Tell Me More

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. Coming up, all eyes will be on London tomorrow when the city opens this summer's Olympic Games. And I don't know how this happened that our tickets got lost in the mail, but since they did, all this week, we are meeting some of the athletes who will be representing the United States. Today, we meet water polo player Tumua Anae. We'll talk with her and see how she's getting ready in just a few minutes.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

With the 2012 Summer Olympics in London just over the horizon, it occurred to us that for every Lebron James and Michael Phelps, there are less heralded athletes who will be wearing the red, white and blue who are equally dedicated and proud to represent their country. We wanted to meet some of them, so today, we are joined by Tumua Anae. She's a goalkeeper for the U.S. Women's Water Polo Team, and she joins us from Los Alamitos, California, where she's been training.

Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us.

Actor Sherman Hemsley was best known for his role as George Jefferson on the hit sitcom The Jeffersons. He died Wednesday at the age of 74. Host Michel Martin speaks with Tampa Bay Times media critic Eric Deggans about the actor's career and the impact his roles had on TV and in our culture.

The Beauty Shop ladies weigh in on the passing of astronaut Sally Ride and why her death has become a political issue. They also discuss the shootings in Aurora, Colorado. Host Michel Martin checks in with blogger Viviana Hurtado, editors Bridget Johnson and Danielle Belton and Deepa Iyer of South Asian Americans Leading Together.

The President of Ghana unexpectedly died Tuesday, and Ghana's former Vice-President John Dramani Mahama has been sworn in as the country's new leader. The peaceful transition is in contrast to past coups and political problems. Host Michel Martin recently spoke to Dramani Mahama about the Ghana's turmoil, which he details in his new autobiography My First Coup D'Etat.

In the early years of HIV and AIDS, Haiti was considered an epicenter of the epidemic. As dignitaries from around the world meet for the 19th International AIDS Conference, host Michel Martin speaks to Haiti's First Lady Sophia Martelly about the Caribbean island's progress against the epidemic and challenges that persist.

As the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Women's Soccer team, Sydney Leroux has been called one of the most dangerous forwards at her level. This year, she has played in nine games and scored seven goals. Five of those goals were in one game. Host Michel Martin speaks with Leroux about her passion for soccer and her hopes for the Olympics.

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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 we had to bring up an issue that seems to have moms all over the country talking and writing and blowing up the blogosphere. We're talking about maternity leave.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. In a few minutes we will remember the first American woman in space, Sally Ride. She died yesterday after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. We will talk with two other trailblazing women in the space program in just a few minutes and they'll tell us about her life and legacy.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Coming up, as sports fans around the world look forward to the start of the Olympics, we'll check in with a star of the U.S. women's soccer team, Sydney Leroux. We'll have that conversation in just a few minutes.

But first, we are taking a closer look at the life and legacy of a pioneering American, Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. She died yesterday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61 years old.