With all of the Obama fanfare, we're also mindful that Monday, Jan. 19th, is the day we honor the life and sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- just over 40 years since his assassination.

Questions for you:

What types of inauguration stories would you like to hear from TMM?

If you're making the trip to Washington, great! ... But if not, tell us how we can help make you feel as close to the news as possible with our reporting -- on the radio, and here on the Web.

At a time like this, which voices are you longing to hear from? ... Are there personal experiences, thoughts or observations you think we should consider?

And, if you aren't an Obama fan (in other words, if you'll be holding your applause), how are you thinking about all of this, and what are your hopes for the next administration?

Working hard to tell you more ...

Oh, great, now they tell me.

OK, here. So today:

Illinois Senate appointee Roland Burris is rejected today on Capitol Hill. What now? And ... Franken? Senator Al Franken? He says yes, GOP says no.

Bailout, what happened?

A new Frontline documentary, about Katrina. Check out The Old Man And the Storm:

And, mommies who blog ... how fun is that?

Tomorrow we are working on: more about Congress...a story about gay marriage...is Gay Marriage the right fight for right now?

We got started on this idea by some opinion writers who were critical of the gay political leadership for putting so much emphasis on gay marriage to the exclusion of other issues. The columns questioned whether the gay marriage fight is helping or hurting the efforts to achieve full civil rights and social acceptance for same sex-loving men and women. So we invited a roundtable of folks who've been having this discussion/debate to have it with us.

Too long already? Sorry.

I have to give kudos to my staff for pulling together some important bookings for today's show over the weekend. It's not as easy as you might think, especially since last week was New Year's. And although we were here on Friday, Jan. 2, a lot of the people we wanted to reach were out of pocket.

Today, We wanted to follow up on the stories that reached critical mass last week -- one here, one abroad.

We wanted to talk to some voices that are easily disappeared during a time of conflict, the peace activists on both sides. Listen to our conversation with advocates of non-violence Abu Sammi and Vivian Silver. Silver is an Israeli. Abu Sami, which is, of course, a family name he uses because there are still concerns about his safety owing to his activism in Gaza, is a Palestinian who has since relocated to Ramallah. As we were speaking to him on the air, he was on his way to a hospital to locate a child who had been sent from Gaza after being told a child was being sent there without any family.

You can hear the strain in both their voices.

And the carnage at home: another in our conversations about why the murder rate among young black males has surged in recent years when that does not seem to be happening in other groups and in other communities. Last week, we reported on the study. Today, we wanted to go deeper so we found two mothers who have both lost sons to gun violence -- Sylvia Banks in Detroit, and Karen Graham in Milwaukee. We also spoke with Ron Moten, an ex-offender and co-founder of Peaceaholics, an anti-violence group that works to try to stop urban violence.

We'll have more to say in the days ahead because we can't sit here and act like we don't know this is happening in our own communities.

Among our staff, we talked about whether having a conversation about obituaries was a bit too much, but I hope you'll agree with us that the stories we talked about were not depressing at all.

I bet you all know an unsung hero whose passing deserved notice. How wonderful that these 11 Washingtonians' lives were memorialized by this fine writing. Here they are. Tell us what you think.

Let's hope your new year is getting off to a good start.

Michel Martin

What can I say?

We hope you had a good year. And if you didn't, we hope next year will be better.

Come to think of it, even if you did have a good year we hope next year will be better.

Here's to more interesting stories, more stimulating conversations, more people feeling like they understand each other in ways they didn't, and more connections to people at home and around the world.

Here's to all of our listeners who make what we do possible and worth doing in the first place.

From all of us at Tell Me More ...

Happy New Year.

Cheers!

iStock

We're looking for those New Year's resolutions that, this year, you promise to keep.

Resolving to start a business? ... Get in shape? Will you finally take that dream vacation ... or maybe find love (especially if you plan to find love while on your dream vacation ... but we know that's a stretch).

Tell us what you're aiming for in 2009, and how high you're aiming.

Happy New Year!

Mark Szelagiewicz stands at the DHL airport hub entrance just moments after he was layed-off December 18, 2008 in Wilmington, Ohio.

John Moore/Getty Images

If you listen to us in the morning, I hate to start your day off with grim news. But we really wanted to check in with someone from Ohio. Ohio, along with Michigan, seems like ground zero for bad economic news. The General Motors plant in Moraine closed last week after 27 years because of poor SUV and truck sales, and express shipping company DHL is closing its hub in Wilmington as it scales back U.S. operations and focuses on business overseas.

We decided to check in with the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, Lee Fisher. If positive thinking can turn things around, then Ohio might be okay. Listen for yourself.

But, then it was on to murder.

Some things cannot be ignored. A new study (pdf) by one of this country's preeminent researchers on crime and violence, James Alan Fox at Northeastern University, reports that murders are actually surging among black teen males, while the homicide rate is falling or stable for others. This is not going to be a shock to some of you who live in certain communities or who read certain newspapers, or who watch the local news in some cities.

The question is ... why? We need to talk more about this.

You might also find interesting today's conversations about avoiding financial scams ... and how to keep your teens safe on New Year's Eve.

I know I'm dating myself, but what did that old sergeant say on that long ago police drama, "Hill Street Blues"?

"Be careful out there."

So, whether you wear a uniform or not, whatever you do, thank you for doing it, and thank you for being there.

And that made me think about what we're doing, and it even made me look ahead to the next year. For some reason, instead of making a list of the resolutions we all say we're going to make (we'll have more on that later this week), I keep coming back to stories I think we missed -- not because I want to pick at old sores or embarrass anybody (least of all me), but because maybe in a way this is a resolution.

It's a way of saying I was listening, even if it didn't always seem like it.

First of all, I wish we had covered Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebration in London on July 18. Not because I wasn't invited but because of the occasion, which he used to mark the formation of a group called The Elders. That group has already lent its moral authority to bringing attention to the ongoing disaster that is Zimbabwe.

I can tell you why we didn't cover Mandela's birthday: we couldn't find a great guest who was invited to the festivities, and who was available when we are on the air. But I still regret it. Mandela is one of the great men of the age and, indeed, with so much appalling news coming out of Africa, might it have been .

Who is in that group and why they feel that way is something we can argue about, but I think in the end there was something very powerful there and we only scratched the surface. I don't think I really understood it, frankly, until the Democratic convention in Denver, when I saw people just sobbing and sobbing when she came to the floor to suspend the roll call. I wonder if I will ever see anything like that again.

Ironically, I think we did a better job of covering Sarah Palin. In part, because she was newer on the national stage, we were more attentive to -- and she was in some ways more willing to discuss (although not, sadly, with us) -- things like how she organizes her family life, and what her faith commitments are.

I think there is a very great deal more to say about the role of women in public life. This year has made me think harder about how, and what we are missing.

A trickier call for me are the stories of Luis Ramirez, Marcello Lucero, and Jose O. Sucuzhanay. These are three Latino men who were all murdered this year in what law enforcement authorities called hate crimes. They were all attacked in essentially random street assaults -- the first in Pennsylvania, the second two in New York. But authorities believe each man was targeted because he is (or, sadly was) Latino. Witnesses, for example, all said that ethnic slurs were uttered at the time of the attacks, and in the Lucero case authorities received information that the alleged assailants intentionally set out to "get a Mexican." Lucero is Ecuadoran.

Of the three murders, we covered the Lucero case when it happened back in November. (Sucuzhaney died earlier this month.)

Latino leaders have been arguing for months that there is a rise in hate crimes directed at Latinos, and federal statistics seem to bear that out. Some Latino leaders argue that this phenomenon is due to anti-immigrant rhetoric.

My question: how much coverage is the right amount?

In each case, either arrests have been made or the authorities are clearly on the case. So the issue is not one of authorities failing to take the crimes seriously. Then what is the story? That certain communities believe themselves to be under attack? That they are? ... And by whom?

I asked myself similar questions last year after two serious crimes got a lot of regional, but not national attention. They were stories in which whites were the victims and blacks the perpetrators -- one in Knoxville, Tenn., the other in Baltimore. In each case, some loud voices argued that the crimes were hate crimes. In Baltimore authorities agreed but not in Knoxville. We covered one and not the other; and while every life is indeed precious, I am still not sure exactly what metric is the right one to determine when a sotry like that becomes something that deserves our collective attention and when it's a tragic, but individual, occurence.

Finally, Native American Heritage month got short shrift this year, I am sad to say. Yes, the election sucked up a lot of oxygen and, yes, we had two or three good pieces that did make it to the airwaves. But that's not enough. The heritage months are a great opportunity to showcase newsmakers and artists and ideas, who otherwise would not grab headlines. And since that's a big part of why we are here, I am telling myself -- and letting you listen -- that we'll have to do better next year.

Happy New Year.

And meet Sisters Virginie Fish and Marcia Hall. They tell us about being a part of the Oblate Sisters of Providence in Baltimore, the first Roman Catholic order in America to accept black women as nuns.

We also revisit conversations with WWII Vet Leon Bass, author Toni Morrison and filmmaker John Leguizamo.

And stay tuned on Monday. We're taking a look back at the year 2008.

It's Cheryl Corley here ...

The holiday season is supposed to be about cheer and giving, right? In many places that's true. Not so for Zimbabwe. NPR Correspondent Charlayne Hunter Gault brought us up to date on the ongoing crisis in that country and the intent of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to "never surrender" despite calls for him to step down.

The Illinois political scandal is a much tamer crisis but Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has also promised not to resign. We talked about the possible implications the scandal has for the Chicago's Indian community. A prominent Indian businessman and fund raiser hasn't been charged with any wrong doing but might be involved in the case. Governor Blagojevich faces corruption charges for allegedly using his office for personal gain.

Also on the show today, the NAACP's latest report on diversity, or the lack of it, in network television leading roles. And more news about getting ready for the big television switch to digital TV in February.

And of course, it's the day before Christmas ... so what better way to celebrate than in song. R&B singer Howard Hewett has a new release out ... a wonderful holiday groove.

Michel is back tomorrow.

So here's hoping you have a wonderful Christmas, a happy Kwanzaa and that the New Year brings you the best.

Cheryl

Today on the show we started out with a conversation about immigration. Turns out that the failing economy here in the United States is sending many Latin American immigrants back home, for good.

Money Coach Alvin Hall graces us with his savvy wisdom. He and Scott Bilker, founder of Debtsmart.com, explain the new rules about how credit card companies can set fees and rates. And of course what it means for YOU.

Feeling the urge to make a charitable donation this holiday season? But not sure who to help -- or how? Bill Strathmann, CEO of Network for Good, has some answers.

The Moms talk about finding dolls and toys that look like the family. Doll maker Darla Davenport Powell offers some tips on finding diversity in the toy aisle.

And hear some Hanukkah tunes with Tell Me More director Rob Sachs.

It's "Are you all DONE?"

If you want to see some head spinning, some neck rolling, and some rocket red glare aimed at your head just try THAT ONE.

Be prepared for ... NO, I'M NOT DONE! ARE YOU DONE!?! (subtitle: Are you crazy?)

WHO IS DONE? Presents all bought and wrapped, cards sent, meals all planned out?

Maybe the First Lady. She has all those volunteer elves to decorate her crib and send her cards ... not that I'm hating.

But when you think about how stressed out many of us get around the holidays we have to ask ourselves WHY? What is that we are trying to prove and to whom? So we decided to call one of our favorite purveyors of common sense Bertice Berry to bring us down to earth. Hope what she had to say was a helpful tonic ... as well as a dose of gospel from CeCe Winans.

And speaking of coming down to earth ... one of the most famous misquotes ever: what's good for GM is good for the country. Nobody said that it was actually What's good for the country is good for GM and vice versa. But as we have reported, the auto industry affects one of every TEN workers in this country. So this is a major story and we will be following it. Today we heard views from Detroit. How is this story playing out in the city and along the production line? I think we'll be staying close to it.

And with that I am going to disappear for a few days. You know why ... because I'm NOT DONE.

Cheryl Corley will sit in for me for a few days while I make like an elf.

Happy Holidays to all. I'll be back for the Christmas Day show.

- Michel Martin

First, the controversy over the selection of Rev. Rick Warren to offer the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration has touched off an intense debate online and over the airwaves -- and I bet in some living rooms -- about whether this was the right thing to do. Some gay activists are outraged; others are outraged that the gay activists are outraged.

Our discussion this morning had an element of this intensity with Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., a high-profile supporter of so-called traditional values; Harry Knox, of the Human Rights Campaign, a leading civil rights organization for gays and Bishop Yvette Flunder, a prominent minister in the San Francisco area who preaches what she calls "radical inclusivity."

I bet we'll come back to this discussion.

And then we had what I thought was a very touching conversation with Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) about his trip to Mecca, where he made the Hajj. It is a spiritual journey that observant Muslims are required to make at least once in their lifetimes, if they are physically capable and can afford it. Rep. Ellison has preferred not to dwell on the fact that he is the first Muslim elected to Congress, but he was kind enough to talk to us about his journey.

Also, on the Web page for that conversation, you can learn more about the Hajj, including how one prepares and what it's all about.

And, the Barbershop guys were at again today on the shoe heard around the world, whether SNL's take on NY Gov. David Paterson was funny or not (Paterson says, not). They also talk more on President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet picks.

Have a great weekend.

... What am I doing here? I have to finish my Christmas shopping ...

We're learning more about the next month's Inaugural Program, at which Barack Obama will be sworn in as 44th president of the United States. According to today's release (pdf) by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, here's the official rundown:

Musical Selections
The United States Marine Band

Musical Selections
The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus

Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein

Invocation
Dr. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA

Musical Selection
Aretha Franklin

Oath of Office Administered to Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
The Honorable John Paul Stevens

Musical Selection, John Williams, composer/arranger
Itzhak Perlman, Violin
Yo-Yo Ma, Cello
Gabriela Montero, Piano
Anthony McGill, Clarinet

Oath of Office Administered to President-elect Barack H. Obama by the Chief Justice of the United States
The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.

Inaugural Address
The President of the United States, The Honorable Barack H. Obama

Poem
Elizabeth Alexander

Benediction
The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery

The National Anthem
The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"

Luis, say hello to the people.

Hola, and thanks to Michel for the introduction. It is odd, but deeply satisfying to move from being an on-air guest to a behind-the-scenes editor. This is a return to my roots in journalism. My first job in news (aside from being a paperboy) was working as an assignment editor at a local television station in Miami. I later took a similar job at CNN in Atlanta. But it wasn't until I was the network's bureau chief in Buenos Aires that I caught the reporting bug. And reporting is what I have done for the last several years. Mostly, I have written about Latino issues. It is very good to be back working as an editor. The only thing I miss about being a correspondent is having a ready excuse to talk to strangers. That may sound weird but working as a reporter gives you carte blanche to constantly talk to new people. ... Soooooooo, drop me a line here on the blog and introduce yourself. Tell me what topics you'd like to hear about. And please mention if there are people you think should be talking to. Talk to me. Please.

Thanks, Luis.