What's Next In The Pirate Pursuit?, Animal Rights Vs. Animal Testing, Obama Eases Restrictions With Cuba, Revamping The Justice Department, God Is Back
What's Next In The Pirate Pursuit?
The standoff with Somali pirates off the African coast came to a swift and dramatic end yesterday, resulting in the rescue of the U.S. ship captain who was held captive. Three of the pirates were killed by Navy sharpshooters, while the fourth pirate is in custody and could face trial. While resolution came to this incident, a larger question remains - What should be done to combat piracy, and how should vessels protect themselves? Larry Mantle finds out. Guests include Shashank Bengali from McClatchy Newspapers, and Jeff Kline from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Animal Rights Vs. Animal Testing
For the past three years animal rights activists have used violent attacks and threats to target University of California scientists who use animals for their research. Last month, UCLA neuroscientist J. David Jentsh found his car set ablaze outside his home. Jentsh is responding by standing up to the threats, having founded an organization at UCLA to voice support for ethical animal research and planning a pro-research campus rally later this month. Larry Mantle gets the details from both sides of the issue with guests including David Jentsch from UCLA and Dr. Jerry Vlasak from the North American Animal Liberation Press Office.
Obama Eases Restrictions With Cuba
President Obama is expected to announce today that his administration will allow for unlimited travel and money transfers by Cuban Americans to family in Cuba. The administration also will relax the rules of what can be sent in gift parcels to Cuba, and begin issuing licenses to allow companies to provide cell and television service to people on the island. While keeping the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba in place, the president hopes that the changes will bring about greater political change by making the Cuban people less dependent on the Castro regime. Larry Mantle discusses the impact of this decision with Lesley Clark from The Miami Herald.
Revamping The Justice Department
Larry Mantle and Carrie Johnson, Justice Department reporter for the Washington Post discuss Eric Holder's plans for revamping the Justice Department.
God Is Back
In their book "God is Back" John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge of The Economist argue that there has been a global boom in faith. The authors contend that "the great forces of modernity - technology and democracy, choice and freedom - are all strengthening religion rather than undermining it." A major theme of their book is that religion has thrived in America because of the separation of church and state. They argue that freedom from state-imposed faith created religious competition and entrepreneurialism, and that now the rest of the world is following the American model. Co-author Adrian Wooldridge joins Larry Mantle to discuss his book.