The NCAA laid out severe penalties against Penn State University today - in light of a child rape scandal. The school's football team has been banned from post-season play, docked scholarships, fined heavily, and stripped of past victories. Michel Martin discusses the penalties with Sports Illustrated's Pablo Torre.
Asian-Americans are a rapidly growing population in the United States, and a new report finds the majority are not Christian. According to the Pew Research Center, half of Asian-Americans are either Hindu, Buddhist, or not affiliated with any religion. Continuing Tell Me More's conversation on faith, host Michel Martin speaks with Pew senior researcher Cary Funk about some of the surprising statistics she found in the study.
This week in the Barbershop, the guys talk about the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. A gunman opened fire in a Colorado theater in which the film was being shown. Host Michel Martin checks in with writer Jimi Izrael; civil rights attorney Arsalan Iftikhar; columnist Jeff Yang and film critic Wesley Morris.
Many cities around the country are faced with growing costs and shrinking revenue. Despite making sweeping cuts, Stockton, California recently became the largest city to file for bankruptcy. Host Michel Martin talks with Stockton Mayor Ann Johnston about how she's managing a city that's operating in the red.
Tell Me More host Michel Martin and editor Ammad Omar dig through the listener feedback in Backtalk. This week they mark the end of "Linsanity" for fans of the New York Knicks, and the American Gaming Association weighs in on a story about casinos.
Christian missionaries devote time, energy and billions of dollars to helping African children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. But sometimes well-meaning efforts can do more harm than good. In this week's Faith Matters conversation, host Michel Martin speaks to writer and journalist John Donnelly about his new book, A Twist of Faith: An American Christian's Quest to Help Orphans in Africa.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's tenure at Bain Capital and his refusal to release more extensive tax records continue to dog his campaign. Host Michel Martin takes up these topics and other political news of the week with Republican strategist Ron Christie and Joy-Ann Reid, managing editor of The Grio.com.
The Syrian conflict has been declared a civil war by the Red Cross and violence continues with no end in sight. Many civilians have been forced to leave Syria for neighboring countries. Tell Me More brings the story of one man who is living in a Turkish refugee camp with his family and host Michel Martin discusses whether the conflict has reached a turning point with Al Jazeera International's Abderrahim Foukara.
Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama are dominating the airwaves, but they aren't the only people running for president. Dr. Jill Stein is running for President as the Green Party nominee. She started her career as a medical doctor and is now campaigning on issues like the economy, education, and health care. Host Michel Martin speaks with Dr. Stein about her "Green New Deal" and why she says choosing a third party is anything but a wasted vote.
Elaine Chao made history when she became the first Asian American woman appointed to a U.S. president's cabinet. She served as Secretary of Labor under George W. Bush, and before that directed the Peace Corps. But making her mark on the U.S. was not easy. As a child, she spent 37 days traveling by boat to get from Taiwan to America. Elaine Chao talks about her journey and her career with host Michel Martin.
People around the world are marking 'Mandela Day' by doing 67 minutes of public service — that's one minute for every year he spent fighting for human rights. Host Michel Martin speaks to Mandela's granddaughter Tukwini Mandela to find out how the South African elder statesman is celebrating his 94th birthday.
Black gay and bisexual men now account for one in four new HIV infections in America, according to a new report by the Black AIDS Institute. Host Michel Martin speaks with director Phill Wilson about what's behind this alarming trend. Martin is also joined by Cornelius Jones, an HIV-positive artist.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist was among the earliest black journalists to gain a wide following in mainstream media. His insights into education, poverty, race and crime were published in The Washington Post and appeared in more than 200 other newspapers. Host Michel Martin recalls the life and work of Raspberry, who died Tuesday at age 76.
The cliche "every vote counts" is sure to get a workout this election season. A new report from the National Urban League says the African-American vote could play a critical role in November. Host Michel Martin talks with Chanelle Hardy of the National Urban League and David Bositis of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
More seniors are texting, e-mailing and using Facebook. They say social media helps them stay connected to family. Host Michel Martin talks with grandmothers Barbara Graham and Denise Crenshaw about how they got plugged in. Grandparents.Com editor Ellen Breslau also joins the conversation.