Mónica Lozano, publisher of the Los Angeles daily newspaper La Opinión, is elected chairwoman of the National Council of La Raza's board of directors. She has served on the board since 1999. Dionel Avilés, of Cuban desecent, is confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be Undersecretary of the Navy...The board of directors of the San Jose, Calif.-based Mexican Heritage Corporation names Marcela Davidson Avilés as the organization's executive director. The MHC showcases California's Mexican and Latino cultural heritage. The New York City-based Latino Commission on AIDS and the Hispanic Federation, along with 500 national partners, dedicate events throughout the country commemorating National Latino AIDS Awareness Day... The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear the case of 14-year-old Beatriz Blanco Ortega and decide whether litigants can have access to federal courts if their cases do not meet the legal requirements. Blanco Ortega cut her finger on a tunafish can and suffered a minor permanent impairment. Her suit alleges physical damage and pain and suffering that exceeds $75,000; relatives' suits which claim emotional distress, request a smaller amount.A San Franciso federal judge grants nationwide class-action status to a lawsuit filed in July claiming immigration officials stalled processing of green cards to legal U.S. residents after lawful residency was granted...The unemployment rate for Hispanics remained at 6.9% from August to September. The national September rate was 5.4%...