"We're out here at risk": Millions behind on rent now face new eviction fears without moratorium extension

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Congress was unable to extend the eviction freeze. Plus, USA TODAY Sports' Nancy Armour explains how these unusual Olympics have impacted athletes, senators keep working on infrastructure in a rare weekend session, extreme heat returns to the Northwest and Italy bans large cruise ships from sailing into Venice.

Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning, I'm Taylor Wilson. And this is Five Things You Need To Know Saturday, the 31st of July, 2021. Today, a freeze on evictions comes to an end, plus success in the pool for Team USA at the Olympics and more.

Taylor Wilson:

Here are some of the top headlines.

1. A Canadian fertility doctor accused of impregnating women with the wrong sperm, including his own, has agreed to a $10.7 million settlement. The settlement is part of a year's long class action lawsuit involving hundreds of victims.

2. Congressman Madison Cawthorn tried to board a plane with a gun. Reports were out Friday that he tried to do so in February, but was stopped by TSA. He could face fines and the loss of a special security status.

3. And Bob Odenkirk is going to be okay. The comedian and actor was hospitalized after a small heart attack while filming the TV show, Better Call Saul, earlier this week.

Taylor Wilson:

The nationwide moratorium on evictions is coming to an end on Saturday. The moratorium was put in place last September by the CDC to protect Americans who had fallen behind on their rent during the pandemic. And despite an emergency appeal from real estate associations, landlords, and other groups that argued the CDC exceeded its authority by imposing the moratorium, the Supreme Court allowed the eviction freeze until the end of July. On Friday, lawmakers were scrambling to try and extend the moratorium to October. Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern is the House Rules Committee Chair.

Jim McGovern:

And if Congress doesn't act, renters from coast to coast are at risk of losing their homes and the COVID pandemic will be supercharged, particularly in unvaccinated communities. That's because research tells us that if someone is evicted, they are most likely to move in with friends or family or into a shelter. That only increases community spread and leads to more infections, and sadly, in some cases, more deaths caused by the pandemic.

Taylor Wilson:

But Republican Tom Cole said that Democrats had only themselves to blame.

Tom Cole:

Republicans have proposed a bill that would have fixed the issues with the emergency rental assistance programs to keep renters in their homes. Yet the majority has refused to act. And now because of their refusal to act, we are suddenly being dragged into the Rules Committee. Majority has only themselves to blame for allowing this crisis to fester.

Taylor Wilson:

For his part, President Joe Biden urged lawmakers this week to get a bill done because he argued the Supreme Court ruling left him unable to act on his own, but said he strongly supported another extension. For tenants facing eviction, like Roxanne [Shaffer 00:03:07] in Rhode Island, who spoke with the AP, the end of the moratorium brings anguish.

Roxanne Shaffer:

Now we got the Delta variant out. And a lot of us, with our health problems, we're out here at risk. I can't even be without electric because I have breathing machines. Where am I going to go and plug in my breathing machine at night? We're only on a fixed income. Oh, I got anxiety. I'm nervous. I can't sleep. He's threatening to come here on the 30th and throw my stuff out and change the locks. And if he does, I lose everything and I'll have nothing. I'll be homeless.

Taylor Wilson:

The end to the moratorium comes during a new spike and Delta variant coronavirus cases around the country.

Taylor Wilson:

Two of Team USA's biggest swimming stars were back in the pool on Saturday in Tokyo. Caeleb Dressel is quickly becoming a household name. He won his third gold of the Olympics winning the men's 100 meter butterfly and setting a new world record in the process. And Katie Ledecky had her final swim of the games, winning the 800 meter freestyle for the third consecutive Olympics.

Taylor Wilson:

Elsewhere on the gymnastics mat, Simone Biles will again not compete in the vault and uneven bar event finals on Sunday. Whether or not she participates in the balance beam and floor exercise finals remains to be seen. Biles pulled out of earlier events at the games to focus on her mental health. She's struggling with the twisties, an issue that other gymnasts have described as similar to the yips in baseball, where the athlete's rhythm repeatedly disconnects. Their body just won't do what their brain is telling it to. Simone's withdrawal has opened up a conversation about athletes' mental health and what they owe to themselves, their team and the public if anything. It's also already an unprecedented Olympics in many ways during the pandemic as USA Today Sports Nancy Armor said on our Sports Seriously show this week.

Nancy Armour:

We've been so focused on the COVID protocols, which are obviously very important, but I think we haven't looked hard enough on the ramifications that had, the impact that that has, the trickle down effect. I've said this last night, this is the first competition that Simone's parents have never been at. And while she is talking with them, she's FaceTiming with them, it's not the same as looking up in the stands and seeing your mom and dad or your brother and sister. And so I think we're not paying attention enough. And maybe now we're starting to see the impacts of the isolation, the pressure of having to make sure that you're adhering to the protocols and you're not putting yourself in jeopardy of testing positive. All of this plays a part. And we have taken these athletes or these athletes have gone from their own bubbles where they're at least at home or they're in familiar environments to the environment here where they don't have the regular support system and the regular resources that they have. And I think we're seeing the impact of that.

Taylor Wilson:

You can watch Sports Seriously on the USA Today Sports YouTube channel, and stay up on all things Olympics at olympicsdotusatoday.com.

Taylor Wilson:

Senators are back on Capitol Hill for a rare Saturday session. They're trying to make progress on an infrastructure plan worth about a trillion dollars. The bill has come out of a bi-partisan group and Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said he's confident the chamber should be able to process the legislation in the next few days. But Republican Senator John Cornyn offered a different prediction saying that it's going to be a grind. Cornyn said he wants to pump the brakes to allow for members of both parties to continue to make amendments. The package would be the largest transportation bill in history and passed a major hurdle this week when senators voted to move it to formal debate.

Taylor Wilson:

Extreme heat is back in the Pacific Northwest, if it ever left at all central and Southern Oregon could feel temperatures as high as 106 degrees this weekend, while much of Washington could see record highs into Saturday. The heat, combined with dry conditions and potential thunderstorms, prompted red flag warnings across Oregon and parts of Northern California, where multiple large wildfires are already burning.

Taylor Wilson:

Italy is banning large cruise ships from sailing into Venice. The government made the move after declaring the lagoon city's waterways a national monument. That'll apply to the basin near St. Mark's Square and the Giudecca Canal, a major marine artery in Venice. The ban was urgently adopted to try and avoid a major risk of ending up on UNESCO's world heritage in danger list. Before the pandemic, cruise ships let out thousands of passengers a day, overwhelming the city and its delicate marine environment. Cruise ships will still be allowed relatively close, but will need to dock at a more industrial port some six miles away. The move comes just two years after an out of control cruise ship rammed into a dock, injuring five people. Environmentalists and cultural heritage advocates battled with business interests for decades since the cruise industry is a major source of revenue for the city.

Taylor Wilson:

Thanks for listening to Five Things. You can find us wherever you get your audio, including on Apple Podcasts, where we ask for a five star review if you have a chance. Thanks as always to Shannon Green and Claire Thornton for their work on the show. And Claire's back with the Sunday edition right here on this feed. Five Things is part of the USA Today Network.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Congress fails to extend eviction moratorium put in place by CDC: 5 Things podcast