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Las Vegas is set to claim the title of city with the largest Ferris wheel, but not for long. New York City plans for a taller wheel, and rumors swirl that Dubai may top even that. Host Scott Simon talks to John Russick, director of Curatorial Affairs at the Chicago History Museum, about the first ever Ferris wheel, which debuted at the 1893 World Fair in Chicago.

Despite penguins, lions and gorillas battling for Hollywood supremacy, 2005 will go down as a box office disappointment. But NPR critic Bob Mondello says the year's films were high on quality.

Washington Post national security reporter Dana Priest's book Top Secret America looks at the top-secret intelligence and counterterrorism network created after Sept. 11. "No one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, [or] how many programs exist within it," she says.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently fired the city's police superintendent. Now, residents will get to have a say about who should lead the country's second-largest police department.

Restaurant Magazine publishes its list of the top 50 restaurants worldwide. For 2005, The Fat Duck in Bray, Berks, England took top honors. The magazine chose The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif. as the best in the Americas. Restuarant surveyed a panel of more than 500 international chefs, critics and restaurateurs.

Nothing says "Happy Holidays" better than 3-D goggles. Or perhaps an inflatable wetsuit for big-wave surfing. Those are two of the top gadgets of the year, according to Popular Science magazine's "100 Best Innovations" issue. To tell us a little more about some of those innovations, Editor-In-Chief Mark Jannot joins host Scott Simon.

Receipts left behind in Timbuktu show how the terrorist network tracks its expenses, The Associated Press reports. From minor amounts spent on food to much more spent on meetings, al-Qaida records expenses much like a multinational corporation would, the wire service says.

A well-respected consumer advocacy organization in Germany claims that Ritter Sport's popular chocolate product contains synthetic aroma. It has ignited a fierce court battle. But Ritter Sport says the aroma is natural, extracted from plants like dill or vanilla.

With three public meetings done and three more to go, the January 6th committee is laying out its case against former President Donald Trump.

President Biden points to January 6, 2021, as a reminder of what's at stake in the 2024 presidential election.