British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly planning to urge world leaders to commit to vaccinating the entire globe by the end of year during the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) meeting.

“The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the postwar era: defeating COVID and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values,” Johnson said in a statement on Sunday, The Associated Press reports.

“Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT

President BidenJoe BidenFauci, Jill Biden visit New York vaccine site More than 100 former world leaders call on G7 countries to to pay for global COVID-19 vaccination Ukraine’s president implores Biden to meet him before summit with Putin MORE along with world leaders from Canada, France, Italy and Japan will be meeting in Cornwall, England, this Friday for the first in-person G7 summit since the coronavirus pandemic began. This summit will be part of Biden’s first international trip since becoming U.S. president.

The AP notes that British media has reported Johnson intends to announce that the U.K. will be donating 2 billion pounds’ worth COVID-19 shots this year, with donations continuing into 2022.

The U.K. in February pledged to donate most of its excess coronavirus vaccine shots to the UN-backed COVAX program which provides free vaccines to low-income countries. However, the AP notes that British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that the country currently does not have any excess vaccine doses to spare, making it unclear how many doses it will be able to donate.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.6 billion coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.

Click Here: Scotland Rugby Shirt

President BidenJoe BidenPutin backs up Belarus’s Lukashenko amid international pressure Biden administration to reimpose sanctions on Belarus over diverted flight Senate passes resolution urging probe into COVID-19 origins MORE’s budget proposal released Friday takes aim at specific tax provisions that benefit the fossil fuel industry and projects that eliminating these measures will generate $35 billion over the course of a decade. 

The new $6 trillion budget proposal is a more detailed proposal than the “skinny” version released last month, which had called for spending an additional $14 billion on tackling climate change and proposed funding increases for the Energy Department, Interior Department and Environmental Protection Agency. 

The White House has also previously, in its infrastructure plan, said that it wanted to “eliminate tax preferences for fossil fuels,” but the new proposal gets much more specific.

ADVERTISEMENT

“These oil, gas, and coal tax preferences distort markets by encouraging more investment in the fossil fuel sector than would occur under a more neutral tax system,”a Treasury Department document states, outlining the administration’s tax proposals. 

Among the benefits Biden hopes to cut are those received by the fossil fuel industry for enhanced oil recovery, a method of extraction that allows companies to get to fuel they wouldn’t be able to otherwise reach, and another for “intangible” costs like wages, repairs, supplies and other expenses that are needed for oil and gas drilling. 

Biden is also targeting a provision that allows oil and gas companies to deduct as much as 15 percent of the revenue they get from a well. 

Biden’s budget is a proposal and Congress will enact its own spending plans, but the budget is reflective of an administration’s policy priorities and goals.

Industry criticized the parts of the budget that would eliminate these benefits, arguing that it would push production overseas. 

“Increased taxes on American energy will only undermine economic recovery and job creation, push natural gas and oil investments overseas and lead to less government revenue, not more,” American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers said in a statement to The Hill. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Supporters said they hoped that the move would discourage additional oil and gas development. 

“This should bring us a little closer to the true cost of actually developing oil and gas and my hope is that it will decelerate the development of new fossil fuel infrastructure, which is so harmful to our planet and to communities,” said Sujatha Bergen, health campaigns director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

Autumn Hanna, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said her organization hoped to see the administration go even further, saying “there are a lot of details missing.”

Click Here: ape Men 1st Camo Asnka tee

India will begin easing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions after reporting its lowest daily number of new coronavirus infections in two months, Reuters reports.

The South Asian country on Sunday reported 114,460 new infections. For much of April and May, the country was reporting over 300,000 cases daily, peaking at over 400,000 in mid-May.

Click Here: hurricanes rugby jersey

India has been heavily impacted by a second wave of coronavirus infections that has drained much of its health system’s resources. It currently has the second highest number of COVID-19 infections with 28.8 million confirmed infections, though health experts believe these numbers are likely being underreported.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 346,759 deaths have been confirmed so far. Over 218 million vaccine doses have been administered in the country of more than 1.3 billion.

However, Reuters reports that India’s richest state, Maharashtra, will begin easing lts lockdown restrictions beginning this week. Maharashtra has suffered the most infections stemming from the most recent second wave of cases.

Scientists have warned that a third wave of COVID-19 infections could come later this year, Reuters notes. This third wave will likely affect children more and the majority of the India’s population will likely still be unvaccianted by the time it hits.

Internationally, several countries have donated health supplies and vaccine doses to India, while also restricting travel from the country.

President BidenJoe BidenFauci, Jill Biden visit New York vaccine site More than 100 former world leaders call on G7 countries to to pay for global COVID-19 vaccination Ukraine’s president implores Biden to meet him before summit with Putin MORE has less than a month left to reach perhaps his toughest coronavirus vaccination goal yet.

Biden’s objective is to give 70 percent of the U.S. adult population at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by July 4, even as the pace of vaccinations slows and those without their shots are increasingly hesitant to get them or are harder to reach.

“I don’t think it is against the odds,” said William Galston, a senior fellow of governance studies at the Brookings Institution who also served as a policy adviser in the Clinton White House. “It’s what’s known in the business community as a ‘stretch goal.’ If the administration is very well organized and focused, there’s a pretty good chance they can get there.”

ADVERTISEMENT

At the same time, the White House has also turned its attention to the arduous task of vaccinating the globe, which experts say is necessary to stop the virus and its dangerous variants from circulating.

The president has thus far been rewarded by the public for his coronavirus response, which has been his administration’s principle focus since he took office. Biden had set realistic, achievable vaccine goals in the first months of his administration as a way to measure his response to the virus.

And there has been good news on the virus front with large numbers of Americans getting vaccinated: COVID-19 cases and deaths fell to their lowest levels since March 2020 over the past week.

About 63 percent of the U.S. adult population has received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Approximately the same percentage of Americans approve of Biden’s response to the coronavirus crisis, according to an average of polling from FiveThirtyEight.

“I think the American people are right to give him high marks,” Galston said. “There were a few glitches in the beginning — no surprise there. But it’s been a no drama, high achievement effort.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The White House is now ramping up efforts to incentivize vaccinations, address concerns about the shots and make it as easy as possible for Americans to get vaccinated as it looks to reach the remainder of the population.

“I give the administration tremendous credit for what they have done to date. The challenge we have is now, this really is almost a person-by-person recruitment effort,” said Michael Osterholm, a prominent epidemiologist who served on Biden’s coronavirus advisory board during the transition. “It takes a lot of work to get this last percentage of people vaccinated, and we know there will be a core group of people who will just under no circumstances get vaccinated.”

As part of a “national month of action” in June, the White House is partnering with a variety of organizations and businesses to reach the holdouts. Major day cares will offer free child care for parents getting vaccinated, Black-owned barbershops and beauty salons will offer information on vaccines and host vaccination events and Vice President Harris will spearhead a national tour to promote vaccinations.

The White House has also promoted private-sector initiatives, such as sweepstakes launched by Kroger, CVS and United Airlines for vaccinated individuals.

Officials have raised concerns about low vaccination levels in the South, where Harris will focus her travel. Poll after poll shows a partisan divide on vaccinations, with Republicans less likely to seek the shot.

“The greatest challenge is the polarization challenge,” said Democratic strategist Joel Payne. “Getting vaccinated has almost become like a political test.”

Payne said Biden needs “Republican validators” in former President TrumpDonald TrumpMo Brooks served with Swalwell lawsuit Democratic congressional election review finds party lacked economic, pandemic recovery message in 2020 Courts drowning in backlog pose lingering immigration challenge MORE’s orbit to help with vaccination.

The White House, he added, has “to make sure that the efficacy of the message isn’t wearing off.”

A number of prominent Republicans have encouraged vaccines, including former President George W. Bush and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellThe Senate may be a legislative graveyard, but debate is not yet dead in the US Police reform negotiations enter crucial stretch How Democrats can keep the filibuster and advance voting rights MORE (R-Ky.). Trump has also endorsed the vaccine while indicating he respects people’s “freedom” to choose whether to get vaccinated.

White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiWhite House briefing room to return to full capacity Divisions remain on infrastructure as clock ticks on bipartisan deal Buttigieg: ‘Still lots of daylight’ between GOP, White House on infrastructure MORE told reporters Thursday that the administration would do everything in its power to reach Biden’s July 4 goal. Asked about the low vaccination rates in the South, she said that local leaders, such as physicians and clergy, are the best messengers for those wary of the vaccine.

“Ultimately, this is going to be up to individuals to get shots in their arms. We can take every creative step we possibly can take. We also understand we don’t have 100 percent control here, but we’re going to do everything we can from the federal government to reach that goal,” Psaki said.

Getting as many people vaccinated as possible is also important to hastening the economic recovery, which showed signs of accelerating during the month of May as more people returned to in-person activities and the U.S. economy added 559,000 jobs, a significant improvement over the disappointing April employment report.

ADVERTISEMENT

Biden argued in a speech on Friday that his agenda laid the groundwork for the jobs growth, while appealing for more Americans to get vaccinated.

“Now is the time to build on the foundation we laid because while our progress is undeniable, it is not assured,” he said, pushing for his $4 trillion economic plan. “This much is already clear: We’re on the right track. Our plan is working, and we’re not going to let up now.”

White House officials have highlighted the fact that a dozen states have already met or exceeded Biden’s goal for 70 percent of adults to have at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine. And with enough vaccines in the domestic supply, the administration this week began shipping millions of doses overseas in order to help countries in need.

Osterholm described the goal as an aspirational but realistic benchmark to understand how the U.S. is doing nationally when it comes to the virus response and credited the Biden administration with far exceeding its initial goal of administering 100 million doses in the president’s first 100 days in office.

“In order to understand where we’re going, we have to have a goal,” he said.

Osterholm said that Biden’s next focus should be getting 70 percent of adults fully vaccinated, noting the dangers of a new variant against which studies show one dose is not as effective. He also described the administration’s move toward boosting global vaccinations as a critical first step in a long journey to ending the pandemic worldwide.

“From the global standpoint, you want to protect the integrity and protection of our vaccines, the last thing that you want is more variants to come out,” he said. “This is why it is so urgent to get the world vaccinated, not just some of the world.” 

Click Here: brisbane broncos jersey

Google has reassigned an employee who formerly led its diversity efforts following revelations that he had previously authored a blog post that contained antisemitic statements. 

On Tuesday, the Washington Free Beacon reported that Kamau Bobb, who served as Google’s head of diversity strategy, wrote in a 2007 blog post that Jews have an “insatiable appetite for war” and an “insensitivity to the suffering [of] others.”

The post, titled “If I Were a Jew,” relayed Bobb’s thoughts on how Jewish people should view tensions between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“If I were a Jew I would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and killing in defense of myself,” Bobb wrote. “Self defense is undoubtedly an instinct, but I would be afraid of my increasing insensitivity to the suffering [of] others.”

On Thursday, a Google spokesperson told CNBC that Bobb had apologized for the post, which has since been deleted, and he will no longer be a part of Google’s diversity team. 

“We unequivocally condemn the past writings by a member of our diversity team that are causing deep offense and pain to members of our Jewish community and our LGBTQ+ community,” the company said.

Click Here: Argentina Rugby Shop

“This has come at a time where we’ve seen an alarming increase in antisemitic attacks,” the spokesperson added. “Antisemitism is a vile prejudice that has given rise to unfathomable acts. It has no place in society and we stand with our Jewish community in condemning it.”

Google has taken criticism in recent months from its own employees over its diversity practices and hiring procedures. 

Last month, a group of Jewish Google employees called on CEO Sundar Pichai to voice support for Palestinians in response to recent bombing attacks by Israel in Gaza.   

Welcome to Monday’s Overnight Healthcare. A good indication that there are too many bugs around is when they show up on the weather radar. 

If you have any tips, email us at nweixel@thehill.com, psullivan@thehill.com, and jcoleman@thehill.com 

Follow us on Twitter at @NateWeixel, @PeterSullivan4, and @JustineColeman8. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Today: The FDA approved the first Alzheimer’s treatment in nearly 20 years — but there’s not a lot of evidence that it works. It’s also priced extremely high. Meanwhile, President BidenJoe BidenBiden DOJ adopts Trump’s liability stance in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit Boston mayor fires city’s police commissioner months after domestic abuse allegations emerge Book claims Trump believed Democrats would replace Biden with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama in 2020 election MORE is hitting crunch time to get the U.S. to his July Fourth goal.

We’ll start with the Alzheimer’s drug:

FDA approves first Alzheimer’s treatment since 2003 in controversial decision

The FDA on Monday granted approval for the first new Alzheimer’s treatment since 2003, drawing mixed reactions amid opposition from some experts and an independent advisory committee.

A top FDA official said the agency decided to use the “accelerated approval” process for Biogen’s drug aducanumab to provide for patients enduring “serious diseases where there is an unmet need” and an expectation that the treatment will benefit patients.

The agency called the demand for treatments “urgent” as Alzheimer’s affects more than 6 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. 

“In determining that the application met the requirements for Accelerated Approval, the Agency concluded that the benefits of Aduhelm for patients with Alzheimer’s disease outweighed the risks of the therapy,” Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the statement.

ADVERTISEMENT

Background: Two earlier clinical trials for the drug, also known by the brand name Aduhelm, examined by the FDA produced conflicting results on whether the drug slows cognitive decline. 

These trial results prompted the independent Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee to overwhelmingly recommend in November for the FDA to reject Biogen’s drug. But the FDA strayed from the committee’s advice with its Monday approval.

What’s next: With the accelerated approval, Biogen will be required to conduct another trial to prove the clinical benefit of its drug. The FDA could take steps to remove the drug from the market if the benefit is not proven.

“We believe that the data supports accelerated approval, while holding the company accountable for conducting an additional study to confirm the benefits observed in one of the trials, which we fully intend to do,” Cavazzoni told reporters on a press call Monday.

Read more here. 

Biogen’s CEO defended the $56,000 price tag

CEO Michel Vounatsos on Monday said in an interview that he believed charging $56,000 per year for his company’s newly-approved Alzheimer’s medication was “fair,” citing years of “no innovation” in the marketplace.

The drug is a massive windfall for Biogen, especially given the fact that just two years ago, the company halted both Phase 3 clinical studies because the drug did not demonstrate effectiveness. 

There are about 6 million people suffering from Alzheimer’s in the U.S. Even if only the approximately 2 million people with mild disease use the drug, Biogen will rake in $112 billion. Appearing on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” Vounatsos said the price of the drug, sold as Aduhelm, was a reflection of “two decades of no innovation,” and said it would allow Biogen to fund medications for other diseases.

He also vowed that his company would not raise the price of Aduhelm for at least the next four years.

Notably, he said Biogen has up to 9 years to complete the FDA-mandated study so he wasn’t concerned the agency would actually pull it from the market. 

Coverage questions: The price tag, combined with the questions about the drug’s effectiveness, might mean private insurance plans could decline to cover the cost. But Medicare is required to cover most, if not all, FDA-approved drugs. The implications of that cost on the U.S. healthcare system, and on seniors who will need to pay the premiums, are potentially staggering. 

Price criticism: The Institute of Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), a nonprofit that analyzes the clinical and economic value of medical care, slammed both the FDA’s approval and the price tag. ICER initially estimated that the drug would be cost effective if it were priced between $2,500 and $8,300 per year — if it actually showed even a small benefit for patients.  

“No one should assume that approving a drug with such conflicting and uncertain evidence will necessarily help patients and families,” the group said. “FDA has failed in its responsibility to protect patients and families from unproven treatments with known harms.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Read more here.

Biden hits crunch time on vaccinations

President Biden has less than a month left to reach perhaps his toughest coronavirus vaccination goal yet.

Biden’s objective is to give 70 percent of the U.S. adult population at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by July 4, even as the pace of vaccinations slows and those without their shots are increasingly hesitant to get them or are harder to reach.

The president has thus far been rewarded by the public for his coronavirus response, which has been his administration’s principal focus since he took office. Biden had set realistic, achievable vaccine goals in the first months of his administration as a way to measure his response to the virus.

And there has been good news on the virus front with large numbers of Americans getting vaccinated: COVID-19 cases and deaths fell to their lowest levels since March 2020 over the past week.

Where we’re at: About 63 percent of the U.S. adult population has received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, according to CDC data. But according to a Washington Post analysis, the vaccination rate has plummeted to fewer than 1 million a day

ADVERTISEMENT

What’s next: The White House is now ramping up efforts to incentivize vaccinations, address concerns about the shots and make it as easy as possible for Americans to get vaccinated as it looks to reach the remainder of the population.

“I don’t think it is against the odds,” said William Galston, a senior fellow of governance studies at the Brookings Institution who also served as a policy adviser in the Clinton White House. “It’s what’s known in the business community as a ‘stretch goal.’ If the administration is very well organized and focused, there’s a pretty good chance they can get there.”

Read more here. 

But a new poll indicates 78 percent of unvaccinated Americans are unlikely to change their minds

Among U.S. adults who do not plan to be vaccinated, 78 percent in a Gallup poll released Monday said they are unlikely to reconsider their plans. Roughly half — 51 percent — indicated they are “not likely at all” to change their mind and get vaccinated.

Overall, just 1 in 5 vaccine-reluctant adults said they are open to reconsidering, with 2 percent saying they are “very likely” and 19 percent saying they are “somewhat likely” to ever get inoculated.

The same poll found 60 percent of U.S. adults say they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, meaning two weeks have passed since their final dose, and 24 percent do not plan to be vaccinated.

ADVERTISEMENT

More than half of all U.S. adults polled, 53 percent, said they are worried about people opting against getting a vaccine, including 25 percent who said they are “very worried” about vaccine hesitancy in America.

Weeks away from July 4: The poll results signal the upcoming challenge for the Biden administration to close the gap in vaccinations and get more than 16 million people their first dose before the Fourth of July deadline. 

Read more here. 

What we’re reading

FAQs: What you need to know about the Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm (Stat)

Vaccination rates fall off, imperiling Biden’s July Fourth goal (Washington Post)

Do air purifiers protect against Covid? Lawsuit says company makes ‘false’ claims (Kaiser Health News)

How the ‘Alpha’ coronavirus variant became so powerful (New York Times)   

State by state

As immunized deadline approaches, unvaccinated Houston Methodist nurses plan walkout (Houston Chronicle)

Mississippi’s only abortion clinic facing biggest challenge (Associated Press)  

Montana med school clash revives for-profit vs. nonprofit flap (Kaiser Health News)

Op-eds in The Hill

Social distancing should stick around

COVID vaccine passports pose more questions than answers

Naomi Osaka is raising awareness of mental health issues in professional sports

Click Here: parramatta eels rugby store

The National Rifle Association (NRA) said Friday it is dropping a federal lawsuit that alleges that New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) violated the gun rights group’s constitutional rights with her efforts to dissolve it. 

The NRA said in a court filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York that it is “voluntarily” withdrawing the suit as it pursues similar litigation in a New York state court. 

“The NRA dropping its countersuit today in federal court is an implicit admission that their strategy would never prevail. The truth is that Wayne LaPierre and his lieutenants used the NRA as a breeding ground for personal gain and a lavish lifestyle,” James said in a statement, referring to the NRA chief. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“We were victorious against the organization’s attempt to declare bankruptcy, and our fight for transparency and accountability will continue because no one is above the law,” she added.

The NRA first countersued after James in August sued to dissolve the group, alleging it violated corporate laws resulting in a loss of more than $64 million over three years.

The New York attorney general has specifically alleged that the NRA’s leaders used millions of funds from the group’s coffers to fund personal trips and divert money to help NRA insiders and preferred vendors.

The lawsuit the NRA is waging in the New York Supreme Court, which will continue, accuses James of “weaponizing” her power against the group. 

“Even before assuming office, and without a shred of evidence that the NRA had done anything wrong, Attorney General James vowed to weaponize the supervisory powers of the NYAG to destroy one of the nation’s oldest, largest civil rights organizations,” the complaint reads. 

Click Here: crusaders rugby jerseys

However, the NRA suffered a legal defeat last month when a federal judge dismissed a petition for bankruptcy, ruling that the group only filed the petition to avoid James’s litigation. 

The ruling stripped the NRA of bankruptcy protections it is relying on to help fund its legal defense, and now the group can only move forward with plans to reorganize in Texas if James approves the request, which she is unlikely to do.

One of the countries that poses a major obstacle in the push toward a global minimum tax rate has deep ties to President BidenJoe BidenBiden DOJ adopts Trump’s liability stance in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit Boston mayor fires city’s police commissioner months after domestic abuse allegations emerge Book claims Trump believed Democrats would replace Biden with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama in 2020 election MORE.

Ireland, a tax haven for many household name companies, would lose out if major industrial countries move forward with plans to subject multinational corporations’ income to a tax rate of at least 15 percent.

Finance officials in the wealthy Group of Seven (G-7) countries, which does not include Ireland, backed a global minimum tax rate of at least 15 percent in a deal announced over the weekend. The agreement is a win for the Biden administration, but many challenges remain before any international tax deal is finalized by a larger group of countries.

ADVERTISEMENT

“This effort is far from over,” Treasury Secretary Janet YellenJanet Louise YellenOn The Money: White House sees paths forward on infrastructure despite stalled talks | Biden battles Dem divides | FBI seizes bitcoin ransom paid by Colonial Pipeline Yellen says higher interest rates would be a ‘plus’ Yellen: No signs yet of unsustainable wage increases MORE said during a press conference Saturday after the G-7 finance ministers met in London.

More than 100 countries are participating in international tax negotiations at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group that includes Ireland. Part of those negotiations are focused on establishing a global minimum tax.

“I look forward now to engaging in the discussions at @OECD. There are 139 countries at the table, and any agreement will have to meet the needs of small and large countries, developed and developing,” Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said Saturday on Twitter after the G-7 announcement.

Donohoe, who met with Yellen during the G-7 finance ministers’ meeting, told The Irish Times that in their talks he “continued to make the case for legitimate tax competition within certain boundaries and for the role of small- and medium-sized economies in the agreement that is yet to come.”

A global minimum tax rate of 15 percent would have a significant impact on Ireland and its 12.5 percent rate, making it an attractive country for many multinational companies to set up offices.

The pushback from Ireland could also strain relations with a country beloved by Biden. The president, who is often outspoken about his Irish heritage, has already met with Ireland’s prime minister, Micheál Martin, since taking office.

ADVERTISEMENT

During the virtual meeting on St. Patrick’s Day, Biden reaffirmed U.S. support for the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended the conflict in Northern Ireland.

But the Biden administration also has made it a top priority to reach an OECD agreement on a global minimum tax, viewing such a deal as a way to ensure American companies won’t become less competitive if the U.S. raises its corporate tax rates. Biden has proposed paying for his infrastructure plan in part by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent and by increasing an existing minimum tax on U.S. companies’ foreign earnings to 21 percent.

On Saturday, the G-7 finance ministers issued a statement expressing commitment for a global minimum tax rate of at least 15 percent, the rate the Treasury Department pitched to OECD negotiators last month. The United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom comprise the G-7.

The Biden administration lauded the G-7 finance ministers’ announcement as historic and said a global minimum tax would encourage countries to compete for businesses based on factors other than taxes.

“The G-7’s endorsement is another example of America reasserting its leadership on the world stage,” White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiDemocrats reach turning point with Manchin The Memo: Political winds shift against Biden Overnight Energy: Climate emerges as infrastructure sticking point | US recovers millions in cryptocurrency paid to pipeline hackers | Chief scientist: NOAA is ‘ billion agency trapped in a .5 billion budget’ MORE said during a press briefing Monday.

Jake SullivanJake SullivanOvernight Defense: Supreme Court declines to hear suit challenging male-only draft | Drone refuels Navy fighter jet for the first time | NATO chief meets with Austin, Biden Biden invites Ukraine’s president to the White House The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – Dems face unity challenge in chaotic June MORE, Biden’s national security adviser, said during the same briefing that Biden and other G-7 leaders would endorse a global minimum tax of at least 15 percent at a summit this week in the United Kingdom.

An agreement on a global minimum tax wouldn’t require countries to raise their corporate tax rates. Rather, it would encourage countries to have mechanisms to ensure that their companies are paying a minimum level of tax on their foreign earnings.

Still, there are hurdles to a global minimum tax becoming a reality.

Negotiators are hoping for a political agreement at the Group of 20 (G-20) finance ministers meeting next month in Italy and for the OECD to finalize an agreement in the fall. But a number of countries outside the G-7 have raised concerns, including countries such as Ireland and Hungary that have corporate tax rates below 15 percent. Ireland is part of the European Union, which is a member of the G-20.

Yellen in her Saturday press conference noted that there are some countries with concerns and that countries will be working on some of the specifics of an agreement ahead of next month’s G-20 meeting.

“This isn’t a finished agreement,” she said. “There are details still to be worked out.” 

Yellen said that she hopes the G-20 endorses an agreement and that many countries participating in the OECD negotiations will sign on to an agreement if it’s backed by the G-20. But she also noted that an agreement would include an enforcement mechanism that would “essentially put pressure” on countries that don’t adopt the agreement to abide by a minimum tax.

ADVERTISEMENT

In addition to concerns by some countries, there are other hurdles to both a deal and implementation. For example, countries will need to reach an agreement on the tax base for a global minimum tax.

“There is a lot of serious policy and technical work to be done for this to actually work,” said Daniel Bunn, vice president of global projects at the Tax Foundation.

Some following the negotiations closely expressed optimism about a G-20 agreement.

“I think it’s got a pretty good shot,” said Maury Peiperl, dean of the George Mason University School of Business, pointing to the decline in corporate tax rates over the past several decades and the need for a correction.

Along with the efforts on a global minimum tax, the OECD is also working on an agreement about the location of where large corporations’ profits are taxed. The OECD is aiming to reach a deal on both issues at the same time.

Once an agreement is finalized by OECD negotiators, countries will need to update domestic laws, and likely also tax treaties, in order to implement a deal. Congress would be involved in U.S. implementation.

ADVERTISEMENT

The chairmen of Congress’s two tax-writing committees — Sen. Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenTrump DOJ seized phone records of New York Times reporters Top union unveils national town hall strategy to push Biden’s jobs plan Senate Democrats urge Google to conduct racial equity audit MORE (D-Ore.) and Rep. Richard NealRichard Edmund NealBottom line On The Money: Inside Biden’s T budget | Key inflation metric higher than expected ‘SECURE 2.0’ will modernize retirement security for the post-COVID American workforce MORE (D-Mass.) — said in a statement that they look forward to reviewing the G-7 deal and “applaud the Biden Administration’s leadership in working to level the international playing field and support American workers.”

But the top Republicans on the committees — Sen. Mike CrapoMichael (Mike) Dean CrapoUSTR announces suspended tariffs on six nations after probes into digital taxes McConnell returns as Senate ‘grim reaper’ Senate reaches deal to get out of town after Jan. 6 commission vote MORE (Idaho) and Rep. Kevin BradyKevin Patrick Brady’SECURE 2.0′ will modernize retirement security for the post-COVID American workforce Despite Biden’s strong start, Democrats are worried Biden administration launches trade dispute against Canadian dairy industry MORE (Texas) — expressed some reservations, saying in a statement that “it remains to be seen whether any agreement will result in consensus from the United States’ biggest foreign competitors.”

Crapo and Brady added that they “continue to caution against moving forward in a way that could adversely affect U.S. businesses, and ultimately harm American workers and jobs at a critical time in our country’s economic recovery.”

Click Here: cheap gold coast titans jerseys

A nonpartisan congressional watchdog has agreed to analyze the environmental and cultural impacts of the southern border wall. 

In a letter dated last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) told Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) that it would take up his request to look into the impacts of the wall. 

Last month, Grijalva, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, asked the GAO to look into the extent to which Customs and Border Protection looked into potential impacts to natural and cultural resources before carrying out construction, and the extent to which such assessments aligned with those done by tribes, communities, federal scientists and environmental groups. 

ADVERTISEMENT

He also asked about options for mitigating impacts along federal lands.

The committee announced that the project would be taken on in a tweet late on Friday. 

While the border wall was controversial for several reasons, including immigration policy and President TrumpDonald TrumpBiden DOJ adopts Trump’s liability stance in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit Book claims Trump believed Democrats would replace Biden with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama in 2020 election Newsmax says network turned Gaetz down for a job MORE’s diversion of military funding for its construction, opponents have also argued in court about its environmental impacts. 

Reports have indicated that saguaro cactuses were uprooted as part of the border wall’s construction even though it is illegal to remove them. 

Meanwhile, The Hill reported last year that border wall construction moved forward in 2019 even after government scientists said it could harm a nearby wildlife refuge.

Click Here: gold coast titans jerseys

Habituée du Festival de Cannes où elle vient régulièrement défendre des films, Marina Foïs sera là cette année en tant que membre du jury. Elle fait partie de celles et ceux qui devront départager les oeuvres de la section Un certain regard, catégorie parallèle de la compétition officielle qui met en perspective un cinéma original et audacieux, récompensant des cinéastes encore peu connus. Le challenge réjouit la comédienne française de 49 ans, cinéphile et cinévore. Elle fait la couverture du magazine Elle et livre ses confidences, notamment sur un passage obligé de la Croisette, le tapis rouge.

Quand on lui demande si elle se prêtera à l’exercice périlleux du red carpet au Festival de Cannes, l’ancienne membre des Robins des bois répond : “Il y a un malentendu : nous, les actrices, on n’a pas des corps parfaits, des gueules parfaites, on a des rides, on a des cernes… On n’est ni des saintes ni des mannequins, on est des femmes. Moi, je suis nulle en red carpet. Je sais poser avec un photographe, mais mettre la main comme ci, comme ça ? Non, je ne suis pas capable de perdre mon second degré à ce point-là.”

Click Here: canterbury-bankstown bulldogs rugby store

Pour autant, Marina Foïs ne boudera pas le plaisir de porter de belles tenues : “J’adore la fringue. J’aime voir les gens habillés, qu’ils aient une idée d’eux-mêmes, un plaisir à cet endroit-là. Nous sommes aussi des gueules et des corps. J’ai de la chance, un jour, Nicolas Ghesquière [le directeur artistique de Louis Vuitton, NDLR] m’a invitée à un show, on est devenus amis et j’ai ce privilège d’être habillée par lui. La mode est un domaine qui paraît plus futile que d’autres, mais la vie sans sa part futile n’aurait aucun intérêt.“

Découvrez, pour l’occasion, dans notre diaporama, les looks de Marina Foïs au Festival de Cannes ces dernières années.

Retrouvez l’intégralité de l’article dans le magazine Elle du 10 mai 2019