A Tallahassee-based judge on Monday ruled that Governor Ron DeSantis has the authority to block additional federal unemployment benefits to jobless Floridians. The circuit judge denied a request for a temporary injunction on DeSantis’ decision in June to have Florida withdraw from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program. FPUC, which runs through September 6th, provides an additional $300 dollars in weekly benefits. Florida is among 26 states not to accept the additional federal program money for their unemployed residents. A group of 10 unemployed workers had argued the state’s reemployment assistance law required the Department of Economic Opportunity to accept the money and distribute it to the unemployed. Their attorneys estimated more than $400 million dollars in benefits for about a half-million Floridians is at stake.