Marco Rubio wants to be President too. Another officer is charged in a shooting. And Nigeria (and the world) observes a grim anniversary.
It’s Tuesday, and here are the five things to know for your New Day.
ELECTION 2016
Rubio’s in: A day after Hillary Clinton joined the 2016 fray, Marco Rubio jumped in. In a speech yesterday at Miami’s Freedom Tower, the 43-year-old Florida senator made it clear he would contrast his youth against leaders and ideas “stuck in the 20th century,” an undeniable swipe at Clinton and fellow Floridan Jeb Bush. Rubio is the third Republican to join the race, but soon there will be another: Ben Carson is expected to launch his presidential bid on May 4 in Detroit. Many consider Carson — a retired neurosurgeon who has never held elected office — to be a long shot, but he’s actually polling ahead of some GOP heavyweights, such as Rubio and Mike Huckabee.
POLICE SHOOTINGS
New charges, new audio: Another officer is charged in the death of an unarmed man after a shooting captured on video. This time it’s a sheriff’s deputy in Oklahoma who shot a man in the back during an undercover sting. The deputy thought he had grabbed his Taser instead of his handgun. The deputy, Robert Bates, was charged with second-degree manslaughter. One more twist in this case: Bates is a 73-year-old insurance company CEO who works as a reserve deputy and has been a big donor to the sheriff’s department, leading some to allege that he “paid big money to play cop.” Meanwhile, in North Charleston, South Carolina, fired police Officer Michael Slager is heard in audio recorded right after the deadly shooting he was involved in last week nervously laughing while talking to another officer. In a second piece of audio, he talks on the phone with who is believed to be his wife. Slager was charged with murder and fired after he shot and killed Walter Scott.
KIDNAPPED GIRLS
One year: It’s hard to believe, but the nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram have been missing for a solid year. A handful of them managed to escape, but the fate of the vast majority of the girls is unknown. The anniversary of the kidnapping is spurring new calls for their release and putting new pressure on the government of Nigeria, and its new president. Malala Yousafzai — the 17-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who was almost killed by the Taliban for going to school — released an open letter to the girls yesterday. In it she tells them they are not forgotten and that “we will not rest until you have been reunited with your families.”
JODI ARIAS
Sentenced: Jodi Arias will spend the rest of her life in prison. Period. She won’t get out early. That was the sentence handed down by the judge in the high-profile case, after two juries were unable to agree on her punishment. Maricopa County Judge Sherry Stephens could have sentenced Arias to life with the possibility of early release after 25 years, but decided her crime called for little leniency. Arias expressed remorse for the gruesome 2008 murder of Travis Alexander, saying she was “disgusted and repulsed” with what she had done.
HEALTH CARE
More are insured: The (never-ending) battle over Obamacare rages on, but as it does, many more Americans have gotten health insurance. Nearly nine out of 10 Americans have health insurance now, according to a new poll from Gallup. It’s the lowest percentage of Americans without coverage since Gallup first started tracking the number in 2008, and it’s a big increase from two years ago before the Affordable Care Act was enacted.
Those are your five biggies for the day. Here are a few others that are brewing and have the Internet buzzing.
Holy carp: A group of college rowers have probably never had to compete against Asian carp.
Meet the “octographer”: An octopus that takes photos? Yeah, that’s right.
Beautiful ballet: She lost her leg in an accident, but this 8-year-old girl still yearns to dance.
Feline fun: Curiosity got the cat stuck in a suitcase.
Not in my house: Everyone loves birds, until they invade your home.
