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Georgia town wants guns in every household – Shannon Travis reports
A small Georgia town may soon require every household to own a firearm - a law that, if passed, would make it the second town in the state to mandate gun ownership.
City council members in Nelson, a town of 1,300 people north of Atlanta, unanimously approved the proposal at a meeting this week. Citizens now have a chance to review the proposal before the council takes it up again in April.
The law would give every family the right to protect themselves and their property "without worrying about prosecution for protecting themselves," Cronic told the meeting. He said the proposal was modeled on a similar law in nearby Kennesaw, Georgia, that has been on the books since 1982.
This morning on "Early Start," CNN's Shannon Travis reports on this controversial proposed law.
READ MORE: Georgia town mulls mandatory gun ownership
One week after forced spending cuts: What happened...and what didn't – John Berman reports
The United States is officially one week into the forced spending cuts today. These cuts are a result of the budget battle-ax that many predicted would lead to radical change, eventually. John Berman weighs what happened, and what didn't.
Seven days into the sequester, we have seen "no massive government budget implosion," Berman says. Although the apocalyptic message leaders seemed to send hasn't yet come to pass, changes could become apparent as soon as April. "With no congressional White House cooperation, cuts are coming. Big ones. And soon," Berman says.
MYB: February jobs report forecast and Facebook's facelift
Christine Romans is minding your business with the latest in U.S. stocks and world markets. With stocks consistently making gains, economists are watching to see if the momentum will continue. So far, it's still strong. Data out of Japan shows the country could be coming out of a recession, Romans says.
But all eyes are on the monthly jobs report coming out later this morning. "Economists surveyed by CNNMoney are predicting predicting 170,000 jobs added to the payrolls in February," Romans reports. "The unemployment rate expected to tick down to 7.8%." Romans says she'll be reading into how both the snowstorm in the Northeast in February and the sequester's might have affected this.
Attention is also on Facebook's upcoming facelift. The company is rolling out new features and an update on Facebook's newsfeed that is supposed to reduce clutter, Romans says. "We're told there's a backlog for the upgrade," she reports.
Osama bin Laden's son-in-law expected in federal court today after capture – Susan Candiotti reports
Osama bin Laden's son-in-law is scheduled to be in a New York City courtroom Friday morning to face charges of trying to kill Americans.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who served as an al Qaeda spokesman, was captured and taken to the United States, federal officials announced Thursday.
Abu Ghaith was captured within the past week in Jordan, according to a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Peter King of New York. He was charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, the Department of Justice announced.
This morning on "Early Start," CNN's Susan Candiotti previews today's arraignment in federal court in New York.
READ MORE: Bin Laden's son-in-law to be in New York courtroom
President Obama dines with GOP senators – Dan Lothian reports
In a rare social outing, the president dined with 12 GOP senators, including some of his harshest critics, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
Asked by a reporter how the dinner went, McCain said "just fine" and gave a thumbs-up.
Another GOP senator, who asked not to be named because it was a private event, described it as a "very positive meeting" that focused on the debt and deficit. The senator also used the words "interactive," "respectful," and "sober" to describe the gathering, adding that it was even jovial at times.
This morning on "Early Start," CNN's Dan Lothian recaps the dinner and what it could mean for more bipartisan work going forward.
READ MORE: Haute cuisine for Obama and GOP senators
Sen. Rand Paul ends filibuster against CIA director nominee John Brennan – Shannon Travis reports
Sen. Rand Paul ended his day-long filibuster at 12:38 a.m. Thursday, almost 13 hours after he began speaking. The Kentucky Republican tried to stall a confirmation vote on CIA Director nominee John Brennan.
And as a snow storm swirled outside Wednesday in the nation's capital, Paul started his own Twitter hash tag that encapsulated his hours-long stand-off on Capitol Hill: #filiblizzard.
The Kentucky senator, known for his libertarian leanings, has sharply questioned the Obama administration's use of drones against American citizens overseas and vowed to speak Wednesday until he received more answers from the government about its policies. Brennan is considered one of the main architects of the drone program.
This morning on "Early Start," CNN's Shannon Travis recaps Sen. Paul's filibuster.
READ MORE: Rand Paul's #filiblizzard filibuster
CNN Trends: Snooki sheds 42 lbs, Taco Bell fans unleash anger on social media
Trending on the web this morning is news of Snooki's dramatic weight loss. The former "Jersey Shore" star graces the cover of Us Weekly with her post-baby body after losing 42 lbs.
Also, thousands of angry Taco Bell customers commented on the franchises's Facebook page over the lack of the availability of the new Cool Ranch flavor taco.
Lion put down after mauling woman to death – Dan Simon reports
It was clear that Dianna Hanson was thrilled to be at the Cat Haven sanctuary. Her Facebook page boasted more pictures of lions and tigers than it did of her friends.
Hanson had been at the 100-acre wooded Northern California facility since January– working as an intern, bonding with the big cats it's home to.
On Wednesday, the 24-year-old Seattle woman was killed when she was mauled by a 5-year-old, 350-pound African lion inside a cage.
This morning on "Early Start," CNN's Dan Simon reports on the latest in the attack.
READ MORE: Worker mauled to death at California sanctuary by her favorite lion
MYB: Dow hits fresh highs, while fewer homes now available on the market
Christine Romans is minding your business with the latest on the stock market and good news about the housing market.
The Dow hit fresh record highs and is looking to make more gains today. Romans addresses the big question: Can it keep going? She says that while this bull market is four years old, it's not clear when it'll end. "The last leg of a bull market can often be the most profitable, but you don't know when it's gonna be over," she says.
In the housing market, "the number of homes available dropped more than 16% in February compared to a year ago," Romans says. "This is good because it sets you up for higher prices. It’s good for the selling season."
MYB: Martha Stewart testifies, defends deal to Christine Romans
Martha Stewart defended her company against a lawsuit from Macy's yesterday. Christine Romans has details from the courtroom.
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