Contributions from Carin Zissis
In a historic move, the Obama administration chose Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic nominee for the Supreme Court. Analysts predict she will win confirmation, though the process may not be free of controversy.
A Brazilian delegation headed to Beijing this week to sign over a dozen deals, including a $10 billion energy pact. In recent weeks, new trade figures show China surpassed the United States as Brazil's main trading partner. The two countries also began investigating whether to drop the dollar as their bilateral trading currency.
Speaking at COA's Washington Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos, and Mexico's Finance Secretary Agustín Carstens joined others in discussing policy issues affecting the hemisphere.