Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.
CHIQUITA ASKS COURT TO TOSS TERROR PAYMENTS CASE
Produce giant Chiquita Brands International says the U.S. is the wrong place for lawsuits to be pursued against it by thousands of Colombians whose relatives were killed in a bloody civil war. A Chiquita attorney asked an 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel to dismiss the lawsuits at a Thursday hearing. A ruling is unlikely for months.
MIAMI COMMISSION VOTES 4-1 TO KEEP ULTRA FESTIVAL
Miami city commissioners have voted to keep the Ultra Music Festival. Officials had debated whether to halt the annual three-day festival in downtown Miami after a guard was seriously injured in March by gate-crashers. Festival organizers agreed to hire more police, install stronger fencing and set up drug and mental health stations. The commission voted 4-1 for Ultra. The head of Miami’s police union had proposed that the festival should replace private security guards with city police officers.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT COULD GET LAW LICENSE UNDER BILL
The Florida Senate approved bill language that could allow the state’s Supreme Court to issue law licenses to illegal immigrants. The Senate amended a bill Thursday to insert the language. It’s a response to a Supreme Court decision last month that said people in the country illegally can’t be issued law licenses. The case involved Jose Godinez-Samperio, who was seeking his license after passing the bar in 2011.
TAMPA HOMICIDE DETECTIVE ON LEAVE
The federal criminal investigation of a Tampa police homicide detective has forced prosecutors and police officials to review cases in which he played a part. The Tampa Tribune reports that Tampa Police relieved Eric Houston of his investigative duties and placed him on administrative leave on April 3 after the investigation began. He worked on high-profile cases involving convicted cop killer Dontae Morris and Julie Schenecker, who is accused of killing her two teenage children.
FLORIDA DOCTOR FACES MORE THAN 200 COUNTS OF HEALTH CARE FRAUD
A Gainesville doctor surrendered this week after she was charged with more than 200 counts of health care fraud for allegedly charging the government full price for prescription drugs, even though she was giving patients cheaper drugs not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Attorney’s officials said Ona Colasante, 57, turned herself in Tuesday after being indicted by a grand jury.
