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Host Bob Edwards speaks with Fiona Ritchie, host of NPR's The Thistle and Shamrock, about the original Halloween traditions of the Celts. They carved turnip lanterns, set out food for the dearly departed and sang for a treat. (3:34)

Citigroup turns to the head of an independent Wall Street research firm, Sallie Krawcheck, to restructure its stock research and investment banking divisions. The goal: restore investor confidence. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.

A study raises questions about the effect of the heart medication Digoxin on women. Researchers say women who take the drug have a higher death rate than men who take it. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.

In Texas -- a state 52 percent white -- the Democratic nominees for Senate and governor are minority candidates running against white opponents -- and seeking white votes. NPR's Juan Williams reports.

Host Bob Edwards speaks with Curtis Gans of the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate about the upcoming elections. He says absentee ballots are supposed to enable people to vote, but they may actually discourage voting. Gans says it's a case of voting reforms that backfired. (3:40)

Musician Jason Mizell -- Jam Master Jay -- is shot to death inside his New York recording studio. Police have made no arrests. Mizell, 37, was the deejay for the influential rap group Run-DMC. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.

Allan Rutter, head of the Federal Railroad Administration, says railroads are paying more attention to security in light of a recent FBI warning about a possible terrorist threat to U.S. railways. Rutter speaks to NPR's Bob Edwards.

There are reports that several terrorist attacks throughout the world since Sept. 11, 2001, are the work of a new group of al Qaeda leaders. NPR's Bob Edwards speaks with Douglas Farah of The Washington Post.

Elderly voters are at the heart of a tight Senate race in New Hampshire. Rep. John Sununu, a Republican, is tussling with Gov. Jean Shaheen, a Democrat, on issues such as Social Security reform. NPR's Mara Liasson reports.

The SEC investigates William Webster's selection to head an accounting oversight board after reports suggest SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt failed to disclose problems in Webster's resume to other SEC commissioners. NPR's Jack Speer reports.

Commentator Edmund Morris offers a parallel between the current Iraq situation and one from 100 years ago involving President Teddy Roosevelt and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. Edmund Morris is the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. Other books by Morris include Theodore Rex and Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan.

In the novel Hello to the Cannibals, author Richard Bausch writes about an aspiring modern playwright and her Victorian subject matter. Bausch speaks with NPR's Bob Edwards.

As the El Nino weather phenomenon returns, scientists, farmers and business people brace for its possible effects. But meteorologists say El Nino will be mild this year. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports.

Raisin farmers in California's Central Valley are losing thousands of dollars this year as the industry faces overproduction and a glut of grapes on the market. They hope the U.S. Department of Agriculture will help by paying farmers to pull up their vines. From member station KQED, Tamara Keith reports.

Israel's national unity government collapses, after the Labor Party abandons its partnership with Prime Minister Sharon's Likud Party. Hear NPR's Peter Kenyon and David Horowitz of The Jerusalem Post. Oct. 30, 2002.

Former Vice President Walter Mondale accepts Minnesota Democrats' nomination to replace the late Sen. Paul Wellstone on the Nov. 5 ballot. Mark Zdechlik of Minnesota Public Radio reports.

During the 36 years that Gen. Francisco Franco ruled Spain, tens of thousands of his political opponents went missing and are now believed to have been executed. Their descendants are still searching for the bodies in mass graves. Claire Marshall reports.

In Mexico, a former nightclub dancer has been accused of setting herself up as a plastic surgeon and injecting what she called collagen into breasts, buttocks and calves. In reality, officials say, the substance was a blend of industrial silicone and various oils. The case highlights the lack of medical oversight in Mexico. Hundreds have come forth alleging they were victimized. NPR's Gerry Hadden has more from Guadalajara, Mexico. (4:30)

As music legend Johnny Cash prepares to release another album, David Greenberger reviews two new CDs that pay tribute to Cash. They're called Kindred Spirits and Dressed In Black.

Minnesota Democrats meet to name a ballot replacement for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash last week. They are expected to nominate former Vice President Walter Mondale. Hear Mark Zdechlik of Minnesota Public Radio and Edward Walsh of The Washington Post. Oct. 30, 2002.

John Ydstie talks with Mark Zdechlik, reporter for Minnesota Public Radio, who is covering the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota. (3:00)

Ever since John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo -- the suspects in the Washington-area sniper case -- were arrested last Thursday, government attorneys from Maryland, Virginia, Alabama, Washington, D.C., and Washington State have been competing with the Department of Justice over first crack at prosecuting them. NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr is concerned that this competition may be at the expense of the interests of justice. (2:45)

Amy Wan reviews the debut CD from James Yorkston and the Athletes. It's called Moving Up Country. Yorkston is from Scotland and recorded the album in a cottage there. (3:30) The CD is on Domino Records, 2002.

Ed Walsh of The Washington Post profiles the familiar figure who will take late Sen. Paul Wellstone's place on the ballot. Walter Mondale was vice president under President Jimmy Carter, and a U.S. senator prior to that. (4:00)

Anne Sutton of member station KTOO in Juneau, Alaska, reports on the rigors of running a political campaign in a district that's bigger than many states. (4:30)