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Tiger Woods watches his tee shot at no. 1 during a practice round for The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.(Photo: Michael Madrid USA TODAY Sports)
1. All eyes on Tiger as 79th Masters kicks off in Augusta
Tiger Woods ends his nine-week hiatus from the PGA Tour today with the start of the 79th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. To get here, there was a lot of work to do for the four-time Masters champion, who hasn't won a major since 2008 and last won the Masters 10 years ago, when he holed that unforgettable chip on the 16th hole. Woods tees off with Jimmy Walker and Jamie Donaldson at 1:48 p.m. ET, the second-to-last group to go off. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Rory McIlroy will begin his journey toward a career Grand Slam and a third consecutive major alongside three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson and Ryan Moore at 10:41 a.m. And defending champion Bubba Watson is grouped with Justin Rose and amateur Gunn Yang at 9:24 a.m. Here's a full listing of first-round tee times.
2. Obama visits Jamaica ahead of summit of the Americas
President Obama became the first president to visit Jamaica since Ronald Reagan in 1982 when he arrived in Kingston Wednesday. While Obama is working to build goodwill with the Caribbean nation, the visit isn't just about visits to the Bob Marley Museum. Obama will be working to strengthen U.S. economic ties with Jamaica when meets with Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, Thursday. CNN reports that the administration may also announce that Cuba is being removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list as soon as Thursday before the president heads to Panama for two-day gathering of the 35 members of the Organization of American States.
President Obama visits the Bob Marley Museum with tour guide Natasha Clark, Wednesday in Kingston, Jamaica.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)
3. Texas to execute convict, as the national debate continues
Kent Sprouse, who was convicted in 2004 of shooting to death a police officer and an innocent bystander at a gas station two years earlier, will be executed on Thursday. Texas has just received additional supplies of pentobarbital, the drug of choice for executioners in the USA. The Supreme Court will hear an Oklahoma case that could reshape how the country approaches the death penalty after months of stays and controversy across the country.
Death row inmate Richard Glossip and two others are challenging Oklahoma's use of a controversial three-drug cocktail for lethal injections.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: AP)
4. A majority of people are just not into the stock market
At a time when the U.S. stock market is still flirting with record highs, more than half of Americans are standing on the sidelines. A survey released by Bankrate.com on Thursday finds that 52% of those polled said they weren't currently investing in the stock market. Why? Around 53% said they didn't have the spare cash to do so. The data also finds that Millennials, ages of 18 and 29, were more than twice as likely as other age groups to say they weren't in the market because they didn't know enough about it.
Among those not currently putting money into stocks, 53% said the reason was they simply didn't have the spare cash to do so.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Mark Lennihan, AP)
5. Arraignment scheduled for real estate heir Robert Durst
Millionaire real estate heir Robert Durst is due to be arraigned Thursday, a day after he was indicted on the two weapons charges that have kept him in New Orleans. Durst was arrested in the city on the eve of the finale of a six-part HBO documentary called "The Jinx" about his ties to two deaths and the disappearance of his first wife in 1982. A grand jury charged him with possession of a firearm by a felon and with possession of both a firearm and an illegal drug: 5 ounces of marijuana, said Assistant District Attorney Chris Bowman. Durst's lawyers say he wants to go to Los Angeles as soon as possible to face a murder charge there.
Robert Durst is escorted from Orleans Parish Criminal District Court to the Orleans Parish Prison after his arraignment in New Orleans in March 2015.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Gerald Herbert, AP)
Bonus: 150 year later, the Civil War is still remembered
The war that tore the country a part ended 150 years ago today, beginning the long process to repair the damage and bitter tensions.
And, the essentials:
Weather: It looks like severe storms are again possible across a large portion of the central U.S. on Thursday.
Stocks: U.S. stock futures were lower Thursday.
TV Tonight: Can't decide what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at Mom, American Crime and Louie.
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USA TODAY's Robert Bianco previews 'Mom' on CBS for Thursday, April 9. VPC
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