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5 Things to Know

5 things you need to know Thursday

Editors
USA TODAY
President Trump during Attorney General Jeff Sessions' swearing-in ceremony at the White House in Washington on Feb. 9 and Chinese President Xi Jinping after signing a bilateral treaty with Czech President Milos Zeman at Prague Castle in the Czech Republic  on March 26, 2016.

Trump to host China's Xi in superpower summit

There may be smiles and warm greetings when President Trump hosts China's Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago Club for a two-day summit Thursday, but the issues facing the two countries are "very difficult," Trump warned in a tweet last week. During the presidential campaign, Trump savaged China for “raping” the U.S. economy and killing American jobs with unfair trade practices. In addition to trade, Trump is expected to pressure Xi to take a more forceful approach to North Korea. Analysts say Xi will seek avoid a trade war and also try to secure guarantees that the United States will respect China’s rise as one of the world's most powerful nations.

Senate poised to 'go nuclear' to clear the way for Gorsuch's confirmation

More than a year after Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died, the Senate is expected to take up a key procedural motion Thursday that creates a path for the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to a seat on the Supreme Court.  Republicans, who hold a 52-seat majority, face a likely filibuster by Senate Democrats. If the Democrats filibuster, it normally takes 60 votes to stop them, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is expected to invoke what has become known as the "nuclear option," which would change Senate rules and advance Gorsuch's nomination with just a simple majority. Once Republicans approve the rules change, one that is expected to forever change the way justices are confirmed, a final vote on Gorsuch's confirmation would take place Friday.

'A tradition unlike any other' gets underway

The 2017 Masters  is scheduled to begin Thursday morning at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Danny Willett is the tournament's defending champion, winning in 2016 due in large part to Jordan Spieth's meltdown in the final round. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, who was the favorite this year after having won his last three events, suffered a serious fall on a staircase and remains uncertain whether he'll be able to play. This year's tournament also signals the 20th anniversary of Tiger Woods' historic 1997 triumph, but the course is almost unrecognizable since then. The weather could wreak havoc on the action on Thursday and Friday with high winds and cool temperatures.

Astronaut John Glenn to be buried at Arlington Cemetery

John Glenn, the Marine fighter pilot who became the first American to orbit the Earth and later was a U.S. senator, will be buried Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery. Thousands attended a celebration of Glenn's life at Ohio State University after his death in December at age 95. On Thursday, a private service will be held at the Old Post Chapel beginning at 9 a.m. The Marine Corps will begin a live stream at 9:40 a.m. that will include a processional, flyover, graveside service and taps. The April 6 burial date coincides with Glenn's 74th wedding anniversary to his wife, Annie Glenn.

Ceremonies mark centennial of U.S. involvement in World War I

On April 6, 1917, the U.S. joined its European allies in World War I by declaring war on Germany, and the centennial will be marked on Thursday with ceremonies at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Mo., and on the lawn of the White House. As for WWI’s legacy, it led to the downfall of four major dynastic empires, paved the way for the rise of communism and fascism, and gave birth to nations such as Poland. It also set the stage for the even greater world war two decades later. WWI resulted in the deaths of 10 million soldiers worldwide and killed or wounded 256,000 American men. Some historians believe it led to modern hospitals and medical care. Here’s why the “war to end all wars” ... didn’t.

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