Is Shark Fin Soup Off the Menu?

Sharks are rapidly becoming extinct, which is bad news for the rest of the ocean food chain worldwide. A major culprit is shark fin soup, an important delicacy for centuries in Chinese culture. But it's now a leading cause of 73 million shark deaths every year. Now California may ban the sale of shark fins, because of the environment and animal cruelty. (Fins are stripped from live sharks, which are thrown back in the water to drown.) Also, a ruling about the gay judge who struck down California's ban on same-sex marriage. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, Republicans hold a debate — in name only.

Banner image: People shop as shark fins (L) are displayed for sale in Hong Kong's Shueng Wan district on March 21, 2010. China, Japan and Russia have helped defeat a proposal at a UN wildlife trade meeting held on March 17 that would have boosted conservation efforts for sharks. A bowl of shark fin soup can cost $100 US, with a single fin being worth more than $1,300. Photo: Dale de la Rey/AFP/Getty Images