Former road race champion and Lance Armstrong lieutenant George Hincapie today admitted to doping during his professional career, saying that he testified to USADA and federal investigators. In a statement, Hincapie said that he had decided to dope in order to remain competitive. "Early in my professional career, it became clear to me that, given the widespread use of performance enhancing drugs by cyclists at the top of the profession, it was not possible to compete at the highest level witho... Read More
Montana landowners are suing Exxon Mobil for a July 2011 spill in the Yellowstone River that caused health, livestock, and property damage. Officials in the town of Laurel, where the rupture occurred, had repeatedly warned that the pipeline was a hazard. “They should have known long before this happened that this river floods every spring and produces massive erosive forces,” said an attorney for the 14 plaintiffs. Exxon spent around $135 million in subsequent upgrades to the pipel... Read More
Animal rights activists are protesting the proposed importation of 18 beluga whales to American aquatic parks. Leading the importation initiative is the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, which claims the whales are needed for captive breeding, research, and education. Those opposed to the plan are protesting on bioethical grounds, citing the belugas’ vast natural habitat and migration patterns, which cannot be recreated in even the best captive conditions. There are currently 31 captive belug... Read More
Tanzania has formally applied for permission to unload its more-than-100-ton stock of ivory in a one-off sale. They also want to downgrade the protection of Tanzanian elephants from the highest category to allow for trophy hunting and trade in tusks, hides, and live animals. The country maintains that all proceeds from the sale would go toward elephant conservation. But environmentalists say the sale would counteract any positive revenue. "It's ludicrous for Tanzania to even consider applying ... Read More
On Tuesday, Red Bull Stratos was forced to again delay the launch of a balloon that was to take skydiver Felix Baumgartner 23 miles above the earth, where he was expected to break the world record for highest skydive and become the first free-falling human to reach the speed of sound. A commentator on the Red Bull Stratos livestream indicated that a radio failure had forced the delay of the 5 a.m. launch until the winds became too strong for the balloon to safely take off. The jump was origina... Read More
