Gloria Hillard

A number of studies have touted the health benefits of canine companions. But a new study says dogs can make for a happier, more productive workplace, too.

Screen legend Elizabeth Taylor died Wednesday of complications from congestive heart failure. She was 79. Taylor was English by birth and became an American movie star after she was discovered by a talent scout at age 9. In her later years, Taylor put considerable energy and money into the fight to find a cure for AIDS.

From blockbusters like Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth to smaller films like Deliver Us From Evil, documentaries are drawing large audiences. But some worry that the Academy's new rules could hamper that trend.

A dozen writers for America's Next Top Model, the hit reality show, are on strike. Their goal is to unionize reality TV writers. Without their efforts, Model maestro Tyra Banks and other reality show stars might sometimes be at a loss for words.

Reporter Gloria Hillard gets a glimpse at the underworld of Barbie aficionados, collectors and fanatics at the recent National Barbie Convention in Los Angeles.

Gloria Hillard profiles the little-known industry of people who bid on the hidden treasures in abandoned self storage facilities. They buy entire storage units at auctions, and then peddle the bounty at flea markets and on eBay.

Small, independent Dutton's book store is closing its doors after 46 years in North Hollywood, Calif. Gloria Hillard profiles the shop and its owner, a man who has devoted his life to books. Dave Dutton took over from his father as a young man, but will soon shutter Dutton's Books.

Three women, all mothers, explain the effects of the crystal-methamphetamine epidemic on the children of addicts. Two of the women are addicted to the drug, and the third is a police detective whose job it is to arrest them.

Variety, the show business trade paper known for its punchy and playful language, celebrates its 100th birthday this year. Terms such as "striptease," "payola" and "soap opera" were coined in its pages, along with some boffo adjectives.

Gloria Hillard recently joined the growing ranks of self-published authors, and reports on the how self-publishing firms are answering a growing desire by writers to see their words in print — and get around the air-tight New York City publishing houses.