The three-day extension is for people who still need help after Hurricane Ida. News outlets are covering new homelessness laws in California and reporting that local job recovery has stalled due to delta Covid surges. More news comes from Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Texas.
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Grocery stamp application deadline extended to October 13th for Louisiana disaster
Louisiana will extend the application deadline for food stamps for Hurricane Ida by three days due to high demand, officials said Wednesday. The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) opened on September 20th and now runs through October 13th. About 850,000 Louisians who are already getting regular grocery stamps, about a fifth of the population, do not need to apply; DSNAP is for those who don’t normally qualify, officials said. State officials said they received 100,000 calls and 73,000 requests in the first phase of the disaster program and logged up to 350 calls per second. They estimate 185,000 Louisians will apply. (Piercing, September 29th)
In news from California –
AP: The governor of California signs homelessness crisis laws
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed seven new laws aimed at addressing the state’s homelessness crisis, advocating a skeptical public to be patient as the nation’s richest, most populous state struggles to keep people off the streets . Among California’s myriad of problems – including forest fires, historic drought, and a changing climate affecting both – homelessness is perhaps the most visible, as tens of thousands of people live in camps in cities and towns across the state. (Ray, 09/30)
Bay Area News Group: California jobs recovery is shaken by Delta variant of COVID
The spread of the Delta variant of COVID is slowing California’s economic recovery as it seeks to recover from the epic job losses that devastated the state and the Bay Area at the start of the pandemic, according to the state’s leading economic forecast released on Wednesday. According to the UCLA Anderson Forecast, which forecast the Golden State would recover much faster than the nation just six months ago, California labor market growth is expected to lag behind the United States in 2021. Well, forecasters said it will be 2022 before the state is ready to storm past the nation. The latest quarterly forecast found that California didn’t really recover after the state economy was formally reopened in June this year. In fact, the California labor market, as measured by non-farm employment, is projected to grow only 1.8% over the course of this year – less than half the projected 3.7% increase for the national economy. (Avalos, September 29th)
In updates from Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Texas –
The Baltimore Sun: The Baltimore Inspector General has concerns about conditions at the Druid Heights Sexual Health Clinic
A new report from the Inspector General’s Baltimore office raises concerns about dead rodents, water damage and fluctuating temperatures that are jeopardizing medical care at a city-run sexual health clinic in Druid Heights. The inspectors conducted a site visit in December 2020 during which they saw the clinic at 1515 North Ave. found in Baltimore have resulted in delays in sexually transmitted disease testing. (Wagner, September 29th)
North Carolina Health News: Draft Budget Changes for NC Veteran Nursing Homes
North Carolina state veteran nursing homes residents would get much more attention from the General Assembly as part of a state budget proposal that could bring numerous changes to the state’s approach to publicly funded but privately owned homes. Meanwhile, a Georgia-for-profit corporation has won another five-year contract to manage the four homes where 39 residents died of COVID-19 infections last year. PruittHealth, of Norcross, Georgia, received a contract extension by bidding against two competitors to operate the homes, according to a spokeswoman for the NC Department of Administration. (Goldsmith, September 30th)
AP: WVa health centers receive more than $ 18 million in federal funding
More than $ 18 million will be directed to 27 health centers in West Virginia to strengthen health infrastructure and support health care in medically underserved communities, said Senator Joe Manchin. The funds will be distributed through the U.S. Department of Health as part of the U.S. rescue plan, Manchin said on Wednesday. It will be used to support expansion and renovation projects, as well as aid in COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccinations, Manchin said in a press release. (9/30)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Grafton Housing Development For Adults With Autism Wins Key Funding
An unusual Grafton project that would provide supportive accommodation to adults with autism has received an important portion of its funding. Woodside Prairie would include four six bedroom houses on the northwest corner of Hunter’s Lane and Port Washington Road. Construction will start next spring and the units will open in autumn 2022. Around half of the 24 units are still available. Each house would have a shared kitchen, living room and dining room. Woodside Prairie would hire staff trained to work with people with autism. (Daykin, September 29th)
KHN: Death in Dallas: A Family Experience in the Medicaid Void
Millicent McKinnon of Dallas was without health insurance for years. She was one of roughly 1 million Texans in the state who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to get their own insurance. That is, until her death in 2019. She was 64 years old and had been unable to find consistent care for her breast cancer. McKinnon’s daughter-in-law Lorraine Birabil said she was still mourning the loss. “She was such a lively woman,” she says. “Just always full of energy and joy.” Health insurance for approximately 2.2 million Americans is on the table as Congress considers an expense bill that could go as high as $ 3.5 trillion over the next decade. (Lopez, September 30th)
This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a round-up of health coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
Comments are closed.