Meredith Corporation is launching a lifestyle and shelter publication targeted to Hispanic women. The bi-monthly, ¡Siempre Mujer! will debut this fall with an initial rate base of 350,000.

Mexican immigrants have been wooed relentlessly in recent years by the nation's richest and largest banks, who see a growing, almost untapped market. Now the competition will intensify.

Marketing guru Fernando Espuelas, who Time magazine called one of the "Leaders of the Millennium," is targeting another linguistic market often overlooked: U.S. Hispanics comfortable in English.

Hispanic Democrats in the US Congress rejected Alberto Gonzales as nominee for attorney general, saying he has not taken the time to meet with the group to discuss "issues important to the Latino community."

The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Hispanic businessman Carlos Gutierrez as secretary of commerce.

Even as the president pitched his guest-worker proposal, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee introduced anti-immigrant legislation that purports to protect the country against terrorism.

America's status as "the IQ magnet of the world" has been threatened as a result of the tougher immigration rules introduced in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has warned.

Bank of America Corp. has agreed to offer 600,000 auto loans with no dealer surcharge to settle a lawsuit alleging it allowed auto dealers to charge African Americans and Hispanics higher interest rates than white customers.

Facing a squeeze, a trio of family-run businesses found themselves at common crossroads -- continue doing business as they had since the fall of Prohibition or find a way to work together.

For more than two decades, the Hispanic Business 500 has served as a barometer of the U.S. Hispanic economy. The 2004 directory of Hispanic-owned firms tells a story of consistently improving weather.

The number of Hispanic-owned service firms is expected to increase by 800,000 firms in the coming years.

Investment and advertising dollars are fueling a new round of growth across the country. But can all of the new players survive?