National News from NPR

(A new top and some other material were added to this post at 11:50 a.m. ET.)

Jon Corzine is now the unofficial "poster child of the times" and the "fall guy" that all those who blame Wall Street for much of the nation's economic troubles can point to, Reuters columnists Antony Currie and Jeffrey Goldfarb write.

The headlines this morning on the websites of The Atlantic and National Journal certainly grab your attention:

-- "The Ally From Hell." (The Atlantic)

-- "The Pentagon's Secret Plans To Secure Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal." (National Journal)

The most-anticipated economic news of the week — word about the October unemployment rate and, hopefully, how many jobs were added to payrolls last month — is due at 8:30 a.m. ET.

A month ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the jobless rate in September was 9.1 percent and that 103,000 jobs were added to private and government payrolls.

The butcher shop R.J. Balson and Son began selling sausages and bacon in 1535 when Henry VIII was king and still married to Anne Boleyn. Twenty-five generations later, owner Richard Balson tells the Daily Mail his son will join the business next year — and that son has a son too.

A cleaning woman working at the Ostwall Museum in Berlin noticed a wet stain on the floor by a modern-art sculpture. She scrubbed away the stain, not realizing it was part of the piece called, "When It Starts Dripping From the Ceiling." Back in 1986, another cleaner in Germany wiped away a grease stain valued at 400,000 euros.

With Greece in flux over whether it'll remain in the eurozone, other weak economies like Spain are feeling the heat.

The worst could be yet to come in Spain — not because of public debt, but because its banks are still laden with unpaid real estate loans, putting both the banks and the housing market in jeopardy. Real estate prices in Madrid are still high, though salaries are frozen and unemployment soars. When Ireland's housing bubble burst, prices dropped more than 40 percent. But in Spain it's an 18 percent drop on average.

Swat Valley was once Pakistan's premier vacation spot. The area is trying to regain its appeal after regional conflict and massive floods. Co-hosts Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne report on an effort underway to rebuild Swat Valley's economy.

A story in The Atlantic uncovers new information about the alliance between the United States and Pakistan, including a move by Pakistan to disperse its nuclear weapons in civilian vehicles after the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Host Steve Inskeep speaks to the author, Jeffrey Goldberg, about what's been discovered.

At the G-20 summit in Cannes, France, Europe's leaders are trying to reassure their colleagues that they have control of the debt crisis. While the G-20 would have preferred a broad agenda, Europe's troubles have overshadowed everything else. Host Renee Montagne speaks with NPR's Eric Westervelt.