Life Links 4/11/08

Authorities in Mexico have captured Cesar Laurean, the Marine suspected of killing Maria Lauterbach, a pregnant fellow Marine he was suspected of raping.

Laurean has been on the lam since January, after investigators say they found the charred remains of Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach and her unborn baby buried in Laurean's back yard. Lauterbach, who was eight months pregnant, disappeared in December 2007. The discovery of her remains prompted authorities to file murder charges against Laurean.

The FDA is holding two days of hearings to discuss how they might regulate future attempts to use embryonic stem cells in human therapies. The Wall Street Journal article notes how Geron is claiming they plan to submit a proposal to begin a clinical trial using embryonic stem cells on patients with spinal cord injuries this summer.


A CNN Money article mentions, "The FDA seems to be more concerned with the stem cells' possible side effect of producing tumors. Because of the 'potential risks' of human embryonic stem cell products, data showing a drug's effectiveness 'may need to be particularly strong,' the document said."


In other stem cell news, Germany has eased their restrictions on importing embryonic stem cells. While killing human embryos for research is still illegal in Germany, researchers can now import embryonic stem cell lines created before May 1, 2007, whereas before they could only work on embryonic stem cell lines created before January 1, 2002.


A police officer from Olathe, Kansas is on paid leave after threatening to arrest a prolifer for displaying graphic images of aborted children on the side of his truck.


Alex Kindell, the president of the pro-choice group at Northern Kentucky University claims the Genocide Awareness Project's pulic display of aborted children is promoting hate and violence.

"This isn't promoting free speech," she said. "They're promoting hate. They're promoting violence."

So showing images of violence against unborn children in an attempt to stop this violence is somehow promoting violence?

For those of you who might remember, Northern Kentucky is the place where now-former NKU professor Sally Jacobsen and her students destroyed a prolife display of crosses.