As local newspapers are struggling, Nextdoor is rising as a new hub for news. NPR’s Audie Cornish talks to writer Will Oremus about the app and the role it is playing in local politics.
Biden’s incoming team is stacked with former tech employees, leaving many activists wondering how the administration will shape its tech policy.
Equity at the Center
On the first day of his administration, President Biden issued an executive order recognizing the need to center equity in federal policymaking. He also set a goal that 40% of overall benefits of spending should be directed to disadvantaged communities, including Black and Brown, rural and urban low-income, and tribal communities.
To fulfill this commitment, Biden will invest in infrastructure and innovation that benefit Black, Brown, and AAPI entrepreneurs, particularly those working in lower-income neighborhoods. He will also ensure that federal procurement policies support good American jobs and strengthen worker organizing, collective bargaining, and unions.
In addition, Biden will capitalize Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to provide micro-loans for small businesses and larger loans to existing businesses who are able to expand their business. He will also make permanent and enhance the highly effective New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), which has already helped spur more than $50 billion in additional venture and equity capital for small businesses and communities across the country.
Climate Action
Climate action is the collective effort to address the global climate crisis. It includes both adaptation, which focuses on protecting against the impacts of climate change, and mitigation, which involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
The United States is the world’s leading producer of carbon dioxide and must do more to reduce its emissions. We must accelerate the development of innovative technologies that capture and use carbon.
A Biden Administration will lead the global effort to ramp up the ambition of countries’ domestic climate targets and make them enforceable. We’ll do this by engaging key leaders around the world and using America’s economic leverage and power of example to get them to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.
We must also strengthen the nation’s resilience to climate change by investing in smart infrastructure and making it more resilient to storms, floods, wildfires, urban heat, and sea level rise. This effort is the centerpiece of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides the largest investments ever in infrastructure to improve our power grid, invest in public transit and zero-emission buses, install a nationwide EV charging network, clean up legacy pollution, replace lead pipes and deliver clean water.
Global Leadership
Global leadership is a next-generation skill set that is necessary in today’s world. It requires an ability to think globally, connect international markets and trends, and cultivate a global mindset.
In the business world, this means knowing how to effectively work with people from different backgrounds. It also means understanding the ties that bind countries together, from cultural values to business practices and marketplaces.
Regardless of the size of an organization, global leadership is about connecting across a range of boundaries. Whether national, linguistic or professional, all of these barriers can impact a leader’s interactions and influence others.
At Georgia Tech, we help students gain the skills they need to lead in a global context. Our Global Leadership Living Learning Community (GLLLC) helps students develop a comprehensive understanding of global leadership through small-group and individual activities, including scenario act-outs, case studies and group presentations. By the end of the program, students are better equipped to make a positive impact during culturally diverse experiences such as foreign study programs, field research projects, volunteering, internships and post-graduation careers.
Economic Growth
A booming economy is the lifeblood of any country and it’s a good thing. But the most important part of any economic boom is its ability to create and retain jobs. To do so, companies must have access to the latest technology, a receptive labor market and a sound business model. That is where USAID’s Private Sector Engagement (PSE) program comes in. Our mission is to assist our partners in their endeavors by leveraging our knowledge base and building the capacity of their best and brightest employees. One of our most popular programs is the PSE’s Managing Director’s Club. This club is a network of the most accomplished professionals in their field and offers members the opportunity to exchange ideas, collaborate on projects and learn from the best of the best.
