Casualties

Published: April 1, 2020, 6 a.m.

Casualties from coronavirus continue to grow; now there are 6,741 confirmed cases in the Sunshine State, with 85 fatalities.

Also, on Today’s Sunrise:

— To open the new month, the April Fool’s joke is all the monthly bills are due. It’s no laughing matter if you’re one of the people laid off because of the pandemic. Sen. Marco Rubio says there’s money in the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package for small businesses and nonprofits.

— All that money from the federal stimulus package makes a tempting target for scammers. Attorney General Ashley Moody warns that they are already trying to trick people out of the money, even though it hasn’t even arrived yet.

— The new month also means new worries over evictions. The Florida Supreme Court suspended the legal process for filing eviction papers until the middle of the month, but some Democrats in the legislature say that’s still not enough time. They want the Governor to declare a moratorium on evictions until the pandemic has passed us by.

— Florida State University professor Dawn Carr talks about the mental health impact of isolation on seniors. Carr offers some tips about how you can stay in touch with grandma and grandpa without putting their lives at risk.

— There was a big win for former felons trying to have their voting rights restored. A federal appeals court in Atlanta is refusing to reconsider or overturn a decision that says the state cannot refuse their right to vote if they cannot pay all their ‘legal fines and restitution.’

— The Public Service Commission approves a new area code for Tampa since 813 is almost played out. We don’t know yet what will the new area code be.

— And the latest on Florida Man, who sometimes wears a badge.