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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Workers in other states are receiving unemployment payments. But in Florida, it’s largely still a waiting game
So far, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has spent more to fix its unemployment system, which has plagued some workers with weeks-long delays, than it paid to set up the system in the first place — about $110 million compared with the $77 million it cost to create the CONNECT system in 2011. The inefficiencies have been baked into Florida’s system for years. The state was one of only 11 that did not tap into some of the $7 billion in federal money available after the recession to modernize its unemployment insurance program. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
See also:
» 77,000 furloughed Disney World workers could get FastPass to jobless benefits
» Florida’s broken unemployment system to get new boss, DeSantis says
Medical pot patients in Florida may be left in lurch by social distancing
An emergency telehealth rule, which applies to all doctors, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses who prescribe controlled substances like cannabis, expired Wednesday, April 15, leaving the state’s 333,625 medical marijuana patients and 2,537 qualified physicians in a lurch. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Publix creates special shopping hours for first responders, hospital workers
Starting Thursday, Publix will stay open late one day and open early one morning to exclusively serve doctors, nurses, other hospital staff and first responders. Publix pharmacies also will be open during these times, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Fridays. More from the Miami Herald and WESH.
Business leaders form task force to 'RESET' Florida's economy 'when time is right’
Even as Florida braces for a projected COVID-19 daily death peak now forecast to occur about May 6, a newly formed group that includes some of the state’s most prominent business leaders is focusing on how to revive the economy “when the time is right.” The Restore Economic Strength through Employment & Tourism (RESET) task force will “devise policy recommendations and initiatives to aid in the economic rebound,” the group announced Tuesday. [Source: The Center Square]
WWE cuts wrestlers after Florida deems it ‘essential’
A few days after Governor Ron DeSantis ruled the WWE as an essential business, the entertainment company released several of its superstars and placed other employees on furlough. The company made the announcement Wednesday that its restructuring plan would save about $4 million per month and improve its cash flow by $140 million. More from WTVT and WJBF.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Fort Lauderdale pub removes $10,000 stapled to walls, donates to unemployed staff
The history of Fort Lauderdale restaurant Hott Leggz is written with magic marker on thousands of dollar bills stapled to the walls and ceiling. For nine years patrons have written these personal memories on enough cash to wallpaper every inch of the pub. Since March 21, volunteers have carefully unstuck and cleaned thousands of bills, one by one.
› Palm Beach County food bank gets $1M donation
It was a small item in the Palm Beach Daily News, just a very short story about The Breakers Resort on Palm Beach giving 23,000 pounds of food to the Palm Beach County Food Bank in Lantana. But the March 24 article about one hotel’s efforts to help during the coronavirus pandemic caught Lois Pope’s eye. “I’ve been living here since 1971,” said the Manalpan philanthropist. “I knew there were poor sections (of the county.) But I didn’t realize there were food banks.”
› SeaWorld executives get $6.8 million in stock options
Several SeaWorld executives promoted after the CEO abruptly resigned were given $6.8 million in stock options as more than 90% of all employees hit two weeks without getting a paycheck because of the coronavirus pandemic. SeaWorld Entertainment, which is based in Orlando and runs 12 theme parks across the country, announced the increased executive compensation in an SEC filing Tuesday.
› Trump resort in Doral lays off or furloughs 560 workers
The Trump National Doral resort has laid off 560 workers in reaction to the business drought from the tourism industry shutdown. The multi-course golf resort and hotel closed March 23 under orders from that closed all Miami-Dade County hotels and motels because of the coronavirus crisis.
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