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NPR's Julie Rovner compares the health insurance plans of Presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush. Both offer some form of tax credits for uninsured people to obtain coverage. Some analysts say the tax incentives are structured in such as way, that they may not substantially reduce the number of people who don't have health insurance.

The Exorcist was just a movie. But as NPR's Kitty Eisele discovered, exorcism can also be a family affair. She retells the story of her great-great-uncle's devil-purging experience in the 1800s.

Host Lisa Simeone reads the most recent batch of letters and e-mail from listeners.

Muslims and Arab-Americans have been working hard this year to become a political force in the United States. However, they say they are seeing some unwelcome roadblocks. NPR's Shirley Jahad reports.

Host Lisa Simeone talks with Jeff Cardille, founder of www.nadertrader.org, a Web site that encourages voters to swap their vote. Cardille says this idea will help Al Gore win the White House and secure the more than 5 percent of the national vote needed by Ralph Nader to qualify for federal election funds in 2004.

Host Lisa Simeone talks with Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Souief whose latest novel is called A Map of Love. The book melds the cultures of East and West through a plot that covers political upheaval, two parallel love stories and the often hidden world of Arab women.

Host Renee Montagne talks to NPR's Cokie Roberts about this week's political developments. With the Presidential election just one-week away, national surveys are indicating that both Vice President Al Gore and George W. Bush are in a virtual tie.

As Israeli-Palestinian violence continues in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is in negotiations with Likud leader Ariel Sharon to form what he's calling a national emergency government. Barak now has 30 votes out of a 120 member Knesset which means his government could easily fall in a vote of no-confidence leading to new elections. NPR's Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem.

Charles Perkins, the man who was at the forefront of Australian Aboriginal struggles for civil rights, died this month at the age of 64. Perkins, who has been called the Martin Luther King, Jr., of indigenous Australians, was the first Aborigine to earn a university degree and play professional soccer. Host Lisa Simeone talks with Diane Bell, a George Washington University professor who knew Charles Perkins.

Host Renee Montagne talks to reporter Jon Miller about the latest developments in Peru. Yesterday a group of soldiers staged a revolt seizing a southern mine and taking five hostages including an army general. Ever since the release of a video showing spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos apparently bribing an opposition member of congress, Peru has been embroiled in turmoil.

NPR's John Burnett examines the controversy surrounding a study by two law professors that found major errors in almost 70 percent of death penalty cases. The report stated that the errors were serious enough to warrant a retrial. But not all legal scholars agree with the work, or its definition of what an error was. The study titled, A Broken System, reviewed more than 45-hundred death penalty cases from 1973 to 1995.

NPR's John McChesney reports on some of the uses of Global Positioning System, or GPS. A newer use of GPS is to beam location based advertisements to cell phones, or hand-held computers.

A Preview of tomorrow's Holloween visit to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Host Renee Montagne takes the tour with owner Tyler Cassidy. Today, they stop by the crypt of Rudolph Valentino, the wildly popular star of silent movies.

Commentator Jeff Biggers explains why he plans to vote for Green Party Presidential candidate Ralph Nader. He says his parents and siblings are going to vote for Al Gore, and they're trying to persuade him to do the same.

NPR's Linda Gradstein reports that Israel's parliament, the Knesset resumes its session today as Prime Minister Ehud Barak fights for his political survival. Barak has the support of only 30 percent of the 120 member Knesset and is trying to save his government by forming an alliance with opposition leader Ariel Sharon.

Dancer and performer Gwen Verdon died this week at age 75. She was known as the best interpreter of choreographer Bob Fosse's work, and well-remembered as the red-haired temptress Lola in the musical Damn Yankees. Kim Kokich knew Gwen Verdon and has this appreciation.

NPR's John Nielsen reports that marine biologists are searching the waters along the coasts of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and Southern California for signs of the organism known to some as "killer algae." "Colepra Taxifolia" is widely believed to have first appeared in the Mediterranean. It doesn't actually harm people, but it does disturb underwater coastal ecosystems.

Host Lisa Simeone talks to Robert Lind about his bumper sticker campaign against sports utility vehicles. Lind produces and places bumper stickers on SUVs which encourage owners to switch to smaller vehicles that are more environmentally friendly. He has a website called Changing the Climate.com, which SUV owners can visit to learn more about his campaign to get gas guzzlers off America's highways.

This week the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by more than 400 points in just a few hours, before recovering and ending the week with a gain. Yet other October market surprises - the Crash of 1929, the skidding stock markets of 1987 - made us wonder if there's something about October that just rattles investors. Host Lisa Simeone puts the question to David Hale, Chief Economist of Zurich.

Kathy Witkowsky reports from Montana's Bitterroot Valley on the after-effects of this summer's wildfires. Without underbrush to keep the soil in place, the fires have led to floods and erosion. The federal government is encouraging homeowners to protect their soil, but with no mandatory program, the danger remains.

Critic Kenneth Turan reviews the movie One. The movie is set in San Francisco, and focuses on a gifted ex-minor league baseball player and his oldest friend. Turan says part of the movie's power comes from the director's subtle manipulation of quiet moments.

Host Bob Edwards talks with film-maker Vince Dipersio about his latest project, Hate-dot-com. The documentary examines how hate groups use the Internet to spread their ideology and recruit new members.

Host Bob Edwards talks with NPR's Cokie Roberts about recent developments in the presidential campaigns and what can be expected from the candidates in the final weeks.

NPR's Tom Goldman reports from New York, where the Yankees won their 14th straight World Series game last night, 6-5 over the Mets. This latest win puts the Bronx team up two games to nothing as the series heads to Queens to finish on Mets' home turf.

As part of NPR's series on The Changing Face of America, NPR's David Molpus reports on workplace equity between parents and non-parents. Some childless workers say they have to work more so that parents can tend to their children. They complain they are the ones expected to pick up the slack during work crunches and holidays.