Sen. Ken Salazar, the descendant of Mexicans who were among the first settlers in what is now Colorado, broke some new ground of his own Friday with a speech in Spanish at the U.S. Capitol giving the Democrats' preview of President Bush's State of the Union address.

Florida Sen. Mel Martinez on Friday took the helm of a national Republican Party splintered over illegal immigration, vowing to reach out to black, Hispanic and "all communities that may have never believed that Republican ideals spoke to them."

A diverse coalition that includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Catholic bishops, Hispanics and labor unions launched an attempt Thursday to push a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's immigration laws "over the finish line" in the Democratic-controlled Congress.

Venture capital investments topped $1 billion in Washington last year, marking the biggest surge of private investment money in the state since the dot-com boom. It's only the third time funding has reached that level since record keeping began in 1997.

If you've ever dreamed of feasting on a buffet of business ideas, you may want to visit the Miami Beach Convention center over the next three days. Inside, more than 140 franchises -- from fast food to hot-wax hair-removal outfits -- will be trying to catch the eye of hungry investors.

This year's Oscar race is considered as wide open as any in recent memory, but analysts say one facet of Tuesday's Academy Awards nominations appears certain: an ethnically diverse slate of contenders. As studios expand their worldview beyond the West minority actors and racially diverse themes are increasingly finding their way to the big screen.

GlobalHue, the largest U.S. ad agency that targets minorities, has landed coveted ad business from Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer.

Two dramatic NFL playoff games couldn't quite top ABC's popular hospital drama as "Grey's Anatomy" held off last-minute football victories to claim the No. 1 spot in the Hispanic TV ratings for English-language programs. Univision's "Fea Mas Bella" continued its dominance among Spanish-language programming, according to figures released Wednesday by the Nielsen Media Group for the week of Jan. 8-14.

Two prominent Hispanic ad agencies announced major organizational shakeups, with Winglatino bringing both its offices under one wing with OLE says "adios" to a founding partner.

Advertisers' efforts to reach Hispanic consumers are becoming more targeted, and language is a major factor. Advertisers spent more than $3.3 billion to market products to U.S. Hispanics in 2005, a 6.8 percent increase from 2004.

More than 20 percent of Cubans are 65 or older, while a scant 4 percent of Mexicans are in that age bracket. On the other hand, 37 percent of Mexicans and 31 percent of Puerto Ricans are younger than 18.

Companies on the listing report an increase in overall billings from $1.05 billion in 2005 to $1.18 billion in 2006, an increase of 11.86 percent.

Companies on the listing report an increase in overall billings from $1.05 billion in 2005 to $1.18 billion in 2006, an increase of 11.86 percent.