Morning Edition

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 it reeking of a knockoff.

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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.

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• Despite Incentives, Outlook Flat For Holiday Sales
• Iffy Consumer Outlook Clouds Holiday Hiring

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.

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Sensations on the skin can help people understand speech, according to a study in the journal Nature. The study builds on decades of research showing that the brain often uses visual information to augment hearing — making people "whole-body perceiving machines," says one researcher.

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• Sounds During Sleep May Help You Remember

Scientists in California are experimenting with carbon banking. The idea is to manage forests so they absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and slow down global warming. Countries could, in essence, be paid to turn their forests into carbon banks.

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The Black Keys are known for their stripped-down, blues-inspired music. But in a new project called BlakRoc, they are breaking into the world of hip-hop and collaborating with rappers like RZA and Pharoahe Monch.

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