AWL/Coxhead Government

Obama welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao to the White House even as the administration acknowledged that distrust still remains between the U.S. and China.

Six new national natural landmarks were designated by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, helping develop a "conservation ethic for the 21st century."

China plans to reduce its rare earth exports quota by 10% in 2011. Rare earth minerals are essential for making many electronic goods, like TVs and PCs.

moratorium
The moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has been lifted. The ban was implemented in the aftermath of April's BP oil spill. Firms will be expected to meet a range of new safety rules.

infrastructure
Europe is investing in its infrastructure, and the results are breathtaking. Through the English Channel tunnel, trains can speed from Big Ben to the Eiffel Tower in 2.5 hours.

A growing number of Greeks say they will not pay an emergency property tax. The levy is meant to plug a budget short-fall brought on by a deeper-than-expected recession.

By 1938, Hitler’s regime occupied Austria and Czechoslovakia. Their movement into Poland began World War II, which took the lives of over seventy million people.

Syrian President Bashar Assad released hundreds of political prisoners in an attempt to appease demonstrators furious about a murderous government crackdown on dissent.

"I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on healthcare reform," Obama said, backing his variegated $950 billion reform scheme.

Many would-be activists are reluctant to put their jobs and reputation on the line to publicly advocate for cannabis law reform. The pressure to conform to the status quo can be even greater in politically conservate locales.