5 things you need to know Thursday
O.J. Simpson could see the outside again very soon
"The Juice" could soon be out of prison. Former football legend O.J. Simpson will go before a Nevada parole board Thursday to argue the case for his freedom. In 2013, Simpson received parole for some of the lesser charges on his 2008 conviction in connection with an armed robbery. Early in his imprisonment, he nearly lost his chance for parole when he was caught blatantly eating a contraband cookie in front of prison personnel. Regardless, O.J. – who turned 70 this month – is expected to be granted parole for the remainder of his charges. The hearing will be broadcast live on Fox News, with commentary by Mark Fuhrman, the former detective and witness in Simpson's 1995 murder trial. Watch the hearing on livestream at usatoday.com at 1 p.m. ET.
6 months in, Trump still finding his way
President Trump has got big problems as he hits the 6-month mark in his presidency Thursday, and time isn't on his side. The collapse of health care reform in the Senate leaves Trump still looking for a major legislative victory on one of his core promises. Meanwhile, a steady stream of disclosures about contacts between Trump's team and Russians who may have been involved in election meddling continues to undermine Trump's support, which has hit record lows in some polls. With hurdles such as tax reform and the debt ceiling still ahead, time is slipping away in the crucial first-year "honeymoon" period when modern presidents have tended to get the most done.
One small bag for mankind up for auction on moon landing anniversary
48 years ago Thursday, the Eagle landed, marking one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. The 1969 Apollo 11 mission, which marked the first time man set foot on the moon’s surface, was a mind-blowing achievement for space travel and heralded a new era of exploration. To mark the anniversary, Sotheby’s auction house will be offering up one of the only privately owned artifacts from the mission: a lunar sample collection bag used by Neil Armstrong. The bag, which still contains moon dust, is expected to fetch from $2 million to $4 million. Though Apollo 11 happened nearly a five decades ago, it still is making news: A professor is proposing that the landing site be named a national historic landmark.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
Golfers tee it up across the pond
A field of 156 golfers will tee it up on Thursday as Southport, England's Royal Birkdale plays host to the 146th British Open. Royal Birkdale's true links style layout is the fairest links course in the British Open rotation. Although golf is experiencing a youth movement — 18 players in their 20s have won 22 of the 36 events on the PGA Tour and six of the top-10 players in the world have yet to turn 30 — experience will be a major factor at this year's event. Phil Mickelson, who won the Open at Muirfield in 2013, will play without a driver. Zach Johnson, who won at St. Andrews in 2015, boasts five British Open finishes of T-16 or better. Johnson’s comfort with links golf gives him confidence. Young gun Jordan Spieth, who will be playing in his fifth British Open, brings "a little fire" to his Royal Birkdale debut.
5 burning questions we hope San Diego Comic-Con will answer
Geek nirvana is upon us again. Nerd-friendly blockbusters-to-be such as Justice League and Blade Runner 2049, and hugely popular TV series The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and Westworld will be among the many featured at Comic-Con, which runs Thursday through Sunday and will bring more than 125,000 fans to San Diego. Here are the five questions we most want to see answered.
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