The controversial animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is urging the CEO of Hudson News, Joseph DiDomizio, to treat hunting magazines as he would Playboy or Penthouse by stocking them in places where children won't be able to see them. "Like other forms of casual or thrill violence, hunting spawns a dangerous desensitization to the suffering of others," executive vice president Tracy Reiman wrote in the letter. "Not every hunter will kill a human, of co... Read More
The Cascata delle Marmore (Marmore Falls), among the tallest waterfalls in all of Europe at 541 feet, is a popular tourist destination in the Umbria region of central Italy with historical significance—it was created by the ancient Romans more than 2,000 years ago to facilitate the flow of fresh water into the city—which explains why it is so closely guarded. And why no kayaker was able to run the falls before Dario Vanacore recently snuck past security: It is illegal.
Vanacore vi... Read More
“Sorry, we’re closed,” says a reindeer. It’s a warning from the National Parks Conservation Association in a new ad in The New York Times that imagines what could happen if the country goes off of the so-called “fiscal cliff.” If Congress does not agree to a new budget deal by January, a number of automatic cuts will take place, including a $200 million-plus cut of the National Park Service budget. According to an open petition letter from the NPCA to Presid... Read More
Thirty people suffered minor injuries on a flight from Havana to Milan when the plane encountered unusually strong turbulence and plunged 3,300 feet in a matter of seconds. The flight continued on after it was determined that the plane had suffered no structural damage, landing safely at Milan’s Malpensa airport on Monday. Two physicians on board the plane treated passengers for minor scrapes and bruises. One passenger, Edoardo De Lucchi, described the experiences as “10 seconds of... Read More
An international team of scientists from the U.S., Japan, Germany, and the U.K. is believed to have discovered the equivalent of a “mid-life crisis” in apes. The researchers surveyed over 500 chimpanzees and orangutans, rating their mood, sociability, and success at achieving various goals. Analysis of the survey revealed that general well-being in apes dipped in middle age and climbed again in their later years. Great apes in captivity often live to be 50 or older. “In all... Read More
