The week at a glance...Americas
Americas
Acapulco, Mexico
Cabbies slain: Attacks on taxis left nine drivers and three passengers dead in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco last weekend, right before the Mexican Open tennis tournament began there. Most of the drivers were shot in their vehicles when not carrying fares; one was beheaded. Police said drug gangs sometimes use taxi drivers as couriers or lookouts. The drug-related violence is scaring tourists away from the resort. Two cruise lines have canceled stops in Acapulco’s port in the past month, and the city is no longer among the top 100 destinations for Americans. “I was walking down the beach this morning and every hotel here is empty on the beach side,” American tourist Garth Mark told CBS News. “There was no one.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
No smoking at home: Hondurans can now be fined for smoking in their own homes. Under a law that went into effect this week, smoking is banned in most closed public and private spaces, and smokers in open spaces must stand at least 6 feet away from nonsmokers. While the law doesn’t entirely ban smoking at home, it allows family members or visitors to complain to police if someone subjects them to secondhand smoke in a private home. On the second offense, the smoker will have to pay a fine of $311, the monthly minimum salary. Most Hondurans doubt the law will be enforced, given the country’s chronic shortage of police.
Brasília, Brazil
Slapstick lawmaking: The professional clown Tiririca, who was elected to parliament last October with more votes than any other candidate, flubbed his first vote this week by pressing the wrong button and accidentally voting against a government austerity plan he supports. The government bill passed by a large margin anyway. Tiririca (whose real name is Francisco Everardo Oliveira Silva) campaigned on a platform of willful ignorance under the campaign slogan, “It can’t get any worse.” His candidacy was almost revoked when he was alleged to be illiterate.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Peter Mandelson called Epstein his 'best pal' in birthday note
Speed Read The UK's ambassador to Washington described the late convicted paedophile as an 'intelligent, sharp-witted man'
-
A Spinal Tap reunion, Thomas Pynchon by way of Paul Thomas Anderson and a harrowing Stephen King adaptation in September movies
the week recommends This month's new releases include 'Spinal Tap II,' 'One Battle After Another' and 'The Long Walk'
-
'Vampire energy' could be causing your electric bill to rise
Under the Radar Wasted energy could account for up to 10% of home use
-
The news at a glance...International
feature International
-
The bottom line
feature Youthful startup founders; High salaries for anesthesiologists; The myth of too much homework; More mothers stay a home; Audiences are down, but box office revenue rises
-
The week at a glance...Americas
feature Americas
-
The news at a glance...United States
feature United States
-
The news at a glance
feature Comcast defends planned TWC merger; Toyota recalls 6.39 million vehicles; Takeda faces $6 billion in damages; American updates loyalty program; Regulators hike leverage ratio
-
The bottom line
feature The rising cost of graduate degrees; NSA surveillance affects tech profits; A glass ceiling for female chefs?; Bonding to a brand name; Generous Wall Street bonuses
-
The news at a glance
feature GM chief faces Congress; FBI targets high-frequency trading; Yellen confirms continued low rates; BofA settles mortgage claims for $9.3B; Apple and Samsung duke it out
-
The week at a glance...International
feature International