Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Desperate Americans Making Impossible Choices Between Health Insurance, Food And Rent As They Try To Scrape By
The New York Times: Food, Rent, Health Insurance? Tough Choices in Pandemic Economy
Two days before learning that she would lose her job, Lissa Gilliam spent hundreds of dollars online on baby products. A 37-year-old expectant mother, Ms. Gilliam had planned to ask local parents in Seattle for used strollers and secondhand onesies in a bid to reduce waste. But as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the area, new items delivered in boxes seemed a safer bet. (Hsu, 4/22)
Politico: Why The U.S. Government Is Sending Checks To Dead People
The government is sending stimulus payments to dead people — and that’s not as surprising as it sounds. Though easy to mock, some say it’s hardly unusual when the IRS is trying to distribute payments to more than 150 million Americans. (Faler, 4/22)
The New York Times: Trump Says Harvard Must Pay Back Relief Money He Signed Into Law
President Trump joined mounting criticism of Harvard on Tuesday, saying the richest university in the country would pay back $8.6 million in relief money from a coronavirus stimulus package that the president himself signed last month. “Harvard’s going to pay back the money,” Mr. Trump said at his evening news briefing, adding, “They have one of the largest endowments anywhere in the country, maybe in the world, I guess, and they’re going to pay back that money.” (Hartocollis, 4/21)
The Hill: Harvard Responds To Trump: Taxpayer Funds Will Aid Students Affected By Coronavirus
Harvard University on Tuesday pushed back against President Trump's call for the institution to return funds it received from the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, saying the money it accepted would go toward assisting students financially impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. The university emphasized in a statement that it received the money from a $14 billion fund established under the CARES Act, called the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, and not a separate program designed to help small businesses retain employees amid the pandemic. (Wise, 4/21)
The Washington Post: Trump’s Company Asks Federal Government To Include It In Any Rent Relief Offered To Tenants
The Trump Organization has asked the federal government to include it in any accommodations it may make for private tenants as the coronavirus pandemic has caused widespread layoffs and a falloff in revenue at the company, the president’s son Eric Trump said Tuesday. The discussions over the lease for President Trump’s D.C. hotel could pose a major test for how the Trump administration intends to treat the president’s private business as it navigates a perilous time for the hospitality industry. (Partlow and O'Connell, 4/21)
The Associated Press: Criminal Records Keep Small-Business Owners From Aid Program
Damon West was hoping the government’s coronavirus rescue package for small-business owners would help replace the income he’s lost now that he can’t travel the country as a keynote speaker. But then he got a call from his accountant. A question on the application form asked whether, within the last five years, he had been convicted of or pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony or “been placed on any form of parole or probation.” Another asked whether anyone who owns at least 20% of the company was incarcerated, under indictment or on probation or parole. If so, they are ineligible. (Colvin, 4/22)
WBUR: Survey: 62% Of New England Companies Are Still Hiring Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
While many companies have laid off workers during the pandemic, several businesses in the region are still hiring, according to a new survey. Boston-based career management firm Keystone Partners found that 62% of businesses in New England are hiring during the coronavirus outbreak. (Enwemeka, 4/22)
