5 things you need to know Thursday
1. A first at the National Prayer Breakfast
President Obama and the Dalai Lama are both expected to attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, marking the first time a U.S. president and the Tibetan leader have appeared at the same public event. The breakfast, a tradition since 1953, brings together officials of all faiths and political ideologies. Obama and the Dalai Lama have met privately before, much to the annoyance of China's communist government, which considers the Tibetan leader a dissident.
2. FCC expected to propose new net neutrality rules
The FCC chair wants to regulate the Internet like a public utility and will propose net neutrality rules Thursday to fellow commissioners. The decades-old communications rules ensure that the Internet remains open to all legal content, giving the FCC control and enforcement to ensure all Internet traffic is treated equally. Those against, such as Internet service providers, dislike the 100 pages of text outlining do's and don'ts that they say could stifle innovation and prevent further investment.
3. Military Ebola mission in Liberia coming to an end
The military mission to fight Ebola in Liberia continues its end on Thursday, as the number of troops falls to 1,300. The number of U.S. troops deployed to the West African country, which reached nearly 3,000 in December, will decline through the end of March as soldiers head home, replaced with a force of about 100, according to a source familiar with the U.S. government efforts.
4. Pope Francis to host a Google Hangout
Want to hang out with the pope? Here is your chance. Google says Pope Francis will talk with kids across the globe, including the U.S. at 10 a.m. ET (4 p.m. Central European Time). The chat will be hosted from the Google+ page of educational group Scholas Occurrentes.
5. The world's oldest man is one year older
Sakari Momoi turns 112 Thursday. He was born on Feb. 5, 1903. The retired Japanese educator was recognized as the World's Oldest Man in August by Guinness World Records after Alexander Imich of New York died. Momoi said he enjoys reading books, especially Chinese poetry, and sometimes practices calligraphy. The world's oldest living person is also Japanese: Misao Okawa, a 116-year-old woman from Osaka.
And, the essentials:
Weather: Heavy rain will pelt the Northwest and northern California on Thursday, while a fresh blast of arctic air roars into the East.
Stocks: U.S. stock futures pointed to gains on Wall Street on Thursday.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at American Idol, Big Bang and How to Get Away With Murder.
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