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Because of a unique collaboration between Quakers, Italians and Mexicans, half the nation's mushrooms are grown on farms near Kennett Square in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Poet Wislawa Szymborska of Poland died this week at the age of 88. Renee Montagne talks to Lawrence Weschler about her death. He covered Poland in the 1980s and '90s as a staff writer for The New Yorker. And Weschler has written about her in his books including his latest Uncanny Valley.

Richard Diebenkorn's studio stood next to the Pacific Ocean, but he was more interested in light than water. For 20-plus years, Diebenkorn worked on 145 paintings — incandescent, geometric canvases that captured the soft, pale light of Southern California.

After his remarks about rape and pregnancy, Missouri Republican Todd Akin faces an uphill climb in his Senate contest against Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill. One expert says that to attract moderate voters, Akin must steer the conversation to the economy.

The transition from one role to the other is difficult, and many have failed making the attempt. Nelson Mandela was a rare example who succeeded in both jobs. In addition, he willingly stepped down after one term in office, setting an example for a young democracy.

Since the Toronto mayor admitted to smoking crack, he's been portrayed as a bumbling, error-prone addict, whose everyman persona has helped him maintain his popularity in Canada's most populous city. But we wondered: Who is Rob Ford really?

With the election settled, Washington and Wall Street are focused on whether Congress and a re-elected president can avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff." Renee Montagne talks to David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, about the automatic budget cuts and tax hikes that would happen if an agreement can't be reached by early in the new year.

Lawrence Wright's Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief looks at the world of the controversial church and the life of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who died in 1986.

The largest railroad terminal in the world opened its doors for the first time in 1913. And while Grand Central Terminal, in the heart of New York City, no longer serves long-distance trains, it is still a vibrant part of the city's ecosystem.

With the global auto industry gathered in Detroit this week for the city's renowned auto show, Renee Montagne talks to Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne about his company's stunning turnaround, manufacturing overseas and a Chrysler IPO.