New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson held a press conference to announce he will step down as Barack Obama's nominee for Commerce Secretary: "While this decision was a difficult one, I think it was the right thing to do." Richardson is currently under investigation for awarding a lucrative contract to one of his largest campaign donors.

President-elect Barack Obama is discussing $300 billion in tax cuts as a part of a $675 to $775 billion economic relief package. Some analysts view the move as an effort to preempt Republican opposition.

At least 33 people in are dead and over 100 people are missing in Guatemala after a mile-wide landslide hit the Central American country. San Cristobal Verapaz Mayor Leopoldo Ical: "The landslide is so big, we don't have much hope of recovering many more bodies."

Check out The Boston Globe's sobering photo gallery of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Puerto Rico's new governor, Luis Fortuno, is facing a recession, a one billion-dollar deficit and a surging murder rate.

Is Lupe Fiasco rocking a fake British accent so he can front a rock band named Japanese Cartoon? According to the band's MySpace blog, "Lupe does finance the band but is NOT I REPEAT NOT THE SINGER IN JAPANESE CARTOON."

Latinas are more likely to avoid doctors and use risky methods to induce abortions, including mixing prescription drugs and throwing themselves down stairs, according to two studies in a New York Times report.

Cuban President Raul Castro says he's ready to hold direct talks with Barack Obama: "But we are in no rush, we are not desperate."

The U.K.'s Independent profiles the "Internet's most popular and enduring pirate," aXXo, who has posted an estimated 1,000 pirated movies on the web.

Album sales in the U.S. dropped by 14 percent in 2008, but music sales (including music videos and ringtones) made record companies a total of $1.5 billion, compared to $1.36 billion in 2007.

Harry Potter, Wolverine and Terminator: Salvation are among Entertainment Weekly's 12 Big Movies Coming In 2009. (via digg)

Shikito the Turd Toy is exactly what it sounds like. (via Neatorama)

Re-imagined video game classics like Wolfenstein, Splatterhouse, Bionic Commando make up some of 1UP magazine's 25 Most Anticipated Video Games of 2009.

Three out of four Americans believe Barack Obama is a "strong and decisive leader," the highest number since Ronald Reagan was elected in 1981, according to a CNN poll.

Video game consoles in the U.S. use enough energy to power the city of San Diego (pop. 1,300,000) for a year.

Rolling Stone profiles two real-life superheroes Master Legend and his sidekick, Ace.

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he's writing a book to "set the record straight" about his work in the Bush administration: "For some reason, I am portrayed as the one who is evil in formulating policies that people disagree with."

Actor Joaquin Phoenix is freaking Diddy out.

Virginia rapper Skillz presents his highly-anticipated 2008 Rap Up.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution. Former President Fidel Castro will not attend a scheduled ceremony due to an illness.

"Change," "bailout," and "meltdown" are among MSNBC's Words of the Year.

2008's Greatest Sports Moments. For Haters.

Humans traveling at the speed of light? Cracked magazine presents The 8 Most Misguided Sci-Fi Versions Of 2008.

There's a "Y2K9" crisis for Zune players. Across the world, most of the 30GB models have frozen, or "bricked." According to Microsoft's Zune site, they are "aware of the problem and are working to correct it."

Veteran guitarist Joe Satriani, who is suing Coldplay for plagiarism, just may have a case.

A rep for Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony is denying rumors that the couple is on the verge of divorce.

Soulja Boy says Nas "killed hip hop."

Barack Obama and his family will move to Washington, D.C. this weekend so the President-elect's daughters can begin school on time.

Former arch-enemies Arcángel and Randy (of Jowell y Randy) have patched things up and will record a song together.

Lil Wayne is slippin'. Literally. (via Nah Right)

Can Latinos use the N-word?

Listen to United State of Pop 2008, a mash-up of this year's 25 most popular singles.

The Los Angeles Times profiles the Mexican state of Sinaloa, a hub of drug activity where "kids want to grow up to be traffickers."

Beyonce drops another black and white video, "Diva," and another, new video, "Halo," featuring actor Michael Ealy.

A Japanese man who was living in Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport for nearly four months abruptly returned to Japan.

Police in Peru have arrested nine people in connection with a Christmas day tear gas attack in a overcrowded nightclub which left five dead and seven injured.

The New York Times probes the collapse of Washington Mutual and finds instances of predatory lending that may have targeted Latinos.

Cuban officials say the country is suffering its worst economic downturn since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Mexican authorities are investigating one of President Felipe Calderón's guards for allegedly selling information regarding the whereabouts of Calderón to a drug cartel.

Check out a 13-year-old drummer named Sara play YYZ by prog-rock legends Rush. (via Buzzfeed)

CIA agents in Afghanistan revealed they are gathering information by paying Afghan warlords, who often have multiple wives, with viagra.

Ñejo y Dálmata wish you happy holidays in a new video, "Feliz Navidad." (via Blog Reggaetón)

Listen to NPR's report on the rise of vigilantism and gang violence in Guatemala.

If you went to a mass and took communion in the last 24 hours, chances are you ate one of these.

El Salvador, the only Latin American country with soldiers in Iraq, announced it will pull out all of its troops at the end of the year.

Listen to Fat Joe and Lil Wayne join forces once again to create another strip club anthem, "Winding on Me."

The number of Hispanic immigrants in New Orleans has risen from 3.3 percent to 5.2 percent since Hurricane Katrina. Salvadoran immigrant Jose Campos: "It's a dangerous place, a bad place. But when you can find work, it's all worth it."

Flex teams up with Mr. Saik in a new video, "Dime Si Te Vas Con El." (via Blog Reggaetón)

Forty bucks gets you the "world's first series of lesbian action figures": Dyke Dolls.

Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman and Vin Diesel star in a fan-made trailer for a live action version of the popular cartoon Thundercats.

Mexican police arrested Laura Zuniga, the reigning Miss Sinaloa, along with seven men, after being stopped with machine guns and over $50,000 in U.S. dollars.

The World is Fat.

Jowell y Randy add a new spin – and a new video – to the Casa De Leones hit "No Te Veo." (via Blog Reggaetón)

Mexican pop singer Luis Miguel and actress Aracely Arambula welcomed their new baby boy, Daniel. (via Lossip)

Keep it raw in your bedroom with a sushi pillow.

Japanese auto maker Toyota is projecting its first loss in a fiscal year since 1950.

A Mexican principal is being investigated after he suspended 15 male students for having their eyebrows plucked. The principal deemed it "homosexual behavior." (via Guanabee)

Mexican President Felipe Calderón has pledged to continue his war on drug cartels after the bodies of 12 decapitated soldiers were discovered with a sign reading "For every one of mine that you kill, I will kill 10."