Sunrise

Gov. Ron DeSantis will release his plan to reopen the state economy and get Floridians back to work. The Governor made the announcement during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the White House.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— During a half-hour session with Trump, DeSantis defended Florida’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, adding that he wants airlines to start checking passengers from Brazil before they fly to Florida. The President responded by asking DeSantis if he should cut off flights completely.

— Lee County isn’t waiting on the Governor for guidance — they are reopening their beaches today. Collier County will do the same tomorrow.

— The state is finally processing all those unemployment claims — rejecting almost 40% of them without explanation. Sen. Linda Stewart from Orlando talks about asking the unemployment office to take another look at all those rejections.

 — Florida’s computer portal for unemployment claims is now restricted at night. Why you can still file a new claim overnight, you will have to wait until the next day to check on the status of your claim, or to do any other business. The plan is to free up computer resources at night to process the huge backlog of claims.

— Sunrise takes a deep dive at the Public Service Commission, which has approved a plan to return hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel overcharges to the customers of Florida’s four privately owned electric utilities.

— The latest on Florida Man, which includes an attorney who sneaked into a judgeship and a burglar who was done in by his own hair.

Florida has mailed out more unemployment checks, but the state also rejected a record number of jobless claims. One applicant with the rejected claim says he was able to reach a human being at the Department Economic Opportunity and was told it was a massive computer glitch.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis takes his coronavirus roadshow to Tampa General Hospital, where he says there is a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel.

— Florida Democrats tee off on the Governor again, saying it’s time to fix not just the unemployment website, but the entire compensation program. When it comes to unemployment benefits, Florida is one of the stingiest states in the country. They blame former Gov. Rick Scott for creating a flawed system and DeSantis for failing to fix it.

 — A federal judge in Tallahassee is presiding over a trial that could shift the balance in Florida politics. The issue is the constitutional amendment that restores voting rights to former felons, as well as the bill passed by Republican lawmakers that would keep 700,000 of those ex-felons from having their rights restored because they can’t afford to pay all their fines and court fees. Sunrise takes a deep dive, hearing some of the opening arguments in the trial.

— Checking in with Florida man, who is keeping law enforcement officers busy during the lockdown.

Gov. Ron DeSantis will soon be announcing progress made toward fixing the state’s broken unemployment system.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— DeSantis spent the weekend holding briefings with medical experts in Miami and Orlando. Coronavirus hasn’t overwhelmed them, and they say it is time for non-COVID 19 patients to come back and take care of their health problems. They also warn that mask you’re wearing won’t work if you don’t use it right.

— When will Florida’s statewide stay-at-home order end? Officials have not figured that out yet, but it won’t be like they can flip a switch and things will go back to normal, the Governor says. People must be convinced they will be safe.

— Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried discusses the latest threat to the citrus industry in Florida. It comes from China — but it is not coronavirus.

— The latest in Florida Man — a pastor who sucker-punched a 70-year-old man trying to deliver free food to people hurt by the lockdown.

Democrats in the Florida House are calling for a Special Session to address several issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Today's the day Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Re-Open Florida Task Force is supposed to come up with the first phase of a plan to get the state back to work and back in business.

— DeSantis says it’s almost time to reopen hospitals and surgery centers, and it could happen as soon as a couple of weeks.

— Florida’s agriculture losses continue to pile up. It’s the second-largest industry in the state. One good thing to come out of this is that people are drinking more orange juice. And plants making toilet paper are working round the clock

— Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis jumps on the anti-China bandwagon, asking the U.S. State Department to help him figure out if any of the $2 billion worth of assets in Florida Unclaimed Property account are owned or controlled by the Chinese government.

— Glenn Burhans, the man behind the proposed All Voters Vote amendment, talks about his objection to the price tag placed on the amendment by the state.

— And a newly minted Florida Man (with a fist-full of Super Bowl rings) seems to be having trouble adjusting to life in the Sunshine State.

Florida’s death toll from COVID-19 continues to rise as Gov. Ron DeSantis insists we’re doing a lot better than some other states. The pandemic is nowhere near as bad in Florida as some of the experts had feared it might be, he adds.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— DeSantis tees off on China, saying Florida may join Missouri’s lawsuit against the country and the ruling Communist Party accusing them of concealing the threat of coronavirus until it was too late to contain COVID-19.

— The Governor’s Re-Open Task Force spends another day trying to figure out when we can start getting back to normal. While there were all sorts of suggestions, only one thing is certain right now: They need a better system for conference calls.

— The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Larry Keefe is warning you to beware of coronavirus scams, especially is they claim they can speed up your federal stimulus check if you pay them a fee.

— Every Democrat in the Florida Senate has signed onto a letter urging the Governor to make changes in unemployment, increase testing for COVID-19, and do more to secure our food supply. Sen. Gary Farmer, leader of the Senate Democrats, will talk about the letter.

— The latest from Florida Man and his Florida Son who are both in the same jail.

It sounds as if Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking a victory lap. No, COVID-19 has not gone away, but DeSantis says it’s nowhere near as bad in Florida as people had feared it might be.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— VISIT FLORIDA CEO Dana Young says the COVID-19 pandemic is the largest crisis the global tourism industry has ever faced, but they’re coming up with a four-stage plan to bring people back to the Sunshine State.

— Democrats in the state Legislature are calling on DeSantis to offer more bridge loans to struggling businesses. The state initially had $50 million, but large companies snapped it up, leaving mom and pop operations with nothing.

— Florida Chamber of Commerce CEO Mark Wilson talks about being a key player in the Governor’s Re-Open Florida Task Force and says he’ll be doing the same thing for the national Chamber.

— Officers in Putnam County say a Florida Man tried to avoid arrest by claiming he was infected with the coronavirus.

Gov. Ron DeSantis presides over the first meeting of his task force to rebuild Florida's economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. It was — as expected — conducted remotely.

Also, in today’s Sunrise:

— As politicians talk about restarting the economy, some Florida doctors warn caution. Until better tests are available, and more people are tested, they say it’s not safe to return to business as usual

— The coronavirus has hit Florida farmers hard. A new report from the state Agriculture Commissioner’s office says the losses so far add up to more than $500 million.

— If you’re stuck at home with kids during the lockdown, you already know they’re getting antsy. A doctoral student in psychology at Florida State offers some tips for reassuring the youngsters and keeping them engaged.

— Checking in with Florida Man and his Florida Woman: Both are doctors facing criminal charges for what they call a game of “capture the flag.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis has decided kids will NOT be going back to school on May 4 after all. The class of 2020 will finish off the school year virtually. Both DeSantis and the Florida Education Association president weigh-in.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The Governor also decided to reveal more information about the COVID-19 problem in nursing homes and seniors living centers, which now number over 300.

— The state’s unemployment rate for March shot up from 2.8 to 4.3%, but that does not include hundreds of thousands of Floridians who could not get through the phones or the web portal to file a claim. So, it is not really an accurate reflection of just how bad things are right now.

— At some point today, DeSantis will announce the members of his new task force on Economic Rebounding and Resurgence of Florida after the pandemic. The panel expects to have a short-range plan by the end of the week.

— Beaches in Jacksonville and Saint Johns County have reopened; where officials have imposed time limits and insist on social distancing while in the sand. But pictures of people returning to the beach led to a new trend on Twitter over the weekend: #FloridaMorons.

— Sunrise remembers Matthew Gotha, who passed away Saturday at the age of 36. Rep. Chip LaMarca offers his remembrance.

— The latest in Florida Man, with not one, but two stories that revolve around golf carts.

Florida’s latest unemployment numbers will be released — the first monthly report that includes the impact of the coronavirus shutdown. The question is not if the rate goes up, but by how much.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Unemployment checks are in the mail, but there is still a backlog. The man brought in to fix Florida’s broken system says they are working 24/7 to make it easier for people to file a claim.

— Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new task force on reopening the state of Florida holds is holding its first meeting; they hope to produce a plan in less than a week. The Governor says they are also getting guidance from the White House.

— The state is releasing more information about fatalities in long-term care facilities for seniors, which account for about one-fifth of COVID-19 fatalities in the state. Democrats and advocates for seniors are calling for more transparency, denouncing a request from nursing homes that they get legal immunity for deaths that occur in their facilities.

— DeSantis is also under fire for the way the corrections department is responding to the pandemic. A group that works on behalf of inmates’ families says there is a real crisis behind the prison walls and guards are just as vulnerable as convicts.

— Good news for hemp growers. The USDA has approved Florida’s plan to ramp up the hemp program and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried says the first crop could be planted as early as next month.

— And the latest in Florida Man antics: A drag queen who fell asleep during his own show.

Florida’s teacher’s union is not the only group asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to keep campuses closed until the start of the new school year. The Florida PTA and four different medical groups are making the same request.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The first inmates have died of coronavirus in the state prison system. The Department of Corrections kept it quiet for more than a week, but the fatalities have been confirmed by the medical examiner.

— A shake-up at the state unemployment office. Ken Lawson is still running the Department of Economic Opportunity, but DeSantis ordered the director of the Department of Management Services to tackle the agency’s computer problems, which is keeping hundreds of thousands of people from applying for unemployment.

— Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott weigh in on the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott wants more testing and blames China for the outbreak. Rubio says it’s up to state and local governments to decide when people go back to work, questioning the wisdom of putting Donald Trump's name on all those $1,200 stimulus checks

— The statewide lockdown is unwelcome news for victims of domestic violence, often leaving them trapped at home with their abuser. The head of a shelter in Palm Beach County offers some tips for those in a bad place.

— Rep. Shevrin Jones of West Park goes to bat for Joe Biden and is hosting a virtual town hall meeting with the former Vice President.

— In the latest with Florida Man, who picked the wrong way to remind people to wear a mask in public.