G7 aims to raise $600 billion to counter China's Belt and Road

Source: Reuters

Group of Seven leaders pledged on Sunday to raise $600 billion in private and public funds over five years to finance needed infrastructure in developing countries and counter China's older, multitrillion-dollar Belt and Road project.

U.S. President Joe Biden and other G7 leaders relaunched the newly renamed "Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment," at their annual gathering being held this year at Schloss Elmau in southern Germany.

Biden said the United States would mobilize $200 billion in grants, federal funds and private investment over five years to support projects in low- and middle-income countries that help tackle climate change as well as improve global health, gender equity and digital infrastructure.

"I want to be clear. This isn't aid or charity. It's an investment that will deliver returns for everyone," Biden said, adding that it would allow countries to "see the concrete benefits of partnering with democracies."

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/refile-us-aims-raise-200-bln-part-g7-rival-chinas-belt-road-2022-06-26/

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel enjoying the G7 Summit held at Elmau Castle, Bavaria, Germany.

The G7 leaders agreed on a pledge to raise $600 billion in private and public funds for developing countries to counter China's growing influence and soften the impact of soaring food and energy prices.

Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending 50 years of federal abortion rights

The Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion.

Roe since 1973 had permitted abortions during the first two trimesters of pregnancy in the United States.

Almost half the states are expected to outlaw or severely restrict abortion as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision on a Mississippi case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The Mississippi law upheld by today's ruling has no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the pregnant woman.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion. The court’s other five conservatives, including Chief Justice John Roberts, joined in the judgment, which was opposed by the three liberal justices.

At: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-overturned-by-supreme-court-ending-federal-abortion-rights.html

Left-wing candidate and former guerilla Gustavo Petro wins Colombian presidential race

Gustavo Petro will become Colombia's first leftist leader, after winning the country's presidential race on Sunday.

The former guerrilla, 62, won by a slim margin of 3.2%, against 77-year-old right-wing entrepreneur Rodolfo Hernández.

With 99.7% of votes counted, Petro's Historic Pact bested Hernández's LIGA alliance with 50.5% (11,270,944 votes) to 47.3% (10,549,290).

In this historic win, his running mate Francia Márquez, 40, will now become the first Afro-Colombian to hold executive powers.

"Let's celebrate the first popular victory. May so many sufferings be cushioned in the joy that today floods the heart of the homeland," Petro tweeted in celebration on Sunday night.

Outgoing Colombian President Ivan Duque said he called Petro to congratulate him on his victory and that they had "agreed to meet in the coming days to initiate a harmonious, institutional and transparent transition."

At: https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/17/americas/gustavo-petro-profile-intl-latam/index.html

Making history, Historic Pact nominee Gustavo Petro hugs running mate Francia Márquez after announcing their ticket in March.

The leftist team - the first elected to high office in Colombia - galvanized voters frustrated by decades of poverty and inequality under conservative leaders. But enacting lasting change in the complex and troubled nation of 51 million may prove daunting.

Jean-Louis Trintignant dead at 91: 'A Man and a Woman' star was French film icon

French film legend Jean-Louis Trintignant has died at the age of 91.

The veteran international superstar passed away at his home in the Gard region of southern France on Friday. His wife, Marianne, confirmed his death to Agence France-Presse.

He is perhaps best known for his work in art house cinema, including “A Man and a Woman,” “My Night at Maud’s,” “The Conformist,” “Three Colors: Red” and “Amour.”

His 60-year career led to more than 130 screen credits and at least 50 stage roles, spanning Shakespeare to French comedy.

In 1969, Trintignant was awarded Cannes’ best actor prize for political thriller “Z,” helmed by famed Greek director Costa-Gavras.

At: https://nypost.com/2022/06/17/jean-louis-trintignant-dead-at-91-a-man-and-a-woman-star-was-icon/

Renowned French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant, 1930-2022.

San Diego's Ivy Energy partners with Sunwest Bank in $150 M of solar financing for multifamily homes

Ivy Energy Inc. of San Diego, CA, and Sunwest Bank of Irvine, CA, have partnered to bring the benefits of solar energy to multifamily real estate owners and their residents.

Historically solar financing options have been nonexistent for multi-family owners. This has caused several owners to avoid investing in solar for their properties altogether.

In an effort to solve this problem, Sunwest has partnered with Ivy Energy to provide de-risked solar financing and a custom-tailored solar billing solution for multi-unit real estate owners and their residents.

Sunwest Bank is a full-service renewable energy financier for commercial buildings across the U.S. and is committed to delivering $150,000,000 in solar financing solutions for multifamily real estate owners.

The partnership helps multifamily owners maximize their return on investment while also minimizing their carbon footprint.

Ivy’s solar billing software, Virtual Grid, is the first solar billing software solution that enables property owners to deliver clean energy at a cost savings to residents in apartment buildings and townhomes.

At: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/577002789/ivy-energy-partners-with-sunwest-bank-to-deliver-150-000-000-of-solar-financing-for-multifamily-real-estate-owners

Sunwest Bank's Irvine, CA, headquarters.

An early and prominent small business lender in Orange County, Sunwest Bank is living up to its name with today's announcement of a commitment of $150 million in finance to boost solar panel installation by the area's burgeoning multi-family housing sector.

'Shoot them in the back of the head': Evangelical preachers ratchet up anti-LGBTQ hate rhetoric

Evangelical preachers have begun transforming the recent mania associating the LGBTQ community with pedophilia into demands for genocide.

“Every single homosexual in our country … should be lined up against the wall and shot in the back of the head!” insisted one recently.

“Put them to death. Put all queers to death. They die,” proclaimed another, adding: “When they die, that stops the pedophilia. It’s a very, very simple process.”

The genocidal rhetoric based on the false pedophilia link being whipped up against the LGBTQ community—particularly heading into June with its multitude of Pride events around the nation—has already fomented ugly anti-LGBTQ protests by white nationalists outside Pride gatherings and threats by far-right “Patriot bikers” to bring guns to others.

Among some Evangelical Christians, this has served as a green light to embrace a hateful interpretation of biblical scripture—one originally promulgated by the white-supremacist Christian Identity movement—to demand they be put to death.

At: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/6/9/2103264/--Shoot-them-in-the-back-of-the-head-Evangelical-preachers-ratchet-up-anti-LGBTQ-hate-rhetoric

https://twitter.com/hemantmehta/status/1534207173034758144

Biden announces joint declaration on immigration in attempt to show unity across the Americas

Source: ABC

Flanked by the leaders of several countries, President Joe Biden announced the Los Angeles Declaration of Migration and Protection on the final day of the Summit of the Americas on Friday.

20 different countries signed on to the declaration, each committing to tackling different components of migration.

Biden credited the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and climate change as contributing factors to migration throughout the Western Hemisphere.

“Right now, migrants make up as much as 10% of the population of Costa Rica. And no nation should bear this responsibility alone, in my view, our view,” he said.

Many of the commitments under the declaration deal specifically with boosting temporary worker programs.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-announces-joint-declaration-immigration-attempt-show-unity/story?id=85311463

Biden arrives at Summit of the Americas intent on demonstrating focus on region despite snubs

Source: CNN

President Joe Biden arrives here Wednesday to play host to nearly two dozen leaders from Latin America, hoping to use new economic and migration announcements to demonstrate cohesion in a region of fractured politics and, at times, entrenched skepticism of the United States.

His mission has been made more difficult by the decision of several leaders to boycott, including the top officials from Mexico and three Central American countries the US has worked to cultivate. They refused to attend because Biden declined to extend invitations to three autocratic leaders.

The drama over the invitation list dampened the prospect of major shows of unity. Yet Biden remained intent Wednesday on showing his commitment to a part of the world often overlooked in American foreign policy.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/08/politics/biden-summit-of-the-americas/index.html

President Joe Biden listens as Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador speaks during the North American Leaders’ Summit at the White House last November.

President Biden's decision to exclude the heads of state of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela prompted a boycott from Mexico's López Obrador, as well as the presidents of Bolivia and Honduras.