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Tonight, we're waiting for the crew of the Maersk Alabama to return to the U.S. We'll bring you live coverage from Andrews Air Force Base. The crew's captain won't be with them. Capt. Richard Phillips is still aboard the USS Bainbridge and will return to Vermont likely later this week.
And, don't miss Erica Hill's webcast on the homecoming and tonight's other headlines. Watch our WEBCAST
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Editor's note: See Sean's full report tonight on AC360 at 10PM ET.
Sean Callebs
CNN Correspondent
It's striking how two people can look at the same thing and see something entirely different.
A gun, for example.
I've talked with a number of Americans buying weapons - lots of them.
And I took a few shots with an AR15 semi-automatic weapon.
This gun - and don’t call it a weapon - is really at the core of a disconnect in this country between gun enthusiasts and people calling for more gun control.
One side says, “why on earth would anyone outside the military want to own something like that.. why is it even legal?”
That view drives defenders of the 2nd amendment up the wall. Here's what attorney Sean Healy told us.
"There is definitely a disconnect, there are some groups of people that don’t know much about guns, they have never been around them or exposed to them, and they don’t know how to handle them safely. And so if all they know about then is what they hear about them in the press or see on tv or hear from politicians, then sometimes they can be afraid of them.
"To another group of people (a gun) is like a tool, like a hammer - it's safe," Healy went on to say. "If you are member of the group that does not understand guns, you may think that criminals are the only ones who use guns, and there aren’t any legitimate uses for them. And I think once you become familiar with them, and their safety, you want people to have guns."
Program Note: Tune in to hear more from Christiane Amanpour tonight on AC360° at 10 p.m. ET and watch an excerpt from the interview here.
Christiane Amanpour
CNN Chief International Correspondent
I talked with Admiral Mike Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about how to handle the pirates off the coast of Somalia, how to handle an unstable nuclear Pakistan, and much more.
But what he said about Afghanistan intrigued me most. It wasn’t about the war. It was about quality of life.
As we talked at the Pentagon, Chairman Mullen told me, the terribly deep problems fracturing Afghanistan, and indeed Pakistan, won't be solved by the military alone.
You have to give people some reason to hope, and to take the risk of rejecting the militants. You have to give them a chance at a decent life - not a grand life, but a decent life – and an economic alternative.
And that means you have to give them an opportunity for development – of their communities, businesses, schools – some stability.
The military can help, Chairman Mullen told me, but the military can't do it alone.
That sounds like nation-building. People don't like the sound of that. Nor the cost. Nor how long that could take.
But to solve a problem that has spread into the U.S. - costing the lives of troops and billions of dollars already - the U.S. government and people may have to listen to advice from its most senior military official.
Editor's note: To hear more from Karl's exclusive report on Juarez tune in tonight to AC360 at 10 PM ET.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/americas/04/15/mexico.gangs/art.mexico.drugs.cnn.jpg caption="Mexico police round up gang suspects in Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. "]
Karl Penhaul
CNN
There are no welcome signs on the approach to Camargo. It's a hardscrabble Mexican border town and home turf for "Los Zetas," a gang of hitmen and corrupt former special forces cops on the bankroll of the Gulf Cartel. Local journalists explained if we went there we'd be getting "tangled up in the hooves of the horse."
They said Zeta gunmen recently smashed one reporter's fingers with a hammer as a warning to the media to stay away. The plaza was deserted - for a few minutes at least. Then the throb of engines broke the Sunday morning peace. Scores of pickup trucks with heavily tinted windows began circling. Occasionally a window would crack open. We were clearly being watched.
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Alan Duke
CNN Wires Entertainment Writer
The woman who gave birth to octuplets - Nadya Suleman - is seeking to trademark her media nickname - Octomom - for a TV show and a line of diapers.
Word of Suleman's federal trademark filings came as her lawyer confirmed he is talking to production companies about a TV show, but said reports of a signed deal are premature.
Suleman, who gave birth to octuplets in January, brought home the last and smallest of the eight Monday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
But she is not the only one to claim a trademark on the nickname. A Texas company not affiliated with her has filed to trademark an Octomom iPhone game.
"You press on her belly and she has babies," the company's CEO said.
One of Suleman's lawyers filed her trademark applications last Friday with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, according to the documents. In the application the word is spelled "OctoMom," with a capital M.
One trademark would cover OctoMom disposable and textile diapers, dresses, pants and shirts.
The other application would give Suleman the trademark OctoMom for "entertainment in the nature of on-going television programs in the field of varity." The last word - "varity" - may have been intended to read "variety."
Suleman lawyer Jeff Czech downplayed a Life & Style magazine report that Suleman had signed with a British film company to produce six shows a year about her family over the next 18 years.
Ready for today's Beat 360°? Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption and our staff will join in too. Tune in tonight at 10pm to see if you are our favorite! Here is the 'Beat 360°' pic:
Protesters take part in a rally as part of the national Tax Day Tea Party to protest taxes and government spending in Lafayette Park April 15, 2009 in Washington, DC. April 15th marks the day American citizens must file their annual income taxes with the federal government. (Credits Getty Images) Have fun with it. We're looking forward to your captions! Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.
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