The Somali pirates have struck again, hitting a U.S.-owned, Italian-flagged tugboat with 16 crewmembers in the Gulf of Aden. Meanwhile, the hostage crisis involving American ship captain Richard Phillips is in its fourth day. While Phillips' ship, the Maersk Alabama, has arrived safely in a Kenyan port, U.S. warships preventing more pirates from coming to the aid of those guarding Phillips on a lifeboat, hundreds of miles from land. In a profile, The New York Times reports that “Phillips is a consummate regular guy who worships Boston sports teams, particularly the Celtics, shoots hoops at the Y.M.C.A., plays golf with retirees and faithfully picks up muffins for Sunday brunch with his family.” 

At midnight in the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI led cardinals and prelates in a candlelit vigil mass to celebrate Easter. In St. Peter's Basilica, the clergymen chanted "lumen christi" (light of Christ) in candlelight before throwing on the lights. Dressed in gold and white vestments, Benedict led the traditional mass. On the heels of an Abruzzo earthquake that killed at least 205, the pope emphasized the power of love and life, picking up on a motif of overcoming difficult trials that he spoke of on Good Friday and at a mass funeral for the earthquake's dead. During the vigil mass, the Pope baptized five adult converts: two Italian men and women from Italy, China, and the United States. The Pope will celebrate a second mass in St. Peter's Square on Sunday morning, followed by the delivery of his Easter message to the world shortly thereafter.

The BBC is reporting that a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) at the Thai resort of Pattaya has been cancelled after thousands of protesters stormed the convention hall, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The Guardian reports "The protesters smashed through the glass doors of the convention hall and ran through the building, overturning tables, blowing horns, waving Thai flags and screaming: 'Abhisit get out.'" The protesters support former prime minister Thaksin Shinawarta, who was deposed by coup in 2006. Nine of the Asean leaders had to be airlifted to a secure military base. Vejjajiva has declared an “extreme state of emergency.”

America's most-discussed pet—the Obama family's Portuguese water dog, promised to Sasha and Malia on the campaign trail—will 'be introduced' on Tuesday, reports TMZ. The rumored pup is a six-month-old black male bred at a kennel favored by the Kennedys. In fact, TMZ reports that the dog shares lineage with several Kennedy dogs, and that Senator Ted Kennedy helped choose it and may present it as a "gift" to the first family. Despite its pedigree, the dog may still please pro-rescue-dog factions who advocated for the adoption of an abandoned pet: The chosen dog was alleged sold to a different family first, but they changed their mind and gave it back to the breeder for "re-homing." The dog reportedly goes by the name Charlie, but Sasha and Malia may re-name it. It has previously been reported that the dog was in obedience school during the president and first lady's trip to Europe.

By now, we’ve all felt the pain of The Great Recession. Or maybe not all of us? Some states in the country’s midsection are actually prospering during this time of global economic hardship. Much of the area between North Dakota to Texas are listed as not officially in recession—and many other states are only in a mild economic downturn. In Sioux Falls, S.D., for example, housing developments and shopping complexes are springing up at the same pace that stores along Madison Avenue are shuttering. Why? Those states are still benefiting from the lingering effect of the commodities boom, from natural gas to corn. The region also was largely excluded from the real estate boom that precipitated the financial storm. And perhaps residents there just lived a little smarter than their coastal counterparts. "People didn't overextend themselves," one Sioux Falls resident tells the Los Angeles Times, "because they did not have the means to overextend themselves."

When it came time to rally support for California’s Proposition 8, Pastor Rick Warren’s message was loud and clear: “Now let me say this really clearly: We support Proposition 8," the evangelical leader said via video message to his 22,000-member church the week before the anti-gay marriage measure went into effect in November. But now Warren may have changed his mind about gay marriage. In an interview with Larry King, Warren said he "never once even gave an endorsement” of the proposition, and that he was just “a pastor talking to his people” who, all of a sudden, was turned into the “poster boy for anti-gay marriage." “I wrote to all my gay friends—the leaders that I knew—and actually apologized to them,” Warren said. Leaders of the evangelical community and members of Warren’s church are bewildered at his turnaround on the issue. “He is being politically correct instead of biblically courageous,” one pastor said.

During this Holy Week, it’s not just a pastor or a rabbi telling you what’s important—it’s Barack Obama. Falling just between Passover and Easter, the president’s weekly video address, released today, emphasized the inter-faith spirit of togetherness fostered around these high holidays. “As we celebrate Passover, Easter, and this time of renewal, let's find strength in our shared resolve and purpose in our common aspirations," Obama said. "If we can do that, then not only will we fulfill the sacred meaning of these holy days, but we will fulfill the promise of our country as a leader around the world."

Billy Bob Thornton’s Joaqun Phoenix-like trainwreck of an interview has taken on a life of its own: The star’s band, The Boxmasters, has canceled the rest of its Canadian tour. Of course, the Sling Blade actor says a flu outbreak prompted the move, but some may be wondering whether his calling his Canadian fans “mashed potatoes but no gravy” had anything to do with it. The news comes a day after the band was booed onstage in Toronto. Good news for their fans, though: They’re back on the road April 14, opening for Willie Nelson in Connecticut.

The search may be over for survivors of this week's earthquake in central Italy. The last survivor, a 20-year-old woman, was pulled from beneath the rubble on Tuesday. The earthquake left 291 people dead and 40,000 homeless, but noises from beneath the rubble have indicated that there are still more people stuck. But the scent has begun to fade as workers searched in vain today in L’Aquila, and it is feared that those stuck beneath the ruined city are now dead. But workers have still not given up hope: “We dug all night and now we just have to wait,” one official said. “We can hear almost nothing now.”

A frightening case in California just got scarier: Melissa Huckaby, a 28-year-old Sunday school teacher, has been arrested in the kidnapping and murder of a young girl. The body of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, last seen skipping down her street March 27, was found April 6 in an irrigation pond, stuffed into a suitcase owned by the teacher, whose 5-year-old daughter was one of her playmates. “Ms. Huckaby has been arrested and will be booked at the San Joaquin County Jail for kidnapping and murder,” Tracy Police Chief Janet Thiessen said.

It’s no White House, but 10141 Daria Place in Dallas, TX, is home sweet home for George and Laura Bush. After two-thirds of Americans said that they disapproved of his performance when he left office in January, Bush has decided to live “squarely in the remaining 33 percent.” On his 1.13-acre property in Dallas, 43 is surrounded by people who love him (lawns in his neighborhood are all dotted with “Welcome Home, W” signs.) Life is leisurely, but some old habits die hard: although he longed for a more relaxed schedule after life in the White House, Bush still arrives at his Dallas office at 7:30 a.m. With the help of a speech writer, the former president works on his book all day, goes for a long evening bike ride, and then watches golf or baseball on TV. Because neither W. nor Laura feels at home in the kitchen, they’ve taken to eating meals brought by friends, or prepared meals from EatZi’s, a local grocery. Said a top Bush advisor: “He's secure in the place he's in. He's confident in the decisions he made. There's none of that 'Shoulda, woulda, coulda.' "

Pirates may be getting all the attention, but they may not be Somalia’s biggest danger: The United States is wary of a rapidly expanding Somali organization al-Shabab, which has ties to al-Qaeda. Anonymous top national security advisors have revealed the United States’ dilemma over this group, saying that it represents a potential terrorist threat to US interests. While some in the Defense Department think the administration is failing to act against them, others think an American offensive on the African group, which would be the first strike outside of the Afghanistan-Pakistan/ Iraq region, would be diplomatically dangerous.

There’s no turning back now: Christian pilgrims have been walking the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, for more than 1,000 years—but a leading archaeologist says they’re going the wrong way. For a millennium, pilgrims have trekked from the Antonia Fortress in north Jerusalem, where Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate, to Calvary, supposedly tracing the route that Jesus carried the cross. Shimon Gibson, an archaeologist at University College London, has recently surveyed the Fortress and deduced that it was too small for the trial, which most likely took place near Jaffa Gate instead. Similarly, Gibson contends, Golgotha—the Rock of Calvary—is simply too unspectacular to have been logical, and that Christ’s crucifixion probably took place at a nearby site.

Three months ago, Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs went on medical leave amidst accusations of having misled shareholders about his health. Instead of disappearing, however, “Jobs has continued to work on the company's most important strategies and products from home,” writes Reuters. “He regularly reviews products and product plans, and was particularly involved in the user interface of the new iPhone operating system that Apple unveiled last month.” Jobs plans to resume his formal responsibilities in June.

Does this make Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s quest for a third term less inevitable? “Mayor Bloomberg will run for reelection as a Republican this fall, the Daily News has learned, after successfully courting the party to let him back on its ballot line two years after he left it.” Bloomberg wants the Republicans’ prominent ballot line, but given the toxicity of the Republican brand at this point, will his return to the fold tarnish his reputation? Bloomberg was elected twice as a Republican, before leaving the party in 2007.

There will never be good news for Bernie Madoff, but this is an especially tough blow for the incarcerated schemer. A federal judge in Manhattan overruled the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday and will now allow Madoff to be forced into personal bankruptcy by his investors. Judge Louis L. Stanton (likely a savior in the eyes of many) removed the roadblock, saying that the benefits of protecting Madoff’s victims outweighed the time and cost expense, writes The New York Times. Hedge funds may also be able to recoup their losses and pay back their own investors. The SEC preferred to obtain Madoff’s assets through criminal forfeiture laws, but Judge Stanton felt bankruptcy would be more effective.

Well, at least he still has the afterlife to look forward to. In his farewell address to staff at Focus on the Family, evangelical leader James Dobson said “We tried to defend the unborn child, the dignity of the family, but it was a holding action … We are awash in evil and the battle is still to be waged. We are right now in the most discouraging period of that long conflict. Humanly speaking, we can say we have lost all those battles.” Dobson founded Focus in 1977 and resigned from its helm earlier this year.

At last: TMZ is reporting that the Obama family’s dog will arrive at the White House on Tuesday. The Portuguese Water Dog is six-months old, male, and coming from a kennel in Texas. How's this for pedigree? “The kennel has sold the Kennedys three Portuguese Water Dogs in the past, all from the same lineage. The dog the Obamas will be getting is from the same lineage as the Kennedy dogs. The Kennedy family will be presenting the new dog to the Obamas, but it's really coming from the kennel.”

Your worst nightmare will soon become reality: Octomom is coming to a TV near you. Publicity trainwreck Nadya Suleman is close to signing a deal for a reality TV show, which will spotlight her family of 14 and bring in a little extra cash. The new show, which likely be finalized as early as next week, will feature Octomom, “dating, taking the kids to birthday parties, learning how to drive a 14-person van.” Just what TV needs.

It’s hard to have girl power when you're surrounded by men. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told a symposium at Ohio State University she is sick of being the only woman on the Supreme Court. "It's lonely for me, not that I don't love all my colleagues. I do," she said. Since Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retired in 2006, she said she's felt lonesome at her job and also mentioned that women bring an important perspective to the job that her male colleagues can't provide. Ginsburg also wonders what the gender imbalance must look like to outsiders: "There I am all alone, and it doesn't look right." The 76-year-old justice, who was appointed by President Clinton in 1993, recently had surgery for pancreatic cancer. She is widely predicted to be the next on the bench to retire, though she says she’d like to have a 20-year run.

Better late than never? The president of Arizona State University, Michael M. Crow, says he may award President Obama that honorary degree after all. The controversial decision to withhold an honorary degree from the president, who will be speaking at the university’s commencement, was not an “intended slight,” Crow told Politico. “We had not yet talked about what honors we might give him as our commencement speaker, and we still have a month to work all that out,” he continued. A Chinese official, a Canadian politician, an aloe-vera magnate, and a number of donors have been awarded ASU honorary degrees in the past. “Because President Obama’s body of work is yet to come, it’s inappropriate to recognize him at this time,” a spokesman for the university said Tuesday.