10 things to know for Thursday

PHOTOGRAPHER: The Associated Press

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Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday:

1. SURVEILLANCE DEFENDED

The NSA’s director tells Congress that information collected through the agency’s programs disrupted dozens of terrorist attacks.

2. RAID HIGHLIGHTS SECTARIAN HATRED IN SYRIA

The killing of 60 Shiite fighters by Sunni rebels comes at a time that the West is worried about extremists’ role in the war.

3. WHY TURKEY’S LEADER IS PROPOSING A REFERENDUM

Erdogan is hoping to end almost two weeks of protests, but demonstrators continue to gather in Istanbul.

4. EXTRAORDINARY SURGERY FOR 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL

Amid a debate over how organs are allocated, an adult donor is found for a Pennsylvania child’s double-lung transplant.

5. WHAT’S CAUSING ALARM IN CUBA

Rising sea levels could seriously damage 122 Cuban towns or even wipe them off the map, scientists say.

6. ACCUSED CAPTOR PLEADS NOT GUILTY

Ariel Castro, accused of holding three women captive in Cleveland for years, pleads not guilty to rape and kidnapping. The defense hints his plea could change if the death penalty is ruled out.

7. HOW AMERICAN FAMILIES ARE CHANGING

Young fathers are doing more around the house, from packing school lunches to doing laundry, research shows.

8. DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION

A study finds that new technology that lets drivers use voice commands to text is more distracting than talking on the phone — but is being marketed as a safer alternative.

9. A MAJOR PLAYER ABANDONS 3-D

ESPN says there are too few viewers to justify continuing its 3-D TV broadcasts.

10. LAUGHTER’S NOW A SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE

“This is the End” is the funniest of several contemporary flicks that poke fun at disaster movies, says AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle.