United States
Immigration
The Aurora, Colorado Police Department was made aware of the presence and activities of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua as early as last November, according to new internal emails released by Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky. Police decided to downplay the situation and later denied any concern to the media when videos leaked of heavily armed gang members walking around the apartment complex. (Denver 7)
A report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform said the financial cost of the migrant crisis hit $150 billion last year. (The New York Post)
About 2,000 migrants have left southern Mexico, heading for the U.S. border just days before the next presidential election. Many migrants have told reporters that they fear Trump will win the election and that this will be their last chance to get inside the United States while the Biden Administration doesn’t enforce the border. Around 40,000 migrants are currently in Mexico, waiting to get to the United States. (CBS News)
Economy
Healthcare middlemen — companies known as pharmacy benefit managers, or P.B.M.s, have been slowly destroying mom-and-pop pharmacies throughout the United States. P.B.M.s, which employers and government programs hire to oversee prescription drug benefits, have been systematically underpaying small pharmacies, helping to drive hundreds out of business. Nearly 800 zip codes once had at least one pharmacy, but now there are none. Many of those pharmacy deserts are throughout the Northeast and Midwest of the United States. (The New York Times)