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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Now why don't we take a little music break with the occasional feature we call IN YOUR EAR. That's where some of our guest tell us about the songs that inspire them or just make them dance. Today we hear from a writer who decided to dig deeper into what we know about Martin Luther King Junior and other prominent African American men.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. Later in the program, we will meet with actress and producer Rita Wilson. She says passing the big 5-0 has liberated her from her creative rut and is editor-at-large of the Huff/Post50 website. She's now launching a new literary section and inviting other 50-somethings to get those creative juices flowing. She'll tell you more about that in just a few minutes.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Coming up, we'll head into the Barber Shop to get the buzz on some hot topics in the news. But first we want to hear about another place to hang out to find out about what's going on in the world. That would be the Internet. And while a lot of people might think that that's the domain of the younger set, it turns out that there is a thriving online world catering to 40 and 50-somethings.

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And now it's time for BackTalk. That's where we hear from you. Editor Ammad Omar is with me once again. What's going on today, Ammad?

Twitter is a way for people to send short messages about almost everything — from what they ate for breakfast, to their political opinions. But it's also a space where people are voicing racist and homophobic points of view. A new study from Humbolt State University looks at just where some of that hate speech is coming from.

Fast food workers have been going on strikes in major cities nationwide. They're demanding higher wages, but some critics are asking why they should have it their way. Host Michel Martin hears from both sides of the debate.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. Now, a lot of people think they're divas, but Audra McDonald has actually earned the title. She's graced Broadway theaters for more than 15 years, and she has won a stunning five Tony awards, her most recent last year for her role in the Gershwins' "Porgy and Bess." But the Broadway stage isn't big enough to contain her talent. She's filled concert halls around the country and the world, dazzling audiences with her soaring voice.

When the crackdown against pro-democracy protests started in Bahrain, blogger and online activist Ali Abdulemam went into hiding. He was later tried in absentia by a military court for plotting against the regime. Host Michel Martin speaks to Abdulemam about his escape from Bahrain, and how he now feels about his country.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Later in the program, we'll have the latest developments in the case of George Zimmerman. That's the man charged with murdering the unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida. That's a case that's gotten a lot of national attention. We'll have the latest developments there.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Now we want to turn to a case that's captured the attention of many people in this country. It's the trial of George Zimmerman. He's the self-appointed neighborhood volunteer who fatally shot the unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin back in February of 2012. Zimmerman's trial on charges of second degree murder is set to begin June 10, but there was some preliminary business yesterday, including a request by the defense to delay the trial once again.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Coming up, if you are at all interested in matters of health and spirituality, then you have probably heard the name Deepak Chopra. Well, it turns out there is another one like him at home. His brother Sanjiv Chopra is an accomplished physician in his own right, but he chose a different course for his life. We'll talk with both of them together about their new joint memoir, "Brotherhood, Dharma, Destiny, and the American Dream." That is later in this program.

For many children, summer break is filled with activities like math classes and language lessons. That's leading some parents to wonder what ever happened to a laid-back summer of playing outside and riding bikes? Host Michel Martin speaks with a roundtable of moms about 'minimalist parenting.'

The brutal murder of a soldier in London, and riots in Sweden's capital, Stockholm, have people feeling uneasy in surrounding European communities. To find out more, host Michel Martin talks with NPR's Europe correspondent Phil Reeves, and Mehdi Hasan, political director of The Huffington Post United Kingdom.

The city of Detroit owes billions of dollars to creditors. Now, the city's emergency manager is trying to figure out how much the city's assets are worth, including pieces at the Detroit Institute of Arts by painters like Van Gogh, Matisse, and Warhol. Host Michel Martin talks about the possibility of selling Detroit's art collection.

When a teenage Pakistani girl accused four men of rape, she was told to stay quiet so she wouldn't bring shame to her family. Instead, she promised to fight all the way to the Supreme Court. Her story is shown in the new Frontline film Outlawed in Pakistan. Host Michel Martin speaks with the filmmakers.

Some people believe competition is an art, others say it is a skill. A recent book suggests it's neither — and there's actually a science behind winning. Host Michel Martin speaks with authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman about their book, Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing (This interview originally aired on Feb. 25, 2013 on Tell Me More).

Forgiving someone who's done you wrong can be challenging, but learning how to do it can benefit your mind and body. Frederic Luskin of the Stanford Forgiveness Project writes about this in his book, Forgive For Good. He joins host Michel Martin to talk about why learning to forgive is worth it (This interview originally aired on Feb. 22, 2013 on Tell Me More).

You've probably heard that forgiveness reduces stress and can provide peace and closure. But Slate advice columnist Emily Yoffe says that's not always true. She tells host Michel Martin that sometimes it's better to cut ties, especially in the case of abusive parents. Psychiatrist Richard Friedman also joins the conversation (This interview originally aired on Mar. 11, 2013 on Tell Me More).

For some veterans, the war is not over when they come home. Host Michel Martin speaks with two former servicemen, Benjamin Fleury-Steiner and Leo Dunson, about some of the difficulties African-American veterans face after returning to civilian life.

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.

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Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington. That sounds like the guest list of a party you wish you'd been invited to. And in a way, you were, because all of these famous names were regular visitors to one of New Orleans' best loved restaurants.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.