A team of reporters tracking police shootings discovered an alarming trend - people brandishing phony weapons getting shot in confrontations with cops. Today, we'll learn about real fatalities with fake guns and why the pro-gun lobby is protecting the right to bear imitation arms. Also today, a New Hampshire high school confronts stereotypes and the national spike in hate crimes by asking refugee students to talk about their lives and cultures.

Asked to imagine a "medieval city", you probably think of Europe or the Middle East - walled fiefdoms, bustling market stalls, maybe a castle, cathedral or dome of a mosque - not the American plains. Today, we'll learn about the Native American mega city that was bigger than contemporary London and Paris. Plus: a boy. A girl. A forbidden love. The tragic storyline transcends time and place. The folktale of "Layla and Majnun" inspired the first Middle Eastern opera, the classic rock song "Layla",

California newspapers once wrote that Chinese immigrants had "most of the vices and few of the virtues of the African". Until 1940, Asian Americans earned less than whites...and less than black Americans too. All that changed just a few generations. Today, how Asian Americans became a "model minority." Then, from unidentified noises to a story of heartbreaking loss, we scour the audio landscape for sound we can't help but share. Morning Edition host Rick Ganley joins us for the latest

For addicts in recovery, the holiday season is a kind of Bermuda triangle. Those fizzy days of celebrations and indulgence can leave them feeling excluded. Today, a literary companion to recovery - just in time for the holidays. Then, how many times have you heard Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You" this holiday season? Each year it returns to the Billboard top 40. We'll hear a musician's case for why it not only deserves the air time, but also a place in the American songbook.

Since 2011, authorities have attempted to curb the growing opioid epidemic by monitoring prescribers, limiting doses, and cracking down on so-called pill mills. The goal is to limit access to addicts. But what do those restrictions mean for the estimated 25 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain? Plus, The Seventh Fire - a documentary follows two men through the cycle of poverty, addiction, and crime on a northern Minnesota Indian reservation.

They come with ribbons, they come with tags, they come in packages, boxes and bags. On today’s show it's a seasonal special that's all about gifts. From the bizarre variety featured in the Neiman Marcus fantasy gift catalogue to our own selection of fantasy presents - and try and figure out just what they say about us. Plus, Chanukah gifts, Native American potlatch traditions, and the pros and cons of so-called smart gifts. It’s our little gift to all of you.

The holidays are fast approaching, and for the procrastinators among us, the online retailer Amazon.com offers a ray hope. But what if the gift you've purchased isn't what it claims to be? Today, the supply and demand chain for counterfeit goods Then, in the early days of cinema, soundtracks were played live. A single pianist or orchestra accompanied those early silent films with sometimes written and sometimes improvised, music and sound effects. The Alloy Orchestra keeps that tradition alive

Forty-thousand African Americans died fighting during the Civil War - more than a million enlisted in World War II. Military service is often seen as emblematic of America's best qualities - but the record shows that, instead of being honored, African American veterans were disproportionately targeted, beaten and lynched throughout American history. Today on the show: America's history of targeting black veterans. Plus, the city that put a bird on it decides to put a tax on it - wage gaps that

From Victorian mourning jewelry, to religious sacrifice, to fake weaves, hair is freighted with meaning and one of the most versatile and sought after fibers in the world. Today, the history and logistics behind a billion dollar global hair industry. Then, much of the information about the universe as we know it - where objects are, what they're made of, how they're classified - was plotted by a group of computers at Harvard University in the mid-19th century, but those computers weren't like

Someone suffering from a major depressive episode may have trouble getting out of bed - sleep too much during the day, and then suffer from insomnia at night. Today, an experimental, and counter-intuitive treatment for depression. Plus, the benefits of being bored. Whether we're sitting quietly for a cup of coffee, or taking a walk without a destination, one author argues that setting aside time to do nothing can make us more creative, and teach us more about who we really are - she even has