Bill Clinton plans big changes for Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting
'We need to redefine how we show up, how we work, and how we find ways to honor our common humanity,' Clinton wrote in a letter to the CGI community released Thursday. 'This September, our goal will be to connect dots across issues, expose the consequences, and confront the complicated issues in front of us.'
Since its launch in 2005, the CGI annual meeting has served as a platform for political, business and philanthropic leaders to announce new initiatives or new financial support for existing programs addressing the world's problems. At the 2024 meeting, former First Lady Jill Biden announced $500 million in new annual spending for women's health research, while Prince Harry outlined his plans to help children and their parents navigate cyberspace better.
This year's meeting — held once again during United Nations General Assembly week and led by Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton — will also include Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, as well as Gilead Sciences CEO Daniel O'Day, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready, and Open Society Foundations President Binaifer Nowrojee. However, the focus this year will be on forging new solutions for economic, health, climate and humanitarian issues.
'The CGI community is built for moments like this,' Clinton wrote. 'This year marks two decades of our community convening and responding directly to global crises.'
In previous years, CGI helped organize responses to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Caribbean hurricanes in 2017, and the COVID-19 pandemic. CGI estimates it has helped more than 500 million people in 186 countries over the past two decades.
President Donald Trump's administration has swiftly dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, arguing that many programs did not advance American interests. A number of philanthropic funders have stepped in to replace some support of humanitarian programs and public health initiatives, but many gaps remain.
CGI hopes to close those gaps with a series of 'Leaders Stage Sessions,' where representatives from a wide range of organizations – including GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan, Center for Disaster Philanthropy CEO Patricia McIlreavy, AFL-CIO President, and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten -- will work together to create new initiatives.
'Now is the time to stand up and roll up our sleeves — and do our part to reverse the trend lines and begin charting a brighter future,' Clinton said in a statement.
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as part of its Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Organizers declined comment on what impact, if any, the subpoenas would have on planning for the CGI annual meeting. Former Secretary Clinton is expected to provide a deposition on Oct. 9, while former President Clinton's deposition is expected on Oct. 14.
____
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
27 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bald eagles hatched in Piedmont. It turned into a neighborhood reckoning with patriotism
Lo Bloustein was looking through the viewfinder of her camera to a bald eagle nest in the distance when she noticed tears rolling down the face of the woman next to her. Bloustein pulled the stranger into her arms, Bloustein's own eyes now shimmering with tears. The two women had never met before that moment but were brought together by the arrival of two bald eagle fledglings in a massive nest visible from Moraga Avenue in Piedmont. Tomiko Eya, a resident of the neighborhood, wasn't crying because she was moved by the birds nested in a eucalyptus tree, but because she was concerned about the state of the country. American iconography like the American flag and the bald eagle have long been fraught symbols for some. And as President Donald Trump continues to dismantle the rights of marginalized communities like transgender people and immigrants, long-held symbols of the federal government and freedom feel especially loaded for some Americans. 'I can't believe we're going backwards,' Eya said, looking out toward the baby birds that will grow to resemble the iconic visage of the national bird. Put on the endangered species list in 1967, bald eagles have made a modest comeback in the Bay Area. But, observers say, this is the first time in recent memory that a bald eagle pair in the area has successfully hatched their eggs. In 2023, a mating pair attempted to nest in Alameda but never produced offspring. On a sunny day in late July, there were almost 30 people standing on the sidewalk next to Eya and Bloustein. Cars slowed in front of the crowd, their drivers befuddled by the streetside gathering. Bloustein beckoned for them to pull over and come take a look through her cameras, which had been focused toward the nest in a eucalyptus tree for hours. Since early April, when a neighbor spotted the twin silhouettes of the hatchlings, the neighborhood has been captivated by the family of four. Now, a fledgling covered in brown feathers — their renowned white feathers won't come in for a few years — stood at the edge of the nest, stretching its wings. For some onlookers like Eya and Bloustein, the birds — and their place in American iconography — bring up difficult feelings as a political divide deepens between citizens. The last few years have seen a flood of protests for racial justice, immigrant rights and trans rights. And while some protesters want to reclaim the American flag for the left, white supremacists and conservatives have also raised the American flag as a symbol of nationalism. 'It's the same with the flag — how do you feel looking at the flag right now?' Bloustein said to herself. 'Rage and fear. I have such a hard time right now with America in general.' The bald eagle has been a symbol of America since 1782, when it was first featured on the Great Seal of the United States. Over the years, the eagle has come to adorn federal and state buildings, money and military uniforms. But it didn't become the national bird until 2024, when former President Joe Biden gave it that official designation. As a youth, Eya attended schools in Chicago and Los Angeles, where she said the bald eagle seemed exclusively symbolic of the federal government. But her family history has complicated her view of American iconography. Eya's father was incarcerated alongside other Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II at Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas — another state where bald eagles are known to hatch and raise their young. Her father's incarceration and the racial discrimination he faced after the war made him lean into patriotism, she said. 'It was such a horrible experience for him,' she said. 'And it made him more conservative, if you can believe it. He wanted to be as American as he could be.' That trauma trickled down to Eya, too, but transformed her into a self-identified radical from a young age. 'My parents wanted me to be as white as I could be, to shut my mouth, which was very hard for me,' she said. 'I've never been that quiet.' Before her father passed, Eya gave him an American flag for his birthday. But she'd never have one at her own home because she associates it with Japanese incarceration, slavery and other acts of state-sanctioned violence. Still, she doesn't want to put blame on a wild animal for something humans have projected onto it. Her eyes shimmered with tears as she looked out at the tree, where one of the fledglings was spreading its wings. 'I sort of separate it out because I don't want to put any negativity on the eagles,' Eya said. Bloustein, who lives in San Francisco, agreed. 'When Trump was elected, I started going out to Holly Park at dawn because I needed to see the sunrise and the birds — things that the government couldn't f— up,' she said.
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Trump Envoy Slammed for 'Damaging Incompetence' Over Putin Talks
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has been slammed for "damaging incompetence" over his talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Michael McFaul, who served in the Barack Obama administration, including as U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation, reacted to reports that Witkoff presented conflicting narratives about Putin's intentions in several calls with European leaders last week, creating confusion. Newsweek was unable to verify these reports and contacted Witkoff and the White House outside of normal business hours for comment. Why It Matters One of Trump's pledges during the 2024 presidential campaign was to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, but he has thus far failed to do so. In a renewed attempt to broker a peace deal between the warring countries, Witkoff met Putin on Wednesday for three hours of talks in what was his fifth trip to Moscow in his capacity as Trump's envoy. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, right, shake hands during their meeting in Moscow on August 6, 2025. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, right, shake hands during their meeting in Moscow on August 6, 2025. Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP What To Know According to The Wall Street Journal, Witkoff presented Putin's ceasefire plan to European officials after he met with the Russian leader. Citing anonymous sources, the publication said Moscow was prepared to withdraw from the southern regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in exchange for full control of Donetsk Oblast. The publication said that the next day, he presented a different claim—that Putin would withdraw and freeze the front line, and that during a third call, he said the Russian leader wanted Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk in an exchange for a ceasefire. McFaul, now a Stanford University academic said: "This is deeply damaging incompetence. Witkoff should finally start taking a note taker from the U.S. embassy for future meetings. That's how professional diplomacy works." Meanwhile, other figures also criticized Witkoff. Journalist Michael Weiss wrote: "The U.S. envoy is grossly incompetent and his confusion is causing diplomatic crises." Garry Kasparov, a Russian chess grandmaster and political activist wrote: "Like so most of Trump's appointees, Witkoff's only qualification is that Trump is sure he will put Trump's personal interests and desires over American national interests without a second thought. Of course he's incompetent." What People Are Saying Writing on Truth Social about the meeting, President Donald Trump said: "My special envoy, Steve Witkoff, just had a highly productive meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Great progress was made! Afterwards, I updated some of our European allies. Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come." What Happens Next Trump is scheduled to meet Putin in Alaska on August 15 as part of his efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Time Magazine
an hour ago
- Time Magazine
Why Stocks Keeps Rising—Despite Trump's Tariff Chaos
As America hikes tariffs sharply, the jobs market slips, and President Donald Trump turns his ire from Harvard to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the stock market refuses to collapse. Despite these economic speed bumps, the S&P 500 Index is up nearly 8% so far this year. How long this rise can continue depends on whether the fundamental strength of the U.S. economy can withstand the wrenching transformation to the global trading system that President Trump has forced. Economics textbooks insist that stock prices reflect the future stream of a company's profits on any given day. For all the brainpower devoted to these forecasts, however, they are essentially rough estimates of what may happen over the next twelve months and wild guesses about anything after that. Over the past several weeks, more companies than usual reported second-quarter results that beat market expectations, and analysts have even slightly raised their estimates for the next three months. Market valuations are higher than historical averages (about 22 times forward earnings) But the bulls argue that this includes those transformative tech firms that will reap handsome rewards from the artificial intelligence revolution. Read More: The Chaotic, Fantastical World of Donald Trump's Tariffs That's all pretty reasonable for an economy that has grown on average 2.8% for the last five years, recovering nicely from COVID-19 lockdowns, powering through the sharpest interest rate increases in 40 years, and still going strong as the president fundamentally redesigns the global trading order. Generous checks and rock-bottom interest rates following the pandemic may explain at least some of this remarkable performance. Still, stocks are all about future expectations, and none of this history reveals much about the impact of the Trump Administration's dramatic policy departures. The 'One Big Beautiful Bill' locked in lower corporate tax rates and delivered a massive boost to defense spending, adding some $3.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The administration promises, however, that together with a wave of deregulation, growth rates will be more than 1% higher over the next four years. That would be quite something, but most independent economists expect more headwinds from tariffs than tailwinds from tax cuts and deregulation. The International Monetary Fund recently raised global growth forecasts to 3.1% this year—but doesn't expect more than 2% in the U.S. in 2025 or 2026. The problem is that tariffs represent a large stealth tax increase as average rates rise from 2.5% to nearly 20%, depending on what goods are ultimately covered. Not all prices will rise by this much as imports represent just over 10% of the economy, and many companies will absorb some of the higher costs. Still, the $300 billion in tariff revenues that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expects this year will be paid by Americans. Worse than this one-off blow, however, is the lingering uncertainty for investors and corporate strategists. Even as Trump's tariffs went into effect on Aug. 7, crucial details of the deals he has announced remain unknown. Meanwhile, Trump has promised more tariffs on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. And even if pending court cases force him to backtrack on some tariffs, his 'Truth Social' threats of tariffs to pressure Brazilian prosecutors or block India's purchases of Russian oil will keep everyone on their backfoot. Read More: Trump's Decision to Fire BLS Commissioner Echoes Putin's Strategies There's also a big question around Chinese imports, many of which could see tariffs snap back to 145% if the current truce is not extended beyond Aug. 12. Negotiators signaled they might extend the deadline, working towards an agreement that Trump and China's president Xi Jinping could endorse at a fall summit. Then, the White House walked back this suggestion. Indeed, it doesn't take much more than a weather balloon to derail this fragile relationship. Markets delivered a bone-chilling response to Trump's initial 'Liberation Day' tariff announcements in early April with a simultaneous sell-off of U.S. stocks, treasury bonds, and the dollar. If that news came as a jolt, today's rocketing stock prices suggest investors believe the economy can handle higher costs and persistent uncertainty. Or they believe the Fed will be cutting rates soon. But the real test will come in the fall when goods with their new post-tariff price tags start arriving in stores. Will they bring another burst of inflation that the Fed has to fight with delayed rate cuts? Could they damage the holiday spirits of American shoppers and raise the risks of recession? Still worse, might we see both? If a U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, escalating fighting in Ukraine, and the president's persistent attacks on the Fed aren't enough to derail this market, it could be a burst of 1970s-style 'stagflation' that does the trick.
