Morning Edition on WRVO-1: NPR News

A clerk was standing in a San Diego 7-Eleven when Gumby walked in. Or rather a person dressed as Gumby. The clerk thought it was a joke so the robber tried to reach for his gun. But the costume's bulky green gloves got in the way. Gumby and an accomplice fled.

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DAVID GREENE, host:

Good morning. I'm David Greene.

Here's a story about lobsters in shorts. Not wearing shorts. The lobsters were inside a guy's pockets. Police in Mississippi say the man was caught shoplifting at a supermarket. In his shorts: two bags of jumbo shrimp and two live lobsters. Police Chief Wayne Payne put it best: Good thing the rubber bands didn't break. The perpetrator prefers his seafood. Police say he also took a pork loin, but he threw that at employees.

David Greene talks with NPR's Mike Pesca about the start of the NFL regular season. It kicks off tonight with the New Orleans Saints traveling to Green Bay to take on last year's Super Bowl champs, the Packers.

Steve Inskeep and David Greene report on yesterday's plane crash in Russia that killed 43 people — including most of one of Russia's most prominent ice hockey team.

Reporting from Afghanistan, Morning Edition's Renee Montagne looks at the city of Jalalabad. That's where top al Qaida leaders were last seen as they fled Kabul, and disappeared into the mountains of Tora Bora on their way to Pakistan.

David Greene and Steve Inskeep have business news.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is banning clergy-led prayer at this weekend's events marking the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The mayor's office says he wants to avoid disagreements over which religious leaders participate. Some religious groups are calling the ban a sign of prejudice against religion.

Morning Edition has been asking business people for their one idea on how to help fix a part of the economy. Tim Brown, CEO of the design firm IDEO, talks to Steve Inskeep about his idea of reviving apprenticeships.

In 1971, computer scientist Michael S. Hart typed the text of the Declaration of Independence and made it available on a computer network so others could read it as well. It was an electronic document, and he created what you might think of as the prototypical e-book. Before his death this week at the age of 64, Hart founded Project Gutenberg, which provides free digital literature, to spread literacy.

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It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning, Im David Greene.

STEVE INSKEEP, host:

And Im Steve Inskeep.

Just a few months ago, many Republicans seemed to assume that their candidate for president would be a long shot in 2012.

GREENE: But now President Obama is looking more vulnerable, so Republican candidates attended a debate last night, knowing that one of them could have a real chance to win.

INSKEEP: First, of course, they battle each other. Former front-runner Mitt Romney faced with the current front runner, Rick Perry.

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DAVID GREENE, host:

And let's turn now to Libya, where the capital Tripoli is rapidly rebounding from the fighting that ousted Moammar Gadhafi from power. Less than three weeks after the rebels launched their assault on the city, shops are re-opening, the water and electricity are back on, and garbage is being picked up. Tripoli's new city officials are also working to re-establish security. NPR's Jason Beaubien is in the city and sent us this report.

President Obama, in a joint session of Congress Thursday night, will announce his plan to get more Americans working. David Greene speaks to David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal about the challenges Obama faces promoting a jobs program and reviving the economy.

Kansas is one of several states trying to increase licensing requirements and regulations for clinics that perform abortions. The state has enacted a new set of rules but a lawsuit has prevented them from taking effect. On Wednesday, Kansas officials held a public hearing to consider changes to the rules.

It's been 20 years since Hisham Matar's father disappeared. He was a vocal opponent of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and was kidnapped while living in exile in Egypt in 1990. Just as Gadhafi's regime was collapsing this summer, Matar published Anatomy of a Disappearance, a novel about an exile who is kidnapped, as told from the perspective of his teenage son.

New Mexico wants to make itself a home for new technology. And so it's welcoming a tech company that's building an entire new city — with no residents. The model metropolis would be designed to test everything from renewable energy to intelligent traffic systems.

Take 800 pounds of chicken, 500 pounds of onions and add carrots, bok choy and peanuts. And you've got the world's largest stir fry. Yes, the people at Guinness World Records keep track of this. The frying pan at the University of Massachusetts was 14 feet across.