Slow Progress Claimed On Stimulus Bill While Trump Floats Executive Orders

ABC News: Trump Considering Unilateral Action As Stalemate Over Coronavirus Relief Continues 
As Congress continues to flounder on a path forward for the next phase of coronavirus relief, President Donald Trump said Monday that he was considering executive action if Congress fails to act. "They're not interested in the people, they're not interested in unemployment. They're not interested in evictions -- which is a big deal. The evictions -- they want to evict a lot of people," Trump said. (Faulders and Pecorin, 8/3)

The Washington Post: Trump Says He’s Examining Executive Orders On Evictions, Payroll Taxes If He Can’t Reach Deal With Democrats 
“A lot of people are going to be evicted, but I’m going to stop it because I’ll do it myself if I have to,” Trump told reporters at an event at the White House. “I have a lot of powers with respect to executive orders, and we’re looking at that very seriously right now.” ... Similarly, he told reporters he could use an executive order to lower payroll taxes, after the idea generated little enthusiasm on Capitol Hill. (Werner, Stein and Demirjian, 8/3)

Roll Call: Sides Cite ‘Productive’ But Slow-Moving Coronavirus Aid Talks
Negotiations on a COVID-19 relief bill inched forward Monday during a two-hour meeting between congressional Democrats and key Trump administration officials, though the sides remain far apart on several key issues. Speaker Nancy Pelosi told rank-and-file Democrats on a conference call that she sees talks bleeding into next week, when both chambers are scheduled to be out of session, according to two sources on the call who spoke on condition of anonymity. (Shutt and McPherson, 8/3)

Reuters: Congressional Democrats, White House Cite Progress In Talks On Coronavirus Bill 
A key sticking point remains what to do about the $600-per-week enhanced unemployment benefit, a key lifeline for the tens of millions of Americans thrown out of work during the pandemic, which expired on Friday. “We’re making some progress on certain issues, moving closer together,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters after Monday’s talks. “There are a lot of issues that are still outstanding. But I think there is a desire to get something done as soon as we can.” (Lawder and Cowan, 8/3)

In related news —

AP: Wave Of Evictions Expected As Moratoriums End In Many States
Kelyn Yanez used to clean homes during the day and wait tables at night in the Houston area before the coronavirus. But the mother of three lost both jobs in March because of the pandemic and now is facing eviction. The Honduran immigrant got help from a local church to pay part of July’s rent but was still hundreds of dollars short and is now awaiting a three-day notice to vacate the apartment where she lives with her children. She has no idea how she will meet her August rent. (Garcia Cano and Casey, 8/4)

Modern Healthcare: Federal Unemployment Benefit Lapse Will Hurt Healthcare Workforce
Healthcare workers who were furloughed or laid off stand to lose as generous federal unemployment beneifts lapse, but continuing the increased payouts could hurt providers' finances as it keeps employer-sponsored insurance rolls low. Congressional leaders and the Trump administration failed to reach a deal to extend additional federal unemployment benefits before their expiration on Friday. That could mean benefit cuts for healthcare workers who are furloughed or laid off. The additional federal benefits were previously set at $600 per week in the CARES Act, which passed in March. (Cohrs, 8/3)

NBC News: For Richer And Poorer, Uncle Sam's Coronavirus Response Widened The Gulf
For two decades, Jeff Esaw of Stratford, Connecticut, has been serving up Southern barbecue to the gastronomes of elite hideaways dotting the state's coastline. But economic trends haven't been as kind to Esaw, 61, as they have been to his patrons. He had to give up Jeff's Cuisine, his brick-and-mortar restaurant in nearby Norwalk — one of the few Black-owned businesses in the area — after the 2008 financial market crisis, and he estimates he lost 80 percent or more of his overall revenue from his catering business when the coronavirus shut down commerce in the state this year. (Allen, 8/3)

NPR: Religious Groups Received $6-10 Billion In COVID-19 Relief Funds
Religious organizations, having received as much as $10 billion in the first round of COVID-19 aid, hope to receive more funding under any new relief package. Churches of all denominations and other religious nonprofits were quick to take advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program, which provided forgivable loans under the CARES Act in March. The U.S. Catholic Church alone received at least $1.4 billion in funding and possibly as much as $3.5 billion under the program, according to an analysis by the Associated Press, using data provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA). (Gjelten, 8/3)