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Hurricane relief funds helped pay for a vacation to Hawaii, a sex-change operation and season tickets to football games, according to a government audit. Madeleine Brand discusses the fraud and how the government plans to deal with the problem with Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX). McCaul's House subcommittee is holding hearings Wednesday about the misuse of relief funds.

GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain is still facing questions on whether he sexually harassed women in the 1990s. But now his wife may step up to his defense. Reports say she'll do an exclusive interview with Fox News. Host Michel Martin discusses political spouses' roles with The Washington Post Political Reporter Nia-Malika Henderson, and The Chicago-Sun Times Washington Bureau Chief Lynn Sweet.

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to feast with friends and family, watch some football and to rest up, because the frantic holiday shopping season begins early the following day. But not to worry, NPR's Alex Chadwick has one suggestion on how to unwind. A storied spirit that's making a comeback in the new world-Plymouth Gin.

In his book The Hockey Stick And The Climate Wars, Michael Mann discusses what he calls a well-funded campaign to discredit climate change. He describes efforts by opponents with ties to the fossil fuel industry to harass climate scientists and create doubt about climate change.

Stephenie Meyers' four-novel Twilight saga set off a rage for lovelorn teen vampires ---one that only escalated after the release of the first hit movie. The second film, New Moon, set box-office records for advance sales, but critic David Edelstein says it's too turgid for the excitement to last.

One Indian-born writer calls Mumbai the "New York of India" and says that's a reason why it was targeted in Wednesday's attacks. Suketu Mehta is a journalism professor at New York University and author of Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found. He speaks with Steve Inskeep.

There's nearly a year to go till the 2012 Presidential election and already the Republican field has faced off for at least ten debates since May. That intense schedule has helped boost the campaigns of more polished candidates, while sinking the public perception of those who stumble.

St. Louis, Mo. held a parade for veterans of the Iraq War in January 2012 that drew an estimated 20,000 participants and 100,000 spectators. Fifteen other cities are considering similar parades, but some argue that such celebrations should not be held while the war in Afghanistan continues.

A panel of experts takes the pulse of opera today and discuss its possibilities for the future.

The California wildfires are threatening the Mount Wilson Observatory, which houses two giant telescopes and several multimillion-dollar university programs. Hal McAlister, the director of the observatory and a professor of astronomy at Georgia State University, says Mount Wilson is a superb site for astronomy because of its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which helps produce steady star images.