Talk about huge, even obese! Royal Caribbean's latest, yet-unnamed incarnation, a Goliath of a vessel, dubbed the Genesis Project, will weigh in at 220,000 tons and nab the title of the largest cruise ship ever built. It's so broad it can't fit through the Panama Canal. It's so long (1180-feet) you could fit nearly four football fields inside. It's actually bigger than the world's largest container ship in service today. So what do you call a monster ship that boggles the mind?

The Census Bureau says the percentage of vacant homes in the U.S. has hit a record high in the first quarter of this year.

It's a frustrating scenario: a company receives federal notice that the Social Security number of an employee doesn't correspond with other records. That can be a sign that a worker is not in the U.S. legally. Some bosses ignore the letters, and business goes on. The Dept. of Homeland Security is trying to enforce compliance, despite a federal court injunction last year. Friday was the final day for public comment on a proposed rule that could force employers to fire workers who have questionable Social Security numbers.

For more than two decades, the annual Hispanic Business 500 directory has served as a barometer of the U.S. Hispanic economy. A purchase of the 2007 directory provides the top 500 Hispanic-owned companies list in Excel format including: CEO names; company addresses and telephone numbers; e-mail addresses for 375 companies and Web addresses for 430 companies; and company revenue and employees numbers for 2005 and 2006.

Entrepreneurship--the willingness to take a risk and start one's own business--has always been the driving force of the U.S. economy. Research indicates that among American minority groups, Hispanics are the most likely to start their own businesses. The most recent government data show Hispanics own the largest number of firms.

Dr. Sandra Hernandez is a relentless supporter of the poor and uninsured, even in the face of great opposition continues her fight for them -- and continues to win. She was the first Hispanic and first woman to serve as public health director for the city and county of San Francisco; now she's chief executive officer of the San Francisco Foundation -- where again is was the first woman and Hispanic in the post. The foundation, which distributes $60 million yearly, is dedicated to improving access and quality health care for the underserved.

Coming from the barrios of East Los Angeles, Lora Villarreal began her career in human resources when she fibbed about her age for a job at Sears, Roebuck and Co. "I said I was 16 when I was only 15. I didn't have much money and I needed a job," says Ms. Villarreal, executive vice-president and chief people officer of Affiliated Computer Services Inc. While she doesn't recommend anyone fibbing on their job interviews, she says that first job taught her a valuable lesson. "That's when I first found that I enjoyed working with other people and learning from them."

Today, due to advancements in women's rights and education, more Hispanic women than ever are rising to the top of the corporate, government, and academic hierarchy. Every April since 2003, Hispanic Business magazine has reported on the notable achievements being made by Hispanic women. Read the full text of this article for the reveal of this year's Woman of the Year and Elite 20.