5 things you need to know Friday
Win or lose, Trump demands health care vote despite GOP division
President Trump called for a vote on the GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act — even if it doesn’t pass — on Friday amid an ongoing struggle with members of his party. Republican leaders were forced to postpone Thursday's planned vote after it became clear they could not get enough support from their own party to pass the legislation. The bill, as it stands, would replace swaths of the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — and overhaul requirements and essential health benefits. On Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office said that changes made to the bill this week would cost more and not expand coverage. Even if it passes, the bill is unlikely to be approved by Senate Republicans without major changes.
Who will emerge from the Sweet 16?
The NCAA tournament rolls Friday with four games on Day 2 of the Sweet 16 a day after a set of thrillers. In the South region, No. 1 seed North Carolina and Butler get things started at 7:09 p.m. ET, followed by Kentucky and UCLA at 9:39 p.m ET. In the East region, South Carolina tips off against with Baylor — which is trying to burnish the school's image in the wake of a sexual assault scandal — while Wisconsin and Florida cap off the action. Confused? Here's Friday's complete schedule, TV info and more.
Severe storms, possible tornadoes likely to hit southern U.S.
Another outbreak of severe weather is forecast to batter portions of the southern U.S., ranging all the way from Kansas to Alabama. The risk of violent storms Friday will extend from central Kansas and western Missouri to northeastern Texas and western Louisiana. On Saturday, the worst of the severe weather should be in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. "There will likely be at least a few tornadoes in the strongest storms," said AccuWeather meteorologist Henry Margusity. Farther to the west, 6 to 12 inches of snow is expected to fall in the higher elevations of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming over the next two days.
You can now order the new, lower-cost iPad
Apple devotees can place orders Friday for the new - and cheaper - iPad, which Apple unveiled earlier in the week in a bid to boost soft tablet sales. The new iPad, which features a 9.7-inch screen, A9 processing chip and up to 10 hours of battery life, is a slight step down in features from the current iPad Pro, but it starts at just $329 to the Pro's $599. Apple remains the world's top tablet seller, but sales dipped last quarter to 13.1 million, compared to 16.1 million from the same time last year. Not into iPads? Try one of these alternatives.
U.S. men's soccer team needs a win in the worst way
The U.S. men's national team hopes Friday’s clash with Honduras will reverse the team's fortunes and ease fears the team could fail to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1986. The team's struggles under former coach Jurgen Klinsmann sent them to the bottom of the six-team CONCACAF qualifying group and cost the German his job. With eight games still left to play in World Cup qualifying, there's time for new coach Bruce Arena to turn things around. But an injury bug, which has knocked several key players out of the lineup, is not making things easier for Arena and Team USA.
Bonus: If March Madness isn’t for you, or if you just need a break, how about catching a film instead? Life, which stars Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal as astronauts that discover life on Mars, headlines the latest slate of films in theaters Friday. Also hitting the silver screen this weekend are two popular TV shows: Power Rangers — a reboot of the 1990s TV series — and raunchy action-comedy, CHIPS.
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