Monday morning news - June 14, 2021

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kristen Flavin. 

Biden heads to Brussels after wrapping up G7 summit » President Joe Biden is in Brussels today, where he’s meeting with leaders from NATO and the European Union. The president made the trip across the English Channel Sunday after wrapping up the Group of Seven summit in Cornwall.

President Biden said the leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations walked away from their meeting with a list of priorities.

BIDEN: One, delivering vaccines and ending the pandemic. Two, driving substantial and inclusive economic recovery around the world. Three, in fueling infrastructure development in places that most badly need it. And four, in fighting climate change.

During their weekend meeting, the G7 leaders pledged more than 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses to poorer nations. Critics say that’s not enough. The World Health Organization says it will take 11 billion doses to vaccinate at least 70 percent of the world’s population.

The G-7 leaders also voiced support for a minimum tax of at least 15 percent on large multinational companies. Biden championed that policy as a way to stop corporations from taking advantage of international tax havens.

The president had wanted the group to take a stronger stand against China. But he said he was satisfied with pledges to consult on policies that protect free markets.

BIDEN: I think we’re in a contest, not with China per se, but in a contest with autocrats, autocratic governments around the world, as to whether or not democracies can compete with them in a rapidly changing 21st century.

The group also called on China to respect human rights and the fundamental freedoms of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.

AMBI: Band playing Marine Corps hymn

The president capped his visit to the U.K. with a stop at Windsor Castle for tea with Queen Elizabeth II. He said she asked him about Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their hour-long visit.

Biden is set to meet with the Russian leader in Geneva on Wednesday.

Israel’s parliament approves new government » AMBI: [Sound of cheering, honking horns]

Israel has a new prime minister. The country’s parliament approved a new coalition government on Sunday.

Crowds gathered in the streets of Jerusalem cheered the news. The narrow 60-59 vote ended Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year run as the country’s leader.

Naftali Bennett, head of a small ultranationalist party, was sworn in as the new prime minister.

Yohanan Plesner is president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank.

PLESNER: This creates an opportunity for change—change in discourse, change in the political climate, change in the rhetoric and in the divisive nature of our politics. And I hope this will bring the crisis to an end and put Israeli society and economy on a new trajectory.

Eight parties make up the new ruling coalition. They agreed to form a power-sharing government to end the country’s political gridlock. That impasse triggered four elections in two years.

The ruling parties are united in their opposition to Netanyahu but agree on little else. That could make it hard for them to hold on to power. Analysts expect the new government to pursue a modest agenda that focuses on maintaining good relations with the United States and easing tensions with the Palestinians.

Although no longer prime minister, Netanyahu remains head of the largest party in parliament. In a speech following Sunday’s vote, he vowed to return to power.

Bipartisan group reaches new infrastructure compromise » A bipartisan group of senators working to draft an infrastructure spending bill has reached an agreement.

Speaking Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, Repubilcan Senator Susan Collins of Maine called the proposal targeted and responsible.

COLLINS: We are focusing on the traditional infrastructure definition: roads, bridges, airports, seaports, waterways, highways, broadband. And I think that makes sense.

The “compromise framework” would invest $1.2 trillion over the next eight years. But Collins said it does not require a gas tax increase. She also promised it would not undo the 2017 tax reform bill.

The group of five Republicans and five Democrats has proposed three revenue sources to help pay for the new projects. First, an infrastructure financing authority. Second, a tax on electric vehicles. And finally, they want to tap into unspent COVID-19 relief funds.

President Biden ended negotiations last week with a group of Republican lawmakers working on a different compromise proposal. If lawmakers can’t reach an agreement, the president has threatened to use the budget reconciliation process to pass parts of his own $1.7 trillion plan. Senate Democrats could approve those measures without any GOP support.

Three weekend shootings raise fears for violent summer » Three weekend shootings across the country are raising fears of more violence as the summer heats up.

Two people died and at least 30 others suffered injuries following shootings in Austin, Texas, Savannah, Georgia, and Chicago.

Police believe all three shootings involved personal disputes. Joseph Chacon is the interim police chief in Austin.

CHACON: This does appear to be an isolated incident between two parties. Most of the victims were innocent bystanders but we’re still sorting out all of the victims to see what their involvement is in this case.

Two men allegedly opened fire early Saturday morning on a crowded downtown street lined with bars and nightclubs. One suspect is in custody but the other remains at large.

Suspects in the shootings in Chicago and Savannah also remain at large.

Violent crime and homicides spiked last year. Some analysts blamed the stress of pandemic lockdowns and economic conditions. But others have linked the increase to a reduction in policing following last summer’s protests.

I'm Kristen Flavin. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org. 

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