MARIA ELENA SALINAS: Pope Benedict reaches out to Latinos in the U.S.Before embarking on his mid-April papal visit to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI sent a recorded message to U.S. Catholics. "I shall come to the United States as pope for the first time to proclaim this great truth: Jesus Christ is hope for men and women of every language, race, culture and social condition," said the pontiff.
Bleak future for America's dropout youthMany Americans reacted with shock and awe to a recent report stating that more than 1.2 million young people in the United States do not graduate from high school annually.
Dominican residents struggle but surviveLA ROMANA, Dominican Republic -- I'm back at one of my favorite places. This country that together with Haiti makes up the island of Hispaniola is one of the poorest in the world, but one of the richest in beauty and hospitality. It's the pristine beaches, the spectacular landscapes and the lively music, but mostly it's the people.
U.S. should rethink southern border wallThe University of Texas at Brownsville was the first to win a legal and moral victory over the U.S. government in its attempt to force Texan landowners to allow the government to build a fence on their property. The Department of Homeland Security was forced to drop an eminent domain lawsuit against the university, one that sought to cut across its land to build part of the wall.
Latin American summit for history booksThere was a time when presidential summits were the "big event." The media would travel far and wide to cover the meeting of world leaders, push and shove to get the best shots and try to score an exclusive interview or an awkward news-making moment.