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January 23, 2013 A Chinese man in Beijing has set up a cafe identical to the New York hangout on the hit TV show. For owner Du Xin, Friends is "like a religion" — and he's not the only one. He's opened a second Central Perk in Shanghai, capitalizing on the Chinese fondness for the six friends and their laid-back, freewheeling lives.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

January 23, 2013 This month, the late-night talk-show host sets up camp in the 11:35 p.m. slot, which puts him head-to-head with Jay Leno and Kimmel's idol, David Letterman. Kimmel has put a personal mark on his show by bringing in his family to help him make it happen.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

January 21, 2013 The inaugural ball is sort of a strange event — it's not really fancy, but everyone treats it like it is. People are determined to have the experience be special, even if the surroundings aren't.

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January 21, 2013 The first lady is well known for her wardrobe choices, and for the inauguration, Michelle Obama showed off her ability to make multiple style statements during a single day.

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January 20, 2013 Michelle Obama's bangs recently caused a stir, and so did Kate Middleton's. But surprisingly enough, some of the conflicting, complex expectations of first ladies aren't all that different from those of modern royalty.

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January 18, 2013 Glee is taking a lot of heat for repurposing a cover version of "Baby Got Back" without crediting the arranger. In a social media world, it's the kind of move that has extra risks.

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January 18, 2013 Talk about new stuff, and gripe just a little: A handy video guide gives indispensable advice to inaugural speakers.

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January 18, 2013 On this week's show, we touch on the Oscar nominations that were and were not, as well as the surprisingly good Globes telecast.

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ListenPlaylist

January 18, 2013 In film and TV, pop culture references are meant to give a knowing nod to those in the audience who understand the joke. But in an increasingly segmented and diverse country, those jokes may be pulling in fewer laughs.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

January 17, 2013 "Dear Abby" columnist Pauline Phillips died Wednesday. We take a moment to answer a question we weren't actually asked: Why do people ask strangers for advice anyway?

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January 17, 2013 Believe it or not, Food Network's crazy-ingredient competition has more relevance to the home cook than a lot of higher-profile shows.

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