Here are the big stories on the agenda today:

• A  happy homecoming. The crew of the Maersk Alabama – the U.S.-flagged cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates last week – arrived in the United States early Thursday.  There were smiles and hugs and “welcome home’s.”  Now the crew awaits their skipper, Captain Rich Phillips.  He was detoured when the Navy was called to help another ship shake the pirates, but could be in the air any moment.
• President Obama heads to Mexico City today to meet with President Felipe Calderon, before traveling to Trinidad and Tobago for the fifth Summit of the Americas, with the border plagued by drug violence, and U.S. immigration reform on the shelf.  Homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano is making her 2nd visit of the month to Mexico. She is meeting with government officials to discuss southwest border violence. We’ll ask her how the U.S. can assist and should respond.  We are also continuing our special series “Drug Nation.”  Today: Should we legalize pot?  Many of you blog watchers say yes and the war on drugs is not working.  We look at the pros and cons.
• Impulse Buying… and Selling: Can the personalities of stock traders be behind the wild swings in the markets the past few years? At least one researcher at MIT thinks the way traders react to bubbles and crashes has in part, magnified gains and losses.
• Beer Wars... FULL POST

• Breaking News: Pirates attack another U.S.-flagged cargo ship off Somalia.  They fired rocket propelled grenades this time, but didn’t get on board.  A sailor e-mailed home during the bombardment.  The U.S.S. Bainbridge came to the rescue, amazingly, with Captain Rich Phillips of the rescued Alabama still on board. 
• Your Taxes: The Real Deal:  It’s April 15th and anti-tax demonstrators are organizing “tea parties” across the country to protest bank bailouts and government spending.  Also today we’re looking at why taxes go up.  Don’t blame the “tax man.”  The IRS only takes-takes-takes.  It’s Congress that writes the laws that make up 16,000 pages of tax code in this country… and some of the people who WRITE IT can’t even seem to follow it.  We thought you'd like to know who pays what.
• Drug Nation:  With the president heading to Mexico tomorrow, we’re taking a serious look at how America’s demand for drugs is funding a bloody, ruthless war south of the border.  Today, how they get in.   Drugs on one side of the border, dealers with deep pockets and addicted Americans on the other and people will die so they get paid.  We'll also ask Congressman Ron Paul why we should legalize pot.
• Glimmers of Hope: President Obama again takes an optimistic tone as he talks about where we stand financially.  He wants to go from an era of “borrow and spend to save and invest.”
• Is that realistic? Do you agree with him?  Let us know at 877-MY-AM-FIX.
• And – Bromance: The new buzzword.  We all have the arm-around-the-guy-guy friend.  Now he’s cool?? Thanks Hollywood!

Here are the big stories we're watching for you right now:

• President Obama set to give what the White House is calling a “major speech” on the economy today.  The President is expected to talk about how each step his administration has taken to confront this economic crisis, fits his broader vision of how to move the economy from recession to recovery.  He’ll also talk about the significant work that remains to get the economy moving forward once again.  We want to hear your ideas and thoughts about whether the president has gotten it right.  Call us at 877-MY-AM-FIX and we’ll try to put you on the air today.
• Going to war with pirates:  As the crew of the Alabama heads home, we look at the options President Obama has for going after pirates on LAND, in lawless Somalia.
• Drug Nation: With the president heading to Mexico this week, we’re taking a serious look at how America’s demand for drugs is funding a bloody, ruthless war south of the border.  Today:  Pot.  Think it’s the victimless drug?  It’s generating more cash for murderous drug traffickers than coke, meth and heroin combined.  Does that mean we should legalize it to take away their power?  We want your thoughts.
• Your taxes: The Real Deal: It’s tax day-eve and we’ve decided to show you how far we’ve come since The Boston Tea Party.  Think of all you spend on food, clothing and housing, now consider that Americans on average spend more on taxes, than all of that COMBINED.  We’re still better off than most developed nations, but for how long??

Here are the big stories we're following for you today.

• He’s being described as the “good shepherd” this morning.  Captain Richard Phillips' is now safe.  Three of his pirate captors are now dead.  Another is U.S. custody after the Navy Seals pulled off a pinpoint and flawless rescue operation on the high seas.  Maritime experts are saying this should be a wakeup call to the growing piracy problem.  Right now 200 people are still being held hostage in Somalia and their captors aren’t in sharpshooters’ crosshairs.
• We're getting lots of comments on our viewer hotline about the dramatic rescue and how to stop the rampant piracy off Somalia’s coast.  We want to hear from you on this story and whatever else is on your mind.  Call us at 877-MY-AM-FIX and you could be on the air today.
• This morning we begin a special series called Drug Nation.  It’s a serious look at drug addiction in this country and how it’s affecting every community, from inner cities to the tranquil suburbs.  We're also searching for solutions.  Today: Heroin and its grip on kids in this country.  A bag of this poison can be cheaper than a six-pack of beer – and some children thinks it's safer.
• And - breathe easy, America.  You finally have a new first pup.  The campaign promise fulfilled.  The Obamas are getting a Portuguese water dog.  What are the Obama girls calling it?

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/04/10/saleeby.acdc.art.jpg caption="Rick Saleeby yelped upon seeing a camera, and asked us to use this photo of him with favorite band AC/DC instead."]

Each Friday in “Meet AM,” we’ll introduce you to the people who get American Morning to air.

Today, we’d like you to meet Rick Saleeby. Rick writes for American Morning, which he says means “making people care in under 30 seconds” – he writes short and to the point, as you’ll see. You might recognize his name from his daily blog, which explains what’s on tap for the day. He’s been working in television since college, and has been with AM for one and a half years. Rick is known for his sense of humor and is unfailingly friendly to everyone.

How did you end up being a writer?
I majored in Radio and Television at St. John’s University in New York. Realizing I had a face for the former, I did mostly sports radio and play-by-play in college. An internship at a local TV station later spring-boarded me into a career of teleprompter decorating.

FULL POST

Happening now:

• Nature’s fury in the plains and Midwest.  Wildfires are breaking out all over Oklahoma and north Texas.  One entire town has burned.  Residents are trying to out run fires fueled by hurricane force winds.  In one small Arkansas town, authorities are going door-to-door, checking on residents after a tornado ripped through,killing at least two people and damaging more than 100 homes. 
• Intense negotiations are underway with four armed, dangerous and increasingly desperate pirates off Somalia.  They’re holding an American Captain on a 28-foot lifeboat that’s out of fuel and described as being “dead in the water.”  They are running out of options, with a Navy destroyer watching their every move and two more ships on the way right now.
• President Obama is being briefed on the pirate standoff.  He's also asking for more money for wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
• Obama’s Millionaire’s Club – When President Obama moved into the White House earlier this year, he took several of his fellow Chicago millionaires with him. Newly released disclosure reports show virtually all of the top Chicagoans serving in the West Wing had assets valued at a million dollars or more at the end of 2008.
• Kumar goes to the White House – If only Obama were president before they made “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”  Kal Penn (Kumar) has decided to accept a position in the Obama administration.  At least now we know why they killed him off on “House.”
• Where’s the dog, Mr. President?  That swing set only bought him a few weeks.  The president said he would fulfill his campaign promise of a puppy after returning from NATO.  What better time than Easter weekend.  Maybe this one will come with bunny ears? Stay tuned…