ARIZONA REPUBLIC: John McCain warned Mexicans that more border walls are needed before he attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration laws again, an unpopular position in a country he visited in hopes of boosting his standing with Hispanics at home. During a trip to Mexico City, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee also said he opposed unilaterally changing parts of the North American Free Trade Agreement, as liberal Mexican politicians and his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, have suggested.

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HOUSTON CHRONICLE: In an ominous trend for baby boomers, Texas doctors are opting out of Medicare, weary of the perennial fights over cuts in reimbursement. Only 58 percent of doctors in the state now accept new Medicare patients, according to a recent survey by the Texas Medical Association, down from an estimated 90 percent before 1990. Among primary-care doctors, the percentage is 38 percent.

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EL PASO TIMES: El Paso's economy has shown impressive growth since mid-2006 and is the only metro area in Texas that has grown at a faster pace in 2008 than in 2007. That's the view of Eugenio Alemán, Wells Fargo Bank senior economist in his latest economic overview of Texas border cities.

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SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS: Besieged Texas sheriffs have vowed to press the White House and Congress to deliver emergency assistance to law enforcement officers battling drug cartels along the Mexican border to match the $400 million on its way to Mexico. The sheriffs said they were frustrated that President Bush and Congress agreed to provide assistance to Mexico as part of the Merida Initiative, without offering additional federal help to their departments.

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NEW YORK TIMES: The nation’s employers eliminated tens of thousands of jobs in June for the sixth consecutive month in a steady chipping away of the work force that seems likely to leave the economy very weak through Election Day. Responding quickly to the government employment report, issued Thursday, the presidential candidates called for action, beyond the recent stimulus package, to reverse the deterioration. In past downturns, the Federal Reserve saved the day, or tried to, by cutting interest rates.

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