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Albany, NY – Attempted suicide can be the ultimate act of desperation - and in rural Afghanistan, there's a growing epidemic of women setting themselves on fire in an effort to escape lives they find unbearable. Rachel Reid is a researcher for Human Rights Watch. She has been monitoring the situation, and Human Rights Watch is working with the Afghan government to try to create policies that offer women hope for the future.

10:08 Afghanistan Rachel Reid

Rachel Reid is with Human Rights Watch. To find out more, go to hrw.org.

As the experts tell us the economy is recovering, many of us are cautiously loosening our stranglehold on our wallets particularly at this time of year. And that may be a good thing, in moderation. But personal finance expert Manisha Thakor says if you're shopping all year long, you may be a victim of an insidious intruder.

5:04 Lifestyle Creep Thakor

Manisha Thakor is the founder of the Women's Financial Literacy Initiative. You can find out more at manishathakor.com.

And finally, Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon plays two very different roles - actress and activist. Yet she says they share the common trait of imagination - she is able to imagine herself in someone else's shoes - and wants to help them. Nancy Greenleese has this profile.

5:00 Sarandon Greenlease