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Up to 40 percent of inmates in US prisons are infected with Hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that can cause fatal liver disease. Because treatment is expensive and often does not work, most prison systems are choosing to do little or nothing about the problem. Christine Arrasmith from member station KPLU in Seattle reports.

Commentator Reynolds Price muses on the reasons why the vivid ease and eloquence of letter writing has all but died out. He bemoans the loss of an irreplaceable source of history, expression and human encounter. He cites the lasting gift of a vivid letter from his grade school teacher about her first migraine.

Noah talks with John Brumgardt, Director of the Charleston Museum in South Carolina, about the raising of the wreckage of the H.L Hunley, a Confederate submarine. The H.L. Hunley is said to be the first sub in the world to sink an enemy warship. Brumgardt talks about how the wreck was pulled out of the water, and the plans to restore it for display at the Charleston Museum.

Commentator Carol Wasserman contemplates the realities of aging while floating like "a bed of kelp" off the beach in Massachusetts.

William Mercer, known to many listeners as the disk jockey, Rosco, died last week at the age of 73. Rosco worked on several radio stations on both coasts from the 60's through the 80's, and in the 90's was a sports announcer for CBS. Noah offers an appreciation.

As part of NPR's summer jobs series, Patty Murray reports from Door County, Wisconsin on the Peninsula Players. Professional actors and college students share meals and cabins all summer while putting on five plays. The director casts people willing to be "good campers" while appreciating the opportunity to concentrate on their craft among the pines by the lake. (5:00) Music played one minute before the hour: "Some Cow Fonque" from the CD "Buckshot LeFonque" by the band of the same name, headed by Brandford Marsalis, copyright 1994, Sony Music Entertainment.

NPR's Elaine Korry reports the advent of the Internet -- and Web-based travel companies -- has forced many travel agencies to change their approach or go out of business. While some agents have closed, others have specialized - in travel for disabled people, or in adventure travel. Still others have taken their businesses online in order to compete.

Moscow Times reporter Natalya Yefimova reports that an explosion ripped through a crowded underground walkway in central Moscow today, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens more. Police said the blast was apparently caused by a bomb planted in the passageway beneath Pushkin Square. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although the mayor of Moscow was quick to suggest Chechen rebels might be to blame.

NPR's Martin Kaste reports from Santiago that the supreme court of Chile has voted that former dictator Augusto Pinochet may be stripped of immunity against prosecution. That ruling clears the way for the aging general to be put on trial for the kidnappings and presumed murders of political opponents during the years when his military regime ruled Chile. Families of the so-called "disappeared" have been seeking information about the victims as well as prosecution of those responsible.

NPR's Gerry Hadden reports on a growing Buddhist movement in a seemingly unlikely country -- Mexico. He visited a Buddhist monastery in the western state of Vera Cruz. It's resources are being stretched by the growing popularity of its teachings.

Commentator Jim Sleeper says news that Senator Joe Lieberman will be the first Jew on a major national ticket says volumes about past mistakes of the Democratic party. He says Lieberman is a return to the party's center. Had the party kept Lieberman's kind of balance of faith and political pragmatism, of family values and social justice, says Sleeper, a lot of its faithful wouldn't have left to become neo-conservatives.

Twenty-eight states filed suit today, accusing the five major record labels of fixing prices on CD's. The suit follows a settlement earlier this year between the labels and the Federal Trade Commission over an FTC investigation into similar charges. Both involved an industry policy dubbed MAP - for "minimum advertised price" - the labels helped finance advertising for record stores that agreed not to sell CD's below a minimum price set by the labels. Today's suit was filed in New York. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports. 3:30

In Nashville today, Al Gore formally introduced his runningmate, Senator Joseph Lieberman. The two-term Senator from Connecticut is the first person of Jewish faith to be nominated for a major party ticket, and he thanked Gore "for making this miracle possible." The two Democrats then set their sights on the GOP ticket and the race ahead. NPR's Anthony Brooks was there.

Safety advocates today called on Ford Motor Company and Japan's Bridgestone Corporation, makers of Firestone tires, to pull certain models of truck tires off the market. Analysis of accident statistics show sport utility vehicles with these tire models are several times more likely to be involved in road crashes than similar SUV's with different tires. NPR's Mary Ann Akers reports. (4:00) Please note: The US Department of Transportation consumer hotline number to report tire incidents is 1-888-327-4236.

A new study shows the number of women and girls has surpassed the number of men and boys using the Internet. We hear some female students at Oakland Technical High School in Oakland, California talk about the sites they like to visit.

Commentator and musician John Paul talks about playing Trio Sonatas by J.S. Bach on A Lautenwercke (LOW-ten-work) -- a harpsichord with gut strings that give it the sound of a lute. (3:45) {STATIONS NOTE:} John Paul plays Lautenwercke with Shawn Leopard on a CD entitled "Johann Sebastian Bach: The Complete Trio Sonatas," from Lyrichord Discs Inc. Catalog number LEMS-8045. Copyright 2000.

The governor of Montana is expected to announce today the closure of vast areas of public land in the southwestern corner of the state. Nearly a million acres are blackened across the West as firefighters try to keep up with the worst wildfire season in fifty years. Kathy Witkowsky reports from Missoula, Montana.

Wireless phone and data service providers are in need of more "airwave real estate." As the number of customers for their products increases, wireless companies are ready to pay big money for use of the public airwaves. NPR's Larry Abramson reports the government is preparing to auction more frequencies. But there's a catch -- they're being used.

It now appears there will be two Reform Party conventions getting underway tomorrow in Long Beach, California. The party had planned to nominate its presidential candidate this week, but a preliminary meeting on delegate selection deteriorated, leaving a deep division among party activists. Noah talks to NPR's Andy Bowers.

Advances in medicine have made it possible for very small pre-term babies to survive. But these infants who survive still face high risks of developing disabilities. A study published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine puts some hard numbers to the rates of pre-term disabilities. This will help doctors and parents understand, at least statistically, what a baby's chances are for normal development. NPR's Allison Aubrey has this report.