The stories that will be making news later today:
At 10 am Eastern, rap star T.I. will head to an Atlanta courthouse to face sentencing for charges he attempted to buy illegal firearms in 2007. The rapper has previously worked out a plea deal that will significantly cut down his jail time.
At 9:25 am, President Obama unveils his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan. The plan calls for up to four thousand more troops on the ground and up to 1.5 billion dollars in humanitarian aid to Pakistan. That's nearly triple the amount the country receives now. The goal: Defeat Al-Qaeda and destroy the safe haven that has developed in Pakistan.
And preparations begin today for the Shuttle Discovery's return trip home. The shuttle is scheduled to make it back to Earth at 1:39 pm tomorrow. The astronauts successfully installed all six solar panel wings.