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The first all-civilian space mission into orbit is expected to take flight from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening. Private company SpaceX is running the mission — not NASA.

Maryanne Zeleznik of member station WNKU reports that jailers in Kentucky can now charge inmates up to $50 per night plus administrative fees for their stay in the county jail. Supporters say the income will take some of tax burden off law-abiding citizens and hope that the additional penalty will act as a deterrent to potential law-breakers. Opponents believe that the additional financial burden could lead former inmates back to a life of crime to pay for their jail time.

Commentator Andrew Lam remarks on the substance of e-mail conversation. He says a friend of his complains that although she hears from him more by e-mail now, she misses him more and knows him less than when he wrote letters. Their conversation is shallower. There's a high price for digital communication; language is streamlined and intimacy lost.

Reporter Alix Spiegel reports on a growing movement in cities across the country -- Urban Exploration. She accompanies three explorers into an unused New York City subway tunnel. These urban explorers seek out the dark, forbidden and difficult to reach corners of the city -- defunct drainage systems, "no access" hotel roofs, the occasional city hall -- those places least accessible. The explorers describe the places as the frontiers of the urban landscape. The wear dark suits and ties -- "urban camouflage" and share their findings and adventures with other urban explorers via the Internet.

NPR's Larry Abramson reports on Congress's struggle with a couple of communications issues: whether to require cable systems to open their lines to outside Internet providers, and whether local phone companies will be allowed to offer long distance data transfer. These issues are becoming a major target for industry lobbyists on all sides of the issue, and the result has been a stalemate as to the best way to speed deployment of hi-speed Internet access.

Robert talks to Jorge Lang, an alternate juror in the Florida tobacco trial. He is returning to his job at a medical supply company after two years on the jury, and talks about what it was like to serve. The jury decided on Friday that the tobacco industry must pay 145-billion dollars for damage to smokers.

NPR's Tovia Smith reports on the ruling by a federal appeals court that upholds most of Massachusetts' restrictions on tobacco advertising. The court ruled that the restrictions do not violate the First Amendment.

NPR's Debbie Elliott looks at what comes next in the Florida smokers lawsuit, now that the jury has returned a $145 billion dollar judgement against the tobacco industry. Lawyers for the tobacco companies and the plaintiff's attorney have differing views on how the case should proceed next. Since this case is so unusual, there's no blueprint for how to move forward.

Alan Cheuse reviews Eater, a new novel by Gregory Benford, a physics professor at the University of California's Irvine campus. Benford is one of the country's most prolific and successful writers of science-fiction. (2:00) Eater, by Gregory Benford is published by Avon.

Linda talks with Andy Kohut, Director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, about the part Catholic voters will play in this year's presidential election. Traditionally, as a block, Catholics have voted as Democrats, but the abortion issue is attracting Catholics to the Republican party.