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Andreas Lubitz

5 things you need to know Friday

Editors
USA TODAY
In this photo provided by NASA, Expedition 43 NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly waits to climb the scaffolding to access the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft for his final check with fellow crew members Russian Cosmonauts Gennady Padalka, and Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), on Monday, March 23, 2015, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. On Saturday, March 28, 2015, Kelly and cosmonaut Kornienko will travel to the International Space Station to begin a year-long mission living in orbit.

1. Astronaut set to make history for longest stay in space

Astronaut Scott Kelly is leaving for a year in space Friday, and if he toughs out the whole year in orbit, he'll smash the U.S. endurance record for the longest continuous time in space. As NASA sets its sights on Mars, the one-year mission will provide data on how humans react to a long period in space. Even better for the scientists, Kelly's identical twin Mark, a retired astronaut and the husband of former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, will undergo the same tests on Earth that his brother is subjected to in space.

2. Eyes on jury in Silicon Valley lawsuit

The jury in a Silicon Valley sex-discrimination lawsuit that could result in payments of as much as $160 million will continue its deliberations on Friday. Jurors in Ellen Pao's gender bias and retaliation suit against the venture capital firm of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers retired to a windowless, secure room earlier this week to discuss the complex case. Pao, who contends that she worked at a boys' club where women were ignored, is suing her former employer for $16 million in lost wages and as much as $144 million in damages. If the jury finds for Pao, the case will become a landmark that could have major repercussions in the tech and venture capital industries.

Ellen Pao, a former venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, arrives at the San Francisco Civic Center Courthouse  on March 3, 2015.

3. Senate votes on quality vs. quantity with 'doc fix' Medicare bill

A bipartisan bill that would prevent a 21% cut in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients will go to the Senate Friday. The House passed the bill 392-37 in favor. Passage in the Senate is less certain. The bill would repeal current Medicare payment formula for doctors and make it so they receive bonuses or penalties depending on the value of care they provide, rather than the volume of patients they see.

Separately, the U.S. Senate voted 52-46 along party lines early Friday morning to advance the first Republican budget in nearly a decade.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, negotiated a bipartisan agreement with and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

4. Amanda Knox's trial resumes in Italy

Italy's high court on Friday will continue to hear the case of Amanda Knox, the American woman who was convicted of murdering her English roommate in 2007. It's been a lengthy process for Knox and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, an Italian. They were first convicted in 2009 and were later acquitted in 2011. In 2013, the high court, known as the Court of Cassation, threw out the acquittal. Knox and Sollecito were re-convicted last year; they appealed, bringing the case to its present status before the high court. Knox's defense lawyers argued their case on Wednesday, and Sollecito's lawyers will make their defense Friday. Knox has maintained her innocence over the years.

On Oct. 4, 2011, Amanda Knox, left, is comforted by her sister, Deanna Knox, during a news conference shortly after her arrival at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

5. Latest news on Germanwings flight 4U9525

German police investigating the apparent role of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz in the crash of Germanwings flight 4U9525 in the French Alps said they made a "significant discovery" while searching his home near Dusseldorf, reports said.

This is an undated image taken from Facebook of  Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz in San Francisco.

And, the essentials:

Weather: It might be spring, but rain, snow and frigid air are expected to hit parts of the country on Friday.

Stocks: Wall Street stock futures traded near the flat line on Friday.

TV Tonight: Can't decide what to watch? TV critic Robert Bianco looks atThe Walking Dead's season finale.

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