Tell Me More on Xtra HD

Weekdays at 11:00am
Michel Martin

From the opinions of global newsmakers to listeners...personal experiences of life-changing travel...the wisdom of renowned thinkers, activists and spiritual leaders...and intimate dispatches of daily life around the world from NPR News correspondents on the ground...the NPR talk show Tell Me More brings fresh voices and perspectives to public radio.

Capturing the headlines, issues and pleasures relevant to multicultural life in America, the daily one-hour series is hosted by award-winning journalist Michel MartinTell Me More marks Martin's first role in hosting a daily program. She views it as an opportunity to focus on the stories, experiences, ideas and people important in contemporary life but often not heard.

"Tell Me More lets me bring together two longtime passions: the intimacy and warmth you experience with powerful radio and the lively, sharp debate about things going on in the world that I enjoy having with friends of diverse backgrounds. That can mean such diverse topics as immigration, gun control, the impact of shock jocks and international adoption," said Martin. "I see Tell Me More as a gathering place for dialogue about the important issues facing the country. But we also talk about the challenges and opportunities we all face living in a fast-paced, complicated society. And we are a home for conversations with NPR News' outstanding correspondents around the world, such as Ofeibea Quist-Arcton and Juan Forero."

Tell Me More focuses on the way we live, intersect and collide in a culturally diverse world. Each day's show features a variety of segments examining U.S. and international news, ideas and people; its range of topics covers politics, faith and spirituality, the family, finance, arts and culture and lifestyle. Some of the regular features include:

  • Dispatches - "on the ground" reports from NPR News correspondents based in Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas
  • Political Chat - a political roundtable of analysts, editorial writers and columnists
  • Wisdom Watch – featuring thoughts of distinguished "elder statespeople," including thinkers, scholars and activists
  • Faith Matters – a forum of spiritual leaders from the major faith traditions sharing opinion on issues of public concern
  • Postcards – listener-contributed content about life-changing travel experiences

Joining Martin is a wide-ranging slate of contributors. They include syndicated columnist Ruben Navarette, blogger Jimi Izrael, East/West Magazine editor Anita Malik, media commentator Keith Boykin and Harriet Cole, lifestyle editor at Ebony.

Tell Me More was first introduced publicly online beginning in December 2006 through a novel "open piloting" program development process launched by NPR titled "Rough Cuts." Martin and the show's producers provided listeners with a regular podcast and blog, all available through www.NPR.org, testing show ideas, offering sample segments, and soliciting user feedback.

Martin brought award-winning experience as a broadcast and print journalist when she joined NPR in January 2006. While developing the program, she has served as contributor and substitute host for NPR newsmagazines, talk shows and NPR News special coverage such as mid-term election night. Martin spent 15 years at ABC News as a correspondent for Nightline and other programs and specials, including the network's coverage of September 11, a documentary on the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas controversy and a critically acclaimed AIDS documentary. She also contributed reports for ABC News' ongoing series, America in Black and White. Prior to joining ABC, Martin covered state and local politics for the Washington Post and national politics and policy at the Wall Street Journal, where she was White House correspondent. She has also been a regular panelist on the PBS series Washington Week and a contributor to NOW with Bill Moyers.

Tell Me More is produced at NPR's worldwide headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is a production of NPR News in association with the African American Public Radio Consortium, representing 20 independent public radio stations that serve predominantly black communities.

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U.S.
10:58 am
Fri May 24, 2013

Why Former Gitmo Chief Left In Protest

President Obama is once again calling for the prison at Guantanamo Bay to be shut down, even though new polls suggest most Americans want it to stay open. But the chorus of critics has gained one surprising member: former Guantanamo Chief Prosecutor Morris Davis. Host Michel Martin talks with Davis about why he now feels the facility should be closed.

Food
10:58 am
Fri May 24, 2013

A Seat At The Table With The 'Queen Of Creole Cuisine'

Leah Chase's restaurant in New Orleans has served the likes of Thurgood Marshall, Sarah Vaughn and Duke Ellington. Now the legendary chef has earned the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award. Host Michel Martin speaks with Chase about her latest accomplishment.

Barbershop
10:58 am
Fri May 24, 2013

Price Too High For Being World's Top Military Force?

President Obama defended his administration's use of drone strikes this week. The Barbershop guys weigh in on that — plus the latest controversy around Tiger Woods, and the Boy Scouts lifting their ban on gay youth. Host Michel Martin speaks with writer Jimi Izrael, civil rights attorney Arsalan Iftikhar, sports writer Pablo Torre and columnist Jeff Yang.

BackTalk
10:58 am
Fri May 24, 2013

Famed NY Cop Serpico Calls Out Stop-And-Frisk Defender

Tell Me More host Michel Martin and editor Ammad Omar crack open the listener inbox. This week, listeners like former NYPD Detective Frank Serpico weigh in on a heated interview about the NYPD's controversial stop-and-frisk policy.

Faith Matters
10:58 am
Fri May 24, 2013

Minister To Lose Job After Performing Same-Sex Marriage?

When Methodist minister Reverend Thomas Ogletree officiated his son's same-sex marriage, he didn't think it would cause a stir. But now some New York United Methodist Church ministers are threatening to defrock him. He speaks with Host Michel Martin about the controversy and why he feels he's being singled out.

Music Interviews
1:50 pm
Thu May 23, 2013

Pitbull Gets 'Epic': 'You Constantly Have To Defend Your Success'

Originally published on Fri May 24, 2013 1:30 am

Arts & Life
12:03 pm
Thu May 23, 2013

HBCU President Asks Dr. Dre, Why Not Us?

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Moving on to other news in education, last week hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre and music producer Jimmy Iovine announced that they would be giving the University of Southern California $70 million to create a degree that will blend business, marketing, product development, design and liberal arts.

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Politics
11:32 am
Thu May 23, 2013

CBC Chair Marcia Fudge Wants Caucus To Be Heard On The Hill

Ohio Representative Marcia Fudge is still relatively new on the block. But she's established herself as the new head of the Congressional Black Congress. In the role, she's already been very vocal about whether the President is doing enough for people of color. Host Michel Martin talks with Congresswomen Fudge about her ideas for America.

Education
11:32 am
Thu May 23, 2013

Being Blind To Financial Need: Is It Worth It?

Millions of students rely on loans and grants for their studies. But with universities strapped for cash, fewer schools are able to admit students regardless of their financial need. Host Michel Martin asks the President of Iowa's Grinnell College, Dr. Raynard Kington, why his school considered putting a halt to need-blind admissions.

Can I Just Tell You?
4:30 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Powerball? America Already Hit The Jackpot

Credit iStock

Finally today, I'm still thinking about that massive Powerball jackpot last weekend. That caused me to think about what's wrong with Powerball — the most important thing, of course, being the fact that I didn't win. You know you feel the same way. I'm sure I would have been a good winner. Like Oprah, I would use my powers for good and not evil. Like, I might buy a Bentley out of the showroom window, just to prove to myself that I could. But then I'd settle down and endow scholarships, and fix up blighted storefronts, and invest in local businesses.

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Art & Design
12:40 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Tattoos Still Taboo?

America has a love/hate relationship with tattoos, but body ink is becoming more and more mainstream. Host Michel Martin speaks with Fatty, the owner of Fatty's Custom Tattooz in Washington, D.C, about America's fascination with tattoos, and the fading cultural taboos.

Around the Nation
12:35 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Sandy Hook's Future: What's To Become Of The School?

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Now we'd like to turn to a story that more than five months later is still painful. In the aftermath of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December, the Newtown, Connecticut community had many tough decisions to make. One of them was just what should happen to the elementary school where 26 people were killed.

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Law
12:35 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

The Argument For Stop-And-Frisk

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Today, as you would expect, we are continuing to follow events in Moore, Okla., where residents are recovering from the impact of a deadly tornado. We decided to call on leaders from Joplin, Mo. Two years ago today, that town was also hit. So we thought this would be a good time to check in on Joplin's recovery, and see if there are any lessons Joplin residents can offer their neighbors.

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Art & Design
12:35 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Styling The NBA

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. For the end of our program today, we want to talk about two aspects of American style. In a few minutes, we're going to talk about tattoos. They used to be something you got when you went into the Army or to jail, but now they've gone mainstream. We'll talk with a leading tattoo artist about that in just a minute.

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Law
1:02 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

The Difficulties Of Proving Racial Profiling

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. We'd like to start today by mentioning that, as you would imagine, NPR is continuing to follow developments concerning that deadly tornado that struck Oklahoma yesterday. We hope you will stay tuned to your public radio station or check our website, npr.org, for the latest updates.

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Money Coach
1:02 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Market At Record Highs, Why Is Investment At Record Lows?

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

We're going to switch gears now and take another look at the stock market. Last week about the same time, we talked about how the Dow has been hitting record highs, but did you know that stock ownership in this country is at record lows? According to a recent Gallup poll, only about half of Americans, 52 percent, now own stocks. That's the lowest level since Gallup started tracking that number back in 1998.

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Technology
1:02 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

My Social Security Number Is Posted Where?

Credit Matt Anzur / Scripps Howard News Service
The private information Linda Mendez submitted to get discount cellphone service appeared on a publicly accessible website.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 2:26 pm

Sensitive personal information belonging to thousands of applicants to a government phone program was exposed to the public on the Internet, according to a new investigative report from Scripps Howard News Service.

The federal program is called Lifeline, and it reimburses phone companies for providing service to low-income Americans.

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Parenting
1:02 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Getting Rid Of My Breasts, A Lot Of People Didn't Understand

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but maybe you just need a few moms in your corner. Every week, we check in with a diverse group of parents for their common sense and savvy advice.

Today, though, we are talking about a difficult decision that both mothers and daughters face, sometimes together. It's the question of whether to get genetic testing for breast cancer and what to do when you find out that you are at high risk.

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Politics
12:17 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

Decades Of History Behind IRS Flap

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 12:21 pm

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. Coming up, when you think about poverty in this country, you might think about certain people living in certain places. It turns out that some of those old assumptions are wrong. For example, more poor people now live in the suburbs. We'll talk about why that is in just a few minutes.

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Books
12:17 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

Christine Ha: From MasterChef To Home Kitchen

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 12:21 pm

When Christine Ha won MasterChef in 2012, she blew the reality TV show judges away with her Vietnamese influenced cooking. But what really impressed viewers was that she had total control in the kitchen, even though she's blind. Host Michel Martin speaks to Christine Ha about her new cookbook Recipes from my Home Kitchen.

Pop Culture
12:17 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

'Scandal' Creates Twitter Frenzy

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 12:21 pm

Social media was ablaze during the season finale of ABC's hit political thriller Scandal. Host Michel Martin asks Gene Demby, blogger for NPR's Code Switch team, what it is about the show that makes it ripe for Twitter chatter — especially among African Americans.

Health Care
11:31 am
Fri May 17, 2013

Nearly Half The Country Doesn't Know Health Law Exists

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 12:51 pm

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

I'm Celeste Headlee and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Michel Martin is away. Coming up, we go to Ohio where black business owners are meeting to swap some new ideas. Basketball legend Magic Johnson even got a lead on an investment there. We'll tell you more about that in just a few minutes. But first, House Republicans voted yesterday to repeal President Obama's signature healthcare law - again.

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Barbershop
11:31 am
Fri May 17, 2013

Could The President's Week Get Any Worse?

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 12:51 pm

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

I'm Celeste Headlee. This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Michel Martin is away and it is time yet again for a visit to the Barbershop. That's where the guys talk about what's in the news, what's on their minds.

Read more
Business
11:31 am
Fri May 17, 2013

How Best To Encourage Black 'Teenpreneurs'

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 12:51 pm

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. Michel Martin is away. I'm Celeste Headlee. Coming up, it's National Bike to Work Day, but many millennials prefer two wheels to four. Why more 20-somethings are driving less. That's just ahead.

Read more
Health Care
12:32 pm
Thu May 16, 2013

Gosnell Verdict Raises Questions About Access To Abortions

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 2:32 pm

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Later in the program family members of both the suspects in the Cleveland kidnappings and the Boston Marathon bombings have denounced them. And that made us wonder about the family members of other people who have been accused of horrible acts. So we reached out to two of them - the daughter of a serial killer and the brother of the Unibomber will both be with us in just a few minutes.

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Books
12:32 pm
Thu May 16, 2013

From Fame's Leroy To Jay-Z

Credit Courtesy New York University Press

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 2:52 pm

Looking for Leroy is a new book by Mark Anthony Neal that takes a look at how high profile black men like Jay-Z, Denzel Washington and Barack Obama shape our perceptions of black masculinity in America. He sat down with Tell Me More's Michel Martin.

Inspired by Fame

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Mental Health
12:32 pm
Thu May 16, 2013

When Your Dad Is A Killer, How Do You Cope?

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 2:32 pm

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Later in the program we will speak with writer and scholar Mark Anthony Neal about his new book, "Looking For Leroy." It's about how black men on stage, screen and on the radio shape and reshape how we think about black men in everyday life. That's in just a few minutes.

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The Two-Way
12:26 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Play Ball: Little Leaguers Get Assist From 'Pitch In' Charity

Credit Pitch In For Baseball
Little League baseball players in New York, where donations have helped teams and leagues get the 2013 season started.

This year's Little League baseball and softball season is under way — and in the Northeast, some teams and players have taken the field again, despite losing vital equipment to Hurricane Sandy. Many donations were handled by Pitch In For Baseball, which gathered used and new gloves and helmets for the players.

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Politics
12:03 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

DOJ Seized Records Because 'Lives Were At Stake.' Really?

Originally published on Wed May 15, 2013 12:26 pm

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Later in the program we'll talk about a story that another U.S. service member is being investigated for sexually abusing subordinates. This after a survey showed that service members reported tens of thousands of sexual assaults last year alone. We'll speak with three women in the Beauty Shop who know a lot about this subject to talk about why this problem persists and what can be done about it.

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Movies
12:03 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Actress Regina King On Why She Loves 'The Sandlot'

Originally published on Wed May 15, 2013 12:26 pm

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Next, our colleagues at the NPR program WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED have been asking some of their guests - particularly people in the film business - about the movies that they never get tired of watching.

Today, we hear from actress Regina King. Her credits include "Jerry Maguire" and "Ray." She currently stars on the TNT television show "Southland." The movie she could watch a million times is "The Sandlot."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FINGER POPPIN' TIME")

HANK BALLARD: (Singing) Finger poppin'...

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