Biden, CDC extend eviction ban, defying Supreme Court – National & International News – WED 4Aug2021

Biden, CDC extend eviction ban, defy Supreme Court. NY’s Cuomo refuses to resign after sexual harassment probe. Taliban attacks Afghan Defense Minister’s home.

NATIONAL NEWS

Biden, CDC extend eviction ban, defying Supreme Court

Yesterday, President Biden and the CDC defied a recent opinion from the Supreme Court by reinstating a ban on evictions. Unlike the three previous eviction moratoriums, this is not a blanket ban. Instead, it targets US counties that have a high rate of community spread of COVID-19. This ban will apply until October 3. Supporters of the new ban hope that will give states enough time to distribute the nearly $47 billion in rental assistance to tenants who need it.

The announcement followed days of finger-pointing between the White House and Congress after the most recent ban expired on Saturday. The Supreme Court had approved a 30-day extension of the ban, which was originally due to expire on June 30. However, the justices stated the CDC could not impose another ban without action from Congress.

Political hot potato

When the ban expired, Biden called on Congress to push through a new moratorium before their summer recess. It soon became clear that Congress didn’t have the votes. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi instead called on the White House to act. Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO) led a protest calling for an extension by sleeping on the stairs of the Capitol building in Washington. In an NPR interview, Bush stated that the President must extend the ban as any legal challenge would take time to get through the courts, giving states more time to approve rental grants.

NPR’s Steve Inskeep asked, “I think you’re saying to the president, please, extend this ban, and tell anybody who doesn’t like it, sue me”. Bush replied, “That’s exactly what I’m saying. We’re in the middle of a global deadly pandemic as we speak that is surging in a lot of areas around the country. We cannot afford to have anywhere from 7 million to 11 million people now on the street”.

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NY’s Cuomo rejects calls to resign after sexual harassment probe

A months-long investigation by the New York state attorney general has found that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women connected with his office, including a state trooper assigned to protect him. Now, several other prominent Democrats, including President Biden and members of Congress have called on him to resign. Cuomo has dismissed these calls, as he did when allegations first surfaced months ago.

Instead, Cuomo gave a slideshow presentation in his own defense, showing himself embracing and kissing celebrities and fellow politicians. Cuomo equated his behavior with his accusers to the the behavior shown in the photos, insisting he never acted inappropriately.

The women tell a different story. One report that he groped an aide in his office last year rises to the level of a criminal offense and has been referred to Albany police. The female state trooper says that on two occasions, Cuomo rubbed a finger up and down and across her body and made comments about her sex drive.

The Speaker Carl Heastie of the NY State Assembly, also a Democrat, says that it’s clear that Cuomo can’t remain as governor. Heastie says the assembly will move to impeach Cuomo, “as quickly as possible”.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Taliban attacks Afghan Defense Minister’s home

In its first major attack in Kabul for months, the Taliban has targeted the home of Afghan Defense Minister Bismillah Mohammadi with a suicide bombing. The Taliban says this was only the first planned retaliation against members of the Afghan administration. The ‘retaliation’ was for a counterattack by Afghan forces in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, which the Taliban has all but captured.

Mohammadi’s home is located in a wealthy Kabul neighborhood, part of the city’s high-security Green Zone. Eight people, including at least four Taliban militants, died in the attack. Mohammadi himself was not at home. 

The attack included several explosions as well as gunfire in central areas of the city. Attacks also took place in the area around the US mission.

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