Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Although Some Cities Have Banned Evictions, Advocates See Need For More Extreme Measures
The Associated Press: Rent Strike Idea Gaining Steam During Coronavirus Crisis
With millions of people suddenly out of work and rent due at the first of the month, some tenants are vowing to go on a rent strike until the coronavirus pandemic subsides. New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and St. Louis are among many cities that have temporarily banned evictions, but advocates for the strike are demanding that rent payments be waived, not delayed, for those in need during the crisis. The rent strike idea has taken root in parts of North America and as far away as London. (Salter, 3/30)
The Hill: Majority Of Young Americans Support Universal Basic Income, Public Healthcare: Poll
A majority of younger Americans support both a universal basic income established by the federal government and some sort of public healthcare option, according to a new survey. The poll from University of Chicago's GenForward Survey Project indicates that 51 percent of Americans between the ages of 18-36 support a federally-funded basic income of $1,000 per month for all U.S residents, a plan touted by businessman Andrew Yang during his 2020 Democratic presidential campaign. Younger Americans also want to see the current U.S. healthcare system expanded at the federal level, the poll finds, with 35 percent supporting the creation of a so-called "public option," or a public healthcare plan that would compete with private insurers. Another 17 percent said that the U.S. healthcare system should be replaced with a single-payer "Medicare for All" system. (Bowden, 3/30)
The Washington Post: Furloughs At Macy’s, Gannett And Gap Signal Mounting Economic Distress
Major companies signaled a new wave of economic distress Monday, sending hundreds of thousands of workers home without pay, as the Trump administration scrambled to get stimulus money to Americans already feeling the weight of unpaid bills. Macy’s announced it will furlough most of its 125,000 workers as sales evaporated with the shuttering of 775 stores. Kohl’s and Gap also announced furloughs of about 80,000 each. Media giant Gannett announced furloughs for newspaper employees who earn more than $38,000 a year and pay cuts across the company. (Bhattarai, Siegel and Stein, 3/30)
The New York Times: Some In N.Y.C. Can't Afford To Quarantine. So They Brave The Subway
As the coronavirus pandemic has all but shut down New York City, its subway — an emblem of urban overcrowding — has become almost unrecognizable, with overall ridership down 87 percent. But even as officials crack down on gatherings in New York, removing hoops from basketball courts and sending the police to break up parties, subway stations in poorer neighborhoods are still bustling, as if almost nothing has changed. (Goldbaum and Cook, 3/30)
PBS NewsHour: How The Coronavirus’ Economic Toll Could Also Affect Public Health
The novel coronavirus pandemic has already begun to take its toll on the U.S. economy as businesses have shuttered, millions of Americans have been laid off and large swaths of the country have been told to shelter in place. The financial implications are clear, though their full extent won’t be known until the economy begins the task of getting back on its feet. But less clear are the public health consequences of the downturn. (Frazee, 3/30)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: How A New Orleans Restaurant Group Pivoted To Healthcare, Saving Jobs, Serving Rising Need
Lepre is still working because one New Orleans hospitality business found a way to pivot from a sector that has collapsed during the coronavirus crisis to one where demand is exploding, digital health care known as telehealth. It could serve as a blueprint for others seeking an economic lifeline as the pandemic disrupts the economy. (McNulty, 3/30)
The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Creates An Epidemic Of Scams
Danita Sienknecht was on a car ride with her husband one recent morning when a stranger called her with an outlandish offer. If she wired him $4,000 overnight, someone would show up at her door the next morning with two doses of a coveted coronavirus vaccine she knew doesn’t exist. The caller, who knew her name, said he was at a Holiday Inn not far from her southwest Missouri home and told the 84-year-old to send the money right away. He called her 29 more times when she refused to call back. (Gurman, 3/30)
