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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 23 april 2024
Biden marks Earth Day by going after GOP, announcing $7 billion

in federal solar power grants

By ALEXA ST. JOHN and WILL Forty-nine of the new grants
WEISSERT are state-level awards, six
Associated Press serve Native American
TRIANGLE, Virginia (AP) — tribes and five are multi-
President Joe Biden marked state awards. They can be
Earth Day by announcing used for investments such as
$7 billion in federal grants rooftop solar and commu-
for residential solar projects nity solar gardens.
serving 900,000-plus house- Biden made the announce-
holds in low- and middle- ment about 30 miles (48 ki-
income communities while lometers) southwest Wash-
criticizing Republicans who ington at Virginia’s Prince
want to gut his policies to William Forest Park. The park
address climate change. was established in 1936 as
The Democrat seeking re- a summer camp for under-
election this year took aim privileged youth from Wash-
at the supporters of former ington, part of President
President Donald Trump’s Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civil-
“Make America Great ian Conservation Corps to
Again” movement. help create jobs during the
“My MAGA Republican Great Depression.
friends don’t seem to think “Broad community-based
it’s a crisis,” Biden said Mon- solar is our brightest hope for
day at the Prince William President Joe Biden speaks at Prince William Forest Park on Earth Day, Monday, April 22, 2024, in protecting people and our
Forest Park in Triangle, Vir- Triangle, Va. Associated Press climate from the scourge of
ginia. “They actually want to fossil fuels,” said Jean Su, di-
repeal the Inflation Reduc- projects are expected to him defeat then-President ergy source that could re- rector of the Energy Justice
tion Act, which provides the eventually reduce emissions Trump in 2020. Some have duce the nation’s reliance program at the Center for
funding for the vast major- by the equivalent of 30 mil- joined protests around the on fossil fuels, which emit Biological Diversity. “These
ity of these projects, and roll lion metric tons of carbon country of the administra- planet-warming green- targeted investments mean
back protections for clean dioxide and save house- tion’s handling of Israel’s house gases. Not only is it low-income families get
air and clean water.” holds $350 million annually, war with Hamas in the Gaza clean, but solar energy can clean energy that is afford-
The Biden administration according to senior admin- Strip. also boost the reliability of able, resilient and protects
also announced plans to istration officials. Senior administration offi- the electric grid. our ecosystems. It’s great
expand its New Deal-style Biden’s latest environmen- cials said young Americans But solar energy can have to see President Biden
American Climate Corps tal announcements come are keenly invested in the high costs for initial instal- jumpstart this landmark pro-
green jobs training program. as he is working to ener- Biden climate agenda and lation, making it inacces- gram.”

The solar grants are being gize young voters for his re- want to help enact it. The sible for many Americans Biden used executive ac-
awarded by the Environ- election campaign. Young Climate Corps initiative is a and potentially meaning a tion last year to create the
mental Protection Agency, people were a key part of a way, the officials said. mingling of environmental American Climate Corps
which unveiled the 60 re- broad but potentially frag- Solar energy is gaining trac- policy with election-year modeled on Roosevelt’s
cipients on Monday. The ile coalition that helped tion as a key renewable en- politics. New Deal.q

Foundation to convene 3rd annual summit on anti-Asian hate,

building AAPI coalitions

NEW YORK (AP) — A foundation launched food and philanthropy.
in the wake of anti-Asian hate will hold The Asian American Foundation, or TAAF,
a wide-ranging conference bringing to- was established in May 2021 by prominent
gether Asian American and Pacific Island- Asian American business leaders. The or-
er notable figures for a third year. ganization notably secured more than $1
The Asian American Foundation will hold billion donor pledges for AAPI organiza-
a Heritage Month Summit next month in tions through an “AAPI Giving Challenge”
New York City for AAPI Heritage Month. at the time.
Oscar-nominated actor Steven Yeun, Bos- There had been a dramatic spike in ver-
ton Mayor Michelle Wu and actor Maulik bal, physical and online attacks of AAPI
Pancholy who had an upcoming appear- hate since the start of the coronavirus
ance canceled by a Pennsylvania school pandemic, which was thought to have
board over his sexual orientation are originated in China. Stop AAPI Hate, a re-
among those set to attend. porting center, documented over 9,000
The summit will include various panels on incidents mostly self-reported by victims
issues like civil rights, extremism and the im- between March 2020 and June 2021.
portance of representation. There will also The foundation’s goal was to “close critical
be showcases of Asian American, Native gaps of support for Asian Americans and Actor Steve Yeun poses on Oct. 10, 2013, in New York. The Asian
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander entrepre- Pacific Islanders and end the longstanding American Foundation will hold a Heritage Month Summit in May
neurs in various sectors such as nonprofits, underinvestment in our communities.”q 2024 in New York City for AAPI Heritage Month.
Associated Press