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5 things you need to know this weekend

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USA TODAY

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to remove an imageof hooded participants in a Ku Klux Klan rally in South Carolina. Due to a technical problem when sharing on Twitter, the photo inadvertently paired with wording that didn’t match USA TODAY’s intended message for readers. A full explanation has been published here.

KKK to rally at S.C. statehouse

The Loyal White Knights will protest the removal of the confederate flag from South Carolina's statehouse grounds Saturday. "Our government is trying to erase white culture and our heritage right out of the pages of history books," an automated message on the group's answering machine said. Protesters can reserve the statehouse grounds online at a first-come, first-serve basis. The KKK-associated group will meet from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

GOP, Democratic candidates descend on Iowa this weekend

Fifteen Republican and Democratic presidential contenders take over Iowa with at least 34 separate events this weekend. On Saturday, the Republicans will audition 10 presidential candidates during the GOP Family Leadership Summit in Ames, run by the Christian conservative activist group. Host Frank Luntz will ask questions of each individual candidate for 20-25 minutes. Democratic players met Friday at the Hall of Fame Celebration, and will attend events through Sunday. The buzz phrase of the Democratic weekend will be "income inequality," while spirituality will be at the heart of the GOP conference.

2016 Iowa Caucuses

Jupiter, Venus and the moon cluster in Saturday's night sky

Skywatchers can catch a glimpse of Jupiter, Venus and the moon after sunset Saturday. The two planets and moon will appear in the west, with Venus nestling right next to the thin-crescent moon. But unlike how close they appeared in early July -- when at one point they appeared to be touching -- Jupiter will float about six degrees right of Venus.

Keyna mall reopens after 2013 terrorist attack

The upscale Kenyan mall where 67 people were killed in a 2013 terrorist attack will reopen Saturday after extensive rebuilding. Four gunman carried out the attack that left the mall in shambles. Al-Shabab, a Somali Islamic extremist group, claimed responsibility for the four-day siege.

POTUS and his girls head to NYC

Sasha and Malia Obama are getting a rare father-daughter weekend in New York City. President Obama, who rarely stays the night in New York, will attend a fundraiser on Friday and stay through most of Saturday with his teenage daughters. Malia, 17, was spotted earlier this summer in Brooklyn on the set of HBO's Girls, where she reportedly was interning. (Sasha is 14.) White House spokesman Josh Earnest wouldn't say what activities were on their schedule. The president is due back in Washington on Saturday night.

And, the weekend essentials:

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