5 things you need to know Thursday
1. Baltimore Ravens take the field for first time since Ray Rice was ousted
The Ravens will play Thursday for the first time since Ray Rice was let go from the team, following the release of graphic footage of him assaulting his then-fiancée. Rice was already undergoing a two-game suspension for the assault – which he would have completed Thursday in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers – but that had been overturned after the video went public. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told Paste BN Sports the he hadn't seen the video after repeated requests for it, but the Associated Press reported Wednesday, however, that league officials were given the video back in April.
2. Oscar Pistorius found not guilty of murder
State prosecutors have failed to prove that Oscar Pistorius is guilty of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the South African judge handling the case said Thursday as part of an ongoing verdict being delivered in a courtroom in Pretoria.
3. The United States remembers 9/11 attacks, 13 years later
Thirteen years following one of the deadliest attacks on American soil, ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks will be reserved for survivors and victims' families in New York and at the Pentagon. Later Thursday, however, the public will be invited to tour the World Trade Center site, the first time it has been open on an anniversary. Just last May, One World Trade Center was built to commemorate the lives lost, and stands today as the current tallest structure in the United States.
4. Protests in Catalonia calling for freedom from Spanish rule
The Spanish region of Catalonia may briefly steal the referendum limelight from Scotland on Thursday, with demonstrations in Barcelona aimed at sparking momentum for those opposed to Spanish rule.The organizers of Catalan Way 2014, as Thursday's mass demonstrations have been dubbed, have said they are targeting more than 450,000 people for the event and hope to "fill the streets to fill the ballot boxes." About 55% of Catalans support independence from Spain, according to the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia.
5. Tornadoes, downpour continue to ravage much of the Midwest
A dangerous weather system featuring tornadoes, heavy rains, damaging winds and even some snow that has swept across parts of the central U.S. will continue throughout the Panhandle Thursday, after two days of terrible conditions. So far, the weather pattern has caused flooding, school cancellations and freezing temperatures as it rips through the central part of the country.
And, the essentials:
Weather: The weather of summer, fall and winter will all be represented in some form across the U.S. on Thursday.
Stocks: U.S. stock futures are struggling for direction.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at The Quest and Thursday Night Football.
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Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, John Bacon, Doyle Rice, Paste BN, The Associated Press