This is Brian Laird's Daily Politics podcast from WNYC Studios.

It's Friday, June 14th.

Today we're taking a global look at the state of affairs around the world, given that the G7 summit of industrialized

nations is convening in Italy right now. That's where President Biden is today. He's already

made some news on the war in Ukraine, which we're going to talk about. The Pope is there too,

and he's making news about artificial intelligence. And then, oddly enough, there are actually

far more nations at the G7

than the seven in the G7. We're going to try to sort through the diplomatic dancing and happy

handshaking at the summit, plus the political goings-on at home with Susan Glasser, staff

writer at the New Yorker. Susan writes a column on life in Biden's Washington and co-anchors a weekly

discussion on the political scene podcast. She's co-author with Peter Baker of The Divider, Trump

in the White House 2017 to 2021. Susan, welcome back to the Brian Laird Show.

Hey, great to be with you today. Thank you. Oh, it's our pleasure. So glad to have this chat with you. So there's something unusual I've been reading about this group of seven summit this year.

It's like the annual meeting of industrialized nations, so-called West. But today at the G7 summit, leaders from India, Brazil, Turkey, other non-Western countries are going to be on

the stage. And they were invited by the host, Italy. What is the meaning of this? I'm curious.

Is this an acknowledgement that the influence, the wealth, the population of the West is waning,

relatively speaking. And then if all of the West is waning, relatively speaking.

And then if all of these other countries are there, it also made me wonder, what's even the point of having a G7 anyway, right? So these are the questions I've been circulating in my mind

that I've been wanting to ask you about. Well, that's right. This is G7 plus guests, a lot of guests.

And in part, it reflects the idea that this is a club that a lot of people want to belong to.

There's a certain, you know, magnetic quality to it.

And, you know, if other world leaders want to be at the table that this might be a pretty attractive perk. Also, Italy, as the host you pointed out, it's really their decision.

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