The Group of 7 is an informal group of seven powerful democracies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The presidents of the European Commission and European Council also attend G-7 meetings because several of Europe’s largest countries are also members.
Membership, which is decided internally, hasn’t changed much since the group’s founding in 1975. At the time, it included only six countries, all of which still belong. Canada joined a year later. Russia joined as an eighth member in 1998, temporarily changing the group’s moniker to the G-8, but Russia was ousted after it annexed Crimea in 2014.
Together, these seven wealthy nations form the foundation of the modern global economy and the cooperative rules-based system on which it is built.
G-7 heads of state and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council pose for pictures.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Despite the decline, the economic might of G-7 nations remains undeniable, not least due to their collective position as countries at the forefront of technological innovation and industrial know-how. Moreover, G-7 economies are inextricably interwoven with global supply chains, which means that a policy change or economic shock in one G-7 country will, for better or worse, have ripple effects across the globe.
Ultimately, the G-7 may be the best hope for quick, decisive and meaningful policy action on pressing global problems.
While the G-7 doesn’t have the institutional clout of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization or NATO, it also doesn’t have their institutional red tape or bureaucracy.
And although the G-7 is a subset of the ascendant G20 – which also includes rising economic powerhouses China, India and Brazil – the G-7 has another advantage: it’s much easier to achieve consensus in an intimate group of similar nations than it is to find common ground among diverse nations with very different economic and political priorities.
Back in 1975, when what is now known as the G-7 was formed, only six nations belonged.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
None of these issues colors neatly within the lines of national borders. Countries need to cooperate to find solutions that do not simply kick the can to their neighbors.
An example of meaningful action by the G-7 is its June 5, 2021, announcement of an agreement on global minimum corporate tax rates, which marked a watershed moment in international taxation. If successful, the agreement could mean the end of tax havens and a dramatic shift in how companies record their profits around the world.
The Conversation U.S. publishes short, accessible explanations of newsworthy subjects by academics in their areas of expertise.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has more new dogs, including puppies, that it’s offering to new homes.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Airedale terrier, German shepherd, Great Pyrenees, husky, Labrador retriever, McNab, pit bull, Rottweiler and shepherd.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control website not listed are still “on hold”).
This male Airedale terrier is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-889. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Airedale terrier
“Peanut” is a male Airedale terrier with a curly tan and red coat.
He is estimated to be 10 years old.
He is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-889.
This female Rottweiler-shepherd mix is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-791. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Rottweiler-shepherd
This 2-year-old female Rottweiler-shepherd mix has a medium-length black and red coat.
She is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-791.
“Indie” is a female German shepherd mix in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-768. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Indie’
“Indie” is a female German shepherd mix with a short black and tan coat.
She weighs 51 pounds and is estimated to be less than 1-year-old.
She is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-768.
“Ren” is a young male McNab mix in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-785. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Ren’
“Ren” is a 2-year-old male McNab-sheepdog mix with a short brindle and white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-785.
This female Great Pyrenees is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-892. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Great Pyrenees
This female Great Pyrenees has a medium-length white coat.
She is estimated to be 2 years old and 84 pounds.
She is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-892.
This female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-611. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull terrier
This 1-year-old female pit bull terrier has a short blue and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-611.
This female Rottweiler-pit bull mix is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-731. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Rottweiler-pit bull mix
This 1-year-old female Rottweiler-pit bull mix has a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-731.
“Brutus” is a male pit bull terrier in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-670. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Brutus’
“Brutus” is a 5-year-old male pit bull terrier with a short gray and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-670.
“Apollo” is a male husky mix in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-783. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Apollo’
“Apollo” is a 2-year-old male husky mix with a medium-length red and white coat and blue eyes.
He is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-783.
This female pit bull terrier puppy is in kennel No. 33b, ID No. LCAC-A-853. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull terrier puppy
This female pit bull terrier puppy has a short black coat with white markings.
She is in kennel No. 33b, ID No. LCAC-A-853.
This male pit bull terrier puppy is in kennel No. 33d, ID No. LCAC-A-855. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier puppy
This male pit bull terrier puppy has a short black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 33d, ID No. LCAC-A-855.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
On June 1, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover kicked off the science phase of its mission by leaving the “Octavia E. Butler” landing site.
Until recently, the rover has been undergoing systems tests, or commissioning, and supporting the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s month of flight tests.
During the first few weeks of this first science campaign, the mission team will drive to a low-lying scenic overlook from which the rover can survey some of the oldest geologic features in Jezero Crater, and they’ll bring online the final capabilities of the rover’s auto-navigation and sampling systems.
By the time Perseverance completed its commissioning phase on June 1, the rover had already tested its oxygen-generating MOXIE instrument and conducted the technology demonstration flights of the Ingenuity helicopter. Its cameras had taken more than 75,000 images, and its microphones had recorded the first audio soundtracks of Mars.
Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z imaging system captured this panorama at “Van Zyl Overlook,” where the rover parked during Ingenuity helicopter’s first flights. The 2.4-billion-pixel panorama consists of 992 images stitched together. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS. “We are putting the rover’s commissioning phase as well as the landing site in our rearview mirror and hitting the road,” said Jennifer Trosper, Perseverance project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Over the next several months, Perseverance will be exploring a 1.5-square-mile [4-square-kilometer] patch of crater floor. It is from this location that the first samples from another planet will be collected for return to Earth by a future mission.”
The science goals of the mission are to study the Jezero region in order to understand the geology and past habitability of the environment in the area, and to search for signs of ancient microscopic life.
The team will identify and collect the most compelling rock and sediment samples, which a future mission could retrieve and bring back to Earth for more detailed study. Perseverance will also take measurements and test technologies to support future human and robotic exploration of Mars.
Unique geology
Spanning hundreds of sols (or Martian days), this first science campaign will pursue all of the mission’s science goals as the rover explores two unique geologic units in which Jezero’s deepest (and most ancient) layers of exposed bedrock and other intriguing geologic features can be found.
The first unit, called “the Crater Floor Fractured Rough,” is the crater-filled floor of Jezero. The adjacent unit, named “Séítah” (meaning “amidst the sand” in the Navajo language), has its fair share of Mars bedrock but is also home to ridges, layered rocks, and sand dunes.
“To do justice to both units in the time allotted, the team came up with the Martian version of an old auto club-style map,” said JPL’s Kevin Hand, an astrobiologist and co-lead, along with Vivian Sun, of this science campaign. “We have our route planned, complete with optional turnoffs and labeled areas of interest and potential obstructions in our path.”
Most of the challenges along the way are expected to come in the form of sand dunes located within the mitten-shaped Séítah unit.
To negotiate them, the rover team decided Perseverance will drive mostly either on the Crater Floor Fractured Rough or along the boundary line between it and Séítah. When the occasion calls for it, Perseverance will perform a “toe dip” into the Séítah unit, making a beeline for a specific area of interest.
The goal of the campaign is to establish what four locations in these units best tell the story of Jezero Crater’s early environment and geologic history. When the science team decides a location is just right, they will collect one or two samples.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z imaging system to capture this 360-degree panorama of “Van Zyl Overlook,” where the rover was parked as the Ingenuity helicopter performed its first flights. The 2.4 billion-pixel panorama is made up of 992 individual images stitched together. The images were taken between April 15 and 26, 2021, or the 53rd and 64th Martian days, or sols, of the mission. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS. “Starting with the Crater Floor Fractured Rough and Seitah geologic units allows us to start our exploration of Jezero at the very beginning,” said Hand. “This area was under at least 100 meters [328 feet] of water 3.8 billion years ago. We don’t know what stories the rocks and layered outcrops will tell us, but we’re excited to get started.”
The first science campaign will be complete when the rover returns to its landing site. At that point, Perseverance will have traveled between 1.6 and 3.1 miles and up to eight of Perseverance’s 43 sample tubes could be filled with Mars rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).
Next, Perseverance will travel north then west toward the location of its second science campaign: Jezero’s delta region. The delta is the fan-shaped remains of the confluence of an ancient river and a lake within Jezero Crater.
The location may be especially rich in carbonates – minerals that, on Earth, can preserve fossilized signs of ancient life and can be associated with biological processes.
The start of Perseverance’s first science campaign also marks a transition on the team: On June 7, Jennifer Trosper became the mission’s new project manager. She succeeds Matt Wallace, who is moving on to become JPL’s Deputy Director for Planetary Science.
“From Sojourner to Spirit and Opportunity to Curiosity to Perseverance, Matt has played key roles in the design, construction, and operations of every Mars rover NASA has ever built,” said Trosper. “And while the project is losing a great leader and trusted friend, we know Matt will continue making great things happen for the planetary science community.”
More About the mission
A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life.
The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.
Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.
JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
This annotated image of Jezero Crater depicts the routes for Perseverance’s first science campaign (yellow hash marks) as well as its second (light-yellow hash marks). Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Superior Court reported Friday that it’s updating its operational protocols in response to state guidance.
As the court transitions its operations, it will continue to limit the number of cases on calendar, encourage physical distancing in court facilities as possible, monitor and apply state, local public health and Cal/OSHA guidance on face coverings as appropriate to court operations and will continue to handle matters via remote means when appropriate.
Under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “Beyond The Blueprint” plan, effective June 15, the physical distancing requirements and capacity restrictions currently in place will be removed.
In association with the plan, on June 9, the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, issued revised guidance on the requirement of face coverings for indoor events that requires an unvaccinated person to wear a face covering unless specifically exempted.
Also on June 9, the Cal/OSHA Board acted to maintain the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards, pending further review, which require physical distancing and face covering by all employees in the workplace unless specifically excluded.
As a result of the governor’s plan, the court will make the changes outlined below to its operations.
Mandatory in-person court calendars
Beginning June 21, the calendars below will begin — or continue — to require in-person appearances.
Zoom appearances will be allowed for those parties or attorneys that were previously ordered to appear by remote appearance, or those authorized under statute or emergency rule.
Criminal and civil jury trials Felony settlement conferences, Department 3, Tuesdays Felony preliminary hearings, Mondays Felony sentencing hearings, Mondays (remote appearance may be ordered by the judicial officer) Family and civil court trials and hearings, both short and long cause settings (remote appearances may be ordered by the judicial officer) Felony law and motion, Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m. Unlawful detainer, Mondays, Clearlake (remote appearances may be ordered by the judicial officer) Small claims, Mondays in Clearlake (remote appearances may be ordered by the judicial officer) Civil and family law mandatory settlement conferences, beginning June 28
In-person or remote court calendars (Zoom)
Beginning June 21, 2021, the calendars below will allow either in-person or Zoom appearances, unless otherwise ordered by a judicial officer.
Felony law and motion, Tuesdays Misdemeanor, disposition/setting, motions, Mondays Misdemeanor, arraignment, settlements, Tuesdays Conservatorship calendar, 1:30 p.m., Mondays Family law, law & motion, case management conferences, Tuesdays Domestic violence restraining order calendar, Tuesdays Juvenile delinquency, Mondays Juvenile dependency, Mondays Civil harassment calendar, Tuesdays Veteran’s Court, Wednesdays (first and third) Juvenile drug court, Wednesdays Traffic and infractions, Clearlake, Mondays Department of Child Support Services Family Law, Clearlake, Tuesdays
In-person or remote court calendars (court call)
These calendars will allow in-person appearance and continue to allow appearances by court call. Compliance with all existing rules of courts for telephonic appearances will be required.
Civil law and motion, Mondays Civil case management conferences, Mondays Probate calendar, 2 p.m. Mondays
Calendars to continue by remote appearances (Zoom)
The following calendars will continue to be conducted only by remote appearance.
For a period of time after June 15, the court will continue to conduct jury selection at the fairgrounds facility in all cases.
After selection, the jury trials will be conducted at the courthouse except for cases specifically set for jury trial at the fairgrounds facility.
Jurors who are unable to serve because they are high-risk for COVID-19 related complications, will be excused before coming to the courthouse.
Additional details about the process and precautions will be provided with the jury summons.
Face covering requirements
At present, and continuing effective June 15, the court will require that all individuals wear a proper face covering when coming into a court facility.
The provisions of the General Order on the Requirement of Wearing Face Coverings will continue in effect until further notice.
The court continues the requirement of face covering due to the uncertainty regarding the scope of the Cal/OSHA ETS directives, including application to jury service and the current requirement that all employees wear a proper face covering in the workplace.
The Cal/OSHA Standards are scheduled to be reviewed and may be subject to revision or further delineation on June 17.
The CDPH requires that unvaccinated persons wear a face covering in indoor settings which would include public buildings and the court facility.
It appears the application of the current guidance under the plan, CDPH and Cal/OSHA will result in classifications of people who are, and those who are not, required to wear a face covering while at court resulting in increased time and effort by the court to monitor compliance by the intermixing of the classifications during normal court operations.
Court officials said they are striving, under the present circumstances, to act to protect the health and safety of those coming to court.
The CDPH authorizes a business or other entity to continue a requirement that all participants wear a face covering.
The court is informed that courts in other counties are acting to retain face covering mandates in courthouses across the state.
The Lake County Superior Court will monitor the CalOSHA Standards related to face covering requirements, and when they are modified, review and potentially modify the court’s general order on face coverings.
The meeting ID is 920 7500 9310, pass code is 896861.
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From any mobile or landline phone, you may also dial 1-669-900-6833, and enter the Meeting ID and Passcode above, when prompted. To contribute to this meeting from a phone, press *9 to raise your hand, and *6 to unmute, once you are recognized to speak.
The public is encouraged to attend and participate via Zoom.
The full meeting agenda for this meeting can be viewed here.
On Feb. 23, the Board of Supervisors unanimously proclaimed “Promoting Tolerance, Respect, Equity and Inclusion” among its utmost priorities.
That historic moment culminated significant community efforts, and was punctuated by each supervisor reading a portion of the proclamation, and affirming their commitment to host a community visioning forum to unearth priorities in the following categories:
· Meaningful actions and activities that will build bridges where there may be walls;
· Fostering tolerance, respect, understanding, equity and inclusion;
· Promotion non-violence and non-violent conflict resolution;
· Focusing resources on underlying causes and conditions that lead to inequitable resource and justice distribution; and
· Relevant solutions for any social injustices, as they may come to light.
Community members and governmental leaders that resonated with the board’s proclamation volunteered to be a part of this historic effort, by applying for a spot on the county’s new Community Visioning Forum Planning Committee.
Members include Supervisor Eddie Crandell, Beniakem Cromwell, Angela Cuellar-Marroquin, Delores Farrell, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, Sally Peterson, JoAnn Saccato, Supervisor Tina Scott, Clearlake Mayor Dirk Slooten, Lakeport City Councilwoman Mireya Turner and Sue Williams. The law enforcement representative seat is vacant.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday took action to lift pandemic executive orders as the state moves Beyond the Blueprint next week to fully, safely reopen.
That includes terminating the stay-at-home order that was implemented early in the pandemic to protect Californians and retiring the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Effective June 15, restrictions such as physical distancing, capacity limits and the county tier system will end.
The governor is also continuing the wind down of executive actions put in place since March 2020 to help facilitate a coordinated response to the pandemic and ensure the state could quickly and efficiently respond to the impacts of the pandemic.
A subset of provisions that facilitate the ongoing recovery — such as the provision allowing pharmacy technicians to administer vaccinations as the state continues to vaccinate millions of eligible Californians every week — will remain in place.
“California is turning the page on this pandemic, thanks to swift action by the state and the work of Californians who followed public health guidelines and got vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities,” said Gov. Newsom. “With nearly 40 million vaccines administered and among the lowest case rates in the nation, we are lifting the orders that impact Californians on a day-to-day basis while remaining vigilant to protect public health and safety as the pandemic persists.”
The state’s decisive and early action through the stay-at-home order directing Californians to limit their interactions with people from other households and the blueprint criteria guiding the tightening and loosening of allowable activities based on the level of community transmission helped slow the spread of the virus, saving lives and protecting the state’s health care delivery system from being overwhelmed.
With nearly 40 million vaccines administered and among the lowest case rates in the country, California is entering a new phase, lifting these restrictions to fully reopen on June 15.
The Governor’s Office on Friday established a timeline and process to continue winding down the various provisions of the 58 COVID-related executive orders, which suspended statutes and regulations to help the state and businesses continue operations during the pandemic.
To ensure that impacted individuals and entities have time to prepare for the changes, the provisions will sunset in phases, beginning later this month, in July and in September.
For example, the suspension of certain licensing requirements for manufacturers to produce hand sanitizer will end on June 30, as shortages are no longer a concern.
By the end of September, nearly 90 percent of the executive actions taken since March 2020 will have been lifted.
On Friday the California Department of Public Health released a new state public health officer order that goes into effect on June 15.
The order replaces the previous pandemic public health orders with limited requirements related to face coverings and mega events, as well as settings with children and youth pending an expected update later this month to the K-12 school guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The action supports the full and safe reopening of the state, while maintaining focused public health requirements that address the risk posed by variants as some regions across the nation and world continue to experience high levels of transmission.
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