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Before there was Bernie Madoff, there was Ivar Kreuger, the man John Kenneth Galbraith called the Leonardo of scammers. When Kreuger, an extremely successful and much-admired businessman during the 1920s, killed himself in 1932, investors discovered that his financial empire, based in the manufacture of matches, was made of sand, built out of complex financial instruments that are the forerunners of today's derivatives.

National Geographic's Tom O'Neill documented three defectors' escapes along the Asian "underground railroad." He tells NPR about their terrifying journeys, and how the defectors continued to hide even when they made it to South Korea.

Where do stem cells come from? And, what can they be used for? We speak to the co-author of the new book, Stem Cells For Dummies.

Palin Power

There are some nicely wrapped cinematic gifts as well as expensive coal in area theaters this holiday season. We'll ask our critics about the new Coen brothers movie "True Grit," see how "Tron" stacks up as a sequel, and find out if the hype is deserved for "The King's Speech."

Bill Lerach, a San Diego-based class-action attorney, was once known as "the knee-capper of corporate America." After winning $45 billion in fraud judgements against corporations like Enron, Citibank and Drexel-Burnham, in 2007, Lerach pleaded guilty to one federal conspiracy charge of obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to two years in prison and lost his license to practice law. He is the subject of the new book "Circle of Greed."

What's your favorite kind of craft beer? Why are IPAs so popular right now? What are sour beers? And, how did San Diego become the premiere craft beer town in the nation? We'll answer your questions, and discuss the latest trends in the craft beer world with some of the top breweries in town.

Congress defeats legislation that would have required all Internet traffic to be treated equally as it moves across the network. Telephone and cable companies want to start charging higher rates for faster and preferential connections.

How will big changes at NASA impact the local aerospace industry? We speak to participants in the upcoming SpaceUp unconference about the local space exploration industry, and how the nation's space exploration goals have evolved over time.

Thailand's political unrest is hurting its tourism industry. After protesters seized the country's two main airports, tourists started canceling their holiday plans. The airports are open, but Thailand's image has been tarnished.