Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Problems persist, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for unemployment benefits seekers — the $600-a-week federal supplements have started shipping out.
But as the state continues to wrestle with the consequences of a woefully inadequate unemployment claims website, Sen. Janet Cruz sees another storm brewing.
Deloitte, the same company that was paid $77 million to develop the CONNECT system, also built out the Department of Children and Families’ platform for Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP and WIC benefits.
With unemployment top-of-mind for many Floridians, the DCF site hasn’t faced an onslaught of web traffic. But it could. And if it does, it could pile on to the case backlog DCF already has.
“From my understanding, the Department is already backlogged in processing Medicaid applications. Community-level resources to assist these applicants have been wiped out. Applicants are sometimes required to be interviewed in order to receive benefits — but many have been unable to schedule their interviews and in-person sites are closed with no backup plan for how to provide the required ID verification,” Cruz wrote in a letter to DCF Secretary Chad Poppell. “It does not appear that DCF has the infrastructure to mitigate this crisis.”
The Tampa Democrat urged Poppell to bring in more staff and invest in community resources educating Floridians about health care options. And to do so now, before the potential tsunami of applications.
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Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is fighting to get Florida farmers what they need to keep producing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fried included a list of industry requests in a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this week informing him of the needs on the ground.
“As the USDA continues working to mitigate the disruptions this pandemic has caused to the agriculture industry, including establishing urgently needed programs to get the $9.5 billion in direct aid provided by the CARES Act into the hands of producers as quickly as possible, I write today to lift up the recommendations of our industry partners in Florida on what is needed to keep our food supply and ag economy strong,” Fried wrote.
Among the recommendations was further use of the department’s Section 32 purchasing authority, which allows for the purchase of excess commodities, mostly used to supply meal programs. If used now, they would also cast a much-needed lifeline to Florida farmers.
Fried also highlighted the recently launched “Florida Farm to You” commodities list to connect growers and buyers, recommending the USDA look to it as a blueprint for a nationwide online marketplace.
Coronavirus Numbers
Positive cases:
— 21,865 FL residents (+430 since 10 a.m. Wednesday)
— 654 Non-FL residents (+8 since 10 a.m. Wednesday)
Origin:
— 1,523 Travel related
— 5,465 Contact with a confirmed case
— 1,198 Both
— 13,679 Under investigation
Hospitalizations:
— 3,249 in FL
Deaths:
— 614 in FL
Evening Reads
“Donald Trump wanted a radio show, but he didn’t want to compete with Rush Limbaugh” via Elaina Plott of The New York Times
“U.S. relief checks begin arriving” via Associated Press
“Coronavirus testing hits dramatic slowdown in U.S.” via David Lim of POLITICO
“COVID-19 deaths in federal prisons rise to 15; about 700 staff and inmates sick” via Lauren Cassels of the Florida Phoenix
“From The Villages to Sarasota, Florida’s oldest counties suffering highest COVID-19 mortality” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
“Two inmate deaths confirmed at Blackwater River Correctional Facility in Milton” via Ana Ceballos of the News Service of Florida
“State workers union says a third Florida State Hospital staff member now has coronavirus” via Jeff Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat
“To love and to cherish: Nurse couple unites to fight virus” via Carla Johnson of The Associated Press
“Medical groups say classrooms should remain closed” via News Service of Florida
“Ron DeSantis, ‘disappointed’ in unemployment process, sidelines DEO head Ken Lawson” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
“Frontier, one of Tampa Bay’s largest cable and internet providers, just filed for bankruptcy” via Colin Wolf of Creative Loafing
“Political consultants sue for access to small business loans” via Brody Mullins of The Wall Street Journal
“‘We’ve all been left hanging.’ Medical pot doctors uneasy as telehealth rule sunsets” via Samantha Gross of the Miami Herald
“Apple Maps will soon show COVID-19 testing locations closest to you” via Aaron Holmes of Business Insider
“Vern Buchanan pushes for bailout money to support local media” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
“Go Gators: Ashley Moody, Emmitt Smith team up in COVID-19 fight” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
“Joe Biden, Shevrin Jones argue Donald Trump has failed front line workers” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics
“Coronavirus pandemic expected to wipe out nearly $300M from Miami-Dade budget” via Doug Hanks of the Miami Herald
“Trump resort in Doral lays off or furloughs 560 workers during coronavirus shutdown” via David Neal and Rob Wile of the Miami Herald
“Commissioners tell VP Mike Pence college sports won’t be back until students return to campus” via Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports
Quote of the Day
“First of all, from a legal standpoint, that decision belongs to states, not to the federal government. The federal government can provide guidance. And I think it’s going to be tough for a Governor to open if the President is saying, ‘don’t open.’ But by and large, it’s states that are going to make these decisions about when to reopen.” — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, on the President’s ‘total authority’ claim.
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