The White House's budget draft targets two distinct audiences: the working class with false promises of social spending, and the financial oligarchy with significant funding. The budget proposes record military and domestic police spending, with trillions in interest payments benefiting Wall Street and billionaires. Media coverage focuses on social benefits promises, which are likely to be discarded after the election. The core of the budget is a record $850 billion for the Pentagon for FY 2025, with additional funding for wars in Ukraine and elsewhere. The budget also emphasizes investment in key technologies and industrial sectors, with a focus on preparing for potential wars with Russia and China. It includes a significant increase in nuclear weapons funding and plans for nuclear war resilience. The budget also supports the integration of the UK and Australia into US military operations and expands US military spending in Latin America. Additionally, there is a vast increase in border security spending, including new technology for surveillance. The budget also outlines the growing cost of interest payments on federal debt, which will benefit wealthy investors.

Various organizations in Mexico warn of a growing risk of organized crime seeking to intervene in this year's elections. Vicente Calderón reports that there have already been several cases of political violence, although the official campaign period has not yet begun.

In Northern Mexico, the trial for the homicide of a journalist that occurred over 6 years ago began this week. Legal resources filed by the defense delayed the process. Authorities assure that justice will be served, as reported by Vicente Calderón.

The Mexican government has pledged to rehabilitate infrastructure that is polluting beaches on both sides of the border due to old failures. President López Obrador has appointed military engineers to expedite the work.

Following a high-level meeting between Mexico and the United States, migrants at the binational border are asking both governments to listen to them, while activists anticipate a tightening of border surveillance.

With the increase in migration, smugglers have adjusted the fees for illegally crossing people, according to estimates from the International Organization for Migration. Vicente Calderón from Voz de América also spoke with migrants who have paid to cross.

In recent years, many migrants have chosen the Tijuana border to irregularly enter the United States, considering it less dangerous. However, Vicente Calderón explains that now various drug trafficking cartels are contesting human smuggling in the area, increasing the danger for migrants.

An anesthesiologist's arrest in Mexico has mobilized colleagues across several cities after the prosecutor's office criminally charged him for legally purchasing fentanyl amidst a shortage of the anesthetic in the country's public hospitals.

Central Asian men from Tajikistan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, are heading to the United States and are in Mexico seeking asylum due to the war in Ukraine. Immigration officials are encountering more asylum seekers from former Soviet countries. The Mexican government reports nearly double the number of migrants from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan from 2021 to 2022, with numbers still rising. Reporter Ulanbek Asanaliev from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Uzbekistan broadcast went to Mexico to document their journey, finding that some asylum seekers have Russian citizenship and may have been drafted to fight in Ukraine. Instead of joining the Russian military, they are fleeing. Many migrants head to Mexican border cities like Tijuana and Reynosa, with most arriving in Mexico City or Cancun before heading to US entry points. However, many do not go to shelters for help, staying in hotels instead. The journey requires significant sacrifices, with migrants like Fayoud spending all their money on hotels and struggling to afford food. Among the migrants are also four from Belarus, a Russian ally bordering Ukraine.

The Mexican government's newly launched anti-drug campaign is facing scrutiny from the country's public health specialists. Vicente Calderón reports from Baja California, a border state experiencing deaths from drug consumption and serving as a hub for fentanyl smuggling.

On the one-year anniversary of the murder of two journalists, Tijuana journalists mobilize to demand authorities for not prosecuting those who ordered the killings, although six are already imprisoned.

Family, colleagues, and friends commemorated the one-year anniversary of the assassination of independent photojournalist Margarito Martínez. The event, promoted by María de la Asunción Gutiérrez, president of the Tijuana journalists' association, took place at the freedom of expression plaza in Zona Río. Attendees included Martínez's immediate family and representatives from the United States Consulate in Tijuana, led by Consul General Tom Reott, who expressed their condolences and concerns about the high level of violence against journalists in Mexico.

Authorities and activists in Tijuana express concerns over immigration policy changes announced by President Joe Biden, anticipating the end of Title 42. They describe the modifications as belated and inefficient.

The Baja California Prosecutor's Office has identified four of the six individuals found dead in an abandoned van at Plaza Conquistador. Among the victims are Rodolfo Agustín Alvarado Román, José Luis Ramos, and Sandra Luz Esteban. The incident may be linked to the arrest of alias Tolín, allegedly connected to a drug cartel. The location of the bodies near Bar Ankara, where other crimes occurred, suggests a possible connection. Organized crime and drug trafficking remain the leading causes of violence in Baja California, with conflicts between the Sinaloa, Jalisco Nueva Generación, and Arellano Félix cartels, as well as internal disputes.

Activists and migrants in Mexico anticipate the repeal of Title 42, a policy that has prevented asylum seekers from receiving refuge in the United States. A federal judge has ordered the Biden Administration to take steps to end this immigration policy by December 21. Title 42 was implemented by the Trump administration during the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. The Alianza Migrante de Tijuana, which is already at capacity, expects more migrants but welcomes the judicial decision that could make it easier to apply for asylum. Local authorities estimate that around 6,000 people in Tijuana shelters are waiting for a chance to seek refuge in the U.S.

An altar has been installed at the State Center for the Arts in Tijuana in memory of the journalists murdered in Mexico during 2022. This initiative, started by Tijuanapress.com in 2016, coincides with the Day of the Dead and the date designated by UNESCO to end impunity for crimes against journalists. The altar features 19 sugar skulls, representing each media worker killed this year, and aims to raise awareness about protecting journalists and seeking justice for these crimes. UNESCO has condemned 74 journalist homicides in 2022, with a recent case in Haiti, and notes that 9 out of 10 crimes against journalists globally remain unpunished. The situation in Mexico has worsened, highlighted by the murders of Lourdes Maldonado and Margarito Martínez. CEART has been thanked for making the altar accessible to the public, and a minute of silence will be observed on November 2nd to honor the fallen journalists and advocate for a free and safe journalistic practice.

Journalist advocacy organizations report an increase in verbal attacks by political leaders against female journalists in Mexico. The story includes the experiences of two journalists whose work has led to changes in their city, Tijuana.

The article discusses the environmental crisis caused by the inoperative Punta Bandera wastewater treatment plant in Tijuana, which is leading to sewage spills into the Pacific Ocean, affecting the San Diego-Tijuana region. The plant, run by Baja California's water department CESPT, has malfunctioning equipment, resulting in untreated sewage flowing into the ocean and reaching Southern California beaches. The EPA is faced with the decision of addressing the problem at its source in Mexico or dealing with the pollution effects on the U.S. coast. There is a $300 million budget allocated by Congress to tackle the issue, but there is a debate over whether to invest in infrastructure on the U.S. side or support Mexico's wastewater management. The article highlights the challenges of cross-border environmental management, including mistrust in the Mexican government's ability to maintain infrastructure and the need for cost-effective solutions.

More than 1,700 people have been murdered in Tijuana this year, with over 80 homicides in November alone. Journalist Vicente Calderon reports a recent spike in violence, including the murder of an American citizen at the San Ysidro border and the discovery of Los Angeles firefighter Francisco Aguilar's remains in Rosarito. Most homicides are linked to drug cartel activities. While tourists are generally not involved, caution is advised when traveling in Tijuana. The murder count is expected to surpass 2,000 by year's end, with last year's total exceeding 2,100. COVID-19 travel restrictions between the U.S. and Mexico are set to continue until at least December 21.

Low budgets, police incapacity, deficient investigations, and overburdened courts in Tijuana are failing to combat drug peddling, leading to thousands of accused being returned to the streets. From June 2016 to mid-2019, not a single person was imprisoned for drug trafficking at the retail level, despite over 12,000 arrests. The judicial system is overwhelmed, with judges often declaring detentions illegal and the police focusing on questionable arrests. The city has become the most violent in Mexico, with a majority of homicides related to drug peddling. The new justice system is criticized for being excessively lenient, and the lack of infrastructure and resources hampers effective justice. The recent murder of Federico, a factory worker arrested with drugs, exemplifies the deadly cycle of violence and the swift return of detainees to the streets.