Dash Joins Fox News Channel as a Contributor

Stacey Dash is ready to speak her mind on Fox News

The 47-year-old part-Mexican American actress, best known for starring opposite Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, has landed a permanent gig on Fox News Channel.

Stacey Dash

Dash joins the news channel as a paid contributor, offering cultural analysis and commentary on various daytime and primetime programs.

“Stacey is an engaging conversationalist whose distinctive viewpoints among her Hollywood peers have spawned national debates,” says Bill Shine, network executive vice president of news. “We’re pleased to have her join Fox News.”

She joins a list of contributors that includes Karl Rove, James Carville, George Will, Dennis Miller and Sarah Palin.

Dash was criticized in the black community for endorsing Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney instead of Democrat Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

She has guest starred on The Game and most recently The Exes. She also starred in the first season of VH1‘s original series Single Ladies.

Peña Nieto Among the Eight Latinos Named to Time’s “100 Influential People” List

He’s been Mexico’s leader for less than five months, but Enrique Peña Nieto is already making his influence felt…

The 46-year-old Mexican politician, who officially became Mexico’s 57th president on December 1, 2012, is one of the eight Latino luminaries named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list.

Enrique Peña Nieto

Peña Nieto, who served as governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 to 2011, was heralded for his charisma and self-deprecating humor by former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson.

“Since his narrow election victory, Peña Nieto’s stock has skyrocketed, with near unanimous praise from across Mexican society,” writes Richardson in his essay on the Mexican leader. “He signed a ‘Pact for Mexico’ in December with the two opposition parties and has enactedsignificant labor reforms. He’s proposed significant changes in the energy and telecommunications sectors, as well as improvements in the nation’s finances. At the Organization of American States, he has led the fight against countries like Ecuador that seek curbs on press freedoms.”

“The U.S. shouldn’t treat Peña Nieto like a patsy,” Richardson continues. “He combines [Ronald] Reagan’s charisma with [Barack] Obama’s intellect and [Bill] Clinton’s political skills. This is a leader to watch.”

Pope Francis

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became pontiff last month after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, also made the list. Known as Pope Francis, the 76-year-old Bishop of Rome was lauded by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

“In his first official sermon, six days later, he continued to captivate us, as he encouraged us, Do not be afraid to love! Do not be afraid to be tender!,” writes Dolan. “The Cardinal sitting next to me remarked, ‘He talks like Jesus!’ To which I replied, ‘I think that’s his job description.’”

Susana Martinez

Meanwhile, Susana Martinez is one of only two Latinas to make the list. The 53-year-old New Mexico governor was honored by Karl Rove, the senior adviser to President George W. Bush.

“… in 2010, she was elected America’s first Latina governor and New Mexico’s first female governor,” writes Rove. “Though her state usually votes Democratic, that hasn’t stopped this Republican from working with a Democratic legislature to turn a structural deficit into a surplus, pass education reforms to rate each school’s performance, enact comprehensive tax reform and focus on a pro-growth jobs agenda.”

Other Latinos making the list include The Voice’s Christina Aguilera, Chicago pastor Wilfredo De Jesús, Brazilian chef Alex Atala, R&B singer Miguel and the first black president of Brazil’s Supreme Court Joaquim Barbosa.

Click here to see the complete list on honorees, who are divided into the following categories:  Titans, Leaders, Artists, Pioneers and Icons.