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Malcolm X case revisited, Kyle Rittenhouse trial, lunar eclipse: 5 things to know Thursday

Editors
USA TODAY

Two men expected to be cleared in assassination of Malcolm X

Two of the three men convicted in the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X are set to be cleared Thursday after more than half a century. Muhammad Aziz and the late Khalil Islam are set to have their convictions vacated, according to a tweet by District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office. A third man convicted in the killing has said he was one of the gunmen but neither Aziz nor Islam was involved. Vance, along with representatives of the Innocence Project and Shanies Law Office, were to appear at New York State Supreme Court Thursday to ask a judge to vacate the convictions. The expected exonerations come after a 22-month investigation found that prosecutors, the FBI and the New York Police Department withheld key evidence in the case, the New York Times reported.

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Biden meets with Canada's Trudeau, Mexico's López Obrador

President Joe Biden will host Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the White House Thursday for the North American Leaders' Summit. It will be first summit of the three countries' leaders following four years of former President Donald Trump's fractious relationship with Mexico and Canada. While Biden's election was heralded as a return to regional cooperation, his administration has continued several protectionist polices that have rankled America's neighbors, including the "Buy American" initiative outlined in Biden's recently passed $1 trillion infrastructure law and the continuation of a Trump-era immigration policy that allows border agents to expel asylum-seekers to Mexico. On Thursday's agenda: immigration, trade, travel during the pandemic and climate change.

Rittenhouse jury keeps deliberating as judge considers mistrial

The jury in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial will deliberate for a third day Thursday as the judge overseeing the case weighs whether to declare a mistrial. Rittenhouse's defense attorneys asked for a mistrial Wednesday after prosecutors conceded they'd sent a lower-quality copy of a potentially crucial video to the defense. Defense attorney Corey Chirafisi said they'd been given grainy drone footage showing Rittenhouse opening fire the night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020 while prosecutors had a high-quality version that was played during the trial. Chirafisi said they may have altered their defense based on the video and said it came down to fairness in a court of law, noting Rittenhouse could spend life in prison if convicted on the most serious charges. Judge Bruce Schroeder, who has been criticized throughout this case, did not rule on the new mistrial motion nor has he weighed in on a call for one last week. He said the mistrial request will have to be addressed if there is a guilty verdict.

Oklahoma governor decides on whether to grant Julius Jones clemency

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will decide on whether to grant Julius Jones clemency ahead of Jones' planned execution Thursday. The 41-year-old has been incarcerated for nearly 20 years, after being convicted for the fatal shooting of Paul Howell during a 1999 carjacking. He was sentenced to death at the age of 22 but has maintained his innocence throughout. Jones' mother gave a heartfelt monologue proclaiming her son's innocence outside the doors of Stitt's office Wednesday. On Nov. 1, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole board voted to recommend Stitt grant Jones clemency and reduce his sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Stitt – who is Jones' last hope for clemency – can either accept the recommendation, reduce the sentence to life without the possibility of parole or let the execution proceed.

Longest partial lunar eclipse in nearly 600 years is coming

The longest partial lunar eclipse of this century and the longest in 580 years will grace the night sky late Thursday and early Friday morning across the entire country, weather permitting. According to NASA, the eclipse will be three hours and 28 minutes. A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. So how can you watch? For U.S. East Coast observers, the partial eclipse begins a little after 2 a.m. Friday, reaching its maximum at 4 in the morning. For observers on the West Coast, that translates to beginning just after 11 p.m. Thursday, with a maximum at 1 a.m. Friday. You don't need any special glasses to see the partial lunar eclipse. Just wake up, or stay up, and get out there! 

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