Mexico

"NAUCALPAN DE JUÁREZ, Mexico — The spent batteries Americans turn in for recycling are increasingly being sent to Mexico, where their lead is often extracted by crude methods that are illegal in the United States, exposing plant workers and local residents to dangerous levels of a toxic metal.

"TUCSON -- For the first time since 2009, a jaguar has been found roaming the wilds of southern Arizona. The jaguar was photographed by a hunter on Saturday and confirmed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department to be a roughly 200-pound male in good condition."

"LINCOLN, Neb. -- The closing of the country’s last meat processing plant that slaughtered horses for human consumption was hailed as a victory for equine welfare. But five years later just as many American horses are destined for dinner plates to satisfy the still robust appetites for their meat in Europe and Asia."

"Hundreds of police raided illicit markets to crack down on the lucrative trade in wild animals and rare flowers, arresting 15 traffickers across Mexico this weekend in one of the biggest swoops of its kind."

"An environmental advocacy group filed a lawsuit Monday against the U.S. section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, saying the federal agency tasked with managing the Rio Grande refused to release status reports, flood maps and plans."

"TIJUANA — A ruptured sewage pipe in Playas de Tijuana that led Baja California health authorities to close beaches—and raised concerns that the contamination also could affect ocean water quality north of the border—has been fixed, authorities said Thursday."

Water shortages in the Southwest may be postponed for a while after Mexico agreed to store some of the Colorado River water it is entitled to in U.S. reservoirs while it repairs canals and pipelines damaged in a recent earthquake.

"At least 28 people have been killed and many others injured in an oil pipeline explosion in central Mexico, officials say."