A Martínez
A Martínez is one of the hosts of Morning Edition and Up First. He came to NPR in 2021 and is based out of NPR West.
Prior to NPR, Martínez was the host of Take Two at KPCC in Los Angeles since 2012. During his tenure, Take Two created important forums on the air and through live events that elevated the voices and perspectives of Angelenos, and provided nuanced coverage of the region's challenges including homelessness, climate change and systemic disparities in health and education. He is also a familiar voice to sports-talk radio listeners in Los Angeles as a former host of 710 KSPN's In the Zone, and he was a longtime pre- and post-game show host for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers.
Before he joined KPCC, Martínez had never listened to public radio. He views his path in public radio as proof that public radio journalism can be accessible, relatable and understandable to anyone, regardless of their background or educational pedigree, and says it has changed both his career and his perspective on life.
With a career that has lately been focused on Southern California, Martínez is excited to get to know the rest of the U.S. through Morning Edition.
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"When nerds get together, we can do a lot of good things," says U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia who's assembling a Congressional caucus on popular arts like gaming, video and movies.
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The blueprint for today's hip-hop just got his own exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library. "The Book of Hov" exhibit honors Jay-Z. Thirteen limited-edition library cards are also making their debut.
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There's a trend among Jeep owners that's going global and it involves ... rubber ducks.
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A new survey examining the availability of old video games finds that only a small percentage of games released before 2010 are still readily accessible today.
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"I always made the decision to run, and I usually got away." A Martinez found a relatable and human superhero in The Flash, and grew up to be a superfan.
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Dave Lombardo of Slayer breaks out gongs, timbales, djembes, congas and cajóns (plus anything else he can bang on) for the album Rites of Percussion.
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She scored a much-maligned hit at the age of 13 with "Friday." Now 25, Rebecca Black is finally releasing her debut album, Let Her Burn.
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Jerry Craft published the Newbury award-winning graphic novel New Kid in 2019. The novel focuses on the experience of being Black and the "new kid" at a predominantly white school.
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In an interview with Morning Edition, rapper Logic explains the central message of his new album, Vinyl Days: "I rap good! Let's just be honest here."
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After Jackie, a new History Channel documentary, tells the stories of three of the Black baseball players who followed Jackie Robinson into the major leagues.