NPR News

Guest host Allison Keyes looks back at the victories gays and lesbians scored in 2011. Same-sex marriage was legalized in New York. And "don't ask, don't tell," the controversial ban that barred gays from serving openly in the military, was repealed. Keyes speaks with writer Kai Wright.

If you're reminiscing over all of the great albums released in 2011, keep in mind, there's plenty to look forward to next year. Guest host Allison Keyes finds out what to keep an ear out for. She talks with two of the biggest music fans on the Tell Me More team: freelance producer, Veronica Miller, and Sarah Ventre, a freelance music journalist.

Nearly 50 Americans million now live below the poverty line, according to the Census Bureau. Many food banks are not only reporting an increase in the number of people they're serving, but also a drop in food and cash donations — as much as 30 percent in some areas. Guest host Allison Keyes talks with two people working on the front lines of hunger relief.

Dr. Norman Spack at Boston's Children's Hospital has worked with 30 transgender youth and their families to get through the difficult phases of adolescence. One treatment includes a controversial medication that blocks puberty until he or she decides whether or not to transition to the other gender. Dr. Spack talks with guest host Allison Keyes.