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☆ Watch President Biden address the state of the US economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch President Biden address the state of the US economyPresident Biden delivers a speech on the economy, focusing on the bipartisan infrastructure law, bringing back American manufacturing, and combating unemployment with the American Rescue Plan.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Email, American

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInside America's largest asphalt maker and road paver94 percent of the roads in the U.S. are paved with asphalt. Companies like CRH - the largest road paver in America - are newly flush with billions from the US government which is the largest buyer of asphalt in the country. Some in the business say it's the golden age of infrastructure. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, is adding $1.2 trillion, a 40% to 50% increase over the previous FAST Act. But there are some strings attached.

Organizations: Infrastructure Investment, Jobs Locations: U.S, America

☆ Sen. Tommy Tuberville voted against a bill that just gave his state $1.4 billion for rural broadband. He's celebrating it anyway.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Biden administration announced Monday that Alabama will get $1.4 billion in broadband funding. Sen. Tommy Tuberville celebrated the news, calling the funding "crucial" for rural broadband. But he voted against the 2021 infrastructure bill that established the program he's now touting. "Coach voted against the infrastructure bill because it wasted Alabamians' tax dollars. He's advocated for including expanding rural broadband as part of an upcoming farm bill, and he introduced legislation earlier this year to shield broadband grants from being taxed as income.

Persons: Sen, Tommy Tuberville, —, Republican Sen, Tuberville, I've, Terri Sewell, Terri A, Sewell, Steven Stafford, Stafford, He's Organizations: Biden, Alabama, Service, Republican, Broadband Equity, Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Infrastructure Law, White House, Democratic, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy Locations: Alabama

☆ Biden invites Italian PM Meloni to visit White House in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about infrastructure jobs and job training in broadband, construction, and manufacturing following the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act during an event in the East Room of the White House in... Read moreWASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on Monday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni about the brief uprising by Russian mercenaries against the Kremlin and also invited her to visit the White House in July, the White House said in a statement. Biden has spoken with key allies about the events in Russia and the phone call with Meloni was part of that effort, the statement said. "The leaders affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine," it said. Biden and Meloni also discussed preparations for the NATO summit in Vilnius next month and recent developments in North Africa, the White House said. Reporting by Eric BeechOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Read, Giorgia Meloni, Biden, Meloni, Eric Beech Organizations: Infrastructure Law, White, Italian, Kremlin, Ukraine, NATO, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, Russian, Russia, Vilnius, North Africa

Bidenomics gets a rebootPresident Biden plans to double down on his economic record in a big campaign-style speech on Wednesday. Yet despite the good news, Mr. Biden hasn’t seen a big jump in his popularity, and he trails his Republican rivals, according to some polls. “Bidenomics” will be at the heart of the president’s message. “But it’s working.” The Donilon-Dunn memo tries to give the messaging around Bidenomics a reboot. They point to how, for example, the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act and the infrastructure law are creating jobs in the high-tech, manufacturing and green sectors.

Persons: Bidenomics, Biden, Biden hasn’t, “ Bidenomics, Anita Dunn, Mike Donilon, Michael D, ”, Dunn Organizations: Republican, Biden

☆ Biden administration details plans for $42 bln investment in US internet access
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The $42 billion in federal funding under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program is based on a newly released Federal Communications Commission coverage map that details gaps in access. Texas and California - the two most populous U.S. states - top the funding list at $3.1 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively. But other less populous states like Virginia, Alabama and Louisiana cracked the top 10 list for funding due to lack of broadband access. The administration estimates there are some 8.5 million locations in the U.S. that lack access to broadband connections. The lack of broadband access drew attention during COVID shutdowns that forced students into online schooling.

Persons: Joe Biden, Read, Joe Biden's, Jeff Zients, Zients, Franklin Roosevelt's, COVID, Biden, Anita Dunn, Mike Donilon, Jarrett Renshaw, Scott Malone, Chris Reese, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Infrastructure Law, White, Broadband, Federal Communications, Congress, Verizon, Comcast, Charter Communications, Thomson Locations: Texas, California, U.S, Virginia , Alabama, Louisiana, America, Chicago

☆ Here’s how much each state will get in the $42.5 billion broadband infrastructure plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

And it reflects months of work by the US government to design new and updated broadband maps showing which areas of the country remain unserved or under-served. The updated maps allowed the US government to calculate which states had the greatest need for broadband funding and to distribute the infrastructure law’s resources accordingly. States and territories may begin applying for the funds as soon as July 1, the White House said. And it complements another $23 billion across five separate broadband access programs included in the legislation, such as a program specifically aimed at Tribal connectivity and another for low-income households. Monday’s announcement marked the launch of a three-week nationwide tour by President Joe Biden and other White House officials to tout the administration’s economic plan.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Biden, Joe Biden Organizations: Washington CNN, US, US Virgin Islands, Broadband Equity, Federal Communications Commission, Commerce Department, American, White Locations: Texas, California, US Virgin, States, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana , Michigan , Missouri, North Carolina , Texas, Virginia, Washington

☆ Biden to detail plans for $42 billion investment in US internet access
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Zients compared the broadband effort to President Franklin Roosevelt's efforts in 1936 to bring electricity to rural America. The administration estimates there are some 8.5 million locations in the U.S. that lack access to broadband connections. The lack of broadband access drew attention during COVID shutdowns that forced students into online schooling. The Biden administration will say how much of the $42 billion in funding each state will receive under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, based on a newly-released Federal Communications Commission coverage map that details access gaps. The advisers noted the economy has added more than 13 million jobs since Biden took office, including nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs.

Persons: Joe Biden, Read, Jeff Zients, Zients, Franklin Roosevelt's, COVID, Biden, Anita Dunn, Mike Donilon, Jarrett Renshaw, Scott Malone, Chris Reese Organizations: Infrastructure Law, White, Congress, Verizon, Comcast, Charter Communications, Broadband, Federal Communications, Congressional, Thomson Locations: America, U.S, Chicago

☆ Biden to announce $42 billion high-speed internet initiative
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

US President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, as he travels back to the White House, June 21, 2023. WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is kicking off a more than $42 billion plan to give every American household access to high-speed internet by 2030. White House officials compared the plan to Franklin D. Roosevelt's effort to bring electricity to rural America in the 1930s. "Put simply, high-speed internet is a necessity in today's society," said Mitch Landrieu, White House infrastructure coordinator. "President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to leaving no community behind as we connect everyone in America to high-speed internet."

Persons: Joe Biden, Gina Raimondo, Franklin, Mitch Landrieu, Biden, Harris Organizations: Air Force, San Francisco International Airport, White House, WASHINGTON, Infrastructure Law, U.S . Department of Commerce, Broadband Equity, White Locations: San Francisco, America, Texas, House

☆ Opinion | Communities of Color Have Suffered Environmental Injustice for Far Too Long
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Nick Tabor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For decades, Democrats have talked about using a “whole-government approach” to reduce the environmental hazards that so many minority communities face. In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed an executive order to address environmental justice and ensure that low-income citizens and minorities do not suffer a disproportionate burden of industrial pollution. Federal action could also have mitigated the risks for disease in places like Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley.”Instead, minority communities throughout the United States have continued to suffer disproportionately. This time around, ‌there will also be ‌an Environmental Justice Scorecard, designed to ‌concretely measure what each federal agency is doing — so the departments can be held to certain benchmarks. The White House is seizing on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as a chance to fund environmental justice projects.

Persons: Bill Clinton, Jackson, Biden Organizations: Environmental, White, Law Locations: Alabama, Flint, Mich, Miss, United States, ‌, Detroit, Jackson

☆ Tesla stock charges upwards on deal with GM
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Both Ford and GM EV drivers will, for now, need special adapters to allow their vehicles to use Tesla chargers. Tesla’s charging system had been proprietary and only usable by Teslas – although Teslas could use CCS chargers with an adapter. But CEO Elon Musk announced in late 2022 that he was inviting other automakers and charging companies to use Tesla’s charging system and design standards. Tesla’s NACS chargers outnumber CCS chargers in the United States by a factor of two to one, according to Tesla. Other automakers, such as KIa, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, still use the CCS charging standard and have not announced any plans to change.

Persons: CNN — Tesla, ”, Gary Silberg, –, Elon Musk, Mary Barra, Sam Abuelsamid, Tesla, Justin Sullivan, Guidehouse’s, KPMG’s Silberg, Abuelsamid, Musk, GM’s Organizations: CNN, General Motors, Ford, GM EV, Tesla, KPMG, GM EVs, Guidehouse, CCS, GM, GM’s Chevrolet, Cox Automotive, KIa, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen Locations: United States, CALIFORNIA, San Rafael , California, North America

☆ Amtrak CEO: Pandemic delayed profitability by years
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Greg Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Instead, CEO Stephen Gardner asked a congressional subcommittee on Tuesday to tolerate losses for several more years for the federally funded rail system while the company and country invest billions into improving passenger rail service. “Financial performance is not Amtrak’s sole objective,” CEO Stephen Gardner said in his written testimony to a House Transportation subcommittee. Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, left, accompanied by Northeast Corridor Commission Executive Director Mitch Warren, right, speaks during a House Transportation subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Amtrak is also developing new lines of service to connect fast-growing regions and growing frequencies on existing routes. Subcommittee Chairman Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican, said Amtrak needed to prioritize its existing network over adding new routes.

Persons: Stephen Gardner, Gardner, Mitch Warren, Andrew Harnik, We’re, ” Gardner, Troy Nehls, ” Nehls Organizations: CNN, Amtrak, “, Transportation, Penn Central, Corridor Commission, Capitol, Long Distance, Texas Republican Locations: Washington, Texas

☆ Republicans are staunchly opposed to student-loan forgiveness, but Democrats think it goes 'hand in hand' with creating high-paying jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Republicans and a few Democrats have voted to overturn Biden's student-loan forgiveness. Democrats defend Biden's student-loan forgiveness as part of a broader workforce development strategy to address the ongoing labor shortage and rebuild the middle class. "Student loan 'forgiveness' will benefit wealthy elites," Rep. Jim Jordan tweeted when Biden announced his student-loan forgiveness plan in August 2022. But Deluzio voted with all but two House Democrats to protect Biden's student-loan forgiveness. "Expansions of student debt forgiveness need to be matched dollar-for-dollar with investments in career & technical education.

Persons: it's, —, Biden's, Biden, he's, Jim Jordan, Joe Biden, Sen, Bill Cassidy, Jamaal Bowman, Bowman, Chris Deluzio, Deluzio, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Washington, Pell Grant Organizations: Service, Privacy, House Republicans, Biden's, Real America, Fox, Democratic Rep, York, Pennsylvania, Democrats, Pittsburgh Democrat, Republican, Brookings, New York Times, Institute Locations: Real, Ohio, Georgia, Philadelphia

☆ The debt-ceiling bill that just passed the Senate eases the way for a new gas pipeline — and for clean energy projects like EV charging and solar panels
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Bartie Scott | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The debt-ceiling bill includes reforms that aim to speed up construction on energy projects. It also claims a West Virginia pipeline is in the national interest — and pushes through its completion. The reforms in the bill include limiting the environmental permitting process to two years, along with requiring projects to name a single lead agency that would develop one master environmental review document. Now, the permitting reforms included in the deal would force federal agencies to approve all remaining permits for the pipeline and allow it to bypass the courts and fast-track construction. Manchin, who is also the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, plans to bring more comprehensive legislation to the Senate floor by the end of the summer.

Persons: —, Kevin McCarthy, Raúl Grijalva, polluters, Grijalva, Melanie Stansbury, Stansbury, Sen, Joe Manchin, Tim Kaine, Kaine, Manchin Organizations: Service, Environmental, White, Sunday, Arizona, Natural Resources Committee, NEPA, Natural Resources, Infrastructure Law, Democratic, Senate, Senate Energy Locations: West Virginia, Virginia

A fountain at Hermon High School in Maine is taped shut after the water tested over the state's safety limit for PFAS chemicals. The school's water recently tested above the state's safety limit for PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often referred to as "forever chemicals." According to the Environmental Protection Agency, even tiny exposure to PFAS in drinking water could pose a serious health risk. Hermon High School is just one example of PFAS contamination currently affecting the community, according to Maine's attorney general, Aaron Frey. The company also expressed a commitment to remediate PFAS contamination, invest in water treatment and collaborate with communities.

Persons: Stephen King —, Micah Grant, Grant, Aaron Frey, Frey, Farmer Adam Nordell, " Frey, Wisconsin —, they've, they're, Scott Gottlieb, Gottlieb, —, du Pont, du Pont de Nemours, Corteva Agriscience, Corteva, Chemours, Deane Dray, Dray, Ben Brewer, It's, 3M's, Eric Rucker, Biden, Gianna Kinsman, Kinsman, PFAS Organizations: Hermon High School, CNBC, Hermon School, Environmental Protection Agency, CNBC Maine, DuPont, 3M, Centers for Disease Control, FDA, Manufacturers, du Pont de, Chemours, Dow, State, RBC Capital Markets, 3M Global, Bloomberg, Getty, RBC Capital, Law, Capstone, Republican, Biden Locations: Bangor , Maine, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Alaska , California , Colorado , Delaware, Florida , Illinois , Michigan, Minnesota , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York, North Carolina , Ohio, Vermont, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Delaware, Stuart , Florida, Stuart, Maplewood , Minnesota

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner will testify on June 6 before a U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure railroads subcommittee, a spokesperson for the panel said on Wednesday, as traffic rebounds after a pandemic-driven dip. Gardner and Northeast Corridor Commission Executive Director Mitch Warren will testify at a hearing on Amtrak operations examining the challenges and opportunities for improving efficiency and service. Traffic on the busy Northeast Corridor connecting Boston and Washington more than doubled in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30 to 9.2 million passengers. Aging infrastructure is preventing Amtrak from running trains at higher speeds along the Boston to Washington northeast corridor. Amtrak said ridership rose 89% over 2021 levels to 22.9 million riders, up 10.8 million passengers over the prior year.

Persons: Stephen Gardner, Mitch Warren, Biden, David Shepardson, Chris Reese, Jamie Freed Organizations: Amtrak, . House Transportation, Infrastructure, Commission, Congress, Thomson Locations: Gardner, Boston, Washington, United States, New York Hudson

☆ Biden and McCarthy lean on holdouts in both parties to pass debt ceiling deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The bill caps non-defense spending, temporarily expands work requirements for some food stamp recipients and claws back some Covid-19 relief funds. Speaking from the White House on Sunday, Biden hailed the agreement as critical to preventing economic disaster. But like Biden, McCarthy acknowledged the agreement required concessions from both sides. Dusty Johnson said on “State of the Union.”Passing the bill through the House will not be the final step. On Sunday, a handful of powerful Senate Republicans had raised concerns about the deal’s defense spending during a Senate GOP conference call, a source on the call said.

☆ Democratic Sen. Tom Carper says he won't seek re-election in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Summer Concepcion | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) speaks during a news conference after the first Democratic luncheon meeting since COVID-19 restrictions went into effect on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 13, 2021. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., announced Monday that he will not seek re-election next year after more than 20 years in the Senate. During his time in the Senate, Carper served as the chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and as a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee. Delaware hasn't had a Republican hold statewide office since 2018, when long-time GOP auditor Tom Wagner declined to seek re-election. Dianne Feinstein of California and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan have announced their plans to not to seek re-election next year.

☆ In New Mexico, an unlikely wildfire thinning alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Near Taos in northern New Mexico, Vicente Fernandez, a mayordomo, or forest caretaker, cut saplings and seedlings crowding a mature fir tree. In an about-face, the Forest Service is now paying local woodcutters or leñeros $300 an acre to cut these trees for personal use or sale. Some environmentalists oppose Taos County's so called Mayordomo Program, and other thinning, saying it is a waste of time, harms forests and is often a guise for logging. "The Forest Service believes in helping communities to wisely use the forests," the agency said in a statement. "We cannot fireproof forests, we can fireproof communities," said Horning, who has lived in northern New Mexico for 30 years.

LAKE CHARLES, La., May 18 (Reuters) - In Washington, Republican U.S. Representative Clay Higgins has been a vocal advocate for spending cuts. As a member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, Higgins was an early advocate for dramatic spending cuts, many of which ended up in the House bill. He hopes the spending cuts backed by Higgins won't affect local efforts to provide affordable housing. When it comes to spending, Higgins has been a solid "no" in Washington. For some local residents, Higgins' push for spending cuts in the face of so much need remains incomprehensible.

☆ Analysis: Why Erdogan's fate matters to Biden and the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Erdogan’s fate will have major implications not just for his country’s democracy, which he has worked to weaken, but for US foreign policy too. “Our people should be confident that we will definitely win, and we will bring democracy to this country,” he said. Biden’s entire presidency has unfolded in the shadow of autocrats, assaults on democracy and aspiring strongman leaders – abroad, and most remarkably at home. Biden confronts a threat from democracy at homeBut none of those leaders pose an existential threat to US democracy. Ahead of the election, Kilicdaroglu was talking in very similar terms about the need to preserve democracy as Biden does in the US.

☆ Recycling 'end-of-life' solar panels, wind turbines, is about to be climate tech's big waste business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Bob Woods | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

watch nowIndeed, the market for recycled solar panel materials is expected to grow exponentially over the next several years. One recipient of this federal funding is First Solar, the largest solar panel manufacturer in the U.S. Massive wind turbines, blades are almost all recyclableRetired wind turbines present another recycling challenge, as well as business opportunities. How the circular renewable energy economy worksPlayers in the circular economy are determined not to let all that waste go to waste. Vestas Wind Systems has committed to producing zero-waste wind turbines by 2040, though it has not yet introduced such a version.

☆ Abandoned coal mines may be gold mines for geothermal energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden Administration recently announced nearly half a billion dollars from both the Inflation Reduction and Infrastructure laws would go toward clean energy projects at former coal mines. Abandoned coal mines generally fill with water when the mining has ceased. Geothermal energy is not new, but taking it from abandoned coal mines is not yet common, especially in the United States. Geothermal energy from coal mines can be used not only to heat homes and buildings, but also to cool them. Kruse-Daniels said that while it is a relatively inexpensive form of clean energy, the location and legacy may be liabilities.

☆ Mitch McConnell says he 'would love to have had' Kyrsten Sinema caucus with Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Despite leaving the Democratic Party, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema says she'll never become a Republican. McConnell added that the "decision was made" when she decided to keep caucusing with Democrats. The Arizona senator, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent in December, nonetheless continues to informally caucus with her old colleagues, at least on paper. But in an interview with CNN published on Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that he would welcome Sinema to the Senate Republican conference — but that there's no active discussion of the idea. "I mean, I just, I'm laughing because I literally just spent time explaining how broken the two parties are," Sinema added.

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