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The Howard Theatre in Washington, DC was built in 1910, and just about every top black entertainer performed on its stage. But it had to shut its doors once the neighborhood fell on hard times. Now it has reopened, and host Michel Martin talks with Jimi Smooth, a musician who was an usher at the Howard in the early '60s.

If you don't, you're not alone. Attitudes over taxes have soured over the years, but there were times when Americans felt a sense of duty to pay taxes. Host Michel Martin discusses the history of taxes with Joseph Thorndike, a columnist for Tax Analysts and co-author of War and Taxes.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Now it's time for our weekly visit to the Barber Shop, where the guys talk about what's in the news and what's on their minds.

Sitting in the chairs for a shape-up this week are freelance journalist Jimi Izrael. He's with us from Cleveland. Here with us in Washington, D.C., civil rights attorney Arsalan Iftikhar, NPR digital news correspondent Corey Dade, and sports editor for the Nation magazine, Dave Zirin.

As part of Tell Me More's series for National Poetry Month, host Michel Martin shares a poetic tweet from translator and writer Susan Layug of Chicago, Illinois. Listeners are invited to tweet original poems of 140 characters or less to #TMMPoetry.

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VIVIANA HURTADO, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Viviana Hurtado. Michel Martin is away.

Coming up, the new TV drama, "Scandal," follows the life of a Washington fixer who helps politicians and celebrities survive scandals. We'll talk to Judy Smith, the real life crisis manager who is the inspiration behind the show.

But first, we turn to Colombia. More than 30 government leaders, including President Obama, are meeting this weekend in the coastal city of Cartagena. It's the sixth Summit of the Americas.

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VIVIANA HURTADO, HOST:

Next, we'll hear from a woman whose ability to manage even the most headline-grabbing scandal has earned her the respect of CEOs, celebrities and heads of states. And now it's made her famous.

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VIVIANA HURTADO, HOST:

We turn now from the arrest of George Zimmerman to the potential trial ahead. As we mentioned, George Zimmerman is facing second degree murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin. And to make sense of what that means and what we might expect in the courtroom, we turn to Professor Paul Butler. He's with the George Washington University Law School and he's a former federal prosecutor. Professor, thanks for coming back on the program.

PAUL BUTLER: Hey. It's great to be back.

The economy is officially in recovery. But a lot of people are still feeling squeezed, and many used their savings to ride out the financial storm. Guest host Viviana Hurtado talks with personal finance expert Louis Barajas about rebuilding your finances during the economic recovery.

Actor David Oyelowo played Joe "Lightning" Little in the movie Red Tails. The film is based on the story of America's first black fighter pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen. As part of Tell Me More's series, "In Your Ear," Oyelowo offers up his personal playlist.