TALLAHASSEE — In what was billed as Florida’s “test week” for its backlogged unemployment system, the state appears to be falling further behind, as hundreds of thousands continue to wait for benefits in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s only for $211, but I desperately need it,” said Deborah Collins, of Summerfield, just north of The Villages, who’s been trying to get benefits since mid-February, when the Aunt Fannie’s restaurant in Belleview where she worked as a server shut down after a fire. Advertisement “We’re completely broke. I have some medication I can’t even pick up,”...…TALLAHASSEE — In what was billed as Florida’s “test week” for its backlogged unemployment system, the state appears to be falling further behind, as hundreds of thousands continue to wait for benefits in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s only for $211, but I desperately need it,” said Deborah Collins, of Summerfield, just north of The Villages, who’s been trying to get benefits since mid-February, when the Aunt Fannie’s restaurant in Belleview where she worked as a server shut down after a fire. Advertisement “We’re completely broke. I have some medication I can’t even pick up,”...WW…

Florida surgeon general warns social distancing could be needed for a year or more, or at least until a vaccine is developed. TALLAHASSEE – Florida’s surgeon general warned Monday that social distancing measures put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, might be needed at least until a vaccine is developed, which most experts have said is at least a year away. “We don’t have a vaccine at the present time, so our mitigation measure is the social distancing,” Scott Rivkees said during a press briefing in the Capitol. “As long as we’re going to have...…Florida surgeon general warns social distancing could be needed for a year or more, or at least until a vaccine is developed. TALLAHASSEE – Florida’s surgeon general warned Monday that social distancing measures put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, might be needed at least until a vaccine is developed, which most experts have said is at least a year away. “We don’t have a vaccine at the present time, so our mitigation measure is the social distancing,” Scott Rivkees said during a press briefing in the Capitol. “As long as we’re going to have...WW…

Florida’s beleaguered state unemployment system processed only 33,623 of the estimated 850,000 applications it’s received since the coronavirus crisis began. Florida’s beleaguered state unemployment system processed only 33,623 of the estimated 850,000 applications it’s received since the coronavirus crisis began, the new director of the program said Thursday. The Department of Economic Opportunity had set a goal of processing 80,000 applications last week, but despite 100 new servers and 1,000 state employees shifted over to help move processing along, they are still hundreds of thousands...…Florida’s beleaguered state unemployment system processed only 33,623 of the estimated 850,000 applications it’s received since the coronavirus crisis began. Florida’s beleaguered state unemployment system processed only 33,623 of the estimated 850,000 applications it’s received since the coronavirus crisis began, the new director of the program said Thursday. The Department of Economic Opportunity had set a goal of processing 80,000 applications last week, but despite 100 new servers and 1,000 state employees shifted over to help move processing along, they are still hundreds of thousands...WW…

Florida’s public schools will remain shut for the remainder of the academic year, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday. TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s schools will remain shut for the remainder of the academic year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday. “It’s obviously not the ideal situation but given where we are in the school year, it seemed the best decision to go forward,” he said at a news conference at the Capitol. Advertisement The governor also released the names of long-term care and assisted living facilities where residents or staff test positive for...…Florida’s public schools will remain shut for the remainder of the academic year, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday. TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s schools will remain shut for the remainder of the academic year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday. “It’s obviously not the ideal situation but given where we are in the school year, it seemed the best decision to go forward,” he said at a news conference at the Capitol. Advertisement The governor also released the names of long-term care and assisted living facilities where residents or staff test positive for...WW…

A Miami federal magistrate judge recommended Wednesday that U.S immigration officials “substantially” reduce detainee populations at three South Florida detention centers as COVID-19 positive cases continue to climb behind bars. In his 69-page recommendation — which still needs to be reviewed by U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke — Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be required to prove that it is accelerating the release process for non-criminal detainees in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Those who qualify for release...…A Miami federal magistrate judge recommended Wednesday that U.S immigration officials “substantially” reduce detainee populations at three South Florida detention centers as COVID-19 positive cases continue to climb behind bars. In his 69-page recommendation — which still needs to be reviewed by U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke — Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be required to prove that it is accelerating the release process for non-criminal detainees in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Those who qualify for release...WW…

Florida’s public schools, and the nation’s, face an “educational catastrophe” if federal aid isn’t pumped into their budgets to offset steep financial losses expected in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, school leaders wrote in a letter to Congress. Public schools need $200 billion in financial aid or could have to layoff 275,000 teachers nationwide, leading to an “educational catastrophe” that “could weaken the country’s economic foundation for years to come,” said the letter released Tuesday from the Council of the Great City Schools. Advertisement The letter was signed by Orange...…Florida’s public schools, and the nation’s, face an “educational catastrophe” if federal aid isn’t pumped into their budgets to offset steep financial losses expected in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, school leaders wrote in a letter to Congress. Public schools need $200 billion in financial aid or could have to layoff 275,000 teachers nationwide, leading to an “educational catastrophe” that “could weaken the country’s economic foundation for years to come,” said the letter released Tuesday from the Council of the Great City Schools. Advertisement The letter was signed by Orange...WW…

Losing $25 million a month while its amusement parks sit closed and empty, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. hopes a loan from the federal government could help the company get through the coronavirus crisis. SeaWorld wants help from federal taxpayers though it pays little federal income taxes itself. Advertisement Over the past 10 years, records show the company has earned nearly $193 million in pretax profits. But it has paid less than $8 million in total income taxes, according to an Orlando Sentinel review of SeaWorld’s financial statements. That works out to a tax rate of 4 percent. Most of...…Losing $25 million a month while its amusement parks sit closed and empty, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. hopes a loan from the federal government could help the company get through the coronavirus crisis. SeaWorld wants help from federal taxpayers though it pays little federal income taxes itself. Advertisement Over the past 10 years, records show the company has earned nearly $193 million in pretax profits. But it has paid less than $8 million in total income taxes, according to an Orlando Sentinel review of SeaWorld’s financial statements. That works out to a tax rate of 4 percent. Most of...WW…

To Florida’s junior senator, the unemployed are today’s welfare queens, out to game the system and cheat the taxpayer. In a recent , Sen. Rick Scott warned would-be donors, “Businesses looking to reopen are telling us their employees don’t want to come back to work because they collect more on unemployment.” Advertisement Really? Because the CEO of Domino’s Pizza in an earnings call last week that he’s seen a “very significant increase in applicant flow” despite the more generous federal unemployment payments. We reached out to Scott’s office for specific examples of who was saying...…To Florida’s junior senator, the unemployed are today’s welfare queens, out to game the system and cheat the taxpayer. In a recent , Sen. Rick Scott warned would-be donors, “Businesses looking to reopen are telling us their employees don’t want to come back to work because they collect more on unemployment.” Advertisement Really? Because the CEO of Domino’s Pizza in an earnings call last week that he’s seen a “very significant increase in applicant flow” despite the more generous federal unemployment payments. We reached out to Scott’s office for specific examples of who was saying...WW…

Lawsuit alleges that the administration administering the federal government’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, is not running the program as lawmakers intended. In a federal lawsuit filed in Orlando against the U.S. Small Business Administration, a group of Florida businesses alleges that the SBA, in charge of administering the federal government’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, is not running the program as lawmakers intended. The more than 50 businesses represented in the suit, all clients of the Melbourne Widerman Malek law firm and mostly based in Florida, are among the countless who...…Lawsuit alleges that the administration administering the federal government’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, is not running the program as lawmakers intended. In a federal lawsuit filed in Orlando against the U.S. Small Business Administration, a group of Florida businesses alleges that the SBA, in charge of administering the federal government’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, is not running the program as lawmakers intended. The more than 50 businesses represented in the suit, all clients of the Melbourne Widerman Malek law firm and mostly based in Florida, are among the countless who...WW…

Fred Piccolo, spokesman for Gov. Ron DeSantis, deactivated his Twitter account Wednesday after he tweeted in the middle of night that photos of each dead COVID-19 victim should be balanced with 99 photos of people who survive the disease. In response to a Reuters photo gallery on COVID-19, Piccolo wrote, “I’m wondering since 99% [of] Covid patients survive shouldn’t you have 99 photos of survivors for every one fatality? Otherwise you’re just trying to create a narrative that is not reality.” Advertisement According to screenshots captured by Miami Herald reporter Ben Conarck and WLRN...…Fred Piccolo, spokesman for Gov. Ron DeSantis, deactivated his Twitter account Wednesday after he tweeted in the middle of night that photos of each dead COVID-19 victim should be balanced with 99 photos of people who survive the disease. In response to a Reuters photo gallery on COVID-19, Piccolo wrote, “I’m wondering since 99% [of] Covid patients survive shouldn’t you have 99 photos of survivors for every one fatality? Otherwise you’re just trying to create a narrative that is not reality.” Advertisement According to screenshots captured by Miami Herald reporter Ben Conarck and WLRN...WW…