1	In the News From politics to art, the headlines of Hispanidad. read more...
2	Up Front Columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr., explores both sides of the affirmative action debate, read more...
3	Up Front Dr. Eduardo Padrón calls for a dialogue on healthcare, housing and education. read more...

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in the news

DEMOGRAPHICS
The Changing Face of New Orleans
Hispanic workers who have come to New Orleans to work rebuilding the city after Hurricane Katrina are creating a new generation in the historic city. Healthcare professionals throughout the New Orleans area are reporting an unprecedented demand for prenatal and maternity care as a result of the incoming workers. The city’s Latino population has risen six percentage points since the storm, according to a survey by the Louisiana Recovery Authority. While the surge in Hispanic births is evident and indisputable, officials say measuring the post-Katrina Hispanic baby boom remains complicated.

FILM
White House Beauty
Mexican-American filmmaker Alejandro Monteverde—who wrote and directed the movie Bella, winner of the 2006 Toronto Film Festival’s Audience Award—was honored with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Outstanding American by Choice Award and subsequently invited to sit in First Lady Laura Bush’s box during President Bush’s State of the Union address. Monteverde and others were invited to do so for their shining contributions as immigrants to American society. Past recipients of the award include Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL), Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, among others.

RADIO
New Morning
Luis Jimenez, host of New York City’s top-ranking morning show, El vacilón de la mañana, which airs on SBS’s WSKQ, signed with Univision Radio. Jimenez’s contract with SBS expired at year’s end. Other show members—Tony “El Tiburón” Sanchez, Noel “Boca Chula” Hernandez, Francis Mendez, Aneudis “DJ Chucky” Rosado, Leo “Papi Chulo” Amador, Jerpis “El Chino” Correa and Deibi “Shorty” Perez—have reportedly signed with SBS. At presstime it was not known whether show sidekick “Moonshadow” had also signed with SBS. According to reports, Jimenez’s new show will air in New York in 2008.

POLITICS
The Contender
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, announced his intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, making history as the first Latino with a credible chance of winning the national ticket. Richardson has served as a member of Congress, ambassador to the United Nations, energy secretary and as governor of New Mexico since 2002. Richardson announced he was forming an exploratory committee to pursue the nomination on his website. A formal announcement is expected after the New Mexico Legislature ends its session this month. Richardson will face stiff competition from a tough field of leading democrats.

SPORTS
Can Beckham Bend It?
With the acquisition of British soccer super star David Beckham by the Los Angeles Galaxy in a five-year deal worth $50 million, the future of the sport in America may hinge on how Hispanic fans react to the former captain of the English national team. Since being founded in 1996, Major League Soccer, with one third of its fans being Latinos, has worked to draw a vast untapped reservoir of Hispanic fans in the hope of building a permanent fan base. Now Beckham brings the potential for precisely the sort of finesse in play seasoned Latino fans of the sport demand.

HEALTH
Healthy Policy Center
A national center with the aim of increasing diversity of leadership in health policy research was created in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico hopes to increase the number of Hispanic and Native American health scholars capable of contributing to the health policy debate. It is intended to be a physical, educational and cultural home for promising minority leaders, and others, providing them with training, research, and other opportunities they need to inform discussions and debates about health policy.

BUZZWORDS
“The immigrants are invading our borders! The immigrants are invading our borders! Well, so is Greenland!”
Bill Mahr on politicians purposefully hyping up the concern over immigration, while downplaying the issue of global warming.
From performance at the Jackie Gleason Theater, Miami Beach

“A group of hardcore soccer fans ... say, ‘I’m not coming out until they get a big name.’ Now they’ll have it.”
Major League Soccer consultant Gabriel Gabor on what the arrival of David Beckham means for the sport and its vastly untapped Hispanic fans in the U.S.
Associated Press, Los Angeles

“Go to hell, gringos! ... You’ve forgotten me, missy ...”
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s calling out Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, while reacting to U.S. concerns on his weekly radio and television show about a measure termed “the enabling law” which grants the leftist leader broad lawmaking powers.
Associated Press, Caracas, Venezuela

“I believe this country is a very tolerant, positive country, I believe the country would be ready for a woman president, an African-American president, Hispanic president. ... But I wouldn’t run as a Hispanic candidate. I would run as an American, proud to be Hispanic, proud of my heritage.”
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on how his Hispanic roots relate to his bid for the Democratic nomination for president.
ABC’s This Week

“The notion of a big party, I think, should be removed from all this. ... Although everybody will be very happy that the dictator cannot continue to oppress us.”
Ramón Saúl Sánchez, leader of the Miami-based Democracy Movement organization, on Miami’s proposed plan to hold an official celebration at the Orange Bowl stadium, following the death of Cuban President Fidel Castro.
The Miami Herald