Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.
ATTORNEYS ASK FEDS TO INVESTIGATE PRISON DEATH
The attorneys who represented Trayvon Martin’s family have called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the death of a Florida inmate who had told relatives she feared for her life in prions. Thirty-six-year-old Latandra Ellington, a mother of four, was found dead last Wednesday at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala. Attorneys Daryl Parks and Benjamin Crump say a major at the prison told Ellington’s aunt she would be looked after during a phone call shortly before her death. Ellington was serving one year and 10 months for fraud charges.
FEDERAL JUDGE ASKED TO ALLOW SAME SEX MARRIAGES
A federal judge is being asked to allow same sex couples to marry in Florida in the wake of a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a motion Tuesday with U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle. Hinkle previously ruled Florida’s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, but stayed the ruling until other cases around the country were resolved. The U.S. Supreme Court decided this week to turn away appeals from five states seeking to prohibit gay and lesbian unions. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office said it will fight the request.
FLORIDA DEPT OF HEALTH CONFIRMS STATE’S FIRST CASE OF ENTEROVIRUS
The state Department of Health has confirmed the first Florida case of a severe respiratory illness affecting children around the country. Officials said a 10-year-old girl from Polk County was recovering Tuesday from enterovirus 68. She was treated in Hillsborough County. The virus causes cold and flu-like symptoms and is considered highly contagious. In infants and young children, the virus can cause difficulty breathing. The Health Department is advising parents, childcare workers and health care professionals to be vigilant and practice good hygiene by washing hands frequently.
ASTRONAUTS RESUME ROUTINE SPACEWALKS FOR NASA
Two spacewalking astronauts moved an old, broken pump into permanent storage Tuesday, NASA’s first routine maintenance outside the International Space Station in more than a year. American Reid Wiseman and German Alexander Gerst, both first-time spacewalkers, cheerfully completed the long overdue job 260 miles up. U.S.-based spacewalks were curtailed in July 2013 after an Italian astronaut nearly drowned because of a flooded helmet. NASA solved the problem with the suit’s water-cooling system. Then concern arose over the spacesuit batteries. New batteries arrived late last month, clearing the way for Tuesday’s spacewalk and another one scheduled for next week.
WHISTLEBLOWER TAKING ON GLOBAL OUTSOURCING TECH FIRM AGAIN
The whistleblower who helped trigger a federal investigation into visa practices by the global outsourcing tech firm Infosys is taking on his former company again in court, and this time he’s naming top executives in his lawsuit. Former Infosys Ltd. employee Jay Palmer filed a retaliation complaint with the Department of Labor in March, the first step to suing the company. He filed his lawsuit late last week in New Jersey federal court, where former Infosys executive Jeffrey Friedel lives. Most other top company officials are in India, where firm is headquartered.