On this Tuesday, October 19, edition of Sundial:
Florida鈥檚 unemployment agency wants its overpaid money back
Thousands of Floridians last their jobs as the pandemic ravished multiple industries. Residents started filing for unemployment online, but the system kept crashing, which prevented people from filing claims in a timely manner.
Now, it seems that the state overpaid unemployment benefits to people who didn鈥檛 need them. State officials are trying to figure out how to get this money back, after thousands of Floridians received notices stating they must pay the state the money they were given. .
is a reporter for the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times in the Tallahassee Bureau, and he鈥檚 been covering unemployment in Florida. Mower said no one really knows how much money the state overpaid unemployed residents.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a constantly changing number and it could be anywhere from hundreds of millions of dollars to billions of dollars,鈥� Mower said.
He said the state鈥檚 online unemployment system, Florida Connect Services, is causing most of the current problems. It didn鈥檛 follow the usual process of filing for unemployment benefits. People normally have to claim benefits for each week they are not working.
鈥淭he first month and a half or so [of the pandemic], Florida was in such a rush to get this money out the door that if you applied for benefits, they just sent you money,鈥� Mower said.
Mower mentioned if you received one of the letters from the state, you can file an appeal through Florida Connect Services or a waiver with the federal government if you owe federal money. You can also contact lawmakers in the state House or Senate.
Opioid epidemic in South Florida
The opioid crisis has plagued millions of cities across the country over the past few decades, and South Florida communities are no exception to the issue. The pandemic has triggered a spike in deaths from opioid use.
According to the , deaths caused by opioids increased by 51% in Florida compared to the first six months of 2019. Illicitly-manufactured Fentanyl has caused the most deaths.
WLRN's Caitie Switalski Munoz spoke with Chris Cavallo who lost one of his daughters, Stephanie, and his wife, Robin, to overdoses about 20 years apart. He has since founded an addiction resource nonprofit, , in honor of his wife.
鈥淭hirty or forty years ago it was more up to the individual to get the help they needed,鈥� said Cavallo. 鈥淏ut now, the community needs to rally around that individual whether it鈥檚 the family members or the addict themselves.鈥�
Maia Szalavitz also joined the conversation. She鈥檚 a freelance journalist who covers neuroscience and addiction. She鈥檚 also the author of "."
As a recovered opioid addict, Szalavitz understands the pain and isolation many addicts experience. That鈥檚 why she advocates harm-reduction approaches.
鈥淚 do not believe you can de-stigmatize addiction and criminalize it at the same time,鈥� said Szalavitz. 鈥淭he focus of our policy should be on making sure people don鈥檛 get hurt, not making sure people don鈥檛 get high. If you focus on the harm, then you can make policies that don鈥檛 do enormous harm while trying to help.鈥�
If you or a loved one is struggling with drug addiction, you can find help through these local resources:
- 鈥� They reduced their bed space to increase social distancing.
- 鈥� They have a helpline that can connect you to counseling, detox centers, and other treatment options.
- 鈥� You can enter your city or zip code to locate a treatment center.
Key West artist behind Lilly Pulitzer fashion
In the 1960s, Lilly Pulitzer revolutionized women鈥檚 fashion by focusing on simple shift dresses in wild, whimsical prints. Many of those prints even incorporated her name.
However, those iconic designs were actually created by Key West artist Suzie Zuzek. Her name is finally being publicly credited nearly a decade after her death.
Some of her original designs are on display at the exhibit "Suzie Zuzek for Lilly Pulitzer鈥� at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York City until Jan. 2.
You can read the full story by WLRN's Nancy Klingener here and watch a video about the exhibit at the website.
