Minorities' Influence Grows in California Legislature When Karen Bass ascended to speaker of the California Assembly recently, she drew wide notice as the first African-American woman in the nation to hold such a post. But what may be more significant is that Bass is part of a growing crowd -- the African-Americans, Latinos and Asian-Americans who have gained influence in the state Legislature. Five of the last six speakers have been either African-American, like Bass, or Latino, like her predecessor Fabian Nunez -- testament to the Legislature's status as one of the most hospitable environments in the nation for minorities.

Employees Receiving Perks for Not Lighting Up

Can't stop smoking? Your employer may want to help. A growing number of companies are offering free, or reduced-cost, stop smoking programs.

Study Finds Growing Latino Affluence

America's young Latinos should continue to be a hot market for businesses to target as their numbers grow and their wealth increases, according to a study by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute. But more than young Latinos, the Hispanic community in general, from low-wage earning immigrants to the affluent, is increasingly being courted by advertisers.

GAO Tracks Crowded Path Between DOD, Contractors

The career path from the Pentagon to the nation's biggest defense contractors is a crowded one lined with potential conflicts of interest, a government watchdog said. In a report released Wednesday, the Government Accountability Office found that seven of the nation's largest defense contractors employed a substantial number of former Pentagon officials in 2006 and at least some of those employees may have worked on programs they once helped oversee for the military.