Home prices have fallen 35 percent from their peak about six years ago and continue to drop. That makes lenders and potential homebuyers nervous, so sales aren't picking up much despite the lowest interest rates in decades. And the unsolved foreclosure mess continues to push prices down even more.

It's been another warm, rainy day in much of the Northeast, with temperatures in some areas topping 40 degrees. If you hate shoveling snow, or paying big heating bills, that's good news. But for people who love winter sports — and for thousands of businesses that rely on snow for winter tourism — this month's October-like weather has been painful.

Host Robert Siegel speaks with Cassee Cain and Ziyuan Liu, who recently won the team portion of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology. The high-schoolers from Oak Ridge, Tenn., modified the Kinect device for Microsoft's Xbox 360 in order to analyze human gait. Cain and Liu hope to use the device to diagnose and treat medical problems that affect movement.

Until recently, electronic medical records hadn't really caught on. But the 2009 federal stimulus package provided tens of billions to speed up the process. Now in one state, Oregon, two-thirds of doctors have electronic medical records, and researchers are mining the data to help doctors improve the care they give patients.

Nuclear power generates 20 percent of electricity in the U.S., but the nation's reactors are aging — and new plants are expensive and take years to build. Gas, coal, wind and solar are potential alternatives, but all have environmental or logistical drawbacks.

Hospitals may be the only places in America that aren't crazy for iPads. Security issues and incompatibility with hospital systems are two big reasons why tablet computers haven't caught on. But some doctors and patients say they're great for explaining complex medical issues.

Congress' approval ratings hit an all-time low in December, according to the polling firm Gallup. Host Michel Martin looks at why many Americans seemed to be frustrated with Congress. She hears from NPR Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving and Mark Eaton of the Capitol Steps, a musical political satire group.