Florida News Archive

People in Florida’s unemployment system will have to show they looked for work on a weekly basis after Memorial Day, as the state pushes to get workers back on the job, particularly at restaurants.

Also, a process is being set up for business owners to report unemployment claimants who don’t follow the “work search” rule, which will require people to apply for five jobs a week.

State wildlife officials are trying to better understand increased encounters between sharks and people fishing in Florida waters.

The incidents haven’t made the waters deadlier. But as conservation efforts have helped some shark species repopulate, the encounters appear more prevalent amid reports of sharks consuming catch before it’s brought onto boats or shortly after it is released back into the water, said Jessica McCawley, director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Division of Marine Fisheries Management.

Gov. Ron DeSantis distanced himself this week from a carve-out for entertainment giant Disney in his crackdown on social-media companies that block users from their platforms.

Lawmakers stuck a provision into the bill aimed at keeping the Disney Plus streaming service from getting “caught up” in the measure (SB 7072), which is aimed at tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter.

Gov. Ron DeSantis expects late this month to reinstate a requirement that people in the unemployment system submit weekly “work search” updates.

Referring to some businesses saying they are unable to find new employees as they regroup from the COVID-19 pandemic, DeSantis said Wednesday unemployment claimants will likely have to start showing how they looked for work once an executive order waiving a work-search requirement ends May 29.