June 21-26  ICANN Holds Annual Meeting in Paris

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the agency that oversees the allocation of Internet domain names, will meet in Sydney, Australia. Topping the agenda will be the implementation of new gTLDs - generic top-level domains (.com and .org are top-level domains.) Proponents say new gTLDs free up space for more Internet addresses, but critics say they create confusion and increase the potential for abuse. See:

http://www.icann.org

June 22-26  International Whaling Commission Annual Meeting

The 61st annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission will be held in Madeira, Portugal. Meetings of the 73-nation commission often serve as the focus of environmental protests. They also generate news stories about the state of whale populations. See:

http://www.iwcoffice.org/meetings/meeting2008.htm

June 22 - July 5  All-England Tennis Championship (Wimbledon)

Wimbledon, a venerable tennis event steeped in tradition, has
shed its stuffy image in recent years. The latest innovation is a retractable roof on Centre Court that will end the interminable rain delays that have plagued the event since it began in 1877. It's also a richer Wimbledon - the prize for both the men's and women's singles champions will rise 13 percent to $1.3 million and total prize money will increase by 6 percent to almost $20 million. See:

http://www.wimbledon.org

June 23-24  Federal Reserve Meeting

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee will hold a scheduled meeting -- one of eight each year -- to examine and set interest rates. The Fed is expected to maintain rates near zero as the economy continues to contract.

June 27  National HIV Testing Day

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 250,000 people nationwide are HIV-positive but are
unaware of their status. For the 14th year, the National Association of People with AIDS is sponsoring this public-awareness campaign to encourage more people to assess their risk of HIV infection, determine their serostatus, and, if positive, get treatment. Public health agencies and health-care providers are asked to support community HIV education and counseling, testing, and referral efforts during the week beginning June 22. See:

http://www.napwa.org/programs/nhtd.shtml

June 25-27  NALEO Annual Conference

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials will meet in Los Angeles for its 26th annual conference, the nation's largest gathering of Latino officials. Leading political and business figures usually attend these meetings. See:

http://www.naleo.org/annualconference.html

June 30  U.S. Troops Due to Withdraw from Iraqi Cities

A pact with the Iraqi government requires all U.S. forces to withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30. But in still-volatile Iraq, a full withdrawal is uncertain.

June 30  Consumer Confidence Index

The Conference Board will release its monthly Consumer Confidence Index for June. An unexpected surge in the May index gave the stock market a shot in the arm.

July 1  New Fiscal Year for Many State Governments

Legislatures around the country have been wrapping up budgets and appropriations for the coming fiscal year. The economic crisis has created severe problems that are rippling through struggling local economies. Expect to see local news stories on how state agencies and institutions are responding.

July 1  Canada Day

This national holiday north of the border is Canada's 142nd birthday party. The date marks the anniversary of Canadian confederation in 1867, when the British North America Act created the Canadian federal government.

July 1-6  National Education Association Annual Meeting

The 2.7 million-member NEA will hold its 147th annual meeting in Washington. With local and state governments tightening their belts, educators face a new round of cutbacks in funding. See:

http://www.nea.org/annualmeeting/

July 2  Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Employment Report

The BLS will release its monthly report on the employment situation, including data on the unemployment rate for June.

July 3  Independence Day Holiday Observed

Because the Fourth of July falls on a Saturday this year, the federal holiday is observed on Friday, July 3. The long weekend provides an opportunity for consumer-oriented stories on food and fireworks safety, water hazards and sun protection.

July 4  Independence Day (Federal Holiday)

On this date in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, starting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation.

July 4-26  Tour de France

This year marks the 96th Tour de France -- the world's greatest bicycle race. It's an endurance test that will cover 3,500 kilometers, starting on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea at Monaco, dipping south through Marseille to Barcelona and ending, per tradition, at the Champs-Elysees in Paris. See:

http://www.letour.fr/indexus.html

July 6-8  President Obama Visits Russia

President Obama travels to Moscow to meet with his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev. They will try to hammer out an agreement on reducing stockpiles of nuclear weapons. To clear the path for a deal, Obama may shelve a proposed anti-missile shield in eastern Europe that has raised Russian hackles.

July 9-11  CASE Annual Assembly

The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education will hold its annual assembly, dubbed Summit 09, in San Francisco. CASE is the principal professional organization for officials involved in college and university development, communications and alumni relations. See:

http://www.case.org/conferences/summit/default.cfm

Mid- to Late July  Quarterly and Annual Earnings Reports

Corporations usually report their earnings within a few weeks after the end of a fiscal quarter. Most companies do their financial reporting in accordance with the calendar year. They will release their results for the quarter ending June 30 beginning about July 10. The stock market will react to earnings reports for the largest companies and industries.

July 11  World Population Day

The UN organizes events each year to address issues related to sexuality and reproductive health. The focus this year is on educating girls as a way to ensure future economic health in developing nations. See:

http://www.unfpa.org/wpd/

July 11-16  100th NAACP Annual Convention

The centenary convention of the nation's best known civil rights organization will be held in New York. There will be a mood of jubilation at this gathering following the historic election of President Obama. Theme of this year's convention is "Bold Dreams - Big Victories." See:

http://www.naacp.org/

July 12  March of the Orange Order in Northern Ireland

It's "Marching Season" in Northern Ireland, when the Orangemen, who are members of a centuries-old order of Protestants loyal to the British crown, walk traditional parade routes, often through areas dominated by Catholic nationalists. The season reaches its climax on July 12, the anniversary of the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James more than 300 years ago in the Battle of the Boyne. Political reconciliation in Northern Ireland has defused some of the tension that has characterized this event in the past.

July 14  Major League Baseball All-Star Game

The 80th midsummer classic will be held at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

July 14  Bastille Day

This French holiday marks the anniversary of the seminal event of the French revolution - the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789.

July 15  Consumer Price Index

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to release the Consumer Price Index for the month of June, a key indicator of how much consumers are spending for a variety of goods.

July 16  Emmy Nominations Announced

It's time once again for TV to honor itself. Nominees for the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced at 5:40 a.m. at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood. The award show is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20.

July 16-19  British Open Golf Tournament

The world's oldest golf championship takes place this year at Turnberry in southwest Scotland. Ireland's Padraig Harrington will be trying to win his third straight Open title. See:

http://www.opengolf.com

July 24-26  Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies

Few players could ignite a big league game like Rickey Henderson. His unmatched record as a base-stealer and as a dangerous leadoff hitter made him an automatic first-ballot entry into baseball's Hall of Fame. Henderson will enter the Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y. on Sunday, July 26, joined by slugger Jim Rice. The late Joe Gordon, stellar second baseman in the 1940s, will also be inducted on a vote by the Hall Veterans Committee.See:

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/

July 25  Minority Donor Awareness Walk

Members of minority groups in need of organ transplants often face greater difficulty in being matched with compatible donors. This "Life Walk" in Detroit is organized by the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program to promote awareness of the problem. See:

http://www.motteplifewalk.org/

July 25-29  American Association for Justice Convention

Need a scapegoat? Blame the trial lawyers. Doctors hate 'em. CEOs hate 'em. Talk-show hosts hate 'em. The group representing the nation's trial lawyers (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America) will hold its annual meeting in San Francisco. This gathering is one of corporate America's recurring nightmares. The trial lawyers will be running workshops and exchanging tips on new and better ways to present cases. See:

http://www.justiceannualconvention.org/

July 28  Consumer Confidence Index

The Conference Board will release its monthly Consumer Confidence Index for July.

July 28 - Aug. 1  International Psychoanalytical Association

The 46th Congress of the International Psychoanalytical Association will take place in Chicago. The conference will compare and contrast psychoanalytical practices in different cultures. See:

http://www.ipa.org.uk/default.aspx?page=539

July 29 - Aug. 1  National Urban League Annual Conference

This meeting in Chicago will bring together community leaders and activists, elected and appointed government officials, members of the corporate and philanthropic communities and academic movers and shakers to focus on current issues impacting African Americans. Theme of this year's gathering is "The Path to Power." See:

http://www.nul.org/

July 31  Estimate of Gross Domestic Product

The Bureau of Economic Analysis will release its initial estimate of the Gross Domestic Product for the second quarter 2009, the first of three increasingly refined monthly estimates of the GDP.