The nation’s top financial regulators told Congress Friday that threats to financial stability remain elevated even though the country has recovered from the worst economic shocks stemming from the COVID pandemic.

Federal Reserve officials agreed at their last meeting that if the economy continued to improve, they could start reducing their monthly bond purchases as soon as next month and bring them to an end by the middle of 2022.

The Senate parliamentarian has told Democrats that their newest proposal for helping millions of immigrants stay in the U.S. permanently could not be included in their $3.5 trillion social and environment bill.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is defending the ultra-low interest rate policies he has pursued since the pandemic decimated the economy more than 18 months ago.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that President Joe Biden’s spending proposals represent will address long-overdue U.S. infrastructure needs and prepare the country to meet future challenges.

A rental crisis spurred by the pandemic prompted many states to make bold promises to help renters, but most failed to deliver on them after Congress passed the sweeping CARES Act in March 2020.

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that hundreds of millions of dollars in coronavirus relief money tied up in court should benefit Alaska Natives rather than be spread more broadly among Native American tribes around the U.S. The justices ruled 6-3 in the case, which involved the massive pandemic relief package passed last year and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump.

Ebony Chaney, 34, of Lake Wales - Charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, obtaining property by fraud, grand theft and cheating/gross fraud. Phyllis Tirado, 49, of Lake Wales - Charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, obtaining property by fraud and cheating/gross fraud. Takila McBurrows, 36, of Lake Wales - Charged with obtaining property by fraud, grand theft and criminal use of personal ID. AdTashai Newman, 43, of Winter Haven - Charged with obtaining property by fraud, grand theft and criminal use of personal ID. Derrick Dawsey, 50, of Lake Wales - Charged with obtaining property by fraud, grand theft and criminal use of personal ID.

ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 has told countless stories of workers who were either furloughed or laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic and are now trying to make ends meet. Now, some of those workers are getting ready to get back into the workforce thanks to the CARES Act Blueprint 2.0 job training program started by the city of Orlando in partnership with Orange County. More than 50 students are graduating from the program Wednesday and all of them were adversely affected by COVID-19. “I never [experienced] anything like that before, and it was to the point where in my mind I didn’t know what to do,” said Clint Cuyler, a graduate of the job training program. The students gained specialized training and even got a stipend over the weekslong program.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County officials are preparing to start administering doses of coronavirus vaccines. “Our vaccination is going to take place at the Orange Convention Center,” Dr. Pino said. County officials said the Department of Health has trained and certified nearly 50 paramedics across the county in preparation for the vaccine. As the logistical dance of details takes shape Dr. Pino said the county can expect to receive a shipment next week. Dr. Pino said the next priority group will be emergency workers, law enforcement, and health department workers.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The cold air is moving into Central Florida Thursday night. By 10 a.m. Friday the temps will be warming with full sunshine on the way. But the high will only make it back to about 61 degrees in Orlando. Saturday will turn much warmer, we will almost be back to normal with a high of 71 degrees. Sunday we will hit a high 74 degrees with a slight chance of a coastal shower.

Now, Republicans are motivated chiefly to extend business subsidies and some jobless benefits, and provide money for schools and vaccines. The urgency was underscored Thursday by the weekly unemployment numbers, which revealed that 885,000 people applied for jobless benefits last week, the highest weekly total since September. Some Democrats also mourned the exclusion of a $500 million aid package to help states run their elections. The emerging package would combine the $900 billion in COVID-19 relief with a $1.4 trillion government-wide funding bill. That measure, combined with an assortment of other health policy provisions, generates savings for federal funding for community health centers.

WASHINGTON – Congressional negotiators closed in Wednesday on a $900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package that would deliver additional help to businesses, $300 per week jobless checks, and $600 stimulus payments to most Americans. But lawmakers briefed on the outlines of the aid bill freely shared them. President-elect Joe Biden is eager for an aid package to prop up the economy and deliver direct aid to the jobless and hungry, even though the package falls short of what Democrats want. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, favored aid to states and localities instead of another round of stimulus payments. With Congress otherwise getting ready to close up shop, lawmakers are eager to use the relief package to carry other unfinished business.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County is reopening its portal for families and individuals to apply for federal CARES Act funds this week for what will likely be the last time, according to Mayor Jerry Demings. That means your opportunity to apply for our Orange CARES Individual and Family Assistance Program is coming to an end,” Demings said. County officials said they will allocate approximately $2 million in remaining funding to approved applications in the order they are received. The county received $243.2 million in CARES Act, or coronavirus relief, funding this spring and set aside $60 million to help families and $72.9 million to help businesses through grants. Application deadline: Wednesday, Dec. 16. pic.twitter.com/lHkLaIsuLC — Orange County FL (@OrangeCoFL) December 11, 2020To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County’s portal for families and individuals to apply for federal CARES Act funds reopened Tuesday morning for what could be the last time, according to Mayor Jerry Demings. Perhaps, this may be the final time the portal will open,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said at a Friday news conference. The amount of CARES Act money the county has left and how many applications are processed and approved will determine whether the portal can be reopened. 🍊Orange County's CARES Act for Individual & Families is still open. Direct link: https://t.co/OpSJjGWZMZ — Orange County FL (@OrangeCoFL) December 8, 2020The county has until Dec. 30, a deadline set by the federal government, to expend any remaining CARES Act money.

The duo were the architects of the $1.8 trillion CARES Act, the landmark relief bill passed in March. Here are the top issues for the end-stage COVID-19 relief talks. ___JOBLESS BENEFITSThe CARES Act created a $600 per-week bonus COVID-19 unemployment benefit that sustained household incomes and consumer demand during the springtime shutdowns. House Democrats support the idea, but it is unpopular with many Senate Republicans and was left out of a scaled-back Senate GOP plan. ___LIABILITY SHIELDBusinesses reopening during the pandemic have for months been seeking a shield against lawsuits claiming negligence for COVID-19 outbreaks.

The duo were the architects of the $1.8 trillion CARES Act, the landmark relief bill passed in March. Here are the top issues for the end-stage COVID-19 relief talks. ___JOBLESS BENEFITSThe CARES Act created a $600 per-week bonus COVID-19 unemployment benefit that sustained household incomes and consumer demand during the springtime shutdowns. House Democrats support the idea, but it is unpopular with many Senate Republicans and was left out of a scaled-back Senate GOP plan. ___LIABILITY SHIELDBusinesses reopening during the pandemic have for months been seeking a shield against lawsuits claiming negligence for COVID-19 outbreaks.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County has the third-highest unemployment rate in Florida behind Osceola and Miami-Dade, according to CareerSource of Central Florida. In Orange County, the unemployment rate was at 8% in October, according to an Orlando Economic Partnership study. To qualify you must be an Orange County resident over 18 years old with proof you lost your job or hours due to the pandemic. Meaning those free resources available right now to help land you a job are only available for three more weeks. At the Orange County Convention Center 88 students were enrolled so far in programs like Commercial Truck Driving, IT Networking and Clinical Medical Assisting.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool)WASHINGTON – Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is defending his decision to close down a number of emergency Federal Reserve loan programs at a time when coronavirus cases are surging. Mnuchin argued that the programs he decided not to extend into next year were being lightly utilized. He said the $455 billion allocated for those Fed loan programs could be better used elsewhere if Congress moved the funds into relief programs for small businesses and unemployed workers. “You appear to be trying to sabotage our economy on the way out the door,” Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, told Mnuchin. The Treasury and the Fed announced on Monday that four other lending programs the Fed has been using would be extended through March.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The city of Orlando is opening the application process again to help hundreds more families make rent amid the ongoing financial hardships of the coronavirus. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a news release the city has reopened its rental assistance program in partnership with Heart of Florida United Way. Under the program, Orlando residents who have been impacted by COVID-19 since March 1 can apply to receive up to $10,000 to make rent payments. To qualify, renters must live within city limits, have experienced a pandemic-related hardship and have paid February rent. United Way will email instructions and a link to complete the application to eligible residents following the pre-screening process.

ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s been eight months since Congress passed the CARES Act but finding common ground for the next COVID relief package remains to be seen. While there’s broad support among members from both parties, they sharply disagree on the size and scope of it. U.S. Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) joined News 6 anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com” to discuss the timeline for another relief package and the promising news when it comes to a vaccine. On election day, Puerto Ricans voted “yes” on statehood, but the vote was non-binding -- meaning it would need Congressional approval before it can move forward. “Puerto Rico needs to become a state,” Soto said.

Faulting inaction in Washington, governors and state lawmakers are racing to get needed pandemic relief to small businesses, the unemployed, renters and others affected by the widening coronavirus outbreak. Funded through the CARES Act, it offered grants to small businesses, bars and restaurants, low-income renters, arts groups, and colleges and universities. “It’s shameful that they have not acted in Congress, especially (Senate Majority Leader Mitch) McConnell and the Republican Senate, to throw a lifeline to small businesses,” he said. Republicans have proposed a $300 million aid package to small businesses and nonprofits, but the legislation is stalled. “This isn’t like all the blue states are hurting and all the red states are humming along.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County’s portal for residents to apply for federal CARES Act money reopened Tuesday but reached its capacity within 40 minutes, according to officials. The portal reopened at 8 a.m. to families and individuals hoping to apply for financial assistance and closed at 8:40 a.m., per a tweet from Orange County. 🍊@OrangeCoFL's CARES Act for Individual & Families Program has reached its 15,000-user capacity, and is now closed for 11/24. — Orange County FL (@OrangeCoFL) November 24, 2020Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said at a Monday news conference that the portal would not be open for very long, based on recent history. Details on that financial assistance program can be found here.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County’s CARES Act portal for residents wishing to apply for financial assistance to help with rent and other bills reopened Monday with new expanded criteria. The portal opened at 8 a.m. and closed about 35 minutes later, Orange County officials said. 🍊@OrangeCoFL's CARES Act for Individual & Families Program has reached its 15,000-user capacity, and is now closed for 11/16. Residents who are still inside the portal will not be logged out, and will have adequate time to complete their application. — Orange County FL (@OrangeCoFL) November 16, 2020During the summer months when the portal was first made available, it would close within minutes due to overwhelming demand.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – More Daytona Beach households can now qualify for pandemic rental assistance after the city expanded its qualifications for the program to include middle-income households. The city announced Friday that beginning Monday an additional $500,000 in coronavirus relief funds will be available to help residents who are behind on their rent due to the coronavirus pandemic. The money is part of the federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act. The funds will include rental payments, with a three-month maximum per household and are capped at $1,500 per month and $4,500 total per household. Applicants must make appointments to submit completed applications by calling one of following three agencies:Central Florida Community Development Corporation 386-226-1216Housing Authority of the City of Daytona Beach 386-888-7684Mid-Florida Housing Partnership Corporation 386-274-4441, ext.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando city commissioners have approved $225,000 in federal CARES Act funds to help Orange County residents impacted by COVID-19 with career and workforce training. It’s a partnership with the Central Florida Urban League to connect Orange County residents to career and workforce training. She said she enrolled in the workforce program to learn vocational skills to try and bounce back. City Commissioner Regina Hill helped lead the effort and told News 6 the goal is to help impacted residents get the education they need to have long-term careers. We’re told residents in the workforce program also get a weekly stipend of $125.

The Fed announced no new actions after its latest policy meeting but left the door open to provide further assistance in the coming months. The Fed's policy statement, issued after a two-day meeting, made no mention of lawmakers' failure to act. The Fed’s latest policy meeting coincided with an anxiety-ridden election week and an escalation of the virus across the country. “All of us have a role to play, to keep appropriate social distance and to wear masks in public.”The central bank's policy statement Thursday was approved on a 10-0 vote. Another dissenter in September, Neel Kashkari, head of the Minneapolis Fed, was absent, with his alternate, Mary Daly of the San Francisco Fed, approving the statement.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County still has more money to allocate from the pandemic funds distributed to local governments from the federal CARES Act. The county received $243.2 million in CARES Act, or coronavirus relief, funding this spring and set aside $60 million to help families and $72.9 million to help businesses through grants. Since county workers began distributing $1,000 grants this summer, they have sent or are in the process of sending payments to 34,000 people or families, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said. Diane Arnold, a manager with Orange County government, said the county has sent the Comptroller’s Office $35 million for 35,000 payments. We get a lot of applications, just to give you an example, that for the address doesn’t automatically verify in the system as an Orange County address, which means we have to then do a manual process since one of the requirements is to be an Orange County resident,” Arnold said.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County government on Monday started accepting another round of application for CARES Act grants up to $10,000 for small businesses and up to $3,000 in micro-grants for home-based businesses. The application portal reopened at 9 a.m. Monday for small businesses and home-based businesses. Businesses that previously received a CARES Act grant from the county are not eligible. According to the county website, they have allocated about 30% of the $72.9 million in CARES Act funding set aside for Small Business Financial Assistance. The county was awarded $243.2 million from the federal CARES Act.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – UPDATE: The Orange County CARES Act portal reopened at 8 a.m. Monday and closed about 45 minutes later. PREVIOUS STORY: Orange County residents can apply for financial assistance on Monday as the county reopens its CARES Act portal for the sixth time. Orange County households are eligible for a one time payment of $1,000 to help cover expenses. The county launched the portal this summer and it got off to a rocky start, reaching capacity in minutes each time it opened. With two more chances for assistance, Demings wanted to be clear about who is eligible to apply.

(Drew Angerer/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Tuesday that a tentative recovery from the pandemic recession could falter unless the federal government supplies additional economic support. Yet hours after Powell's remarks, President Donald Trump announced that he was cutting off talks with Democrats over a new economic aid package until after the November elections. But the U.S. economy still faces threats, and without further aid, those downward trends could still derail the recovery, Powell said. In recent months, in speeches and in testimony to Congress, Powell has repeatedly urged lawmakers to enact an additional economic aid package. “Still, since it appears that many will undergo extended periods of unemployment, there is likely to be a need for further support,” Powell said.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County residents who have been financially impacted by COVID-19 will once again have the opportunity to apply for assistance when the county’s CARES Act portal reopens next week, according to Mayor Jerry Demings. The news comes after leaders closed the CARES Act portal after only 10 minutes of having it open for what leaders said would likely be the last time in July. I want to let you know that we intend to announce the reopening of our Orange Cares Individuals Family Assistance Program early next week,” Demings said. During the news conference last week, Demings said Orange County was initially given $243.2 million in CARES Act dollars. More information about Orange County’s Individual and Family Assistance program and details on how to apply can be found at ocfl.net/OrangeCARES.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County residents who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic are urged to contact CareerSource Central Florida for help getting work placement, job training or a paid internship. CareerSource was awarded $7 million in federal CARES Act money to help struggling Central Floridians get back on their feet. Pam Nabors, the president and CEO of CareerSource Central Florida, said the local unemployment rate remains at 16% even as many businesses have reopened. And so it’s very important that Orange County knows that help is here through the Orange County CARES Act grant,” Nabors said. We just this past week put 21 individuals, out-of-work performers to work at Central Florida Community Arts doing stage production, doing tutoring, doing classroom assistance, educational assistance.

Mnuchin agreed that business loans and enhanced unemployment support would be good priorities for Congress to back in any new package. Pressed to state what the top priorities should be, Powell cited providing more support through the popular Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses and boosting unemployment benefits. The original relief package provided a $600-a-week federal unemployment benefit, on top of whatever jobless aid a state provides. Powell repeated his view that providing more support was essential to keep the economy on a sustained upturn. Mnuchin was pressed by some senators to further simplify government forms that businesses need to provide to qualify for having their Paycheck Protection Program loans forgiven.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. Seminole County officials said due to a significant response for the CARES Act individual assistance program the application deadline has been set for 11:59 p.m. on Friday. Seminole County was awarded $82 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act fund to help address some of the economic fallout from the pandemic. The county has set aside $10 million for small businesses, $7 million for individuals, and $3 million for nonprofits. Individuals and families who qualify can receive up to $5,000 in CARES Act money to help cover housing, utility payments, food, and basic needs. Individuals can apply at www.seminolecountyfl.gov/cares when the application portal opens.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County residents facing eviction will get a chance to apply for some relief Tuesday morning through the county’s new eviction diversion program. The program is a partnership with the Orange County Bar Association, Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida and other local legal assistance nonprofit agencies. You are going to have to have proof of Covid impact, 2 bank statements,” said Roseann Harrington, with Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings’ office. County leaders when people apply online, they will first go through a pre-screening process to make sure they qualify. Then, Orange County will Pay up to $4,000 to landlords, who must agree not to evict the residents who are approved.

Donna Demarco is a widow and parent on a mission: Find out why her 25-year-old daughter was not included in the list of eligible dependents for a $500 credit under the CARES Act. But her mother did not receive a $500 check for her daughter so she contacted News 6 to help her get answers. Donna Demarco said the IRS website was difficult to navigate and offered a high-tech trail of hits and misses. It turns out under the CARES Act, Washington lawmakers did not provide a benefit for senior adults and special needs adults who are listed as dependents. HEALS Act: Similar to the CARES Act, the HEALS Act put forth by Republicans doesn't mention a cap on the amount a family may receive.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County closed the micro-grant application portal Thursday evening after receiving a large response from home-based small businesses, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said. The county began accepting applications on Monday for its micro-grant program for home-based businesses and four days later had received 1,200 applications. The grants ranged from $1,000 to $3,000 but the average grant so far has been $2,500, according to the county. Due to high demand, the application portal closed at 6 p.m. Thursday. The mayor said the county will reopen the portal after the current applications are processed.

As Americans continue to cope in a new normal, lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue to discuss what could be the next stimulus package to help families during the pandemic. According to Sen. Lindsey Graham, half of Republicans will vote “no” on the new stimulus package, Forbes reported. The new $1 trillion stimulus package dubbed the HEALS Act (Health, Economic Assistance Liability Protection & Schools Act) follows the CARES Act, the $2.2 trillion stimulus package Congress passed in March. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, told Fox News that, “half of the Republicans are going to vote ‘no’ on any more aid. CNBC reported the Senate will be releasing the full details on the second stimulus bill this week.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – With just a few days before the deadline to apply for the CARES funding program in Osceola County, a county spokesperson said they still have funds to distribute. The CARES Act is a federal coronavirus relief package in which Osceola county received $65.5 million from the state. Currently, the county is distributing $16.3 million of that total, where 70% will be for housing assistance, 20% for small businesses and 10% for food security like food banks. The grant provides emergency funding of up to $2,500 for home-based businesses, $5,000 for all businesses with 2-25 employees, and $10,000 for businesses with 26 or more employees. To receive funding through the cares act program, applicants must provide evidence of eligible expenses such as rent, mortgage payments, utilities, and payroll incurred during the period of Feb. 1 and May 31.

APOPKA, Fla. – The initial stages of Florida distributing $250 million in federal CARES Act money to go toward rent and mortgage assistance began Friday when counties started receiving checks. Orange County will receive $7.26 million -- one of the highest amounts of any county -- while Seminole County will get $1.1 million and Osceola County was allotted $2.5 million. Already, many counties across Central Florida have developed programs to provide rental and mortgage assistance to those struggling to pay their bills as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The Orange County rental assistance portal opened Monday for the fifth and what might have been the final time. Representatives in Orange, Seminole, Marion and Sumter counties said they did not yet have plans in place to distribute the money.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla – Orange County residents struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic may have had their last chance to apply for federal funds through Orange County’s CARES Act portal. Applications are closed for July 13, in order to process submitted applications. pic.twitter.com/tUXl07P6QX — Orange County FL (@OrangeCoFL) July 13, 2020Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said this may have been the last time residents could file for CARES Act assistance. Demings said the portal would accept 10,000 applications on Monday, the fifth time the county opened the portal to help individuals and families. So far more than $7.5 million has been paid out to Orange County residents and an additional $920,000 is being submitted for payment Monday.

Many officials said they are receiving money from the CARES Act grant to help offset additional costs incurred that were not originally budgeted. Seminole County:Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson said his office is receiving $531,000 in CARES Act funds. He said the money will help cover the additional expenses as more voters request a vote by mail ballot. Orange County:Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said the county is getting $1.3 million in CARES funding. Marion County:Officials with the Marion County Supervisor of Elections office said they are eligible for up to $359,810.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Commissioners in Osceola County have approved a plan for what to do with the funds from the CARES Act. Osceola officials said the county is waiting for the first distribution of funds. County officials said 25 percent or 16.3 million will go toward programs to help businesses and residents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioners said 70 percent of the $16.3 million will go toward rental and mortgage assistance, 20 percent will go toward small business assistance and 10 percent will go toward Food Insecurity Assistance. Human Services in the county will get $13 million and $3.2 million will go to Economic Development for Small Business Assistance, according to commissioners.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Central Florida counties are using money from the federal CARES Act to help residents and businesses who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Orange County received $243.2 million from the federal CARES Act. Volusia County is preparing to roll out two new assistance programs using its CARES Act funding. Osceola County Commission Chairwoman Viviana Janer announced on Friday it is also receiving money from the federal CARES act. County officials said that is 25% of the potential $65.5 million the county could use for housing and business assistance.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The State of Florida is expected to disburse up to $1.275 billion in CARES Act funds to what has been deemed smaller county governments. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday the federal funds will be distributed to counties that have a population below 500,000 people. Central Florida counties like Osceola and Sumter would fall under this next wave of disbursement. Central Florida counties that fell with the initial population requirement have already seen and utilized some CARES Act funding. Orange County, whose population exceeds 500,000, received a $243.1 million cut from federal CARES Act funds.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Minutes after Orange County opened its application process for federal CARES Act money to help individuals and families amid the coronavirus, the county was forced to close applications due to an overwhelming response. Beginning Monday at 8 a.m. Orange County residents and small business owners could apply for a slice of federal CARES Act funding through the county’s website OCFL.net/OrangeCares, however, less than 20 minutes later the county closed applications for families and individuals. “Due to an overwhelming response, the Individual and Family Assistance Program has already received more than 2,000 applications,” the tweet said. According to a timeline provided by the county, the application portal was made live at 7:48 a.m. “When we open the system up we should be able to adequately process applications,” Demings said.

About two months after federal pandemic aid under the CARES Act was signed into law, Florida is ready to administer aid to those who were unemployed prior to coronavirus-related layoffs. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or PEUC, is the federal program that provides up to 13 weeks of unemployment benefits to individuals who have exhausted regular unemployment benefits under state or federal law or have no rights to regular unemployment benefits under state or federal law. Ron DeSantis, to over see the state’s pandemic unemployment surge said on April 30 in a Q&A the Florida DEO was working on being able to administer those benefits. Before this week, people who have exhausted regular unemployment benefits and were told to apply for federal benefits couldn’t find the application on Floridajobs.org because the state wasn’t ready to process those benefits. Since March, more than 2 million unemployment claims have been filed in Florida, according to the DEO Dashboard.

Thus far, 88.1 million of the 150 million payments have been issued nationwide. [Click here to update your payment information with the IRS]Of those, 6,348,503 payments were in Florida totaling in at $11,067,476,416. “The IRS, Treasury and partner agencies are working non-stop to get these payments out in record time to Americans who need them,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said. “Tens of millions of people across the country are receiving these payments, and millions more are on the way. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.

UPDATE: In a reversal, the DEO now says some workers need to re-apply for federal benefits at FloridaJobs.org. “They will go through the same process as anyone would for the state unemployment process,” Satter said. New applicants applying for federal benefits will use the same Floridajobs.org and CONNECT websites to apply. Of those who applied weeks ago who qualify for state unemployment, many are still waiting to receive payments from Florida. As of Wednesday, about 17% of Florida unemployment claims have been paid out of more than 682,000 verified claims, according to the DEO dashboard.