(CNN)A door bearing a graffiti drawing by British artist Banksy was seized by police in Gaza on Thursday after a dispute over its sale, a Gaza police official told CNN on Thursday. The owner of the door, Rabea Darduna, filed a complaint with a Gaza court stating that, without realizing its value, he sold the door for just $175 U.S. The iron door will remain in the possession of the Khan Younis police in southern Gaza until a court hearing at a date yet to be determined. When Darduna's Gaza home was destroyed in last summer's war, he says he felt he was left with nothing. Only a doorway and a door. He sold the door to bring in some money to care for his six children, not realizing the prize he had. "We sold it as we would sell an iron door," Darduna said Monday, "for $175. And the man took it." Darduna says he was duped into believing the door was a normal door when it was really a canvas for Banksy, one of the world's most famous graffiti artists, who had painted a Greek goddess with her head in her hand. The door was likely worth a small fortune -- a fortune Darduna gave away for a fraction of its value. "Things started becoming clear that the artist is worldwide famous, and he drew it secretly," said Darduna. "[The buyer] used us. My house is demolished. We're destroyed emotionally. We ask him to return the door." Banksy's graffiti in Gaza has become an attraction after he visited in February and painted a series of political messages. His works adorn walls and homes turning rubble into riches. Some of Banksy's art has sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Banksy has never revealed his identity, but he is an English graffiti artist who began displaying his work in the early 1990s. His street art often portrays political and social messages. Mohammed Alshanbari says he's had offers for Banksy's portrait of a cat playing with a ball of mangled metal, but he refuses to sell. In text accompanying the image on his official website, Banksy wrote: "A local man came up and said 'Please -- what does this mean?' I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website -- but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens." Alshanbari says he's looking after the mural on the wall where his house once stood. "A lot of people showed up and people asked to buy it, but I'm keeping it, and I won't sell it," he says. "It's a graffiti from the most famous artist in the world, and I can't give it away. It stands where the house used to stand. I cleared a lot of rubble, but left the wall." CNN's Talal Abu-Rahma reported from Gaza and CNN's Steve Almasy reported from Atlanta. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz and Oren Liebermann contributed to this report.

Summary: Rabea Darduna's Gaza home was destroyed last year; he sold his door to bring in some money . On Thursday, Gaza police seized the door, which had originally been sold for $175 U.S. Some of Banksy's art has sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars .


(CNN)The mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, which began 100 years ago Friday, is said by some scholars and others to have been the first genocide of the 20th century, even though the word "genocide" did not exist at the time. The issue of whether to call the killings a genocide is emotional, both for Armenians, who are descended from those killed, and for Turks, the heirs to the Ottomans. For both groups, the question touches as much on national identity as on historical facts. Some Armenians feel their nationhood cannot be fully recognized unless the truth of what happened to their forebears is acknowledged. Some Turks still view the Armenians as having been a threat to the Ottoman Empire in a time of war, and say many people of various ethnicities -- including Turks -- were killed in the chaos of war. In addition, some Turkish leaders fear that acknowledgment of a genocide could lead to demands for huge reparations. So, what do we know about happened in those fateful days? Here are some answers: . The Ottoman Turks, having recently entered World War I on the side of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, were worried that Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire would offer wartime assistance to Russia. Russia had long coveted control of Constantinople (now Istanbul), which controlled access to the Black Sea -- and therefore access to Russia's only year-round seaports. Many historians agree that the number was about 2 million. However, victims of the mass killings also included some of the 1.8 million Armenians living in the Caucasus under Russian rule, some of whom were massacred by Ottoman forces in 1918 as they marched through East Armenia and Azerbaijan. By 1914, Ottoman authorities were already portraying Armenians as a threat to the empire's security. Then, on the night of April 23-24, 1915, the authorities in Constantinople, the empire's capital, rounded up about 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders. Many of them ended up deported or assassinated. April 24, known as Red Sunday, is commemorated as Genocide Remembrance Day by Armenians around the world. Friday is the 100th anniversary of that day. This is a major point of contention. Estimates range from 300,000 to 2 million deaths between 1914 and 1923, with not all of the victims in the Ottoman Empire. But most estimates -- including one of 800,000 between 1915 and 1918, made by Ottoman authorities themselves -- fall between 600,000 and 1.5 million. Whether due to killings or forced deportation, the number of Armenians living in Turkey fell from 2 million in 1914 to under 400,000 by 1922. Almost any way one can imagine. While the death toll is in dispute, photographs from the era document some mass killings. Some show Ottoman soldiers posing with severed heads, others with them standing amid skulls in the dirt. The victims are reported to have died in mass burnings and by drowning, torture, gas, poison, disease and starvation. Children were reported to have been loaded into boats, taken out to sea and thrown overboard. Rape, too, was

Summary: The 100th anniversary of the start of the mass killings will be commemorated Friday . Turkey and others reject the use of the word "genocide" Most estimates of the deaths fall between 600,000 and 1.5 million .


(CNN)A nuclear submarine being repaired at a Russian shipyard has caught on fire, according to a law enforcement source speaking to Russia's state-run news agency ITAR-Tass. "The submarine is in a dry dock," Tass reports, citing the source, and there is no ammunition on board. "The rubber insulation between the submarine's light and pressure hull is on fire," Tass reported. Russia's RIA Novosti news agency says insulation caught on fire as welding work was being done on the submarine. Tass reported that the fire began on a sub in the Zvyozdochka shipyard in northwestern Russia. Zvyozdochka spokesman Yevgeny Gladyshev told the news agency that the sub had been undergoing repairs since November 2013. "Nuclear fuel from the sub's reactor has been unloaded," he reportedly said. "There are no armaments or chemically active, dangerous substances, fissionable materials on it," Gladyshev said to Tass. "The enterprise's personnel left the premises when the submarine caught fire, no one has been injured. The fire presents no threat to people and the shipyard."

Summary: Submarine is in Zvyozdochka shipyard, in northwestern Russia . No "dangerous" substances on the submarine, shipyard spokesman told ITAR-Tass .


(CNN)The lawyer for a Baltimore community activist whose arrest was broadcast live on CNN said Thursday morning that his client had been released from jail. As viewers watched, Joseph Kent held his hands up and walked in front of a phalanx of police Tuesday night after a citywide curfew had started. Seconds later, several officers in riot gear rushed out of their line and arrested him, just as a Humvee passed between the camera and the police, making social media churn with questions about what happened to Kent. Attorney Stephen Patrick Beatty confirmed he is representing Kent. He was still trying to get in touch with his client after Kent was released. "He wanted me to tell people most that he doesn't want violence in his name," Beatty told CNN's Don Lemon on Wednesday night. The incident unfolded live on CNN about 40 minutes after the 10 p.m. curfew went into effect and as authorities tried to prevent the kind of rioting -- part of protests over the death of Freddie Gray -- that plagued the city Monday. Kent was being held on a charge of curfew violation, according to the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. People on Twitter continued to circulate the name of Kent, a young activist, making #JosephKent and #WhereIsJosephKent hot topics. Investigators made 10 arrests in Baltimore on Tuesday night, city Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said. Seven were for curfew violations, he said. Beatty said he met with Kent on Wednesday afternoon. "He said he's physically OK, not injured. He's safe in there," Beatty said. But even though more than 100 people who had been held at the city's booking center were released earlier in the day, Kent was not one of them. Beatty initially checked on Kent's status, despite not officially representing him. He said Kent was just trying to help with getting people to go home when he was arrested. "He went out there to try to settle things down because he had seen what happened in this city previously," Beatty said. "And the last thing he wanted was any more violence, and he was trying to stop it." Kent once was employed as an intern, through an outside company, at Morgan State University's Entrepreneurial Development and Assistance Center, the school said Wednesday. But Kent is not a student there and, as far as the school can tell, never has been, MSU spokesman Clint Coleman said. A woman who answered the phone at the EDAC said that no one there was available to talk about Kent and that she'd have no further comment. In November, the Baltimore City Paper ran a story about Kent, then 21, and his participation in Baltimore protests over a grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer in the August shooting of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. He helped lead protesters who walked through Morgan State's campus and eventually to City Hall on November 25, the newspaper reported. "Everyone knows me at Morgan already, organizing and making sure everything (is) running the correct way and peaceful

Summary: Joseph Kent's attorney says his client was released from jail . Police in Baltimore detained Kent on live TV after start of curfew . That triggered a wave of interest on social media .


(CNN)Madonna has a thing for making out with fellow performers on stage. First it was Britney and Christina, and now rapper Drake has been on the receiving end of a little lip action from Madge. While the blondes had fun with it, Drake appeared less than enthused after Madonna's prolonged smooch onstage at the Coachella music festival in California on Sunday. In an update Monday from "champagnepapi" himself on Instagram, the rapper clarified his reaction: "Don't misinterpret my shock!! I got to make out with the queen Madonna and I feel 100 about that forever. Thank you @Madonna." After the kiss, though, he seemed dazed. "Oh, s***. What the f*** just happened?" he asked moments later from the stage. It all went down after Drake performed "Madonna," a song named for the megastar off his new mixtape "If You're Reading This It's Too Late," according to Billboard. He welcomed Madonna onstage as a special guest to perform a few songs. While wrapping up "Human Nature," the Material Girl, 56, planted one on the seated Drake, 28, who began to flail his arms after a while in an apparent attempt to escape. His sour face after the encounter led many to speculate that he didn't enjoy the kiss. Of course, Drake and Madonna's little makeout sesh got the web talking and meme-ing: . "So @Drake proves that kissing @Madonna is about as ghastly as I always imagined it would be," wrote former CNN personality Piers Morgan. "Grandma: give Nana some suga . Drake: no no noooooo!!!" wrote another Tweeter.

Summary: Drake thanks Madonna and says he "got to make out with the queen" Singer Madonna kisses rapper Drake onstage at Coachella . Drake's reaction was priceless, according to the Web .


(CNN)Filipinos are being warned to be on guard for flash floods and landslides as tropical storm Maysak approached the Asian island nation Saturday. Just a few days ago, Maysak gained super typhoon status thanks to its sustained 150 mph winds. It has since lost a lot of steam as it has spun west in the Pacific Ocean. It's now classified as a tropical storm, according to the Philippine national weather service, which calls it a different name, Chedeng. It boasts steady winds of more than 70 mph (115 kph) and gusts up to 90 mph as of 5 p.m. (5 a.m. ET) Saturday. Still, that doesn't mean Maysak won't pack a wallop. Authorities took preemptive steps to keep people safe such as barring outdoor activities like swimming, surfing, diving and boating in some locales, as well as a number of precautionary evacuations. Gabriel Llave, a disaster official, told PNA that tourists who arrive Saturday in and around the coastal town of Aurora "will not be accepted by the owners of hotels, resorts, inns and the like ... and will be advised to return to their respective places." Aldczar Aurelio, a meteorologist with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the storm was centered 200 miles southwest of Aurora province as of 5 p.m. (5 a.m. ET) and heading west at a 12.5 mph clip. It's expected to make landfall Sunday morning on the southeastern coast of Isabela province and be out of the Philippines by Monday. Ahead of the storm. Isabela Gov. Faustino Dry III warned Saturday that residents should act as if this will be "no ordinary typhoon." Dry told PNA, "We do not know what the impact will be once it will make landfall."

Summary: Once a super typhoon, Maysak is now a tropical storm with 70 mph winds . It could still cause flooding, landslides and other problems in the Philippines .


(CNN)Two deputies involved in the fatal attempt to arrest Eric Harris in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have been reassigned because of threats against them and their families, Sheriff Stanley Glanz said Monday in a news conference. The deputies were trying to arrest Harris when Reserve Deputy Robert Bates shot him. Unlike Bates, they are not charged with a crime, but have come under criticism for pinning Harris' head to the ground as he said, "I'm losing my breath." Police appear on video saying, "F*ck your breath," apparently in response. Sheriff Stanley Glanz didn't specify the nature of the threats, but said he was "very concerned" for their safety and that of their families. He did not say what the deputies had been assigned to do. Another sheriff's official said the office has temporarily suspended operations of the agency's drug unit pending the review of the April 2 shooting of Harris following a weapons sting. Glanz indicated he has not yet decided how to proceed with a review of their actions, saying any action may be delayed until after the court case involving Bates has been settled. Bates is charged with second-degree manslaughter in Harris' death. Bates, who is free on $25,000 bond pending trial, shot Harris with his handgun after calling out, "Taser, Taser," -- an indication he planned to use a stun gun to subdue Harris following a brief foot chase with the other deputies. Amid questions about his age -- 73 -- training and friendship with Glanz, Bates has said the shooting was accidental, and has apologized to the family. Lawyer releases training records for Tulsa deputy charged in killing . On Monday, Glanz also apologized to Harris' family. "We are sorry Eric was taken from you," he said. But he said his office holds itself to the highest national standards of policing, and said Monday that the FBI had cleared the agency of any civil rights violations in the shooting. Bates is white. Harris was black. There have been allegations, first reported by the Tulsa World newspaper, that some of Bates' training records had been forged, or that he was unqualified to be serving on the force. The sheriff denied those allegations, saying he was certain Bates had qualified on the gun range and had extensive additional training. He said he was unaware of any forgery involving training records, and said he had not issued any training waivers for Bates, with whom he has been friends for more than two decades. But he said he supported prosecutor's decision to proceed with the case. He also said he had brought in a Dallas police consultant who had previously examined the office's policies and procedures for another look. Harris' family has said the shooting reveals "a deep-seated problem" within the department and has demanded justice, and changes in policy.

Summary: Deputies reassigned after threats, sheriff says . The two deputies pinned Eric Harris to the ground and one yelled "F*ck your breath" at him after he was shot .


Moscow (CNN)Never mind. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has backed out of next month's visit to Moscow for World War II anniversary celebrations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. "We were informed of the decision via diplomatic channels," Peskov said. "The decision is connected with North Korean domestic affairs." The visit was highly anticipated because it would have marked Kim's first official foreign trip since inheriting the leadership of North Korea in late 2011. He was to have met with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of the May visit to coincide with Victory Day, marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Kim also could have had the chance to rub elbows with the heads of about 30 other governments, including the leaders of China, Cuba, India, Germany, Vietnam and Venezuela. This number represents about half the world leaders that Russia has said it invited to the celebrations. Kim's trip had been anticipated since late December, when Russian state media reported that Moscow had extended an invitation. There was no further explanation, from Moscow or Pyongyang, as to why he wouldn't head west. Still, North Korea has a number of issues it's been wrestling with for years. They include widespread poverty, its longstanding spat with neighboring South Korea and the United States, as well as its international isolation largely due to its controversial nuclear program. And news about Kim's non-visit comes a day after South Korean intelligence agents told lawmakers that Kim is ruling with an iron fist, having ordered the execution of about 15 senior officials so far this year. CNN cannot independently confirm the executions detailed by Shin Kyung-min, a lawmaker with the New Politics Alliance for Democracy who attended the closed briefing. And the nature of the intelligence supporting the allegations was not immediately clear. That said, North Korea is one of the most closed societies in the world. And there's little doubt that Kim is very much in charge. According to Shin, intelligence officials say the North Korean leader is ruling in an impromptu manner and does not countenance excuses or any views that vary with his own. CNN's Madison Park and Alla Eshchenko contributed to this report. CNN's Matthew Chance reported from Moscow, and CNN's Ed Payne and Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta.

Summary: Next month's visit to Moscow by the North Korean leader is off . This Victory Day marks the 70 years since the Soviet victory over Germany in World War II .


(CNN)A sexual harassment complaint has been filed against New Zealand Prime Minister John Key after a waitress complained about him repeatedly pulling her ponytail at an Auckland cafe. CNN affiliate TVNZ reported that the complaint was filed Thursday morning by Graham McCready, an accountant described in the New Zealand press as a "serial litigant," who has previously launched private prosecutions against Key. McCready's complaint claimed that Key had breached a section of the country's Human Rights Act relating to sexual harassment, TVNZ reported. It reported that he was seeking considerable compensation for the waitress, 26-year-old Amanda Bailey, and "if she does not want it I ask for the money be given to Women's Refuge." Key publicly apologized to Bailey, a waitress at his local cafe, for repeatedly tugging on her ponytail, after she complained about his behavior in a blog post. The post, published on New Zealand political website The Daily Blog, says that the odd behavior began during last year's election season. It was "hardly an acceptable form of greeting," Bailey wrote. She wrote that while she didn't directly make her objections clear verbally, her body language "screamed 'I don't like that.'" "As he approached me, he thought it would be fitting to raise his hands high and make scary, suspense sound effects, like the music from the movie 'Jaws'," read the post. "As he towered overhead I slunk down, cringing, whilst (Key's wife) Bronagh told him to 'Leave the poor girl alone.'" The behavior carried on for a number of months and on several occasions, the post states. Eventually the cafe's manager made it clear to Key that his actions were unwelcome. Key, who regularly visits the Auckland cafe with his wife, told reporters that his behavior was in the context of "a bit of banter," but said that he had apologized when it was clear she had taken offense. The blog post says that the prime minister offered the offended waitress two bottles of his own JK 2012 Pinot Noir wine by way of apology. "We have lots of fun and games there, there's always lots of practical jokes and things. It's a very warm and friendly relationship," he told reporters in Los Angeles en route to ANZAC day commemorations in Gallipoli, Turkey. "But if you look at it now, no. When I realized she took offense by that I just sort of immediately went back, gave her some wine, apologized and said I was terribly sorry." Politicians and public figures also rounded on Key, with Green MP Metiria Turei saying that the prime minister should be held to the same standards of behavior as the rest of the electorate. "A lot of New Zealanders know what it's like to feel as if you're not taken seriously in a job. As politicians, our job is to make people feel safe at work, not bullied," New Zealand media reported her as saying. "It's a sign of how out of touch John Key has become when he can't even monitor how inappropriate his personal behavior is, and when people are not

Summary: A sexual harassment complaint has been filed against PM John Key after a waitress complained about him repeatedly pulling her ponytail . Kiwi Prime Minister accused of pulling a waitress' hair on several occasions despite her obvious discomfort . PM Key later apologized, but said that he was merely engaging in "banter" Politicians and public figures have condemned his behavior .


(CNN)Jamal al-Labani had hoped to bring his pregnant wife and 2-year-daughter back to the United States from war-torn Yemen. But the gas station owner never made it on a flight back to his home Hayward, California. Family members have identified him as a victim killed in mortar strike last week in the southern Yemeni city of Aden. He is believed to be the first U.S. citizen killed in the current violence in Yemen. Early Tuesday evening, the 45-year-old al-Labani was on his way back from mosque prayers when he was hit in the back by shrapnel from a mortar shell, his family said. He died minutes later. Violence quickly escalated in Yemen soon afer al-Labani arrived in February. "When he got (to Aden), after a few weeks he noticed things were starting to get bad and then the (U.S.) Embassy closed," his cousin Mohammed Alazzani told CNN. For the past three weeks, al-Labani had told family members he was concerned about not being able to evacuate as the situation deteriorated in the country, according to his cousin. More than 200 people have been killed in Aden in the past 11 days, according to Naef Al Bakri, Aden's deputy governor. Two days before al-Labani was killed, he told his family the last option was to try to cross the border into Oman and fly to Egypt, but he never made it. "The airports got closed and things got worse and worse," Alazzani told CNN by phone. "People were hoping things would get better, but they only got worse and worse." Yemen has been rocked by violence and political turmoil for months. Houthi rebels -- minority Shiites who have long complained of being marginalized in the majority Sunni country -- forced Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi from power in January, placing him under house arrest and taking over Sanaa, the country's capital. Hadi escaped in February, fled to the southern city of Aden and said he remained President. He fled to Saudi Arabia last month as the rebels and their military allies advanced on Aden. Now the violence is intensifying as Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations target the rebels in Yemen with airstrikes. Yemeni-Americans are trapped in the conflict, but haven't gotten enough help from the U.S. government, the Council on American-Islamic Relations told CNN Sunday. Zahra Billoo, a spokeswoman for the advocacy group, said it's helping al-Labani's family and the families of other Yemeni-Americans. "All of these other governments, Russia, China, Ethiopia, India ... they have all been evacuating their citizens. So to say that it's impossible for the U.S. to evacuate their citizens is difficult to grasp," Billoo said. Responding to the criticism, the U.S. State Department told CNN that there are no current plans to evacuate private U.S. citizens from Yemen. "We encourage all U.S. citizens to shelter in a secure location until they are able to depart safely. U.S. citizens wishing to depart should do so via commercial transportation options when they are available," a spokesman for the State Department told CNN in a statement. "Additionally, some foreign

Summary: Jamal al-Labani is believed to be the first American killed in current violence in Yemen . He was on his way back from mosque prayers when he was hit in the back by shrapnel, his family said . He went to Yemen in February in hopes of bringing his wife and baby back to the U.S.


(CNN)Five years after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and unleashed the largest marine oil spill in the nation's history, we are still experiencing -- yet only beginning to truly understand -- its profound environmental and economic repercussions. The immediate aftermath of the oil spill has been well documented, with declines in tourism and the seafood industry, as well as the significant destruction of wildlife in the region. Since then, the amount of oil in the area has dissipated and communities have started to show signs of recovery. In fact, reports indicate that the Gulf of Mexico's seafood industry, which supplies the United States with roughly 40% of its seafood, is finally starting to rebound. However, profound challenges remain, in part because so many questions about the long-term consequences remain unanswered. To this day, it's still unclear where all of the oil went, exactly how much remains or whether the reappearance of wildlife is a result of adaptation or a signal that the crisis is truly abating. One of the populations that can provide insight into these questions is the Gulf crab. Crabs play an important role in the region: Roughly 60 million pounds were fished in the Gulf in 2012, earning tens of millions in revenue. Yet in the aftermath of the spill, changes to crustacean communities in the area were quite apparent to the naked eye. Researchers documented substantial differences in appearance, and deformities in crabs that were affected by the spill including lesions so numerous they ate through the joints, forcing limbs to fall off. These traits have affected not only the crabs' market value but also likely their ability to survive. While these changes in outward appearance have dissipated in the short-term, the health of these crabs could still be precarious. I have been working with colleagues at Florida International University and University of Louisiana at Lafayette to better understand what might be happening biologically inside the crab when it is exposed to oil and the dispersant used to respond to the spill. Using the power of genomics and computational biology, we analyzed the genes of flat back mud crabs that were exposed to oil from the Macondo Prospect where the Deepwater Horizon rig was drilling when it exploded or to a combination of oil and dispersant in the lab. By studying gene expression, the process that turns information from a gene into a product that functions within a cell, we searched for indicators that might signal exposure to oil and, based on the types of changes we might see, clues as to how the crabs respond. Although we are still in the early stages of our research, we are seeing significant differences in gene expression connected to exposure -- meaning the crabs are turning some genes on or off in response to oil and dispersant. We are still working to determine whether these changes impact their ability to survive and reproduce. It's not just Gulf crabs that are experiencing changes. Research on different species and other aspects of the regional environment is starting to show that there could

Summary: Keith Crandall: Five years after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, we are only beginning to understand its effects on the Gulf . A crab species may be a key indicator of the impact, he says .


(CNN)Deion Sanders is such a dad. The NFL legend called out Deion Sanders Jr. on Twitter for saying he only eats "hood doughnuts." In response, the elder Sanders -- in front of his 912,000 followers -- reminded his son he has a trust fund, a condo and his own clothing line called "Well Off." "You're a Huxtable with a million $ trust fund. Stop the hood stuff!" Sanders followed it up with another tweet that included the hashtags #versacesheets #Huxtable and #Trustfund. Junior is a wide receiver at Southern Methodist University, an aspiring entrepreneur and occasional rapper. His Twitter timeline is a mix of biblical verses, motivational quotes and references to sports, cars, school and Balenciaga shoes. He also has gone on record with his love for "hood doughnuts," or confections from "a place in the hood," saying "if my doughnuts don't come in a plain white box, I don't want them!" His father promptly put him in his place. Sanders Jr. seemed to take the public browbeating in stride, retweeting his father's comments. At least he knew better than to delete them.

Summary: Deion Sanders calls out son for "hood doughnuts" comments . "You're a Huxtable with a million $ trust fund. Stop the hood stuff!"


Kano, Nigeria (CNN)Hundreds of decomposed corpses were discovered buried in shallow graves in the streets of the northeastern Nigerian town of Damasak this past weekend, according to local officials and a resident. The town had recently been freed from the Boko Haram terror group in a joint Nigerian-Chadian military operation. A provincial government committee was visiting the area as part of an effort to assess the level of destruction in towns that had been in the deadly grip of Boko Haram. "We found hundreds of dead bodies in shallow graves and on the streets of Damasak during our visit," Damasak local government spokesman Babagana Mustapha told CNN on Monday. "Those bodies in shallow graves have badly decomposed while those found on the streets were desiccated from [exposure to] dry winds," Mustapha added. The victims included men, women and children murdered by Boko Haram when they seized the area in November, said Abubakar Kyari, a senator-elect for the region. "The staggering number of dead bodies found in Damasak is a testimony of the large-scale atrocity Boko Haram committed when they were in control of the town" Kyari added. Mustapha said the bodies were buried in 20 clearly marked mass graves. Although Mustapha did not give a precise number of corpses recovered, Damasak residents who participated in the exhumations put the figure at more than 400. "We collected over 400 corpses from the streets and in shallow graves during our visit in Damasak," said Idris Karimbe, one of the volunteers who took part in the burial. "The number of bodies we recovered this time around far exceeded the ones found last month," said another resident, Musa Bremah. Bremah was referring to the discovery of around 90 bodies in a shallow grave outside Damasak last month after its recapture. A regional military coalition involving troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon has in recent months recaptured swathes of Nigerien territory seized by Boko Haram. The joint military operation is part of an ongoing collaborative effort at crushing the Islamist group that has widened its deadly attacks to Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Summary: The town had recently been freed from the Boko Haram terror group . Volunteer from burial: "We collected over 400 corpses from the streets and in shallow graves"


(CNN)For 12 years Adelma Cifuentes felt worthless, frightened and alone, never knowing when her abusive husband would strike. But as a young mother in rural Guatemala with three children and barely a third grade education, she thought there was no way out. What began as psychological torment, name-calling and humiliation turned into beatings so severe Cifuentes feared for her life. One day, two men sent by her husband showed up at her house armed with a shotgun and orders to kill her. They probably would have succeeded, but after the first bullet was fired, Cifuentes' two sons dragged her inside. Still, in her deeply conservative community, it took neighbors two hours to call for help and Cifuentes lost her arm. But the abuse didn't stop there. When she returned home, Cifuentes' husband continued his attacks and threatened to rape their little girl unless she left. That's when the nightmare finally ended and her search for justice began. Cifuentes' case is dramatic, but in Guatemala, where nearly 10 out of every 100,000 women are killed, it's hardly unusual. A 2012 Small Arms Survey says gender-based violence is at epidemic levels in Guatemala and the country ranks third in the killings of women worldwide. According to the United Nations, two women are killed there every day. There are many reasons why, beginning with the legacy of violence left in place after the country's 36-year-old civil war. During the conflict, atrocities were committed against women, who were used as a weapon of war. In 1996, a ceasefire agreement was reached between insurgents and the government. But what followed and what remains is a climate of terror, due to a deeply entrenched culture of impunity and discrimination. Military and paramilitary groups that committed barbaric acts during the war were integrated back into society without any repercussions. Many remain in power, and they have not changed the way they view women. Some 200,000 people were either killed or disappeared during the decades-long conflict, most of them from indigenous Mayan populations. Nearly 20 years later, according to the Security Sector Reform Resource Centre, levels of violent crime are higher in Guatemala than they were during the war. But despite the high homicide rate, the United Nations estimates 98% of cases never make it to court. Women are particularly vulnerable because of a deep-rooted gender bias and culture of misogyny. In many cases, femicide -- the killing of a woman simply because of her gender -- is carried out with shocking brutality with some of the same strategies used during the war, including rape, torture and mutilation. Mexican drug cartels, organized criminal groups and local gangs are contributing to the vicious cycle of violence and lawlessness. Authorities investigating drug-related killings are stretched thin, leaving fewer resources to investigate femicides. In many cases, crime is not reported because of fear of retaliation. Many consider the Guatamalen National Civil Police, or PNC, corrupt, under-resourced and ineffective. Even if a case does get prosecuted, according to Human Rights Watch, the country's weak judicial system has proved incapable of handling the explosion in

Summary: Gender-based violence is at epidemic levels in Guatemala . According to the United Nations, two women are killed in Guatemala every day . Five abuse survivors known as La Poderosas have been appearing in a play based on their real life stories .


(CNN)A helicopter crash Saturday in Malaysia killed six people, including the nation's former ambassador to the United States and a high-ranking member of the prime minister's staff, the Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported. The helicopter crashed near Kampung Pasir Baru in Semenyih, at 4:55 p.m. Saturday (4:55 a.m. ET), Bernama said. Prime Minister Najib Razak ordered an investigation. Among the victims were Azlin Alias, who worked on the prime minister's staff, and Jamaluddin Jarjis, former Malaysian ambassador to the United States and chairman of PR1MA Malaysia, Bernama said. PR1MA is an organization that develops housing in urban centers. "We have lost two figures who had made great contributions to the government, party and country in this tragedy," Najib told reporters after visiting the crash site. Jamaluddin Jarjis was "a person of high caliber, who had sacrificed much for the government, party and country," he said. "He had many acquaintances here and abroad." The state news agency called Azlin the prime minister's private secretary general, but Najib referred to him as chief of staff. "Personally he had agreed to leave his career in the corporate sector to serve the government as his national service," Najib said. The helicopter's flight recorder has been found in good condition, Bernama reported Sunday, citing police. The news agency said Malaysian civil aviation authorities are expected to release a preliminary report on the crash within seven days. CNN's Jethro Mullen contributed to this report.

Summary: Jamaluddin Jarjis, former Malaysian ambassador to the U.S., among casualties . Azlin Alias, a member of the prime minister's staff, also dies, news agency reports .


(CNN)One of the youngest suspects yet has been arrested on terror-related charges in England. A 14-year-old boy was taken into custody after encouraging an attack on an Australian parade honoring the war dead and urging the beheading of "someone in Australia," Deborah Walsh, deputy head of counter terrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement Thursday. The teenager was taken into custody April 2 after UK's Greater Manchester police examined electronic devices and discovered communications between the teen and a man in Australia, police said in a statement. The teenager, arrested in Blackburn, Lancashire, was not named "because of legal reasons," the statement said. He was charged with two counts of inciting another person to commit an act of terrorism overseas and will appear in Westminster Magistrate's Court on Friday. He was communicating with suspects in Operation Rising, an Australian law enforcement operation that apprehended several men suspected of planning terrorist actions, police in Victoria, Australia, said on the department website. Australia: Charges in foiled 'ISIS-inspired' plot . Those acts of terror were planned for Anzac Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps Day) on Friday, the centennial of the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I, police said . "The first allegation is that, between 15 and 26 March 2015, the defendant incited another person to commit an act of terrorism, namely to carry out an attack at an ANZAC parade in Australia with the aim of killing and/or causing serious injury to people," Walsh said. "The second allegation is that on 18 March 2015, the defendant incited another person to behead someone in Australia." Australian law enforcement officers arrested several people last weekend in Operation Rising. Tuesday, Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police charged Sevdet Ramdan Besim with conspiracy to commit acts done in preparation for, or planning, terrorist acts. Authorities have not named the person with whom the 14-year-old in Britain was communicating. British teens face terror charges after being detained en route to Syria . CNN's Alexander Felton contributed to this report.

Summary: The 14-year-old had communicated with terror suspects in Australia, authorities said . Police: The teenager encouraged others to attack a parade and behead someone in Australia .


(CNN)The investigation into the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 has not revealed evidence of the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz's motive, but he suffered from suicidal tendencies at some point before his aviation career, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in Dusseldorf, Germany, said Monday. Investigators have not found any writings or conversations where Lubitz shared his motives or confessed to any plans, prosecutor's spokesman Christoph Kumpa said. However, medical records reveal that Lubitz was suicidal at one time and underwent psychotherapy. This was before he ever got his pilot's license, Kumpa said. Kumpa emphasized there's no evidence suggesting Lubitz was suicidal or acting aggressively before the crash. It is believed that Lubitz locked the captain out of the cockpit and deliberately crashed the plane Tuesday into the French Alps, killing all 150 on board. The prosecutor's office confirmed what some media outlets had reported about doctors deeming Lubitz unfit to fly, though there were no physical illnesses found. In short, investigators in Germany and France are not yet ruling anything out. Much attention has focused on Lubitz's state of mind, with suggestions that he may have had mental health issues. Lubitz, 27, passed his annual pilot recertification medical examination in summer 2014, a German aviation source told CNN. He had stated working as a commercial pilot in 2013, Lufthansa said. An official with Lufthansa, which owns Germanwings, said that the exam only tests physical health, not psychological health. It's unknown if Lubitz mentioned his problems on a form that asks yes-or-no questions about physical and mental illness, suicide attempts and medications. European pilots must fill out the form to be recertified. Federal aviation authorities, not the airline, issue the form. The form is privileged information and Lufthansa never sees a pilot's completed form, said an airline spokesperson. The airline would only get a "clear to fly" notice from the aviation doctors alerting the airline that a pilot has completed recertification. Lubitz had visited an eye doctor because of vision problems, a European government official familiar with the investigation told CNN. The pilot complained he was not seeing as he should, but the doctor told him the cause was psychosomatic, the official said. In part because of this, the doctor deemed Lubitz unfit for flying. Lubitz told a different doctor -- a neuropsychologist -- that he was too stressed with work, the European official said. The dates of these visits are unclear, but they could have been earlier this year. The official said he is not aware of any suicidal tendencies reported by Lubitz to the doctors, but that investigators believe he was suicidal. Airline officials have said that if Lubitz went to a doctor on his own, he would have been required to self-report if deemed unfit to fly. A Dusseldorf clinic said he'd gone there twice, most recently on March 10, "concerning a diagnosis." But the University Clinic said it had not treated Lubitz for depression. The speculation about Lubitz' mental state is based on a letter found in a waste bin in his Dusseldorf apartment. The note, which was "slashed," said

Summary: European pilots must fill out forms that ask about mental and physical illnesses . Road to crash site is almost finished, says mayor of Le Vernet, France . German newspaper Bild releases a timeline of the flight's final moments .


Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN)We came on a commercial flight to Kathmandu. Blue tarps were visible from the sky for people to hide under -- signs that there was something wrong. We had to circle the airport for a couple of hours. There were a couple of issues. There was an aftershock this afternoon, so they were checking the runway for damage. Military and aid flights have priority, and a few military planes -- Indian military planes -- were going in, trying to bring in aid. Whether they did is unclear. When we landed at the airport, it was wet and cold. A couple of thousand people were lining the road to the entrance to the airport trying to get out. But there's no way to get out, really. There were torrential rainstorms for a couple of hours, and with the strong aftershock a couple of hours ago, no one wants to go inside. The residents of Kathmandu sure don't. You can see some structural damage to buildings. Most buildings are not up to high construction standards. Fallen: Nepal's historic landmarks . Driving through the city, there's not a huge amount of visible damage. There's some damage to houses and buildings, but it's not as visual as the Haiti earthquake (of 2010). We were able to drive the main road to the hotel we're staying at, but they're not allowing anyone inside because of the aftershocks. The guests are in a big tent used for functions on the lawn. People are squeezed in. There are probably about 100 people in there. The tents are covered, but water is seeping in from streets puddled with water, especially around the edges of the tent. So people are outside in the rain with no shelter. It's visually stark, with people in the streets. It's colder than usual this time of year. I'm cold and damp. When it's almost May, it's usually much hotter. There's very little power in the city -- no power to speak of, no drinking water. For the residents, it's really bad. Very soon, they will need shelter. Temporary shelters have been put up, but very few -- 16 -- by the government. It looks like a city where buildings have been abandoned. People are hanging out in public squares and at intersections to avoid rubble from buildings. Those who survived -- and those who didn't . There are issues with fuel in the city, and driving in, all the stores were shuttered. You occasionally see a cart with food or a few bottles of drinking water, but for the most part, nothing is being sold in the city. I don't think they're very concerned about looting, and there's no military in the streets, but they will have to get water and food in the city soon. Communal kitchens have been set up for cooking. Not by the government -- people set them up on their own. People are beside themselves in shock. Their biggest concern now is the structures, needing a place for shelter, to hide from the elements and sleep. Food will

Summary: The earthquake that struck Nepal has left thousands of Nepalis without shelter . Torrential rains making situation worse; food and drinking water supplies could become a serious issue soon . It's unclear how bad conditions are closer to the epicenter .


Baltimore (CNN)The streets of Baltimore are calm once again. For the second night in a row, protesters peacefully dispersed Wednesday night after a 10 p.m. curfew meant to prevent riots that tore up the city two days earlier. Many wore T-shirts that said "Black Lives Matter," demanding accountability for the death of Freddie Gray. While the Baltimore protesters remained calm, some of their counterparts across the country were not. More than 100 people were arrested in New York during a "NYC Rise Up & Shut It Down With Baltimore" rally Wednesday night, New York police said. And Denver police arrested 11 people for charges such as assaulting a police officer, robbery, resisting police, disobedience to lawful orders and obstructing roadways. All this comes as protesters demand to know what happened to Gray, who was arrested April 12 and suffered a severe spinal cord injury. He died one week later. Demonstrations are planned for Thursday in Cincinnati, CNN affiliate WXIX said. And a "Philly is Baltimore" protest will take place at Philadelphia City Hall, Philly.com said. Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Oakland, California, are on tap for Friday, which is also May Day or International Workers Day -- often used to call attention to issues affecting the working class and minorities. More than 100 people arrested during the fracas in Baltimore this week were released Wednesday without charges, the state public defender's office said. Authorities either had to charge or release them within 48 hours of their arrests. "We've come up on a time line," said Police Commissioner Anthony Batts. But, he added: "We're not giving up on them. We're just going to follow up." Enya Baez-Ferreras, a student at Johns Hopkins University, joined in the protests Wednesday. She said the violence that marred Baltimore this week is not reflective of the city. "Baltimore is not violent. We have been under a lot of duress, and the violence that erupted the other day is only in reaction to the years and decades of oppression, of police brutality, of harassment that many of the Baltimore residents have been under," she said. President Barack Obama denounced the "violence, looting, destruction that we saw from a handful of individuals in Baltimore." "There's no excuse for that," he said in an interview that aired Wednesday on "The Steve Harvey Morning Show." Obama said his "heart goes out" to injured officers, and he praised police who he said "showed appropriate restraint." But he also talked about the state of urban communities. "If you send police officers into those situations where the drug trade is the primary economy and you say to them basically your job is to contain that and arrest kids and put them in jail, when those police officers know (it's not going to fix things), then it's not surprising you end up with a situation of enormous tension between those communities and those police officers," he said. Obama: Baltimore rioting 'hurts communities that are already suffering' The relative calm that took over Baltimore can be credited in part to peaceful protesters who formed human barricades between

Summary: Protests spread to New York and Denver, with more scheduled for other cities . More than 100 people arrested in Baltimore this week are released .


(CNN)Police in the Indian city of Malegaon, in the western state of Maharashtra, are requiring identity cards for an unusual group of residents: Cattle. Following a recent state-wide ban on the sale and consumption of beef, authorities in the city have asked residents to take a 'mugshot' of their cattle and submit it to the police. Along with the photograph, the residents have to give information about their animal's 'unique features,' such as the coloring and age of the cow, along with the length of its tail and other distinctive characteristics. Police officials believe this is the only way to solve cow slaughter cases and enforce the law. Cows are considered holy and revered by that state's majority Hindu population. "We are creating a database. If we get an information of a cow slaughter, we can quickly go to the resident's place and check whether it is there or not", Mahesh Sawai, Deputy Superintendent of Malegaon Police told CNN. "I believe this will be very effective" So far over 100 owners have complied with the police order and more are lining up outside police stations across the city to get their livestock photographed. The ruling came in the wake of a recent case of cow slaughter in Malegaon, where two men have been charged for killing the animal and and selling its meat. The Maharashtra Animal Preservation Bill now includes bans on the killing of bulls and bullocks in its list of non-bailable offenses. Even the consumption or sale of beef could now land you in prison for five years. The slaughter of buffaloes, however, is still permissible. However, beef traders in the country strongly reacted to the decision and called a month-long strike, which ended Wednesday. The traders refused to even slaughter buffaloes and deprive the state of all bovine meat. They have now vowed to file a case in the state's high court. Red meat lovers weren't too delighted either, arguing the government doesn't have a right to interfere in an individual's personal preference. Maharashtra is not the only Indian state to tighten its laws on cow slaughter. Haryana state has implemented a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, the toughest penalty in the country. Rajnath Singh, India's Home Minister has promised that he would do all to devise a country-wide law against cow slaughter.

Summary: Authorities in the Indian city of Malegaon have asked residents to take a 'mugshot' of their cattle . Cows are revered by the majority Hindu population, and many parts of the country have laws banning the slaughter of cattle . Officials in Malegaon believe this is the best way to solve cow slaughter cases and enforce the law .


(CNN)Police in India are putting aside their batons in favor of an overhead solution to angry and unruly crowds: pepper-spraying drones. Yashasvi Yadav, Senior Superintendent of police in Lucknow, northern India, told CNN the city's force has bought four drones and is in the process of purchasing one more. "The drones have been tested in controlled conditions," he said. "They have been very successful and will be used by the Lucknow police whenever there are violent protests or mob attacks." The miniature aircraft will be fitted with a camera and pepper spray; each drone costs between $9,560 and $19,300, Yadav added. Views on the new measure are mixed, with some concerned about the suppression of freedom of speech -- an already contentious issue in India. Last month, the country failed to enforce a law that would allow authorities to arrest people who post offensive material on social media. Others believe the country could learn from events further afield. Some say this method of crowd control needs regulation too. Questions have also been raised as to why the police are resorting to aggression. "While I think it is bound to fail if not be another scam in the making, it also shows the mindset of the administration to not use dialogue and mediation to solve problems but use authoritarian and forceful methods," photojournalist Chirag Wakaskar in Mumbai told CNN. "What they could do is start by having video surveillance in sensitive areas and have swifter justice." Protests are a common occurrence in India, a country with a population of 1.2 billion; Lucknow, the capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, also used drone cameras to monitor crowds at a recent religious festival. As well as being used as a security measure in other cities including Delhi and Mumbai, the unmanned, airborne vehicles have been used in tiger hunts, disaster relief and criminal investigations -- and even pizza deliveries. Reports suggest that the drone surveillance will be officially launched by the Chief Minister of Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav, later this month. Kunal Sehgal contributed to this report.

Summary: Police in Lucknow, northern India, have bought four drones to help control crowds . The unmanned aerial vehicles are being fitted with cameras and pepper spray to subdue angry protesters . Some Indians have questioned why police are resorting to "authoritarian and forceful methods"


(CNN)Shops looted and set ablaze. Terrified foreigners hiding in police stations and stadiums. Machete-wielding attackers hacking immigrants to death in major cities in South Africa. As attacks against foreigners and their businesses rage on, killing at least six people this week, other nations in the continent are scrambling to evacuate their citizens from South Africa. But this is not the first time xenophobic violence has exploded in a country that tries to portray itself as a diverse "rainbow" nation. They started after Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini said at a recent gathering that foreigners "should pack their bags and go" because they are taking jobs from citizens, local media reported. Shortly after his comments, violence against immigrants erupted in the port city of Durban. His office has denied he made the comments, saying journalists misquoted him. While kings are mostly ceremonial figures in the nation, they are influential in their communities. But the United Nations said the attacks started in March after a labor dispute between citizens and foreign workers. Some citizens have accused African immigrants of taking their already scarce jobs, undermining businesses owned by locals and contributing to a high crime rate. The nation's unemployment rate is about 25%, according to government figures. But resentment over porous borders, growing crime rates, poverty and corruption are also a major concern, analysts say. President Jacob Zuma has said his government is addressing the social and economic concerns. But he said immigrants contribute to the nation's economy and bring skills that are in demand, and should not be stereotyped as criminals. "While some foreign nationals have been arrested for various crimes, it is misleading and wrong to label or regard all foreign nationals as being involved in crime in the country," Zuma said. The nation has about 2 million documented and undocumented immigrants, which is about 4% of the total population, according to a study by the University of the Witwatersrand. Zimbabweans make up the largest group of immigrants. Also, South Africa is a top travel destination for wealthy Africans because of its proximity and developed infrastructure. Yes. This is the latest in a series of attacks that date back years. In January, looters burned businesses owned by foreigners in another wave of xenophobic attacks. In addition, there were other incidents of violence last year, Human Rights Watch said. Seven years ago, Johannesburg was the epicenter of more anti-immigrant tensions that left dozens dead in attacks that later spread to Cape Town. Most of the victims were Zimbabweans who had fled repression and dire economic circumstances. In those attacks, police arrested more than 200 people on various charges, including rape, murder, robbery and theft. In 2006, xenophobic violence broke out again for several months in Cape Town. Victims of xenophobic attacks have been from various African nations, including Nigeria, Somalia and Ethiopia. African nations have condemned the attacks. Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe are just a few of the countries evacuating their citizens from South Africa. In Zambia, local radio station QFM said it will not play South African music in solidarity with the victims.

Summary: Zimbabweans make up the largest group of immigrants in South Africa . Attackers have targeted foreigners and their businesses .


(CNN)Marine life seen swimming in unusual places. Water temperatures warmer than they should be. No snow where there should be feet of it. Some scientists are saying "The Blob" could be playing a factor. As monikers go, the blob doesn't sound very worrisome. But if you're a salmon fisherman in Washington or a California resident hoping to see the end of the drought, the blob could become an enemy of top concern. A University of Washington climate scientist and his associates have been studying the blob -- a huge area of unusually warm water in the Pacific -- for months. "In the fall of 2013 and early 2014 we started to notice a big, almost circular mass of water that just didn't cool off as much as it usually did, so by spring of 2014 it was warmer than we had ever seen it for that time of year," said Nick Bond, who works at the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean in Seattle, Washington. Bond, who gave the blob its name, said it was 1,000 miles long, 1,000 miles wide and 100 yards deep in 2014 -- and it has grown this year. And it's not the only one; there are two others that emerged in 2014, Nate Mantua of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center -- part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) -- said in September. One is in the Bering Sea and the other is off the coast of Southern California. Waters in the blob have been warmer by about 5.5 degrees, a significant rise. A recent set of studies published in Geophysical Research Letters by Bond's group points to a high-pressure ridge over the West Coast that has calmed ocean waters for two winters. The result was more heat staying in the water because storms didn't kick up and help cool the surface water. "The warmer temperatures we see now aren't due to more heating, but less winter cooling," a recent news release from the University of Washington announcing the studies said. The university has worked with NOAA on the research. According to New Scientist magazine, some marine species are exploring the warmer waters, leading some fish to migrate hundreds of miles from their normal habitats. The magazine cited fisherman and wildlife officials in Alaska who have seen skipjack tuna and thresher sharks. Pygmy killer whales have been spotted off the coast of Washington. "I've never seen some of these species here before," Bill Peterson of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle told the New Scientist. And he was worried about the adult Pacific salmon that normally feed on tiny crustaceans and other food sources that are not around in the same numbers off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. "They had nothing to eat," he told the magazine of last year's conditions in the blob. It appears that food has moved to cooler waters. In January, Bond told the Chinook Observer in Long Beach, Washington, that his concern is for very young salmon that are still upstream. "In particular, the

Summary: Waters in a huge area of the Pacific are running 5.5 degrees warmer than normal . Marine life that likes cooler water has moved and others that like warm seas are seen in new places . "The Blob" might be having an effect on rain and snow -- and the West Coast drought .


(CNN)Mountaineers have returned to Mount Everest for this year's climbing season, resuming the quest to summit the world's highest peak after a deadly season last year. In 2014, the Nepal climbing season ended after a piece of glacial ice fell, unleashing an avalanche that killed 16 Nepalis who had just finished their morning prayers. The April 18 accident was the single deadliest incident to ever occur on Mount Everest. The deaths launched fierce debates about the enormous risks faced by the Sherpas and the dangers of climbing Everest. In order to reduce risks, the route through Khumbu Icefall, the notoriously treacherous path where the 16 were killed, has been changed to one that takes longer but is expected to be safer. "They're going in the icefall and, as we found out on April 18, it's the most dangerous place," said Conrad Anker, a veteran climber who has been to Everest three times. "They're exposed to the tumbling ice, hanging seracs above it. It's very, very dangerous. It's the most dangerous place I've been in the mountains." At this point in the season, climbing teams have not yet entered Khumbu Icefall, which is essentially a frozen river rapid with jagged pieces breaking off and moving. Nepal has issued 347 permits this year to climb Mount Everest, with 125 of them from the previously shortened season, according to the Nepal Ministry of Tourism. It's a slight increase from the 334 who were given permission last year. The local Nepalese committee that determines the path up Everest announced in February that a different route had been selected. The climbers will now take a central route through the Khumbu Icefall, avoiding the area where the deaths occurred. The committee comprised of Sherpas voted to return to the central route for safety reasons. "There will be little risk of avalanche than in the right or left," said Yangji Doma Sherpa, the spokeswoman for the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee. The central route had been used in the 1990s, but was abandoned in favor of a quicker route, she said. The new path means climbers will have to cross more crevasses, and use more vertical and horizontal ladders. The committee issued a recommendation that the weight of workers' gear be limited to avoid overloading the ladders. "I think it will be an hour longer on the icefall," said Alan Arnette, who is blogging from Everest base camp this season. "I don't think it will be game changer." But one company, Alpenglow Expeditions, said it would stop climbing from the Nepal side, where the climbers have to go through the icefall, in favor of the northern route from China. "We've seen it get progressively more dangerous over the last few years," said Adrian Ballinger, the company's founder and CEO. "We believe the risk is too great for our workers." According to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association, 320 people have been registered to climb the northern route to Everest this year. That's 136 more than last year. The Chinese side of Everest has typically been less popular than its Nepal counterpart,

Summary: Climbers are returning to Everest after 2014 season on Nepal side was canceled . Climbing permits increase in Tibetan and Nepalese side this year . 16 Nepalis died in Khumbu Icefall on Everest last year .


(CNN)"A long, long, time ago..." Those five words, when uttered or sung, makes baby boomers immediately think of Don McLean's pop masterpiece "American Pie." It's hard to believe that his phenomenal 8½ minute allegory, which millions of Americans know by heart, is 44 years old. All sorts of historical cross-currents play off each other in this timeless song, brilliantly gilded with the unforgettable chorus, which starts as "Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie." There is no real way to categorize McLean's "American Pie" for its hybrid of modern poetry and folk ballad, beer-hall chant and high-art rock. On Tuesday, Christie's sold the 16-page handwritten manuscript of the song's lyrics for $1.2 million to an unnamed buyer. McLean was a paperboy when, on February 3, 1959, he saw that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson had been tragically killed in an airplane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa. "The next day I went to school in shock and guess what?" McLean recalled. "Nobody cared. Rock 'n' roll in those days was sort of like hula hoops and Buddy hadn't had a big hit on the charts since '57." By cathartically writing "American Pie," McLean has guaranteed that the memory of those great musicians lives forever. Having recorded his first album, "Tapestry," in 1969, in Berkeley, California, during the student riots, McLean, a native New Yorker, became a kind of weather vane for what he called the "generation lost in space." When his cultural anthem "American Pie" was released in November 1971, it replaced Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changin" as the Peoples Almanac of the new decade. It's important to think of "American Pie" as one would of Henry Longfellow's "Evangeline" or Johnny Mercer's "Moon River" -- an essential Americana poem emanating wistful recollection, blues valentine, and youthful protest rolled into one. There is magic brewing in the music and words of "American Pie," for McLean's lyrics and melody frame a cosmic dream, like those Jack Kerouac tried to conjure in his poetry-infused novel "On the Road." Don McLean: Buddy Holly, rest in peace . Influenced by Pete Seeger and the Weavers, McLean proudly wore the mantle of troubadour in the early 1970s, when "American Pie" topped the Billboard charts, and has never shed the cape. Wandering far and wide, singing "American Pie" at windblown dance halls in Wyoming and cloistered colleges in New England, at huge amphitheaters in California and little coffee houses in the Hudson River Valley, McLean has performed his global anthem thousands of times. Yet the encore number never loses its transfixing allure. When McLean prods audiences by rhapsodizing "and they were singing" everybody spontaneously joins in with the "Bye, Bye" chorus. Watching McLean deliver his most notable song in concert is to take part in a collective Happening. What makes "American Pie" so unusual is that it isn't a relic from the counterculture but a talisman, which, like a sacred river, keeps bringing joy to listeners everywhere. When "American Pie" suddenly is played on a jukebox or radio it's almost impossible not to sing

Summary: Manuscript of "American Pie" lyrics is sold to unnamed buyer for $1.2 million . Douglas Brinkley: The song, a talisman for its age, brings joy to people 44 years later .


(CNN)Thousands sought refuge in temporary shelters in South Africa after mobs with machetes attacked immigrants in Durban, leaving at least five people dead, an aid group said Thursday. Heavily armed police have scrambled to stop clashes this week after local residents accused immigrants from other African nations of taking their jobs. The attacks in Durban killed two immigrants and three South Africans, including a 14-year-old boy, authorities said. "There has been an outpouring of support from ordinary South Africans who are disgusted with the attacks not only because they are foreign, or African, but because they are fellow human beings," said Gift of the Givers charity, which is helping those seeking refuge. "We are preparing aid packages for those who may journey onwards to their home countries." The charity said about 8,500 people fled to refugee centers or police stations this week because of the violence. That doesn't count anyone who fled their homes to other, private accommodations, the group said. It said it hopes the violence is limited to Durban, but assured immigrants that it has a facility in Johannesburg to help those who might need shelter there. "We have tents and all essential supplies on standby but pray that sanity prevails and this does not become necessary," it said. In the past, Johannesburg has been the epicenter of anti-immigrant tensions. In 2008, scores were killed in attacks in the poorest areas of Johannesburg. Most of the victims were Zimbabweans who had fled repression and dire economic circumstances. In that attack, police arrested more than 200 people for various crimes including rape, murder, robbery and theft.

Summary: A charity group is preparing aid packages for those who want to return home . The attacks have left 5 dead -- two immigrants and three South Africans . A 14-year-old boy is among those killed after a mob with machetes targeted foreigners .


Bangkok (CNN)Thailand has lifted martial law, replacing it with it a controversial new security order granting sweeping powers to the ruling military junta. Critics have expressed alarm at the move, with Human Rights Watch's Asia director Brad Adams saying it marked the country's "deepening descent into dictatorship." Martial law was lifted Wednesday when the Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej approved a request from Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha to proceed. Prayuth -- head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) junta -- immediately invoked Article 44 of the country's interim constitution "to curb acts deemed harmful to national peace and stability." Article 44 states, in wide-ranging terms, that when the head of the junta believes it is necessary in the name of public harmony or to prevent the undermining of national security, then he has the power to act as deemed necessary. According to a statement issued by the NCPO, the new order grants military personnel powers to issue summons and arrest those who commit crimes against the royal family or against national stability, who commit crimes involving war weaponry, or who violate the orders of the NCPO. Designated military personnel were granted powers to seize assets, to block media from reporting or publishing, and to detain suspects up to seven days, the statement said. Unauthorized political gatherings of more than five people were banned, while those who defied NCPO orders could be imprisoned for up to a year, it said. Those who were detained could not leave the country without the approval of the head of the NCPO. Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the new security order would allow Prayuth "to issue orders without administrative, legislative, or judicial oversight or accountability." "Thailand's friends abroad should not be fooled by this obvious sleight of hand by the junta leader to replace martial law with a constitutional provision that effectively provides unlimited and unaccountable powers," Adams said in a statement. Sunai Phasuk, Human Rights Watch's senior researcher on Thailand, told CNN the move would see Prayuth "become a strongman with ultimate power in his hands to wield as he wishes." "This is a dangerous indication that the junta is not going to keep its promise to restore democracy and respect for human rights in Thailand," he said. Rupert Abbott, deputy director for Asia Pacific at Amnesty International, called in a statement for the NCPO to "reinstate the rule of law and constitutional protections for human rights which the 2014 coup steamrolled over." Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein expressed alarm at the news. "Normally I would warmly welcome the lifting of martial law -- and indeed strongly advocated for it to be lifted in Thailand," the High Commissioner said. "But I am alarmed at the decision to replace martial law with something even more draconian, which bestows unlimited powers on the current Prime Minister without any judicial oversight at all. This clearly leaves the door wide open to serious violations of fundamental human rights." Martial law was imposed shortly before Thailand's military

Summary: Martial law has been lifted in Thailand after 10 months . It has been replaced by a new order granting sweeping powers to the military junta . Critics warn the move deepens the country's "descent into dictatorship"


(CNN)Cynthia Lennon, who married John Lennon when he was a struggling musician and was there when he rose to fame with the Beatles, died Wednesday, according to a post on the website of her son, Julian. She was 75. "Cynthia Lennon passed away today at her home in Mallorca, Spain, following a short but brave battle with cancer. Her son Julian Lennon was at her bedside throughout," his website says. "The family are thankful for your prayers. Please respect their privacy at this difficult time." John and Cynthia Lennon were married for six years, from 1962 to 1968. The pair met at art school, where Cynthia studied to be an illustrator and John practiced painting -- in between concerts with a band that would become the Beatles. "When we were at art college, I think he was more interested in the music than he was in the art," she told ClassicBands.com. Cynthia Lennon, born Cynthia Powell in 1939, was a stabilizing force for the young John, who lost his mother when he was a teenager and was raised by his Aunt Mimi. "John was always insecure," she said in a 2005 interview, having lost his mother at a young age. But his humor -- and his wildness -- were attractive, she told ClassicBands.com. "He was a rebel. He was outrageous. That was something I hadn't experienced before the age that I was, which was about 16 or 17. I'd had quite a normal, straightforward life," she said. "I was just instantly attracted to him." The two married in 1962, just as the Beatles were making their rise. Their son, Julian, was born April 8, 1963. Lennon's sometimes-brittle personality and his overwhelming fame became a challenge for Cynthia. During her pregnancy, "I was not supposed to be known or heard about. In the wisdom, or lack of wisdom, anything to do with somebody becoming famous, male, was not supposed to be married or have (a) girlfriend." She was threatened by fans and occasionally in danger of being left behind in the band's whirlwind; when the group traveled to Bangor, Wales, to meet with the Maharishi in 1967, Cynthia was caught in a scrum and couldn't make the train in time. She was also there on the 1965 night George Harrison, Patti Boyd and Lennon were dosed with LSD -- an experience she disliked -- and traveled to India with the band in early 1968. The couple divorced in 1968, by which time John was seeing Yoko Ono. Cynthia Lennon married three more times after John and wrote two books about her marriage to the Beatle, "A Twist of Lennon" and "John." She had no contact with the surviving members of the band until meeting up at the 2006 Las Vegas premiere of "The Beatles Love." For all the difficulties and disappointments -- she described Julian, for whom she wrote "John," as "very scarred by life" -- she acknowledged that the whirlwind could also be enthralling. "The whole situation changed my life completely. God knows where I would've been ended up. I probably would've

Summary: Cynthia Lennon was John Lennon's first wife . She was there during the rise of the Beatles . Her death was announced by her son, Julian .


Hong Kong (CNN)It's not just Asia. Around the world, we're becoming collectively more near-sighted. Near-sightedness, or myopia, means nearby objects appear clearly, but those farther away look blurry. The rates of myopia have doubled, even tripled, in most of East Asia over the last 40 years, researchers say. Several places like Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan have rates in the 80%. In South Korea, myopia rates among 20-year-olds have leaped from 18% in 1955 to over 96% myopia in 2011. And it's a global issue -- rates of myopia are also rising in Western nations like Germany and the United States. "It's about 40% in the U.S., compared to about 25% in the 1970s," said Dr. Michael Chiang, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. But researchers say reducing risk of myopia is easy, free and readily-available: Get some sunlight. Sometimes, though, the easiest solutions are the hardest to implement. The epidemic of myopia amongst East Asians has triggered cultural questions about why so many young people develop vision problems. Many have long believed that reading, studying or staring at your phone caused short-sightedness. And there's the usual grumblings that young people spend way too much time glued to their screens. But researchers are focusing on a different cause. "If children get outside enough, it doesn't matter how much they study they do. They don't become myopic," said Ian Morgan, researcher at Australian National University. Researchers say kids and teens need to get sunlight during the critical years of their development while their eyeballs are still growing. The mechanics of how sunlight protects their eyes are not clearly understood. One theory suggests that sunlight triggers the release of dopamine in the retina; another speculates that blue light from the sun protects from the condition. The solution is simple. Have kids "spend more time outside, have less demands (from) the schools and relax a bit," said Seang Mei Saw, professor of epidemiology at the National University of Singapore. But studying and play time are often at odds with each other. In Asian cultures where there is heavy emphasis on education and hyper-competitiveness, forcing playtime is easier said than done. "The problem is teachers and parents are probably not going to let kids," said Dr. Nathan Congdon, professor at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center at the Sun Yat Sen University in China. "There's a limit to how many hours kids can go outside." There have been some attempts to protect children's eyesight. In China, students have been mandated by its education ministry to perform daily eye exercises. Since 1963, rows of students sit at their desks and massage the pressure points around their eyes as a revolutionary-era anthem blares through the PA system. Despite these eye exercises, rates of myopia in urban China have soared to nearly 90%, according to recent studies. "China has among the highest rates of myopia and it's the only country in the world that does eye exercises, so it's probably not working all that well," said Congdon. Their effectiveness has been doubted by experts in China, but the exercises

Summary: East Asia sees soaring rates of myopia, with 80-90% of young adult population affected . Evidence that myopia rates are increasing in Europe and the U.S. Scientists advice for kids: Go outside and play .


Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN)Rescue crews and residents in Nepal early Sunday began the desperate search for survivors after a magnitude-7.8 quake near the capital of Kathmandu a day earlier flattened homes, buildings and temples, causing widespread damage across the region and killing more than 1,800 people. Follow the latest coverage of Nepal earthquake . Whole streets and squares in the capital of more than 1 million people were covered in rubble. Stunned residents stared at temples that were once part of their daily lives and now were reduced to nothing. Locals and tourists ferreted through mounds of debris in search of survivors. Cheers rose from the piles when people were found alive -- but mostly bodies turned up. The injured ended up being treated outside overflowing hospitals, where crowds of people gathered looking for relatives. Dozens of bodies were pulled from the historic nine-story Dharahara tower that came crashing down during the quake. At least 17 people were reported killed on Mount Everest, where the quake caused multiple avalanches. A seemingly endless series of aftershocks continued to roil the area, further traumatizing survivors. Residents huddled in the cold rain overnight for safety. The death toll of 1,832 is expected to rise as the full extent of the damage is assessed. The loss of life reported so far "is really based on the information we have from the main cities," Lex Kassenberg, Nepal country director for CARE International, told CNN. "But if you look at the spread of the earthquake a lot of the rural areas have been hit as well. The information we received from the field is that 80% of the houses in these rural areas have been destroyed." The quake was the strongest in the region in more than 80 years. Residents are used to earthquakes in Nepal, and many thought the start of Saturday's quake was a tremor, until the earth kept shaking and buildings crashed down. "The reports of the devastation are still coming in and the numbers of people killed, injured and affected by this earthquake continue to rise," said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a statement. "It is clear that very many lives have been lost." An estimated 4.6 million people in the region were exposed to tremors from the Nepal earthquake, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said via Twitter. Thirty out of 75 Nepal districts were affected by the quake. In neighboring Tibet, roads buckled, buildings collapsed and at least 13 people were killed, China's state media reported, citing local authorities. Separately, at least four Chinese citizens in Nepal -- two workers with a Chinese company, a tourist and a mountaineer -- have been killed, state media reported, citing the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. Officials in India confirmed at least 34 deaths in three states from the Nepal quake. The quake struck at 11:56 a.m. local time (2:11 a.m. ET) and was centered less than 50 miles northwest of Kathmandu. It occurred at a depth of 9.3 miles, which is considered shallow and more damaging than a deeper quake. It was

Summary: NGO official says people will urgently need food, water, medicine and shelter. More than 1,800 people across Nepal confirmed dead, official says . People treated outside hospitals; avalanches reported on Everest .


(CNN)It's easy to be anxious about the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. After all, this is a brutal organization that not only kills but seems to revel in doing so in ways designed to shock the world -- from the beheadings of journalists to burning a Jordanian pilot alive. Such moves are part of this murky group's propaganda and its deliberate efforts to manipulate information. So what can and should we make of the organization? I explore the issue in depth in a special airing Sunday night. And although it's important to start with the caveat that ISIS is indeed trying to scare and confuse us, I took away some tentative lessons from speaking with the people who have traveled inside the minds of ISIS. First, ISIS is clearly about religion -- its version of radical Islam -- but it is also about power. There is increasing evidence that the military backbone of ISIS is made up not by a group of Islamic zealots, but rather high-ranking officers from Saddam Hussein's army -- Baathists who were at least ostensibly secular. An internal ISIS report detailing its organizational structure was reported on last week in the German weekly Der Spiegel. That report describes a group that uses its religious ideology as a recruiting and governing philosophy, much like communism. But underneath it, much like communism, is simply a drive for control, a lust for power. Next, ISIS presents itself as a global organization, but it has thrived because of a local cause. The group has gained territory, cash and recruits primarily because of the rage and rebellion of the Sunnis of Iraq and Syria, who believe they must fight the Shiites to secure their own survival and strength. The reality is that that Sunni cause is going to endure for some time. The United States has been successful in its tactical battles against ISIS and has managed to push the group back from many of its gains in Iraq. But the Sunnis of the region will remain in rebellion and the Sunni-dominated areas will remain in turmoil -- chaos that ISIS will be able to capitalize on this chaos. In the long run, ISIS might very well find that its greatest foes lie within its so-called Caliphate. The few reports that are emerging from areas controlled by ISIS suggest that, unsurprisingly, people do not like living under a brutal, theocratic dictatorship. They live in fear, and even those who chose it as an alternative to Shiite rule are growing disenchanted. In this respect, ISIS is like other radical Islamic groups, such as the Taliban -- they have an allure in the abstract, but once they are actually governing in their medieval, barbarous manner, the allure fades and the disenchantment builds. The result is ever-increasing repression. Remember, no one has ever voted ISIS into power anywhere. The group simply slaughters its way to control. Of course, one of the big questions has been: Is ISIS a threat to the West? The group's leaders declare that it is. But their

Summary: Fareed Zakaria: ISIS has thrived because of a local Sunni cause in Syria and Iraq . Leaders of ISIS have recognized they are a messaging machine, he says .


(CNN)Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition forces have successfully ousted ISIS from the nation's largest oil refinery, the coalition said Sunday. Iraqi security forces regained full control of the Baiji refinery, the Combined Joint Task Force said. A week ago, ISIS claimed it controlled part of the facility, posting images online that purported to back up the claim. Iraq is working to fortify the facility's defenses, the task force said in a statement. Over the past nine days, the coalition conducted 47 airstrikes in the area, the statement said. Meanwhile, Peshmerga forces -- also with the assistance of coalition strikes -- cleared 84 square kilometers (32 square miles) of ISIS-occupied territory in Iraq on Saturday, the Kurdistan Region Security Council said. The Peshmerga are the national military force of Kurdistan. "Front-line reporting indicates at least 35 ISIS terrorists were killed during the offensive," the council said in a statement. The goal was to push back ISIS and "diminish its ability to threaten the security of Kirkuk province," the statement said. "This success follows an offensive south and west of Kirkuk" last month in which 100 square kilometers (39 square miles) of terrain was cleared, the council said.

Summary: Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition forces say they retook a key refinery from ISIS . Peshmerga forces also report retaking terrain from ISIS .


Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN)Rescuers in Nepal have pulled a man from the wreckage of a building where he was stuck for a staggering 82 hours after the devastating earthquake that hit the country Saturday. His survival is unusual, as experts say it's rare for injured people who are trapped to hold out for longer than 72 hours after a disaster. The man, Rishi Khanal, was saved after a French search and rescue team found him under the rubble on the outskirts of Kathmandu, the capital, around noon Tuesday, said Pushparam K.C., a spokesman for the Armed Police Force of Nepal. The team used specialized gear that detects signs of life, he said. But it took about 10 more hours for the French team and police officers to dig him out, the spokesman said. A police video of the rescue showed the teams drilling through concrete to reach Khanal's location and then hauling him up through the hole. They then carried him out of the ruined building on a stretcher. On Wednesday afternoon, Khanal, 27, had just undergone surgery and was resting, surrounded by family and friends. He had suffered a crushed foot and was too weak and distraught to talk about his traumatic experience. "It seems he survived by sheer willpower," said Akhilesh Shrestha, a doctor who treated Khanal, according to the Reuters news agency. Khanal's story of survival isn't the only one to emerge from the terrible destruction wrought by the quake, which has killed more than 5,000 people. A 4-month-old baby was rescued from a destroyed building in the town of Bhaktapur at least 22 hours after the quake struck, the newspaper Kathmandu Today reported. A Nepali military team had failed to notice the child during its search but returned after his cry was heard, the newspaper said. The little boy, whose name is Sonit Awal, was reported to be in stable condition without any internal injuries, according to initial examinations. CNN hasn't independently confirmed Sonit's rescue, but the newspaper published photos showing the dust-caked infant being lifted by Nepali soldiers in the ruined structure. Tanka Maya Sitoula, a 40-year-old mother of four, was at home in Kathmandu when the earthquake shook the city, bringing the five-story building down around her ground-floor apartment. She endured 36 long hours trapped in a room before an Indian rescue team freed her. She escaped without injury, apparently protected by a beam. Sitoula says she remained confident she would survive amid the rubble. "I heard people making noise outside, so I thought I would be rescued," she said, as she and her family sheltered on the grounds of a nearby school. What did she do for 36 hours? "I was just lying down," she said. "There was no room to move here and there." Sitoula's husband, Mahendra, a butcher, said he called out for help for hours after the quake, as he could hear her shouting in the rubble of the collapsed building. It took 18 hours before the necessary help arrived, he said. And it took another 18 hours to free her. Jon Keisi

Summary: A French rescue team finds Rishi Khanal more than three days after the quake . A 4-month-old baby is reported to have been rescued after 22 hours in rubble .


(CNN)The marriage apocalypse may be coming. Talk to any millennial and you can envision an America virtually marriage-free, with everyone happily single. I did. And I do. Recently, I talked about marriage with a group of journalism students from my alma mater, Kent State University. They came to me for career advice, which I gave them, but I also picked their brains about politics, religion and marriage. Their views on marriage intrigued me the most. 'Cause, guess what? They don't care what your generation thinks -- they'll get married if and when they want. "I didn't go to college for four years to be a mom," 21-year old Candace Monacelli told me. "There's no housewife degree. I've worked my butt off for four years to get this degree. You want to use it. You want to be successful. You want to have that happy part of your life as well." Jackie Demate, also 21, agreed. "I would have a very hard time justifying spending $20,000 on a wedding when I could go to Europe." At first I thought Jackie was kidding. So jokingly, I responded, "Wow, some people would say, with that attitude, you are undermining the moral foundation of this country!" Jackie didn't blink. "But, Europe!" she exclaimed. "I'm really looking for a travel buddy. And I don't think you need a wedding ring to prove that you love someone. I see a lot of people get married too soon or stay together and are unhappy because they are afraid to be alone. And I would rather be alone, successful and happy than in a relationship where I'm not happy. ... I'm OK being single forever. As long as I'm happy." Before you berate Jackie for prioritizing her love of travel over marriage, consider where she's coming from. A culture rich in divorce. In the United States, almost 42 million adults have been married more than once. That's up from 22 million in 1980 and 14 million in 1960. Percentage-wise, that means that among adults who are currently married, roughly a quarter (23%) have been married before, compared with 13% in 1960. What a fine example my generation is! Not. Still, there are no doubt more than a few parents out there wondering where they went wrong. Especially in light of a fascinating Pew Research report on marriage. When asked if society is just as well off if people have priorities other than marriage and children, 50% of respondents were OK with that. And of that 50%, 66% were adults between 18 and 29. Religious leaders are deeply concerned for moral reasons. Economists are concerned for our collective future. Studies show marriage is correlated with economic well-being, though it is not clear whether the causality arrow goes from marriage toward economic benefit or in the other direction. A study sponsored by the conservative American Enterprise Institute says: "From an obvious standpoint, households with two adults are likelier to have two incomes, improving well-being." On the other hand, the study points out, people who have money may be "more desirable marriage prospects."

Summary: Carol Costello: Talk to any millennial and you can envision an America virtually marriage-free . In countries like Sweden or Denmark, people don't feel pressured to marry even if they have kids together .


(CNN)Tuesday, April 14, is Equal Pay Day. Here's the announcement presidential candidate Hillary Clinton should make: . "Today in America, women earn on average 77 cents for every dollar men earn. And the gap is even greater for women of color. That's unconscionable. As president, my top priority will be fixing inequality and ensuring that 100% of the population is paid 100% of what they're worth. And so, I'm announcing that if elected president, I will take a 23% pay cut, equivalent to the current gender wage gap, to stand in solidarity with working women in America. And I won't take a raise until every woman in America gets a raise, too." April 14 wasn't just chosen at random as Equal Pay Day. It's based on a calculation: For women to make the same amount of money that men made in 2014, they'd have to work until April 14, 2015. A woman on average loses $431,000 in pay over the course of a 40-year career. Merely closing the gender wage gap would pull half of working single moms out of poverty. And at a time where Republicans are still, bizarrely, trumpeting more tax breaks for business and the rich to stimulate the economy, closing the pay gap would put money in the pockets of working people who would actually spend and stimulate real growth. The new women warriors: Reviving the fight for equal rights . So here's the perfect opportunity for Hillary Clinton to put her money where her mouth is, literally. In her campaign launch and personal rebrand, Clinton is clearly trying to portray herself as a woman of the people, a populist fighter for the middle class. "Everyday Americans need a champion," Clinton said in her campaign launch video, "and I want to be that champion." Clinton has deftly put her finger in the wind and sensed the winds of populism blowing through America. Indeed, the fact that many Democratic voters still clamor for a less pro-war, less pro-Wall Street, more Elizabeth Warren-like alternative to Clinton is an ever-present thorn in the otherwise blooming garden of Clinton's inevitability. Opinion: The myth of Equal Pay Day . With her video, Clinton has signaled a clear desire to ground herself and her candidacy in the soil of populism. But can a wealthy white woman who once sat on the board of Walmart, has already lived in the White House, collects six-figure speaking fees and doesn't seem to own a pair of jeans really inhabit the portrait of a populist fighter? This is where a good ol'-fashioned political stunt would come in handy. And make no mistake about it, I'm recommending a political stunt. Let's call a spade a spade. Hillary Clinton is a very rich person. While she's certainly not the first rich person to run for president, her wealth -- and the related perception of being out of touch with ordinary Americans -- is an obstacle in her candidacy. The difference between the current standard presidential salary of $400,000 a year and the 77 cents-on-the-dollar version of that salary, or $308,000,

Summary: Sally Kohn: April 14 is Equal Pay Day, and Hillary Clinton should make an announcement about wage gap . Clinton should say that if elected, she will take a 23% pay cut to stand in solidarity with working women .