WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Most Americans support the right to use deadly force to protect themselves – even in public places – and have a favorable view of the National Rifle Association, the main gun-lobby group, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. The online survey showed that 68 percent, or two out of three respondents, had a favorable opinion of the NRA, which starts its annual convention in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday. …
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in six House of Representatives committees next week will dust off their past proposals for reducing the deficit as they try to replace some of the automatic spending cuts set to take place in January. Under a directive in the House-passed budget plan from Congressman Paul Ryan, the panels have just two weeks to come up with .45 billion in savings for fiscal 2013 and a net 1 billion over 10 years. Expected targets for cuts include food stamps, farm subsidies and crop insurance, federal employee pensions and health care. …
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing for jobless aid hit a two-month high last week and more applications were received in the prior week than initially reported, suggesting a cooling in the labor market recovery. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 13,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 380,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday, defying economists’ expectations for a drop to 355,000. The prior week’s count was revised to show 10,000 more applications than previously reported. …

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JACKSONVILLE/SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) – A special prosecutor in Florida charged neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman with second-degree murder on Wednesday in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, a move protesters had demanded for weeks in a racially charged case that has riveted the United States. Zimmerman, who had been in hiding, was under arrest at Florida’s Seminole County jail after turning himself in, officials said. His new defense lawyer said he would plead not guilty and that a hearing to establish bail could come as soon as Thursday. …

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(Reuters) – George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in February, is in police custody, NBC News and CNN reported on Wednesday. Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey, who is investigating the case, has a press conference on the Trayvon Martin shooting scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT. (Reporting By Dan Burns; Editing by Eric Beech)

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