{"id":157972,"date":"2023-03-28T20:36:38","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T03:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=157972"},"modified":"2023-03-28T20:36:38","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T03:36:38","slug":"president-biden-spoke-in-north-carolina-on-investing-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=157972","title":{"rendered":"President Biden Spoke in North Carolina on Investing in America"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Durham, North Carolina&#8230;Hello, everyone.  How are ya?  (Applause.)  Well, it\u2019s great to be here.  Before I begin to talk about the whole notion of rebuilding America, I want to talk very briefly about what happened in Nashville.  You know, we know the names of the victims.  We\u2019ve seen the initial footage of the attack.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IUUTBiF4AeU\" title=\"President Biden Delivers Remarks on Investing in America\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Three children \u2014 three children dead, all just nine years old, including the daughter of the pastor.  Three members of the staff \u2014 the school custodian, a substitute teacher, and the head of school.<\/p>\n<p>I spoke with one of the \u2014 like, actually, it was the governor\u2019s wife \u2014 the governor \u2014 he was telling me his wife was about to have dinner that night with her. <\/p>\n<p>There is still more to learn about what happened, but there\u2019s plenty we do know.<\/p>\n<p>We know that this family\u2019s worst nightmare \u2014 a family\u2019s worst nightmare has occurred.  I\u2019ve lost a child not to that; I\u2019ve lost a child on accident and to a cancer.  But I\u2019ll tell you, there\u2019s nothing like losing a child.  Particularly the more senseless it is, the more devastating the impact on you.  It\u2019s absolutely heartbreaking.  And it\u2019s senseless. <\/p>\n<p>You know, those children should all be with us still.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, have a seat, if you have one. <\/p>\n<p>They should still be with us. <\/p>\n<p>As a nation \u2014 this is not hyperbole \u2014 as a nation, we owe these families more than our prayers.  We owe them action. <\/p>\n<p>You know, we have to do more to stop this gun violence that are ripping communities apart and ripping apart the soul of this nation; to protect our children so they learn how to read and write instead of duck and cover in the classroom.  You know, we need to act.  These are weapons of war. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m a Second Amendment guy.  I have two shotguns.  My sons have shotguns.  You know, but our states \u2014 you know, everybody thinks somehow the Second Amendment is absolute.  You\u2019re not allowed to go out and own a \u2014 an automatic weapon.  You\u2019re not allowed to own a machine gun.  You\u2019re not allowed to own a flamethrower.  You\u2019re not allowed to own so many other things.<\/p>\n<p>Why in God\u2019s name do we allow these weapons of war in our streets and at our schools?<\/p>\n<p>According to law enforcement, the shooter in this horror had two assault weapons and a pistol. <\/p>\n<p>What in God\u2019s name are we doing?  These guns are the number \u2014 gun- \u2014 this is hard to believe \u2014 I never thought when I started my public life \u2014 that guns would be the number one killer of children in America.  Guns: number one.  It\u2019s sick.<\/p>\n<p>And, overwhelmingly, a majority of gun owners agree:  We have to do something.  Not just everybody; the gun owners agree.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a moral price to pay for inaction.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, we came together to pass the most significant gun safety legislation in 30 years.  It was bipartisan.  We got it done.  And don\u2019t tell me we can\u2019t do more together.<\/p>\n<p>So I again call on Congress to pass the assault weapons ban.  Pass it.  It should not be a partisan issue.  This is a commonsense issue.  We have to act now.  And people say why do I keep saying this if it\u2019s not happening?  Because I want you know who isn\u2019t doing it, who isn\u2019t helping \u2014 to put pressure on them.<\/p>\n<p>You know, I know you see on television \u2014 it\u2019s not just merely the weapon in terms of its \u2014 that it\u2019s semiautomatic, in effect, but the velocity with which is comes out of that muzzle, what it does when it hits the body.  Most bullets would go just straight through and out, leaving \u2014 but it blows up once it\u2019s inside your body.  What in God\u2019s name \u2014 what in God\u2019s name does anyone need that for in America?<\/p>\n<p>Folks, look, let me come to \u2014 speak to what I came to talk about.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank Jake for the introduction. And, Mayor Elaine O\u2019Neal, thank you for the passport into the city. <\/p>\n<p>And, Governor Cooper, thanks for inviting me back to North Carolina.  See, he should know better, but he\u2019s invited me back.  (Laughter.)  We\u2019ve been doing this a lot. <\/p>\n<p>Where \u2014 where is the Gov?  There he is.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, if you had to name the five best governors of either party in the United States of America, this guy is one of them.  (Applause.)  You really are.<\/p>\n<p>And you know why?  You all know it \u2014 whether you\u2019re Democrat or Republican, liberal of conservative.  He has more integrity in his little finger than most people have in their whole body.  What he says, you can count on.  He\u2019s completely, completely, completely straight.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also committed to this state, you\u2019ve \u2014 you\u2019re here on your wedding anniversary.  And I just want you to know I sent flowers to your wife.  I don\u2019t know about you.  (Laughter.)  You better damn well be in time for that dinner.  He has dinner later tonight.  I\u2019m not going to tell you the time because you may want to go to the same restaurant.  (Laughter.)  But \u2014 but the fact is that I promise I\u2019m not going to speak until 6:30.  That\u2019s when the dinner is.<\/p>\n<p>Gov, thanks for being here today, but thanks for your friendship. <\/p>\n<p>And you have two great freshmen members of Congress: Representative Valerie Foushee.  Valerie, where are you sitting?  (Applause.)  There you are, Valerie.  And Representative Wiley Nickel.  Wiley, stand up, man.  (Applause.)  They\u2019re fighting hard for the people of North Carolina.  <\/p>\n<p>And Secretary Gina Raimondo, former governor, is doing an incredible job \u2014 an incredible job as a Cabinet member with me.  And she is implementing the laws we\u2019ve just passed and we\u2019re making that is going to change this country.<\/p>\n<p>And Wolfspeed CEO Gregg Lowe.  Gregg?  Gregg is over there.  There you go, Gregg.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>I was doing some photos, and a guy walked through the line.  He said, \u201cLast time you were here, you were here for lightbulbs.\u201d  (Laughter.)  We have a lot more lightbulbs now.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, thanks for partnering with Governor Cooper on this historic investment. <\/p>\n<p>This is the largest investment in manufacturing in the history of North Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>I asked \u2014 I\u2019ve asked CEOs \u2014 (applause) \u2014 I\u2019ve asked CEOs this question repeatedly since we\u2019ve begun passing this legislation: When the United States invests considerable resources in new industry, does it encourage businesses to get in the game or discourage them?  And the answer is universal: It encourages business to get in the game.<\/p>\n<p>Federal investment attracts private sector investment.  It creates jobs and industries, and it demonstrates we\u2019re all in this together.  And that\u2019s what today is about.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re here to talk about what we\u2019re doing to invest in America, to invest in North Carolina and the progress we\u2019ve made building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not trickle down from the top down.  That never landed on my dad\u2019s kitchen table, the trickle-down piece.  Progress we\u2019ve made creating strong, sustainable economic growth.<\/p>\n<p>We passed the American Rescue Plan right after I was elected, the most aggressive economic recovery package since Franklin Roosevelt.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>We passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the most substantial investment since President Eisenhower\u2019s investment in infrastructure \u2014 roads, bridges, ports, airports, clean water, high-speed Internet. <\/p>\n<p>And we passed the CHIPS and Science Act, the most significant investment in manufacturing and research and development in our history.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>We used to invest 2 percent of our GDP in research and development.  The last 35 years, it got down to 0.7 percent. <\/p>\n<p>But America is coming back.  We\u2019re determined to lead the world in manufacturing of semiconductors.  We invented semiconductors in the United States of America.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>The Inflation Reduction Act is the most transformal [sic] \u2014 the transformational investment in our climate ever anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Put it all together, it\u2019s a plan to invest in America, invest in Americans \u2014 give them an opportunity to invest in ourselves.  And it\u2019s working.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what it looks like across the country: a record 12.4 million new jobs, including 800,000 manufacturing jobs.  That means we\u2019ve recovered every single job lost in the pandemic and created 3 million more.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of exporting jobs \u2014 (applause) \u2014 instead of exporting jobs, like \u2014 to get cheaper labor costs \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Like, I come from the corporate capital of the world, Delaware.  More corporations are incorporated in Delaware than every other state in the union combined. <\/p>\n<p>About 30 years ago, under Democrat and Republican administrations, corporate America decided to go with the jobs that are cheapest.  And guess what?  America lost its edge in manufacturing, lost its edge across the board.  And we did that for decades.<\/p>\n<p>Now we\u2019re creating jobs.  We\u2019re exporting jobs no longer.  American products are being made here.  We\u2019re growing the economy.<\/p>\n<p>And today I announced that since I took office, we\u2019ve attracted \u2014 catch this \u2014 we\u2019re attracted 435 billion \u2014 billion dollars in private investment in American manufacturing.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve announced over 23,000 infrastructure jobs so far \u2014 projects so far \u2014 not jobs, projects \u2014 in thousands of American communities across the country.<\/p>\n<p>And, in the process, we\u2019re strengthening our supply chain.<\/p>\n<p>Right here in America, here in North Carolina, we\u2019re making chips that go into electric vehicles.  These vehicles are powered by batteries and critical minerals that we\u2019re making \u2014 you\u2019re making here in North Carolina.  We\u2019re making electric vehicles here in North Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what \u201cinvest\u201d means when we say \u201cInvest in America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before the pandemic, \u201csupply chain\u201d wasn\u2019t something most Americans thought about.  When you\u2019d say \u201cthe supply chains,\u201d you\u2019d look at each other with a blank stare.<\/p>\n<p>Well, guess what?  Everybody knows what the supply chain is because day- \u2014 today, after delays in parts and products folks experienced, everyone knows that\u2019s why it\u2019s so important; you have to have access to them.<\/p>\n<p>My economic plan brings the supply chain home, to the United States.<\/p>\n<p>I was asked by one foreign leader, who will remain nameless, why I was doing this.  I said we\u2019re no longer going to be \u2014 have to wait for product from other countries.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re going to \u2014 you\u2019re going to have access to what we do, but we\u2019re going to have the supply chain start in America, building a clean energy future made in America.  (Applause.)   <\/p>\n<p>And that means providing incentives for companies to manufacture clean energy technology here in North Carolina and across the country, where companies are making electric vehicles because of our investments; in Charlotte, where, you know, Albemarle is using funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to process lithium and critical materials that power EV batteries.<\/p>\n<p>Across the state \u2014 across the state, we\u2019re building a network of electric vehicle charging stations, and we\u2019re going to build 550,000 of them across all of America; where, driving up and down the coast or on I-85, charging stations will be as easy to find as gas stations are today.  And that\u2019s a promise.<\/p>\n<p>And Wolfspeed is making an investment that will further strengthen the supply chain, the largest investment in manufacturing in North Carolina history.  $5 billion they\u2019re investing.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>They make the wafers needed to produce semiconductors, these small computer chips \u2014 smaller than the end of your little finger \u2014 that power everyday lives.  Everything.  Smartphones, washing machines, hospital equipment, automobiles, you name it.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re especially critical in powering electric vehicles, which can use 2- to 3,000 chips for a single vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>And building \u2014 they are construction \u2014 and \u2014 and building and the construction \u2014 whether it\u2019s the size \u2014 this building they\u2019re constructing will be the size of 38 football fields.  Let me say that again: What they\u2019re constructing is the size of 38 football fields.  It will have 10 times the productive capacity compared to where we\u2019re standing on today \u2014 38 football fields.<\/p>\n<p>Next door to Chatham County, VinFast is investing $4 billion to produce electric vehicles, which will use the semiconductors Wolfspeed produces.<\/p>\n<p>Think about this \u2014 what it means to our supply chain and to our communities.<\/p>\n<p>  Instead of relying on mat- \u2014 on minerals made overseas in places like China, the supply chain will be here in America, here in North Carolina.  It\u2019s a gamechanger.<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, America invented these chips.  We invented them.  We\u2019re the guys that came up with it because of the \u2014 the space program.<\/p>\n<p>Federal investment helped reduce the cost of creating and marketing the entire industry that America led.   <\/p>\n<p>As a result, over 30 years ago, America had 40 percent of the global chip production.  And then we got fat and happy.  Something happened. <\/p>\n<p>American manufacturing, the backbone of our economy, got hollowed out.  Companies began moving, as I said, jobs overseas instead of products overseas.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, today we\u2019re down to producing around 10 percent of the world\u2019s chips, despite leading the world in research and design of new chip technology.<\/p>\n<p>Why does this matter?  Well, we saw it during the pandemic.  When the global economy came to a halt, overseas factories that make these chips shut down, driving up costs for families. <\/p>\n<p>In fact, one third of the core inflation rate in 2021 was because of the price of automobiles.  They couldn\u2019t get enough computer chips, so they started to shut down the lines.  Fewer cars were made.  Workers on the shop floor were laid off.  Prices went up because the cars were in short supply.<\/p>\n<p>Now \u2014 now we\u2019re turning things around in a big way.<\/p>\n<p>Folks, where is it written \u2014 where is it written that says that America can\u2019t lead the world in manufacturing again?  Where the hell is that written?  I don\u2019t know that.  (Laughter.)  No, I\u2019m serious.  Think about it.  Think about it.<\/p>\n<p>All over the country, semiconductor companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in a record amount of money to bring chips production back home in Ohio, New York, Arizona \u2014 not just here.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re bringing the key parts of the supply chain back to America.  Companies in every part of the country are exp- \u2013expanding factories and building new ones, creating tens of thou- \u2014 tens of thousands of new, good-paying jobs, which don\u2019t need a four-year degree.  Don\u2019t need a four-year degree. <\/p>\n<p>Folks, when I say every job in America should be a good job, including a free and fair choice to join a union, I mean it.  Every venture to manufacture \u2014 every venture to manufacture electric vehicles \u2014 electric vehicles\u2019 batteries would be made stronger by collective bargaining relationships with unions. <\/p>\n<p>Look, we\u2019re working \u2014 (applause) \u2014 working to ensure a clean energy manufacturing future is also \u2014 supports the American working families and good union jobs. <\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, everybody thinks if you want to be an electrician, you show up and you say, \u201cI want to be an electrician.\u201d  You go to a four- or five-year apprenticeship.  It\u2019s like going back to school.  You don\u2019t get the pay until you are qualified fully.  It takes four to five years of training.  That\u2019s why they\u2019re the best workers in the world.<\/p>\n<p>I asked the South Korean chip manufacturing company why they\u2019re moving billions of dollars to the United States to build factories here.  He said, \u201cBecause\u2026\u201d \u2014 swear to God \u2014 he said, \u201cBecause you have the best workers in the world and the safest place in the world to build them.\u201d  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Listen, I know many of you here in North Carolina<br \/>\nand many of you watching at home, like \u2014 like the folks I grew up with in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware \u2014 you feel left out, left behind in an economy that\u2019s rapidly changing.  I get it.<\/p>\n<p>But hear \u2014 hear me: We will leave no one behind in this new adventures.  We\u2019re going to make sure all American workers, with college degrees or without college degrees, are prepared to compete with anyone else in the world.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re working with companies and community colleges, technical schools, union-led registered apprentice and training program to make that happen.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Wolfspeed is \u2014 is partnering with North Carolina community college and North Carolina A&#038;T, an HBCU that produces more Black engineers than anywhere in the country \u2014 (applause) \u2014 to train workers and build that pipeline to fill the jobs we\u2019re creating.<\/p>\n<p>And partnerships with HBCUs like North Carolina A&#038;T and North Carolina Central University here in Durham, the community colleges across the state, they\u2019re going receive $60 million<br \/>\nin American Rescue Plan funding to create new pipelines for good-paying jobs in biotech, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and shipbuilding.<\/p>\n<p>The top private sector companies have committed to hire<br \/>\nat least 3,000 North Carolinians from a new clean job[s] training pipeline funded by the American Rescue Plan.<\/p>\n<p>Wolfspeed \u2014 Wolfspeed investment alone is going to lead to 1,800 North Carolina jobs, the vast majority of which won\u2019t require a college degree.  And guess what?  The average pay for those non-college graduates will be $80,000 a year.  (Applause.)  That\u2019s almost double the average annual wage of Chatham County in the new \u2014 where the new plant is going to be built.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just clean energy manufacturing.  Next door in Pittsboro, the town getting $18 million to keep contaminants out of their drinking water.<\/p>\n<p>Northeastern North Carolina \u2014 Alligator River Bridge connecting I-95 and the Outer Banks will be replaced with a modern bridge so folks headed to the beach don\u2019t face the frustrating delays and detours.<\/p>\n<p>Talk to one of the seventy hundred thou- \u2014 700,000 North Carolinian families who are able to afford high-speed Internet because of our infrastructure law.  We put it in, and it\u2019s available.  (Applause.)  No more having to pull up to a parking lot outside a McDonald\u2019s to have to turn on the Internet so your kid can do their homework when they\u2019re doing it online.<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, just yesterday North Carolina \u2014 because of your governor and state legislature \u2014 became the fourth \u2014 40th state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act \u2014 (applause) \u2014 the fourth since I took office, including funding from the American Rescue Plan.<\/p>\n<p>Six hundred thousand North Carolinians are about to qualify for high-quality healthcare \u2014 actually can afford it now for the first time in their lives. <\/p>\n<p>So, thank you, Gov.  (Applause.)  It\u2019s a gigantic deal.  It really is.  It\u2019s a big deal.<\/p>\n<p>Folks, this matters.  But thanks to Governor Cooper\u2019s leadership putting these federal dollars to work, people are starting to feel the effects of \u2014 in their everyday lives.<\/p>\n<p>And these investments, what they mean that now \u2014<\/p>\n<p>By the way \u2014 one thing that\u2019s not part of the infrastructure bill but is sort of health infrastructure: We finally \u2014 after years and years, we were able to take on Big Pharma. <\/p>\n<p>Any of you who know anybody who has to \u2014 who has Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes?  Raise your hand if you know anybody.  Well, guess what?  You\u2019ve been paying $4- to $500 a vial for that insulin you need to stay alive.  Well, guess what?  Now they cannot charge you more than 35 bucks.  (Applause.)  Thirty-five bucks.  Because it costs them only $10 to make. <\/p>\n<p>And, folks, that\u2019s not all.  You know, a lot of people, particularly those on Medicare, they have healthcare bills that are \u2014 insurance bills for their insurance that is incredibly high. <\/p>\n<p>So, for drugs \u2014 so, for example, you need a \u2014 if you have a serious cancer problem, you can be paying $13-, $14,000 a year.  Under the new law, no one is going to have to pay more than 200- \u2014 $2,000 a year for their healthcare, period. <\/p>\n<p>And guess what?  In the process, I\u2019m cutting the federal budget $168 billion.  (Applause.)  You know why?  Because Medicare doesn\u2019t have to pay out those exorbitant, undeserved fees.  They\u2019ll pay out what it\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n<p>So, folks, this not only helps patients, but it helps the economy.  All these investments mean that now, if you grow up in North Carolina, you go to school in North Carolina, you can stay in North Carolina and \u2014 with a good job, and you can raise a family on it. <\/p>\n<p>How many of you before had, in small towns in North Carolina, a \u2014 someone goes out and get a decent education, and the son or daughter comes in, \u201cMom, I can\u2019t stay here.  There\u2019s no jobs for me.  I got to leave.\u201d  Well, you\u2019re going to be able to stay.  You\u2019re going to be able to stay.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And none of this is happening by accident.  And it\u2019s not just happening in North Carolina.  It\u2019s all part of my agenda to invest in America.  American jobs.  American innovation.  Pride in our country.  Dignity for workers and their families.<\/p>\n<p>But unfortunately, extreme MAGA Republicans \u2014 not all \u2014 but extreme MAGA Republicans are threatening to undo all this progress.  They\u2019re putting our economy in jeopardy by threatening to refuse to pay America\u2019s bills, not the ones \u2014<\/p>\n<p>I cut the deficit by $1.7 trillion in two years.  But guess what?  They\u2019re talking about not paying our debt, which is accumulated over 200 years.  All this \u2014 when you hear these trillion-dollar numbers, that\u2019s 200 years of debt accumulated.  Two hundred years.<\/p>\n<p>And they want to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, which means they want to cut the investments in clean energy manufacturing and encourage companies to expand and create jobs instead of \u2014 create jobs here.<\/p>\n<p>They want to cede our clean energy future to China to make us dependent on overseas supplies and supply chains, export jobs overseas, and weaken our energy security. <\/p>\n<p>MAGA Republicans in Congress, all \u2014 they want to cut \u2014 gut the CHIPS and Science Act, stripping our investments in the next generation of science and technology, like biomanufacturing, quantum computing, and morecula- \u2014 molecular electronics [microelectronics].<\/p>\n<p>Look, folks, it would mean ceding the future of innovation<br \/>\nand technology to China.<\/p>\n<p>Well, I\u2019ve got news for you and for MAGA Republicans who are in the Congress: Not on my watch.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re not going to let them undo all the progress we\u2019ve made.  There\u2019s a number of Republicans that feel the same way.<\/p>\n<p>Let me close with this.  I\u2019ve been determined to make things in this country again, to build American manufacturing capacity, to make sure we\u2019re never again in a position like we were during the pandemic, where we\u2019re relying on other countries to make things that we need at home to make anything.<\/p>\n<p>Folks, some folks didn\u2019t believe we could do it, but I\u2019ve made it no \u2014 made no bones about it.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve said for a long time \u2014 and I mean this from the bottom of my heart: If we invest in America, we can change the country\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p>Thirty years ago \u2014 I\u2019ll say it again \u2014 we invested 2 percent of our entire GDP in research and development.  By the time I came to office, that was under 10 percent.  If I\u2019m not mistaken, it was seven tenths of 1 percent [0.7 percent].<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re turning that around.  We\u2019re proving it\u2019s never been a good bet to bet against America.  I\u2019ve never been more optimistic about our country\u2019s future.  We just need to remember who we are.  We\u2019re the United States of America.<\/p>\n<p>There is nothing \u2014 nothing beyond our capacity when we act together.  Virtually nothing.<\/p>\n<p>God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Durham, North Carolina&#8230;Hello, everyone. How are ya? (Applause.) Well, it\u2019s great to be here. Before I begin to talk about the whole notion of rebuilding America, I want to talk very briefly about what happened in Nashville. You know, we know the names of the victims. We\u2019ve seen the initial footage of the attack. Three [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":157973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-157972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3282023-83416-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=157972"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":157974,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157972\/revisions\/157974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/157973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=157972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=157972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=157972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}