Morning Edition
Hands Of An Artist: Daniel French's Lincoln Memorial
Daniel Chester French's solemn white marble sculpture of Lincoln has presided over history since its 1922 dedication. A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., looks at its creation.
Price Fight: Coke Isn't It At Costco
If you're a member of Costco, the nation's largest wholesale club, you may be surprised to learn that Coca-Cola's products are no longer on the shelves. The two companies are locked in a rare public dispute over the price consumers pay for beverages.
'The Onion': Mocking All Who Deserve It Since 1988
America's Finest News Source has released a book celebrating its 21 years of satire (with a wink). Onion editors Joe Randazzo and Joe Garden talk with Renee Montagne about the serious business of being funny. Also: See the fun The Onion has had at NPR's expense.
Financial Crisis Is 'Green' For The Environment
New studies are projecting that carbon dioxide emissions — greenhouse gas emissions — will decrease for the year 2009. That is thanks to the global recession. But the reprieve is small and expected to be short lived.
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Goldman Sachs Shareholders Want More Of Profits
Goldman Sachs' shareholders are pressuring the company to reduce the huge bonuses it pays its employees, according to The Wall Street Journal. The investors want to share in more of the profits. Goldman reportedly has been making record amounts of money, but analysts expect earnings for shareholders to be lower than in previous years.
Industry Hopes Auto Shows Rev Up Demand
The auto show season kicks off early next month in Los Angeles, and not a moment too soon. November auto sales remain weak. Analysts say the shows are critical to generating the consumer demand that companies such as General Motors need to start making money.
'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' Breaks Record
The new combat videogame "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" has blasted away previous entertainment records. The game's publisher ActiVision says it raked in more than $550 million in the first week of sales. That's more than last year's top selling video game "Grand Theft Auto IV."
New Guidelines Issued On Cervical Cancer Screening
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued new guidelines for cervical cancer screening — delaying the start of Pap smears for young women and cutting back on the frequency of the tests. The guidelines were announced just days after a different group caused a furor by recommending that most women wait until they're 50 to start getting mammograms.
Students Protest University Of Calif. Fee Hike
Thousands of University of California students converged on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles Thursday, as regents adopted a 30 percent fee hike. It's one of the latest signs of California's continuing economic crisis. UC officials say, faced with a huge deficit of their own, they have no choice but to raise the fees. Many students say they can't afford to pay more.
Senate Tries To Strike Balance On Abortion Language
The fight over health care has moved to the Senate, and that means the fight over abortion is there as well. Earlier this month, the House passed legislation that would ban federal funding of abortion, but most Democrats say it went too far. Can the Senate's version find a compromise?
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U.S. Soldiers Cheer Iowa High School Football Team
An Iowa high school football team is boosting the morale of troops in Afghanistan. Dozens of U.S. soldiers will be rooting for the Little Hawks from Iowa City, to bring home a state championship. One soldier's email to a football coach started the long-distance relationship.
Oprah To End Talk Show After 25th Season
Oprah Winfrey's production company says she plans to end her talk show in 2011, after 25 seasons on the air. Winfrey plans to announce the final date for her show during a live broadcast Friday. Matt Belloni, an editor at the Hollywood Reporter, talks with Renee Montagne about Oprah's decision.
State Department Office Reaches Out To Muslims
A new division opened in the State Department this year: the office of the Special Representative to Muslim Communities. Farah Pandith's mission is to reach out to the world's 1.2 billion Muslims. She tells Steve Inskeep the office will influence how Muslims perceive the United States.
Bank Robber Leaves Wallet Behind
Albert Perkins lost his wallet. He took it out at the bank, and that's the last time he saw it. What makes it awkward is that authorities say Perkins was robbing the bank at the time. Perkins left his wallet on the counter of the First Federal Bank in Kansas City, Mo. Police used the driver's license to identify the robber, leading to Perkin's guilty plea.
Drug Paraphernalia Disguised As Ornaments Seized
Customs authorities in California seized a large shipment of Christmas ornaments from China. They weren't meant to adorn any tree. More than 300,000 pieces of drug paraphernalia were seized. The items were disguised as glass figures and Christmas ornaments.
Pelosi: Obama Needs Room To Make Afghan Decision
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says she believes a health-care bill will pass, despite fierce debate over language about abortion. She tells Renee Montagne that when it comes to Afghanistan, she doesn't sense wide support among House members for a significant troop increase. Pelosi says she's asked members to give President Obama room to decide his Afghan strategy.
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Fungus Provides Clues To North American Extinctions
One of the great mysteries about North America is what killed off woolly mammoths and other exotic animals that roamed the land after the last ice age. Ideas have ranged from a comet impact and climate change to human hunters. A study published Friday in Science Magazine provides new clues about this — cleverly deduced from samples of a fungus that grew on the animal's dung.
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House Votes To Cancel Medicare Pay Cuts For Doctors
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was able to get the bill passed while the Senate couldn't by appending it to a more popular bill. Republicans complained the cost of the measure was not offset and also charged that it was repayment to the AMA for endorsing the Democrats' health care bill.
Under A 'New Moon,' A Surprising Lack Of Passion
If you have teenage girls in your life, you don't need to be told that New Moon, the second part of The Twilight Saga, hits movie theaters this weekend. Even though the world may have had enough of star-crossed sweethearts Edward and Bella by the series' end, critic Kenneth Turan says there's not enough of them in this installment.
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Flood Of Immigrants To Long Island Sparks Tension
People born and raised in Suffolk County, N.Y., complain about dozens of people living in single-family homes; immigrants complain that they are victimized by locals. An Ecuadorean day laborer was murdered last year, allegedly by teenagers who said they regularly looked for immigrants to bash.
