10 things you need to know today: March 27, 2012

The parents of Trayvon Martin, the Florida teenager shot by a neighborhood watchman in Florida, protest with thousands of people in New York City.

(Image credit: CC BY: david_shankbone)

last updated 8 January 2015

1. MARTIN PARENTS HEAD TO CAPITOL HILL

The parents of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin are expected to attend a Judiciary Committee hearing on hate crimes and racial profiling on Tuesday. A protest at the White House demanding that federal authorities file charges in the case is planned ahead of the hearing. On Monday, details emerged about the account of the incident that neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, who says he shot Martin in self-defense, gave police. Zimmerman told officers that Martin hit him and slammed his head against the sidewalk. [NPR]

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On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments questioning whether it is constitutional for Congress to require Americans to get health insurance or pay a penalty as part of President Obama's health care law. The constitutionality of the individual mandate is the main question in the high court's three-day review of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Two hours of arguments on the issue, twice the normal amount, are scheduled. [Washington Post]

According to a new a poll, American support for the war in Afghanistan has fallen sharply following a series of violent incidents in the country. The poll found that 69 percent of those surveyed believed the U.S. should not be be engaged in the decade-old war, up from 53 percent just four months ago. Both Republicans and Democrats were shown to be feeling increasingly pessimistic about the war. [New York Times]

House Democrats have released their alternative to the budget proposal unveiled last week by Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). The Dems' plan, authored by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), aims to reduce the deficit without making big cuts to entitlement programs by raising taxes on the wealthy. However, it appears it would not lead to a balanced budget anytime soon. Under Ryan's plan, the budget would be balanced by 2040. [Washington Post]

Al Jazeera's Paris bureau says it has received edited video footage of the shootings in southwest France allegedly carried out by Mohammed Merah. The video is said to contain images of the seven people murdered set to religious music and readings from the Koran. At the request of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the victims' families, the television network has said it will not broadcast the footage. [Associated Press]

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