CNN 2009-04-12（在线收听）

The American ship seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean this week has docked in Kenya without its captain. He is still being held hostage in a lifeboat now said to be some 20 miles from the coastline of Somalia. A military official says the pirates on the lifeboat shot at US sailors during an attempt to rescue him earlier today. The sailors did not return fire.

Earlier today I spoke with the vessel before she docked. I talked with first Mate Shane Murphy. What I expressed to Shane and to the crew was our sincere appreciation for their brilliant efforts and their bravery during this very difficult time. They've showed the professionalism of a true mariner. We are proud of the whole crew. Also when we talked to Shane and the crew, we thanked them for their dedication and asked them how the crew was doing. And we got good reports back on the entire crew. One of the things they did ask is make sure we do everything we can to bring home their captain.

A California woman facing child murder charges. Melissa Huckaby is accused in the death of an 8-year-old neighbor. The victim's body was found in Huckaby's suitcase in an irrigation pond earlier this week. Police say they have no theory of motive in this case.

A tornado that hurt Murfreesboro, Tennessee, killed a mother and her baby, dozens of people injured, at least 250 homes damaged, or even destroyed. A same storm system is blamed for one death in South Carolina.

From Italy, signs of life under the wreckage, five days after a strong earthquake. Rescuers are digging urgently but of course carefully. They think someone may be alive in the rubble of the building that pancaked in Monday's 6.3 quake. Search dogs picked up a strong human scent. Nine people, one of them alive, have been pulled from the rubble in a very same pile of debris. The earthquake death toll rose today to 291 people.

A UN response to North Korea's missile launch appears to be gaining some traction. China now floating the idea of a presidential statement from the UN to condemn last weekend's launch. Now that response would not be as strong as a UN Security Resolution. Today, Japan appeared to be backing off its demand for resolution. The vote could come next week.

 float:[transitive] to suggest an idea or plan in order to see if people like it
We first floated the idea back in 1992.