Simon Osamoh, former head of counterterrorism at the Mall of America, joins Lars to discuss an FBI operation that stopped an alleged terror plot targeting the mall. According to federal authorities, an 18-year-old suspect had been under investigation for nearly two years before undercover agents sold him an AK-47 and ammunition.

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Dr. David Tarpy, professor of applied ecology and extension apiculturist at North Carolina State University, joins Lars to revisit years of warnings about declining honeybee populations and the threat of colony collapse disorder. Did the original warnings accurately reflect the long-term risks, or did some media coverage overstate the crisis?

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Deborah Collier, vice president of policy and government affairs at Citizens Against Government Waste, joins Lars to examine the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, a major modernization effort that has seen projected costs climb dramatically. Initially estimated to cost at least $21 billion over 20 years, the project now faces costs exceeding $200 billion and delays stretching decades into the future, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

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Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, joins Lars to discuss the criminal harassment case involving Ohio political blogger DJ Byrnes and state Sen. Jerry Cirino. Byrnes is accused of sending the lawmaker an explicit image of the cartoon character Shrek, an incident that has led to a trial over whether the message constituted unlawful harassment or protected expression.

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Kyle Hatfield, CEO and co-founder of Cents-less, joins Lars to discuss the rising cost of producing U.S. coins and whether the nickel should be the next denomination reconsidered by lawmakers. With production reportedly costing taxpayers roughly eight cents more than the nickel’s five-cent face value, the conversation follows efforts to eliminate the penny and proposals to study cheaper materials for nickels.

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Ken Vance, editor of Clark County Today, joins Lars to discuss the controversy surrounding a Camas High School athlete who reportedly competed on both the boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams during the same season. The Camas School District says it follows Washington Interscholastic Activities Association eligibility standards, which permit students to participate in athletics consistent with their gender identity.

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Ken Hunter, executive director of the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation, joins Lars to discuss a federal customs rule that could make it harder for millions of Americans to obtain less expensive medications shipped from Canada and other countries. The script reports that the suspension of the $800 de minimis exemption, scheduled for October 22, will require additional customs data and a bond guarantee for affected shipments.

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Josh Marquis, a former district attorney, joins Lars to discuss whether a failed lethal-injection attempt should prompt a pause in executions while officials investigate what went wrong. The conversation follows the case of Christa Pike in Tennessee and the subsequent execution of Jamaal Howard in Texas using the same drug, pentobarbital. With lawyers seeking additional information about the drug and asking Texas officials to delay Howard’s execution, the issue raises questions about the reliability of lethal-injection procedures, the responsibility of state officials, and whether executions should proceed before concerns about the process are resolved.

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