Tell Me More

More than 200,000 Americans who carry HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are unaware of their status. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has now started a program that offers rapid testing at drug stores and pharmacies. Host Michel Martin discusses the program with Dr. Kevin Fenton, the Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at the CDC.

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. We're continuing our series called Make Me Laugh. All summer long we're talking to some of the country's most popular entertainers, who have brought their unique comedy styles to film, television and standup.

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.

President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are dominating the airwaves, but they aren't the only people running for president. Dr. Jill Stein is running 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 Stein about her "Green New Deal" and why she says choosing a third party is anything but a wasted vote.

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.

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.

How do you bake that perfect, mouthwatering pie when you can't even see how the crust and glaze are coming along? Vietnamese-American grad student Christine Ha has found a way. She is the first legally blind contestant on the reality TV show MasterChef. She's even impressing Gordon Ramsay, the notoriously brutal chef and judge. Christine Ha tells host Michel Martin how she does it all.

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Now, 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 commonsense parenting advice.

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.

New — and perhaps surprising — information has come up in the case against George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who fatally shot Trayvon Martin in February. A woman known as 'Witness 9' is accusing Zimmerman of sexually molesting her for about a decade, beginning when they were young children. Host Michel Martin gets the latest developments from NPR's Greg Allen.