MEXICO CITY — Gradually but notably, the mood of Mexicans has brightened about their personal security and the broader war on crime, a shift in this countrys state of mind that coincides with a sharp reduction in bloodshed in once violent regions.Ciudad Juarez, the border city across from El Paso, Texas, that was once one of the most violent in the world, registered only 30 murders in October, the lowest monthly number in five years.via MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s drug violence ebbing, leaving a new sense of optimism – Todays News –...

A study released Wednesday by a respected Mexican think tank asserts that proposals to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Colorado, Oregon and Washington could cut Mexican drug cartels’ earnings from traffic to the U.S. by as much as 30 percent.Opponents questioned some of the study’s assumptions, saying the proposals could also offer new opportunities for cartels to operate inside the U.S. and replace any profit lost to a drop in international smuggling.via Mexico study: US legalization cuts cartel profits – CBS...