There are two ways of looking at Laredo, Texas, a border city at the southern edge of the US. One is as barren outpost of the US economy, condemned by geographic misfortune to a marginal existence. The other is as part of one of the most dynamic economies in North America: the border of Texas with the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas.

NAFTA 2.0 is a big opportunity for San Diego and the entire U.S.-Mexico border region. With a good “modernization” of the 1993 treaty, the U.S.-Mexico border can expand economic growth and continue to be one of the most dynamic regions in North America. Elected officials and business groups from the border region should organize to weigh in regularly with the government negotiating teams and elected representatives in the months ahead to assure a good outcome.

A Wisconsin company is to become the first in the US to microchip employees. Three Square Market is offering to implant the tiny radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip into workers' hands for free - and says everyone will soon be doing it.

Agroup of mayors representing communities along U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday called for upgrading of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and said in a joint statement that the upcoming talks offer an “opportunity to renegotiate, modernize and optimize North America’s competitiveness.” The gathering of the U.S-Mexico Border Mayors Association has brought together the leaders for two days of sessions in San Diego and Tijuana. On Thursday, the group included 13 U.S. mayors and two Mexican mayors.

Baja California is emerging as a world leader in medical tourism as Americans increasingly seek less expensive health care across the border in Mexico.

Mexico has a lot of well-known problems. Drugs. Poverty. Corruption. And on the corporate side, low-levels of production outside of the major multinational owned manufacturing firms. But despite the campaign rhetoric to build a wall and to knock Mexico down a peg in a NAFTA do-over, there is one problem our neighbor does not have: beating every single equity market in the Americas to a pulp. For investors, Mexico is great...again. After a slight lull in affection back in April, the market has rediscovered Mexico now for the past two months. The trend is seen continuing until the fourth quarter.