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Listen to recent airings of Morning Edition, including New York area news from the WNYC newsroom.

Listings below are segments from the most recent episode.


Last Updated: November 27, 2009 07:30 pm


WTC Provides Back Story For Colum McCann's 'Spin'

November 27, 2009 07:30 pm

McCann's novel, Let the Great World Spin, won the National Book Award. He tells Steve Inskeep that his book — set in New York on the day a man walked on a tight-rope between the towers of the World Trade Center — is an attempt to reconstruct an event to find moments of grace and understanding in history.


Job Crunch Even Harder On People With Disabilities

November 27, 2009 07:01 pm

Large numbers of Americans are still losing their jobs, but the unemployment rate is particularly high among people with disabilities. They are almost twice as likely to get laid off and they have a harder time finding new jobs.


Go Ahead, Sing Along: When Television Is Karaoke

November 27, 2009 11:35 am

Half a million people have bought the TV show Glee's version of Journey's song "Don't Stop Believing." The show's winning formula is to transform an original song without its reeking of a knockoff.


An Investment In Warhol May Hold Its Value

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

A painting by the late pop artist Andy Warhol of 200 $1 bills, recently sold for $44 million. That's one of the highest prices ever paid for one of his paintings. Art writer Sarah Thornton has been exploring why works by Warhol maintain such high prices — his continued fame is one reason. She talks to Steve Inskeep about her article in The Economist.


Pumpkin Shortage May Cut Down On Dessert Seconds

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

That slice of pumpkin pie you enjoyed on Thanksgiving could be the last you'll see for awhile. Distributors are warning that this year's poor pumpkin crop means that canned filling is in short supply. You may need to diversify your pie plans for the rest of the holiday season.


'Black Friday' Buyers Focus On Bargains

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

The nation's biggest retailers began gearing up for the busy post-Thanksgiving shopping day months ago. The Conference Board predicts U.S. households will spend about 7 percent less on gifts this season than last year. At a Target store in Maryland, some shoppers were up early looking for specific items.


Hundreds Recreating Web's Version Of 'Star Wars'

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

Remakes are big business in Hollywood, but there's one blockbuster being remade on the cheap: the original Star Wars film. It's on the Internet. One guy chopped the film into 15 second segments and has hundreds of people recreating them.


National Day Of Listening: Father-Daughter Talk

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

Friday is the National Day of Listening — it is a chance to sit down with a loved one, turn on a tape recorder; and ask that person about their life. It's the kind of conversation that's been heard in the StoryCorps project. Juan Williams sat down and had a conversation with his daughter, Regan Williams Herald, who is expecting his first grandchild.


Climate Change Is Victim Of 'Tragedy Of The Commons'

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

One reason it is so hard to slash carbon emissions is that climate change occurs globally. The countries that produce the most greenhouse gas all need to take action to fix the problem. That raises a classic economic dilemma called the tragedy of the commons.


Iran Seizes Shirin Ebadi's Nobel Prize Medal

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

Officials in Norway say authorities in Iran have confiscated the medal of 2003 Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi. That's a first in the history of the prize. Borzou Daragahi of the Los Angeles Times talks with Steve Inskeep about the missing medal which was kept in a safe deposit box.


Swiss Voters To Decide Whether To Ban New Minarets

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

Switzerland holds a referendum on Sunday to decide whether to amend the country's constitution to ban the construction of minarets. Those are the slender towers attached to most mosques that are traditionally used to make or broadcast the Muslim call to prayer. The far right Swiss People's Party claims the minarets symbolize a politicized Islam. Opponents say the measure is a thinly veiled attack against the country's law-abiding Muslim citizens.


British Prison Withdraws Day Of Freedom

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

Officials at a jail in Lancashire, England, wanted to give inmates an incentive for good behavior. They created a raffle with a coveted prize: The winner would get an unsupervised visit into town. Nobody cleared the prize with the boss. The BBC reports the prison withdrew the prize in favor of some other award to be named later.


Dubai Fallout Sends Stock Markets Lower

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

International stock markets are down Friday. Asian stock markets plummeted nearly 5 percent as fears mount over the fallout from Dubai's massive debt problems. Investors have cut back their riskier bets on equities and commodities.


Brewery Launches World's Strongest Beer

November 27, 2009 06:00 am

A Scottish brewery unveiled its latest beer: Tactical Nuclear Penguin. It is 32 percent alcohol. That's many times stronger than a Budweiser, and almost as strong as whiskey. The brewer acknowledges criticism, but says customers are properly warned.


China Reveals Goals To Cut Carbon Emissions

November 27, 2009 05:14 am

The Chinese government has announced plans to slow its greenhouse gas emissions, but the formula allows emissions to rise as China's economy expands. China already leads the world in greenhouse gases. The announcement raises questions of how effective the plan will be on cleaning up earth's atmosphere.