Transcript

FLORA LICHTMAN, HOST:

Smartphones, tablets and computers could help seniors stay connected to their communities and families. But a hefty price tag, steep learning curves, and designs meant for younger eyes and hands could keep some older adults from logging on. Guests discuss the best ways for seniors to tackle new technology, and how devices can be adapted to accommodate older users.

North Carolina State University biologist Rob Dunn and colleagues surveyed people's pillow cases, refrigerators, toilet seats, TV screens and other household spots, to learn about the microbes that dwell in our homes. Among the findings, reported in the journal PLoS One, homes with dogs had more diverse bacterial communities, and higher numbers of "dog-associated" bacteria.

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.

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

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.

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.

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.

California just unveiled a wide array of choices for the 5.3 million people expected to qualify to buy coverage through its online marketplace established by the federal health overhaul.

It's the first disclosure of prices in the nation's most populous state for individual health insurance that complies with the Affordable Care Act, and the menu of affordable options surprised some consumer advocates and analysts who had been expecting premiums to be much higher.

Pianist and singer Barbara Carroll is an old and dear friend of Piano Jazz host Marian McPartland. In fact, Carroll was the second ever guest to appear on Piano Jazz when the show began 30 years ago. Carroll recalls 1979 as a banner year for her, as well — it's the same year she started what became a 25 year run performing at Bemelman's Bar, at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan.