5 things to know on Friday
1. NFL takes footballs for Super Bowl
Amid a continuing investigation probing whether the New England Patriots used illegally deflated balls during the AFC Championship Game, the NFL held its first pre-Super Bowl officiating press conference Thursday. Ball inflation was a prime topic. During Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, the NFL will have to keep track of nearly five times more footballs than for a typical game — and that will include whether they are properly inflated. The league said there will be "added security," too.
2. Obama to push 'Precision Medicine Initiative'
President Obama on Friday will provide details of a project that is designed "to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes, and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier." The event at the White House will feature "patients, researchers, clinicians and leaders in government and industry to announce details of his new "Precision Medicine Initiative," first mentioned in his State of the Union address.
3. Trial begins in Etan Patz case
Thirty-five years later, Pedro Hernandez is going on trial in a case that defined the nation's approach to missing children. Opening statements are set for Friday in Hernandez's murder and kidnapping trial for a 6-year-old boy named Etan Patz. Hernandez emerged as a suspect in 2012, based on a tip and a videotaped confession that prosecutors say was foreshadowed by remarks he made to friends and relatives in the 1980s.
4. What to watch at Aussie Open on Saturday: No. 1 vs No. 2
This year's women's final at Rod Laver Arena will feature a No. 1 (Serena Williams) against a No. 2 (Maria Sharapova) for the first time at Melbourne Park since 2004, when top-seeded Justin Henin defeated No. 2 Kim Clijsters in an all-Belgium final. In the men's game, Andy Murray will play the winner of Friday's semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka.
5. Wife of Japan hostage held by Islamic State speaks out for first time
The fate of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto and Jordanian military pilot Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh remained unclear on Friday, a day after an Islamic State deadline for a possible prisoner swap passed without apparent incident or further word from the group. Goto's wife, Rinko Jogo, released an emotional plea and statement about her husband late Thursday.
And, the essentials:
Weather: Stormy Southwest, snowy New England.
Stocks: Wall Street stock futures saw modest declines.
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Contributing: David Jackson, Gary Mihoces; Associated Press