Tell Me More

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, one of the country's largest unions, is facing a difficult climate. Local governments are slashing employee pensions and state governments are considering measures to curb collective bargaining rights. Host Michel Martin talks with Lee Saunders, AFSCME's new president.

The bipartisan National Governors Association is meeting in Virginia, where they aim to tackle big issues, like how to grow state economies amid national uncertainty. Guest host Maria Hinojosa speaks with Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, a Republican and outgoing chair of the National Governors Association.

Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray is under a criminal investigation into possible corruption during his 2010 bid for office. Three city council members recently called for his resignation. Guest host Maria Hinojosa gets the latest developments from Washington Post Reporter Nikita Stewart, who is covering the story.

In Rumor, Repression and Racial Politics, author George Derek Musgrove looks at the history of black elected officials being investigated for alleged wrongdoing. He examines the role of race in U.S. politics between 1965 and 1995. Musgrove shares his research with guest host Maria Hinojosa.

The Barbershop guys weigh in on Joe Biden and Mitt Romney's appearances at the NAACP convention. They also discuss the latest revelations about the Penn State sexual abuse scandal, and the fury over some U.S. Olympic gear being made in China. Guest host Maria Hinojosa talks with Jimi Izrael, Arsalan Iftikhar, Lester Spence and Michael Steele.

Transcript

MARIA HINOJOSA, HOST:

And now it's time for BackTalk. That's where we lift up the curtain on what's happening in the TELL ME MORE blogosphere. Editor Ammad Omar is here again, so Ammad, what do you have for us today?

AMMAD OMAR, BYLINE: Well, Maria, I want to start with an interview we did last week with Academy Award-winning actor, Morgan Freeman, and he said something about President Barack Obama that set off quite the controversy.

Tell Me More is one of the most recent additions to NPR's roster of high-quality news and information programs.  It joins the 89.9 WWNO schedule Monday, July 23, and will air weekday afternoons at 2:00 p.m.

Tell Me More is hosted by former Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and ABC News journalist Michel Martin — who recently talked with WWNO's Fred Kasten about Tell Me More and how she got involved.

Guest Host Maria Hinojosa talks with Kamala Harris, California's Attorney General about the state's newly passed "Homeowner Bill of Rights." The law, which was signed yesterday by Governor Jerry Brown, makes it harder for lenders to seize a property and allows homeowners to sue to stop a foreclosure process.

This week, a federal panel is hearing arguments for and against a voter ID law in Texas. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says the Texas voter ID law is like a modern poll tax. Guest host Maria Hinojosa talks more about the issue with Rep. Jose Aliseda, who testified at the hearing. He's a Republican State Representative for Texas who was born in Mexico.

Transcript

MARIA HINOJOSA, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Maria Hinojosa. Michel Martin is away. Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Cortes earned his 15 minutes of fame - and then some - back in 2010 with his first English language film, "Buried." The suspense thriller gained huge critical acclaim at Sundance and received over 30 awards at film festivals across the country.