5 things you need to know Thursday
The second-longest bull market in U.S. history turns eight
Got stock? Then happy birthday, indeed. Wall Street's current bull market was born on March 9, 2009, after the worst stock plunge since the Great Depression. It overcame obstacles ranging from debt crises in Europe to natural disasters like hurricanes. It survived fits of global instability, a U.S. government shutdown, a downgrade of the nation’s triple-A credit rating and countless political scares. Now we're here. At the S&P 500’s recent closing high on March 1, the bull was up 254%. For how much longer? No one knows. But worth noting that the longest bull in history, which spanned most of the 1990s before topping out in March 2000, lasted about 9 1/2 years.
More: A statue of little girl is defiantly staring down the Wall Street bull
Sign on the dotted line: NFL free agency kicks off
The NFL's offseason gets into full swing Thursday with the start of free agency. Though signings can't become official until 4 p.m. ET, the annual game of musical chairs has already begun with several notable players being released or agreeing to contracts with new teams. The Dallas Cowboys are expected to release Tony Romo, making the quarterback one of the biggest names on the open market. Four-time all-pro running back Adrian Peterson also could be looking for a new team after the Minnesota Vikings declined to exercise his option. Teams looking to spend might be best off looking at a class heavy on defensive talent.
'Trial of the century' kicks off in South Korea
The de facto leader of Samsung Electronics denied bribery and embezzlement charges Thursday, part of a larger web of scandal that forced the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye in December. Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is accused of paying more than $37 million to a close associate of Park’s in exchange for government backing of a merger between two Samsung subsidiaries. Lee's trial has touched a raw nerve in South Korea about the role of Samsung and other massive conglomerates, which are widely seen as corrupt and above the law, resembling feudal dynasties more than modern international businesses.
Trial of accused Pa. shooter gets underway
The trial of Eric Frein, who prosecutors say ambushed a Pennsylvania police corporal in September 2014, opens Thursday. The jury will consider capital murder charges against Frein, 33, after he allegedly led police on a manhunt before U.S. marshals found him 30 miles from where Byron Dickson II was shot twice. Dickson, 38, was leaving the Blooming Grove barracks at night when a gunman in the woods across the street shot him. Frein spoke of starting a revolution in a letter to his parents, prosecutors said. He has pleaded not guilty.
Muhammad Ali’s son heads to D.C. to talk about Trump's immigration ban
Muhammad Ali Jr. and his mother, Khalilah Camacho Ali, are headed to Washington Thursday to talk to lawmakers about President Trump's controversial travel order after Ali Jr. was detained by immigration officials at a Florida airport last month. The Alis, who were invited by Democrats to a forum organized by members of the House subcommittee on border security, were left convinced that they were specifically targeted by immigration officials because they are Muslim and have Arabic names. A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection has said Ali Jr. was held for questioning, but not due to his religion.
Contributing: Associated Press
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