Talking Points: Jul. 17, 2006

• Terrorists Thwarted Rail tunnels were the target The FBI said last week it had foiled al-Qaeda loyalists’ plans to bomb tunnels linking New Jersey and New York. Three alleged plotters were nabbed with the aid of intel agencies in six countries. Five suspects are still at large.

• Discovery’s Mission Is the shuttle worth preserving? Discovery left July 4 for a 12-day trip to the International Space Station. Critics say the pricey shuttle does little for science. They want it grounded for good, freeing funds for unmanned missions to Mars, Venus and beyond.

• The Korean Cloner Hwang is down but not out Cloning pioneer Hwang Woo Suk admitted in court last week that he falsified much of his data. He could get three years in jail, a prospect that doesn’t seem to daunt him; he plans to open a new lab in Seoul this month.

• GM’s New Engine? An ailing carmaker seeks change Auto-biz turnaround whiz Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan, visits Detroit this week to discuss an alliance with struggling General Motors, whose shareholders are agitating for reform–and a higher stock price.

• Chappelle Returns His “lost episodes” air at last Dave Chappelle abruptly quit his wild–and wildly popular–comedy show in April ’05 but had filmed enough for Comedy Central to cobble together three new episodes–without his blessing. They start airing this week.