Aaron Hernandez heads to prison. The U.S. makes no-fly list changes. And Washington wants Cuba to extradite fugitives.
It’s Thursday and here are the 5 things to know for your New Day
AARON HERNANDEZ
Locked away: Massachusetts Prison officials are evaluating former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez. That’s his first stop after being sentenced to life in the prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted in the 2013 murder of his onetime friend Odin Lloyd. His new home will be Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center — a maximum-security prison, about 40 miles outside downtown Boston. It’s a far cry from the NFL career and $40 million contract he used to enjoy.
NO-FLY LIST
Tell me why: The U.S. no-fly list isn’t so hush-hush anymore. Americans on it will now be able to get information about why they’ve been banned from flights and will also be able to dispute their status. Before, they had no recourse. The ACLU challenged the old way of doing things, saying violated the constitutional guarantee of due process. The number of people on the no-fly list is classified, but an official with knowledge of the government’s figures told CNN in 2012 that the list at that time contained about 21,000 names, including about 500 Americans.
CUBA EXTRADITION FUGITIVES
Send them back: With relations improving between Washington and Havana, the U.S. is trying to convince Cuba to extradite American criminals living there. So what’s in it for Cuba? The White House recommended this week that Cuba come off the list of countries considered state sponsors of terrorism. Washington appears to have its eye on Joanne Chesimard and William Guillermo Morales. Chesimard is a convicted murderer wanted by the FBI after she escaped from a New Jersey prison in 1979. Morales was a bombmaker for a violent Puerto Rican independence group and was sentenced to prison for having pipe bombs. Fidel Castro granted both asylum
CAPITOL GYROCOPTER
Making a statement: Doug Hughes wanted to make a political point, but mainly got himself in trouble it seems after landing a gyrocopter outside the Capitol building in Washington. The rural letter carrier, who has worked for the Post Office since 2003, had letters on board to deliver to every member of Congress. The message? Money in politics breeds corruption. He wants campaign finance reform. U.S. Capitol Police pounced when Hughes landed. Charges are pending.
U.S. DEBT
Who owns us?: Move over, Beijing. Japan now owns more U.S. government debt than any other country. China’s been the top foreign holder of U.S. Treasuries for the past six years, but Japan inched ahead in February, if only by a little bit. For those keeping score, the Treasury Department says Japan owns $1.2244 trillion in U.S. government securities compared with $1.2237 for China. What’s a few billion among friends anyway?
Those are your five biggies for the day. Here are a couple of others that are brewing and have the Internet buzzing.
Thinking outside the cage: Our favorite talking guinea pig is back and he’s musing about cosmic things.
Advertizing buzz: Colorado, where it’s legal to smoke pot, rolls out its “Don’t Take the High Road” ad campaign.
1980s flashback: Four members of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs — Matt Bonner, Patty Mills, Aron Baynes and Kawhi Leonard — debut in a music video under the name Spuran Spuran. Stick with your day job, guys.
How’d he do that?: Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar makes an insane catch.
Cuteness alert: This koala agrees that tummy rubs are the best.