Nada

A record number of immigrants were deported in fiscal 2011. You'd think that would be greeted as good news by Republicans, who have repeatedly demanded that the Obama administration crack down on illegal immigration. But it won't be. The latest numbers, released last week, are unlikely to sway the current field of Republican presidential hopefuls, who steadfastly refuse to discuss fixing the broken immigration system, arguing that only stricter enforcement, tougher penalties and a 100% secured border will satisfy them.

It wouldn't really be a summer world music series at the Hollywood Bowl without at least one event dedicated to the music of Brazil. And the 2006 installment of KCRW-FM's World Festival got down to business Sunday night with a kickoff program dedicated to Sergio Mendes' 40th anniversary celebration of Brasil '66.

Latino activists take a relaxed, even smug, view of the San Fernando Valley's effort to secede from Los Angeles, and with good reason. They know the demographic future of the urban sprawl on both sides of the Santa Monica Mountains is Latino. Despite its outdated image as a largely white suburb, 42% of the Valley's population in the 2000 census was Latino. That makes Latinos the largest ethnic group in the proposed new city--something they've been in Los Angeles as a whole for years.

This has not been the best week for New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow. First, on Wednesday, Jets Coach Rex Ryan says Greg McElroy will replace Mark Sanchez as the Jets' starter, leaving Tebow on the bench. Then, on Thursday, US Weekly reports that Tebow has broken up with actress Camilla Belle after two months of dating. Belle is famous for starring in "From Prada to Nada" and "Dirty Dancing 3. " And when I say famous, I mean "been in movies no one has ever heard of or watched.

THE Spanish writer Carmen Laforet died three years ago, at age 82. By then she was almost a recluse, although still famous for her first novel, "Nada," which was published in 1945. The book's laconic and brilliant title tells us lots: This is a story of youth and nihilistic disenchantment, those familiar literary handmaidens of the mid-20th century.

It's easy to see why this Cuban singer is Latin pop's latest hot item. Her well-crafted songs--several of which she wrote or co-wrote--are a rich blend of virtually all the features of traditional pre-salsa, pre-revolution Cuban folk, without the usual cheap shots at Fidel. Most of all, here is a female Cuban singer with the voice of a male tango singer from Argentina and a tight orchestra of mainly female musicians, making for a refreshing new force in the world of Latin music.

Today many of us are likely to turn our attention from humbly giving thanks to frantically shopping for gifts. It's the Friday after Thanksgiving, that unofficial holiday from work that's traditionally one of the most frenzied shopping days of the year. The day known for its shop-until-you-drop mentality packs mall parking lots and tests the limits of charge cards and civilized behavior.

Edward Colunga hopes 2005 is his candidate's year. Four years ago, he was dismayed when Antonio Villaraigosa lost the Los Angeles mayor's race to James K. Hahn, an outcome the Echo Park resident blames on "dirty tricks politicking." But even his eagerness at a possible rematch between the city councilman and incumbent mayor is dampened by Colunga's worry that many in his largely Latino neighborhood aren't paying attention to the campaign.

IT IS TEMPTING to take a look at the sorry state of U.S.-Latin American relations and conclude that we would all be better off if north and south went their separate ways. This month's singularly unproductive Summit of the Americas in Mar de Plata, Argentina, can be seen as sufficient proof that the impasse on such critical questions as trade is impossible to overcome. Such a view, however, would be a serious misreading of the interests at stake in both the United States and Latin America.

When Ted Danson served notice that it was last-call time for "Cheers," NBC was left scrambling to find a worthy successor. The network responded by moving a marginally rated series, "Seinfeld," to Thursday nights and launching a "Cheers" spinoff--titled "Frasier"--to go with it.