New video is released in the Sandra Bland case. Donald Trump spars with a U.S. senator. And leprosy cases increase in Florida.
It’s Wednesday, and here are five things to know for your New Day.
SANDRA BLAND
Volatile video: Dashcam video of Sandra Bland’s arrest was released yesterday. It shows a traffic stop over a minor violation quickly escalate into a shouting match between Bland and a Texas trooper. Bland is upset that the trooper asked her to put out a cigarette. The trooper threatens her with a stun gun after she refuses to follow his command to get out of her car. Things only gets more contentious from there, as the action moves out of the camera’s view as Bland is arrested. Authorities haven’t yet said if the video puts them any closer to figuring out why Bland was found dead in her jail cell a few days later.
CAMPAIGN 2016
Trump vs. Graham: “You’re a jackass.” “Well, you’re an idiot. And here, I just gave America your cell phone number.” And that has pretty much been the level of discourse in the GOP presidential race the past couple of days. Donald Trump gave out South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s number during a rally yesterday in the state. (We called the number. It went to voicemail and the mailbox was full.) Trump also called Graham an idiot during the rally, retaliation for Graham calling him a jackass on Monday, which was retaliation for Trump slamming Sen. John McCain. Graham later tweeted that he might be in the market for a new cell phone.
LEPROSY
Skin shocker: Leprosy is on the rise in Florida, and it’s because of armadillos. Wait, what? Wasn’t leprosy a disease from the Bible days that had long since been vanquished? And armadillos? What the heck? Well, people still contract leprosy. There are 50 to 100 cases per year in the United States. In a typical year Florida has two to 12 cases, but there have been nine so far this year. Experts think the spike is because folks are having increased contact with armadillos, some of which are naturally infected with the disease. And why the increased contact? Ever growing development in the Sunshine State is destroying armadillos’ natural habitat.
OBAMA KENYA VISIT
Family visit: Will President Obama visit his ancestral village when he takes a trip to Kenya this weekend? CNN’s Brooke Baldwin poses the question to Auma Obama — the President’s half-sister — in an interview that airs this morning on “New Day.” Baldwin also talks with Mama Sarah, the President’s 93-year-old grandmother, who says that Obama’s father always believed his son was destined for greatness. Obama has visited Kenya before, but this will be his first trip as President.
DOUBLE SHOOTING
A hate crime?: Two men are shot over the weekend in a drug and alcohol detox center in a small Wyoming town. One of them dies. The shooter, a parks and recreation employee, said he shot them because he was tired of “homeless” people causing problems in city parks. But the victims were Native American, causing some to think the shooting was racially motivated. Tribal leaders want a hate crime investigation. If that were to happen, it would have to be on the federal level because Wyoming doesn’t have a hate crime law.
