It’s Wednesday…
President Biden’s public schedule for 06/21/2023:
| 12:00 PM Presidential Daily Briefing | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing (9:00 AM Local) Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, CA Closed Press |
| 1:05 PM Leaves San Fran | The President departs San Francisco, California en route to Joint Base Andrews (10:05 AM Local) San Francisco International Airport Out-of-Town Pool |
| 4:00 PM | In-Town Pool Call Time The White House In-Town Pool |
| 5:50 PM Arrives Joint Base Andrews | The President arrives at Joint Base Andrews Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool |
| 6:00 PM Leaves Joint Base Andrews | The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route to the White House North GroundsIn-Town Travel Pool |
| 6:50 PM Welcomes PM Narendra Modi of India | The President and The First Lady welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India to the White House South Portico In-House Pool |
| 7:15 PM Has Dinner with PM Modi of India | The President hosts Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India for dinner The White House Closed Press |
05/10/2023: From the White House; Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the Official State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22, 2023. The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together. The visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space. The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security.
White House.gov. 05/10/2023.
Investing in America Tweets (if you squint)
From Tuesday…
Snip from the White House fact-sheet Biden-Harris Administration Makes Historic Investments to Build Community Climate Resilience; I shared the full fact-sheet in Tuesday’s Biden’s Bits.
Through the President’s historic Investing in America agenda, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will later this week launch a first-ever *$575 million Climate Resilience Regional Challenge to help coastal and Great Lakes communities, including Tribal communities in those regions, become more resilient to extreme weather and other impacts of the climate crisis. The funding will support innovative coastal resilience and adaptation solutions, such as building natural infrastructure, planning and preparing for community-led relocation, and protecting public access to coastal natural resources, that protect communities and ecosystems from sea level rise, tidal flooding hurricanes, storm surge, among other severe climate impacts. The Challenge is part of the $2.6 billion in resilience funding for NOAA included in the Inflation Reduction Act, and is part of the President’s Justice40 Initiative.
In addition, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing $2.3 billion in states, Territories, Tribes, and the District of Columbia over the next five years to bolster grid resilience across the country. As part of this investment, California is set to receive *$67.4 million in the coming days, with the ability to apply for additional funding in the future, to modernize its electric grid to reduce impacts from extreme weather, natural disasters, and wildfires, and to ensure the reliability of the state’s power sector.
White House.gov. 06/19/2023.
*Media outlets are using those two figures to reach the $600 million plus investments to build climate resilience.*
From Wednesday…
The above tweet is his subtle but not that subtle reminder that he has the backing of major Unions across the country for the upcoming 2024 Presidential Campaign…
On Friday AFL-CIO announced:
Earliest Presidential Endorsement in AFL-CIO History Triggers Massive Campaign in Support of Biden–Harris
The General Board of the AFL-CIO—representing 60 unions and more than 12.5 million workers—voted today to endorse President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for re-election in 2024. The endorsement vote marks the earliest the AFL-CIO has ever voted to endorse in a presidential election, triggering an unprecedented mobilization that will engage millions of working people over the course of nearly 17 months on the Biden–Harris record of transforming the economy to one that works for all.
AFL-CIO.org. 06/16/2023
On Saturday Union Members hosted a political rally for President Biden in Philadelphia, PA; the White House does post remarks from campaign events, but only the transcript, they provide no White House YouTube live stream…
Look, folks, *I’ve said many times: Wall Street didn’t build America, you did. You did. (Applause.) Not a joke. I’ve been saying this for a long time, long before I ran for president. The middle class built this country, and you built the middle class. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 06/17/2023.
*He is not lying he has said it many times in varying ways…*
This morning the White House announced the second leg of the “Investing in America Tour”…
Biden Administration to launch second installment of Investing in America tour coinciding with the Fourth of July Congressional Recess
On Monday, June 26, President Biden will kick off a second round of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America tour with a major infrastructure funding announcement at the White House. Over the course of three weeks, President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, Cabinet members, and Senior Administration Officials will barnstorm across the country to highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is driving a manufacturing and clean energy boom, rebuilding America’s infrastructure, lowering costs, and creating good-paying jobs. The three-week tour will run from June 26 through July 15, overlapping with the two-week Congressional Recess around Independence Day.
During the tour, President Biden and leaders across the Administration will travel directly to communities benefitting [benefiting] from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This includes communities seeing new manufacturing and clean energy investments spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act, new infrastructure projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, small businesses and families saving money on high-speed internet as a result of the American Rescue Plan, and more. While Congressional Republicans try to repeal key provisions of the Investing in America agenda that are lowering costs for millions of Americans and revitalizing American manufacturing, President Biden and leaders across the Administration will highlight how the President’s Investing in America agenda is creating jobs and opportunity in every corner of the country.
Earlier this month, the White House launched a new website, Invest.gov, where Americans can see the historic levels of public and private sector investments going to their communities, spurred by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.A few highlights of the upcoming Investing in America tour include:
White House.gov. 06/21/2023.
- President Biden will make a major infrastructure announcement at the White House on Monday, June 26.
- Vice President Harris will highlight the Administration’s historic investments in small businesses, environmental justice communities, and Tribal and Native communities through travel and other engagements.
- First Lady Jill Biden will continue to highlight how career-connected learning and workforce training programs are critical to preparing high school and community college students for good-paying jobs created by the President’s Investing in America agenda.
- Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will travel to Hawai‘i to spotlight how investments from the Investing in America agenda are benefitting island communities, and later in the tour will travel to Burlington, Vermont to see how resources from the Inflation Reduction Act will strengthen wildfire resilience and Albany, New York to highlight how the President’s Investing in America agenda is driving progress in offshore wind development, and is strengthening the union workforce and American manufacturing.
- Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will travel to Michigan and Iowa to highlight efforts by the Biden Administration to improve access to nutritious foods, lower costs for consumers, and create more markets for farmers and producers.
- Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will travel to Minnesota and Rhode Island to tout investments from the Biden-Harris Administration to deliver high-speed internet to every American and from the CHIPS and Science Act to invest in our supply chains, bolster domestic manufacturing and create jobs across the country.
- Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra will travel to Ohio, Michigan, and New York to highlight how the Inflation Reduction Act is lowering health care costs for millions of seniors and American families. During the visits, Secretary Becerra will also underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to protecting cost-saving provisions of the law that Congressional Republicans are trying to strip away in favor of tax breaks for corporations and the wealthiest Americans.
- Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will travel to Washington to highlight infrastructure investments that will improve transportation and help people get around more safely and efficiently. During the tour, the Department of Transportation will also announce new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructure across the country.
- Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm will participate in the “People Powered: Summer Road Trip Brought to You by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda,” where she will travel across four states in an electric vehicle, highlighting private and public sector investments in batteries, electric vehicle chargers and supply chains, clean energy technologies, and more. During this electrified road trip, Secretary Granholm will travel through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, and will highlight new and existing efforts from the Biden-Harris Administration to build a clean energy economy, create clean energy jobs and cut costs for all Americans.
- Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will travel to New York and Pennsylvania to showcase education and training programs that are preparing American students and workers for advanced manufacturing jobs created by the Investing in America agenda. Last month, the White House launched a “workforce sprint” focused specifically on the advanced manufacturing sector to ensure American workers have the skills and training needed to fill advanced manufacturing jobs in innovative industries such as semiconductors, clean energy, biomanufacturing, infrastructure, and more.
- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Michael Regan will travel to Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Louisiana to highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is delivering environmental and economic benefits for all. During the tour, Administrator Regan will announce new resources to combat climate change and build a clean energy economy, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Senior Advisor and American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling will travel to Detroit, Michigan to celebrate the reopening of Roosevelt Park, made possible by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
- Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu will travel to New Mexico and Texas, as well as states across the Southeast, to highlight infrastructure projects funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- Senior Advisor for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation John Podesta will attend a ribbon cutting in South Carolina for a clean energy manufacturing investment project, mobilized by the Inflation Reduction Act. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk will also be attending a ribbon cutting for the largest wind farm in Arizona, and will highlight how the Inflation Reduction Act has accelerate growth in renewable energy industries across the country.
Over the course of three weeks, the Investing in America tour will visit over twenty states, including: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawai’i, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Vermont, and more.
White House.gov. 06/21/2023
Managing the risks of Artificial Intelligence Tweets
From Tuesday…
The YouTube is 3 minutes and 57 seconds long.
From Wednesday…
His full remarks:
Well, thanks for joining me today, everyone. I appreciate it very much.
And especially thanks to my buddy Governor Newsom, who is one of the best governors I’ve ever worked with, and Arati, the — my director of my Office of Science and Technology and Policy.
And earlier this year, we met with my Council on Science and Technology Advisors and — and some of America’s top minds to discuss the possibilities and the risks associated with artificial intelligence.
In May, Kamala and I convened the CEOs of American companies foremost involved in AI development to underscore their responsibility in making sure their products are used safely before making them public.
The same here today: I want to hear directly from the experts. And these are the world — some of the world’s leading experts on this issue and the intersection of technology and society, who we — who we can provide a range — who can provide a range of perspectives for us and — on AI’s enormous promise and its risks.
As I’ve said before, we’re — we’ll see more technological change in the next 10 years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years and maybe even beyond that. And AI is already driving that change in every part of the American life, often in ways we don’t notice.
AI is already making it easier to search the Internet, helping us drive to our destinations while avoiding traffic in real time. AI is going to change the way we teach, learn, and help solve challenges like disease and climate change — and giving — giving the time to focus on the things that matter most to you personally.
But in seizing this moment, we need to manage the risks to our society, to our economy, and our national security. My administration is committed — is committed to safeguarding America’s rights and safety, from protecting privacy, to addressing bias and disinformation, to making sure AI systems are safe before they are released.
Last October, we proposed an AI Bill of Rights to ensure that important protections are built into the AI systems from the very start.
Earlier this year, I signed an executive order to direct my Cabinet to root out bias in the design and use of AI.
And in May, we announced a new strategy for funding the respon- — for responsible AI development so Americans can lead the way and drive breakthroughs in this critical area, from cybersecurity to public health to ar- — agriculture to education and, quite frankly, so much more.
Social media has already shown us the harm of powerful — that powerful — powerful technology can do without the right safeguards in place. That’s why I said at the State of the Union that Congress needs to pass bipartisan privacy legislation to impose strict limits on personal data collection, ban targeting advertising to our children, and require companies to put health and safety first.
Next month, the Vice President will be — will convene the civil rights leaders of America, consumer protection groups, and civil society to continue the — our administration’s ongoing engagement on AI.
But today, I’d like to hear more from this group, because I have a lot to learn and we also have a lot to discuss. So, I’d like to ask the press to leave the room. Thank you for coming in.
White House.gov. 06/20/2023.
The Q&A was short too focused on:
Q Mr. President, have you spoken to your son today? Have you spoken to Hunter today?
(Cross-talk by reporters.)
Q Mr. President, any reaction to his guilty plea?
(Cross-talk by reporters.)
Q Have you spoken to your son today, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: I’m very proud of my son.
White House.gov. 06/20/2023.
World Refugee Day Tweet
From Tuesday…
His full statement:
On World Refugee Day, we join nations around the world in honoring the bravery and resilience of millions of refugees forced to flee violence and oppression. Together, as we celebrate their diverse contributions to the fabric of our communities, we renew our support to citizens and organizations who step up to provide them with critical care, services, and assistance.
Today, nearly 110 million people have been forced to leave their homes around the world—more refugees than at any other time in history. Russia’s brutal and unjust assault of Ukraine forced millions to seek safety in other countries at a rate not seen since World War II. Meanwhile, men, women, and children who have been displaced for years— from Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan—have little hope for a solution to their displacement.
That is why my Administration has worked hard to rebuild the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The United States plans to welcome 125,000 refugees next year, a level not achieved in three decades. We have also strengthened the U.S. resettlement program, including advancing opportunities for refugees to find work and contribute to our economy. In January, we launched the Welcome Corps, a new private sponsorship program that enables Americans to play a leading role in welcoming refugees as they build new lives in communities across the country. The United States continues to be the single largest provider of humanitarian assistance for refugees worldwide—including healthcare, clean water, and education, in partnership with international and non-governmental partners, to tens of millions of refugees and the communities hosting them around the world.
But refugee protection is a shared, transnational challenge that requires shared solutions. That is why we are working with regional partners in our own hemisphere to provide protection and support for stabilization and integration to those in need, in alignment with the Los Angeles Declaration for Migration and Protection. We are working with the World Bank and the United Nations to strengthen refugee inclusion around the world, because when refugees are allowed to work, they contribute to the economy and strengthen the communities that host them.
Welcoming refugees is part of who we are as Americans—our nation was founded by those fleeing religious persecution. When we take action to help refugees around the world, and include them, we honor this past and are stronger for it. And together, we create a more hopeful and better future—one that embodies our highest values.
White House.gov. 06/20/2023.
FCC proposed a Rule Tweet
From Tuesday…
Full Title: All-In Pricing for Cable and Satellite Television Service
Document Type: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
Bureau(s): Media
Description FCC seeks comment on enhanced pricing transparency requiring cable and satellite TV providers to provide to consumers the “all-in” price for video programming services in promotional materials and on subscribers’ bills.
DA/FCC #: FCC-23-52
Docket No: 23-203
Files
Primary Attachment Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Docx Pdf Txt Supplementary Attachments
STATEMENT OF FCC CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL:
All-In Pricing for Cable and Satellite Television Service, MB Docket No. 23-203, Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking.Consumers deserve to know exactly what they are paying for when they sign up for a cable or direct broadcast satellite subscription. No one likes surprises on their bill. The advertised price for a service should be the price you pay when your bill arrives, rather than hide a bunch of junk fees that are separate from the top-line service price.
Increases in programming costs shouldn’t be described as a tax, fee, or surcharge. The “all-in” pricing format we propose today would allow consumers to make informed choices by letting them more easily comparison shop among competing providers and evaluate programming costs against alternative programming providers, including streaming services.
Not only would this proposal reduce cost confusion and make it easier for consumers to compare services, but it would also increase competition among cable and broadcast satellite providers through improved price transparency.
Like our prior work to adopt a new Broadband Nutrition Label, which requires broadband providers to display easy-to-understand labels to allow consumers to comparison shop for broadband services, this is another step in our initiative to improve price transparency and competition. I look forward to the record that develops and then moving ahead with policies to protect and inform consumers by ensuring up-front and all-in pricing on their cable and satellite services.
Docs.FCC.gov. 06/20/2023.
President Biden’s full statement on the proposed rule:
My Administration’s top priority is lowering the cost of living for the middle class, and that includes cracking down on companies’ use of junk fees to hide true costs from families, who end up paying more as a result. Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under the leadership of Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, proposed a new rule that would require cable and satellite TV providers to give consumers the all-in price for the service they’re offering up front. Too often, these companies hide additional junk fees on customer bills disguised as “broadcast TV” or “regional sports” fees that in reality pay for no additional services. These fees really add up: according to one report, they increase customer bills by nearly 25% of the price of base service.
White House.gov. 06/20/2023.
The FCC all-in pricing proposal would help consumers comparison shop between providers and increase competition for viewers. This is only the latest action taken by my Administration to crack down on junk fees in order to increase transparency, and bring down costs for hard working Americans. Junk fees may not matter much for the wealthy, but they hit working families hard, costing them hundreds of dollars that could be used to help pay their bills.
This is an Open Thread.
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