The FBI and NYPD are hailing the arrests of four men in an alleged plot to bomb two synagogues in New York City. Officials say the men were also plotting to shoot down military planes at an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, NY, with stinger missiles. Officials say the plan did not pose any real threat: the group had been infiltrated by government agents early on. For an update, we have WNYC reporter Bob Hennelly and M. J. Gohel, the executive director of the Asia Pacific Foundation, an independent security and global terrorism think tank in London.

After the U.S. Navy rescued the captain of the Maersk Alabama (he was being held hostage by Somali pirates), one lone pirate survived. The teenager, Abduhl Wali-i-Musi, is being indicted this week on ten counts including piracy and kidnapping. He has been in a Manhattan jail since he was captured on April 12 and flown to the U.S. His arraignment is today. Joining The Takeaway to talk about the first piracy prosecution in the U.S. in more than a century is Ron Kuby. He’s a criminal defense lawyer who’s been consulting on the case on behalf of the defendant’s parents. He is also the host of "Doing Time with Ron Kuby," a talk show on Air America Radio.

Michael Vick was released from prison in Leavenworth, Kansas yesterday morning after being locked up for 19 months on charges related to running a dog fighting ring. He will spend the next two months under house arrest in Virginia and will be working in construction for $10 an hour as part of his probation-- a far cry from the multi-million dollar contracts he enjoyed as an NFL player.

So what’s next for this fallen Atlanta Falcons superstar? Is his career over, or will he join the long list of professional athletes who've gotten a second (or third, or sixth) chance? The NFL has been hinting that Vick very well may get a chance to play again. Does he deserve it? We are joined by The Takeaway's sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, and from Atlanta, GA, we are also joined by two Atlanta Falcons fans, Richard Palmer (who likes Michael Vick), and Larry Jamison (who emphatically does not).

More from Ibrahim Abdul-Matin on whether Vick should return to the NFL...

For more debate on letting Vick back into the NFL, watch the video below.

Yesterday Iran claimed it had test-fired an advanced missile that could potentially reach Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that a nuclear armed Iran would “spark an arms race in the Middle East." The missile test and the U.S. response comes in a week when politics takes center stage in Iran. The Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, faces re-election next month and campaigning for that election begins formally on Friday. For more we turn Jon Leyne, the BBC's correspondent in Tehran.

Things have changed since the 1970s, especially for women. But a new study published this week in the National Bureau of Economic Research indicates that those changes may not be making women more content. In fact, the research reveals that women are less happy now then they were in the 1970’s. With all the gains that women have made in the past three and a half decades, why is happiness on the decline? The Takeaway talks to the co-authors of the paper, “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness", Justin Wolfers and Betsey Stevenson. Both are assistant professors in public policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

New York Times' Police Bureau Chief Al Baker joins The Takeaway with an update on the unfolding terrorism story in New York City. Four men were arrested Wednesday night in what the authorities said was a plot to bomb two synagogues in the Bronx and shoot down military planes at an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, N.Y. Three of the men are American citizens. Officials say that local citizens were not at risk because the group was infiltrated by law enforcement early on, long before the plot could come to fruition.

For more, read Al Baker's article, 4 Accused of Bombing Plot at Bronx Synagogues in the New York Times.

Here Joe Demarest of the FBI discusses the arrest of the four men accused of terrorism in New York:

In advance of President Obama's speech on national security, a report has leaked out that may strengthen opposition to closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The report indicates that 74 of the 534 prisoners released from Guantanamo so far have returned to terrorism or militant activity. Joining The Takeaway is Elizabeth Bumiller, a reporter for the New York Times who has been following this story.

For more, read Elizabeth Bumiller's article, 1 in 7 Freed Detainees Rejoins Fight, Report Finds, in today's New York Times.

This morning President Obama will deliver what the White House is calling a major national security speech. At least part of his speech will detail his plan to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. But with Congressman, Senators and even FBI Director Robert Mueller lining up against the closure of Guantanamo, what can Obama possibly say? The Takeaway talks to Jonathan Mahler. He’s a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and author of the book The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight over Presidential Power.

Lawmakers have touted the credit card reform bill heading to the president's desk as "a victory for every American who holds a credit card." But Donna Rosato, a senior writer at Money Magazine, says consumer behavior is unlikely to change. She cites studies that say the mere act of carrying a card (credit or debit) increases the likelihood that you’ll spend more money, pay more for a specific item, and lose track of what you've spent. She also says this new bill will force credit card companies to raise fees and even add annual fees to make a profit. Ms. Rosato joins The Takeaway to talk about the reform bill — and how you should reform your own habits.

Tyler Bradt took his kayak off a 186-foot waterfall this month. For fun. After plunging approximately 20 feet underwater and being submerged for about seven seconds, Bradt surfaced from his dive off of Palouse Fall with little more than a sprained wrist and the wind knocked out of him. This successful dive allowed Bradt to reclaim the world record. He is off to conquer the waterfalls of Norway and Iceland, but before he goes, he is stopping by The Takeaway.

Wonder what extreme kayaking looks like? Here's a peek:

Terminator Salvation, the fourth installment of the Terminator franchise, hits theaters today. The film takes place in 2018, an apocalyptic world where humans are outnumbered by machines— hulking robots, the size of skyscrapers, with a penchant for wiping out mankind. And don't even get us started on SkyNet. But what about year 2009? For a reality check on human-robot relations, we are joined Sherry Turkle. She is a professor of Science, Technology and Society and MIT, where she is also the founder and director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self. She is an author of numerous books, among them is her latest title, Simulation and Its Discontents.

What else can a robot do for you?
Provide care for the elderly
Play the violin
Dance
Tailor a suit for Woody Allen
Delicately package things
Provide endless entertainment

The Takeaway is continuing its coverage of the foiled New York City terror plot. Four men were arrested in an alleged plot to bomb two synagogues in New York City and shoot down military planes in Newburgh, N.Y. According to law enforcement officers, the plan was "aspirational" -- that is, it wasn't close to being realized. How did operatives infiltrate the group and quash their plans? And how did they decide when to bust the would-be bombers? To help answer those questions we turn to Bob Hennelly, a reporter at WNYC, and to Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at the RAND corporation.

More of The Takeaway's coverage of the terror plot:
A Terror Plot in New York City

After an elaborate sting operation by the FBI, four men were arrested in an alleged plot to bomb two synagogues in the Bronx and to use Stinger missiles against military planes at Stewart Air Force base in Newburgh, New York. In our continuing coverage of the plot, we turn to Bob Ayers, a defense and security expert.