death and why we do those things. science cannot tell you what you should do. >> to the next 20 years, colleges and universities need to reinstate core curriculum that requires students of all ages to have some degree of classical education, which teaches people to be critical thinkers and reflective citizens. without it, the u.s. cannot survive. >> to watch this and all winning entries, visit our website at studentcam.org. >> next, president biden speaks about his administration's initiatives focused on investing in underserved communities. president comments on iran's possible attack on israel. it is just under 10 minutes.

pres. biden: together, we have kept our promises to make significant investments to the black american community. promise kept, we get to the pandemic, make sure the black community is not left behind and

everyone was taken care of. but checks in pockets to cut black child poverty in half, promised to rebuild all of america, reconnecting black communities cut in half by interstate highway systems with jobs and opportunities, to ensure that every community has access to clean water and high-speed internet. promise kept to protect and expand obamacare, saving black families $800 a year on premiums. a promise kept to beat big pharma by giving medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices, saving countless lives in underserved communities. for example, members of the black community and diabetes now only have to pay 35 dollars a month instead of $4500 a month for insulin. promise kept, investing in $7 billion in hcbu's, clearly

student debt for more than 4 million people so far, including a significant number of black borrowers. today i announced another 277,000 americans, a significant number of black borrowers, being forgiven. promise kept, advanced justice, the first black woman on the supreme court, and more black women confirmed for the federal circuit court of appeals then all previous presidents combined, every single one. most important executive order , to ban so-called, restrict no-knock warrants, advanced community policing. a promise kept to sign significant current safety law, first lawmaking lynching a federal hate crime. keeping my promise that no one should be in federal prison for merely possessing marijuana. a promise kept to advance environmental justice and make the most significant investments in climate ever in all our

history. investing a clean energy and jobs across america. the results are real, we were just black unemployment rate to a record low. more black americans have health insurance than ever before. more black businesses are starting up. and we have seen -- in fact, despite attacks on our support for brown and black small businesses, we are investing in them, as key ways to build generational wealth and communities. today, i am proud to announce that last year we awarded $76 billion in federal contracts to small disadvantaged businesses to level the playing field and close the racial wealth gap. i want to think my dear friend marcia fudge, hud secretary, for her amazing career in public service and leading the charge and making housing more affordable, proposing a $10,000

tax cut for first-time homebuyers, to building more rental units to bring rents down then ever before. a major effort to root out bias in the home appraising process so homes in black communities are no longer undervalued compared to the same home in a white community. thus far, we have eliminated that gap by 40% and we will continue until it is even. all together, black wealth is up 60%, and the racial wealth gap is closed the most in 20 years. i would argue this is transformational change. we know there is much more work to do. there are real threats we face in more extreme voices that do not want to see people of color in the future of our country. they want to turn back the clock to voter suppression, election suppression, ripping away

reproductive freedom, gutting affirmative action, and attacking diversity. banning books. this is 20234, banning books, attempting to erase history. violence like on january 6. these are determined to erase the progress we have made. together, we are determined to make history, not erase it. let me close with this, rev, we face a moment of choosing at a time when our very democracy is at stake. that is not an exaggeration. propelled by anger, hate, and revenge and read should be should -- revenge and retribution. our vision of perseverance, progress, hope, optimism, and everything the action network stands for and embodies, there is a future we can build

together. i see in america where we defend democracy, do not diminish it. i see america where, with your help, i sign the freedom to vote act and the john lewis voting rights act into law, were assigned the george floyd justice in policing act into law, or make roe v. wade the law of the land again, and we can do that. i see a future where we give hate no safe harbor, call out the poison of white supremacy. i see an america where the economy grows, and where the wealthy finally began to pay their fair share of taxes, where working people have a fair shot with childcare care, elder care, paid leave. we're the only nation in the world that does not have paid leave. i see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence.

my administration just yesterday expanded background checks. but that is not enough. banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, we did it once and have to do it again. i know we can do this. i am more optimistic about our future. we just remember who we are, the united states of america. we come out of every crisis stronger than we have gone into it, and there is nothing beyond the capacity we have together. so let's keep acting together. i am looking to you for help until leadership and i hope you look to me for the same. called blessed you all -- god bless you all, and may god protect our troops. thank you very much. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2024] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> -- path on israel and iran, mr. president? pres. biden: -- sooner than

later. >> are american personnel at risk? are our american troops at risk, as well? pres. biden: we are devoted to the defense of israel. we will support israel and help defend israel, and iran will not succeed. thank you very much. >> what was your response, sir? ♪ >> c-span's "washington journal" involving you to discuss the latest issues and government. politics and public policy. from washington and across the country, coming up saturday morning, the vice president and managing director of the asian

society policy institute on u.s.-japan relations. then the member talks about his podcast, history as it happens, and other political news. c-span's "washington journal," live at 7:00 eastern saturday morning on c-span, c-span now, or online at c-span.org. >> watch the annual white house correspondents dinner, live saturday, april 27, with colin jost as featured entertainer, as well as president biden expected to give remarks. 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span.org and c-span now, as journalists and celebrities walk the red carpet. then turn it on c-span for sights and sounds in the

ballroom before the activity begins. watch the white house correspondents dinner live saturday, april 27, on the c-span networks. ♪ >> celebrating the 20th anniversary of our annual student cam documentary competition. we asked middle and high school students across the country to look forward while considering the past. participants were given the option to look 20 years into the future or 20 years into the past. we received inspiring and thought revoking documentaries from over 3200 students across 42 states. the top award of $5,000 goes to fifth-graders at weston haskell and connecticut for their compelling documentary and a sense held hostage, navigating past and future conflicts with iran. >> in the next 20 years, the u.s. must make more policies wi