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FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Leverages Historic U.S. Climate Leadership at Home and Abroad to Urge Countries to Accelerate Global Climate Action at COP29

November 13, 2024 krubin

Solar panels and sustainable agricultural practices in upstate New York. At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration is highlighting global economic opportunities afforded by accelerating climate action in this decisive decade and will announce new initiatives to galvanize global efforts to keep a resilient, 1.5°C future within reach. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

This fact sheet on how the Biden-Harris Administration is leveraging its historic U.S. climate leadership at home and abroad to urge countries at the 29^th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) to accelerate their global climate action is provided by the White House:

Since Day One, President Biden has treated climate change as not only one of the greatest challenges of our time, but also as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unleash a new era of economic growth, good-paying union jobs, historic investment, and energy security. The United States heads into the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan with a four-year record of spearheading the most significant climate action in history at home and leading efforts to tackle the climate crisis abroad. At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration will highlight global economic opportunities afforded by accelerating climate action in this decisive decade and will announce new initiatives to galvanize global efforts to keep a resilient, 1.5°C future within reach.

At home, actions like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – the largest ever investment by any country in clean energy and climate action – and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) have unleashed an unprecedented wave of investment and ignited a clean manufacturing boom. These actions have stimulated over $450 billion in announced private investment in clean energy manufacturing and deployment since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration and created over 330,000 clean energy jobs in just over two years, with an additional 1.5 million jobs projected to be created over the next decade. Hard-hit communities are reaping the biggest economic benefits – since the IRA passed, 75% of private clean energy investments have occurred in counties with lower than median household incomes, and clean energy investment in energy communities has doubled. This government-enabled, private-sector led approach, complemented by increased action from state and local governments, has set the United States on a path to achieve our 1.5°C-aligned emissions target under the Paris Agreement. And historic investments in climate and disaster resilience are making communities across the country safer and stronger in the face of extreme weather events, which we know are getting more frequent and more dangerous because of climate change.

The investments the United States is making at home are catalyzing progress abroad, lowering the cost of clean energy for everyone and saving hundreds of billions of dollars globally. The IRA is projected to produce more than $5 trillion in global economic benefits from reduced climate pollution between now and 2050. Over the next seven years, according to analysis from the Department of Energy (DOE), twice as much U.S. wind, solar, and battery deployment is expected than would have been without the IRA. This progress complements U.S. efforts to rally other countries to accelerate the clean energy transition and enhance their climate ambition.

At COP29, the U.S. delegation will promote U.S. efforts to seize the economic opportunities of the clean energy transition, address the risks climate change poses to our national security, and accelerate climate action in this decisive decade. Key announcements include:

Powering Forward with Ambitious Domestic Climate Action – by announcing the finalization of a new rule to reduce economically wasteful methane emissions; establishing new, bold targets for expanding U.S. nuclear energy capacity and releasing a framework to achieve them; and highlighting new actions to unlock potential for a new source of clean baseload power: enhanced geothermal.

Accelerating Global Climate Action to Keep the 1.5°C Goal Within Reach – by driving progress on reducing methane and other high-impact non-carbon dioxide (CO₂) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (“super pollutants”) at a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs alongside China and Azerbaijan and announcing new efforts to implement the over $1 billion in grant funding unveiled at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint; by announcing new members of the Carbon Management Challenge that President Biden launched in 2023; and by announcing new investments and initiatives to help partners transition away from unabated coal, deploy renewables, and reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors.

Mobilizing Finance at Scale – including by scaling up U.S. international climate finance for developing countries from $1.5 billion in FY21 to $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase that was enabled by record-high levels of investment across the USG, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM). This increase puts the United States on track to meet President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to scale up our support to over $11 billion per year by 2024. The United States is also announcing a new $1 billion guarantee for the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP), which will unlock over $4.5 billion in investment, and supporting the launch of the Climate Investment Funds Capital Markets Mechanism, which is projected to raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.

Bolstering Global Climate Resilience – by scaling up U.S. support for vulnerable developing countries to over $3 billion in FY23 to implement the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), achieving President Biden’s pledge to do so by 2024 one year early; by expanding access to cutting-edge climate information, data, and early-warning systems in over 80 countries; and by marshalling over $3 billion in additional resources since 2022 from 40 U.S. and global companies and partners in response to the PREPARE Private Sector Call to Action.

Advancing Women’s and Girls’ Leadership in Tackling the Climate Crisis – by announcing new investments to support the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative, a public-private partnership launched by Vice President Harris in 2023 through which the United States has galvanized over $2 billion in commitments by governments, private sector companies, foundations, and civil society to bolster women’s economic participation in sectors such as clean energy, fisheries, recycling, forest management, and environmental conservation.

POWERING FORWARD WITH AMBITIOUS DOMESTIC CLIMATE ACTION

Reducing Wasteful Methane Emissions – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, following the directive from Congress in the IRA to collect a Waste Emissions Charge to better ensure valuable natural gas reaches the market rather than polluting the air. Today’s final rule delivers on this directive and incentivizes companies to take near-term action to conserve valuable energy resources and reduce methane emissions – a potent GHG that is responsible for approximately one-third of the global warming we are now experiencing. EPA estimates that this rule alone will result in cumulative emissions reductions of 34 million metric tons CO2-equivalent by 2035, with cumulative climate benefits of up to $2 billion. Today’s final rule is just one of more than 100 actions that U.S. Federal agencies have taken in 2024 alone to sharply reduce methane emissions under the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, helping to deliver on the Global Methane Pledge. U.S. actions this year have included plugging leaks and regulating emissions in the oil and gas sector, remediating pollution from abandoned coal mines, curbing food waste and emissions from agriculture practices, investing in cleaner industrial processes and buildings, and building a new, integrated system of satellite, aerial, and on-the-ground detections to stop major methane emissions events.

Establishing Bold Targets for Expanding Domestic Nuclear Energy and Announcing a Framework for Action to Achieve Them – acknowledging the crucial role that nuclear power will play to support energy security and clean economic growth, the United States is establishing a national goal to build 200 GW of new nuclear power generation capacity by 2050, as our Nation’s contribution to the global “Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy” from 2020 levels endorsed by 25 countries at COP28. The United States is also establishing nearer-term targets to jumpstart the expansion of nuclear energy deployment with 35 GW of new domestic nuclear energy capacity built or under construction by 2035 and ramping-up to a sustained pace of producing 15 GW per year by 2040. These targets are part of “Safely and Responsibly Expanding U.S. Nuclear Energy to Tackle the Climate Crisis and Invest in America: Deployment Targets and a Framework for Action” that establishes a set of guiding principles for successfully scaling up nuclear energy in the United States in a manner that advances core values and commitments—including ensuring public health and safety protecting the environment, ensuring energy affordability, meaningfully engaging with communities and delivering local community benefits, honoring Tribal sovereignty, advancing environmental justice, and promoting national security. The Framework also and identifies more than 30 key actions the U.S. government can take, along with the U.S. nuclear energy industry, power customers, and civil society, to meet this moment. To help inform implementation of this Framework, the Administration is launching Tribal consultation and will issue a Request for Information to ensure that governmental, public and community engagement inform implementation of this Framework.

Doubling the Number of Scalable Clean Baseload Power Sources by Rapidly Commercializing Geothermal Energy – The Administration’s recent actions are enabling enhanced geothermal to become a key source of clean baseload power and heat in the United States. Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved in record time the development of the world’s largest next-generation geothermal project, which has the potential to generate up to 2 GW, proposed a new environmental review tool to facilitate confirmation of geothermal resources on federal lands, and hosted the largest lease sale of federal lands for geothermal electricity projects in more than 15 years. This year, the Department of Energy (DOE) also made the first federal investment of $60 million under BIL to support novel demonstration projects for next-generation geothermal technologies. As a result of these efforts, within one year of the first 3.5 MW enhanced geothermal project’s delivery of power in November 2023, over 600 MW of power purchase agreements have been signed for geothermal power using this pioneering technology—presenting new pathways to leverage oil and gas industry expertise and workforces to support a robust, resilient, and secure energy grid with good jobs.

Leading by Example by Reducing U.S. Government Emissions – by announcing a new suite of actions to reduce the U.S. government’s indirect (“Scope 3”) emissions and engage other governments and suppliers. This includes launching a new target to reduce the Federal Government’s Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 – the equivalent of 40 million metric tons of CO2 annually – and releasing the first comprehensive measurement of the federal Scope 3 footprint. The United States is also launching the Government Scope 3 Alliance, a coalition of national and state governments whose members commit to set Scope 3 targets for government operations and report annually on progress.

Releasing a National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy – Today, the White House is releasing a new national strategy to advance research on the benefits, risks, and tradeoffs associated with marine carbon dioxide removal, a set of innovative technologies that could help address the climate crisis in concert with substantial cuts to carbon emissions. Marine CO₂ removal uses ocean processes to increase the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide the ocean removes from the atmosphere, but it requires additional research to determine if it is a safe and effective climate tool. The strategy, which responds to a key objective of the Ocean Climate Action Plan, provides recommendations to guide accountable research, ensure community engagement, and clarify the regulatory process for scientific researchers.

ACCELERATING GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION

President Biden has rallied world leaders to accelerate action in key areas that the latest science has identified as critical to keeping the goal of limiting average warming to 1.5°C within reach. At COP29, the United States announced progress in each of these key areas, including:

Reducing Methane and Other Non-CO2 GHG Super Pollutants:
Hosting a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs – The Summit, co-hosted with China and Azerbaijan, showcased new actions to cut emissions of these climate super-pollutants that account for over half of warming, including national commitments to cover all GHGs in national climate targets, new policy and regulatory actions, and new scientific progress. As the two largest emitters in the world, responsible for roughly 10% and 30% of global GHG emissions, respectively, the United States and China have helped catalyze global attention on non-CO2 GHGs. These efforts include the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), which more than 155 countries have now endorsed and are taking steps to meet the goal to cut global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. At COP29, with announcements from new countries, there are now nearly 100 methane action plans completed or underway, including China’s national action plan on methane and the United States’s Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan update. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which serves as GMP Secretariat, is funding implementation projects in 65 countries.

Mobilizing billions to tackle super pollutants – At the COP29 Non-CO2 Summit, partners announced implementation steps for over $1 billion in grant funding previously announced at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint. This grant funding is already mobilizing billions more in methane-related project investment by the World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and regional multilateral development banks, among others.

Leveraging new action and science to cut nitrous oxide (N2O) and Tropospheric Ozone – The United States and partners announced new global action and science on cutting super pollutants like N2O and tropospheric ozone, which account for roughly one-fifth of today’s warming, with significant impacts on public health and agricultural productivity. New steps include the release of a Global N2O Assessment, the United Nations Environment Program’s new commitment to advance science on reducing climate impacts of tropospheric ozone, and private sector steps to tackle N2O and tropospheric ozone precursors.

Leading Global Efforts to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Deployment:

Implementing and expanding the effort to triple nuclear energy – by co-leading a coalition of countries working to advance the global goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity from 2020 levels by 2050, including by setting an example that shows how the United States will do its part, by establishing 2050 and nearer-term domestic nuclear energy deployment targets and outlining a Framework for Action. Thirty countries from four continents now endorse the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy, after an additional five countries joined the effort at COP29. Endorsers also highlighted recent stakeholder support for the effort, including from 14 major global financial institutions that announced support for the tripling goal during New York Climate Week in September 2024.

Supporting Ukraine’s leadership in safe and secure nuclear energy – by announcing $30 million in funding from the U.S. Department of State for cooperation with Ukraine under the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technology (FIRST) program to develop: (1) a Clean Fuels from SMRs Pilot Plant, which will demonstrate the production of clean hydrogen and ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizers, in Ukraine using simulated SMR technology; (2) Project Phoenix, to facilitate the conversion of Ukraine’s coal plants to SMRs by developing a comprehensive strategy, conducting feasibility studies, and providing advisory services; and (3) the Clean Steel from SMR Roadmap, which will help rebuild, modernize, and decarbonize Ukraine’s steel industry using clean electricity, process heat, and hydrogen from SMRs for steel manufacturing.

U.S. – Romania Partnership to Create Over 1.5 GW of Clean Energy – Sargent & Lundy (U.S.), AtkinsRealis (Canada), and Ansaldo (Italy) reached a new milestone in the Cernavoda nuclear power plant project, and finalized a contract for an international consortium to complete two new reactors at Romania’s Cernavoda site, which, once completed, will generate over 1.5 GW of clean power for the region. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Romania Ministry of Energy facilitated the agreement and catalyzed the project by signing an intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and Romania.

Decarbonizing the Energy Sector by Scaling Technologies Critical to Achieving the 1.5°C Goal:

Advancing the goal to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency – including by co-leading the effort to establish international goals at COP29 to increase energy storage and expand and modernize grids, two key ingredients needed to scale up renewable energy in line with keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach. Endorsers of the Energy Storage and Grids Pledge will set global goals to achieve 1500 GW of energy storage and 25 million km of built or refurbished grids by 2030, with an additional 65 million km by 2040. The United States also provided over $4.5 billion in support for international clean energy projects in FY23, which will significantly advance efforts to triple renewable energy and double efficiency by 2030.

Zero Emissions and Resilient Buildings Accelerator (ZERB Accelerator) – which brings together a cohort of leading cities, states, and regions committed to ambitious climate mitigation and resilience goals in the buildings sector, including the collective reduction of annual emissions by at least 50 million metric tons below 2020 levels, by 2030. Incubated by the Subnational Climate Action Leaders’ Exchange (SCALE) partnership, the initiative will strengthen multilevel collaboration between these subnational jurisdictions and their national governments and will mobilize a broad coalition of organizations offering support in the areas of policy and technical assistance, financing, and measuring, reporting, and verification capacity to move the building sector to zero emissions and resiliency.

Advancing the Carbon Management Challenge – Since President Biden announced the Carbon Management Challenge (CMC) last year at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, 22 countries and the European Commission have joined the initiative. This includes 5 new members since COP28: Bahrain, Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal. In the past year, the CMC established a Secretariat to advance carbon management at the billion-ton scale by delivering outcomes on (1) developing country finance; (2) project deployment and tracking; and (3) strategic communications and engagement.

Launching the U.S-India Low Carbon Comfort Cooling Collective – a new initiative aimed at harnessing the power of the public and private sectors to mobilize large-scale private investment towards a 50% reduction in cooling-related emissions in India by 2030. At COP29, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $1 million to support this new partnership. In the face of intensifying extreme heat, the activity aims to reduce carbon emissions from cooling, decrease stress on electricity networks, and lower the cost of efficient cooling and alternative cooling solutions.

Mobilizing Investment for Early Retirement of Indonesia Coal-fired Power Plant – USAID is assisting a consortium in Indonesia, led by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, to establish an approximately $255 million equity investment in the first coal power, early phase-out transaction under the Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership. USAID will support an agreement between Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund and public infrastructure company, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur, and private investors to finalize the early retirement of the 660 MW Cirebon coal-fired power plant.

Accelerating clean energy deployment and decarbonization in the power and industrial sectors – through the Power Sector Program and Energy and Mineral Governance Program, the Department of State is committing $10.6 million to strengthen grid infrastructure to improve reliability and resiliency, deploy clean energy technologies to decarbonize the power and industrial sectors, expand cross border power trade, and create opportunities for private sector investment. The Energy and Mineral Governance Program is committing a further $5 million to expand technical support to enable emissions reductions in the oil and gas sector through methane abatement and decarbonization technologies, in support of the Global Methane Pledge.

Advancing the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) – At COP29, AIM for Climate will announce $2.9 billion in new investments, innovation sprints, and partners. Launched by President Biden at COP26, AIM for Climate is a 5-year initiative co-led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In just 4 years, AIM for Climate partners have mobilized $29.2 billion in increased investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, over a 2020 baseline, including over $4.3 billion by the United States. On the margins of COP29, the United States and the UAE will host the 3rd AIM for Climate Ministerial, a strategic opportunity to highlight the institutional legacy of AIM for Climate, including the recent AIM for Climate Report.

MOBILIZING FINANCE AT SCALE

From Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to boosting international climate finance. This includes scaling-up our own bilateral finance, fully leveraging multilateral financial institutions, and mobilizing private investment. These efforts are also in direct support of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. As a result of these efforts over the last three years, the United States significantly scaled up our climate finance – from $1.5 billion in FY21 to over $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase. These actions build on domestic efforts to catalyze investments in game-changing climate mitigation and climate resilience innovations. At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new efforts to mobilize investment at the speed and scale the climate crisis requires, including:

Announcing a $1 billion guarantee for ADB’s Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP) – a $2.5 billion climate finance platform for Asia and the Pacific, making the United States the Facility’s largest donor. The U.S. guarantee will enable $4.5 billion in new lending from ADB, which will start this month.

Supporting the Launch of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Capital Markets Mechanism – an innovative new mechanism that will allow the CIF to raise funds directly in the capital markets, where it estimates it could raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.

Achieving Record-Levels of Climate Investments through DFC and EXIM – with DFC reaching $3.71 billion in FY24 and mobilizing significant private investment to support over 1 GW of new clean energy capacity, improving U.S. partners’ energy security and access. In line with its congressional mandate, EXIM has more than doubled its investments in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports – from $1.1 billion in FY23 to a record $1.6 billion in FY24. These new investments, which represent over one-fourth of EXIM’s transactions this year, supported $1.7 billion in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports, EXIM’s highest-ever levels.

Pioneering Innovative Approaches to Mobilize Private Investment – working with Congress, USAID is investing $41.1 million to drive private finance into hard-to-reach geographies and sectors. This includes a $7.25 million investment through the Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund to incentivize private investment in impact funds and mobilize investment in natural climate solutions which includes $2.75 million in grants to enable two new investment fund managers under the PREPARE Adaptation Finance Window that aim to catalyze additional public partners to co-invest. USAID will also commit $27.7 million for the Colombia Invest for Climate activity, which aims to transform markets and financial systems and direct public and private funds into climate-smart businesses. Finally, USAID is committing $6.1 million to the Partnerships for Green Investment initiative announced at COP28 last year to mobilize at least $200 million to achieve 50 million tons of emissions reductions, climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and benefit sharing across Southeast Asia.

Supporting the Development of the Cambodia Climate Financing Facility (CCFF) – USAID provided technical assistance to support the development of the CCFF, a $100 million green bank that will fill a critical funding gap for climate projects in Cambodia. Once operationalized, the facility will provide concessions to local banks and businesses to stimulate investment in climate adaptation and mitigation projects, assisting Cambodia in meeting its Nationally Determined Contribution.

Investing in Clean Energy and Critical Minerals Value Chains in Africa – as part of collaboration with Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, the United States, working with Congress, will make an initial commitment of $10 million over two years into the Investment Mobilization Collaboration Alliance’s third funding window through Power Africa, supporting clean energy and critical mineral investments in Africa. This investment will improve critical minerals value chains and increase access to and use of energy to advance industrialization. In joining this impactful, innovative international partnership, Power Africa will leverage partner funds and support proposals to advance clean energy across the continent.

BOLSTERING GLOBAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE

The Administration is announcing new efforts to accelerate the implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), which aims to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change this decade. Through these efforts, the United States has provided over $3 billion in adaptation finance in FY23, achieving President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to increase U.S. international public adaptation finance to $3 billion by FY24 to help implement PREPARE one year early. This includes the following additional efforts across PREPARE:

Scaling-Up DFC’s Adaptation Investments to Record-High Levels – DFC invested $1.3 billion in adaptation in FY24, including projects that will strengthen food and water security and sustainable practices to adapt to and increase resilience to the threat of climate change.

The $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact – MCC’s $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact, signed in October 2024, aims to improve Zambia’s agriculture and agro-processing sectors. The compact will focus on rural road infrastructure, increasing access to finance for irrigation, electricity, storage and processing facilities, and supporting agricultural policy reform initiatives. The Improving Roads Activity will improve road conditions, quality, access, and climate resilience for selected segments within the identified agricultural corridors through the design, construction, expansion, rehabilitation, upgrades, and strengthening in key agricultural corridors It also focuses on integrated planning, climate-resilient road infrastructure, building a local green/climate finance market, and improving agricultural productivity through better management of soils, irrigation, and watersheds.

Expanding Access to Cutting-Edge Climate Information and Early Warnings through PREPARE – The United States has invested billions to develop world-leading weather and climate-related information and service capabilities – from launching leading-edge satellites, amassing relevant observational data from a global network of sensors, and developing advanced modelling technology. The United States is using these capabilities to support vulnerable developing countries to better understand, anticipate, and prepare for climate impacts. At COP29 the United States is announcing several new efforts, including working with Congress to announce a new the SERVIR Central America Hub that will launch in December and will bolster the resilience of over 50 million people to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts and environmental degradation. NOAA is announcing $4.7 million to bolster multi-hazard early warning capabilities in Pacific Islands, including through capacity building, data sharing, and expansion of sea-level rise monitoring stations to help with coastal inundation. The United States is also launching the Global Sea Level Explorer – a new earth.gov platform that will provide foundational information about global sea level and flooding to help inform decision-making, resource management, and emergency operations for each coastal country across the globe.

Climate Smart and Disaster Ready – as part of its Climate Smart and Disaster Ready initiative, USAID announced $11.8 million in new awards to strengthen localized climate adaptation for communities at the greatest risk of climate-related disasters in current and foreseeable humanitarian contexts, bringing the total investment under this initiative to date to $16.2 million. Under this program, USAID has funded five multi-year initiatives in West Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands, including the previously announced $4.4 million to support young people in the Pacific Islands to advance disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation efforts in their own communities.

Climate Finance for Agriculture in Africa – USAID will invest $9.3 million to accelerate climate finance for climate-resilient and low emissions development investments in agriculture and food systems across Africa, working with Congress. In Zambia, USAID is supporting the country’s first climate-focused investment fund, aiming to mobilize $70 million for climate adaptation in critical sectors, including agriculture. In Ghana, USAID created a $2.6 million co-investment program to incentivize private sector investment in climate adaptation and mitigation in agriculture, complementing cooperation with the government on national carbon market development. Finally, through the Africa Trade and Investment activity, USAID is supporting a pan-Africa Fund to finance African microfinance institutions and agricultural entities, aiming to leverage an additional $5 million in commercial investments for climate-smart agriculture, with a total investment leverage ratio of 6:1.

Expanding Technical Support for SIDS through the Local2030 Islands Network – the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of State will invest nearly $500K to expand technical support to the Local2030 Islands Network for peer-to-peer learning, engagement and training to bolster the use of adaptive solutions and scientific data and planning. This announcement builds on a prior investment of approximately $12 million into the Local2030 Islands Network, a global island-led network committed to net zero emissions and strengthening island resilience to climate change, with an emphasis on advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

$144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique – MCC’s $144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique with local non-governmental partners Biofund and ProAzul for MCC’s Coastal Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project will leverage nature-based low carbon infrastructure to restore coastal ecosystems and their functions.

Bolstering the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure: Enhancing Grid Resilience in Africa – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a feasibility study grant to Côte d’Ivoire Energies to help develop a smart grid control system that will increase stability of the national grid and reduce potential blackouts in the face of extreme weather events or climate disruptions. USTDA is also supporting a grid resilience and efficiency event series, which will connect officials from public and private entities in sub-Saharan Africa’s power sector to the latest U.S. technologies services, and equipment for improved electricity transmission and distribution systems.

ADVANCING WOMEN AND GIRLS’ LEADERSHIP IN CLIMATE ACTION

Recognizing that no economy can get ahead if half of its population is left behind, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preparing women for leadership roles in the industries of the future, including through efforts that advance the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative—an over $2 billion public-private partnership that aims to close gender gaps in access to training, jobs, leadership roles, and finance in green and blue sectors. At COP29, the Administration announced:

Advancing Women’s Leadership in the Clean Energy Economy – At COP29, USAID is announcing $10.8 million to champion women as decision-makers, stakeholders, educators, and experts in responding to the climate crisis. USAID is investing in programs that support women’s equitable access to land; integrate gender-based violence prevention in fisheries conservation; and promote women’s participation and economic empowerment in green industries and clean energy sectors.

Accelerating Women’s Leadership in Climate Action – One year after the release of the U.S. Strategy to Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Women, the State Department is releasing a progress report outlining initiatives and programs worth $10.7 million to empower women and girls as climate leaders while addressing the disproportionate impacts they face from the climate crisis. These initiatives include efforts to train and connect women leading the clean energy transition, building climate-smart agricultural systems, and promoting Indigenous management of natural resources.

Women In Agriculture Gain Economic Security (WAGES) – This program supports women in agricultural cooperatives across Tunisia to address the impacts of climate change, increase profitability, and improve food security. The project focuses on optimizing natural resource use and enhancing the business operations of women-led cooperatives. The $2.1 million project tackles women’s limited access to training and resources by forming partnerships with regional stakeholders and adapting approaches to address the needs of local women leaders.

Supporting Women Environmental Defenders – The Department of State is expanding support for women environmental defenders through the EMPOWER and WE-Defend programs, enabling their safe and meaningful participation in environmental governance and policy making. The EMPOWER program, now totaling $1.7 million, supports defenders globally, while WE-Defend, with a total investment of $1.2 million, focuses on empowering Filipina environmental defenders in decision-making processes related to environmental policies.

Advancing Women in Clean Energy and Minerals (AWCEM) Program – The Department of State announced $1.25 million to increase women’s leadership in the clean energy and critical mineral mining sectors in Latin America, empowering women to become leaders and agents for change to support decarbonization and the clean energy transition.

Election 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul, Gun Violence Prevention, News & Photo Features, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul

Governor, AG Commit to Protecting New Yorkers’ Fundamental Freedoms in Face of Trump’s Election

November 6, 2024 krubin

Governor Hochul and Attorney General James announced a strengthened partnership, including new dedicated staff, to address potential federal legal threats to reproductive freedom, gun safety laws and other key issues. Governor Hochul also announced the new Empire State Freedom Initiative, which has already begun developing comprehensive plans to address any policy and regulatory threats that may emerge from a Trump Administration. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

New Empire State Freedom Initiative is Assessing Policy Risks and Developing Strategies To Protect New Yorkers

New Yorkers Took Action To Protect Abortion Access by Enshrining Reproductive Freedoms in State Constitution

Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James today updated New Yorkers on the ongoing work to protect the fundamental freedoms of New Yorkers in preparation for President-Elect Donald Trump’s second term.

Governor Hochul and Attorney General James announced a strengthened partnership, including new dedicated staff, to address potential federal legal threats to reproductive freedom, gun safety laws and other key issues. Governor Hochul also announced the new Empire State Freedom Initiative, which convened prior to Election Day and has already begun developing comprehensive plans to address any policy and regulatory threats that may emerge from a Trump Administration. The Governor also highlighted that New York has already taken steps to protect access to safe and legal abortions, including passage yesterday of Proposition 1 which enshrines reproductive freedoms in the State Constitution.

“The safety and wellbeing of New Yorkers are my top priorities,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m committed to working with anyone on policies that make our state stronger, safer and more livable — but my administration will also be prepared to protect New Yorkers’ fundamental freedoms from any potential threats.”

“As Attorney General, I will always stand up to protect New Yorkers and fight for our rights and values,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said. “My office has been preparing for a potential second Trump Administration, and I am ready to do everything in my power to ensure our state and nation do not go backwards. During his first term, we stood up for the rule of law and defended against abuses of power and federal efforts to harm New Yorkers. Together with Governor Hochul, our partners in state and local government, and my colleague attorneys general from throughout the nation, we will work each and every day to defend Americans, no matter what this new administration throws at us. We are ready to fight back again.”

Strengthening Legal Partnership To Prepare for Federal Legal Threats

During President-elect Trump’s first term, the State of New York and its residents found itself targeted by the Trump Administration and federal agencies, forcing the State to respond with affirmative and defensive litigation against the federal government and federal agencies.

To prepare for future legal threats that could negatively impact New Yorkers, senior officials in the offices of Governor Hochul and Attorney General James will be convening regularly to coordinate legal actions, develop responses to federal agency administrative actions and provide guidance to New York residents, agencies and the private sector on key issues. This partnership will also include coordination with attorneys at state agencies and local governments across the State.

Convening the Empire State Freedom Initiative To Address Policy and Regulatory Threats

Governor Hochul has convened the Empire State Freedom Initiative – a team of experts from within her administration to develop strategies for protecting New Yorkers from a variety of policy and regulatory threats that could emerge under President-elect Trump. This team includes representatives from the Governor’s Office of Federal Affairs, the Office of the Counsel, the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and other relevant agencies.

This task force is focused on key areas where New York State and New Yorkers are most likely to face threats from a Trump Administration, including reproductive rights, civil rights, immigration, gun safety and the environment, among other issues.

The task force has developed an initial analysis of likely statutory, regulatory and fiscal vulnerabilities based on the comments and policies outlined by Trump and his advisors. It will now be tasked with driving proactive measures that New York State and its agencies can take – both before and after Trump is sworn in – through state legislation, rulemaking, appropriations, partnerships with New York’s Congressional delegation and the Biden administration, and other actions.

Protecting Access to Abortion in New York

Following significant efforts by the Governor and the Attorney General to ensure that Proposition 1 was included as a New York State ballot measure for the 2024 Elections, yesterday New Yorkers overwhelmingly voted to approve Proposition 1, which enshrines reproductive freedoms in the State Constitution.

The passage of Proposition 1 builds upon previous action by the Governor to protect the reproductive rights of New Yorkers. The Governor signed legislation to strengthen New York’s Shield Law that protects doctors, medical providers and facilitators who provide reproductive telehealth services to patients outside of New York without fear of litigation in states where abortion services are outlawed or restricted. The Governor also signed legislation to allow New Yorkers to get contraception directly from a pharmacist without the need for a prescription.

In addition, the FY25 Enacted Budget made permanent the Abortion Provider Support Fund which has delivered $100 million in State funding to support abortion providers statewide.

Additionally, the Governor remains an active member of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance – a coalition of 23 governors working together to defend and expand reproductive freedom. The Alliance will continue leveraging the power of collective action to defend the fundamental right to bodily autonomy and ensure access to essential reproductive care.

Advancing Climate Goals and Reducing Emissions

As Co-Chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, Governor Hochul will work with the Alliance’s bipartisan coalition of 24 governors – representing about 60 percent of the nation’s economy – to continue promoting a net-zero future by advancing state-led, high-impact climate action.

New York State and the U.S. Climate Alliance will address any future threats to climate action by remaining focused on advancing its key policy commitments, including goals of reducing collective net greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with the Paris Agreement, promoting clean energy deployment, creating good jobs and tracking and reporting key data on climate progress.

Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030 and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century.

Continuing To Get Illegal Guns Off Our Streets

To continue New York’s nation-leading work to reduce gun violence, and in preparation for any threat to gun safety laws, Governor Hochul will continue leading the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns, which she first convened in 2022 and which has seized more than 28,527 illegal guns to date. Under this initiative, the murder rate has been the lowest since 1965.

The Interstate Task Force includes representatives of New York State Police, the New York Police Department and law enforcement officials from eight other states. This initiative will continue to play a critical role in stopping the flow of illegal guns across state lines, while also ensuring information sharing and collaborating on investigative strategies to solve major crimes.

News & Photo Features

Photo Highlights: NYC’s Iconic Village Halloween Parade Dazzles Onlookers with Cats Theme and Call to ‘Vote Meow’

November 1, 2024 krubin

*Cat Ladies Unite! 2024 Village Halloween Parade, NYC © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

By Karen Rubin, News-Photos-Features.com, [email protected]

New York City’s celebration of fantasy, the Village Halloween Parade, celebrated its 51st anniversary this year with the theme, “Meow” with loads of cats and witches and unsubtle hints to “Vote Meow”.

*2024 Village Halloween Parade, NYC © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

“Hallow’s Eve belongs to us, as it always has – to the witch and the Black Cat, to the solitary wise-woman on the outskirts of town (or the upstairs apartment or that white house) and her shape-shifting familiar, to all of us who walk alone and dance together in velvet furs and sharpened claws,” writes Jeanne Fleming, Artistic and Producing Director, announcing this year’s theme. “New York’s Halloween Parade calls on Cat Ladies of every purr-suasion to don your finest tails and whiskers and join the Ball. Led by the puppet creations of Official Parade Puppeteers Processional Arts, whose luminous sweepers return to conjure a quadrille of giant cats, let us take a playful swipe at those who would cross our path – and revel in all that makes us uniquely, inscrutably, un-Cat-egorizably fabulous…. each in our own way, reflecting the tumult of the last few years, and inviting self-reflection.”

*Vote Meow! 2024 Village Halloween Parade, NYC © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

“Turns out NYC is the epicenter for Cat Ladies!” So, the Parade invited Cat Ladies and Cat Lovers of all stripes and patterns to the Parade. There was a special section of the Parade for CAT LADIES.

What is most loved – by participants and onlookers alike – is how the Parade is a reflection of self-expression,artistry and creativity.

*Witches Vote! 2024 Village Halloween Parade, NYC © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

Andre De Shields, actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer, best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: “The Wiz” (title role), “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (Emmy Award), “Play On!” (Tony nomination), and “The Full Monty” (Tony nomination), dazzled parade goers as Grand Marshal of the 2024 Village Halloween Parade.

Andre De Shields, actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer, best known for his show-stopping performances in legendary Broadway productions including “The Wiz” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” was Grand Marshal for the 2024 Village Halloween Parade © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Started by a Greenwich Village mask maker and puppeteer Ralph Lee in 1973, the Parade began as a walk from house to house in his neighborhood for his children and their friends. After the second year of this local promenade, Theater for the New City stepped in and produced the event on a larger scale as part of their City in the Streets program. Today the Parade is the largest celebration of its kind in the world and has been picked by Festivals International as “The Best Event in the World” for October 31.

Now, 51 years later, the Parade draws more than 70,000 costumed participants and some 2 million spectators, including television-viewing audience, live on NY1 beginning at 8 pm.

In 1994, the Mayor of the City of New York issued a Proclamation honoring the Village Halloween Parade for 20 years of bringing everyone in the City together in a joyful and creative way and being a boon to the economic life of the City. “New York is the world’s capital of creativity and entertainment. The Village Halloween Parade presents the single greatest opportunity for all New Yorkers to exhibit their creativity in an event that is one-of-a-kind, unique and memorable every year. New Yorkers of all ages love Halloween, and this delightful event enables them to enjoy it every year and join in with their own special contributions. The Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village is a true cultural treasure.”

*The 2024 Village Halloween Parade, NYC, is famous for its puppets © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

Here are photo highlights from the 2024 Village Halloween Parade:

*Zombie flash dance to “Thriller” at 2024 Village Halloween Parade, NYC © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

Jeanne Fleming, longtime Artistic and Producing Director of the Village Halloween Parade, announcing this year’s theme. “Meow,” said, “New York’s Halloween Parade calls on Cat Ladies of every purr-suasion to don your finest tails and whiskers and join the Ball.” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

*Abort the Court! The 2024 Village Halloween Parade, NYC, is famous for its puppets © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

*New York Women in Film & Television float at 2024 Village Halloween Parade, NYC © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

*Votes for the Woman! 2024 Village Halloween Parade, NYC © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

New York’s Village Halloween Parade, [email protected], www.halloween-nyc.com.

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© 2024 News & Photo Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. For editorial feature and photo information, go to www.news-photos-features.com, email [email protected]. Blogging at www.dailykos.com/blogs/NewsPhotosFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures, Tweet @KarenBRubin Threads: @news_and_photo_features

Gun Violence Prevention, Jewish issues, News & Photo Features

Vice President Kamala Harris Marks 6 Years Since the Tree of Life Synagogue Massacre in Pittsburgh Decrying Antisemitism, Gun Violence

October 28, 2024 krubin

“We’ve seen this before.” A reminder of Trump’s WhiteChristoFascism that triggered the Tree of Life massacre, on view during Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden where hate-filled rhetoric promoting violence evoked the 1939 rally of American Fascists supporting Hitler. Six years ago, the same Trump anti-immigrant antisemitic rhetoric enabled by lose gun laws spurred the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh. It is frankly astonishing to see how many religious Jews are making common cause with the NeoNazis like Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who are Trump’s base of supporters . Vice President Kamala Harris marked the anniversary decrying antisemitism and calling for sensible gun control © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

In stark contrast to the hate-filled rally Trump was holding at Madison Square Garden that evoked the 1939 American Nazi rally and has spurred a litany of hate-crimes and political violence Trump has mined and promoted to fuel his ascent to political power, Vice President Kamala Harris marked the six-year anniversary of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh on October 27 decrying antisemitism, bigotry and calling for sensible gun reform that keeps weapons built for the battlefield out of the hands of the deranged and domestic terrorists. Here is her statement:– Karen Rubin, [email protected], news-photos-features.com

Today marks six years since a white supremacist used a weapon of war to murder 11 precious souls and wound many more at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. This unspeakable act — fueled by antisemitic hate — was the deadliest attack on the American Jewish community in our Nation’s history. As we remember the victims of this horrific mass shooting, we also honor the courage of the first responders, some of whom were injured during this attack, and commemorate the resilience of the Pittsburgh community. This summer, ground was broken on the nation’s first museum and education center on the history of antisemitism in America at the site of the synagogue, a symbol of this enduring strength.

As we know, today’s remembrance also comes amid a rise of antisemitism, here and around the world. Earlier this month, we marked one year since the October 7^th Hamas terrorist attack against Israel in which 1,200 innocent people were massacred, 250 people taken hostage, and where Hamas committed unspeakable sexual violence.

I will always work to ensure the safety and security of Jewish people in the United States and around the world, and will always call out antisemitism whenever and wherever we see it. Doug and I are proud to have worked alongside President Biden to combat antisemitism, including through the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. This work is not new for me: I have spent my entire career fighting antisemitism, including prosecuting hate crimes as a District Attorney and publishing an annual report on hate crimes as Attorney General of California to ensure that policymakers and law enforcement respond with a sense of urgency to this crisis. And since the beginning of our administration, we have secured record funding for the physical security of nonprofits and faith-based institutions around the country, including synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, and Jewish day schools.

Additionally, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights continues to investigate cases of antisemitism and other forms of hate on campus making clear that each university must ensure all students and faculty are safe and secure on campus. We also continue our work to ensure that every person in our Nation can live free from gun violence — in their places of worship, schools, and communities. To take on the epidemic of gun violence, our administration enacted the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years and created the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which I am proud to lead.

Today, Doug and I stand in solidarity with the survivors of this attack, the families who lost loved ones, and the entire Jewish community.

Election 2024, News & Photo Features

Photo Diary: Trump Rally v. Anti-Trump Protest at Madison Square Garden, NYC

October 27, 2024 krubin

By Karen Rubin, News-Photos-Features.com, [email protected]

20,000 packed Madison Square Garden for Trump’s rally, while thousands more were turned away after waiting hours on lines that stretched for blocks around the arena.

*Trumpamania comes to New York City © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

Out on the street with the MAGAs waiting for hours as we inched toward Madison Square Garden (only to be turned away), I heard the emphatic belief that Trump would win by a landslide, and anything less was theft. There were remarks about 2020 being stolen but not letting that happen again, and “fake news” of anything that was vaguely negative about Trump. No mention of indictments, convictions, being called a fascist by his own chief of staff and generals. There were also vulgarities spewed against Harris.

Those who couldn’t get in were offered a chance to watch the rally on a jumbotron outside the arena.

Meanwhile hundreds of anti-Trump protesters, waving signs that said “No Dictators in the USA,” “Fascist,” “Unfit” and “We’ve Seen This Before” (a reference to the 1939 American Nazi rally held at MSG and the rise of Hitler and Fascism that led to World War II) lined the Post Office steps across 8^th Avenue from the Garden.

Here is what the scenes looked like:

*Admiring the Trump golden high-top © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

Tens of thousands of Trump supporters waited on line for hours in order to get into his Madison Square Garden rally; some 40,000 tickets were issued but the arena only holds 20,000, so thousands were sent away © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

*Those Trump supporters who couldn’t get into the arena could watch rally speakers like Rudolph Giuliani on a jumbotron outside © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.comHall*

Meanwhile, anti-Trump protesters were also out in force:

*Trump protesters outside Madison Square Garden © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

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News & Photo Features

Photo Highlights: New York Liberty WNBA Champs Celebrated with Parade Up Canyon of Heroes, Key to City

October 25, 2024 krubin

*2024 WNBA Champions New York Liberty receive the key to the city at City Hall, after a parade up the Canyon of Heroes © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

By Karen Rubin, News-Photos-Features.com, [email protected]

The New York Liberty WNBA Champs danced their way up Broadway, clearly enjoying the outpouring of love and appreciation from the thousands of fans who lined the Canyon of Heroes to celebrate the team’s first WNBA Championship in their 28 years, and the first New York basketball team to win the championship for New York in 48 years.

They brought the same energy and emotion in greeting their fans (and thousands of fans who lined the route cheering them) that they brought to the game, taking a hard-fought five-game series in overtime. There was mutual love and appreciation, as some of the players hopped off the floats to greet fans personally.

Here are photo highlights from the parade up Broadway along the Canyon of Heroes and the ceremony at City Hall where they received the key to the city from Mayor Eric Adams.

Ecstatic fans who attended New York Liberty games at the Barclay Center in record numbers this season cheer the New York Liberty’s first WNBA Championship in its 28-year history © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.comHall

*2024 WNBA Champion New York Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.coml*

*Jonathan Kolb, New York Liberty’s General Manager, is credited with making the enhancements to the team that brought them to the WNBA Championship© Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*Hall

*2024 WNBA Champions New York Liberty parade up the Canyon of Heroes © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

Parade float with the New York Liberty’s chant emblazoned, “We all we got. We all we need,” that helped energize the team to their first-ever WNBA Championship in their 28-year history © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

*New York Liberty dancing their way up Broadway © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

Governor Kathy Hochul rides a float. “Welcome to the sweet land of liberty – home of 20 million incredibly proud New Yorkers,” she said at the City Hall ceremony © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

*New York City Mayor Eric Adams aboard a float © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

New York Liberty MVP Jonquel Jones scored 17 points in championship-winning game. One of the original eight franchises in the league when it was founded in 1997, The Liberty made the WNBA Finals five times before, losing each one, including last season, before this “history made” victory © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

New York Liberty owners Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai bought the team in 2019, one of the original eight WNBA franchises in 1997, investing in management, players, and bringing the team to the Barclay Center where it has been hosting record attendance © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

*WNBA Champions New York Liberty get key to the city at City Hall © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

Courtney Vandersloot: “Winning a championship is hard. It’s all about sacrifice – whatever it took to win. I am so honored to win – it is hard, but worth it.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Breanna Stewart, Forward, a mom and the only native New Yorker on the New York Liberty, was celebrated for her steals, blocks, rebounds that got the team over hump. “And what about my free throws,” she joked, “and when it counted.”

*WNBA Champions New York Liberty get key to the city © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

*New York Liberty mascot, Ellie the Elephant © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

*New York Liberty mascot, Ellie the Elephant, with team owners Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

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Economic Development, Health Care, News & Photo Features, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul

Long Island, New York to Become Epicenter for Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation

October 22, 2024 krubin

Plans for a $430 million New York BioGenesis Park, a Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub, in Lake Success, Long Island, were unveiled by NYS Governor Kathy Hochul. The state is providing $150 million in funding, the largest state grant for CGT in the nation © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

By Karen Rubin, News-Photos-Features.com, [email protected]

Long Island will soon become the epicenter for some of the most important medical breakthroughs in the world, with the opening of New York BioGenesis Park, a Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled the plans for the state-of-the-art facility, to be developed by The Albanese Organization, Inc., to catalyze CGT research, development, clinical manufacturing, and commercialization across New York State. With a historic $150 million state investment—the largest nationwide for a cell and gene therapy hub—NYBGP would accelerate the delivery of new therapies from lab to patient in New York’s diverse communities. This transformative hub aims to establish New York as the leading global destination for CGT innovation, driving economic growth, attracting top talent, and revolutionizing patient care statewide and beyond.

*NYS Governor Kathy Hochul describes plans for a $430 million New York BioGenesis Park, a Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub, in Lake Success, Long Island © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com*

“With this groundbreaking hub, New York has the opportunity to stake its claim as the epicenter of cell and gene therapy innovation,”Governor Hochul said. “We’re not just advancing medical science; we’re creating a powerhouse that will drive our economy, generate thousands of high-skilled jobs, and bring hope to millions facing life-threatening diseases. This investment reaffirms our commitment to leading the future of healthcare and ensuring that the next medical breakthrough happens right here in New York.”

Cell and gene therapies are revolutionary treatments that modify a patient’s cells or genes to combat diseases at their source. Offering hope for previously incurable conditions—including cancers, genetic disorders, and autoimmune diseases—these approaches target illnesses at the cellular and genetic levels. They have the potential to provide more effective, longer-lasting treatments with fewer side effects than traditional methods. Advancements in these therapies could revolutionize healthcare, paving the way for personalized medicine and new possibilities for patients who have exhausted other treatment options.

“For people in the business, the healthcare professions of treating those who have complex diseases, this is an extraordinary opportunity,” Governor Hochul said. “And, cell and gene therapy, CGT, is one of the fastest growing treatment tools in the toolkit we have to deal with many, many diseases, and it’s near unlimited potential when it comes to changing outcomes for people diagnosed with cancer and rare diseases.”

With CGT, she said, cells are grown outside the body, genes are modified to eradicate harmful mutations, and then they’re fine-tuned by specialists in a lab, introduced into the patient where they go directly to work attacking cancerous cells and replacing faulty genes.

“It’s extraordinary when you think about that. Extraordinary. And, doctors call these therapies, not just miraculous, but a true paradigm shift. And their application is absolutely limitless. And, we think about the diseases that we’re trying to tackle. Those that have affected our own family members.”

Diseases that are considered incurable today: Parkinson’s, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, heart disease, cancer, could be prevented, diagnosed, treated and cured using these technologies.

New York BioGenesis Park is envisioned as a cutting-edge, full-service campus dedicated to advancing cell and gene therapies and accelerating their commercialization. At full build-out, the 700,000-square-foot park would create an end-to-end Cell and Gene Therapy innovation and supply center, featuring interconnected areas for public engagement, research, manufacturing, and collaboration. The project would be developed in multiple phases, with Phase One comprising a 331,000-square-foot facility on Northwell Health’s campus in Lake Success, including the first Cell and Gene Therapy Tower and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMO) Tower. Phase One is already poised to advance, with conditional commitments from two anchor tenants; one would operate the CDMO, the other would operate the incubator.

A cornerstone of New York BioGenesis Park is its incubator, supported by a $50 million investment from ESD’s Long Island Investment Fund. This facility will empower early-stage therapeutic developers by offering state-of-the-art wet lab space, shared equipment, office space, and other essential resources. This nurturing environment would provide Cell and Gene Therapy companies with access to specialized equipment, mentoring, and stage-appropriate financial guidance. As a critical component of New York BioGenesis Park, the incubator is poised to catalyze the growth of promising Cell and Gene Therapy companies by providing them with resources and support, unlocking their potential for innovation and success.

This initial phase is expected to create approximately 830 full time union construction jobs and a combined estimate of 700 jobs related to Cell and Gene Therapy development and provision of services and technologies required by Cell and Gene Therapy developers, such as Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations, vector developers, and advanced diagnostic providers, as well as staff required for operation of the Center. Phase Two would further expand lab and office space, enhancing the park’s capabilities for Cell and Gene Therapy companies and service providers.

Governor Hochul said that she expected the zoning and environmental studies to be completed by 2026 and the first phase – a 7,000 sq. ft. facility of what will ultimately be 330,000 sq. ft. to support research, development, education, and commercialization – to open by 2029. In the meantime, researchers are already at work in existing labs.

“New York BioGenesis Park represents a transformative investment in Long Island’s future and New York State’s position as a global leader in biotechnology advancements,” Empire State Development Board Chairman Kevin Law said. “This project not only promises to create hundreds of high-skilled jobs but also establishes a world-class ecosystem for cell and gene therapy innovation. By leveraging Long Island’s exceptional talent pool and research institutions, we’re laying the foundation for breakthroughs that will save lives and drive economic growth for decades to come.”

The state, through its Empire State Development office, is providing $150 million of the $430 million development cost, which will support 830 construction jobs and 700 full-time jobs – “as close as it gets to a sure bet,” Hochul said because CGT that this global market is going to go from $8.5 billion a year to over $21 billion a year, and projected to be worth over $120 billion in a few years.

“We’ll be at the forefront of this movement with these investments today. So, I want to make sure that we know that Long Island, again, is at the forefront of this. This is a new, whole new market, a whole new opportunity for us and thousands of jobs being constructed here and beyond.”

Governor Hochul had designated Long Island as a hub for life sciences and technology innovation, climate and renewable energy. She noted that Long Island has the nation’s largest offshore wind facility that is commercial utility grade “and we’re just getting warmed up.” The state has designated Stony Brook University as one of two flagships.

All of this contributes to the sense of Long Island’s “exceptionalism, that there’s nothing holding us back because we have everything. We have the smartest people, the most incredible academic institutions. We have research.

“You think about what’s happening all over, every corner of this island. It is the place that people want to be who are inventing the future. And the future of healthcare is so much brighter now. The doctors, and researchers and the therapists who are coming here. And they’ll be building their lives here on Long Island. Now we need to build them some homes, but that’s another topic, okay? Let’s give them a place to live.

“And, we’re making progress there, and I want to continue to make this one of the most desirable places to live in all of New York, because it truly is. And having all these academic institutions and people coming here, young people coming here for an education, an opportunity to work in this innovative field, will then say, ‘I don’t have to go back to the home state I came from. I can stay right here and build a beautiful life’.”

“But what this technology gives, more than anything else, is hope to people whose lives are changed overnight with a diagnosis.

“You don’t have to be relegated to the same outcome you would have, but for these investments, but for this technology, but for this innovation. And, so, I do believe that New York state will become America’s premier CGT innovator, and I’m counting on it happening right here.”

“My friends, all of you who are involved with this, I honor you. This is one of the most impactful things we’ll do. In our time in these positions in elective office, and to all those in the medical profession who truly believe in this and the ones who are coming up with innovations and taking more time off the clock to get these products to market, to get them into people and help save their lives.

“So, we can’t control everything, but an opportunity here today to free people from a life of pain, uncertainty, and even death — that’s why we’re here today. That moral obligation we have to leave this place better than we found it. After today, we can say we accomplished this. We are leaving this place better than we found it.

“Healing the sick, giving people hope who are hopeless. That’s as good as it gets, my friend. Thank you for being part of this extraordinary story. Thank you everyone who’s involved in this.”

New York BioGenesis Park would foster strong ties with academic and medical institutions throughout New York, creating a robust ecosystem for Cell and Gene Therapy innovation. Collaborating with the Empire State Cellular Therapy Consortium and world-class institutions like Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Feinstein Institutes, Northwell Health, Roswell Park, Stony Brook University, Weill Cornell, Columbia University and others around the state. New York BioGenesis Park would enhance research synergies and accelerate medical breakthroughs. This ecosystem would bring together experts in advanced Cell and Gene Therapy therapies, offering specialized facilities, services, and resources to both tenants and collaborating institutions. By facilitating cutting-edge science, innovative technology development and novel approaches to clinical trials, New York BioGenesis Park would ensure New York’s institutions remain globally competitive in groundbreaking Cell and Gene Therapy research and commercialization.

The New York BioGenesis Park and the Cell and Gene Therapy manufacturing expansion at Roswell Park would create a powerful, interconnected network that leverages complementary resources and capabilities at both ends of the state. By fostering a comprehensive ecosystem that spans from basic research to clinical application and commercialization, New York is positioning itself as the nation’s leading destination for Cell and Gene Therapy research, development, and manufacturing.

Northwell Health President and CEO Michael J. Dowling said, “We are committed to supporting New York State in establishing this innovative cell and gene therapy hub on Long Island. The facility will be a game changer for physician-scientists, researchers and innovative companies, some of which are already working together in the region to advance novel biomedical treatments in the fight against cancer and other devastating diseases, offering new hope for our diverse communities across the state.

Northwell Health President and CEO Michael J. Dowling: “This is an investment in life-saving technology. We will be doing things never done before, expand on what we think we can do, It’s also about prevention, not just treatment, and recovery.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

“This is an investment in life-saving technology. We will be doing things never done before, expand on what we think we can do, It’s also about prevention, not just treatment, and recovery. This is an investment in collaboration and partnerships, working across all research areas, the best minds, researchers, intellectuals, to work together to create a new future,” Dowling said. “Imagine what could happen. This is a legacy event.”

The setting of the new campus is ideal – in close proximity to two other Northwell campuses and the largest ambulatory cancer center in the region.

The Albanese Organization, Inc., a Long Island-based developer with more than 70 years of experience in managing public-private partnerships, was selected following a Request for Proposals issued in December 2023 to lead the comprehensive process to design, finance, build, market, tenant, and operate the Long Island Cell and Gene Therapy Center. “This selection ensures that the project will be executed from conception to operation with an experienced development team, leveraging Albanese’s extensive expertise in developing large life science innovation campuses,” the state said.

“The Albanese Organization and our development team are honored and excited to be designated by Empire State Development to enter into this public private partnership that will realize the Governor’s vision to create a ‘Hub of the Future’ for Cell and Gene Therapy in Lake Success, Long Island. This transformative development will serve as a significant catalyst for advancing cell therapy research, development, clinical manufacturing, and commercialization across the State that will lead to increased access to transformative, life-saving treatments. The Hub will also further amplify and expand the economic engine that is the life sciences industry within New York State, and specifically Long Island.”

“The New York BioGenesis Park represents a transformative investment in Long Island’s future and solidifies our region’s position at the forefront of biotechnology innovation,” stated Long Island Regional Economic Development Commission Co-Chairs Linda Armyn and Dr. Kimberly R. Cline said.”This visionary project not only promises to create high-quality jobs and drive economic growth, but it also establishes Long Island as a global hub for cell and gene therapy research and development. By leveraging our region’s world-class academic institutions, skilled workforce, and entrepreneurial spirit, New York BioGenesis Park will catalyze breakthroughs that will save lives and shape the future of healthcare.”

NYS Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti, who helped win the funding, said, “New York State’s $150 million investment in a gene therapy research hub at Lake Success is a transformative step in developing Long Island’s biotechnology sector”. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

State Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti, who helped win the funding, said, “New York State’s $150 million investment in a gene therapy research hub at Lake Success is a transformative step in developing Long Island’s biotechnology sector. I thank Governor Hochul for championing this initiative, which will create hundreds of jobs and further solidify Long Island’s place as a national leader in cutting-edge medical research and treatments.”

“New York is already a leader in the science of making ‘living cures’ from our own cells,” Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center President and CEO Candace S. Johnson, PhD said. “With these historic investments in the Roswell Park GMP Engineering & Cell Manufacturing Facility and New York BioGenesis Park, Governor Kathy Hochul and Empire State Development are making sure our teams are supported by an innovation infrastructure powerful enough to transform their curiosity into cures”

New York Blood Center Enterprises President and CEO Christopher D. Hillyer, MD said,“The creation of the Long Island Center for Cell and Gene Therapy represents a critical investment in the future of medicine. New York Blood Center Enterprises and Comprehensive Cell Solutions are extremely proud to be part of the team that will position New York as a global leader in life sciences, particularly in cell and gene therapy, offering new hope to patients facing diseases once thought untreatable.”

NYS Governor Kathy Hochul with Dr. Ayanna Bryan, a Senior Program Director at New York Blood Center; Empire State Development President, CEO, and Commissioner Hope Knight; Northwell Health President and CEO Michael J. Dowling; NYS Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti and Kevin Law, the Chair of Empire State Development © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory President and CEO Bruce Stillman, PhD said, “The New York State cell and gene therapy initiative on Long Island will be a most welcome addition to the region’s biomedical research enterprise, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory looks forward to partnering with the CGT initiative. We thank Governor Hochul and Empire State Development for pioneering this exciting research expansion.”

The Long Island Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub stands to serve as a cornerstone of New York’s $620 million Life Science Initiative. Aimed at establishing the state as a national leader in the broader life sciences industry—including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology—the initiative allocates $320 million for strategic programs to attract new technologies, promote investment in emerging fields, and stimulate life science business growth and employment statewide. This multifaceted approach seeks to spur the development of a world-class research cluster, enhance the state’s ability to commercialize groundbreaking research, and drive economic growth.

By solidifying New York’s position in life sciences innovation, the initiative advances Cell and Gene Therapy development and strengthens the state’s global competitiveness. Read New York State’s Life Science Initiative Strategic Plan here.

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Biden Administration, Health Care, News & Photo Features, Obamacare

Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Rule to Expand Coverage of Affordable Contraception Under the Affordable Care Act

October 21, 2024 krubin

*Women’s March outside Trump International, NYC, 2019.* Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, the Administration is taking bold action to expand coverage of contraception for the 52 million women of reproductive age with private health insurance, marking the most significant expansion of contraception benefits under the Affordable Care Act in more than a decade. This action builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s strong record of defending access to reproductive health care and commitment to ensuring that women have the freedom to make deeply personal health care decisions, including if and when to start or grow their family. In contrast, Trump and Republican elected officials continue to threaten women’s health, lives, and freedom through extreme abortion bans, some with no exceptions for rape or incest, are moving to ban contraception and Morning After medication. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Today, October 21, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration proposed a rule to expand coverage of affordable contraception under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Here is a memo from Jennifer Klein, Director of the White House Gender Policy Council which Biden established, and a fact sheet from the White House on the proposal:

Interested Parties Memo: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Expands Coverage of Contraception Under the Affordable Care Act as Republican Elected Officials Continue Attacks on Reproductive Freedom
From: Jennifer Klein, Director, White House Gender Policy Council

Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, the Administration is taking bold action to expand coverage of contraception for the 52 million women of reproductive age with private health insurance, marking the most significant expansion of contraception benefits under the Affordable Care Act in more than a decade.

Today’s announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s strong record of defending access to reproductive health care and commitment to ensuring that women have the freedom to make deeply personal health care decisions, including if and when to start or grow their family.

Meanwhile, Republican elected officials continue to threaten women’s health, lives, and freedom through extreme abortion bans, some with no exceptions for rape or incest. Women are being denied essential medical care while doctors and nurses are threatened with jail time. Abortion, contraception, and IVF are under attack, while Republicans in Congress refuse to protect nationwide access to this vital reproductive health care. This extreme agenda is out-of-touch with the American people—which is why voters have overwhelmingly chosen to protect reproductive freedom in every state where abortion has been on the ballot.

President Biden and Vice President Harris stand with the vast majority of Americans in supporting a woman’s right to choose, and they will continue the fight against a national abortion ban and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law once and for all.

Read the Rest of the Interested Parties Memo Here
Read President Biden’s Statement Here
Read Vice President Harris’ Statement Here
Read the Fact Sheet Here (and below)

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Rule to Expand Coverage of Affordable Contraception Under the Affordable Care Act

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Proposal for Most Significant Expansion of Contraception Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act in More Than a Decade

President Biden and Vice President Harris have protected and built on the Affordable Care Act. Nearly 50 million people over the past decade have had coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces, and the law has protected more than 100 million people with preexisting medical conditions. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, Affordable Care Act coverage is more affordable than ever with millions of families saving an average of $800 per year on Marketplace coverage.

The Affordable Care Act has also helped millions of women save billions of dollars on contraception—an essential component of reproductive health care that has only become more important since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. As part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ steadfast commitment to reproductive rights, the Biden-Harris Administration has further strengthened contraception access and affordability under the Affordable Care Act, through Medicare and Medicaid, through the Title X Family Planning Program, through federally qualified health centers, and for federal employees, Service members, veterans, and college students.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is proposing a rule that would significantly increase coverage of contraception without cost sharing for 52 million women of reproductive age with private health insurance. Building on the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that most private health plans must cover contraception without cost sharing, today’s proposed rule from the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury would:

Expand coverage of over-the-counter contraception without cost sharing. Under the proposed rule, for the first time, women would be able to obtain over-the-counter (OTC) contraception without a prescription at no additional cost. As a result, more women would be able to access and afford critical OTC medications such as emergency contraception and the first-ever daily oral contraceptive approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use without a prescription that is now widely available across the country.
Make it easier to learn about coverage for OTC contraception. To help ensure that women understand this new benefit, most private health plans would be required to disclose that OTC contraception is covered without cost sharing and without a prescription—and take steps to help women learn more about their contraception coverage.
Strengthen coverage of prescribed contraception without cost sharing. The proposed rule would make it easier for most women with private health insurance to obtain contraception without cost sharing that is prescribed by their health care provider. Health plans would be required to cover every FDA-approved contraceptive drug or drug-led combination product without cost sharing unless the plan also covers a therapeutic equivalent without cost sharing, eliminating barriers that some women continue to face in accessing contraception prescribed by their provider.

This proposed rule, if finalized, would be the most significant expansion of contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act since 2012, when contraception was first required to be covered. Also today, the Biden-Harris Administration is issuing new guidance to help ensure that patients can access other preventive services, such as cancer screenings, that must be covered without cost sharing under the Affordable Care Act.

The Biden-Harris Administration is issuing this proposed rule at a time when reproductive rights are under attack, and Republican elected officials remain committed to repealing the Affordable Care Act. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, dangerous and extreme abortion bans are putting women’s health and lives at risk and disrupting access to critical health care services, including contraception, as health care providers are forced to close in states across the country. At the same time, Republican elected officials in some states have made clear they want to ban or restrict birth control in addition to abortion, and Republicans in Congress have attacked contraception access nationwide by proposing to defund the Title X Family Planning Program. In contrast, President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that women in every state must have the freedom to make deeply personal health care decisions, including the right to decide if and when to start or grow their family.

Today’s announcements build on actions that the Biden-Harris Administration has already taken to expand access to affordable contraception, including to implement the President’s Executive Order on Strengthening Access to Affordable, High-Quality Contraception and Family Planning Services from June 2023. The Administration has taken action to:

Expand contraception coverage and affordability under the Affordable Care Act. The Departments of HHS, Labor, and the Treasury proposed a rule to provide a new pathway under the Affordable Care Act for women to access coverage of contraceptives when their private health coverage is exempt from covering this benefit due to a religious objection. These agencies also issued new guidance to support expanded coverage of a broader range of FDA-approved, cleared, or granted contraceptives at no additional cost under the Affordable Care Act, building on guidance issued after Roe v. Wade was overturned to clarify protections for contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Further, HHS strengthened the standard for inclusion of family planning providers in Marketplace plan provider networks and provided nearly $9 million in grant funding to support state efforts to enhance and expand coverage of, and access to, reproductive and maternal health services, including contraception. And the Internal Revenue Service issued new guidance affirming that high-deductible health plans can cover OTC contraception as preventive care.
Bolster family planning services through Title X clinics. HHS continues to rebuild and grow the Title X Family Planning Program, which has played a critical role in ensuring access to a broad range of high-quality family planning and preventive health services for more than 50 years. During the prior administration, more than 1,000 service sites left the Title X Family Planning Program, leading to a significant decline in people served. The Biden-Harris Administration reversed the policy changes that led to those departures, strengthening the Title X Family Planning Program and helping ensure that the Program remains a critical part of the nation’s health safety net. In 2023, HHS provided about $287 million to nearly 4,000 Title X clinics across the country to provide free or low-cost voluntary, client-centered family planning and related preventive services for 2.8 million women and families—an 80 percent increase since 2020.
Support family planning coverage through the Medicaid and Medicare programs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance to state Medicaid programs and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) to help ensure that enrollees can access family planning services. The new guidance outlined existing state obligations under federal law, highlighted strategies to enhance access to contraception, affirmed confidentiality requirements for those seeking family planning services, and shared recommendations on ways to measure quality in delivering family planning services. To help ensure that women with Medicare coverage have access to more covered types of contraception without unnecessary barriers, CMS updated its Medicare Part D formulary clinical review process for plan year 2024 and 2025 to include additional contraceptive types, such as long-acting contraceptives, and is increasing public awareness of contraceptive coverage options under Medicare Part B. The Secretary of HHS also issued a letter to state Medicaid and CHIP programs as well as private health insurers and Medicare plans about their existing obligations to cover contraception for those they serve.
Increase contraception access through federal health centers. Federal health centers continue to be an important source of family planning services: in 2023, health centers provided nearly 3 million contraceptive services visits to patients, a 14 percent increase since 2020. To support health centers in providing high-quality family planning services, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provided updated guidance on existing federal requirements for family planning and related services, which is a required primary health care service under federal law, as well as evidence-based recommendations and resources. HRSA also adopted new data measures for health centers that will help assess whether patients have been screened for contraception needs. Screening and data measures will help enhance the overall delivery of voluntary family planning and related services.
Support contraception access for federal employees and their families. The Office of Personnel Management strengthened access to contraception for federal workers, retirees, and family members by issuing guidance to insurers participating in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to clarify standards and support expanded coverage of a broader range of FDA-approved, cleared, or granted contraceptives at no additional cost. The Office of Personnel Management also required insurers that participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to take additional steps to educate enrollees about their contraception benefits and launched a public education campaign to highlight contraception benefits available to federal employees and their families.
Promote contraception access and affordability for Service members and their families and certain dependents of veterans. To improve access to contraception at military hospitals and clinics, the Department of Defense expanded walk-in contraceptive care services for active-duty Service members and other Military Health System beneficiaries and eliminated TRICARE copays for certain contraceptive services. And the Department of Veterans Affairs eliminated out-of-pocket costs for certain types of contraception through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Support access to affordable contraception for college students. To help increase access to contraception for college students, President Biden directed the Secretary of Education to convene institutions of higher education to share best practices and ways to help students understand their options for accessing contraception. In 2023, Vice President Harris joined a Department of Education convening of representatives from 68 colleges and universities across 32 states to discuss promising strategies for protecting and expanding access to contraception for their students. This convening followed Vice President Harris’s multiple conversations about reproductive health access with students on college campuses across the country.
Enhance contraception access through technical assistance and public-private partnership. In June 2023, HHS announced a new five-year public-private partnership to expand access to contraception with Upstream, a national nonprofit organization that provides health centers with free patient-centered, evidence-based training and technical assistance to eliminate provider-level barriers to offering the full range of contraceptive options. To date, HHS has connected Upstream to more than 130 health care clinics, resulting in partnerships that will help Upstream accelerate their national expansion to reach 5 million women of reproductive age every year.
Promote research and data analysis on contraception access. To document the gaps and disparities in contraception access as well as the benefits of comprehensive coverage, HHS convened leading experts to discuss the state of research, data collection, and data analysis on contraception access and family planning services. These convenings helped identify research gaps, opportunities for collaboration, and ways to bolster research efforts for both Federal agencies and external partners.

In addition to strengthening access to affordable contraception, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to implement President Biden’s three Executive Orders and a Presidential Memorandum directing federal agencies to protect access to reproductive health care issued since the Court overturned Roe v. Wade. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to protect access to abortion, including FDA-approved medication abortion; defend access to emergency medical care; support the ability to travel for reproductive health care; safeguard the privacy of patients and health care providers; and ensure access to accurate information and legal resources.

The Vice President has led the White House’s efforts to partner with leaders on the frontlines of protecting access to abortion, highlighting the harm of abortion bans to women’s health at more than 100 events in more than 20 states since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and meeting with hundreds of state legislators, health care providers, and advocates. On what would have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Vice President launched a nationwide Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour to continue fighting back against extreme attacks throughout America.

President Biden and Vice President Harris will continue to call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law to ensure that women in every state are able to make their own decisions about reproductive health care.

Israel, Israel-Palestine, Jewish issues, News & Photo Features

UJA Federation October 7 Commemoration Draws High-Profile Leaders, Survivors, Hostage Families, and Performers and 5,000 Supporters

October 10, 2024 krubin

By Karen Rubin, News-Photos-Features.com, [email protected]

One year after the October 7 massacre of 1200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 250 hostages, a community-wide memorial and commemoration was held in Central Park, New York City to honor the heroes, remember those brutally killed and kidnapped on that horrific day, and demand the release of the remaining 101 hostages.

Organized by the UJA Federation of New York, the 5,000 gathered heard from survivors of the Nova massacre, bereaved parents, and hostage family members who shared their stories. More than 50 rabbis of every denomination led a deeply moving communal Kaddish; an interfaith delegation offered their prayers for unity and peace. Spirits were lifted by the voices of teens from local high school choirs, along with renowned singers David Broza, Eden Golan, and Regina Spektor,

Here are highlights:

New York elected officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul, US Senator Charles Schumer, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, NYS Attorney General Letitia James, NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and NYC Mayor Eric Adams light memorial candles © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

50 New York area rabbis lead the Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Ron Segev, a survivor of the Nova Music Festival massacre on October 7, recounts four hours of terror as he, his brother and friends ran for their lives, dodging bullets. They finally found a car, drove back to pick up people, got 12 people out. His friend was pregnant and has since delivered a baby. He founded Tribe of Nova foundation.”We have to keep fighting anti-Semitism.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Choirs from Heschel High School, Ramaz Upper School and Sar High School © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of Omar Neutra, who grew up on Long Island and one of seven Americans among the 101 hostages still held captive, plead for the release of hostages. “We feel grief, layer upon layer, we felt buried alive. Omar was born one month after Sept. 11^th terror attack in NYC, he marked his 22^nd birthday in captivity and will spend his 23^rd birthday in captivity. He is a descendent of Holocaust survivors on both sides of the family. “We are caught up in a geopolitical nightmare – we feel the hostages are not the priority… This is not a political issue. Omar and 100 others are running out of time… Every moment is risk to their lives. Israel in direct conflict with Iran for the second time…any attempt to de-escalate conflict must begin with the release of hostages. Bring them home. A ceasefire would relieve suffering on all sides. But also clear ongoing military pressure in Gaza that is risking lives of hostages. A deal for the release is the only viable path. But it requires political will that is lacking. Push Hamas’ patrons, bring Israel back to the negotiation table… There is no victory in Israel without hostages coming home so we as Jews can move forward…Bring them home.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

An Interfaith Leaders of New York delegation – Pastors William Devlin, Reggie Stutzman, Reverenc Charles Galbreath, Patrick Molloy, Father Ryan Muldoon, Iman Muhammad Shahidullah, and Bishop Nancy Rosario, led by Bishop Mitchell Taylor. “The spirit of unity transcends our differences,” mourning those who have been lost “while committing us to a world where love prevails over hate.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Israel’s Consul to the United Nations, Ofir Akunis joins with family members of abducted, Rabbi Doron Perez, father of Captain Daniel Perez; Na’ama and Nabav Miran, siblings of Omri Miran; Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of Omer Neutra; Sigal Steiner Manzuri, mother of murdered victims Norel and Roya. “One year ago, the Devil himself invaded our country. For one year, Hamas holding 101 innocent Israelies, Americans and citizens of 20 countries as hostages,” Ambassador Akunis said. Since then, Israel has been fighting for its life, eliminating terror threats on our doorstep. Bringing home the people and restoring peace to borders is our duty. Hamas uses Israeli hostages and Gazans as human shields – hospitals, mosques, schools, kindergartens. Our brave solders risk everything to save a human life, these modern day Maccabeans.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Dan Och, UJA Federation © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Israel’s Eurovision superstar, Eden Golan, performs “October Rain” at the UJA Federation October 7 Commemoration. Eurovision, pressured to ban Israel from the competition, required Golan to remove reference to October 7 in her song “Hurricane,” and she endured death threats and vicious anti-Semitic attacks. In May, she performed at a rally in Tel Aviv to demand the release of the hostages and marched on UJA’s float on Israel Day in New York City along with a huge contingent representing the hostages. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

David Broza, joined by the Tzofim performs at the UJA Federation October 7 Commemoration. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Cantor Chaim Dovid Berson of Congregation Kehilath Jesurun, leads the prayer for Israel’s defense forces. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Cantor Azi Schwartz of Park Avenue Synagogue leads the prayer for Israel. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Regina Spektor sings the “Avinu” prayer, and the moving melody, “Eli, Eli,” a **song** written in 1942 by Hungarian Jewish WWII resistance fighter Hannah Szenes just before being killed and set to music by Israeli composer David Zehavi in 1945, at the UJA Federation October 7 Commemoration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Three cantors lead the national anthems of the United States and Israel © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Bring them home, now. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

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Climate Change, Election 2024, News & Photo Features

Reminder: Trump Gutted FEMA and Blocked Disaster Relief Funding as President. His Project 2025 Agenda Would Be a Disaster

October 4, 2024 krubin

While lying about the Biden administration’s swift and efficient relief efforts after Hurricane Helene, Trump has gone out of his way to undermine the relief effort, even deflecting resources by his showboat appearance in a stricken community, and sowing anxiety and distress among traumatized, desperate people.

Claiming to have had a sterling record on hurricane relief when he was president? Recall the disgusting scene of him tossing paper towels in Puerto Rico to victims of Hurricane Maria, and saying Puerto Rico was too far out into the ocean to get relief, then hiring a crony from Montana to fix the electric grid (it didn’t).

Trump, who in yet another instance of projection, accuses Biden of steering aid away from Republican communities (not true), but was the one who withheld disaster aid to California enduring historic wildfires, actually blamed the state for not trimming trees enough, and withheld coronavirus tests and masks to Democratic areas, telling Governors to fend for themselves.

Here’s a reminder from the Harris-Walz campaign: – Karen Rubin, news-photo-features.com, [email protected]