A hotel owner in New Mexico is under fire for allegedly telling his employees not to speak Spanish in his presence, demanding that employees with Hispanic names make them more English sounding, and ultimately firing several employees.

Consumer confidence plunged in October as more job losses overshadowed signs that the country has pulled out of recession, a private research group said Tuesday.

While many families get an updated photo as the holiday season approaches, few are so lucky as the First Family. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their two girls, Sasha and Malia, had the privilege of sitting in front of the discriminating, creative lens of noted photographer Annie Liebovitz. The Obama Family Portrait was taken in the White House Green Room in September. Large photo after the jump.

Hispanics are now the largest ethnic minority in the United States and during the past decade, U.S. Hispanic purchasing power has rapidly increased. This report takes an in depth look at how today's Hispanic Economy is transitioning into an economic power in the U.S. Click here for the executive summary and table of contents!

The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States is expected to grow 41.8 percent in the next six years to 4.3 million, with total revenues surging 39 percent to more than $539 billion, according to new estimates by HispanTelligence. Spurred by growing entrepreneurial trends and affluence among the nation's largest minority population, the increase is expected to come at a robust rate of 8.5 and 8.7 percent, respectfully, over the next couple years.