down there. >> oh, that sounds good. jambalaya. we're going to file this in the most intelligent burglars file. or not. this is alan mcclelland, of albuquerque, with his car, which someone broke into on easter sunday. >> on easter? come on, dude. that someone was joseph williams who lives just a few blocks from that guy. it was a pretty easy case to crack because williams dropped his wallet in the car and then left it there when he made his getaway. duh! >> turns out williams had already been busted on an outstanding warrant and now burglary charges are being added to his case. very well done. so the moral to this story, if you are going to rob someone, just don't bring your wallet. just leave it at home just in case something like this happens. or don't rob somebody. >> that's number one. we'll be back with more "world news now" right after this. ♪ i think i lost it let me know if you come across ♪ ♪ let me know if i let it go ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by the scooter store. hd 3 an abc news investigation has revealed that ordinary people buying familiar prescription drugs online may be getting some great deals. but they're also getting a lot more than they bargained for. >> customers are then being targeted by blackmailers. abc daps an harris has the flight en frightening consequences. >> reporter: the websites are cheerful and easy to use. buy prescription diet pills or sleep aids, no prescription required. but it could be a trap. a few clicks can lead to phone calls like this -- >> this is special agent david brown. we are going to bring you in, in custody with criminal charges for medication from overseas. >> reporter: scammers using the names of real drug enforcement agents. >> he had legitimate information on me. >> these guys are deadly, man. he's very convincing. >> reporter: when carolyn, a legal secretary from joshua, texas, got the calls, she thought they were real. we spoke to her husband, dan. >> there was a message on there from a lieutenant saying, carol, you need to contact me about your drug charges. >> he sounded legit? >> he sounded legit. >> reporter: carolyn had reason to be scared. she had ordered diet pills online. once the scammers have thoroughly terrified their marks, they offer a lifeline. pay a fine to make it all go away. >> you've got five minutes to call me back. if not, the deal is off. you're going to have to go to court. >> reporter: carolyn went to this walmart and wired the fake agents the money they demanded. >> looks to me like it's $1,950. >> reporter: the real dea says this scam is being run out of the dominican republic, and there are thousands of victims. >> we think that several people have paid significant amounts of money. >> thousands of dollars? >> thousands of dollars. >> reporter: very often after one payment, the scammers come back for more. carolyn was apparently so scared that she took an extreme measure. she committed suicide. >> you didn't see it coming? >> nope. >> do you blame these people who were calling her? >> yes. they killed her. >> reporter: the dea has now indicted 11 dominicans but thus far, nobody has been arrested. >> and i hope they move fast and get these people so nobody else gets hurt. >> reporter: dan harris, abc news, joshua, texas. >> heartbreaking story. you heard, a lot of this is based in the dominican republic. they are trying to extradite those guys to face charges here for what they've done. best advice they say is if you get one of those calls, hang up and report it. and just in general, be wary of online pharmacies. >> it's just crazy. it seems like everywhere we're inundated with perpetrators at any cost. >> for all the good the internet's done, there's a dark side to everything. >> there really is. just be careful out there. especially when you order things online. just order from amazon. i'm not plugging amazon or anything. >> keep it simple. >> keep it simple. coming up, commemorating the "titanic" disaster turns out to be profitable. >> the memorabilia is actually some pretty big business. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this 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welcome back. it has been 100 years, believe it or not, since the "titanic" went down. but on the centennial, the memorabilia industry is at an all-time high. >> i've always wanted to go on a cruise. no, i haven't always wanted to go on a cruise. >> really? >> no hmm-mm. it freaks me out. i'm claustrophobic. so a commemorative cruise tracing the route of the "titanic" is under way. jon kay is on board with the story and those sale items. >> reporter: when the seas are rough and the wind is high, passengers on the memorial cruise go shopping. >> come on, people. let's go. >> make up your mind fast. >> reporter: for any kind of "titanic" memorabilia they can find on board. >> a mug for a cup of tea. >> lovely. yes, yes. >> a keepsake, folks. little souvenirs and menus and stuff like that. >> reporter: here on board, people are queuing for up to half an hour to get in the shop and buy "titanic" memorabilia. and you know what? it was like this even 100 years ago. within days of the disaster, autograph hunters queued for survivor signatures and for souvenirs from the ship. this auction house in wiltshire has become one of the world's biggest dealers in "titanic" memorabilia. in their latest sale, keys from the ship. a first class menu. letters sent from on board. some of the items sell for tens of thousands of pounds each. and the auctioneers deny it's strange to want to own them. >> how do you define weird? people collect items from the great war. they collect them from the second world war. they collect roman history. its memorabilia covers elements throughout time. as a consequence, it's far from weird. >> reporter: they won't sell anything that comes from the wreck itself. they say it's a mass grave and shouldn't be touched. but a huge collection of artifacts from the seabed will soon be sold in new york. some say the items just teach us more about the past. critics say it's a "titanic" memorabilia sale too far. jon kay, bbc news, on board the "balmoral." >> and a lot of those folks that are on board that cruise ship are relatives of the 700 survivors. authors, historians. >> kind of looks like the "titanic" necklace. a little bit. >> you'd like to go, wouldn't you? >> there's me and my toy ship. that's what i do on friday nights. you? >> my toy ship. that's what i do on friday nights. was the vial and syringe dad used. and me... discovering once-daily levemir flexpen. flexpen is prefilled. doesn't need refrigeration for up to 42 days. no drawing from a vial. dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. flexpen is insulin delivery my way. levemir is long acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes. do not take if your blood sugar is too low. tell your health care provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. the most common side effect is low blood sugar. other possible side effects include reactions at the injection site. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions body rash, trouble with breathing fast heartbeat or sweating. with flexpen, say good night to vial and syringe. ask your doctor about levemir flexpen. covered by 90% of insurance plans including medicare. find your co-pay at myflexpen.com. >> announcer: "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> okay. so the moral to this next story from the "usa today" that if you are going to cheat the system on your taxes, this will be the year to do it. that should basically be just what they call this story. >> taxes coming up the 17th, next week. tax day. file. >> cuts to the irs budget. cuts to the irs staff. the irs has been battered by the economy. they've had to cut staff that would normally perform these audits. so a taxpayer, they are saying this is how likely you are to be audited. taxpayer would be more likely to roll six dice and have six unique numbers appear on the first roll than to be audited. so basically, you probably won't be getting audited because of cuts. not that we're telling you to manipulate the numbers or anything. >> i knew i should have paid my taxes this year. should have finally done it. that's all right. this story is after my own heart. this story i'm going to love. listen to this one. a new study from the university of illinois in chicago says beer makes men smarter. that's what i'm talking about. they did some kind of study. they devised this board game in which 40 men were given -- that's right, jack. that's right. jack and i are loving this. they are doing some bar game and 40 men were given three words and told to come up with a fourth that fits the pattern. the guys who had a few did better on the test than those who were stone cold sober. so i'm just waiting for my call from mensa. that's a great study. the beer can make you smarter. beer goggles, not so much. but at least the beer. >> i'm going to go fill up the entire fridge for my husband. honey, it's going to make you smarter, babe. >> hey. the civil war museum is pretty excited. they are getting a pretty cool artifact. a forearm. a human forearm. a farmer found it two weeks after the battle of antietam. back in maryland. from 1862. he said he found it two weeks after the battle. he preserved it in brine. gave it to a physician who preserved it with embalming fluid. then it ended up in a private museum. then sold to an auction and now headed to the civil war museum. >> that's in awfully good shape considering the time. >> skin and hand attached. and on that note, i think it's time to eat something. >> i'm going to give that farmer a hand for giving that up. that's really, seriously. i love that sound effect. it's a big holiday. we like to eat on this show. it is national grilled cheese sandwich day. where did we get these from? >> i don't know where we got them from, but i made sure that yours had tomato and bacon. >> and bacon. she's trying to kill me off. >> i'm not trying to kill you off. >> look at yours. what's on yours? >> i don't know. >> you're just going to eat it. can i confess, i was never a big grilled cheese -- >> cheese, tomatoes, butter and bread. you were never a big grilled cheese person? >> i was never a big grilled cheese fan, but this with the bacon makes it all better. >> what did rob like, pb & j? an now faces second-degree murder charges in the death of trayvon martin. >> a special prosecutor in florida announced the charges last night. and the gunman was booked into jail before today's court appearance. it's thursday, april 12th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good thursday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm paula faris. well, what a dramatic turn of events. george zimmerman came out of hiding to face justice. trayvon martin's parents were emotional after hearing about his arrest and court appearance in the orlando area later today. george zimmerman facing up to life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. >> this surprised a lot of folks. some analysts really believed it would be a lesser charge of manslaughter here. but the prosecutor who has a pretty tough rep saying we're going for second-degree murder. and the phrase you'll hear a lot as things move forward is depraved mind. they have to prove that george had a depraved mind. what led him to do this shooting. first-degree murder would have had to have been premeditated. second degree, a slightly lesser bar. they still have to prove what was his mind-set at the time. should be interesting how this proceeds legally. >> it's all based on stand your ground, a controversial law in florida. >> we'll get to that in just a second. plus, what a difference a day makes in politics. mitt romney forgets about his gop opponents and now starts swinging pretty hard at president obama. you'll see how both candidates have been laser focused on women voters. that's because of this huge almost 20-point gender gap. women, right now, favoring the president by about 19 points in the latest abc news/"washington post" poll. >> you saw in that video, behind romney just now, all ladies. >> all ladies. let the political theater begin. >> ladies ladies, it's ladies night. later this half hour from getting primal to going vegan. we'll tell you about the guy who tried everything to get hyperhealthy doing it all simultaneously. we'll show you exactly what he discovered. apparently he's a rhythmic gymnast, too. that was a rope. >> i don't know. chucking rocks, getting back to the caveman strategy. this is the big story around the country this morning. george zimmerman will appear in court for the first time today to answer for the death of trayvon martin. >> he had been in hiding since shortly after the shooting in february. just hours ago stood for this mug shot. his time in the spotlight is just beginning. abc's t.j. winick is in sanford, florida, this morning. hi, t.j. >> reporter: rob and paula, good morning. we are here outside the seminole county jail in sanford, florida. this is where george zimmerman is spending the night. he will be arraigned later today. under the tightest security, george zimmerman arrived at the seminole county jail wednesday night where he will be held before his arraignment thursday afternoon. >> we filed an information charging george zimmerman with murder in the second degree. >> this is zimmerman's booking photo. at a news conference in washington, d.c., trayvon martin's family and lawyers reacted to the news that his shooter had been charged. >> we just wanted an arrest. and we got it. >> we will continue to walk. we will march and march and march until the right thing is done. >> reporter: zimmerman's new attorney spoke about florida's stand your ground law and how it might play in the case for the defense. >> right now, it's the law of florida, and it's the law that's going to have impact on this case. >> reporter: the shooting of the unarmed teenager has heightened tensions throughout the country. many questioning whether it should be termed a hate crime. the department of justice is conducting a concurrent investigation. >> if we find evidence of a potential federal criminal civil rights crime, we will take appropriate action. and at every step the facts and the law will guide us forward. >> reporter: many observers were actually expecting a manslaughter charge in this case, but second-degree murder is the customary charge in florida. when a fight was involved and a gun was used. it carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years behind bars. rob and paula. >> all right, t.j., thanks a lot here. the backdrop of this whole thing is this stand your ground law which obviously has been under the microscope since this case emerged. and now our mayor here in new york city, michael bloomberg, held a press conference yesterday partnering with some civil rights groups trying to urge states to repeal or change their law. and really took aim at the national rifle association saying that that law down in florida is pretty much the work of that very influential lobby, the nra. he said, the nra should be ashamed of themselves. this has nothing to do with gun owners' rights it has nothing to do with the second amendment. plain and simple, this is just trying to give people a license to murder. strong words as he now takes a stand against these laws which are in place outside of florida, as well. >> it's going to be a grassroots campaign. they'll try to contact the state legislators who have passed what he terms shoot first laws. they're going to produce educational material as well. we'll see. this is hopefully what he would like this to be a nationwide campaign and -- >> it's the perennial debate over gun control in the country. trayvon now has accelerated that debate again. we'll see how it plays out. now to the other tense drama in north korea. its long-range rocket scheduled to launch. that window has passed. it won't reopen until 6:00 eastern p.m. on thursday. it will merely take a weather satellite into space but the u.s. believes it's a weapons practice shot. the rocket is expected to head south over the philippines splashing down not far from australia. several nations say they are ready to shoot it down if it strays over land. abc has a news crew on the way to north korea. make sure you stay with us for continuing coverage. another international story that we are monitoring this morning is the promise of a cease-fire in syria. forces that are loyal to president bashar assad maintain their attacks on rebels in the city of homs as the cease-fire neared. the truce went into effect this morning without reports of major violence. if it holds -- if it holds -- negotiations on a political transformation are supposed to follow. but the key word there, rob, "if." >> a big if with a track record in syria. that's for sure. nearly four years after his alleged crimes, jury selection begins today in the campaign finance violation trial of former senator and former vice presidential candidate john edwards. he's accused of misusing campaign funds to hide his pregnant mistress during his run for president back in 2008. edwards now faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. he says, though, he did not do anything wrong. what a fall from grace for senator edwards. >> severe fall from grace. now that rick santorum is out of the republican presidential race, presumptive nominee mitt romney is free to focus on beating president obama in november. >> the two candidates are not wasting any time trading barbs over the voting bloc likely to be the election's decisive factor -- women. karen travers is in washington with details on this. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, paula. we've talked a lot about what some call the war on women. but for the next seven months of this general election, we're going to be talking a lot about the war for women. for mitt romney and president obama, it's officially game on. the president has the early lead, but the gender gap could be a huge factor. one that could define the race. men prefer romney by a modest margin. but among women, president obama is crushing his republican rival. in connecticut, romney surrounded himself with women business owners. >> 92.3% of all the jobs lost during the obama years have been lost by women. >> reporter: but politifact, the pulitzer prize-winning fact-checking website, rates that statement mostly false. the numbers are accurate, they say, but very misleading. the romney campaign cites jobs figures starting back in january 2009 when president obama had just taken office. politifact notes the attack ignores the fact millions of jobs were lost before the obama administration. mostly to men. facts aside, it's clear that romney knows women could be the difference in this election. >> this president has failed america's women. >> reporter: team obama's first round of attacks will be that romney is out of touch. the president held an official event to promote the buffett rule, calling for higher taxes on the wealthy. but the campaign message was crystal clear. >> an economy where everybody has a fair shot. and everybody is doing their fair share. and everybody is playing by the same set of rules. >> reporter: the senate will vote on the buffett rule next week, but it's not expected to pass. rob and paula, back to you. >> some sense of how important women will be in this election. apparently ann romney, mitt's wife, just got on twitter because she took issue with what another democratic operative had to say. look, she's never held a job in her life. she got on twitter and then responded, i made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. believe me it was hard work. that was her response to that tweet. so ann romney is going to play a central role in mitt's campaign going forward. analysts believe she could be a secret weapon for mitt as they battle over the female vote. >> as somebody who works and -- somebody who -- i mean, i have two little kids. i will say that coming to work is a respite. i always say to my friends that stay at home, that's the hardest job in the world. so you can see where five boys, raising five boys, that's no joke. that's harder than anything we do here. ever. >> i don't have kids, so i don't argue with that at all. all right, in other news this morning there are still plenty of frayed nerves across indonesia. fears of another tsunami like the one that killed 230,000 people eight years ago have people, as you can imagine, fearing for their lives yesterday. the 8.6 magnitude quake, a big one, was then followed by an 8.2 magnitude aftershock. both caused only slight damage, though, and eventually all tsunami warnings were called off. thankfully. and the u.s. geological survey says it is, quote, taken aback by a series of earthquakes in our hemisphere. late yesterday there were strong quakes, magnitude 5.9 and 5.3 off the coast of oregon and also in northern california. on top of that, a 6.5 quake in western mexico. none of them resulted in any damage, but the mexican quake was felt more than 200 miles away in mexico city. analysts say all of those quakes are not related, though, to the ones in indonesia. as we left yesterday very worried about indonesia. luckily that didn't pan out. could have been a lot worse. >> could have been. now to the forecast. winter storm warnings in the sierra and california, lower elevations in northern california north into seattle can expect a whole lot of rain. and plan on very stormy conditions from north texas into oklahoma and kansas. some frost along the mid-atlantic, and mostly sunny along the gulf coast. we like mostly sunny. >> around minneapolis, temps will be in the 60s 10 to 15 degrees higher than the last few days. mostly seasonable for the rest of the country. so trees are beautiful on their own, but a texas man is enhancing the look of his trees with some decorations. we're not talking about christmas trees either. >> no, we're not. we're not talking about ornaments or lights either. we're talking about -- yeah, as you can see -- bicycles. george hilton says it all started when an old bike in his barn was always in his way so he hung it on a tree. he liked the way it looked so he started collecting old bikes from flea markets and auctions and pretty soon his trees were sprouting two-wheelers. as you see there. >> we've been looking for a place to store our bikes here in new york city. just throw it on up into the strees. >> oh, yes. art is an interpretive thing. >> very subjective. >> more after this. stay with us. ♪ i'm going out with my homeys and we're gonna let it gonna let it all hang out ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by colonial penn life insurance. it all hang out ♪ al penn life insurance. ahhh, i love how clean and healthy my mouth is right now. i wish i could keep it this way. 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[ gigi ] get the color you want every time with nice'n easy. and now new non-permanent nice'n easy. natural looking tones and dimensional shine for first time colorers. from the color experts at clairol. welcome back, everybody. now to the surprising guilty plea from one of the contestants on "millionaire matchmaker." always entertaining. >> i watch that show yeah. he claimed to be worth 400 million bucks. now he's appeared in court to own up to his fraud. linsey davis has more. >> my name is michael prozer. >> reporter: he was the megamillionaire hot shot with the mansion, private jet and enough money to buy love. or at least compete for it. >> i would estimate modestly my net worth to be about $400 million. >> reporter: that was michael prozer's introduction tape for bravo's reality show "millionaire matchmaker." >> with the right chemistry, i make the perfect match. >> reporter: prozer, a father of two young boys seemed to be a man who had everything. except a woman to complete his lavish lifestyle. telling audiences he was the ceo of an internet company, an online payment service for people in south america. and paydirt for him personally. >> i'm a ceo of an internet company that provides payment transactions over the web. >> reporter: it all seemed picture perfect, until federal prosecutors blew the whistle on what they say is a 36-year-old scam artist from tampa. his megamillions all a lie. >> he was able to bribe a banker to demonstrate that he had millions of dollars on deposit in the bank and that's what makes him convincing. >> reporter: but three years after the reality show that gave him national recognition, prozer is behind bars after pleading guilty monday to bank fraud charges. >> like many con men, the lie eventually unravels. >> reporter: the plea came as a shock to court watchers who were expecting a trial to begin. even a jury had been selected. >> i think he figured the government had the goods on him. his frauds have been exposed. and it was time to cut his losses. >> reporter: now the man who once called himself a multimillionaire could be facing a multiyear sentence in federal prison. linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> a surprise guilty plea. they didn't expect -- people thought this was going to go to trial. it obviously is not. he will be sentenced in august. >> if anybody ever says, yeah, i'm the owner of an internet company. >> but the guy had the right forged papers and, you know, but again, another example of how reality tv isn't that real. >> we like quotes today. >> yes. we like quotes. coming up next, the health nut who followed each and every bit of the doctor's advice. >> for two years you'll see the results. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this from our abc stations.d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d 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d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d can you imagine taking every single piece of advice doctors give about staying healthy and then actually doing all of them? >> well one health nut has done just that. and abc's john berman shows us that it paid off. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: this guy throwing rocks with me -- >> that's good. a good boulder toss. >> reporter: -- he might just be the single healthiest person on earth. sure, he may not look like much, but seriously, it's not just the boulder tossing. it's the log carrying, finger stretching, bathroom squatting. >> believe it or not, there's a healthy way to go to the bathroom. >> reporter: ear plug wearing, dog petting and didgeridoo blowing. author a.j. jacobs decided to follow the latest medical advice about getting healthy. all of it. >> i was in bad shape. i mean, i had a huge stomach. i looked like a snake that swallowed a goat. sugar, salt and fat were my main three food groups. so i really wanted to -- i needed to do a big revamp. >> reporter: that revamp lasted two years. every diet, every workout, every self-improvement trick and technique under the sun. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ >> reporter: he wrote about it in the brand new book, "drop dead healthy," which he wrote, by the way, while walking on this treadmill. spend a day with him and you learn he's a walking encyclopedia of health insight from skin care -- >> you have to fill a shot glass full of sun block and use that. >> reporter: to plant care. >> this filters the air better than any other plant. >> reporter: to water bottle care. >> holding a cold bottle is good for your workout. >> you're a machine. at the end of two years, he managed to lose 17 pounds. his body fat dropped from 17% to 7%. he says he is now bursting with energy. and feels great. >> i'm doing what's called the asian squat. >> reporter: he has backed off some of the dozens and dozens of daily health rituals. he says there just aren't enough hours in the day to be that healthy. >> being too obsessed with health is not very healthy. >> reporter: so everything in moderation. even the boulder tossing. >> two, three. >> reporter: i'm john berman in new york. >> he actually says waistline is a good way to determine whether or not you'll have heart disease. you can be thin, but if you are carrying it right here -- >> let's see some squats. >> oh, yeah. >> oh, my lord. >> step, baby, step. >> richard simmons. step. >> richard simmons. ♪ i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one 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[ sponge ] so it's not a chore. ♪ ♪ you must have been a beautiful baby, baby take a look at you now ♪ that "fifty shades of grey" book is getting a lot of buzz out there. a lot of women folk buzzing about it. now to our "favorite story of the day." when you hear the word model you may think of brooke shields. a new revolution. >> flash back to "blue lagoon" in the '80s. >> she was 10. >> runway modeled who once ruled magazine covers and runways are now losing ground to more experienced faces of beauty. >> like this. >> cecilia vega explains. >> reporter: the perfect figure. good looks. cindy joseph has it all. except perhaps the one thing it might seem a model needs to succeed -- youth. at 61 years old, does it feel at all strange to say, i'm a model? would you ever have thought you would have said that 40 years ago? >> no, not in any way, shape or form. >> reporter: but instead of retiring, joseph now has a soaring second career. >> you can fight seven signs of aging. >> reporter: and joseph says that's changing the way boomers see themselves. >> we are not interested in rolling over and just sitting on the porch and rocking ourselves away. >> reporter: big business has taken note. >> save on cashmere and gloves. >> reporter: it's about buying power. boomer women spend $47 billion a year on fashion. the wilhelmina agency quadrupled its number of older models over the past two decades. even oprah is in on it with an upcoming nationwide model search for her magazine, only opened to women over 30. >> this market is not disappearing. it's not hiding. and, if anything, it's going to increase. >> reporter: juliet branker couldn't get hired as a model in her 20s. now at 54, she drives a forklift at lowe's by day, but the side jobs keep coming. >> here i am an older person, not the same young body that i had. and they want me now. >> reporter: cindy joseph calls it a revolution. >> it's a matter of realizing that we will be valued for something other than looking like we're 25 years old. >> reporter: a revolution not just for her career, but for women everywhere. cecilia vega, abc news, new york. >> she signed her first modeling contract at age 49 with ford. she'd been a makeup artist before that, working with some big names in the business, including cindy crawford and naomi campbell. and look at her go now. she looks fantastic, too. >> and as a woman, i think we appreciate that. we appreciate the realities that you're not going to be, you know, 5'11", 85-pound model. >> just like wine. get better with time. >> just like you.wowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowo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this morning on "world news now" -- on edge. the north korean military could launch a long-range rocket at any time defying warnings from leaders worldwide. >> and even more unprecedented, the mysterious north koreans invited foreign journalists there to witness the launch. it's thursday, april 12th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everyone. i'm paula faris. >> and i'm rob nelson. leaders from several nations have told the north koreans this launch is a direct violation of u.n. security council resolutions. but this is a new era for the north korean government, of course, as new leadership flexes its military muscle. we'll take you live to seoul in just a moment here. a major medical headline this morning hits home for so many insomniacs. experts out with new proof of how harmful sleep deprivation and interruptions in your sleep can be, raising your risk of obesity, even diabetes. i know a lot of us sleep in shifts and it turns us into zombies. among other things. >> yeah, this is not a good report for those of you up right now, working overnights or late shifts. this is kind of an alarming little story. we don't have much time left so we might as well get to the news. also later this half hour, just when you thought that britney spears' career had hit a plateau, she could be in for a big money mega deal. this time she won't have to sing. thank god. details coming up in "the skinny." stay tuned for that. >> celine dion, britney spears? vocal -- >> tomato/tomato. >> okay. but first, the world is watching anxiously this morning as north korea prepares to launch a rocket very soon. they claim it will carry a satellite into orbit. >> a weather satellite, in fact, but the u.s. believes it's really a test of technology that could deliver warheads to america's western edge and a clear violation of an agreement forged just less than two months ago. >> this rocket is expected to go southeast as far as 1,600 miles over the philippines, splashing down in the waters near australia. several countries say they are ready to shoot it down if it strays over land. let's get the latest on the situation and the tension it's causing. >> abc's joohee cho is in seoul, south korea. correspondents from all over the world, including abc's bob woodruff, were invited to witness this launch. is this unprecedented? >> yes, it is unprecedented. but basically, they are telling a message to the world. you say it's a missile. we say it's a rocket. come and take a look for yourself. we all know that the technology used to lift off a rocket and firing a missile is similar. if you can put a warhead on top of that rocket, then it becomes a missile. >> we know the window has passed. it will open again at 6:00 p.m. eastern on thursday. what are the fears there, and throughout that part of the world right now? >> south korea, japan, philippines, russia and australia have expressed anger and disappointment. all regional airlines are rerouting their courses during the launch window that north korea declared, which is from 7:00 a.m. to noon every day from thursday to monday. now what's interesting is china, international community has been pushing china to rein in north korea, but china is saying, hey, we don't have much influence on them. so basically, they are taking a step back and watch policy. they are telling the u.s. officials, relax. >> easier said than done. that's for sure. we're also hearing more about kim jong-un and his new titles these days. what does that exactly mean for north korea? >> well, one thing we must know, rob and paula, is that this is according to north korea experts in south korea. they will never, ever give up their nuclear ambitions, no matter how many carrots or sticks, no matter how many six-party talks, and no matter how many of their own people die in hunger. what north korea really wants is to be acknowledged by the world as a nuclear power. they are saying no one can stop us from making one, but maybe, after we make one, we can have a choice just like pakistan to give up exporting these nuclear weapons. that way they could say, okay, we can protect ourselves with a nuclear weapon, but we have the option to rightfully be compensated to sacrifice hard currency they could have made with exports if you pay the right price. >> north korea defiant if nothing else. thanks to abc's joohee cho live for us in seoul. let's reiterate again, the time for launch, again, has passed now. it will be back on alert 6:00 p.m. eastern time later today on this thursday. so we'll be back in the same spot tomorrow, but for now it is not going to happen today, eastern time on our watch right now. >> 6:00 p.m. eastern thursday is the earliest they will launch that test rocket again. okay. we turn to the dramatic end to the investigation into trayvon martin's death. a special prosecutor in florida announced that his killer will be charged with second-degree murder. george zimmerman will be in court for the first time today to answer to that charge. abc's matt gutman has the very latest from sanford. >> reporter: for the first time in 45 days, a brief glimpse of george zimmerman being driven into the seminole county jail in sanford, florida, the same town where he shot unarmed 17-year-old trayvon martin that chilly february night. >> it is the search for justice for trayvon that has brought us to this moment. >> reporter: this is the mug shot of 28-year-old george zimmerman. the noticeably thinner triggerman in trayvon martin's shooting. he could face up to life in prison if convicted. >> today we filed an information charging george zimmerman with murder in the second degree. >> reporter: state special prosecutor angela corey announced the aggressive charge against zimmerman for shooting and killing trayvon martin as he walked to a relative's home in this tiny middle class development in sanford. in washington, trayvon martin's parents getting what they demanded since the shooting. >> just to know that the circumstances surrounding the case, just knowing that he's off the street as he -- that he's in custody, the wheel's starting to turn in our favor. >> reporter: in sanford, the announcement brought a brief moment of rapture at the ame allen church. zimmerman had been a ghost the past six weeks, and barely 24 hours before he turned himself in, his attorneys who had been with him for weeks, turned on him. >> he would not return our calls, and we couldn't get ahold of him. >> prosecute zimmerman! >> reporter: today's charges follow weeks of mounting tensions surrounding the case, whether it was a racially motivated killing, and whether george zimmerman, who claimed self-defense, should have faced charges at all. george zimmerman has found a new attorney and also after 45 days of hiding, most of it alone, george zimmerman will spend the night with many other people in the county jail. matt gutman, abc news, sanford, florida. >> what a week it has been. finally the charges filed in this case. the legal team for zimmerman has changed, too. i thought trayvon's mom gave an interesting quote during that press conference last night. she said, we just have faith and hope in mrs. corey. they are professionals. we are not the experts. they are the experts, and we are putting our faith in them. that family now hoping the justice system now kind of gives them the -- what semblance of closure they could possibly get as the next few months move on. >> and mark o'mara, george zimmerman's new representation, says he's not extremely familiar with all the evidence right now. >> he just joined. he just got on board. >> he says he hopes the judge will grant a bond. they'll obviously plead not guilty but he could face up to life in prison for second-degree murder. >> the lawyer still expects to use the self-defense claim as the trial moves forward. we'll see. some closure there maybe, or at least a big step forward. in other news this morning, authorities at the university of pittsburgh say they are making significant progress in their investigation of a series of bomb threats. security has been increased on pitt's campus since those threats. about 25 of them in all began in mid-february. no bombs have ever been found, and the school is offering a $50,000 reward for any information. this story you are not going to believe. a story that surely must be every parent's absolute worst nightmare. it involves a baby in argentina who was mistakenly pronounced dead soon after being born. but the miracle is that she is now very much alive. we have details from richard slee of the bbc. >> reporter: the baby's father fabian describes what happened when he and his wife went to see their daughter in the hospital morgue. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: he says his wife opened the small coffin and uncovered the body. she saw a little hand and then a face. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: and that's when the baby let out the first little cry. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: his wife had given birth prematurely at the hospital 12 hours earlier. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: she says labor lasted about three hours, but she didn't see her daughter because she was pronounced dead and quickly taken away. the baby was kept in a refrigerated room, and fabian says it was as if his daughter was just waking up. and that's when staff at the morgue sprung into action. the baby is the couple's fifth child and is now doing well. the hospital is investigating what happened. richard slee, bbc news. >> wow. >> five doctors at the hospital were suspended. they had nailed the baby inside a coffin, placed her in a refrigerated room in the hospital morgue for 12 hours. again, the mom had been sedated. since the birth. so she just wanted closure to say good-bye. they opened up the coffin and the baby shudders. >> how she survived. it's absolutely amazing. >> a miracle. >> as you can imagine, the family is going to sue for a little touch of malpractice there. i think they have a pretty easy case there. lucky that the kid survived. >> how does that still happen? well -- >> it's not -- it's a different kind of society. different levels of care. here's a look at your weather. it will be rainy and snowy along the west coast from central california north into seattle. expect widespread storms to blanket northern texas along with parts of oklahoma and kansas. rain heavy and possible tornadoes. >> 50s and 60s across most of the country, which is especially welcome in the upper midwest after several chilly days there. in the 40s. and the pleasant spot will be along the gulf coast with highs in the 70s and 80s. a pair of endangered clouded leopard cubs are thriving at the point defiance zoo and aquarium in tacoma, washington. but they need names. >> these babies are just a month old. the second litter born to their equally rare parents. the clouded leopards live in southeast asia. but the population is threatened by clear cutting to make way for some oil palm plantations. >> that's what happens to rob when i scratch his neck. his leg just -- if you want to help them choose names for these adorable cubs, go to the point defiant zoo's website. to offer your suggestions. i'm not going to egg you on today, but look. >> thank you. we'll be right back, everybody. stay with us. >> told you your leg was -- ♪ you're adorable ♪ ♪ you're adorable ♪ ♪ sweet as can be ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by rosetta stone. i used to only wear sun protection on a beach day. now, i wear it every day. because damaging uv rays are everywhere with olay daily complete uv, its possible to block 92% of harmful rays for naturally beautiful skin in any light. olay daily uv. attention - americans living with limited mobility. what do you do when you can no longer get around like you used to? when you fear losing your independence? who do you call? call hoveround now, to see if you qualify for america's premier power chair. hi, i'm tom kruse, inventor and founder of hoveround. now you can do more, see more, enjoy life more. here's why hoveround makes it easier than any other power chair. hoveround is more maneuverable to get you through the tightest doors and hallways. more reliable. hoveround employees build your chair, deliver your chair, and will service your chair for as long as you own your chair. and most importantly, 9 out of 10 people got their hoveround for little or no cost. call now for your free dvd and information kit. and now every hoveround comes with this tote bag and cup holder for handy access to your favorite items. you don't really have to give up living because you don't have your legs. call now for your free consultation. and right now, get this limited edition hoveround america travel mug free with your hoveround delivery. call or log onto hoveround.com right now! ♪ i couldn't sleep at all last night ♪ ♪ yes i was tossing and turning all night ♪ we're back, rob. get a quick couple minutes in there of sleep? >> yeah, i'm good. i'm good. i'm good. >> here's a story near and dear to us overnight at "world news now." a new sleep study on interrupted and disrupted sleep. i know you were trying to get a couple of zs. >> that's right. get them when i can. the result is real evidence of what sleep disruption does to your body and health over long periods of time. dr. richard besser gives us all the wake-up call. >> reporter: it was a kind of sleep-deprived boot camp. researchers at the brigham and women's hospital -- >> i'm going to put my pajamas on. >> reporter: -- locked 21 volunteers into a sleep lab for six weeks. no windows. changing just one thing in their daily routine. their sleep. instead of the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, they were woken up after just 5 1/2 hours. then, each night, they were made to go to bed four hours later than the night before. say one night at midnight. the next at 4:00 in the morning. shattering their normal sleep cycles. when the experiment was over, besides being dead tired, there were actually changes happening inside their bodies. their metabolism, their body's ability to burn off calories, had dropped. it's estimated if they kept this disrupted sleep up for a year, they would gain an extra 12 pounds. they'd be well on their way to developing diabetes. their blood sugar levels had spiked. the insulin levels had fallen. not getting enough sleep is a big deal? >> it's more than just feeling tired and not being able to concentrate the next day. now we're seeing more evidence that it can affect your health long term. >> reporter: so what your mother said is true. get those hours of sleep in and go to bed at night the same time every night. it makes a big difference in terms of your health. dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. >> and if you can't do that, just buy some larger clothes because you'll be gaining weight, which -- >> in the time paula and i have left on earth, let's share our facebook question of the day. how often do you have trouble sleeping? go to wnnfans.com to share your sleep story. >> i can count on one hand the number of times i've gone to sleep the same time over the last six months. >> yeah there's no -- on this shift, a lot of folks out there, doctors, nurses, barterdnders, strippers. i don't know when those folks sleep. >> no, i have no idea when strippers would sleep. they need to make a pill for us. >> a pill, like what? caffeine to stay up or a pill to make us sleep? >> a pill to make us healthy and take away all the ramifications of the third shift. >> fingers crossed for that. coming up, the big money career opportunity for the one and only britney spears. and the head-banging hard rocker who is skipping a major honor. it's all next in "the skinny." like this. >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this from our abc stationnenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenes. ♪ skinny so skinny ♪ >> i feel like singing today. >> it's a little ironic. i never feel skinny when we do this segment. >> "x-factor," that show on fox, the singing competition. basically, simon cowell's new "american idol." all the judges have been fired. we know paula abdul, nicole, that hot one from -- >> scherzinger. don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me? >> yes, she's gorgeous. steve jones. they've had massive firings. guess who they could be bringing on? britney spears. and they could be paying her big bucks to give some star power. according to "us" weekly she could make $16 million to be the new star judge on "the x factor." so we'll see if that will help boost the show. britney's had her fair share of troubles over the years. that's big money. the thing that bothers me is they hire these people that are big names but can't sing. j. lo can't sing. britney can't sing. >> oh, she can sing, come on. >> i think it's ridiculous, but, hey. that's the deal. good luck, britney. >> put her up there with celine dion. just like axl rose. one of my favorite vocalists from the '80s and '90s. it's like this. anyways. they are going to be inducted into the rock 'n' roll hall of fame in cleveland this weekend. there was a famous falling out between axl rose and some of the bandmates. and he is not going to be at the induction ceremony. he said it's somewhat of a complicated and awkward situation. i say, you know what? i know it's like a divorce. he compared it to a divorce. but do what's best for the kids. we want to see you all together. >> what you need, axl is a good laugh. you know who knows how to laugh? anderson cooper. of course, those of you who have watched the show for awhile, he used to sit at this desk and do this show many years ago. now a big dog over at cnn. there was a story he was doing last night about dyngus day, the polish-american celebration at the end of lent. he had to say the word pussy willow and had another one of his famous anderson cooper laughing fits that he put himself on his own "ridiculist." take a look. >> it's really so stupid. stop. come on. [ laughter ] come on. this is torture. >> dyngus day? dyngus day? pussy willow. >> oh, anderson. one of the best in the business. always funny. he can't control himself. a little giggle like that. that makes everybody laugh. listen to anderson laugh. you can't beat it. we've both been there, too. est in the business. always funny. he can't control himself. a little giggle like that. that makes everybody laugh. listen to anderson laugh. you can't beat it. we've both been there, too. i love how clean my mouth is now. but why doesn't it last? [ male announcer ] even after a cleaning... plaque quickly starts to grow back. introducing crest pro-health clinical rinse. it actually keeps your teeth 91% clean of plaque even at 2 months after a dental visit. new crest pro-health clinical rinse. ♪ is that frogger? >> i think so. i used to love that game. supermario. >> supermario. oh, there we go. i'm terrible at atari and everything. >> atari? >> like in the 1800s. so in japan, they don't just create and manufacture video games. they play them a lot. arcades are a booming business in japan. >> it's not just the kids playing the games. japan's aging population is getting their game on as well. abc's akiko fujita explains. from tokyo. >> reporter: they used to be prime hangouts for teenagers. today, arcades in japan look more like senior centers. penny-pushing machines more popular than shooting games here. fleece blankets, warm tea and massage chairs come free of charge. 73-year-old hisaki itara is considered middle-aged at this tokyo arcade. he says he's made plenty of friends. it's no surprise considering more than a quarter of japan's population is over 65 and increasingly living alone. in a country littered with arcades, video game centers have become the natural place to find entertainment and company, and gamemakers are cashing in. this senior center was started by the same company that created pacman decades ago. they brought back old games like whack-a-mole because they say the motion involved in the game increases the brain's blood flow and helps prevent dementia. all this stomping and pounding are part of therapy here. game creators say these movements keep the elderly sharp, improving mobility and balance. 89-year-old yoshiko tanaka tells me, she prefers the game over her daily walk. my ankles feel a lot lighter, she says. plus i enjoy the company. scientists stress there's no proof the games alone reverse memory loss. the key is to combine them with other forms of exercise. more than 200 senior centers in japan have game machines now. and they may be just the beginning. with a generation full of video gamers heading towards retirement, scenes like this could soon become the new normal here. akiko fujita, abc news, tokyo. >> better to see that than the american seniors who are at the casino pulling the lever. >> bingo. >> oh, there's paula. >> that's right. do i have gray hair? >> oh, yes. you look good. >> this is just a flash of what i'm going to look like in five years working this shift. >> or before you go into makeup. that's the news for this half hour. more from abc coming up next. >> thanks for throwing me under the bus, rob. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades.