"Speculation is rampant in Washington that the November 2 mid-term elections will usher in a new phase of trade expansion for the United States," argues Eric Farnsworth in an op-ed for The Miami Herald.

An AS/COA Online interview with New Mexico’s governor covers topics ranging from the need for a hemispheric security pact to the shifting U.S.-Cuban relationship. Richardson also urged for comprehensive immigration reform, warning of “continued division” without it.

The U.S. and Mexico are ramping up their efforts to help those that need it most, writes Fred Niehaus, senior vice president of global public affairs for Western Union.

To stem the flow of illegal drugs, the United States and Bolivia "need to find a more effective way to cooperate for mutual benefit," argues COA's Eric Farnsworth in The Houston Chronicle. "Rethinking the bilateral approach to coca is a promising place to start."

Mexico’s bicentennial underscores challenges and opportunities for the United States as well, writes former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and Americas Society Board Member Antonio O. Garza.

Two Cuba experts debate whether the U.S. should maintain the status quo.

"If done carefully, further reforms hold the promise of breaking the policy and human rights stasis that has gripped Cuba, and U.S. policy towards Cuba, for more than half a century. That is a prize worth grasping," writes AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini in the Financial Times.