Obama moves to normalize relations with Cuba. The Sony hacker trail points to North Korea. And The Simpsons celebrates a quarter century.

It's Thursday and here are the 5 things to know for your New Day

1. CUBA

Didn't see that coming: U.S. contractor Alan Gross was freed by Cuba yesterday as part of a landmark deal that paves the way for a major overhaul in U.S. policy toward the island. A major loosening of travel and economic restrictions on the country are in the works. And the two nations are set to re-open embassies, with preliminary discussions on that next step in normalizing diplomatic relations beginning in the coming weeks. Gross had been held by the Cuban government since 2009. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to set up an Internet network for Cuban dissidents.

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