BG Reads | News You Need to Know (May 26, 2020)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
BG Podcast Ep 87: Mobility Policy in a COVID19 World feat. Pete Gould of Catapult Policy Strategies (LINK TO SHOW)
[AUSTIN METRO]
In hardest hit Austin ZIP code, nursing home reports dozens of coronavirus infections (Austin American-Statesman)
An East Austin nursing home in the Central Texas community hit hardest by the coronavirus has reported dozens of cases among its residents and staff, including at least one death. Riverside Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has documented one of the highest numbers of cases of the disease among the city’s nursing homes — 82, relatives of Riverside residents said they were told by facility directors on Friday. However, city and facility officials would not confirm the exact number or say how many residents have died of the disease, citing privacy concerns. Based on anonymized data from city health officials, it’s likely that multiple Riverside residents have died.
Riverside and several other Central Texas nursing homes — including West Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which has the most cases, with 111 staffers and residents diagnosed with the disease — are operated by Victoria-based Regency Integrated Health Services, owned by the Hamilton County Hospital District east of Waco. “It’s just incredible they didn’t protect anybody,” said Dawn Maracle, whose 74-year-old stepfather, a resident at Riverside, has been hospitalized with COVID-19 for more than a month. “He was supposed to be safe and taken care of.” The federal government cited 122-bed Riverside 10 times in 2019 for health violations; the average in Texas was seven. The facility has received the lowest possible rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — one out of five stars… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Deal to buy downtown complex that includes Austin City Limits venues is scrapped (KUT)
An agreement to buy the Block 21 development in downtown Austin – home to ACL Live at the Moody Theater and the W Hotel – is off due to the economic impact caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Nashville-based Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc. made the deal in December to buy Block 21 from Stratus Properties Inc. for $275 million.
But in a news release Friday, Ryman Chairman and CEO Colin Reed said due to “current capital markets and economic environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have determined that it is not in the best interest of our shareholders to focus our resources and capital on this project at this time.”
The sale included more than $140 million in mortgage debt. The Block 21 complex includes office and retail space as well as the 3TEN ACL Live venue… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin nonprofits serving minorities facing steeper coronavirus financial woes (Austin American-Statesman)
Austin-area nonprofits serving primarily minority communities have been hit harder financially during the coronavirus pandemic than nonprofits with a wider reach, according to a recent survey of more than 400 agencies. Minority-serving nonprofits reported higher rates of reduced grant funding, fewer in-kind donations as well as delayed grant payments.
“The pandemic is exposing some rifts in our communities that we all know have existed,” said William Buster, executive vice president of community investments at St. David’s Foundation. “So now what are we going to do about the fact that (the pandemic) is impacting people of color differently?” The survey conducted by Mission Capital, which provides professional development and resources for nonprofits, follows an April report that revealed 54% of local nonprofits would not be able to operate at their current capacity beyond six months or sooner without additional funding. The latest survey asks “direct questions about how historical inequities may be showing up during this COVID-19 environment,” said Madge Vasquez, CEO for Mission Capital. “Now more than ever, the stakes for communities of color are higher than before,” she said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Hotel taxes forecast to fall by $36M, leading to expected deficit in city arts funding (Austin Monitor)
With the city projecting a $36 million decrease in Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue because of lower hotel bookings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, arts funding for the current budget year is expected to see a $1.5 million shortfall.
The Arts Commission learned Monday that the city will cover all of the contracts to local artists that were drafted as part of the $11.8 million in funding the Cultural Arts Division expected to have this year. That will result in a $1.5 million deficit that will need to be paid back within one year, meaning there will likely only be around $7 million total for arts funding for the fiscal 2021 budget, which will largely be determined this summer.
Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, deputy director of the Economic Development Department, said hotel tax funding for cultural arts is expected to reach $8.2 million by the end of the budget year in September. Drawing on the 10 percent reserve preferred by City Council will leave the deficit that will have to be paid from the following year’s hotel tax money for the arts, which is projected to be $9.3 million.
While repeatedly stating that the city is working based on projections and estimates, Holt-Rabb said the city is committed to doing whatever it can to support the arts and culture while dealing with the financial effects of the pandemic.
“We realize the creative community is important to Austin. The budget office recognizes this fact as well as Council,” she said. “We have been in constant contact with the budget office since the cancellation of South By and we are actively trying to pursue additional revenue. We definitely understand the pressures to know answers way in advance, but as of today this is the best (estimate) that we can provide.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas is aiming to start college football on time, with fans in stands (Texas Tribune)
Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that Texas is working to have the college football season start on time, with at least some fans in attendance, as the state continues to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Abbott, speaking during a TV interview, said there are still a few factors that remain to be seen, such as stadium capacity, the availability of medical treatment for the virus and the overall status of the outbreak in Texas. Abbott said he expects to know more about those issues around mid-July.
Abbott noted that the athletics director for the University of Texas at Austin needs a decision by early August, and the state thinks it will be able to satisfy that timeline. The first UT game is scheduled for Sept. 5 in Austin against the University of South Florida.
"But if you want a prediction, my prediction is yes, we are gonna have college football beginning as scheduled ... with at least some level of fans in stands," Abbott said in the interview with KXAN-TV in Austin… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
'I don't trust anything:' Personal beliefs, confusing guidelines spark mask debate for Houstonians (Houston Chronicle)
Kara McIntyre remembers the day she likely contracted COVID-19 — she wasn’t wearing a face mask. She was at Target and began to feel dizzy. Later she checked her temperature and had a fever. So she got tested for the novel coronavirus, and a few days later her results came back positive. The 39-year-old radio deejay did not wear a face mask before she was infected in March, something she said she feels guilty about now. “I know I came in contact with a person who tested positive for it,” McIntyre said. “I wasn’t going out much, but I put gas in my car, went to the grocery store. Knowing I went through that and may have gotten other people sick, that’s terrifying.”
As the state reopens restaurants, shopping malls, gyms and salons, whether or not to wear a mask has become a hot-button issue. To some, it’s a way to signal one has their neighbor’s health and well-being in mind. To others, it’s an inconvenience or an attack on American freedoms. Government officials don’t agree on the issue either. In late April, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued a mandatory mask order; within days it was overturned by Gov. Greg Abbott, who said Texans “have every right to control (their) own path.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone wear a face mask in public, in addition to practicing social distancing and frequent hand washing. But the president and vice president are often photographed without them. Face masks have become a divisive issue even in Houston, where residents are known for coming together during times of crisis like Hurricane Harvey, said Cathy Power, 51. “What I gather is that there is a narrative out there that masks are for the weak. This is wrong — masks are worn to protect others; they are not for protecting yourself,” said Power, who lives in the East End, and suffers chronic health issues. “They reduce the risk by keeping droplets from traveling as far as they would if you were not wearing a mask. It works best if we all wear them.”… (LINK TO STORY)
San Antonio looking to retrain 15,000 unemployed workers (San Antonio Express-News)
As job losses continue mounting in San Antonio, city leaders are crafting a plan to provide training for thousands of unemployed workers to begin new careers. Details of the initiative are in flux, but District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia said it likely will target 15,000 workers and possibly include stipends for living expenses while they take classes. It would be city government’s most aggressive effort to date to overcome San Antonio’s status as a low-wage town whose workers have too few skills.
The emerging plan is expected to be similar to — but significantly larger than — the one Bexar County commissioners adopted this week. At a cost of $35 million, the county will provide a $450 weekly stipend for 5,000 workers around the county as they attend classes at Alamo Colleges for jobs in health care and information technology. The money for both programs will come from stimulus grants under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. San Antonio received $270 million, and Bexar County nearly $80 million. “In the San Antonio region, one of the biggest things we heard when trying to recruit (corporations) prior to COVID was we need a skilled workforce,” District 3 City Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran said. “I think that has just been magnified. But now we have the opportunity to really invest in the people and in the skilled workforce training.” How much of the funding the city will spend on workforce training, however, remains unclear… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Parties gear up for battle over Texas state House (The Hill)
Texas is headed for a high-stakes battle over control of its state House, with the party that prevails getting a once-in-a-decade chance to help redraw congressional districts. Democrats have made inroads in Texas in recent years, flipping 12 state House seats in 2018, the same year former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) came within 3 points of defeating Sen. Ted Cruz (R) in his Senate race. Their recent successes were aided by demographic changes as an influx of outsiders from liberal states moved into urban and suburban centers, while Texas has also seen an increasing number of residents of color.
The battle for the state House comes in the midst of a presidential election year where both sides are expected to fight aggressively for Texas as part of a group of red states being put into play by Democrats. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign last week said it views Texas, Arizona and Georgia as battleground states they intend to contest and win. Winning the state House would provide Democrats with a leading role in shaping redistricting as the once-in-a-decade census gets underway. Republicans have held the state House since 2002 and Democrats must flip a net nine seats to gain the majority. It’s an outcome that Democrats maintain is within their grasp, but it’s unlikely to be easy as Republicans prepare to spend big to defend the chamber. “The Texas House is a huge priority for us,” said Jessica Post, the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which coordinates the Democratic Party’s efforts at the statehouse level. “We know that Texas Republicans won’t give up anything easily and they’re going to fight like hell to claw their final pieces of power in the state as the state is changing beneath their feet.” (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Casinos ready to open doors; tourists ready to return to Las Vegas (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The two-month casino shutdown in Nevada seems to have an end in sight. On Friday afternoon, Gov. Steve Sisolak gave Nevada casinos a tentative date they could plan to reopen: June 4. Seventy-eight days after casinos first closed down to help stem the spread of COVID-19. The move comes as the state has faced an increasing amount of pressure to reopen; Nevada’s unemployment rate hit record highs in April, and casinos in 12 other states had opened their doors ahead of those in Sin City.
Virginia Valentine, president and CEO of the Nevada Resort Association, said Sisolak’s announcement is “fantastic news” for Nevada’s gaming industry. “Our members have spent more than two months preparing for this day,” she said in an emailed statement. “They’ve put in place enhanced health and safety plans and protocols … Our members are excited to show off the enhancements they’ve made that preserve the experience while ensuring the well-being of our employees and visitors.” Casinos have been preparing for this day for weeks, publishing updated health and safety guidelines and setting tentative booking dates online to make sure they’d have guests ready to fill rooms… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
As Trump removes federal watchdogs, some loyalists replacing them have ‘preposterous’ conflicts (Washington Post)
The political appointee President Trump installed last week to investigate waste, fraud and abuse at the Transportation Department is the same official in charge of one of the agency’s key divisions. That means Howard “Skip” Elliott is now running an office charged with investigating his own actions. Elliott serves simultaneously as the Transportation Department’s inspector general and head of the department’s pipeline and hazardous materials agency, whose mission includes enforcement of safety regulations on nearly 1 million daily shipments of gas, oil and other dangerous compounds. “The idea that an independent IG could simultaneously be part of the political team running an agency they are supposed to oversee is preposterous,” said Danielle Brian, executive director of the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight.
Elliott’s appointment was the fifth in two months in which Trump, chafing from oversight he perceived as criticism, replaced a career investigator with an appointee considered more loyal to the president. In three of the cases, Trump has installed new leadership drawn from the senior ranks of the agencies the inspectors general oversee. For the first time since the system was created in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, inspectors general find themselves under systematic attack from the president, putting independent oversight of federal spending and operations at risk as over $2 trillion in coronavirus relief spending courses through the government. Inspectors general, some in acting roles to begin with, have been fired and demoted with no notice, leaving their staffs in disarray, multiple inspectors general said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
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