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This week PBS will present Benjamin Franklin, an unblinking look at the remarkable founding father whose industriousness furthered the cause of science and whose diplomatic skills helped win American independence. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks with documentary writer Ron Blumer and Ellen Hovde.

NPR's Chris Joyce reports on the difficult job of border guards who are learning to better prevent the trade of nuclear weapons materials. The guards are training to identify "dual use items," those things can be used as explosives or detonators may also have more benign applications.

A federal judge in Los Angeles temporarily blocks a portion of a new law that bars non-citizens from working as airport baggage handlers. The ACLU says the citizen requirement is irrational since it doesn't affect other airport employees. NPR's Rachael Myrow reports.

Businesses and insurance companies hope the Republican Congress will bring a renewed push to reform the system of class-action litigation. NPR's Rachael Myrow reports.

Is it OK to gloat privately at a former friend's misfortune? What should you do about the gift you really don't like but are afraid to toss? Randy Cohen, who writes The Ethicist column for The New York Times Magazine, joins NPR's Steve Inskeep for this week's installment of ethical dillemas from our listeners. (If you wish to pose an ethical question to Randy, write to the broadcast via email: watc@npr.org Put the word "ethics" in the subject line, and leave a daytime phone number.)

An El Al airplane lands safely in Istanbul after security guards overpower a man who tried to storm the cockpit hijack the aircraft, which carried 168 people. The plane was heading from Tel Aviv to Istanbul. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

Host Bob Edwards speaks with Senators-elect Mark Pryor (D-AR) and John Sununu (R-NH). They talk about the upcoming legislative session, why their campaigns were successful, how difficult the next session may be for compromise, possible war on Iraq, and the GOP election victory.

Jad Abumrad reports on a recent controversy at Columbia University's Journalism School that has sparked a larger debate over the future of the news business. The university's new president Lee Bollinger has questioned the hands-on emphasis of the school's curriculum, concerned that skills training may be denying students exposure to the theory-driven side of journalism. But faculty insist that they offer students a complete education, and argue that the climate in today's professional press make practical training a must.

Many economists agree that the nation's housing market is strong and that, overall, home values should continue to rise. But home prices are cooling in Boston and other cities that have seen dramatic run-ups in recent years. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.

NPR's Cokie Roberts joins Bob Edwards for a weekly discussion of the news.

Climate change activists often use the slogan, "Think globally, Act locally." Some states are taking that to heart. A number of states have taken steps to address global warming issues on their own. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

President Vladimir Putin has limited options when it comes to ending the war in Russia's breakaway Chechen republic. But he's less eager to negotiate with Chechen separatists after October's deadly theater siege in Moscow. NPR's Lawrence Sheets reports.

The Senate continues debate today on legislation to create a new Department of Homeland Security. The House has already passed the measure that will lead to the biggest government reorganization in more than 50 years. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

The frontier is long gone, but the American West clings to some of its roots. Morning Edition presents a series of profiles of people who are inspired by the region's landscape, resources and culture. The series concludes with Montana writers Judy Blunt and Rick Bass. NPR Online offers excerpts of their works.

In Birmingham, they've got two governors. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman and Republican challenger Bob Riley are both claiming victory in the race to be Alabama's chief executive. Siegelman wants a recount. Hear from Jackie Judd and Tuscaloosa News reporter Tommy Stevenson.

Commentator Patt Morrison says the exclusive Senate Spouses Club, where some of America's best known "better-halves" have been gathering for decades, is due for another shuffle in membership.

Many people do not understand the difference between debit and credit cards. That was exemplified when we took an unscientific survey of people on the street in Washington, D.C. So, Lynn Neary turns to Ronnie Roha, associate editor of Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, to answer the question at hand.

Public health officials and AIDS experts meet in North Carolina, seeking new strategies to combat HIV and AIDS in the South. It's the only region of the country where the number of new cases is rising sharply. NPR's Brenda Wilson reports.

The FBI warns that al Qaeda may be planning what the FBI terms a "spectacular" terrorist attack. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice says Americans should "remain vigilant" and that U.S. authorities are working behind the scenes to protect the nation's "critical infrastructure." NPR News reports.

Video game enthusiasts have been able to play against each other online for years. But manufacturers hope the increased availability of high-speed Internet access will bring them online in mass numbers. On Morning Edition, Marty Demarest reports on Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo's varying online strategies for their game consoles.

A Texas man's resourceful plan to observe Veteran's Day with a marathon road trip is interrupted by police on Capitol Hill.

Onetime New Yorker Diane Kochilas moved to Greece in the early 1990s, to sample the country's culinary delights. On The Tavis Smiley Show, she shares her love and knowledge of Greek cuisine -- and a few recipes from her new book, The Glorious Foods of Greece.

Census figures show Nebraska's "Third City" can't really make that claim anymore, so townfolk decide a nickname change is in order.

A luxury hotel in Switzerland loses its red carpet, and burglary suspects in Australia head fro the wrong fence.

House Democrats elect Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as their leader over rivals Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN). Pelosi follows Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO) as House minority leader, and becomes the first woman to hold the post. NPR News reports.