5 things you need to know this weekend
1. U.S. and Cuba work to restore diplomatic ties
President Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro will meet Saturday in a much-anticipated and historic step toward a diplomatic thaw between the two countries after more than 50 years, the White House announced. Both are in Panama for the Summit of the Americas meetings. "We don't have a formal meeting scheduled at a certain time, but we anticipate they will have a discussion," Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said.
2. Game of Thrones, Veep and Silicon Valley return
Just in time for the Game of Thrones' season five premiere Sunday, Sling TV is adding HBO to its programming lineup, broadening the popular cable network's presence on Internet streaming channels. Smart move. Thrones is the highest-rated series in HBO history. In the dramatic thriller, the geography is expanding even as its characters start to move closer together. Catch up on all the story lines here. Silicon Valley returns for 10 episodes, immersing viewers in the smarmy, competitive world of the modern tech industry. Emmy-award winning Veep is back for season four as Selina Meyer will be heading to the highest office in the land as the newly inaugurated president of the United States.
3. Hillary Clinton's worst-kept secret should be confirmed Sunday
Keep an eye on social media Sunday as the Clinton camp should confirm publicly that Hillary Clinton is running for president in 2016. She'll be the first Democrat to officially enter the race. After the announcement, Clinton is likely to travel to Iowa, host of the first presidential caucuses. The former secretary of State, senator and first lady has indicated in recent speeches that she will focus her campaign on issues such as income inequality and equity for women in the workplace. Following a two-term Democratic president will be a challenge. As Bill Clinton said in a Town & Country interview, "It's hard for any party to hang on to the White House for 12 years, and it's a long road."
4. Jordan Spieth is the one to watch at the Masters
We're getting closer to the green jacket. The man to watch is Jordan Spieth, the impressive 21-year-old who is halfway to a historic first major title after he set the record for lowest score through 36 holes at the Masters on Friday. At 14-under 130, Spieth broke Raymond Floyd's previous mark of 131. Spieth needs to shoot only a four-under 140 this weekend to break Tiger Woods' seemingly unbreakable -18 mark set in 1997. Speaking of Woods, he's looking much better after his two-month layoff from the tour to improve his game. The four-time winner at Augusta is 2under. The action continues Saturday and Sunday.
5. Funeral held for S.C. man shot by officer
Walter Scott, the apparently unarmed South Carolina black man shot in the back by a white police officer, will be memorialized Saturday. To clear up rumors: Al Sharpton won't attend the funeral because his National Action Network is holding its annual convention in New York that day. He was not told to stay away by the Scott family, he said. Sharpton was invited to preach at a North Charleston church Sunday.
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