CNN 2009-04-23（在线收听）

I'm Melissa Long here at the CNN center in Atlanta with a look at some of the stories that are happening NOW IN THE NEWS on this Wednesday.

The acting chief financial office for mortgage giant Freddie Mac was found dead in his home in Virginia this morning. A source familiar with the investigation tells CNN that David Kellermann appears to hang himself. Kellermann had been at the acting CFO since September and was responsible for financial controls. The government took over Freddie Mac last fall.

Prosecutors say the suspect charged in the attack on the US cargo ship was the alleged ringleader. The Somali suspect was in federal court yesterday. Prosecutors say he was the first one to board the Maersk Alabama and fired a shot at the captain. The suspect is charged as an adult. His mom says he is a teen who was brainwashed by the older pirates.

Police say they found crucial evidence in the accused Craigslist Killer s apartment. They say they found a gun, duct tape and restraints. A neighbor says police escorted people into Philip Markoff's apartment yesterday about 20 minutes. Markoff is accused of killing a masseuse whom he may have met through Craigslist. His attorney says he is not guilty.

The high school dropout problem is getting better in some big cities. That s new this morning. A big city is often where you see the most dropouts. There is a new study that shows Philadelphia, Tucson, Kansas City, Missouri and ten other large cities did see a big improvement. One thing that s working: smaller classes and tutoring in math in the 9th grade, that s when children, of course, make the transition to high school.

Today is Earth Day, April 22nd, President Obama is using today to pitch his energy plan. He is traveling to Newton, Iowa hard hit by the economy, he will be touring a wind energy plant. The president also plans to talk about his plans to create environmentally friendly jobs and protect the environment.

And again April 22nd, Earth Day. Those are the headlines for you this hour. Do stay with CNN and CNN.com for the latest news.