(CNN) After Labor Day, the presidential campaign will move into high gear. The candidates will be racing against the electoral clock and the campaigns will need laser-eyed focus on what their respective path forward is to victory in November.
Polls consistently show Donald Trump is running behind Hillary Clinton. After Labor Day, if Trump wants to find any solace, he needs to look to some of the races -- most of which were more competitive at this point -- where the polls tightened by early September and candidates were able to mount strong comebacks.
Some examples that have been frequently cited include Harry Truman against Thomas Dewey in 1948, Hubert Humphrey against Richard Nixon in 1968, Gerald Ford against Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Ronald Reagan against Carter in 1980, though in two of these cases the comeback did not produce victory.
At this point in the 2016 campaign, odds are that only something big will be able to dramatically shift the campaign and throw the Clinton-Trump race in a different direction.
Debates like nothing we've seen before
The presidential debates, slated to start September 26, would be the first place to look. Though the impact of debates tends to be overrated, this fall they could potentially have a huge effect.
These debates could be unlike any we have seen before. The audiences that will tune in or log on to see Clinton take on Trump will probably be astronomical.
Trump's unorthodox approach to these events, as we saw in the Republican primaries, means that anything can happen. His style could be so unsettling that the debates push Clinton into making statements or physically acting in ways that damage her standing. Or his attacks could be so vicious that they start to undercut her support.
On the other hand, Trump's performance could be so outlandish that the debates simply propel the downward trajectory of his polls, confirming to viewers that he is unfit to be president.
October data dump?
Then there is the so-called October Surprise. This is a concept has been around since the 1960s and refers to a deliberate action that takes place with mere weeks left in the campaign, often by the president of the United States, to shift the election's direction.
In 1980, the year the term became popular, Reagan's campaign was terrified that President Carter would announce a deal had been reached in the Iran hostage crisis, bolstering Carter's re-election prospects.
But the October Surprise has usually turned out to be a bust, a conspiracy imagined.
This year, the October Data Dump, rather than the October Surprise, is what both candidates should fear most. It's possible to imagine a WikiLeaks-like revelation that leaves Clinton officials struggling to protect their position or Trump facing a defeat even worse than imagined.
With the possibility that state actors like Russia are now seeking to influence U.S. elections through hacking, the possibilities are frightening. Just as social media has created new opportunities for candidates to communicate directly to voters without any intermediaries, the Internet has created the kind of electoral uncertainty that we have not seen before.
The decision by the Republican Party about what to do with its resources can also have huge ramifications. There have been a number of reports about how party officials are vacillating between continuing to support Trump, who is relying on them almost entirely for the most basic operations of his campaign, or throwing everything toward Senate and House candidates so to avoid losing control of every branch of government.
If the Republicans abandon Trump after Labor Day, that decision could be extremely important. With several third-party campaigns up and running, a congressional centered election by the Republicans could be effective if GOP voters have someone else to cast their ballot for besides Clinton.
Even though it would probably make a Trump victory impossible, a shift in resources may produce the kind of divided government in 2017 that would prevent a President Clinton from advancing a significant agenda, along with contentious political conditions that will result in ongoing investigation and scandal warfare.
Photos: The first televised debate The first televised presidential debate took place on September 26, 1960, when U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy, left, faced off against Vice President Richard Nixon, right. The debate was one of the most-watched broadcasts in U.S. history. Hide Caption 1 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate The candidates shake hands as moderator Howard K. Smith looks on. The one-hour debate took place in Chicago at the studios of CBS affiliate WBBM. Hide Caption 2 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate CBS President Frank Stanton fixes the debate stage. Hide Caption 3 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate Stanton, right, and producer Don Hewitt check a television monitor before the debate. Hide Caption 4 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate Kennedy's wife, Jacqueline, watches the debate from the wings of the studio. Hide Caption 5 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate Much has been made about the two men's appearance and how that affected the perception of those who watched the debate on television. Nixon declined CBS' offer of makeup, instead choosing to wear a product called LazyShave to hide his five o'clock shadow. He was also still recovering from the flu and a knee injury. The telegenic Kennedy, meanwhile, did wear makeup, and he appeared rested and relaxed. Hide Caption 6 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate A CBS camera flashes a 30-second warning to those on stage. Hide Caption 7 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate Kennedy, 43, was a Democratic senator from Massachusetts. He would become the youngest president elected to office. Hide Caption 8 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate Nixon, 47, was vice president under Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower had reached his two-term limit. Hide Caption 9 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate The debate started with eight-minute opening statements and then moved on to alternating questions from panelists, seen here in the foreground. Hide Caption 10 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate A family gathers around a television to watch the debate. More than 66 million people watched out of a population of about 180 million. "I don't think it's overstating the fact that, on that date, politics and television changed forever," said Bruce DuMont, a nationally syndicated radio talk show host and president of the Museum of Broadcast Communications. "After that debate, it was not just what you said in a campaign that was important, but how you looked saying it." Hide Caption 11 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate Nixon wipes his face with a handkerchief during the debate. Hide Caption 12 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate Kennedy slaps his hands together as he makes a point. Hide Caption 13 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate The debate was the first of four held within a month. Hide Caption 14 of 15 Photos: The first televised debate Kennedy would go on, of course, to win the election in November. After a few years out of the spotlight, Nixon ran for President again in 1968, defeating Hubert Humphrey in the general election. Hide Caption 15 of 15
Total meltdown?
With Trump as the nominee, there is also the serious potential for a total meltdown at the top of the ticket that could produce the kind of landslide we haven't seen in decades. He is the great unknown. Already there have been many moments, from his comments about women and immigrants to his associations with right-wing extremist organizations, that create the potential for his campaign to fall apart.
Thus far he has avoided that outcome at every turn, but that won't mean this can't happen. Trump's unpredictable and uncontrollable style means that the teleprompters will only hold him back for so long.
The networks of "alt right" organizations that have been in the orbit of his campaign provide more than enough opportunities for something truly shocking to come out. If any of this occurs, the landslides of yesteryear might just happen again.
Game changes are rare
But even with all of these factors, the odds remain very low that there will be any fundamental change in the basic dynamics of the campaign. For all the talk of "game change" moments in campaign memoirs, these turning points are rare.
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Right now it looks like Trump is headed toward a real electoral disaster for the GOP. When states like Utah and Georgia are not locks for the Republican nominee, the party is in real trouble. As Laura Meckler reported in the Wall Street Journal, Trump's increasingly narrow path to victory would have to include winning in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
"It just becomes very hard and difficult to understand how the Trump campaign gets to 270," said one of Mitt Romney's 2012 strategists.
The kind of landslide victories that candidates like FDR in 1936 and LBJ in 1964 enjoyed might no longer be possible, given that the electorate is so polarized in many states. But Clinton holds a strong lead in most of the key battleground states and there is little evidence that Trump can "turn" blue states into red.
Even if there was a major national security or domestic crisis in September or October, it is unclear that public opinion would shift dramatically given that neither candidate is the incumbent and the polls show strong levels of confidence in Hillary Clinton on a number of key issues. It is possible to imagine, for example, that an unsettling foreign policy situation leaves more voters more comfortable with the kind of experience that she offers rather than Trump.
The bottom line is that no one knows what's around the corner. One thing is that this is unlike any campaign we have ever seen. So the weeks after Labor Day will surely be filled with surprises, twists and turns, nasty moments, and a raucous political fight that will make some viewers think they are tuned into the 2016-2017 NFL season rather than presidential politics.

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(CNN) Imagine getting a letter from a federal agency saying that your yard is exposing your children to an invisible poison that is known to decrease IQ. Then, you find out the agency tested for this toxic substance more than a year and a half ago, but the results are just now being delivered to you. And you learn that your 2-year-old shows blood-lead levels 6.6 times above the upper level of concern set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That nightmare is Shantel Allen's reality.
"It's devastating," Allen said. "I blame everybody who knew. Everybody that knew and didn't inform us."
The 27-year-old mother of five has been living in the West Calumet Complex in East Chicago, Indiana, for about six years and says her life got turned upside-down when a Department of Health official knocked on her door last month and said her family needed to be tested for lead poisoning.
"I hadn't heard anything about lead. I said, 'What lead? How were we exposed to lead?' " Allen said. "They said, 'It's in your yard.' "
In a letter from the EPA dated July 11, 2016, she was informed that some parts of her yard had lead levels up to 66 times above the lead limit and 55 times above the arsenic limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency. But what shocked her even more was that the letter said her "property was tested for lead and arsenic at the end of 2014." Which means the test was somewhere in a lab, on a shelf, on a desk or getting processed for more than a year and a half before she learned of the danger she and her children were in.
"I was pregnant while in this complex -- exposed to lead, sleeping on a contaminated bed, laying on a contaminated couch -- nobody said anything. They kept this very well hidden from all of us," Allen said.
Allen's worst fear became a reality when she received a letter from the Indiana State Department of Health saying that her 2-year-old daughter, Samira, had a lead result of "33 capillary." Compare that with the CDC's upper level of concern, which is 5.
The letter, dated July 28, 2016, says her "child was tested for lead poisoning on February 10, 2015." Samira was 1 year old at the time.
"She wasn't even able to go outside and play in the dirt, and her level was so high. So it was terrifying, you know, to think of what the other children -- what their results could be. They've been playing in the yard for years," said Allen.
Allen's 9-year-old son was recently diagnosed with hyperactivity disorder, she says. And her other children, ranging in age from 4 to 8, have also displayed symptoms that she says she couldn't explain before.
"They show all the signs and symptoms of having lead poisoning. They have fevers, chills; they vomit. ... I've taken them to the emergency room a number of times," Allen said.
'A perfect storm of lead contamination'
The West Calumet affordable housing complex is within the US Smelter and Lead Refinery Inc. Superfund site, according to the EPA
A Superfund site is an area that has been contaminated by a dangerous substance and the EPA has determined that it poses health and environmental risks. The West Calumet Complex was built on top of the Anaconda White Lead company, according to EPA records. It is also south of the former USS Lead industrial site and next to a DuPont site. Together, these companies smelted, dealt with or processed lead for decades.
The Allen family and about 1,000 of their neighbors in the West Calumet affordable housing complex, including 670 children, were advised in a letter issued July 25 by East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland that they needed to relocate because of the elevated levels of lead found in the soil.
According to EPA documentation, the most contaminated yards showed lead levels 227 times above the lead limit and 135 times above the arsenic limit set by the EPA.
"It's actually a perfect storm of lead contamination," attorney Barry Rooth said. "The wind actually blows that lead right across the property and deposits it right where the residents live."
Rooth represents Allen, her five children and at least 80 other children living in the housing complex and says the local, state and federal governments failed all of his clients when they allowed people to live in an area with a long history of lead contamination.
"It can take 10 minutes to get on the Internet and go to the EPA's Superfund site and describe the years of knowledge and efforts made by people to do something about it. Literally those documents go back 40 years," Rooth said.
In 2009, the site was added to the National Priorities list, which one EPA project manager described in a 2012 transcript of a public meeting as the "EPA's nationwide list of the most contaminated sites in the country." The list is made up of more than 1,300 properties.
A lost generation
Of the 474 children and adults screened as of August 24, 29 have preliminary test results above the CDC level of concern of 5 micrograms per deciliter, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Of those tested, 19 are children 7 and under. The health department notes that the majority, but not all of those tested, live in the West Calumet Complex.
"Between the air and the soil, you are creating an environment that was so dangerous to the children. You can call them a lost generation in terms of cognitive and mental problems," Rooth said.
Signs instruct West Calumet residents not to play in the dirt.
It is nearly impossible to escape the lead exposure at the West Calumet Complex. Even though the EPA posted signs outside homes that read "Do not play in the dirt or around the mulch," children can still be seen playing on the soil. Home interiors were tested July 25, according to city officials, and elevated lead levels were found there as well.
"I kind of panicked, because it's like we're just sleeping in it. And lead -- we're sitting on contaminated furniture; our kids are walking barefoot on these contaminated floors," Allen said.
Who dropped the ball?
CNN followed the paper trail to find out who dropped the ball: the EPA, the state health department or the city.
CNN obtained documents showing that the East Chicago mayor blames the EPA's Region 5, the same region that Flint, Michigan, belongs to, for "flawed analysis" that "has allowed our residents to be exposed to the potent and unsafe levels of lead and arsenic for many years." The mayor also says the EPA created a "Public Health Disaster" at the West Calumet Complex due to the agency's "incomplete and ineffective" work, which "failed in its duty to protect human health."
The mayor wouldn't talk to CNN on camera, but in a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy that was obtained by CNN, he says Region 5 "received soil sampling data in December of 2014, showing that lead contamination within the West Calumet Housing Complex is extremely more pervasive, severe, and extensive than identified by the EPA's prior inadequate sampling, yet failed to share such data with the city until May 24, 2016."
CNN made repeated requests to interview the EPA's Region 5 administrator, but those requests were denied. Instead, the EPA sent CNN this statement:
"In retrospect, with spikes in the preliminary data, we realize that with increased scrutiny of that initial data it could have triggered action to be taken sooner, instead of having to wait until the data was fully assessed. EPA will institute a process to review preliminary data to flag the need for immediate action."
As for the Indiana State Department of Health, why did the Allen family receive young Samira's high blood lead level result only last month? The department said it cannot speak about specific cases but maintains that "it is the responsibility of the local health department to convey test results to patients and follow up with them. Direct communications of blood lead results with patients by the Indiana State Department of Health are outside the standard process but, if made, are intended only to supplement the work of local health departments."
The City of East Chicago points the finger back at the health department, saying in a statement to CNN, "The State of Indiana withdrew funding for blood lead testing in 2011," which led to cuts to local programs. The city says it was checking the state database for excessive blood lead results, but the state was no longer updating that database, instead emailing results to outdated employee addresses.
State Sen. Lonnie Randolph lives in East Chicago, near the West Calumet Complex, and says he is determined to hold the responsible parties accountable. He says he needs the help of top brass in Indiana, including Gov. Mike Pence, the Republican vice presidential nominee.
"I'd like to see the governor come here, and I've talked with his office, and they've been here, and they indicated they're going to provide whatever we need and all that," Randolph said.
When asked whether the governor had visited West Calumet, Randolph said, "Not yet. Not yet. And I'm hoping he will, because I think with his presence, it'll give a lot of hope."
Randolph said the state has released $200,000 to help with the response at the West Calumet Complex.
Mom: 'Shame on you'
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has provided $1.9 million for rent vouchers and $400,000 for relocation specialists to help the Allen family and their 1,000 neighbors move to a safe neighborhood, according to agency spokesman Jereon Brown.
Little Samira was retested for lead, and her new reading is 6.7 micrograms per deciliter, still above the CDC level of concern of 5 micrograms per deciliter. Her siblings have readings ranging from 2.6 to 5.4 micrograms per deciliter.
For the 2-year-old, who has been exposed to a toxic substance her entire life, government inefficiency could have irreversible consequences.
When asked what she would say to those who knew of the dangerous lead she and her family were exposed to, Samira's mother didn't mince words.
"Shame on you. We're people. We're human people with families," Allen said. "How dare you keep this from us and just let our kids play in lead and arsenic soil? How dare you? Shame on you."

Lead creates 'lost generation' in Indiana town


Mom to government officials: "Shame on you. How dare you ... let our kids play in lead and arsenic soil."


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Gaziantep, Turkey (CNN) Sometimes when a complex mess suffers an added complication, it can in fact make matters simpler -- such is the case in northern Syria now.
For months, US support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a predominantly Syrian Kurd force that also includes Arab tribes and other factions, has led them to take large swathes of territory from ISIS quite effectively and establish Kurdish control over the territory.
But there's always been one problem: that territory is along the Turkish border and Turkey considers the SDF's main component, a Syrian Kurdish militia called the People's Protection Units -- or YPG -- to be terrorists
For months the "what if" of Turkey's eventual reaction to these Kurdish successes has hung in the air, a potentially huge complication for US policy here, given that the US backs both sides. It's safe to say Ankara would oppose a de-facto Kurdish state springing up along its border -- and intervene.
Last week, things got a little clearer. Turkey did intervene, using the second largest army in the NATO alliance to back up Sunni Arab Syrian rebels, as they moved to take the Syrian border town of Jarablus from ISIS , almost without a fight.
But it did not stop there.
The same forces moved west along the border, expanding the valuable frontier territory now controlled by their Syrian rebel proxies. They also moved south, and ran, inevitably, into the US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. The mainly Sunni Arab rebels consider this area theirs; and the Kurds view it as land they have fought hard for. With the Syrian Kurds being terrorists in Turkey's eyes, this is never likely to end well.
Caught in the middle
As we have seen before with the use of chemical weapons in Syria, Washington hoped they could draw a "red line" not to be crossed and all would be well. Vice President Joe Biden told the Kurds they would have to stay east of the Euphrates river, and withdraw from the Syrian town of Manbij -- which was retaken from ISIS with US assistance. The river provides a clear geographical boundary, running north to south, between areas the Kurds have controlled for a while, and fresh territory regained from ISIS.
The Pentagon said Sunday they thought that withdrawal east was happening. But, as of now, it is not. Instead, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter was left Monday to ask the Turkish not to fight the Syrian Kurds , and for the Syrian Kurds to pull back across the Euphrates. This, essentially, was like asking two sets of allies to disobey their instinctive impulses.
Tuesday led Turkey to berate Washington's bid to limit their operations, while there was still no clear sign the Kurds were moving east. Three Turkish soldiers were also wounded West of Jarablus, but it wasn't clear who was behind it.
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This American balancing act probably won't last long. The Syrian Kurds don't have the manpower to take on the full might of the Turkish military. They also won't want to irritate their American backers to the point where Washington is forced to abandon them (and their priceless airpower), in an attempt to save its fragile relationship with Turkey.
There is a basic logic to this. US policy in Syria would be at a total loss without Turkish support. They need Ankara's blessing for resupply lines to their special forces and allied rebels all over Syria. They need it for airbases to launch anti-ISIS strikes from. They can't genuinely believe any long-term solution for Syria is possible without Turkey, its NATO ally, being on board.
Friend or foe?
How far will Turkey go?
The Euphrates seems a sensible, obvious demarcation line. It would allow the Syrian Kurds to save face, and keep a hold of the strategically important city of Kobani and a large swathe of northern parts of Syria. It would allow the Turks to create a buffer zone in northern Syria, focus on kicking ISIS out of other key towns like al-Bab, and let the Syrian Sunni rebels they back run a large chunk of the border region.
Turkey has the second-largest military in NATO
This is something that has oddly been a key tenet of US policy for a long time that it has resolutely failed to achieve in Syria: to establish a functional, Sunni Arab rebel force in the north. The US hoped they could represent the interests of the millions of disenfranchised Syrian Sunnis who've been kicked around and bombed since the war began. Some were so desperate and angry about their situation they initially viewed ISIS as liberators
This Sunni Arab bulwark is what the US has long sought too, to take on ISIS. You cannot send Syrian Kurdish forces to clear ISIS from Sunni Arab towns and expect a happy outcome. For future stability, the Syrian rebels Turkey is backing offer a better alternative to fight ISIS than the US's current anti-ISIS ground force -- the Syrian Kurds.
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So here we are, with months of uncertainty swept away. Turkey wants the Kurds to move back, so does Washington. America wants the Turkish to leave the Kurds alone and fight ISIS. ISIS are on the back-foot and have -- regardless of the white noise of Turk versus Kurd -- just lost control of the border town they badly needed to resupply themselves.
It's now clear who wants what, and relatively clear who is doing what, and who is not. This could herald an opportunity, a golden moment in which Turkey helps Sunni Arabs back on their feet again in Syria, while Syrian-Kurdish territorial ambition gets a reality check.
Except, sadly, this is Syria, where any sense of clarity is quickly overcome by further animosity and chaos -- where anything decent is eviscerated.

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An enormously groovy Jimi Hendrix, swathed in opulent clothes.
A wide-eyed, long-lashed Twiggy, posing against a Union Flag.
This is the work of famed photographer Terence Donovan. His subjects were some of the most celebrated icons of the last century.
The list is a long one. "Almost a million negatives and a great number of photographic prints," said his widow, Diana, who inherited his archives after his death in 1996. The collection has already spawned two books. The third, and latest, is devoted to his work in portraiture
"He was a consummate photographer and craftsman -- the lights, the camera, everything," Diana Donovan said of her late husband.
Photographer Terence Donovan
The pages of "Terence Donovan: Portraits" cross industry and personality, much like the photographer himself, described by his wife as "enormously dynamic. Hugely amusing. Lovely to be with."
During his career, he was highly sought after for his obvious range and skill.
"He was completely and utterly dedicated to photography," Diana Donovan said.
This devotion began at a very young age.
Terence Donovan was born in East London in 1936 to a working-class family. Fascinated with taking pictures, he began his career at 11, studying at the London School of Photo-Engraving. He became an apprentice at 15 and opened his own studio at 22.
He was an instant success, his daybook filled to the brim with appointments, including commissions from the royal family, particularly Princess Diana.
"He created a name for himself," Diana Donovan said.
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He was an architect of "swinging London" -- a cultural revolution in the 1960s that redefined art, fashion and dancing. Donovan was there to capture and influence it.
He captured the faces of fashion models for the illustrious pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. But he could also photograph his children.
His wife said he was able to adjust from "the tenderness of say, Davey, his daughter, compared to the very formal portrait of Margaret Thatcher," which now hangs inside the walls of 10 Downing Street.
"He was hugely amusing, clever," Diana Donovan said. "He always made an effort to put the person at ease, making them feel confident."
No matter who it was, she said, "it was always going to be the best possible representation of what he saw through his lens.
"(Photography) was in his soul and in his spirit."

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Ira Trivedi is an Indian columnist and author of six books including 'India in love: Marriage and sexuality in the 21st century'. She has written an open letter for CNN to India's tourism minister, Mahesh Sharma, following his advice to female tourists to not wear skirts in India . All views expressed in this commentary are solely hers.
As I write this letter to you, I recall a recent trip I took to Shillong in the north east of India. Here, I was a clear outsider or tourist, standing six inches taller than most men or women.
During my stay, I went out for morning runs in shorts, I wore mini skirts in restaurants and clubs and I roamed the streets wearing whatever I felt fit, without a single, discomfiting male or female gaze on my bare legs.
Shillong, too, is part of India and here, any woman, local or tourist, can wear whatever she feels like without comprising her safety or honor in any way.
India is not always unsafe for women
My experience in Shillong is testament to the fact that India is not unsafe for women. I say this as an Indian woman who travels widely, often alone, all over the country.
And although you have since changed your statement to say that female tourists should only cover up in religious places, I feel I need to make a point, based on previous degrading comments that you and others in positions of power have made.
What is unsafe is the patriarchal mindset which makes Indian men feel that they can violate a woman without any consequences. This is the mindset which we need to address, change and punish. This will not happen by distributing safety kits or discouraging miniskirts.
I understand that by asking women to cover up you wish to protect them. Unfortunately, by restricting a woman, you do not protect her. Instead, you take away her power. This is something which our leadership has failed to understand.
When dress codes are imposed for women in colleges or curfews are laid down in a women's hostel, we as a nation are simply reinforcing the patriarchy that we desperately need to change.
By restricting a woman we are telling her that she is unsafe rather than empowering her by giving her the physical, mental and emotional security that she deserves.
Instead of restricting women, we should focus on creating the conditions to make them feel safe -- instituting law and order, training police, punishing eve-teasing (unwanted advances on a woman), cat-calling, and even offensive staring.
We would be better off encouraging short skirts
More than anything else, we need to sensitize men and women to each other -- and this can only happen when we encourage women and their mini skirts on the streets.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken time and again of his dream of becoming an economically powerful, first-world nation. The most important step towards this goal is ensuring the safety of women outside their homes, so that they too can contribute to driving economic change.
According to IMF Chief Christine Lagarde, India's economic output could increase as much as 27% if the number of female workers were to increase the same level as the number of men.
But women will not leave their homes if they do not feel safe, and they will not feel safe if our leaders promote a culture of misogyny.
Why not work on changing mindsets instead?
Dr Sharma, instead of adding to this culture of misogyny, why not add to the culture of change? Instead of distributing safety kits, asking women to change what they wear, why not work on changing the mindsets of our people?
It is possible to create an India which is safe for women. Places like Shillong teach us that. We need to encourage women to exercise their freedom, rather than discouraging them for the sake of their "protection." In this endeavor, we need our leadership to support us more than ever before.
Yours sincerely,
Ira Trivedi

Dear India's tourism minister, let women exercise their freedom


Tokyo, Japan (CNN) From flowers locked in ice to space-age pine trees, Japanese artist Makoto Azuma has built a career from a "new genre of art" that blends plants with artificial mediums to strikingly beautiful effect.
A florist by training, the Tokyo-based Azuma creates what he describes as "living art" -- ecosystems using fish and bonsai, bicycles covered in astroturf and spectacular fungi dipped in gold, platinum and copper.
For one of his best known series, " Exobiotanica ", Azuma sent a 50-year-old Japanese white pine bonsai and an extravagant mother's day bouquet 30,000 meters into the atmosphere and photographed his unusual satellites suspended against the edge of the earth.
"Many misunderstand me as a contemporary artist, or drawer, or sculptor, he says. "But I create living art. I am creating a totally new way of expression."
CNN Style spoke to Azuma about the inspiration behind his work, his relationship with flowers and the technical challenges of transforming life into art.
Do you see yourself as an artist or a florist?
I think I am a florist to begin with. But I create my art work in order to find out new value and potential in flowers. So I am a florist as well as an artist. Both are important for me.
Iced Flowers installation, 2015
What was your first memory of flowers or plants when you were a child?
I grew up in the countryside, in a place called Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu (Japan's third largest island, southwest of the main island of Honshu). My house had a large garden, surrounded by rich nature. Every morning my mother cut flowers from the garden and put arrangements at the house entrance. I was very close with nature growing up.
When did you realize you wanted to work with natural materials to create art?
While I was running a flower shop, putting together bouquets and decoration, I thought I could find a new type of flower by applying a new expression on the flowers themselves. Besides merely making bouquets as presents or table top decoration, I thought it would be possible to capture the beauty in a photograph or video while the flower is changing its shape. It is like slicing out a moment for keeping the beauty eternal.
What is it about this medium that attracts you more than other art forms?
I believe flowers are the best art creation of nature. A human being can never make flowers. A flowers' life is short but I scoop up the beauty of them by fixating it through various methods or letting them wither. The most attractive part of a flower is that it shows a life being withered and lost in shape, but revived again in a new shape.
What do you want to express most through flowers?
I would like to change the shape of flowers in a way no one has ever imagined before, or put the flower in an extreme environment. Sending flowers into space, or putting them in the deep sea -- which I am doing now. What kind of expression do flowers show in such an environment? I embrace the quest through the experimental methods I use.
Azuma is presently experimenting with making art with flowers in the deep sea.
What are some of the main challenges of working with flowers?
it is a race against time. They say flowers age 10 years in one day. If I take three days for production, I would lose much of what I wanted to show. I must prepare fully and have a clear final vision in mind before starting the work. Flowers do not wait for humans.
It took you around six months to prepare for Exobiotanica, one of your most extreme and perhaps best-known projects. Can you tell us a bit about this work? , one of your most extreme and perhaps best-known projects. Can you tell us a bit about this work?
(Creating) Exobiotanica was a fight against a temperature of minus 60 degree Celsius (-76 degrees Fahrenheit). It is more to show the flowers' beauty, even in a frozen state or even when they are shattered, rather than how to bloom beautifully. It (the art) went into space, so the body had to be chunky and the structure well cemented. Making just an art object was not a goal at all. I needed to choose flowers that can complete to form a good contrast in space. The piece also needed to have movement and strength.
Azuma sent a bonsai and a bouquet into space to create "Exobiotanica"
Which of your other past projects do you consider to be your most ambitious?
I have no work that I can call ambitious. Since last month, we are opening up flower shops titled "hope" everywhere in the world using guerrilla tactics, just giving flowers to the people. We did it in Congo, then Algeria. The world is filled with conflict nowadays, smelling of gun power everywhere. We wonder what we can do with flowers for the world, not politically, but more simply. This is probably not so ambitious, but something that we want to continue for long time, in a steady, small scale.
Are there other artists that you look to or take inspiration from?
I do not look to any particular person as I did not start flower art after being influenced by someone. It is flowers and nature that inspires me. Flowers are indispensable...they are something very close to me all the time.
JUST WATCHED Japan's astounding art island Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Japan's astounding art island 06:26
You have created a very unique studio in Tokyo, Jardin des Fleurs -- can you tell us about it? -- can you tell us about it?
My shop is located underground and, simply put, is like a wine cellar. The temperature is kept on the same level year round so that the flowers bloom in the best condition. We also use special LED lights to show the flowers at their best.
Flowers do not bloom beautifully under full sun light so we manage an intricate balance of light, temperature and humidity and add a bit of artificial lighting so that the flowers perform at their best.
Azuma's Tokyo flower shop is located underground
What is the most surprising thing you have learned about plants and flowers to date?
Flowers have a very strong existence. A human needs flowers and plants to live, but flowers and plants do not need humans. They are so strong.

Turning bonsai and bouquets into space-age art


Japanese artist Makoto Azuma has built a career from a "new genre of art" that blends plants with artificial mediums to strikingly beautiful effect.


(CNN) The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards happen Sunday. But let's be honest, the VMAs are more about jaw dropping moments than music videos and Moon Man trophies.
Whether it was Kanye West stealing the stage from Taylor Swift in the midst of her acceptance speech in 2009, or Miley Cyrus twerking her way into a national controversy in 2013, this annual award show is always unfiltered.
Here are five reasons to watch this year's VMAs.
Britney's back
Britney Spears will take the stage with rapper G-Easy to perform her new single "Make Me." The singer was highly criticized for her last VMA performance in 2007 -- essentially for her lack of performance. Everyone wants to see Brit make a successful comeback.
Read More


The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards happen Sunday. But let's be honest, the VMAs are more about jaw dropping moments than music videos and Moon Man trophies.


Photos: Invention of the 'tourizen' Morphology – If you've ever dreamed of traveling the world and exploring little-known locations, then the MORPHotel might be the holiday of the future for you. Hide Caption 1 of 10
Photos: Invention of the 'tourizen' Vertebral spine – Designed by engineer and architect Gianluca Santosuosso, the MORPHotel project aims to develop a new luxury hotel concept. The hotel's "vertebral spine" allows it to adapt its shape according to weather conditions and its docking location. Hide Caption 2 of 10
Photos: Invention of the 'tourizen' Four to the floor – The MORPHotel concept is based on four main strategies: Space in between; plug-in city-harbor; adaptive shape; and self-sufficiency. Hide Caption 3 of 10
Photos: Invention of the 'tourizen' Space in between – The MORPHotel uses the sea not only to get visitors from A to B -- as cruise ships do -- but also to explore the areas along the way. Cruise ships' fuel consumption tends to be around 470 liters/km, while the MORPHotel will rely on following sea currents around the world. Hide Caption 4 of 10
Photos: Invention of the 'tourizen' Plug-in city-harbor – During its journey around the world, the MORPHotel will stop in cities it encounters along the way and will become a temporary extension to them. It will provide added value for its inhabitants, who can take advantage of its services such as a theater, restaurants and fitness center, while the city will open up to the hotel guests. Hide Caption 5 of 10
Photos: Invention of the 'tourizen' The "Tourizen" – Santosuosso believes such a feature will allow the traditional separation between "tourist" and "citizen" to disappear, leaving space for a new entity: The "tourizen." Hide Caption 6 of 10
Photos: Invention of the 'tourizen' Adaptive shape – This allows the MORPHotel to not only reach the cities' harbors by changing its shape, but to also become an independent aquatic organism. Given its 1 km spine, the hotel can spiral in on itself on ocean crossings to become an artificial bay where boats and ships can find shelter. Hide Caption 7 of 10
Photos: Invention of the 'tourizen' Self-sufficiency – "One of the fundamental goals that we want to attain in this project is to create a big, independent, self-sufficient artificial organism," Santosuosso explains. Hide Caption 8 of 10
Photos: Invention of the 'tourizen' Energetic – Energy will be provided by solar panels placed along the upper part of the hull and glass panels, and also by the two ends of the spine through the movement of waves. It will also collect rainwater while desalinating sea water. Hide Caption 9 of 10


Is the MORPHotel the cruise ship of the future?


Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.


Police in China say they have captured a man that raped and killed 11 women since the late 1980's.


Story highlights Brexit campaign leader Nigel Farage wrote about his experience at a Donald Trump rally in Mississippi
Farage heaped praise on Trump and favorably compared him to Ronald Reagan
(CNN) Brexit campaign leader Nigel Farage wrote an op-ed for the Daily Mail over the weekend recounting his trip to the United States to campaign with Donald Trump, saying the rally he attended "was more like a rock concert than a political meeting" and asserting Trump will "be the new Ronald Reagan."
Farage joined Trump at an event in Jackson, Mississippi, last week, further fueling comparisons between the populist brand of politics that drove the Brexit result and have sparked Trump's political rise -- an analogy Trump himself highlighted when he tweeted, "They will soon be calling me MR. BREXIT!"
They will soon be calling me MR. BREXIT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2016
"Trump was MY warm-up man... but I gave him a bounce -- and he'll be the new Ronald Reagan," Farage titled his essay describing his experience with Trump.
Farage raved that the Mississippi rally had the atmosphere of "more like a rock concert than a political meeting."
Farage wrote about his initial misgivings about the Republican presidential nominee, saying his campaign "has been highly controversial," and that "some of his comments have not looked good and left him open to accusations of extremis."
Read More

Nigel Farage, Brexit leader, calls Donald Trump 'new Ronald Reagan'


Brexit campaign leader Nigel Farage wrote an op-ed for the Daily Mail over the weekend recounting his trip to the United States to campaign with Donald Trump, saying the rally he attended "was more like a rock concert than a political meeting" and asserting Trump will "be the new Ronald Reagan."


Life-saving drugs are getting more expensive


The price of prescription drugs keeps rising, sparking consumer and political outrage.


Story highlights Barbra Streisand says she's a frustrated director
She tells HLN's Michaela Pereira that women need a strong support system
(CNN) Barbra Streisand is a self-admitted "detail freak."
The superstar recently sat down with HLN's Michaela Pereira to talk being detail-oriented as well as her new album, the pitfalls of stardom and the need for good girlfriends.
The singer acknowledged she likes to be in charge.
"I've been criticized for it," Streisand said. "But you know, we women are allowed control over our work."
These days she is fully in control and promoting her new album, "Encore," which features duets of show tunes with a host of other celebrities.
Read More

Barbra Streisand on fame and good girlfriends


Barbra Streisand tells HLN's Michaela Pereira that she's a "detail freak." She talked about her new album, "Encore," the pitfalls of stardom and the need for good girlfriends.


(CNN) Italy's anti-mafia chief is adamant that the country's notorious crime syndicate must be kept from infiltrating reconstruction efforts, as an investigation opened into why so many buildings collapsed in a devastating earthquake last week.
The earthquake that struck central Italy before dawn on Wednesday flattened entire villages in ancient towns like Amatrice, but even newly constructed buildings that were supposed to be quake-proofed, including a school, were destroyed.
Bulldozers pull down structures in danger of collapsing in Amatrice, Italy, as aftershocks continue.
"The risks are there, it's impossible to hide. And post-earthquake reconstruction is historically a delicious morsel for criminal groups and business interests," anti-mafia prosecutor Franco Roberti told the Italian daily La Repubblica.
A neat fracture line in the pavement is a telling sign of the earth's violent movement below the streets of Amatrice.
A neat fracture line in the pavement is a telling sign of the earth's violent movement below the streets of Amatrice.
A poster for the 50th anniversary of Amatrice's famous pasta festival, set to take place the weekend following the earthquake, remains on the perimeter of a park now occupied by emergency response volunteers.
A poster for the 50th anniversary of Amatrice's famous pasta festival, set to take place the weekend following the earthquake, remains on the perimeter of a park now occupied by emergency response volunteers.
Emergency personnel survey a cordoned-off area in the center of Amatrice. Much of the town is now inaccessible to everyone but authorities.
Emergency personnel survey a cordoned-off area in the center of Amatrice. Much of the town is now inaccessible to everyone but authorities.
The gated doorframe of a home is the only part of it that remains standing.
The gated doorframe of a home is the only part of it that remains standing.
AnnaMaria Volpetti, 52, stands at the entrance of the tent where she and her family have sought refuge after their ancestral holiday home was ruined in Accumoli.
AnnaMaria Volpetti, 52, stands at the entrance of the tent where she and her family have sought refuge after their ancestral holiday home was ruined in Accumoli.
A view of the tent camp set up by the Civil Protection Agency in the Abruzzo region as temporary housing for displaced residents from the mountain commune of Accumoli.
A view of the tent camp set up by the Civil Protection Agency in the Abruzzo region as temporary housing for displaced residents from the mountain commune of Accumoli.
Rescuers congregate in the shade near a temporary camp under construction for residents displaced by the earthquake in Amatrice.
Rescuers congregate in the shade near a temporary camp under construction for residents displaced by the earthquake in Amatrice.
An camp for emergency volunteers is erected in a park in Amatrice.
An camp for emergency volunteers is erected in a park in Amatrice.
Three days on, various emergency response groups congregate in an open area in Amatrice. Rescuers were initially hindered by the lack of access to the mountain town.
Three days on, various emergency response groups congregate in an open area in Amatrice. Rescuers were initially hindered by the lack of access to the mountain town.
The destroyed convent of Amatrice is visible from the Italian Red Cross field headquarters in Amatrice.
The destroyed convent of Amatrice is visible from the Italian Red Cross field headquarters in Amatrice.
The destroyed interior of a home is seen in Amatrice.
The destroyed interior of a home is seen in Amatrice.
Emergency crews huddle near the iconic Amatrice clock tower still standing amid the rubble. The frozen hands of the clock rest at the time of the earthquake: 3:36 a.m. local time.
Emergency crews huddle near the iconic Amatrice clock tower still standing amid the rubble. The frozen hands of the clock rest at the time of the earthquake: 3:36 a.m. local time.
An emergency responder passes by the rubble of the building in Amatrice where Roberto Partenza and his family lived before the earthquake struck in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, August 24.
An emergency responder passes by the rubble of the building in Amatrice where Roberto Partenza and his family lived before the earthquake struck in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, August 24.
He said the country could learn lessons from the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, in which more than 2,400 people died.
"Behind those thousands of dead was reckless building and clan affairs," Roberti said.
"And without wishing to rush judgments I see that also in 2016 many buildings crumbled, public buildings also. Too many," he said, adding that if anti-seismic standards had been met, buildings might crack but shouldn't collapse.
"This is why ... I imagine there's a lot to learn."
He said, however, that the reconstruction after an earthquake in L'Aquila in 2009, which killed more than 300 people, had been largely successful.
JUST WATCHED Why is rescue work in Italy so hard? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Why is rescue work in Italy so hard? 01:55
Devastation
The quake has so far claimed the lives of at least 290 people, and as hopes of finding any more survivors are all but gone, officials are now faced with cleaning up the mountains of rubble and organizing a mammoth reconstruction plan.
In Amatrice -- the worst hit town -- the main road was almost entirely destroyed. Bulldozers are now demolishing the half-standing structures that have no hope of being repaired. Amatrice's mayor has vowed to rebuild the town as it was, but some are wondering if that's smart to do in a town that lies on a fault line -- officials on the ground estimate that it could take five years.
Trials continue over 'mafia-linked' reconstruction
Italy has long struggled with mafia power and corruption. The finance ministry has its own police force and has sent officers to monitor the recovery so that all resources go to the right people and places.
The country's law enforcement agencies are in a renewed anti-mafia drive, and more than 140 people are currently on trial for helping the southern 'Ndrangheta mafia infiltrate the country's wealthy north. Many of them were accused of helping the network profit illegally from reconstruction projects after deadly earthquakes in the Emilia-Romagna region in 2012.
JUST WATCHED Italy holds state funeral for earthquake victims Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Italy holds state funeral for earthquake victims 01:41
Anna Sergi, an organized crime expert from the University of Essex, said she was pessimistic that the country would be able to keep the mafia entirely out of the reconstruction.
"Construction is one of the mafia's main sources of revenue, partly because construction is linked to territory, so the mafia not only seeks construction contracts for money, but also to mark their territory," Sergi told CNN.
A photo posted by Fred Pleitgen (@fpleitgencnn) on Aug 24, 2016 at 9:13am PDT
"There is very likely to be corruption in a reconstruction effort like this, because in Italy, where there is a lot of money, there is always a link to mafia power."
Another challenge in keeping them out of the picture is that they are very difficult to spot these days.
"In more traditional areas of mafia power, they used to use guns and violence to intimidate people, but in most places, they now look more like businessmen, who use corruption and threats to win contracts."
What often happens, Sergi said, is that a mafia-linked company will win a contract for a certain amount of money, and underpay its sub-contractors to pocket a wider margin.
"They pay their workers way less, so they of course do a worse job, and that leads to higher maintenance costs, and in many case, more money generated for them."
The Romolo Capranica school crumbled in the Italian town of Amatrice
Corruption a 'cancer in Italy'
In some affected parts of central Italy, the villages are so small that officials have to weigh up whether they will bother rebuilding at all.
The village of Capricchia has a few hundred people living there in the summer, when residents from cities visit the mountains to get out of the heat. But in the winter, there are usually 12 to 15 residents.
"I don't think there'll be a future." Rosella Santorelli
In the village, Rosella Santorelli is staying in a campervan, too afraid to stay in a building as aftershocks continue.
"I don't think there'll be a future. Our village is poor, there are no people and no jobs. Amatrice is 5 miles away, but there's nothing left of that."
And even in L'Aquila, where the reconstruction was apparently a success, some said they felt they were left out of the town's rebuild, and that too much had been spent fixing the damage to the historic center rather than their neighborhoods.
JUST WATCHED Life in the rubble Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Life in the rubble 01:57
"In Italy, corruption is the big problem," Davide Tonati, 36, told CNN in L'Aquila.
"There are many politicians and bribes. It is the cancer in Italy."

Italy earthquake: Mafia-busting chief warns of criminal reconstruction


Italy's anti-mafia chief is adamant that the country's notorious crime syndicate must be kept from infiltrating reconstruction efforts.


(CNN) Yellowstone, Yosemite and the entire country of Switzerland would fit inside the United States' largest national park, a 13.2 million-acre expanse in Alaska.
And it would take about 2,400 of the smallest of the 59 headliner national parks to fill the biggest park's pristine, mountainous terrain.
Elsewhere in Alaska, climbing North America's tallest peak takes trained mountaineers two to four weeks, round trip, while visitors to the world's hottest spot -- which is also North America's lowest and driest spot -- are advised to "travel prepared to survive."
The world's longest contiguous cave system isn't yet completely explored, and it may never be.
All these wonders are protected within 413 national park sites spanning more than 84 million acres, all overseen by the US National Park Service in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
In honor of the National Park Service's centennial on August 25, CNN explores 10 record-setting spots, now protected because of legislation passed 100 years ago to preserve the nation's natural and cultural treasures for current and future generations.
Largest national park site
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, Alaska
Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is enormous.
But the 2.2 million-acre Yellowstone doesn't even come close to the nation's largest national park, the remote Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska.
It would take six Yellowstones to fill Wrangell-St. Elias' 13.2 million acres.
Wrangell-St. Elias is also home to the nation's largest glacial system, nine of the 16 highest US peaks, North America's largest piedmont glacier and longest tidewater glacier and the world's longest interior valley glacier.
More than 25% of Wrangell-St. Elias is covered by glaciers, which could explain why this park 200 miles east of Anchorage hosted just 80,000 visitors in 2015.
The best window to visit is closing soon. Snow often arrives in the park by late September, and the two state roads into the park are not regularly maintained during winter.
Smallest national park site
Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the smallest of the 59 national parks in the country.
The Arkansas park is so small -- just 5,550 acres -- that it could fit into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park nearly 2,400 times.
It would also likely melt its Alaskan cousin: That's due to the park's 47 hot springs coming out of Hot Springs Mountain at 143° Fahrenheit (62° Celsius).
It was first protected as a reservation in 1832 because of the popularity of its geothermal spring water for therapeutic bathing.
Many businesses set up around Hot Springs to provide access to the waters, and the urban park protects the historic bathhouse structures as well as the waters.
Visitors can soak in the traditional Buckstaff Baths (a park concessionaire) and the more modern Quapaw Baths & Spa. Both are on Bathhouse Row, as is the park visitor center in the old Fordyce Bathhouse.
Longest cave system in the world
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
Called a "grand, gloomy and peculiar place" by early cave guide Stephen Bishop, a slave who eventually gained his freedom, the world's longest known cave system earns its name honestly.
Located in the hill country of south central Kentucky, Mammoth Cave National Park has more than 400 miles of explored and mapped caves, and more are being documented every year.
Much of the early credit goes to enslaved and eventually free African-Americans, who explored and led tours through the caves throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
Frozen Niagara is one of a few guided tours to welcome small children, the elderly and people who can only walk short distances, while others are more challenging.
Tallest monument in the United States
Gateway Arch in St. Louis
It's known more famously as the St. Louis Arch, but the 630-foot monument that anchors the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is officially called the Gateway Arch.
And yes, it's taller than the 555-foot-tall Washington Monument in the nation's capital.
The Gateway Arch marks the role of St. Louis in the country's westward expansion in the 19th century.
Although named for President Thomas Jefferson and his role in expanding the young country, the park is also a memorial to the enslaved man Dred Scott, who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse.
World renowned architect Eero Saarinen, who had collaborated with his architect father on several projects, entered the 1947 memorial competition independently and won. It was his first major success, but certainly not his last.
A tram ride to the top of the arch's observation deck delivers a spectacular view of the city.
Deepest lake in the United States
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Stack up about three Gateway Arches and you've got the depth of the United States' deepest lake.
For hundreds of thousands of years, volcanic eruptions here built up Mount Mazama. Nearly 8,000 years ago, an eruption removed so much material from the mountain's internal chamber that the mountain collapsed.
The remaining caldera, now 1,943 feet deep, is the deepest lake in the United States and the ninth deepest in the world.
The 1.1-mile hike descends 700 feet down to the lakeshore, which is the only spot where visitors can swim. It's chilly, though. The average summer surface temperature is just 55°F to 60°F (13°C to 16°C). If that's not cold enough, the average temperature below 300 feet deep is 38°F (3°C).
Tallest peak in North America
Denali, Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska
Climbing Denali is not for the faint of heart.
At 20,310 feet high, the highest peak in North America dwarfs Mount Whitney at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks by 5,900 feet.
It's not as strenuous as the hike to the world's highest peak, the 29,029-foot-high Mount Everest in Asia, but climbing Denali is no easy feat.
Hiking for days in arctic conditions, carrying backpacks weighing up to 70 pounds while pulling heavily loaded sleds to summit this Alaskan peak for expeditions lasting up to four weeks are all par for the course.
Once known as Mount McKinley, the official name of the highest peak in North America was restored in 2015 to Denali, the Native Athabascan name it held for thousands of years.
Ohio-born President William McKinley never visited the mountain, which most Alaskans, native and non-native alike, have always called Denali.
The summit often disappears behind clouds but is occasionally visible while driving along the 92-mile Denali Park Road, the only road in the park.
The lowest spot in North America
Death Valley National Park, California
The lowest point in North America -- 282 feet below sea level -- is also the hottest spot in the world.
Death Valley National Park logged a record 134°F (57°C) in 1913, and the park hasn't cooled down much since then. High temperatures are expected to range from 100°F to over 120°F (49°C) in August, which is a normal summer for this long narrow valley walled in by mountain ranges.
And there's no water to spare. The park is also the driest spot in North Ameica, with an average annual rainfall of less than 2 inches That's much less than what other deserts receive.
Sometimes the park warns against summer hiking after 10 a.m. due to the heat.
Even before the cutoff time, "travel prepared to survive," warns the park. Lots of water and sunscreen are in order for visitors heading to Badwater Basin in the Furnace Creek area, where the park drops to 282 feet below sea level.
Too extreme? Spring and winter are supposed to be nice.
The world's largest living tree (by volume)
General Sherman, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, California
Among the renowned groves of massive giant sequoias, one tree stands out.
The largest tree in the world by volume (over 52,500 cubic feet), the General Sherman Tree is the main attraction in Sequoia National Park.
Its circumference at the ground is a whopping 102.6 feet and the largest branch has a diameter of nearly 7 feet.
The General Grant Tree, located about 30 miles away in Kings Canyon National Park, is the world's second largest tree by volume, measuring over 46,600 cubic feet. (The two national parks are managed together.)
They're the largest, but not the tallest. That honor goes to the redwood trees.
Highest continuous paved US road
Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Intrepid motorists are richly rewarded on Rocky Mountain National Park's Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the United States.
Topping out at 12,183 feet, the byway snakes through fragile alpine tundra, giving visitors a chance to witness the unique ecosystem without the huffing and puffing of high-elevation hiking.
Eleven miles of the 48-mile route traverse wide-open expanses above the treeline, where at 11,500 feet evergreen forests give way to 200 species of ground-hugging alpine plants.
Yellow-bellied marmot, bighorn sheep, pika and summering elk go about their business as breathless tourists open their car doors at the Alpine Visitor Center, the highest visitor center in the park system, to blasts of cool air.
Temperatures at the road's blustery summit are usually 20 to 30 degrees lower than they are at the road's bookends in Grand Lake and Estes Park.
Busiest national park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina
The half-million acre park, split fairly evenly between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, is home to flora and fauna found in both the northern and southern states.
Northern animals and vegetation can be found at the park's higher elevations, while their Southern brethren are represented at the lower elevations.
Many hikers on the Appalachian Trail walk the border between the two states on the trail through the park.
Some prefer to catch the view from Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet or hike up one of the 16 mountains with peaks taller than 6,000 feet.
At more than half a million acres, there's plenty of room to spread out.
And if you're looking for something a little less discovered, there are still 412 other National Park Service sites to explore.


National Park Service Centennial: Celebrate with these 10 record-setting National Park Service natural and cultural wonders.


Story highlights Beyoncé wins Video of the Year for 'Formation'
Britney Spears makes triumphant return to the VMA stage
(CNN) The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards were free of controversy and full of powerful performances. From Beyoncé's surpise stage recreation of "Lemonade," to Britney Spears' big comeback, here are some of the best moments from Sunday's show.
Beyoncé brings down the house
Beyonce attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City.
Queen Bey walked the red carpet with several of the women featured in the "Lemonade" visual album -- mothers of gun violence victims among them. Midway through the show, Serena Williams introduced Beyoncé for an unexpected performance of several of her "Lemonade" hits. The album scored Beyoncé eight Moon Man trophies -- including Video of the Year for "Formation."
Britney Spears' triumphant return
Britney Spears performs at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
Back with a capital 'B.' Britney Spears returned to the VMA stage for the first time since 2007 and slayed. The pop star performed her new single, "Make Me" with G-Easy. The two had a clear connection and she was back in the dance form that made her famous.
Read More

MTV VMAs: Beyonce steals the show with fiery performance


The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards were free of controversy and full of powerful performances. From Beyoncé's surpise stage recreation of "Lemonade," to Britney Spears' big comeback, here are some of the best moments from Sunday's show.


Story highlights Lionrock is expected to move up the eastern coast of Japan
Air travel could be affected, airlines warn
(CNN) Just a week after the deadly Typhoon Mindulle and Kompasu pummeled Japan, the country is bracing for another powerful typhoon to hit its eastern side.
Currently over the western Pacific close to the southern islands of Okinawa, Typhoon Lionrock is moving northeast at 20 kilometers (12 miles) an hour.
Picturesque #Himawari imagery of Typhoon #Lionrock in the W Pacific currently located south of Kyoto, Japan. pic.twitter.com/HPaN5lbBG4 — NWS OPC (@NWSOPC) August 27, 2016
It is expected to brush Kagoshima before pivoting northwest toward the capital Tokyo and Sendai by Tuesday.
"Sustained winds of Lionrock now at 205 kilometers (127 miles) an hour, equivalent to a strong Category 3, nearly teetering on a weak Category 4 Atlantic hurricane," CNN's Derek Van Dam said. "A very defined eye within the storm system."

Japan braces for a third powerful typhoon in a week


Haifa-based scientist Jeff Steinhauer has simulated a black hole in his laboratory, and it might be the breakthrough that helps celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking win the Nobel Prize. CNN's Ian lee reports.


Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

A bright glowing object, believed to be a meteor, flashed through the atmosphere above northeast Scotland, lighting the night sky and startling residents.


(CNN) Americans are perhaps the standard bearers of the "barbecue."
Come summer, US backyards and parks are full of people gathering around sauce-slathered chicken and other meats.
But famed as America's grill skills may be, many would claim it can't hold a glowing charcoal ember to the meat-charring culture of, say, Argentina or South Africa.
History isn't clear on where the term "barbecue" comes from -- one explanation is that it comes from "barbacoa," a term used by Spanish explorers to describe the Caribbean's indigenous Taino people's cooking technique.
In any case, barbecue as we know it today covers multiple cooking methods: On grills, above fire pits, under the ground and in clay ovens.
There are regional variations and customs everywhere from South America to Africa to Asia.
Read on for further proof that the lip-smacking barbecue experience is a universal tradition, not just an American one.
Braai (South Africa)
The South African braai ("barbecue" in Afrikaans) is the nation's top culinary custom.
Here, the frequent gathering of friends and family over grilled, juicy cuts of steak, sausage and chicken sosaties (skewers) cuts through all racial and socioeconomic lines.
And no place does "Sunday Funday" quite like the townships, where shisa nyama ("burn meat" in Zulu) venues elevate the braai experience with on-site butchers, cooks, drinks and party-starting DJs.
Chicago native and model Unique Love spent three years living in Cape Town and fondly recalls her first shisa nyama.
"Having a braai in Cape Town's Mzoli's Meat felt like home," she says. "After eating, I never wanted to [leave] because the community's ambience felt comforting."
Mzoli's Meat, M18/M36 Gugulethu, Cape Town Central 8001; +27 722 556 239
Asado (Argentina)
Weekly meat treat: The Argentinan asado.
Though its place as the world's top consumer of beef fluctuates each year, many would claim Argentina will forever be the grande dame of barbecued meats.
Like South Africa's braai culture, Argentina's affinity for the grill is more entrenched than in the States.
Attending a sociable, gut-busting asado ("barbecue") on an almost weekly basis is the norm.
Though a variety of meats and cuts can be experienced at any gathering, Argentinian chef Guillermo Pernot insists: "For the absolute best asado, one should cook a sweet pork and beef sausage, sweetbreads, thigh intestines and blood sausages."
Other asado tips from the two-time winner of the James Beard Award include using coarse salt to coat meats and to have the "indispensable" chimichurri -- a sauce and marinade which usually consists of parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar and chili flakes -- at the ready.
Don Julio , Calle Guatemala 4699, Palermo Viejo, Buenos Aires; +54 1148 319 564
Yakitori (Japan)
Yakitori, a Japanese favorite, consists of diced chicken assembled onto bamboo skewers and cooked over a smoldering layer of charcoal.
Yakitori variations are labeled by chicken parts (strips of chicken skin make up "towikawa" and "negima" consists of thigh meat with leeks).
Its definition has expanded to include any grilled, skewered food, including vegetables, seafood, pork and beef.
While there are several ways to enjoy authentic yakitori in Japan, travel blogger Tanya Spaulding shares her tips for maximum enjoyment.
"The best way to savor yakitori is either from a street vendor, or sitting on the floor in your yukata (a sort of summer kimono), cooking your skewers over the shichirin (a small charcoal grill) in the middle of your table," she claims.
Yakitori Imai, 2-29-4 Sendagi, 102 City Heights Sendagi, Bunkyo, Tokyo; +81 3 3821 2989
Churrasco (Brazil)
Most visitors to Brazil get their barbecue fix at a churrascaria.
Barbecue enthusiasts with sizable appetites will love Brazil's churrasco (Portuguese and Spanish for "barbecue").
Most visitors to Brazil will get their barbecue fix at a churrascaria, where restaurant servers provide an endless supply of grilled meat cuts directly to patrons' tables.
While Brazilian churrasco might be the most famous, it's found in several other countries, including Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Portugal.
Dan Clark, a tour specialist who frequents South America, believes Brazilian barbecues offer more options for vegetarians than neighboring, meat-loving Argentina.
"At an Argentinian asado, you're really stuck with the salad and fries," he says. "But it's much better in Brazil because most churrascarias feature salad bars with dozens of kinds of fresh salads, pasta salads, pickles, breads, olives and all the other sides you could wish for."
Churrascaria Palace , Rua Rodolfo Dantas 16, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro; +55 21 2541 5898
Lechon (Philippines)
Lechon (Spanish for "suckling pig") features a whole, impaled pig spit-roasted over a charcoal bed or in an oven.
Many Filipinos declare the tasty, porky treat to be their national dish although the same claim is made by Puerto Ricans.
The lechon cooked in the Filipino island of Cebu is often considered the best in the country, if not the world.
Fun fact: Every June 24 in Balayan, Philippines, the locals pay a special, religious-themed homage to roasted pig at the Parada ng Lechon (Parade of Spit-Roast Pig).
It involves lechons getting blessed at a church mass followed by a lively parade of floats, music, water guns (for the baptism) and lechons "dressed" in outlandish garments and accessories.
Rico's Lechon, Highway 77 talamban, Cebu City 6000, Philippines; +63 3 440 119
Tandoor (India)
It's true: that iconic Indian tandoori chicken you've known (and perhaps loved) for ages is considered a barbecue dish.
Tandoori food derives its name from the tandoor, the cauldron-like clay oven in which dishes such as naan bread, chicken, seafood and other meats are cooked under high-heat charcoal.
"The art of the tandoor originated centuries ago as a nomadic style of cooking in Central Asia [where] food was cooked on charcoal pits and meat was spit-roasted," says Manjit Gill, an Indian celebrity chef behind several acclaimed restaurants including Bukhara in New Delhi.
"The Tandoori cuisine as we know it today was introduced in the late 1940s in post-partition India, when people discovered that it was a better medium to cook meat in a tandoor rather than on the spit."
Dum Pukht, ITC Maurya Diplomatic Enclave, Sardar Patel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi; +91 11 2611 2233
Mongolian BBQ (Taiwan)
Mongolian BBQ -- not really Mongolian.
"Surprisingly, despite the name, Taiwan is the origin of Mongolian barbecue," reveals travel enthusiast and native Taiwanese Erin Yang, "[and] consists of the combination of sliced meat, noodles and vegetables quickly cooked over a flat circular metal surface."
Mongolian barbecue is a relatively new food trend, emerging in Taiwan in the 1950s and influenced by Japanese teppanyaki and Chinese stir-fry.
It's also popular in certain regions of China.
Beijing-based food and travel blogger Monica Weintraub says beef and lamb feature heavily in the north of the country.
"Whether you're sharing a leg of lamb between four or five friends or ordering single lamb skewers (yang rou chuan), be expected to intake meat heavily doused in chili powder, cumin seeds and salt," she says.
Lovo (Fiji)
Fiji's barbecue tradition has more of an underground approach compared to other nations.
Erin Yang explains: "Unlike many other barbecue styles, Fijian barbecue is cooked in a 'lovo,' an earth oven."
Lovo involves piping-hot stones placed into a large opening in the ground to allow slowly smoked cooking.
"Ingredients such as pork, chicken, vegetables, taro root and seafood are wrapped in taro or banana leaves and placed onto the stones," Yang says. "After 2-3 hours, the savory lovo will be ready to serve."
Unearthing the pit-smoked food is met with jubilation from feasters, perhaps due to the hours-long wait for the cooking to be completed.
TovuTovu Resort, TovuTovu Estate Naselesele, Taveuni Island Fiji; +679 888 0560
Umu (Samoa)
A fish is wrapped in taro leaves ahead of being cooked.
Umu, Samoa's version of the barbecue, is similar to the underground cooking customs of Fijian lovo.
Avichai Ben Tzur, a travel writer/entrepreneur who's spent significant time in the South Pacific, describes barbecue prep work as a family task.
"Young men of the extended Samoan family gather together to prepare the 'umu,' hours before the traditional Sunday feast commences... catching fresh fish or slaughtering a pig, collecting taro leaves and breadfruit from the family's agricultural plot and cracking open coconuts for the palusami."
The palusami, a Samoan staple made of coconut cream (often seasoned with onions, lemon juice and simple spices) wrapped in taro leaves, is "a delicious calorie bomb that cannot be resisted by Samoans," says Tzur.
Gogigui (Korea)
Gogigui (Korean for "meat roast") is a favorite of both Koreans and international eaters.
Dining at a Korean BBQ usually consists of sliced beef, pork and chicken with an assortment of banchan (side dishes) and rice cooked in the center of a table, which is either cooked by the chefs or the diners themselves.
Should you choose to cook your own gogigui, "Masterchef Korea" finalist Diane Sooyeon Kang shares some tips.
"For thin slices of meat like chadolbaegi (thinly sliced beef brisket), you should lie it flat and cook it quickly for a few seconds on each side," she says.
"For meats like yangnyeom galbi (marinated short ribs), high heat and fire will be best as it will caramelize the outside while keeping the meat juicy inside."
Jessica Mehta, who's lived in Korea for a year, suggests: "You're not really having Korean BBQ if you don't pair it with soju, a clear liquor somewhat similar to sake."
Seoseo Meokneun Galbi Jip,109-69 Nogosan-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul; +82 02 716 2520
Pachamanca (Peru)
Though Peruvian cuisine is known the world over for ceviche and Pisco sour cocktails, one of Peru's most traditional Incan cooking customs, pachamanca, is still under the radar to many.
Pachamanca (meaning "earth pot" in the Quechua language) involves digging to create a ground oven and lining the cavity with fire-heated stones to cook the food.
A variety of potatoes, corn, legumes and marinated meats are enclosed in banana leaves and placed into the earth oven for hours.
Authentic pachamanca are served sitting on the ground, and mostly take place on special occasions (especially religious ceremonies) and during harvest time every February and March.
Machu Picchu Pueblo, Next to the BCP Bank, by the railroad tracks, Aguas Calientes, Peru; +51 984 382 567

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Source: CNN

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Story highlights Two nurses among passengers on Dubai-to-Manila flight help with birth
Flight diverted to Hyderabad in India for additional medical assistance
Passenger describes how mom returned to seat after the baby arrived
(CNN) Here's one kid who'll probably learn to fly before she can crawl.
After being born four hours into a flight from Dubai to Manila, baby girl Haven has been gifted 1 million air mile points.
Haven's mom went into labor more than five weeks early while flying on an aircraft operated by Philippines carrier Cebu Pacific on August 14.
Two nurses among the plane's passengers helped with the delivery alongside cabin crew as the pilot diverted to Hyderabad, India to seek further medical assistance.
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Girl named Haven arrived four hours into Cebu Pacific flight from Dubai to Manila


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In an interview with Larry King in 2002, Gene Wilder talks about how he got his role as Willy Wonka.

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Story highlights Bill proposes prison sentences in cases where victim is unconscious or intoxicated
It now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown
(CNN) California is one step closer to making prison time mandatory for anyone convicted of sexually assaulting a person who is unconscious or too intoxicated to consent -- a measure inspired by former Stanford University student Brock Turner's sentence.
AB 2888 passed the state Assembly Monday by a unanimous 66-0 vote. It is headed to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk.
Lawmakers proposed the measure in June in response to the outcome in the former Stanford swimmer's trial.
Turner was sentenced to six months in jail and three years of probation for sexually assaulting a 23-year-old unconscious woman in 2015 behind a trash bin on the university's campus. Critics condemned the sentence from Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky as too lenient, leading to efforts to recall Persky and change sentencing laws for sexual assault.
The Santa Clara County district attorney's office had requested the maximum sentence of six years, based largely on the woman's condition.
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California is one step closer to making prison time mandatory for anyone convicted of sexually assaulting a person who is unconscious or too intoxicated to consent -- a measure inspired by former Stanford University student Brock Turner's sexual assault sentence.


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Story highlights Join famed chef Massimo Bottura for a drive around the beautiful streets of Italy's Modena
Modena, Italy (CNN) Massimo Bottura, chef patron of the Michelin three-starred restaurant Osteria Francescana, is a man of many pleasures: food, naturally, but also art and jazz, which have famously inspired some of his most striking dishes.
But for this aesthete, similar pleasures can be found behind the wheel of a car -- particularly when the car in question is a vintage Maserati Ghibli Spyder, one of only 125 ever made.
"Driving a car like this to me is really special because I am one of the few very lucky to have the opportunity to drive such a rare car," said Bottura, who brought CNN Style along for a ride through his hometown of Modena, Italy.
"It's emotional, like listening to Miles Davis whispering in a trumpet."
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Massimo Bottura, chef patron of the Michelin three-starred restaurant Osteria Francescana, finds pleasure behind the wheel of a vintage Maserati Ghibli Spyder.


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Story highlights Mayor of seaside town of Cogolin stands by burkini ban, despite Friday's court ruling
"If you don't want to live the way we do, don't come," he says
(CNN) The mayor of a seaside town on the French Riviera is sticking by his town's burkini ban, telling beachgoers, "if you don't want to live the way we do, don't come."
"You have to behave in the way that people behave in the country that accepted you, and that is it," Cogolin Mayor Marc Etienne Lansade told CNN.
"If you are accepted in Rome -- do like Romans do," he said, adding, "go in Saudi Arabia and be naked and see what will happen to you."
Lansade, of the right-wing National Front political party, is maintaining the ban despite a ruling by France's highest administrative court that mayors do not have the right to outlaw burkinis.
He's not alone. Several French mayors are also enforcing their bans in the face of Friday's ruling, which concerned the nearby town of Villeneuve-Loubet although it could affect cities around the country.
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(CNN) The daily commute is the most mundane and often the most frustrating part of city living -- but photographer Chris Forsyth wants us to appreciate the beauty hidden in our transit systems.
The 20-year-old has spent two years capturing busy underground stations -- devoid of people.
Almost 150 subway stations have been photographed as part of his photo series " The Metro Project ."
The first edition focused on his hometown of Montreal and earned him the accolade of 2015's International Photographer of the Year award for interior architecture.
His latest series turns his attention to Europe, snapping the metro systems of Munich, Berlin and Stockholm.
"Each city's underground has something unique to offer," says Forsyth.
"Montreal's metro system is a microcosm of 1960s Canadian architecture."
Meanwhile, "Stockholm's Tunnelbana is known as the world's longest art exhibit," says Forsyth.
"Many of its stations have kept their raw, cave-like form, and include larger-than-life hand-painted walls and ceilings."
Amongst his Stockholm images is one of Europe's most photographed stations -- Solna Centrum.
Here, artists Anders Aberg and Karl-Olov Bjork painted its exposed rock an angry black and red, creating something altogether demonic.
Stockholm's stations are "truly a treat for the senses," says Forsyth.
Moving on to Germany, he says that Munich's stations are generally "very modern and spacious."
He adds, "Looking at Berlin, being that their U-Bahn is over a hundred years old, and has 170 stations, there's a variety of old and new."
In Canada, different architects designed each station, so each has its own character and atmosphere, he explains.
"That really fascinated me -- that you can see such a variety of architectural styles in such a short time."
Empty stations
Berlin's Rathaus Steglitz was designed by R. G. Rummler and opened in 1974.
Despite an average of more than 1.3 million passengers traveling daily on Montreal's metro system, Forsyth's photos feature little more than the stations' clean lines and bold colors. There's barely a human figure in sight.
This monumental feat started out merely as a way to avoid breaking the law.
"When I began the project in Quebec, there is a law protecting people against being photographed in public," he says. But as he traveled to other cities this "developed into more of a style decision."
Surprisingly, Forsyth succeeds in shooting these images during the day, spending up to eight hours a day in each city's underground.
"If I place down my tripod, eventually, I'll have an empty photograph. It's just a matter of waiting for that perfect moment."
Long exposures, motion blurs and color adjustments are also used to emphasize key design features. He's quick to add, "I tried to stay as true to the stations as possible."
#themetroproject
Forsyth is now looking to turn the project into a collaborative online archive.
He's asking members of the public to photograph the stations they pass through everyday and upload images to Instagram via the hashtags #mtlmetroproject in Montreal and #themetroproject internationally. Collectively it's garnered more than 2,000 posts.
He hopes to extend the series further by traveling through the underground systems of Warsaw, Moscow, Paris and London, which is the oldest on the planet.
"There are a ton of really interesting systems around the world and I'd like to visit them all eventually," he says.
The aim of the project is to help "people appreciate the spaces that they pass through a bit more and take the time to look around."
Forsyth hopes they "find something they like about what they see."
Want to see more? CNN put together a selection of some of the world's most stunning metro stations in the gallery below.

Are these world's most beautiful metro stations?


Photographer Chris Forsyth has spent two years capturing people-free pictures of 150 busy underground stations


(CNN) What would you do to avoid paying more taxes? Legally, that is.
That question is facing soft drink manufacturers the world over -- most recently in the UK -- and will eventually become a subject for many food producers and providers as governments realize the potential to use taxes to regulate what companies put in their products.
Today, nations' introduction of taxes and levies are forcing companies producing sugar-sweetened beverages and soft drinks to reconsider their formulas or the quantity of their servings, all with a focus on one particular poison: sugar.
There can be as much as 33 to 35 grams of sugar in a can of soda, taking a child over their daily recommended allowance in both the UK and US with just one drink serving. Consuming these drinks has been linked to obesity and associated conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Controlling it at the state level is a way to control reduce today's burden of obesity, among both adults and children.
"Sugar-sweetened beverages are a massive problem across the world," said David Cavan, director of policy and programmes at the International Diabetes Federation. "If we think about alcohol and tobacco, nearly every government uses their power to govern how they're consumed ... but with food, various governments have said it isn't their role to do that."
That is, until recently.
The obesity bulge
Globally, more than 600 million adults were obese in 2014, and 42 million children younger than 5 were overweight or obese in 2013. The numbers among children are projected to rise to 70 million by 2025, with one in five adults also obese, if nothing changes. Cue the influx of taxes to curb what some experts call a public health emergency, fueled by the overconsumption of foods high in fat or sugar.
"Just as alcohol and tobacco were a public health issue ... sugar is a public health issue," Cavan said. "And tackling it early is essential."
Taxes are just one of many state control measures that have been tried out worldwide. Others include rules for food labeling, so people can see just how much sugar is in their food; restrictions on marketing and advertising of foods high in sugar; and restrictions on availability of these foods in schools.
Their impact is hotly debated, but taxes have many advocates.
"Taxes are important and should be effective," said Dr. Claude Marcus , professor of pediatrics at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who has been working with obesity among children and policies to prevent it.
When a government taxes a product, he believes, not only does it make people tighten their purse strings, it sends a signal that an item is dangerous.
"It's an important way [to control intake], and I see no reason why we shouldn't use it," he said.
Marcus has been involved with recommendations to the Swedish government to introduce taxes on sugary drinks while removing taxes on fruits and vegetables to make them more affordable. "Then, you can get a double effect," he said.
Where has it been done?
Mexico instituted a 10% tax on sugary drinks, such as juice and soda, in 2013. It resulted in a 10% rise in the cost of these products in 2014, according to a study in the British Medical Journal . The same study also found that purchases of taxed beverages fell by 6% in the first year of implementation, while sales of water and non-taxed beverages rose by 4%.
However, the improvements and differences in sales have been contested by some experts.
"That was a success," argued Cavan, who also salutes the Chilean government for its black-label approach to children's breakfast cereals, highlighting those high in sugar. Combined with information campaigns, the labels placed a stigma on certain cereals.
But not all these programs have worked.
Denmark instituted a "fat tax" on foods containing more than 2.3% saturated fats, introduced in October 2011. The tax was abolished the following year after the public failed to accept it and instead crossed into neighboring Germany to stock up on food.
"It was difficult to implement, as it covered such a wide range of foods," Cavan said, including dairy, meats and processed foods.
The UK has become the latest to implement such plans with the announcement of a soft drink levy as part of a larger Plan for Action (PDF) against childhood obesity. A recent report found that 9% of children ages 4 to 5 and 19% of children ages 10 to 11 measured in the UK's national child measurement program were obese.
The details of the levy are yet to be decided, but companies have been given two years to bring down the levels of sugar in their drinks. For those that don't, the revenue from the tax will be invested in school programs to reduce obesity nationwide, including greater access to sports and healthy breakfast clubs.
More plans are also to be implemented, including asking all food retailers and manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar in their foods by 5% within the next year and by 20% by 2020.
But experts have criticized the plan as too weak and nothing new . They cite the voluntary nature of the latter reduction goal, the gap of two years before the drinks levy will be enforced and the lack of regulation on advertising and promotions on foods high in sugar, which were advised by Public Health England . "There were a lot of strategies that could have been introduced, and they've all been watered-down or removed," Cavan said.
"The UK plan relies heavily on voluntary action by the food and beverage industry," said David Studdert, professor of medicine and law at Stanford University, who has published studies reviewing global efforts to control sugar consumption. "Other countries, including the US, have also turned to self-regulation. It will be interesting to see how well this works, [but] if history is a guide, it's hard to be optimistic."
Pushback against taxes
Unsurprisingly, the industry has fought back at rulings that sugar in soft drinks needs regulation.
In response to the UK plan, which was announced this month, the British Soft Drinks Association warned of job losses and said taxation would have minimal impact.
"Given the economic uncertainty our country now faces we're disappointed the Government wishes to proceed with a measure which analysis suggests will cause thousands of job losses and yet fail to have a meaningful impact on levels of obesity," Gavin Partlington, director general of the soft drink association, said in a statement.
"Our action on reformulation and smaller pack sizes is clearly working and in 2015 we became the only category to set a voluntary calorie reduction target of 20% by 2020," he said, adding, "We'll share the evidence during this consultation in the hope Ministers reconsider a measure that is both unnecessary and harmful to the economy."
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But advocates of taxation and regulation argue that the industry has a vested interest in preventing these rule changes. "The food and beverage industry has a central role to play in addressing this public health problem. But they also have stockholders," Studdert said.
"The link between these illnesses and unhealthy food and drink is indirect and accumulates over time ... and there's a powerful and at times manipulative industry involved," he said.
"I don't think we can rely on the market to sort this one out. Regulation is needed."


Sugar has become a nemesis in the fight to end obesity, and governments worldwide are turning to taxes to control its intake. But is this the answer?


(CNN) The death of Latin American music legend Juan Gabriel is heartbreaking news for throngs of fans who've followed his music career for decades.
Others are learning about the late singer for the first time as tributes pour in.
Whether you're a longtime fan or a new convert just getting acquainted with Gabriel's work, here are five things you should know:
1. His chart-topping music set a record.
Gabriel led Billboard magazine's Top Latin Albums charts five times in the past 18 months.

Juan Gabriel: 5 things about the late music legend


Whether you're a longtime fan or a new convert just getting acquainted with Juan Gabriel's work, here are five things you should know about the late music legend.