  was greeted by  Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderón, his wife, and thousands of Roman Catholics from all over Mexico, who came to show their love and admiration waving flags,  and cheering after  waiting for hours in the sun.  The pope said he has come “as a pilgrim of faith, hope and love.” He also added  “With this brief visit, I wish to greet all Mexicans and to include all the people of Latin America, represented here by many bishops.” The pope is expected to give an outdoor Mass on Sunday in Guanajuato,  before traveling to Cuba, where he will head Monday for the second and final leg of his short journey to América.  Catholics and mexicans in general,  are worried and preocupied over the deaths of  more than 50,000 people since Calderon´s government’s initiated a war against the drug cartels  late in 2006 (a president term in México is for 6 years

Por Tony Franco   California's criminal justice system is overcrowded and out of money. Let's get real about drug policy: possessing a small amount of drugs for personal use should NOT be a felony offense. Locking people up for personal low-level drug use wastes jail space and tax dollars, and does nothing to cure addiction or stop the kinds of crime that go along with it. State Senator Mark Leno is urging his fellow legislators to abandon the "lock 'em up" mentality when it comes to low-level drug users with a new bill:  SB 1506 . SB 1506 would treat possession of drugs for personal use as a misdemeanor  instead of a felony, and reduce the maximum penalty from three years to one year. Urge your state senator to reduce the penalty for possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use . California voters want this change: a March 2011 poll showed that a whopping 72% of California voters support reducing the penalty for possession of a small amount

MALDEF Brings Latino Issues to Forefront in California Capital with "2012 Latino State of the State" Leading Legal Civil Rights Organization Hosts Public Discussion on Key Issues Affecting Latinos SACRAMENTO, CA  – On  Wednesday, March 14, 2012 , MALDEF, the nation’s leading legal civil rights organization, hosted the "2012 Latino State of the State: Discussion on Law, Policy, and Civil Rights in California." The event served as a convening of leaders and experts addressing issues and policies affecting California’s Latino community.  Held at The California Museum in Sacramento, the Latino State of the State featured a cross-section of top experts and leaders on a range of issues facing the Latino community, including state revenue and the California budget, school discipline and other education-related issues, criminal justice, labor rights and immigrant rights. Thomas A. Saenz , MALDEF President and General Counsel, stated "California h