President Biden’s public schedule for 06/15/2023:
| 9:30 AM | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing The White House Closed Press |
| 1:45 PM Remarks | The President delivers remarks on protecting consumers from hidden junk fees and putting more money back in the pockets of everyday Americans South Court Auditorium Pre-Credentialed Media and Pooled for TV |
| 7:45 PM Movie Screening Remarks | The President and The First Lady host a screening of the film “Flamin’ Hot” South Lawn Open Press for Remarks |
From the White House…
Companies Agree to Provide Millions of Consumers with the Full Price Up Front, Eliminating Hidden Costs and Saving Families Money
Today, four months after he called out junk fees in his State of the Union and nine months after he first called for action to crack down on hidden fees to lower costs for consumers, President Biden is convening a meeting of private sector companies who have committed to end surprise fees by fully disclosing fees to consumers upfront. Together, these companies service millions of consumers each year, all of whom will receive a better shopping experience without surprise fees imposed at check-out.
White House.gov. 06/15/2023.
Junk fees — hidden, surprise fees that companies sneak onto customer bills — are a pervasive problem in industries across the economy. That’s why the President has been calling on federal agencies, Congress, and private companies to take action to address these fees and provide consumers with honest, transparent pricing. A large body of research has shown that fees charged at the back-end of the buying process, along with other types of junk fees, make it harder to comparison shop, impede competition, and lead to consumers paying more.
Today, the President is announcing actions by several companies in answer to that call. President Biden will be joined by representatives from Live Nation, SeatGeek, xBk, Airbnb, the Pablo Center at the Confluence, TickPick, DICE, and the Newport Festivals Foundation — companies large and small that currently provide all-in pricing or are announcing a new commitment to do so in the coming months.
In total, the companies that are making new commitments today will improve the purchasing experience for tens of millions of customers annually. These commitments are in response to the President’s call to action on junk fees in his State of the Union. For example, shortly after the State of the Union, Live Nation expressed interest to the Administration in announcing a commitment to offer all-in upfront pricing through its Ticketmaster platform. Today, Live Nation is committing to roll out an upfront all-in pricing experience in September showing just one clear, total price for more than 30 million fans who attend shows at the more than 200 Live Nation-owned venues and festivals across the country. Ticketmaster will also add a feature to give consumers the option to receive all-in upfront pricing for all other tickets sold on the platform.
Additional commitments include:
- SeatGeek, a ticketing platform that serves both the primary and secondary market, will roll-out product features over the course of the summer to make it easier for its millions of customers to shop on the basis of all-in price.
- xBk, a Des Moines, Iowa-based venue and board member for the National Independent Venue Association, will introduce all-in pricing for over 15,000 tickets sold to over 100 events hosted at the venue.
These actions follow those that have been taken by other companies since the President first called for a crackdown on hidden fees in September:
- Last December, Airbnb introduced a new total price display tool that allows US consumers to see all fees before taxes. Since then, more than 8 million visitors have taken advantage of the tool to view fee-inclusive pricing.
- The Pablo Center at the Confluence from Eau Claire, Wisconsin will discuss the all-in pricing it implemented this April for the 90,000 tickets it sells each year for events at its venue. Since implementing this policy, the Pablo Center reports that it has experienced a 15% uptick in ticket sales, illustrating how venues can provide consumers with a transparent purchasing experience without hurting their business.
In addition, the President will be joined by representatives from companies that have long featured all-in pricing as part of their business models:
- TickPick, a ticketing platform, has been displaying up-front, all-in pricing since its inception in 2011 for the more than 17 million users and 10 million tickets it sells per year.
- DICE, a global independent music ticketing company, has been displaying upfront, all-in pricing since it was founded in 2014 for the more than 34 million fans attending over 40,000 events every year.
- Newport Festivals Foundation, host of the long running Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival, and has been displaying all-in pricing for the all 65,000 fans that attend their events each year since 2017.
The Administration has also taken a number of administrative actions to address junk fees in every sector of the economy, including:
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) increased supervision of bank reliance on junk fees and issued guidance on illegal bounce check and overdraft fees, helping drive more than $5 billion in annual savings to consumers. Since the CFPB increased attention to these fees, 15 of the 20 biggest banks have committed to ending bounced check fees entirely. In addition, earlier this year the CFPB proposed a rule that is projected to cut credit card late fees by 75%, from $30 to $8, saving Americans up to $9 billion a year.
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on junk fees across the economy, as well as a proposed a new rule called “Click to Cancel,” which would require companies to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up.
- The Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed a rule that would require airlines to disclose all of their fees, from baggage fees to wireless internet to seat changing fees, up front when you’re first comparing prices. In addition, last month DOT announced they will propose a rule later this year mandating airlines cover expenses and compensate stranded passengers they are at fault for a flight cancellation or delay. DOT also published a dashboard of airline policies for when flights are delayed or cancelled due to issues under the airlines’ control, leading 9 airlines to change policies to guarantee coverage of hotels and 10 airlines to guarantee coverage of meals, none of which was guaranteed before.
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released new rules that will go into effect next year to require broadband providers to use “nutrition labels”—similar to those used for food products—to convey key information to consumers about internet service options in an accessible format. The information featured will include prices, speeds, data allowances, and any additional fees charged. In addition, earlier this year the FCC proposed a new rule that would require cable provides to show all in pricing for cable and satellite services.
Today’s voluntary actions demonstrate that companies both big and small recognize the importance of providing consumers with honest, up-front all-in pricing, rather than tricking them with surprise fees at the end of checkout. It is also just a first step towards addressing junk fees in the economy. The President continues to call on Congress to pass legislation that mandates up-front all-in pricing for all ticket sellers, bans surprise “resort fees,” eliminates early termination fees charged by cable, internet, and cellphone companies, and bans family seating fees.
White House.gov. 06/15/2023.
His remarks are scheduled for 1:45 p.m. D.C., time:
Deadline reported on Wednesday that the movie “Flamin’ Hot is “a recently released Hulu and Disney+ movie and the directorial debut of Eva Longoria, is the latest project to get a special screening at the White House.
They go onto to explain; The movie is based on the true story of a Frito-Lay janitor Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) who tapped into his Mexican-American heritage to invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, which became a cultural phenomenon.
The screening will take place on the South Lawn of the White House with cast and crew of the film in attendance. Latino Community leaders will also attend.
Trailer:
Economy Tweets
From Wednesday…
In economic news…
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday announced that the Fed had decided to leave their policy interest rate unchanged…
He also cautioned everyone not to “put too much weight on forecasts even one year out because they are so highly uncertain” adding that he thinks it could be appropriate to cut rates in the future–about two-years from now-ish…maybe…
The press release announcing the pause can be found here.
Chairman Powell’s opening press conference remarks can be found here.
The full press conference via Yahoo Finance YouTube can be found here.
Congratulations/Congrats Tweets
From Wednesday…
The final score not shown in word press was 89 to 94, Nuggets win the series 4-1.
Juneteenth Concert Tweets
From Wednesday…
On Tuesday the White House hosted a Juneteenth Concert. His remarks from the event can be found here.
The White House released the following announcement of the event on 06/07/2023:
The President and First Lady to Host a Juneteenth Concert on
Tuesday, June 13, 2023The White House announced today a Juneteenth Concert on Tuesday, June 13. The South Lawn concert will be a celebration of community, culture and music.
In 2021, President Biden signed bipartisan legislation establishing Juneteenth as the nation’s newest Federal holiday, so that all Americans can feel the power of this day, learn from our history, celebrate our progress, and recognize and engage in the work that continues.
President Biden has worked to advance racial equity and ensure the promise of America for Black Americans. See fact sheet on the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to advance equity and opportunity for Black Americans and communities across the country here.
This concert celebration will also take place during Black Music Month, where the Biden-Harris Administration will uplift American art forms that sing to the soul of the American experience.
This event is supported by (in alphabetical order): National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Pernod Ricard USA, STARZ #TaketheLead Initiative and The Recording Academy and will feature:
White House.gov. 06/07/2023.
- Audra McDonald
- Broadway Inspirational Voices
- Cliff “Method Man” Smith
- Colman Domingo
- Fisk Jubilee Singers
- Hampton University Concert Choir
- Jennifer Hudson
- Ledisi
- Maverick City Music
- Morgan State University Marching Band – The Magnificent Marching Machine
- Nicco Annan
- Patina Miller
- Step Afrika!
- Tennessee State University Marching Band – Aristocrat of Bands
- “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band
05/31/2023 the White House offered the following Proclamation:
During Black Music Month, we pay homage to legends of American music, who have composed the soundtrack of American life. Their creativity has given rise to distinctly American art forms that influence contemporary music worldwide and sing to the soul of the American experience.
Much of Black music is rooted in African rhythms, coupled with the experience of slavery and struggle in America. Barred from expressing themselves in their native tongues, enslaved people developed a language to articulate their hopes, dreams, sense of loss, and tenacity to overcome the harrowing nature of their lives. They used music to strategically and creatively voice their most deeply held feelings. Today, the creative ways that Black music tells stories of trial and triumph in American life continue to move us all to understand the common struggles of humanity. Spirituals, gospel, the blues, R&B, rock and roll, jazz, pop, rap, hip-hop, and more have molded American culture and given rise to new American art forms emulated around the globe.
Since taking office, my Administration has supported American creators and communities — uplifting more voices, inspiring new generations, and showing the full power of our example as a great Nation. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in strengthening the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities while securing over a billion more to help concert halls, theaters, museums, libraries, and other venues recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. I have also had the honor of celebrating legendary Black musicians at the White House who, along with thousands more across the country, have made a lifetime of contributions to this Nation.
This month, we celebrate the songs and artists that challenge us to think critically, stand up to injustice, and believe in ourselves. We recommit to expanding the promise of dignity and opportunity for all Americans. And we revel in the sounds, spirit, and soul of some of the very best music ever created.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2023 as Black Music Month. I call upon public officials, educators, and all the people of the United States to observe this month by honoring Black musicians and raising awareness and appreciation of Black music.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
White House.gov. 05/31/2023.
thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.
I looked on YouTube and google and clips of this event are in short supply. I’m guessing due to copyright laws…
Happy Birthday Tweet
From Wednesday…
The clip is 1 minute and 21 seconds long celebrating the past, present, and future of the U.S. Army, for their 248 birthday.
Happy 11th Anniversary Tweet
From Thursday…
His full statement:
Eleven years ago on this day, President Obama and I announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to allow young people to live and work in the only country they’ve called home. Since then, DACA has provided more than 800,000 Dreamers the ability to work lawfully, pursue an education, and contribute their immense skills and talents to better our communities.
White House.gov. 06/15/2023.
Dreamers are Americans. Many have spent the majority of their lives in the United States. They are our doctors, our teachers, and our small business owners. Dreamers strengthen our economy, enrich our workplaces, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, many served their communities on the frontlines.
The first version of the Dream Act was introduced to Congress by Senator Dick Durbin and former Republican Senator Orrin Hatch more than twenty years ago. Since then, the bill has been championed by bipartisan coalitions of lawmakers, business and educational leaders and organizations, and the overwhelming majority of the American public. But at each opportunity, Congress has failed to act.
My Administration is committed to providing Dreamers the opportunities and support they need to succeed. That’s why in April I announced a plan to expand health coverage for DACA recipients, and directed the Department of Homeland Security to “preserve and fortify” DACA.
While Vice President Harris and I will continue fighting to pass legislation to protect Dreamers and create a path to citizenship, only Congress can provide permanent and lasting stability for these young people and their families. Congress must act to protect our Dreamers.
The tweet marking the DACA anniversary is his current pinned tweet.
This is an Open Thread.
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