Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Supreme Court Leaves CDC's Eviction Ban In Place For Final Month
The Wall Street Journal: Supreme Court Declines To Lift National Eviction Moratorium
A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to lift a national moratorium on the eviction of tenants who have fallen behind on their rent during the Covid-19 pandemic. The court rejected an emergency request by landlords and real-estate companies to clear the way for evictions after a federal judge in Washington ruled last month that the moratorium was legally unsupportable. The judge who issued that ruling stayed the effect of the decision, while litigation continues. (Kendall and Ackerman, 6/29)
AP: Supreme Court Leaves CDC Eviction Moratorium In Place
U.S. Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington had struck down the moratorium as exceeding the CDC’s authority, but put her ruling on hold. The high court voted 5-4 to keep the ban in place until the end of July. In a brief opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he agreed with Friedrich’s ruling, but voted to leave the ban on evictions in place because it’s due to end in a month and “because those few weeks will allow for additional and more orderly distribution of the congressionally appropriated rental assistance funds.” (6/29)
In related news about covid's economic toll —
AP: Tennessee Ending Federal Pandemic Unemployment Aid On July 3
The extra federal unemployment aid offered amid the COVID-19 pandemic will end in Tennessee on Saturday, including the end of $300 weekly additional payments. Tennessee is among dozens of states that have stopped accepting the $300 benefit. Republican leaders say it’s necessary because job openings are going unfilled, and are pointing people to job-finding resources offered throughout the state. (6/30)
CBS News: Judge Suspends Early Cutoff Of Unemployment Aid In Indiana, Saying It Could Cause "Irreparable Harm"
An Indiana judge said the state must continue paying enhanced unemployment benefits until a lawsuit on the issue is decided, ruling that ending the payments could cause "irreparable harm" if out-of-work residents can't pay for housing or food. The preliminary injunction comes as 26 states — with all but one, Louisiana, run by a Republican governor — are in the process of ending pandemic-related unemployment benefits for millions of people. On June 19, Indiana ended the supplementary federal unemployment aid, which included an extra $300 a week in payments, rather than allowing them to expire in early September. (Picchi, 6/29)
AP: Governor: Kansas Will Keep Providing Extra COVID Food Aid
Gov. Laura Kelly and her top welfare official moved Tuesday to keep thousands of families from losing extra food aid because Kansas is no longer under a state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement that Kelly plans to continue the extra $14.5 million a month in aid came two weeks after top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature ended the state of emergency. (6/29)
Seattle Times: For Many King County Families, Food Aid ‘Not Nearly Enough’ As Need Spikes In Pandemic
While life has returned to normal for many people as 70% of King County’s population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, food insecurity — defined as limited or uncertain access to adequate food — was exacerbated by the pandemic and remains a reality for low-income residents. Hunger before and during the pandemic was most prevalent in South Seattle and South King County, where the greatest concentration of low-income, Black, Indigenous and people of color reside, according to a recent Washington state food survey by the University of Washington and Washington State University. The data shows a spike in the need for food assistance. (Hellmann, 6/27)
