(image by hyperscholar via flickr)

10. Jalapeños cause mass salmonella poisoning

When over 1,250 Americans became sick from salmonella poisoning, authorities suspected tainted tomatoes. But three months after the outbreak began – the largest in over a decade – the true culprit was identified: raw jalapeños. By then, the tomato industry had suffered over $100 million in losses.

9. Natural disasters cause $200 billion in damages

From earthquakes in China to hurricanes in Cuba, from a cyclone in Burma to over 1,700 tornadoes in the United States, natural disasters inflicted over $200 billion in damages this year. One of the world's most important insurance companies suggests the disasters aren't entirely natural, blaming man-made global warming for the increasing ferocity of storms.

8. Daddy Yankee endorses John McCain

In late August, Daddy Yankee endorsed U.S. presidential candidate John McCain, citing the senator's stance on immigration – atypically liberal for a Republican. In the days that followed, Fat Joe called Yankee a sell-out and Pitbull called the endorsement a publicity stunt.

7. Tuition hikes at predominantly Latino colleges

With the U.S. economy in recession, state governments across the country are cutting costs and raising fees to balance their budgets. Among the hardest hit institutions are public colleges. Schools in New York, California, Texas and Colorado, many of which are predominantly Latino, will increase tuition next year, likely forcing some students to postpone their studies just as a college degree becomes even more important.

6. U.S.-México border fence gets started

Years in the planning (and in litigation), construction of the U.S.-México border fence began this year. Whether construction will continue is not entirely clear.

5. Postville, Iowa immigration raids

In May, hundreds of workers at a Postville, Iowa meatpacking plant were detained on immigration charges. It was the largest such raid in years. By late July, many of the detained workers had begun to provide testimony against their former employer, reporting harrowing tales of child labor and unsafe working conditions. In early November, the company filed for bankruptcy.

4. México's drug war escalates

The U.S. remains the largest consumer of illicit drugs and Latin America its principal supplier. Most of those drugs enter the U.S. through México where competition between rival traffickers has claimed the lives of over 4,000 men, women and children. All sectors of Mexican society have come under attack, often through acts of terrorism designed to produce a climate of fear and political paralysis.

3. RBD disbands

Love them or hate them, RBD made bank. In four years, the made-from-Television pop group moved well over 15 million records, sold out dozens of stadiums and made a lasting impression on tens of millions of fans. The group disbanded in August and has just completed its farewell tour.

2. Barack Obama

Less than 50 years after the U.S. abolished laws which prevented African-Americans from voting, the U.S. elected its first Africa-American president. Credited with running the most effective campaign in modern history, Senator Barack Obama will now confront the greatest economic challenge since the Great Depression while managing at least two wars abroad.

1. The Economy

This year, the global economy nearly collapsed after one of its foundations, the finance sector, imploded as a result of the subprime mortgage meltdown in the United States. Every nation has been and continues to be impacted as demand for products and services decreases, companies cut back on production and personnel and governments invest trillions of dollars to keep entire industries, from banks to auto manufacturers, from going bankrupt.

We fed the lyrics of 10 songs performed by Alacranes Musical to wordle and ¡corazón, solo dame un beso!

The top 15 most used words and their frequency: amor (41), dame (22), solo (21), si (19), así (18), beso (14), amarte (13), mirada (12), nadie (11), olvidaré (10), corazón (9), vete (9), magdalena (8), piel (8), zaz (7)

The list of 10 songs by Alacranes Musical:

"Dame Tu Amor"
"Lo Que Tú Prefieras"
"Magdalena"
"Olvidaré"
"Por Amarte Asi"
"Por Tu Amor"
"Sin Tu Amor"
"Solo Los Tontos"
"Tatuajes"
"Vete Yá"

We fed the lyrics of 10 hit songs by Chris Brown to wordle and girl got like just one kiss.

The top 15 most used words and their frequency: know (58), air (52), ever (50), like (47), wall (44), got (39), one (36), kiss (35), girl (34), diss (32), just (32), ooh (32), yeah (28, cause (27), forever (27)

The list of 10 hit songs by Chris Brown:

"Forever"
"Gimme That (Remix)" ft. Lil Wayne
"Kiss Kiss" ft. T-Pain
"No Air" ft. Jordin Sparks
"Run It!" ft. Juelz Santana
"Say Goodbye"
"Superhuman" ft. Keri Hilson
"Wall to Wall"
"With You"
"Yo (Excuse Me Miss)"

(image by Brymo via flickr)

This week's top story: Eleven people, including a teenage girl, were killed in drug-related violence within a 24-hour period last weekend in Tijuana, México. The girl, who was 14 years old, was shot dead with two others while walking down a street at night.

(image by ceonyc via flickr)

This week's top story: Marcello Lucero, a 37-year-old immigrant from Ecuador, was killed by seven New York City high school students in an apparent hate crime. Police officials say the group of teens, which includes one Latino, are facing charges of first-degree "gang assault."

(image by chadlewis76 via flickr)

This week's top story: Over 65 percent of Latinos in the U.S. voted for Democrat Barack Obama, helping him become the first black President-elect in U.S.

We fed the lyrics of 10 hit songs by Wisin y Yandel to wordle and oye, bien pegao anoche, sabes?

The top 15 most used words and their frequency: si (43), pegao (42), ahora (41), hey (36), sabes (32), dembow (25), rakata (24), bien (21), oye (21), noche (20), yandel (20), dale (17), miedo (17), anoche (16), voy (15)

The list of 10 hit songs by Wisin y Yandel:

"Ahora Es"
"Dime Que Te Paso"
"Llame Pa Verte"
"Noche De Sexo"
"Pam Pam"
"Pegao"
"Rakata"
"Sexy Movimiento"
"Siguelo"
"Yo Te Quiero"

We fed the lyrics of the top 10 Latin songs from 2007 and 2008 to wordle and you do know amor!

15 most-used words: you (60) amor (58) know (51) do (50) si (39) ahora (36) corazón (32) quiero (31) baby (26) the (27) dónde (27) bendita (24) vida (22) mirada (21) tiempo (21)

Lyrics from Latin hits of 2007:

"Manda Un Señal" by Maná
"Todo Cambio" by Camila
"Me Enamora" by Juanes
"Ser o Parecer" by RBD
"Do You Know/Dimelo" by Enrique Iglesias
"Si Nos Quedara Poco Tiempo" by Chayanne
"Bendita Tu Luz" by Maná
"Eres Para Mi" by Julieta Venegas
"Ojala Pudiera Borrarte" by Maná
"Sexy Movimiento" by Wisin y Yandel

Lyrics from Latin hits of 2008:

"Soy Igual Que Tu" by Alexis y Fido
"Cancion De Amor" by Don Omar
"Te Quiero" by Flex
"Inalcanzable" by RBD
"Sexy Movimiento" by Wisin y Yandel
"Ahora Entendi" by Yuridia
"Gotas De Agua Dulce" by Juanes
"Donde Están Corazón" by Enrique Iglesias
"Ahora Es" by Wisin y Yandel
"Por Ti Baby" by Kumbia All Starz ft. Flex

We fed the lyrics of 10 hit songs featuring T-Pain to wordle and like, yea, got ooh now.

The top 15 most used words and their frequency: like (88), yeah (63), got (55), ooh (47), now (41), know (39), flirt (35), way (35), fly (32), kiss (32), diss (32), girl (31), wit (31), hey (29), shawty (29)

The list of 10 hit songs featuring T-Pain:

"Bartender" ft. Akon
"I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper)"
"Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" ft. Yung Berg
"Can't Believe It" ft. Lil Wayne
"Got Money" by Lil Wayne ft. T-Pain
"Shawty" by Plies ft. T-Pain
"Good Life" by Kanye West ft. T-Pain
"I'm a Flirt (Remix)" by R. Kelly ft. T-Pain and T.I.
"Cyclone" by Baby Bash ft. T-Pain
"Kiss Kiss" Chris Brown ft. T-Pain

We fed the lyrics to every song listed on Billboard magazine's list of the "Top Latin Songs of All Time" into wordle and now baby you know love, like, now.

The top 15 most used words and their frequency: love (93), baby (91), know (88), come (67), go (59), want (59), can (58), just (53), now (52), got (50), way (48), like (46), girl (44), make (38), wanna (33)

The list of Billboard's Top Latin Songs of All Time:

"Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" by Los Del Rio
"Maria Maria" by Santana ft. The Product G&B
"I'm Real" by Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule
"La Bamba" by Los Lobos
"Anything For You" by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
"I Need To Know" by Marc Anthony
"Genie In a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera
"If You Had My Love" by Jennifer Lopez
"Don't Wanna Lose You" by Gloria Estefan
"Coming Out of the Dark" by Gloria Estefan

see full list