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Flowers, candles and photographs decorate a monument dedicated to the victims of Germanwings flight 4U9525 on March 26 in front of the mountain where the plane crashed in Le Vernet, France. A Germanwings flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf crashed in the French Alps on March 24 killing all 150 people on board.(Photo: Patrick Aventurier, Getty Images)
1. Germany holds national memorial service for victims of Alps crash
A national memorial service will be held in Germany's Cologne Cathedral to honor the 150 victims killed in the March 24 Germanwings crash. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend the service, along with senior officials from France and Spain. Flight 9525 crashed into the French Alps less than an hour after departing Barcelona. French investigators say they believe co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane after locking the captain out of the cockpit. Thomas Winkelmann, CEO of Germanwings, called the crash "one of the biggest national tragedies we have ever faced."
2. NFL reinstates Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson is back in the NFL as of Friday, but how long he remains with the only pro team he's ever known remains to be seen. The league suspended the Minnesota tailback without pay in November after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for hitting is his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch. Peterson's agent, Ben Dogra, said last month that his client would prefer a fresh start outside of Minnesota, but he won't be moving just yet. The NFL said in a statement that Peterson "is expected to fulfill his remaining obligations to the authorities in Minnesota and Texas, as well as the additional commitments Peterson made during his April 7 meeting with the commissioner regarding maintaining an ongoing program of counseling and treatment as recommended by medical advisers."
3. Ford to invest $2.5B in powertrain plants in Mexico
Production of Ford's EcoBoost gas engine is coming to America. Not so much the United States, but North America nonetheless. An announcement Friday that Ford will invest $2.5 billion in Mexico automotive plants should confirm the company's plans to build the engine in North America for the first time. Mexico has been a magnet for automotive investment as the auto industry continues to grow and increase capacity to meet the highest demand since before the recession.
Ford now will produce in Mexico the new 1.5-liter turbo engine that is replacing an older engine in models such as this 2015 Fusion.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Ford)
4. Appeals court to hear arguments on Obama's immigration executive action
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday will hear arguments on whether to lift a Texas judge's injunction on President Obama's executive action that sought to shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville refused to lift the preliminary injunction he granted on Feb. 16 at the request of 26 states that oppose Obama's action. Hanen's latest ruling again temporarily barred the Obama administration from implementing policies that would allow as many as 5 million undocumented people in the U.S. to remain. Justice Department attorneys have argued that keeping the temporary hold harms "the interests of the public and of third parties who will be deprived of significant law enforcement and humanitarian benefits of prompt implementation" of the president's immigration action.
Over 100 protesters stood outside the federal courthouse in Brownsville, Texas, on March 19, 2015, holding handmade signs and chanting in megaphones. The Justice Department might face sanctions if U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen determines its attorneys misled him about whether part of President Obama's executive action on immigration was implemented before being put on hold by the judge.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Yvette Vela, AP)
5. Coachella Festival begins Round 2
It's the second and final weekend for the famed music festival's 2015 run. Here's what you missed the first weekend: Madonna kissed Drake. Then Drake thanked her. Justin Bieber was kicked out. Florence Welch broke her foot. Jack White played, then announced a hiatus from live shows. We anticipate more of excitement for weekend two! Here's who's playing.
And, the essentials:
Weather: A few showers will dampen the East Coast on Friday while severe storms hit the Plains and more snow whitens the Rockies.
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The national weather forecast for Friday, April 17, 2015 calls for more snow in the Rockies, more strong storms in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, and heavy rain from east Texas to west Florida. VPC
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