The Hernandez jury speaks. WikiLeaks’ founder may be ready to talk. And you’ll have to wait a little longer for the Apple Watch. It’s Friday, and here are the five things to know for your New Day.
HERNANDEZ VERDICT
‘Indifference’: Members of the jury that sent Aaron Hernandez to prison for the rest of his life used that word a lot when they sat down with Anderson Cooper last night to talk about the trial. They used it when talking about how Hernandez simply walked away when his friend — murder victim Odin Lloyd — was shot and killed. They used it in expressing their surprise that Hernandez and his two friends were sunbathing at a pool hours after the murder. That perceived indifference is part of what led them to look beyond Hernandez’s football fame and fortune and convict him of first-degree murder. Lesa Strachan, the jury foreperson, said the months-long trial and deliberations — 35 hours reviewing 130 witness statements and 400 pieces of evidence — took an “incredibly emotional toll.”
JULIAN ASSANGE
Meeting planned: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for almost three years, may soon be talking to Swedish prosecutors. Assange, accused of sex assaults in Sweden, said he’s willing to be questioned by Swedish investigators, but only if they’ll see him in London. They would prefer to question Assange in Sweden — in case there would need to be a trial in the case — but some of the alleged crimes are subject to statute of limitations this summer, so this may be their last best opportunity to talk to him. Assange has not been charged. He fears Sweden would send him to the United States, where he could be charged for publishing government secrets on WikiLeaks.
JAMEIS WINSTON
Lawsuit filed: The woman who accused former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston of rape is taking him to court. Erica Kinsman’s lawsuit alleges sexual battery and false imprisonment in a December 2012 incident in which Kinsman says Winston raped her after a night of drinking. A prosecutor decided against bringing criminal charges in the case. Kinsman had already sued Florida State back in January. Winston is expected to be a top pick during the NFL draft on April 30.
USE OF FORCE
More problems?: The Arizona police officer who slammed his car into a fleeing, armed suspect previously faced an excessive force lawsuit in New York. Officer Michael Rapiejko was one of the defendants in a suit filed in 2008 by a man who alleged that Rapiejko pointed a gun, threatened to shoot him, handcuffed and choked him in front of his family during a 2005 arrest. Rapiejko was with the New York Police Department at the time. The suit was settled for $20,000, and the defendants didn’t admit to any wrongdoing. Rapiejko’s actions in Arizona — captured on video tape — have spurred debate about what type of force police should use in certain situations.
APPLE WATCH
Delay: You’re not getting the Apple Watch next week. No one is. The tech giant now says the much-hyped watch won’t be available until June. Apple didn’t give a reason for the unexpected delay, but many tech observers believe a supply shortage is to blame. Almost 1 million Americans pre-ordered the Apple Watch on April 10, the first day it was available for online ordering. Apple has faced supply shortages in the past, typically when it launched a completely redesigned model of an iPhone or an iPad.
Those are your five biggies for the day. Here are a few others that are brewing and have the Internet buzzing.
‘Star Wars’: The trailer for the latest movie pretty much shut down the Internet yesterday.
‘Was that you?’ I’m sure this prom-posal was a good idea at the time.
Play with me: Lexi the dog works the “sad face” to get someone to play with her.
No driver needed: A golf cart — with no driver — goes haywire at a Chicago university.
Thrill seeker: Wingsuit, Chilean flag, extinct volcano. That’s all you need to know to enjoy this one.