De-platforming
Over the past 24 hours, the Florida Department of Health reported 99 fatalities and more than 2,800 new cases of COVID-19.
Also, on today’s Sunrise:
— The bill to crack down on social media platforms for banning Donald Trump passes its first committee in the state Legislature.
— Lawmakers from both Parties have problems with social media, but they're also wondering if they have any authority over the tech giants because that power has been preempted by the feds.
— Despite a decrease in the total number of jobs, Florida's unemployment rate was down by three-tenths of a point in January.
— Florida's unemployment compensation system melted down last year when the state went into lockdown; lawmakers are finally getting around to fixing it. The bill to try to revamp the unemployment system got such a friendly reception at its first hearing, the committee chair called it a “lovefest.”
— It's been more than 30 years since the state created a special fund to compensate families when a baby suffers catastrophic injuries at birth. Lawmakers did that to try to solve a medical malpractice insurance crisis. Now Kenney Shipley, who runs the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association, says it's time to increase the payments to parents.
— And finally, a Florida Man is accused of spitting on a Disney guard when she asked him to follow the rules and wear a mask.