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From the CNN Center, in Atlanta, I'm Nicole Lapin, here is our NOW IN THE NEWS update.

It seems as if that 700-billion-dollar rescue plan to prop¹ up banks and other big financial institutions is losing support. A brand new CNN poll shows that forty percent of those questioned are in favor of the bailout, that is a six percent drop though from just two weeks ago. Fifty six percent of those polled say they oppose the plan. But those polled do support the government helping² homeowners who can't make their mortgage payments. Fifty eight percent are in favor of that, forty percent are against it.

Merck and Yahoo meanwhile have both announced large layoffs³. Merck is cutting 7, 200 jobs after the drug giant saw a 28 percent profit drop in the recent quarter. Yahoo also plans to cut 1, 500 jobs in an effort to cut costs as well. Altogether in last month, employers laid off 236, 000 workers.

Jury deliberations have just started in the trial of Senator Ted⁴ Stevens. The Alaska Republican is charged with lying on Senate financial documents about thousands of dollars renovation⁵ and other gifts he apparently⁶ received from a contractor⁷ and others. Stevens is of course seeking reelection for a senate seat that he has held now for forty years.

Three children and a fifty seven-year-old woman were killed in this deadly early morning house fire in Michigan. It erupted overnight in the Highland⁸ Park area which is just outside Detroit. And officials say it quickly spread to four other houses. The woman's son escaped with his infant daughter, girl friend and the mother of three children. A family member told Detroit affiliate⁹ station WDIV that a space heater, may have started this fire. Investigators¹⁰ haven't determined¹¹ that as of yet.

And a man veiled on weapons charges has now been identified as a person of interest in the kidnapping of a Nevada boy. Police in Nevada also say that the 48-year-old man was arrested on Friday, but didn't say how exactly he is connected to this case. Cole Puffinburger was kidnapped by suspected Mexican drug dealers¹² but then found safe just days later. The boy's grandfather and the man's companion were being detained as witnesses.

Those are the headlines at this hour. For more on those stories and other news of the day, CNN is always your source online, on TV or on your cell phone. Take care!