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Polling stations in Haiti stayed open into the night for the country's first presidential election since Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted two years ago. There were some violent incidents and a few deaths were reported, but the balloting was largely free from the widespread violence so many had feared.

Now that the deadly bird flu virus has spread to poultry in northern Nigeria, experts say it is almost certain to spread further in Africa. Nigeria's poultry population is estimated at 140 million birds, and the nation appears ill-equipped to stamp out the virus.

In the 2004 election, citizens in 11 states amended their constitutions to define marriage as between a man and a woman. This year promises to be a rematch of that question: As many as 10 states will consider an amendment to ban gay marriage.

Some players of online role-playing games are so determined that they will pay real money to get ahead. Steve Inskeep talks with Julian Dibbell, who wrote about the tax implications of this practice in a recent issue of Legal Affairs.

Ben Smith, a.k.a. The Politicker, tells Scott Simon how he distills political news for his New York Observer blog. He also notes some fellow blogs he tries to read on a daily basis.

The picture book How to Be a Good Dog is quite an engaging read. And Lulu, the ever-clever canine, has plenty of good things to say about it herself.

Steve Inskeep tries out the new Fusion razor by Gillette, which boasts five blades. To test it out, he shaved one-half of his face with the Fusion and one-half with the four-blade Quattro, put out by Gillette's competitor, Schick.

Sen. Sam Brownback, a social conservative who played a key role in recent Supreme Court nomination battles, doesn't deny being interested in running for president. But the Kansas Republican says it's too early to talk about 2008 yet.

The Veterinary Genetics Lab at UC-Davis has been called "the CSI of the four-legged world." The lab, directed by Beth Wictum, uses DNA samples from pets and other animals to help solve a variety of crimes.

Embattled Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announces changes in the way the Federal Emergency Management Agency deals with major disasters. New measures include a full-time response force and an improved tracking system for supplies.