Tell Me More

Host Michel Martin isn't the only person who's been "under the weather" lately. She chats with NPR science correspondent Rob Stein about the nation-wide flu outbreak.

President Obama is less than a week away from being sworn into a second term, but he still has plenty of unfinished business. For the Tell Me More series on unresolved issues, host Michel Martin takes a look at the president's record on creating greater economic opportunities, especially for those at the lower end of the economic ladder.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

And now, we turn to matters of personal finance and, as we are about midway through January, we thought we'd ask, how's that new year's resolution going? According to a poll from Marist University, spending less and saving more money is one of the top five resolutions Americans made for 2013.

But what if you just can't resist those cute pumps or that stress-relieving massage or you really need some new sheets and towels or that oil change? It turns out that there are actually optimal times in the year to buy certain things.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Coming up, the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta sorority just celebrated their 100th year. We'll find out just how and why an organization founded by 22 young women on a single college campus a century ago now has a presence around the world.

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Finally, yesterday was a big award tonight for Hollywood - "Les Miserables" and "Argo" took home top movie prizes at the 70th annual Golden Globes. And there are a few speeches that people are still talking about.

Here to catch us up and also look ahead with Oscar picks is Sheila Marikar. She is an entertainment reporter and producer with ABC News.com. Sheila, welcome back. Thanks for joining us once again.

SHEILA MARIKAR: Thanks for having me, Michel.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

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

Coming up, we'll talk about why the Peace Corps is stepping up its efforts to recruit doctors and nurses to its ranks of people serving in developing countries. That's ahead.

But first, President Barack Obama is just about a week away from being sworn into his second term in office. So we have been looking at some of the unresolved issues from his first four years. Last week, we talk about housing, particularly the foreclosure crisis.

If you feel bombarded by emails, phone calls, text messages and the daily stress that comes with them, there could be a solution for you. Some people have found relief in perfect silence. Host Michel Martin learns more about the popularity of silent retreats.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released new rules for mortgages this week. But neither the banking industry, nor consumer groups are completely happy. Host Michel Martin gets a sense of the current state of mortgages and foreclosures with real estate columnist Ilyce Glink and Keli Goff, political correspondent for The Root.