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The phrase "get your goat" comes from the long-ago world of English horse training. Goats were one of the many ploys used by trainers to keep the nerves of their racing horses calm before a race. Stealing a rival's goat on race day was one way to gain an edge on the track.

On Oct. 30, 1938, H.G. Wells' science-fiction story about an invasion from Martians was heard on the Columbia Broadcasting System, adapted into a radio play by film auteur Orson Welles. But many listeners across the country believed that the play was an actual news report.

Politics has taken center stage in China's bid for oil. Last week, a Chinese oil company bid more than $18 billion for Unocal, a California-based oil company. Many members of Congress say the bid should raise national security concerns.

The former mayor of Tehran, a hardline conservative with relatively little political experience, will be the new president of Iran. The margin of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory surprised many and is seen as a major setback for moderates. He promises a "modern, advanced, powerful and Islamic" nation.

The Medicare program that helps the elderly and disabled pay their medical bills turns 40. The legislation was decades in the making, and the final bill was written in just two days, a result of compromises and expediencies. Many health planners feared it would fall apart. But it has become one of the most popular government programs ever.

The slow-moving Ivan, now a tropical storm, is carving a path through the South. As many as 1 million people may be without electricity. Authorities have been assessing deaths, injuries and damages as drenching rains soak Alabama and Georgia Thursday. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports.

In a speech to the American Legion, Sen. John Kerry details what he calls the Bush administrations' many failures in Iraq. Kerry criticizes President Bush for not giving U.N. inspectors more time before the war and for failing to plan for the postwar period. NPR's Greg Allen reports.

John Kerry's choice of John Edwards as his running mate leads many Democrats to hope his enthusiasm and optimism will boost Kerry's chances for the presidency. Their Republican opponents, meanwhile, intend to use Edwards' lack of experience and ties to trial attorneys against him. Hear NPR's Mara Liasson.

A car bomb kills at least 47 and injures 50 more as it explodes near an army recruitment center in Baghdad. The attack is the second in as many days to target Iraqis seeking to work with the U.S.-led coalition. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

Sen. John Kerry has solidified his frontrunner status, winning seven of nine Democratic presidential contests -- and five of the seven state races decided Tuesday. Just months ago, many political observers were dismissing Kerry as an also-ran. NPR's Mara Liasson reports.