Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN)When the earthquake struck, we huddled under a concrete beam -- and prayed. In another room, my grandfather could not comprehend what was happening and, instead of seeking cover, drifted towards the window. Outside, a brown dust-cloud rose from the ruins of cottages that had dotted the next hill. I was at my uncle's place in Ramkot, west Kathmandu, some 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) east from my family home. After escaping the building for the safety of open air, my first thought was for news of friends and family. Calls didn't go through but thankfully texts and data did. I heard from everyone except my mother. Worried sick, I foolishly went into the house for a second time to get my belongings and leave for home. Another tremor -- the first of many to aftershocks that have continued to strike an already traumatized city -- shook the house. I took refuge under the same doorway. The journey towards my family home in Sifal was a map of quake destruction, with many houses -- old and new -- torn apart. A high wall surrounding a monastery had collapsed and the nuns had run to a nearby field. A mud-and-brick cottage had fallen on a blue motorbike but no trace could be found of its rider. A woman perched on top of rubble tried to reach for a water container from what used to be her kitchen. Everywhere, survivors gathered wherever they could find open space -- fields, private compounds, empty roadside lots. In Chhauni, an ice cream seller ran double-time with his cart, while his radio relayed the latest. Further ahead, a mother and daughter sat down on a pavement so that a grandchild could be fed. Across the Bishnumati River, uphill towards Maru, I ran to get away from the tall houses and made towards the Kathmandu Durbar Area. It was reduced to rubble. A blood donation camp was said to be buried by the same structure that sheltered it. Locals were searching for survivors, but progress was slow. The Kasthamandap temple had caved in. Temples that sat on impressive staircase-style pyramids were now dust. The western façade of the Basantapur palace had fallen apart and nothing remained of the remained of the nine-story medieval palace nearby. Meanwhile, the curio fleamarket was flooded with people who had made it out of the cramped quarters of Jhocchen, Indra Chowk, New Road, and nearby neighborhoods. In Putalisadak, I met a cousin who was sitting an entrance exam for a prestigious high school when the quake hit before the allotted time was over. He kept wondering out loud whether he could retake the test. The two of us walked through Bagbajar, trying to trace a few acquaintances, and up Dillibajar to Kamalpokhari. A hawker was selling momos -- a Nepalese type of dumpling -- under a seven-story building, while policemen guarded a jailhouse. People gathered mostly in the middle of crossroads, on traffic islands and around metal pulpits, which looked out of range of falling buildings. The aftershocks kept coming. I reached home and found both my parents alive and uninjured. I couldn't believe that our 30-year-old house was still standing. As I walked my cousin to where his parents were, we kept hearing rumors:  "More quakes forecast by experts for 5 p.m. and midnight." As if to confirm, tremors shook us at six and more would follow at 10 p.m. and midnight, with smaller shocks throughout the night. Along the northern boundary of the former royal museum, the wall had collapsed and people had poured out of the Uttar Dhoka neighborhood onto the palace lawn. Green military tents meant for two people were now packed with six and the army was trying hard to accommodate as many as possible. In Thamel, an electricity pole had squashed an abandoned taxi. A few men took turns taking photos with the wrecked car. In Kantipath, a handful of backpackers were discussing where to make camp. Back home, my parents decided against going to the nearby Sifal Chaur football field where families were sleeping on plastic mattresses under rudimentary tents. Instead, their tactic was to stay on the ground floor, be awakened by tremors, and then scamper to a corner of our garden that seemed relatively safe. I did not sleep a wink.

Journalist Sunir Pandey was visiting relatives with Nepal's 7.8 magnitude quake struck . He says they ran to shelter under a concrete beam and prayed, as dust rose from the rubble .


Stornaway, Scotland (CNN)Huge military exercises are underway off and around Britain's coast, but NATO insists they are not a deliberate response to the Russian military's increasingly brazen behavior. The British-led war games are code named Joint Warrior and the numbers are all big: 13,000 personnel from 14 countries operating more than 50 ships and submarines as well as 70 aircraft. NATO says the planning started long before Russia began behaving as an adversary. For more than a year NATO has been condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine as well as its frequent, large scale, snap military drills and those long-range Bear bombers repeatedly flying very close to NATO airspace. So, if Joint Warrior is not a deliberate response, it's certainly a timely one. CNN was invited to spend a day aboard one of the vessels taking part -- the U.S. Navy's guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg. It's the current flag ship of a standing NATO maritime group. Commanding officer Rear Adm. Brad Williamson says Russia's behavior is an added motivation to do well in these exercises. "Anytime you have a security situation that reminds us it's not just a game we're doing out here, that there are real world implications to our ability to provide security to alliance members, I think that focuses our minds on what we're doing," Williamson says. Other personnel on the Vicksburg tell us competition between different nations and even individual ships and subs is also a big motivator. The details of these war games are top secret. But they're broken into two parts: The set training exercises that involve vessels or groups completing specific jobs and what they call "free play". That's where everyone's divided into two teams with different orders and motivations manipulated by the game masters. Tensions rise and it's likely pretend war follows. Easy to see how things get competitive. Russia has taken an interest. It used its right under what's known as the Vienna document to send its own inspectors. NATO says they only stayed a few days and didn't see anything sensitive.

NATO is holding huge war games exercises off the coast of Scotland . Alliance says planning started long before Russia renewed its status as the alliance's chief adversary . But commanding officer says Russia's behavior is an added motivation to do well in these exercises .


Atlanta  (CNN)"Do you use toilet paper?" That's the question 26-year-old Anamarie Shreeves receives most often. It's not exactly a typical question, but Shreeves, who lives in Atlanta and is the site manager for the nonprofit Keep Atlanta Beautiful, lives what some may consider an atypical lifestyle: She creates almost no waste. The list of things she doesn't use would send shivers up a consumer marketer's spine: No plastic packaging, no new clothing, no metal cans, no cars (and in turn, no gas). The small amount of waste Shreeves does create goes straight into a 32-ounce mason jar that sits three-quarters full right next to her kitchen sink. Its contents include produce stickers, some paper tea bag wrappers and a long, twisted piece of cotton that went around her toes for a recent pedicure. This is all the waste she has collected in nearly half a year. That's right, EVERYTHING. Six month's worth of garbage for Shreeves is similar to what the average person generates in half a day. A Maryland native, Shreeves considered herself an "Earth advocate" from a fairly young age. Of her four brothers and sisters, she says she was always the one wading in the creek that passed by her backyard, climbing trees and pushing her family to stop being so wasteful. "I got them their first recycling bin," she said. Shreeves began her journey into zero-waste living two years ago. She had just quit her job working in television and decided to move to Ecuador for a few months. Before she left she resolved to get rid of as much of her stuff as possible. She had read a blog post by a woman who lives a zero waste life in New York called the No Trash Project, and she was inspired. "The average person throws away a ton of trash a year," Shreeves said. "One single person. For her to go to zero like that, I was just amazed." Upon her return from Ecuador, Shreeves decided to take the lifestyle she started before she left to the next level. In April of last year, she officially began to live zero waste. Simplifying her existence wasn't easy. She had to rid herself of old habits. In the first week, she filled up half the mason jar with paper towels after grabbing them to dry her hands, just out of habit. It also took a while to feel comfortable with the funny stares she would get after politely asking food vendors to put her sandwiches and salads into her metal tin instead of paper and plastic containers. But she stayed strong and a year later she is at the point where she composts, makes her own shampoo, toothpaste and even uses reusable feminine products. And yes, she does use toilet paper -- the kind that's quickly biodegradable. The key to making it all work is an enormous amount of preparation. Shreeves packs her bags every day with a cup to drink out of, a metal tin and a reusable fork and knife, a cloth napkin and a couple canvas bags. This allows her to avoid the waste that comes so often with prepared foods. She has also had to stop going to some of her favorite restaurants and coffee shops because they won't provide reusable kitchenware. Shreeves acknowledges that with this lifestyle come certain restrictions; she has learned to make most of her food from scratch to avoid packaging. She also has to put more time into getting places by bike or public transportation. But without a doubt, the rewards for her outweigh the inconveniences. "The quality of life that I experience as a zero waster far exceeds my life before. It's made me appreciate the things that I do have. I wouldn't want to be in another space," she said. To learn more about cutting down on waste, visit Shreeves' blog, fortnegrita.com.

26-year-old Atlanta woman uses a mason jar as a trash can . She has produced about as much waste in six months as an average person does in less than a day . She strives to live a 'zero waste' lifestyle .


(CNN)You might call her a watchdog, because this Boston area Doberman really has a thing for timepieces. She recently ate three. Last Thursday, Jeff Courcelle came home from work to find 5-year-old Mocha -- a pure bred fawn-colored Doberman pincher -- hovering over a pile of screws, metal pieces, three watch heads and some chewed leather straps. "My husband, who's the most calm person that I know, called me up and said, 'I'm not quite sure if I should panic,' " said Courcelle's wife, Michele Parkinson. The 80-pound Doberman, whom her owners describe as "more goofy than scary," had pulled down a basket of wrist wear from a shelf in their bedroom and eaten nearly all the contents. Parkinson knew that Mocha wouldn't be able to pass all that leather on her own. The couple took her to the MSPCA's Angell Animal Medical Center, a 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital, where a veterinarian performed a 3-hour endoscopy to explore the contents of her belly. Mocha was a repeat offender: Just last summer, she got very sick and had to have emergency stomach surgery after a piece of plastic from an orange juice container perforated her intestine. She had 28 staples down her belly and 10 inches of intestine removed, Parkinson said. Fortunately this time, the jewelry remains were still in Mocha's belly and had not made their way into the digestive tract. The X-ray, however, was disturbing. Parkinson and her husband were just expecting to see a couple metal pieces. "It just looked like a Christmas tree and I almost threw up," Parkinson said. The veterinarian removed "about a pound of leather straps and metal pieces and detritus" during the endoscopy, and let nature take its course for the remaining pieces, MSPCA spokesman Rob Halpin said. As of Friday, Mocha was no worse for wear. The hospital sees dozens of cases each week of dogs ingesting foreign objects, and is trained to look for the symptoms of blockages -- typically lethargy, not eating and vomiting, Halpin said. They once saw a golden retriever who had stopped eating and found 43 pacifiers in her belly. (Apparently she was taking them from babies at the park.) And there was the 100-pound bull mastiff who ate his owner's brie that was set out for a party -- along with the cheese knife. The night Mocha stayed in the hospital, a nervous Parkinson stayed awake reading stories about dogs ingesting watches and other objects. She found one article about a Newfoundland whose owner knew something was awry only when he heard an alarm go off from his dog's belly. "We've taken every imaginable thing that could fit down the gullet of a dog out with surgery," Halpin said. "There's some evolutionary traits that some dogs have that lead them to eat first and think later ... and some of them are so food motivated that anything with a scent could be associated with food, and they go for it." Mocha likes to suck on fleece blankets and has been known to eat rubber ear buds or hair elastics, but nothing like a pile of jewelry, Parkinson said. Her breeder wondered if the dog was acting out of anxiety. That day, Parkinson had left Mocha in a different apartment the couple owns that the dog wasn't as used to. The breeder told Parkinson that Dobermans are particularly known to get anxious and do these sort of things. "She had a dog that actually consumed her whole dog bed," Parkinson said. From now on, Parkinson said she will put Mocha in a crate if the dog will be staying somewhere new. Follow-up X-rays Monday on Mocha showed a few pieces of metal left, "but they were moving along" and the vet expected her to pass them naturally. Parkinson said Friday Mocha was "her playful, energetic, curious Doberman self." But now that she thinks of it, the timing of this whole incident is a little suspicious. "My husband was all excited about the new Apple watch, but couldn't justify a reason to purchase it since he owned three watches," she said. "I am convinced that he and Mocha joined forces here to destroy all of his current watches in order to make room for Apple's new watch."

A Boston-area dog ate three of her owner's wristwatches . A veterinarian removed about 1 lb. of watch parts from her stomach . Mocha the Doberman is now doing well .


(CNN)An unmanned Russian spacecraft originally bound for the International Space Station will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere after flight controllers lost contact with it, American astronaut Scott Kelly said Wednesday. The spacecraft  that lost contact with flight controllers will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere in about a week, Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, said Wednesday. "Roscosmos (the Russian Federal Space Agency) announced that the Progress will not be docking and will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere," Kelly said from the space station. The Progress resupply vehicle will come off its orbit and will begin its combustion in the atmosphere between May 5 and May 7, according to Roscosmos. The Progress vehicle does not present any danger to the International Space Station due to a significant difference in orbit, Roscosmos added. The Russia space agency said it is working on its next supply flight to the ISS and expects to launch a new Progress ship in the third quarter of this year. Russia lost contact with ISS Progress 59 during a resupply mission to the International Space Station. The ship is now spinning out of control, NASA said. Even if Russia hadn't lost contact with the craft, the original plan was for Progress to burn up re-entering Earth's atmosphere -- albeit with garbage rather than a full load of equipment for the space station. According to NASA information on the Progress resupply vehicle, "After the cargo is removed and before the Progress undocks, the crew refills it with trash, unneeded equipment and wastewater, which will burn up with the spacecraft when it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere." The cargo spacecraft launched successfully early Tuesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. But after it separated from the Soyuz booster rocket's third stage, Russian flight controllers were unable to confirm the health of all the spacecraft's systems, including the deployment of navigational antennae, NASA said. "The spacecraft made another pass over Russian ground stations and continued to experience telemetry problems regarding the deployment of navigational antennas and the pressurization of the manifolds in the propulsion system," the American space agency said in an update. A planned rendezvous with the ISS six hours later was initially postponed to Thursday but has now been canceled, NASA said in its latest update. "Docking has been called off for the Progress 59 spacecraft," it said. "Russian flight controllers are continuing to assess the vehicle and what the plan going forward will be. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available." Few details have been forthcoming so far from Roscosmos. According to NASA, the cargo ship is carrying more than 3 tons of food, fuel, oxygen, spare parts and scientific experiment hardware for the space station. But the hitch will not put the six ISS crew members at risk, NASA said. "The spacecraft was not carrying any supplies critical for the United States Operating Segment (USOS) of the station," a statement said. "Both the Russian and USOS segments of the station continue to operate normally and are adequately supplied well beyond the next planned resupply flight." That next flight, which will be the seventh SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the space station, is not scheduled  to take off before June 19, NASA said. Meanwhile, Russian flight controllers continue their efforts to make contact with Progress 59 as it passes over Russian ground stations. NASA said Tuesday that Russian flight controllers had "confirmed that the vehicle had entered into a slow spin and have issued commands to attempt to control it." According to Russian state news agency Tass, six attempts to make contact were to be made Wednesday. The U.S. supplies on board the spacecraft include spare parts for the station's environmental control and life support system, backup spacewalk hardware and crew clothing, "all of which are replaceable," NASA said. U.S. astronaut Terry Virts, from Maryland, is the current space station commander. CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin, Suzanne Presto and Amanda Barnett contributed to this report.

Progress 59 spacecraft will re-enter Earth's atmosphere in a week, Russia space agency says . NASA: Russian flight controllers have been trying to make contact with the unmanned space freighter . Space station crew can manage without supplies carried by the spacecraft, NASA says .


(CNN)The night before her daughter's first triathlon, Kate Parker could tell the child was nervous. Ella and her younger sister, Alice, are athletic, loud, curious, wild-haired kids. They grew up watching their mother compete in races and Ella had asked to sign up for her own. Still, as they laid out everything she'd need the next day, Parker, a photographer, could tell she was afraid. "Why don't we get a picture?" Parker asked Ella, now 9. "Show me your strongest face, show me your bravest face, even if you don't feel that way right now." As she pulled the image up on her screen, she got chills from her daughter's direct stare. She looked, Parker said, like "a little badass." "You're going to be totally fine," Parker showed her. "Look at how tough you are." The next day, Ella participated in her race, and loved it. Looking back, "I wanted her to remember that she was scared and she went through with it, sort of as a memento of her conquering a fear, " said Parker, who lives near Atlanta. "As a mom, I really wanted to get a good picture of it, too." The photo is one of Parker's favorites from her series, "Strong is the New Pretty." It covers the last two years, but evolved from Parker's early days behind a camera, when she shot daily images of her girls to expand her knowledge of lighting and composition. It seemed that most images of little girls showcased perfectly placed hair bows, forced smiles and Photoshop-smooth skin. Hers didn't. "I didn't want to shoot pictures like that. I didn't want girls to think they had to look like that," said Parker, whose daughters are now 6 and 9. "Whoever they were, however they were, was worthy of an image. Whatever they were was good enough." So, she shot her girls and their friends as they were -- freckled, muddy, screaming, laughing, jumping in the pool, collecting worms in the creek, barreling into the wilderness of early adolescence on skateboards and bicycles. "I want to capture them before they lose that sense of 'I'm so awesome.' I wanted them to keep that as long as they could," Parker said. "I started to shoot with that in mind, but it was already there." The girls pose for an occasional portrait, but most are kid-inspired moments, shaped by childish wonderment and energy. As parents, Parker and her husband encourage their girls to play outside, make new friends and try new things without worrying about grass-stained knees and knots in their hair, Parker said. Now, the girls have the confidence and curiosity to do it on their own. "They're just being themselves, and I'm just recording it," Parker said. Responses to the images are mostly positive, Parker said, but there's the occasional complaint that she's showing just one type of girl. It's true, Parker said: They're the ones she's raising, the only ones whose adventures she can document 24/7. She hopes the project inspires parents to find their own creative ways to capture their children's lives. More important, she wants kids to see they can be strong in whatever they are and whatever they hope to be. Parker's own kids still surprise her. "Alice is a beautiful singer. When I hear her sing, it makes me cry," Parker said. "Ella has this amazing, kind heart that cares more about the experience than the win. It's something that I did not teach her. "Whatever it is, it's OK."

Kate Parker is the photographer and mother behind "Strong is the New Pretty" The photo series shows her messy, wild daughters as they are, Parker said .


(CNN)Atop the Amazon bestselling books list this month sat an unexpected title: "Secret Garden." It wasn't Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel about a sour little girl's magical place, making a book club comeback. It was a similarly named coloring book that adults were buying, for themselves, and it wasn't the only one in the top 10. Johanna Basford's "Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt & Coloring Book" (now at No. 3 on Amazon) along with her second effort, "Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest & Coloring Book" (No. 6); "Balance (Angie's Extreme Stress Menders Volume 1)" by Angie Grace (No. 9); and "The Mindfulness Colouring Book: Anti-stress Art Therapy for Busy People" by Emma Farrarons (No. 8 on Amazon UK) are selling at a rapid clip. Though they can be used by kids, these and other new coloring book titles are being marketed to stressed-out, work-addled adults, who want to benefit from the quiet zen that a coloring session can bring. "Adult coloring is absolutely a growing trend and consumers are really taking to the idea," Farrarons' U.S. publisher, Matthew Lore of The Experiment publishing group, wrote in an email. "Not only is it calming and good for your health, it's just fun! The demand is increasing exponentially as the word spreads." While Farrarons and Basford are based in the UK, the concept is taking off in the U.S. too, with the publication of titles like Virginia-based art therapist Lacy Mucklow and illustrator Angela Porter's "Color Me Calm" and "Color Me Happy," created for the minds and motor skills of Mom and Dad, not the kids. The trend doesn't seem to be letting up. Basford is working on a third title, Farrarons has been commissioned for a second book, and Mucklow and Porter will release "Color Me Stress-Free" in September. Adults have long used crafts to unwind, but why coloring books? Why now? It may have something to do with online access -- and, funnily enough, the desire to unplug. Ordering a coloring book that suits adult tastes online is easier than walking into a bookstore where the only options have Barbie or Thomas the Tank Engine themes. Plus, everyone's favorite online crafting hub, Pinterest, is a treasure trove of adult coloring pages, with themes ranging from nature and animals to classic paintings. Meanwhile, like children, adults need a break from screen time -- and many are rediscovering the analog pleasures of coloring inside the lines. "I'm a grown-up, but I still love coloring books," novelist Matt Cain proclaimed in a piece for The Guardian. "If I switch off the phone, computer and TV and concentrate solely on choosing the right shade of blue, avoiding going over the lines and slowly filling up my page with colour, all my other concerns, I've discovered, fade to nothing," Cain wrote. The therapeutic benefits of art are nothing new; it's a concept that practitioners use with patients of all ages. Atlanta-based art therapist Susanne Fincher, who has published several coloring books, said coloring can lift the mood, reduce anxiety and relieve stress. "Art making is a powerful intervention," Fincher wrote in an email. "Neuroscientific research has shown that through the use of art therapy, the human brain can physically change, grow, and rejuvenate." True art therapy, she warned, should be administered only by a qualified professional. Mindfulness and meditative coloring are recurring themes in the growing adult coloring book industry. A search for "adult coloring books" on Amazon or Barnes and Noble will yield several books of mandalas, a ritual symbol in Buddhism and Hinduism that represents the universe, waiting to be colored in. "I sometimes give clients one of my mandala coloring books for homework between sessions with me," Fincher wrote. "Coloring mandalas can empower a client to manage thoughts and feelings on their own with the positive activity of coloring, instead of, for example, overeating or abusing substances." The opportunity to craft a mindfulness coloring book for adults was serendipitous for illustrator Farrarons, who had been practicing mindfulness for a few years before getting the offer to create a book. "In mindfulness, it is encouraged to break patterns in life by introducing variation to avoid the sensation of being on autopilot," Farrarons wrote in an email while on holiday in Korea. "Each page has been caringly designed with this in mind, so that the person coloring can hop at random from one pattern to the next. " Coloring books like Farrarons' pocket-sized volume bring a bit of calming and spirituality to the masses, but for some adult enthusiasts coloring is just a fun throwback to a simpler time, she added. "It reminds me of hours spent filling in scenes from a coloring book as a little girl. In the digital age that we are in, surely, it can only be a good thing to pick up a pencil and feel young again."

Coloring books made for adults are popular on Amazon's bestselling books list . Books with calming, meditative and spiritual themes appeal to adults looking to unwind .


(CNN)Whether quaffing artisanal cocktails at hipster bars or knocking back no-name beers on the couch, more Americans are drinking heavily -- and engaging in episodes of binge-drinking, concludes a major study of alcohol use. Heavy drinking among Americans rose 17.2 percent between 2005 and 2012, largely due to rising rates among women, according to the study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines heavy drinking as exceeding an average of one drink per day during the past month for women and two drinks per day for men. Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on a single occasion at least once during the past month. The increases are driven largely by women's drinking habits as social norms change, researchers found. In Santa Clara County, Calif., for example, women's binge drinking rates rose by nearly 36 percent between 2002 and 2012, compared with 23 percent among men. Nationwide over the course of the decade, the rate of binge drinking among women increased more than seven times the rate among men. Opinion: Why are more women drinking? "It seems like women are trying to catch up to the men in binge drinking," said Ali Mokdad, a lead author of the study. "It's really, really scary." The study is the first to track adult drinking patterns at the county level. In 2012, 8 percent of Americans were considered heavy drinkers and 18 percent were binge drinkers. Despite the increases in heavy drinking, the percentage of people who drink any alcohol has remained relatively unchanged over time, researchers found. Madison County, Idaho, reported the lowest rate of binge drinking in 2012, at 6 percent, while Menominee, Wis., had the highest rate, at 36 percent. Hancock County, Tenn., had the fewest heavy drinkers (2 percent of residents) and Esmeralda County, Nev., recorded the most (22 percent). Related: 1 in 5 high school girls binge drink . About 88,600 U.S. deaths were attributed to alcohol in 2010, the researchers note, and the cost of excessive drinking has been estimated at more than $220 billion per year. The increase in binge drinking doesn't surprise Terri Fukagawa, clinical director of the New Life Recovery Centers in San Jose, Calif., where 15 of her 24 treatment beds are filled with clients primarily addicted to alcohol. She said she's seen more people seeking treatment for alcoholism in the past four years. Still, she noted, "there are a lot of people still out there needing treatment, but they won't come in unless they have a consequence like losing a job or [getting] a DUI. They think they have control over it." Public health experts offer a number of cultural and economic explanations for the increase in excessive drinking. As a result of changed social norms, it's now more acceptable for women to drink the way men traditionally have, said Tom Greenfield, scientific director at the Alcohol Research Group at the Oakland, Calif.-based Public Health Institute. Young people are more likely to binge drink, and affluent people have the money to drink more. So the influx of wealthy professionals in cities like San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland -- many in hard-working, hard-partying tech jobs -- may have helped spur significant spikes in drinking rates in the Bay Area and similar communities, experts said. Taxes on alcohol have not risen along with the Consumer Price Index, so wine, beer and liquor have gotten cheaper over time in real dollars, he said. Alcohol advertising, particularly for hard liquor, has increased in recent years. A Federal Trade Commission study found that companies spent about $3.45 billion to advertise alcoholic beverages in 2011. Alcohol control policies, such as limits on when and where alcohol can be sold and how long bars can stay open, have weakened in past decades, Greenfield said. That may partly explain rising consumption nationwide, particularly in some states where "blue laws" once prohibited alcohol sales on Sundays or in supermarkets. To conduct the study, researchers analyzed data on about 3.7 million Americans aged 21 and older from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing telephone survey of health behaviors conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit national health policy news service.

Heavy drinking among Americans rose 17.2 percent between 2005 and 2012 . The increase is driven largely by women's drinking habits . It's now more acceptable for women to drink the way men traditionally have, says one expert .


(The Hollywood Reporter)Roseanne Barr has revealed that she is slowly going blind. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Barr said she suffers from macular degeneration and glaucoma and told the website, "My vision is closing in now." The comedic actress said smoking marijuana is "good medicine" for relieving the pressure in her eyes. Tribeca 2015: 9 Must-see films . "It's something weird. But there are other weird things. That one's harsh, 'cause I read a lot, and then I thought, 'Well, I guess I could hire somebody to read for me and read to me.' But I like words and I like looking. You do what you have to do. I just try and enjoy vision as much as possible -- y'know, living it up. My dad had it, too," the actress said. Barr also defended her use of pot, saying, "It's expansive. It opens your mind" and "It makes you wonder. It doesn't close that down." Roger Ailes: Why Fox News will never hire Jon Stewart . Doctors have not given Barr a definitive timeline on when she can expect to lose all visibility. The actress attended the Tribeca Film Festival in support of her documentary "Roseanne for President!" Directed by Eric Weinrib, the film follows Barr in her unsuccessful attempt to become the Green Party's 2012 presidential nominee. The Peace and Freedom Party eventually made Barr its nominee.

Roseanne Barr told the Daily Beast that she is slowly going blind . Barr said she has macular degeneration and glaucoma .


(CNN)Hawaii is poised to become the first state in the nation to prohibit the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to anybody under age 21. The state's legislature on Friday passed a bill raising the minimum legal age -- currently 18 -- to buy tobacco or e-cigarettes. The bill will now go before Gov. David Ige, whose signature would make it law in Hawaii as of January 1, 2016. Forty-six U.S. states permit the sale of tobacco to anyone 18 or older, while Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey and Utah require customers to be at least 19. Dozens of cities and towns, including New York, have already raised the minimum legal age for tobacco purchases to 21. "This bold step will reduce smoking among young people, save lives and help make the next generation tobacco-free," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a prepared statement. "Increasing the sale age to 21 will reduce tobacco use among youth and young adults, age groups when nearly all smoking begins and that are heavily targeted by the tobacco industry," he said. It was not clear Monday whether Ige would sign the bill, although on Friday he approved legislation banning the the use of e-cigarettes in all locations where smoking is illegal. A spokeswoman for the governor told CNN in an email that he would need some time to review the bill. The legislation comes after a report last month from the Institute of Medicine that said barring people under age 21 from buying cigarettes would have significant public health benefits. Setting the minimum age at 21 nationwide would result in nearly a quarter-million fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer among people born between 2000 and 2019, the report estimated. Raise the smoking age? Report predicts big health benefits if we do . Teenagers, especially those between 15 and 17, are most vulnerable to addiction at a time when their brains are still developing, said the study, which was conducted at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If the minimum legal age for tobacco use was raised to 21, the prevalence of smokers among today's teens would decline by 12% when they become adults, the report said. Under the Hawaii bill, anyone caught breaking the law would face a $10 fine for the first offense and a $50 fine or community service for a second offense. A 2014 survey of Hawaii voters found that 71% favored raising the legal age to 21.

Hawaii's legislature passes a bill raising the legal age for buying tobacco to 21 . The bill is now before Gov. David Ige, whose signature would make it law . Most states allow tobacco sales to anyone 18 and older .


(CNN)Combining healthy eating with moral support, Jean Nidetch became a heavyweight in the weight-loss industry. The founder of Weight Watchers died Wednesday at her home in Florida. She was 91. What would become Weight Watchers started as a group of friends meeting in her Queens, New York, living room in 1961. Nidetch described herself as an "overweight housewife obsessed with cookies." After countless fad diets, Nidetch figured that accountability was the key to keeping the weight off.  At the time, she was 38 years old and weighed more than 200 pounds. Her guiding philosophy: "It's choice -- not chance -- that determines your destiny." Through the program of regular weigh-ins, peer support and accountability, not only did Nidetch lose 72 pounds, but she inspired millions more to shed pounds too. She officially launched Weight Watchers in 1963 and took the company public five years later. "Jean was an inspiration and an innovator who leaves behind a legacy and program that has positively impacted the health and well-being of millions of people around the world," said Jim Chambers, president and CEO Weight Watchers International. "It is our honor and responsibility to carry on her legacy to help more people to transform their lives."

Jean Nidetch started Weight Watchers in 1963 . Nidetch's philosophy:  "It's choice -- not chance -- that determines your destiny"


(CNN)Roseanne Barr revealed earlier this week that she is going blind. In an interview with The Daily Beast, the 62-year-old comic talked about her struggle with macular degeneration and glaucoma — two eye diseases that get progressively worse over time and can steal vision. Barr's doctors haven't provided a timeline, but her symptoms are worsening: "My vision is closing in now," she said. "I just try and enjoy vision as much as possible. Y'know, living it up." Related: 9 worst eye care mistakes you're making . Macular degeneration is a breakdown of the part of the retina that allows us to see fine details in the center of vision; while glaucoma damages the nerve that connects the retina to the brain, and is often caused by fluid build-up and pressure in the eyes. (Barr said in the interview that she helps relieve the pressure by using marijuana, which is known to temporarily lower pressure inside the eye.) "It's somewhat unusual that Roseanne Bar has both, but not unheard of," explains ophthalmologist Steven A. Shanbom, MD, of Shanbom Eye Specialists in Berkley, Mich. Though there are some controllable risk factors, certain people are genetically predisposed to these diseases, so Barr may simply be prone to both. "Certainly it's sad. The combination of the two is terrible. Macular degeneration takes away her central vision, and glaucoma is taking away her peripheral vision," Dr. Shanbom adds. (He is not treating Roseanne Barr, and does not know the specifics of her case.) The risk for both diseases goes up for everyone after age 60, with some people, especially African Americans, at higher risk in their 40s. That's why the American Academy of Opthalmology recommends getting a baseline eye exam when you turn the big 4-0, even if you have perfect vision. In the early stages, you can have either condition, but have no symptoms at all. Things like a family history or high blood pressure, or issues within the eye (like having a thinner cornea, for example) might lead your MD to prescribe drops that can reduce your chances of developing glaucoma by about half. Related: 10 natural ways to lower blood pressure . There is no cure for either disease. But like those eyedrops, there are treatments that may delay the progression of early-stage glaucoma (from other drugs to surgery), and therapies that might halt further vision loss in advanced cases of macular degeneration (including an implantable telescope). The future looks brighter however: An animal study published this month suggests that an injection of stem cells into the eye might slow or even reverse the effects of early-stage macular degeneration. There are also simple things you can start doing right now to ward off these diseases. Here, five ways to protect your peepers. Slip on your shades—even when it's cloudy . Sun exposure can up the risk for glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as cataracts (clouding of the lenses). Make sure your sunglasses offer 99% to 100% UV protection. Sporting a pair that doesn't filter UV light is more dangerous than wearing no shades at all, because the dark lenses cause your pupils to dilate and allow in more harmful rays. Schedule in a regular walk . Studies indicate that aerobic exercise can reduce the eye pressure that leads to glaucoma, and may improve blood flow to the retina and optic nerve. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, all you need to do is raise your pulse 20% to 25% (which could mean a brisk walk) for 20 minutes, a minimum of four times a week. Related: 9 tweaks that make walking workouts more effective . Eat your greens . Spinach, kale, and other leafy greens are packed with lutein and zeaxanthin—antioxidants that lower your risk of developing macular degeneration (and cataracts too), research shows. Another good source: egg yolks. Snack on almonds, citrus, and berries . Almonds are loaded with vitamin E (a handful provides about half your daily dose), which slows macular degeneration; while citrus fruit and berries are filled with vitamin C, which cuts your odds of developing the disease. Avoid cigarette smoke . While smoking is bad news for many parts of your body, you may not have considered eyes to be one of them. However, smoking doubles your risk of macular degeneration. Avoiding cigs can not only protect your lungs and heart, it can protect your peepers too.

Barr has macular degeneration and glaucoma, eye diseases that get progressively worse and can steal vision . The risk for both diseases goes up for everyone after age 60 . Sun exposure can up the risk for glaucoma and macular degeneration .


(CNN)People have long underestimated the athleticism necessary for golf. But over the last decade, with fit golfers like Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, and now Jordan Spieth all winning the Masters, the training perspective on golf is shifting. There's a particular emphasis on the functional movement required to execute the perfect swing, which is why yoga is increasingly appealing to golfers. During the Masters, Spieth demonstrated optimal movement in two key areas that enhance swing power and fluid control while decreasing the risk of back and knee injuries: mid-back mobility and internal hip rotation. Equally important, he did it while maintaining a stable low back and integrated core strength as the foundation for expressing his swing mobility. Related: Yoga for triathletes . Remember Tiger Wood's low-back problem earlier this year? Tiger blamed a lack of glute (primary buttock muscle) firing for locking up his back, but attempting to rotate from his low back instead of moving functionally from his mid back or hips likely exacerbated the issue. When golfers have mobility limitations in their mid back or hips, they compensate with their low back and knees, which not only hampers play but often leads to pain and injury. Want the mobility to swing like Spieth and avoid the back and knee issues that commonly plague golfers? Try these three yoga-based moves I use with my PGA clients to address the key areas of the swing. Trains internal hip rotation; stabilizes and lengthens lower back muscles; stretches upper back and shoulders; encourages ankle mobility . Start in a neutral all-fours position with your hips over your knees and your shoulders above your wrists. Engage your deep core muscles to stabilize your low back. Extend your right leg straight out to the side with your toes pointing forward and the sole of your foot down. Exhale as you sit your hips back toward your heels as far as you can go comfortably without knee, hip or back pain. Inhale as you bring your body weight forward again and internally rotate from your right hip to come up onto your toes (as pictured). Be sure the rotation is coming from your hip, not your lower back, knees or ankles. Exhale and return your hips back towards your heels and the sole of your foot to the floor. Repeat the movement in synch with your breathing through five repetitions on each side. Promotes proper mid-back extension; strengthens shoulder girdle, opens front of shoulders and chest; lengthens low back . Lie prone (belly down) on your forearms with your elbows under your shoulders. Exhale as you press down through your forearms as though you are trying to slide your belly through your arms to create length in your low back. At the same time, move your shoulder blades down toward your waist. This will activate the mid-back muscles essential for thoracic spine extension while inhibiting the muscles of your upper neck and chest that limit mobility. Hold the posture for three long, deep breaths. Rest for a breath or two and repeat for a total of three holds. Promotes thoracic spine rotation and shoulder girdle function; stabilizes low back; activates glutes (primary muscles of the buttocks); encourages ankle mobility, strengthens adductors (groins), core and legs . Stand with your feet together; your big toes should touch but allow space between your heels to avoid externally rotating your hips. Exhale as you sit back into a squat with your hands and forearms together in front of your chest. Inhale as you hold the position, ensuring that your low back doesn't arch, and your glutes and core are activated for support. Exhale as you rotate from your mid back to place your inside elbow on the top or outside of one leg. Keep your hips and low back stable. Avoid separating your knees or letting one drop forward. Inhale as you use your bottom elbow for leverage to reach your top elbow upward while pulling your hands toward the center of your chest. Exhale as you focus on dropping your shoulder blades down your back and rotating from your mid back. You can look up or down—whatever is comfortable for your neck. Hold the twist for two more breaths. Repeat on the opposite side. As an advanced option, you can hold one of your clubs (as pictured), reaching your top hand up the club during the twist to open your shoulder and chest. Adding these yoga-based moves to your workouts will help you develop the mobility for an optimal swing. But it's up to you to add skill to the movement. To that end, there are many golf trainers who focus on body mechanics with skill training. According to its website, the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) educates instructors on "how a properly functioning body allows a player to swing a golf club in the most efficient way possible." So, if you really want to swing like Spieth, you might consider hiring a TPI-certified trainer since the training staff Spieth thanked during his Masters victory speech were all TPI certified.

During the Masters, Jordan Spieth demonstrated optimal movement to enhance swing power and fluid control . When golfers have mobility limitations they compensate with their low back and knees, which often leads to pain and injury .


(CNN)The number of new HIV infections in a rural Indiana county has grown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The institute is working with state health leaders to control the "severe outbreak," which has spread among users of a prescription opioid called Opana. The outbreak has been ongoing since mid-December. As of Friday, 142 people have tested positive for HIV, with 136 confirmed cases and six more with preliminary positive test results, all in rural Scott and Jackson counties. This is a huge number of cases for an area that has a population of only a few thousand people. The CDC and state health leaders held a news conference Friday to talk about the new numbers and about the growing threat of the spread of disease from IV drug use, especially in isolated rural areas that have sparse health resources. Scott County, the epicenter of the outbreak, has only one doctor who deals with infectious disease, but the doctor is not an HIV specialist, the State Department of Health said. Since the rampant HIV outbreak was first noticed in mid-December, the state has tried to flood the area with additional resources. Indiana declared a public health emergency in that county in March. Indiana University has sent health volunteers to provide a clinic, open once a week to help treat people and test them for HIV. These workers are also going door to door to try to educate the population about the danger of sharing needles. So far, 33 patients have visited the temporary clinic, which is starting to see patients return to seek treatment. It's no coincidence that many of the cases of the newly infected there are younger people "who weren't around in the '80s and '90s when HIV was at its peak," Dr. Jonathan Mermin said. In the 1980s, doctors were seeing an average of 35,000 new HIV infections among IV drug users, and that figure has been down 90% nationally, he said. So people aren't as aware about the danger of sharing needles. Mermin is the director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. Education will be key, he emphasized. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence also signed a 30-day executive order that allows for a needle exchange. It was set to expire Friday, but he extended the order another 30 days Tuesday. Needle exchanges have been scientifically shown to reduce new infections. The state is also offering job services to people in the area. Dr. Joan Duwve, the chief medical consultant with the Indiana State Department of Health, spoke at length about how communities all along the Ohio River in her state and in Kentucky and West Virginia have seen a huge problem with prescription drug abuse, particularly in areas where there "is not a lot to do." Many family members, across generations, live in the same house and will use the drugs together as "a community activity," Duwve said. And this has led to more needle sharing, which spreads infection. She said this has been a problem for these areas for at least a decade. Another reason this infection has spread so rapidly is the nature of the drug itself. Opana, as the prescription opioid is known, needs to be injected more than once a day. Duwve said residents have reported injecting it four to 10 times a day to stay under its influence. When people start to feel the drug wear off after about four hours, they begin to feel sick and go into withdrawal. Often they'll turn to an injecting partner in the same house who will share their needle and their drug to give the person relief from these symptoms. The other problem with this drug is that it requires a larger-gauge needle that exposes users to more blood, which increases the risk of infection. Health leaders worry about the spread of HIV and other diseases such as hepatitis C around the country as the number of illegal prescription drug users has grown. There has been a 150% increase in hepatitis C between 2010 and 2013, the majority of the increase believed to be from injection drug abusers, the CDC said. "The situation in Indiana should serve as a warning not to let our guard down," Mermin said. "This is a powerful reminder" that HIV and other infectious diseases "can gain ground at any time, unless you remain vigilant."

The number of new HIV infections in Indiana has grown to 142 cases . Some families in isolated communities use illegal drugs and share needles as a "community activity," a health official says . Public health officials urge vigilance to stop the outbreak from gaining ground .


(CNN)Are you smarter than a really smart Singapore high school student? See if you can figure out Cheryl's birthday, the Singapore logic problem that's got the Internet twisted into knots. Some are even saying it's the math equivalent of the "What color is the dress" debate. The puzzling problem went viral after Singapore television host Kenneth Kong posted it to Facebook. Cheryl's birthday challenge was meant to test the better high-school students competing in the Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad, held April 8. Here it is: Cheryl has a birthday, and she doesn't want to share it right away. (Otherwise, we have no challenge to solve.) So she gives her friends Albert and Bernard a list of 10 possible birthday dates: May 15, May 16, May 19, June 17, June 18, July 14, July 16, August 14, August 15 or August 17. A brief conversation between Albert and Bernard -- who we assume are not lying for the sake of this problem -- gives the reader enough clues to eliminate nine of the 10 dates and discover Cheryl's birthday. That's assuming you want to celebrate with Cheryl after she's put you through all that trouble. See our video below for the answer from Georgia Tech Mathematician Matt Baker.  The New York Times and the Washington Post have also posted solutions to the problem, along with explanations. Of course, the Internet has offered other solutions.

A logic question about "Cheryl's birthday" goes viral . The clues give just enough information to eliminate most possibilities . It spread after a Singapore television host posted it to Facebook .


(CNN)As the model for Norman Rockwell's "Rosie the Riveter," Mary Doyle Keefe became the symbol of American women working on the home front during World War II. The 92-year-old died this week at her home in Simsbury, Connecticut. As a 19-year-old telephone operator, Keefe posed for the famous painting that would become the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on May 29, 1943. Although she was petite, Keefe was transformed into the iconic -- and burly -- embodiment of the character by Rockwell. "Other than the red hair and my face, Norman Rockwell embellished Rosie's body," Keefe said in a 2012 interview with the Hartford Courant. "I was much smaller than that and did not know how he was going to make me look like that until I saw the finished painting." People we've lost in 2015 . Keefe pocketed $10 for the two mornings of modeling work she did in Arlington, Vermont. Rockwell lived in neighboring West Arlington at the time. "Rosie the Riveter" is often confused with another popular image from the same era. The poster shows a woman flexing her arm under the slogan "We Can Do It." It was part of a nationwide campaign to sell war bonds, but is not the same character. Still, many folks on social media paid tribute to Keefe using the image. Both show the key role women played in the war effort.

"Rosie the Riveter" appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on May 29, 1943 . Mary Doyle Keefe was a 19-year-old telephone operator at the time .


(CNN)Feeling so happy you just can't stand it? You might want to pop some acetaminophen. A new study has found that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, most forms of Midol and more than 600 other medicines, reduces not only pain but pleasure, as well. The authors of the study, which was published this week in Psychological Science, say that it was already known that acetaminophen blunted psychological pain. But their new research led them to the conclusion that it also blunted joy -- in other words, that it narrowed the range of feelings experienced. "This means that using Tylenol or similar products might have broader consequences than previously thought," said Geoffrey Durso, a doctoral student in social psychology at Ohio State University and the lead author of the study. "Rather than just being a pain reliever, acetaminophen can be seen as an all-purpose emotion reliever." The researchers tested their thesis by showing 82 college students 40 photographs -- some of highly pleasant images, such as children with kittens, and some of highly unpleasant images, such as children who were malnourished. Half of the participants in the study were given "an acute dose" of acetaminophen -- 1,000 milligrams -- and the other half were given a placebo with the same appearance. The subjects were then asked to rate the photos according to how unpleasant or pleasant they were. Those who took the acetaminophen rated all the photos less extremely than those who took the placebo. "In other words, positive photos were not seen as positively under the influence of acetaminophen and negative photos were not seen as negatively," the authors reported. The researchers followed up by testing a group of 85 people to see whether this change in judgment applied just to emotions or whether the drug blunted people's evaluation of magnitude in general. This group showed the same blunting of emotional reactions. But acetaminophen did not affect how much blue they saw in each photo. But people who participated in the study did not appear to know they were acting differently, said Baldwin Way, an assistant professor of psychology who was another of the study's authors. "Most people probably aren't aware of how their emotions may be impacted when they take acetaminophen," Way said. Each week, about 23% of American adults -- or 52 million people -- use a medicine containing acetaminophen, according to the nonprofit Consumer Healthcare Products Association. The authors said it was not known whether other pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, have the same effect. But have no fear -- they plan to study that question, as well.

Subjects taking acetaminophen reacted less strongly to both pleasant and unpleasant photos . Each week, 52 million Americans use the pain reliever . Unknown whether other pain products produce the same effect .


(CNN)A 17-year-old teen who has been living at Connecticut Children's Medical Center since December while being forced to have chemotherapy to treat Hodgkin's lymphoma has completed treatment and left the hospital Monday, according to her attorney, Josh Michtom. Cassandra C., as she is identified in court documents, was ordered into custody of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families by a judge in December. She ran away in an effort to discontinue chemo, claiming she did not want to be treated. Earlier this month, CNN reported that she was in remission, feeling well and her treatment was almost complete. Cassandra was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in September, and doctors gave her an 85% chance of survival if treated but said she would die within two years if left untreated. She started the treatment in November but ran away after two days, according to court documents, when she decided she did not want to put the poison of the treatment into her body. That's when a judge ordered her into custody of the state. Attorneys for the teen and her mom have tried to appeal, but they did not succeed. Cassandra remained in the hospital. In the most recent legal maneuvering, a judge denied a request by Cassandra's attorney to allow her return home on grounds that she was no longer at risk for imminent harm. Now that her treatment is complete, the temporary order of custody ends, Michtom told CNN. Previously he said the hospital was "effectively a jail" to his client. "As we do for every patient we care for at Connecticut Children's, we wish her the best for a happy and healthy future," Robert Fraleigh, director of corporate communications for Connecticut Children's Medical Center, said in a statement Monday. Joette Katz, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, said in a statement that they are pleased that Cassandra is healthy and has recovered. She credits the doctors at Children's Medical Center and the staff at her department for this happy outcome. Acknowledging that the ordeal has been difficult for Cassandra and her family, Katz said, "We were responsible to save Cassandra's life under these circumstances,  and we are very happy that she is now moving successfully to another phase in her life -- a healthy and happy one."

Teen allowed to return home now that her chemotherapy is complete . 'Cassandra' was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in September . Teen was in temporary custody of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families .


(CNN)The latest outbreak of bird flu -- the worst in the U.S. since the 1980s -- is not a likely threat to humans, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But as with any potential threat to human health, they are preparing for the worst just in case. The CDC and the United States Department of Agriculture held a press conference Wednesday to talk about preparations. "The risk to humans is low, our food supply is safe," said Dr. John Clifford, the USDA's Chief Veterinary Officer. "We know how to address disease when we find it." Since mid-December, 16 states have seen bird flu turn up in commercial poultry, backyard chickens, and in flocks of wild and captive wild birds, according to the CDC. That number will likely grow as birds with the disease fly from one state to the next. On Monday, health leaders in Iowa said more than 5 million hens would have to be euthanized after bird flu was detected at a commercial laying facility there. In the United States, some 3.5 million birds had already been euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease, according to the USDA. Iowa has about 60 million laying hens, according to the Iowa Egg Council and is the top egg producer in the country. California and Minnesota, two of the country's top 10 egg producing states have also seen cases. The news is bad for the birds, but not for humans. The CDC considers the likelihood of bird to human transmission of the virus "low" according to Dr. Alicia Fry, a medical officer with the CDC national Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, Influenza Division, Epidemiology and Prevention Branch. "That said, human infections have occurred" with another strain of the virus, found in Africa and in Asia, so the CDC cannot rule out the possibility of human infection, Fry said. "We are cautiously optimistic" that it won't spread to humans, but "we are prepared for the possibility," she added. They are studying the current virus and creating candidate vaccines which could be used if one were ever needed. The USDA is also working on a potential vaccine for the birds. These are typical routine public health preparedness measures. The CDC said it is also monitoring at least 100 people who have worked with sick birds. None of the workers have gotten sick themselves. Most of the people who have become infected with the other strains of the virus in Asia and Africa have had direct or prolonged contact with infected birds. The virus does not spread through people eating chickens or eggs. Birds that are sick die quickly, according to Clifford. Incubation period is three to five days generally. With turkeys, they go off their water and their feed when they are sick and become lethargic or have a condition called "torticollis" or "stargazing" he said, and they die shortly after that. Farmers also see a drop in egg production. Commercial growers have taken extra precautions to disinfect vehicle tires and any equipment that comes into contact with the birds. Workers must also disinfect their shoes and hands when they go from building to building to reduce contamination. With popular backyard birds, the USDA suggests people try and protect their animals from coming into contact with wild water fowl that may carry the virus. The CDC said, as with any evolving public health situation, they will continue to provide updated information as it becomes available. The good news is the virus doesn't like warm weather or strong sunlight, according to the USDA. So the cases should go down over the summer, but they are going to monitor the situation knowing that it could come back in the Fall.

The CDC says "the risk to humans is low," but, as always, they are preparing for the worst case . You can't get bird flu from eating poultry or eggs . At least 100 people who worked with the sick birds are being monitored for any sign of sickness . So far 3.5 million birds have been euthanized .


(CNN)When the earthquake hit, many of Nepal's most renowned pagodas in and around Kathmandu crumbled into rubble-covered stumps. Others were smothered under splintered hand-carved wooden beams or multi-level rooftops. But the Kathmandu Valley's other pagodas, stupas and shrines -- also built mostly of red brick hundreds of years ago -- suffered surprisingly little damage and remained standing next to  structures which disappeared. The worst architectural losses have included the majestic Shiva temple pagoda and its twin, the Narayan temple pagoda, which dominated Kathmandu's main Durbar Square. From the late 1960s onwards, Western hippy backpackers who traveled the legendary overland route to Kathmandu would climb the Shiva pagoda's wide, nine-step plinth, sit in the shade under the triple-layered roofs, smoke hashish and enjoy the lofty view. But now the two pagodas have been obliterated and the scene comprises pathetic piles of rubble, a bulldozer shoveling a path for vehicles, shocked and miserable witnesses and a sense of irreplaceable visual and spiritual loss -- unless the structures are eventually rebuilt. The Shiva temple pagoda may have been hundreds of years old, but before its destruction impoverished rickshaw drivers, coolies and others would publicly urinate into the gutter surrounding it while waiting for passengers or heavy loads to transport. The slightly shorter, triple-roofed Narayan pagoda allowed vegetable sellers to display their foodstuff on the temple's broad, five-level base. Both pagodas also served as public platforms. Jostling crowds of Nepalis and foreigners used to gather there because the plinths' height above street level allowed excellent views of major Hindu processions and other events. Those two landmarks fronted the enclosed dwelling place of Nepal's Hindu virgin goddess, or Kumari, whose ornate front of bricks, statues and carved wood seem to have survived the initial quakes. It is not immediately known if the inner courtyard and rooms are safe. On the other side of Durbar Square, the brick-and-wood Shiva-Parvati temple house -- where the Hindu gods Shiva and his consort Parvati shelter -- appear to also have survived. On Kathmandu's outskirts the town of Patan suffered terrible damage when its central Durbar Square lost several pagodas as structures pancaked straight down while others merely shook and cracked. Fortunately others appear to still be standing, including the Sundari Chowk temple and a surviving lucky trio of holy structures: the gray stone, Mogul-influenced Krishna Mandir; the 17th-century Bishwa Nath Mandir with its large stone elephants at the entrance; and the nearby smaller 17th-century Bimsen Mandi "god of the traders" pagoda. Several miles away from Kathmandu, witnesses have been unable to immediately confirm the levels of destruction which have occurred in the lavish town of Bhaktapur. The locality had undergone years of extensive restoration work thanks to foreign and local artists and funding. The town offset some of that cost by charging tourists a fee to enter its central area, which displayed refined temples, pagodas, shrines and even a restaurant built into a main pagoda, allowing diners to view the best sites while munching their meals. Elsewhere in the Kathmandu Valley, the white-topped dome of the Boudhanath Stupa remains standing, but its smaller neighboring stupa has shown some damage from the quake. The Boudhanath Stupa is prized by Tibetan Buddhist refugees who have fled their Chinese-occupied homeland on foot through the Himalaya mountains. They are often seen reverently walking in a circle around the stupa's base while twirling "prayer wheels" and chanting. There has been no news as yet on damage caused to other famous places of Hindu and Buddhist worship, including the hilltop Swayambhunath temple on the outskirts of Kathmandu. That imposing structure is popularly known as the "Monkey Temple" because its often vicious wild monkeys are allowed to scamper among the trees on the temple's hill, terrifying visitors who have to hike up a lengthy stairway to reach the temples, shrines, shops and monks' residences.. The fate of the Pashupatinath Temple complex near Kathmandu's international airport is also not known. Pashupatinath's multiple pagodas and shrines flank its public funeral pyres which emit smoke whenever human corpses are routinely cremated before the ashes are dumped into a narrow river.

Several of Nepal's best known landmarks have been destroyed by the earthquake of April 25 . But outside the capital Kathmandu there is hope that many have survived .


(CNN)Can a prayer for diamonds actually turn up a gem? When you're exploring the fields at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, the odds are higher than usual. "Are you going to bless me and let me find a diamond today?" That was Susie Clark's prayer on April 23, according to the state park service. Soon after, Clark, who is from Evening Shade, Arkansas, saw a 3.69-carat white, teardrop-shaped diamond in the plowed field. Inspired by her prayer, Clark named it the Hallelujah Diamond. She plans to keep it. The diamond, which is the largest found at the park so far this year, is about the size of a pinto bean, says park interpreter Waymon Cox. "And it's the largest one found since April 16, 2014, when a 6.19-carat white diamond, named the Limitless Diamond, was found at the park," he said, according to a park press release. It's the 122nd diamond found at Crater of Diamonds this year. Visitors get to keep what they find at the state park's 37.5-acre search field, which is named for an ancient eruption that scattered the area with gems. The area, which became a state park in 1972, is the only public site in the world where -- for a small fee -- anyone can dig for diamonds and keep them. It's not clear how much the diamond is worth, and park officials aren't trained to appraise them, according to the park website. But Oklahoman Tara Clymer sold a 3.85-carat diamond she found at the park last year for $20,000. 50 states, 50 spots: Natural wonders . Park staff regularly plow the area to bring more diamonds to the surface for visitors to discover. The 40.23-carat Uncle Sam, the nation's largest diamond, was found in 1924, and the "perfect" 3.03-carat Strawn-Wagner diamond was found in 1990. The Strawn-Wagner Diamond was cut in 1997 by the renowned diamond firm Lazare Kaplan International of New York. The now 1.09-carat diamond is on display at the park visitor center. The park stretches for more than 900 acres along the Little Missouri River, but the diamond field is the main attraction. More than 75,000 diamonds have been discovered there since farmer John Huddleston discovered gems on what was then his property in 1906.

Arkansas woman finds a 3.69-carat diamond in Arkansas state park . Crater of Diamonds is the planet's only public diamond search site .


(CNN)In a tragic echo of the catastrophic events in Haiti in 2010, a powerful earthquake struck one of the poorest nations on Earth today. The latest estimates from seismologists put the magnitude at 7.9, which would actually makes it about 40% larger than the 7.8 currently being reported. That's less than half the size of the previous major event nearby in 1934, which killed around 10,000 people. Unfortunately, it is quite possible the number of dead in Kathmandu could rise to match it. We knew this disaster was coming eventually. Geophysicists have long monitored how fast the Earth's plates are moving, and we know that the entire subcontinent of India is being driven slowly but surely underneath Nepal and Tibet at a speed of around 1.8 inches per year. It's the reason Everest exists. Latest updates on Nepal earthquake . Over millions of years, the squeezing has crushed the Himalayas like a concertina, raising mountains to heights of several miles and triggering earthquakes on a regular basis from Pakistan to Burma. Saturday's quake was neither unusual nor unexpected, although it was larger than most. In the 81 years since the 1934 Bihar earthquake, the land mass of India has been pushed about 12 feet into Nepal. Think of all that movement getting stored in a giant spring lying under Nepal. The spring is stuck on a broad, rough surface which we call a fault plane (a fault line is what we see when it emerges from the ground). Fallen: Nepal's historic landmarks . Sometimes, energy stored in the spring gets big enough to slip catastrophically, releasing all that pent-up strain and generating shaking strong enough to destroy buildings and kill people over a huge area. The bigger the area that slips, and the larger the pent-up energy, the greater the damage. Saturday's slip took place over an area about 1,000 to 2,000 square miles over a zone spanning the cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara in one direction, and almost the entire Himalaya mountain width in the other. A part of India slid about one to 10 feet northwards and underneath Nepal in a matter of seconds. We have this kind of detailed data thanks to major advances in seismology over recent years. Using measurements of shaking recorded on seismometers scattered across the world and sent in near or real time to agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey and to universities such as Columbia, we can infer the location and magnitude of a big earthquake very quickly. Avalanches hamper Everest rescue efforts . Not just that: we can now estimate the pattern and speed of rapid sliding across its fault surface. What used to take months of careful academic study now takes minutes of computation. In Haiti in 2010, although the earthquake was more than 20 times weaker than Saturday's, well over 100,000 people are thought to have been killed around Port-au-Prince by the shaking and its after-effects. Yet despite some differences, the Nepal and Haiti earthquakes also share similarities -- both geological events were known to be approaching, and both struck areas afflicted by widespread poverty, rapid increases in population in urban areas, uncoordinated changes in building infrastructure and lack of adherence to improved building codes. About 1.45 million people live in  Kathmandu, the majority in poorly constructed homes not designed to withstand the kind of shaking seen on Saturday. Nepal has a per capita income of around $1,350, only a notch above that of Haiti, and among the lowest in the world. Meeting building codes in new construction, or taking on expensive retrofitting, is way beyond the means of most. To make matters worse, the valley itself appears to focus the destructive shaking of earthquake waves. Studies have long predicted that the Kathmandu area was due a magnitude-8 earthquake, or higher -- one study predicted between 21,000 and 42,000 fatalities if a magnitude-8.1 earthquake had struck the area. (Fortunately, Saturday's shaking was half that intensity). Still, this catastrophe comes at a delicate time for Nepal as it emerges from a long-running civil war and its economy has been improving steadily. We have to hope that recovery from both can somehow take place despite the enormous challenges ahead.

A magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday . Colin Stark: We knew this disaster would come .


(The Hollywood Reporter)Ben Powers, who played Thelma's (BernNadette Stanis) husband Keith Anderson on the final season of the classic CBS sitcom "Good Times," has died. He was 64. Powers died April 6 in New Bedford, Mass., his family announced. No cause of death was revealed. Powers joined the cast of "Good Times" for its sixth and final season from 1978 to 1979 season, playing Keith, a professional football player. His character and Thelma wed in the third episode of that season, but he injures his leg while walking out of the church, straining their relationship. Powers also had a regular role as "Moochie" on the CBS detective drama show, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, from 1984 to 1985. Powers had a small part in "Cheech & Chong's Next Movie" (1980). He was back with the comedy pair in "Things Are Tough All Over" (1982). He also appeared in "The Man Who Loved Women" (1983) starring Burt Reynolds. He also guest-starred on shows such as "Gimme a Break," "Flamingo Road," "The Greatest American Hero" and "Laverne & Shirley." Born in Brooklyn and raised in Providence, R.I., by his grandparents, Alton "Ben" Powers attended the Rhode Island School of Design for painting and sketching before focusing on acting. He performed stand-up comedy routines in Providence, incorporating impressions and songs into his act, where he was discovered by a Hollywood agent. Gigs at the Playboy clubs in Los Angeles, New York and Boston led to a job in 1977 on the revived version of "Laugh-In." Survivors include his mother and his sisters Yvonne and Maya. People we've lost in 2015 . ©2015 The Hollywood Reporter. All rights reserved.

Ben Powers joined the cast of "Good Times" for its sixth and final season . He played Thelma's husband Keith Anderson .


Tokyo (CNN)A crowd gathers near the entrance of Tokyo's upscale Mitsukoshi Department Store, which traces its roots to a kimono shop in the late 17th century. Fitting with the store's history, the new greeter wears a traditional Japanese kimono while delivering information to the growing crowd, whose expressions vary from amusement to bewilderment. It's hard to imagine the store's founders in the late 1600's could have imagined this kind of employee. That's because the greeter is not a human -- it's a robot. Aiko Chihira is an android manufactured by Toshiba, designed to look and move like a real person. It was put on temporary display at the department store. Toshiba says Chihira has 43 motors allowing it to move, speak in sign language and even sing. The regular greeter, Ayako Seiryu, says she's not worried about a robot replacing her -- even one made to resemble a real 32-year-old woman. "Communication is important," she says. "My strength is I can actually talk to people." Chihira can't have a conversation yet, acknowledges Hitoshi Tokuda, Toshiba spokesperson. But he says the technology is evolving quickly and someday, robots like Chihira could replace humans for certain jobs. A growing number of Japanese businesses are testing out robots as a possible solution to the country's shrinking workforce. They're appearing in stores, banks and soon even hotels. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ is trying out "Nao," a customer service robot that answers basic questions and is designed to speak 19 languages. The robotic polygot could prove useful serving foreign customers during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. By then, the bank hopes to have even more robots on staff. "Pepper" is a humanoid robot that "chats" with customers. A humanoid has human-like characteristics such as arms, legs and a head -- but is designed to look like a robot. Pepper first began appearing in Tokyo stores last year. Manufacturer Softbank hopes it'll eventually be a "family robot," like a sleeker version of Rosie on "The Jetsons." Meet Pepper -- the world's first emo robot . A hotel scheduled to open at Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Nagasaki this summer plans to have 10 robot staff members and aims to increase that to more than 90% of hotel services operated by robots. Today's novelty could be tomorrow's necessity. Japan has an aging population that has prompted serious talks about how to incorporate robots into the nation's shrinking workforce. One group that seems willing to embrace robots are Japan's senior citizens. A survey by nursing home operator Orix Living found more seniors would feel comfortable being cared for by a robot than a foreign nurse. In a nation with a dwindling population, waning workforce, and deep resistance to immigration, it seems robots will only play a larger role in Japan's future.

Toshiba tests robotic greeter at upscale Tokyo department store . More Japanese businesses are testing out robots as possible solution to Japan's shrinking workforce .


(CNN)Buckle up for another Mercedes battle in the Formula One world championship. Lewis Hamilton took victory for the Silver Arrows at the Chinese Grand Prix -- only for his teammate Nico Rosberg to later claim he had ruined his race by driving slowly. The reigning world champion captured his 35th grand prix win with a peerless pole-to-flag win under Shanghai's sunny skies. "It was great to have a smooth weekend," the British racer said before spraying the champagne on the podium. "The team have done a fantastic job to up our pace and improve after our last race where we struggled a bit." F1 championship standings . Hamilton had lost the Malaysia Grand Prix in a strategic battle with the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel but it was business as usual in Shanghai. Rosberg came home second for Mercedes to snuff out the threat from the chasing Italian racers and renew his rivalry with Hamilton. "It was an important comeback for the team," said the 2014 championship runner-up. Ferrari continued to put pressure on the world champion team with Vettel finishing third to collect his third straight podium of 2015. "We just wanted to bring the podium back home," said Vettel, a four-time world champion with Red Bull Racing. "It's been three out of three so far so it feels pretty good. I feel happy in the team and hopefully we can get a little bit closer to challenge these guys." Vettel is just 13 points behind Hamilton in the world championship and four points ahead of Rosberg, after the first three races of the year. Rosberg unhappy . It was a disheartening weekend for Rosberg -- the son of 1982 world champion Keke -- and he allowed his frustrations to spill over for the first time this season. On Saturday, Hamilton beat him to pole position by just 0.042 seconds and Rosberg complained to his engineers on the pit to car radio: "Oh, come on guys!" Then the German insisted his race was hampered when he found himself sandwiched between race leader Hamilton and Vettel, both of whom had stopped for fresh tyres a few laps earlier. "Lewis is driving very slowly. Tell him to speed up," Rosberg told the Mercedes pit wall. Mercedes then instructed Hamilton on the team radio: "OK Lewis we'd like to pick the pace up a little bit." Rosberg complained after the race that Hamilton's lackadaisical Sunday driving was holding him up, pushing him back into Vettel's thrall and taking life out of his tyres. "It's interesting to hear from you Lewis about your pace up front," Rosberg said in the post-race media conference. "That was compromising my race. Driving slowly, that was unnecessary, and meant Sebastian was closer to me. "It cost me a lot of time ... I'm unhappy about that of course." Hamilton responded: "It's not my job to look after Nico's race. It's my job to bring the car home. "I didn't do anything intentionally to slow the cars down. If Nico had wanted to get by he could have tried, but he didn't." Bahrain . Hamilton has won two grands prix in 2015 while Rosberg has yet to climb onto the top step of the podium. If the German is to repeat his thrilling 2014 world title challenge, which went down to the final race in Abu Dhabi, he will need to turn things around soon. Rosberg has the chance to exorcise his frustrations on track at the Bahrain Grand Prix in just seven day's time. Ferrari will hope the hot track temperatures at the desert race will help them topple Mercedes again, as they did on Sepang's sizzling circuit. The Italian team have the horsepower. Vettel finished less than three seconds behind Hamilton in China with Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen fourth. There was also a small feat further down the field as former Ferrari race winner Fernando Alonso finished his first race for the McLaren Honda partnership with 12th place in China. The Spanish double world champion missed the Australian Grand Prix because of a head injury sustained in testing and then retired in Malaysia.

Lewis Hamilton took victory for the Silver Arrows at the Chinese Grand Prix . Nico Rosberg claims Hamilton ruined his race by driving slowly .


(CNN)Richard Dysart, the award-winning stage actor who gained  fame playing law firm leader Leland McKenzie on "L.A. Law," has died. He was 86. He died of cancer at his home in Santa Monica, California, according to his wife, Kathryn Jacobi Dysart. For decades, Dysart was a noted TV and film character actor, and stage star, winning a Drama Desk award for playing coach in Jason Miller's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "That Championship Season." But it was as McKenzie, the occasionally crusty paterfamilias on "L.A. Law," that he's likely best remembered. 'L.A. Law': Sex, crime and the 'Venus Butterfly' McKenzie usually took a back seat to the younger, more glamorous characters on "Law," a Steven Bochco-created legal show that owed much to his previous hit, "Hill Street Blues." The employees of McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney and Kuzak included Harry Hamlin's smooth-talking Michael Kuzak, Corbin Bernsen's skirt-chasing divorce attorney Arnie Becker and Michele Greene's idealistic Abby Perkins. There was as much time devoted to bedroom activities as there was legal issues while the show bravely took on such topics as AIDS, child molestation and capital punishment. But McKenzie was the one who kept them in check while still encouraging their better instincts. (Alan Rachins' Douglas Brackman was the business guy.) He was also involved in one of the show's most surprising plot twists: a romantic affair with a rival, Rosalind Shays (Diana Muldaur), who met with one of TV's most shocking deaths -- plunging down an elevator shaft. Dysart appeared in every episode of the show, which ran from 1986 to 1994. After "L.A. Law" ended, Dysart took few roles, though he did return for an "L.A. Law" reunion movie in 2002. Dysart's other credits include 1971's "The Hospital," 1975's "The Day of the Locust," 1979's "Being There," John Carpenter's 1982 version of "The Thing," 1985's "The Falcon and the Snowman" and 1987's "Mask." He is survived by Jacobi Dysart, his wife of nearly three decades, a son and two grandchildren. CNN's Rachel Wells contributed to this story.

The died of cancer at his home in Santa Monica, California . He usually took a back seat to the younger, more glamorous characters on the show .


(CNN)A longtime friend of Joni Mitchell has filed a legal petition seeking to be named the singer-songwriter's conservator. Mitchell, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, was taken to UCLA Medical Center a month ago after being found unconscious in her home. She remains at the hospital, according to Leslie Morris' court petition filed April 28. Morris is described as Mitchell's friend of more than 44 years in the legal documents. Whether the folk and jazz singer is conscious remains a matter of some confusion. In her April 28 petition, Morris says Mitchell is unconscious: "At this time she (Mitchell) remains unconscious and unable to make any responses, and is therefore unable to provide for any of her personal needs." But on Mitchell's website, a statement posted the same day that says it was approved by Morris says Mitchell is alert. "Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet today, Joni is not in a coma. Joni is still in the hospital -- but she comprehends, she's alert, and she has her full senses. A full recovery is expected. The document obtained by a certain media outlet simply gives her longtime friend Leslie Morris the authority -- in the absence of 24-hour doctor care -- to make care decisions for Joni once she leaves the hospital." When asked about the discrepancy between statements about Mitchell's health on her website and in the legal filing, her publicist, Alisse Kingsley, responded that "the website" was accurate. A doctor's capacity declaration stated that Mitchell will likely be unable, due to her medical condition, to attend any court hearings for the next four to six months. Adoring fans are posting their tributes to Mitchell at WeLoveYouJoni.com. Sonya Hamasaki and Cheri Mossburg contributed to this report.

Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is still hospitalized . Her longtime friend Leslie Morris wants to be appointed her conservator .


(CNN)With the announcement that E! will air a new documentary series this summer about Bruce Jenner's transition from male to female, fans are eagerly awaiting bearing witness to the former Olympian's journey. The as yet not titled eight-part, one-hour series is set to premiere July 26. Jenner, who along with his family has starred in the hit E! reality series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," recently went public with the fact that he is transgender. Here are a few things we hope the new show will offer: . A closer look at Jenner's current relationship with his former wife . Fans of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" often got to see the sometimes strained relationship between Bruce and his wife Kris. As the Kardashian family matriarch who also manages her kids' careers, Kris butted heads with Bruce over everything from their children to his desire for more privacy. The pair announced they had filed for divorce in September 2014 after some time of living apart. There has been plenty of speculation regarding Kris Jenner's feelings about Bruce's transitioning though she tweeted her support after he made the announcement Friday during an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer. What role he will take in the transgender community . Before he was a realty television star, Jenner was a popular motivational speaker. He is already being hailed for bringing attention to the transgender community. "Bruce is incredibly courageous and an inspiration, and we are proud to be entrusted with this deeply personal and important story," said Jeff Olde, executive vice president of programming and development for E! "This series will present an unfiltered look as Bruce boldly steps into uncharted territory and is true to himself for the first time." According to E! Jennifer Finney Boylan, who is the national co-chair of GLAAD, will serve as a consultant on Jenner's series. "Orange Is the New Black" actress Laverne Cox, who is transgender, has also offered Jenner her support. "I think a lot of people tuned in expecting to see a spectacle, and they tuned in and saw a profoundly nuanced, complicated, beautiful human being," Cox told MSNBC's Janet Mock. His relationship with his kids . Jenner is extremely close with his children. He has six biological kids with former wives Chrystie Scott, Linda Thompson, and Kris Jenner.  He also helped raise Kris Jenner's four children -- Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Robert Kardashian -- from her first marriage. "Those are the ones I'm concerned with and the only ones I don't -- I can't allow, I can't let myself hurt them," Jenner told Sawyer during their interview about his fear in telling his children. Many of his kids appear supportive of his transition and his two youngest, daughter Kendall and Kylie, released the following statement to ABC about their father: "We love our dad very much as he is an amazing father. We couldn't ask for a better dad. He has the biggest heart and all we want for him is to be happy. If he's happy, we're happy." How fans will react . Jenner has long been one of the world's most popular Olympic gold medalists. Viewers of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" often praised him for being so level-headed amidst all the paparazzi-fueled chaos. But with his new series Jenner will be taking center stage and venturing into completely new territory at a time when some still grapple with issues of gender and sexuality. He sounds like he is ready. "We're going to make a difference in the world with what we're doing, and if the whole Kardashian show gave me a foothold into that world, to be able to go out there and do something good, I got not problem with that," Jenner told Sawyer.

E! plans to air a new Jenner reality show this summer . It will follow his transition from male to female .


(CNN)Just about now, North Korea's enigmatic ruler was expected to be preparing to emerge from his fortified country for a visit to Moscow to join celebrations next week marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. The trip was highly anticipated. After all, this was to have been Kim's first official international trip since he came to power in 2011 following his father's death, and it would have provided a fascinating opportunity for the world to get a closer look at a young leader and a regime still largely shrouded in mystery. But this week, Russia announced that the trip had been canceled, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Thursday that Moscow was informed via diplomatic channels that the trip would not happen. He said that "the decision is connected with North Korean domestic affairs." What could have changed Kim's mind? It is practically impossible to answer the question with absolute certainty, but a possible explanation is that Kim may not be feeling completely secure in his position. And nervous dictators prefer to stay home. True, Kim runs one of the most brutally repressive regimes on Earth. And there is unceasing public praise for the younger 'Dear Leader," including frenzied eruptions of support. But these eruptions are carefully scripted, and those who have managed to flee the North confirm that in private, many are unhappy with the regime. Perhaps with the potential threats in mind, Kim feels the need to reassert his authority and keep his eye on the centers of power. In 2013, Kim shocked the country and stunned outside observers when he ordered the killing of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who had stood by his side from the day his father died. Jang had mentored and guided the young Kim as he took the reins, but the once-powerful Jang was arrested by soldiers during a Politburo meeting who dragged him away in a chilling scene broadcast on national television. The central news agency called Jang a "traitor for all the ages," with vague accusations that he had behaved "insolently." More seriously, he was accused of "counter-revolutionary factional acts in a bid to overthrow the leadership." And just this week, and only a day before the Russians announced Kim's canceled travel plans, a South Korea lawmaker revealed that South Korea's National Intelligence Service had pieced together information suggesting that so far this year, Kim has ordered the execution of 15 senior government officials. According to South Korean legislator Shing Kyung-min, North Korea's vice chairman of the State Planning Commission, for example, was executed because he objected to plans to change the design of a new government hall from a rounded shape to one resembling a flower. Such an explanation is bizarre. And in keeping with the odd behavior we have grown accustomed to hearing about from North Korea. But there may be more to this. Kim -- who was still in his 20s when he took power and holds a host of titles, including Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army -- still finds it necessary to remind everyone at home that he is the one in charge. But although there is something almost comical about the explanations offered up by North Korea for the actions of its regime, a nervous, unpredictable, inexperienced leader with access to nuclear weapons is far from a laughing matter. As recently as 2013, North Korea conducted a nuclear test -- the country's third, and it has threatened to use them against South Korea, Japan and the United States. Meanwhile, it has threatened South Korea with "final destruction," said it will turn the country's presidential office into a sea of fire, told Japan it would trigger a nuclear attack if Tokyo followed through on a warning to destroy any North Korean missiles fired in its direction, and declared the United States is seeking a war and that Pyongyang "will be exercising our right to preemptive nuclear attacks." Such rhetoric is itself troubling. But experts have also warned this week that North Korea may have restarted its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, with the Institute for Science and International Security arguing that snow melting patterns in images of the plant suggest new activity at the plant. North Korea has been mostly out of the news in recent months, partly because so many other international crises have pushed it out of the headlines. But that doesn't mean tensions have eased. Just three weeks ago, Pyongyang fired missiles into the sea as U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter arrived on the Korean peninsula. All this suggests that gauging the state of mind of the North Korean leader is no easy task. But if Kim raises the alarm about threats from the outside, we will know he is likely feeling insecure at home and may be trying to boost internal support. That would be a danger sign for the people of North Korea -- and a flashing red light for the rest of the world. Read CNN Opinion's Flipboard magazine.

Russia says Kim Jong Un has canceled trip to Moscow . Frida Ghitis: Gauging Kim's state of mind no easy task .