Garmin-Barracuda rider Dave Zabriskie on Thursday captured the overall leader's jersey in the Tour of California with a victory in stage five's individual time trial. Zabriskie, 33, finished 23 seconds clear of RadioShack Nissan Trek veteran Jens Voigt, putting him into the overall lead ahead of fellow American Tejay Van Garderen by half a minute. Zabriskie hopes the ride will persuade U.S. cycling officials to select him for the Olympic Games time trial. "It's coming soon when they make the O... Read More
Researchers in Japan say that monitoring tidal forces may help predict major earthquakes like the one that triggered a massive tsunami last March. Sachiko Tanaka from the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention pored over data from tides and underwater tremors recorded between 1976 and 2011 in a 100,000-kilometer-wide area surrounding the 2011 quake's epicenter. Tanaka found that minor tidal tremors peaked just before the disaster and vanished afterwards. The adde... Read More
On May 20, people in the western United States will be able to spot an annular solar eclipse for the first time in 18 years. On Sunday afternoon, the moon will pass in front of the sun, covering it by 94 percent and creating the visual illusion of a "ring of fire." The Hinode spacecraft is the only sun-observing satellite that will be able to watch the eclipse. Scientists hope to use the satellite's images to study the outer atmosphere of the sun, normally hidden by the sun's brilliance.
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The Humane Society of the United States says an exotic animal park in Oklahoma has let children pet young tigers. An undercover Humane Society operative who worked at G.W. Exotic Animal Park last year videotaped children playing with exotic cats in a "petting zoo" and reported multiple incidents in which tigers bit or scratched visitors. The operative also reported deficiencies in animal care, including not watering a bear on a hot day. The park owner, Joe Schreibvogel, denies the accusations ... Read More
Skechers USA, Inc. has agreed to pay at least $40 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over false claims about the health benefits of its Shape Up shoes. The settlement will be the largest ever in FTC history and follows a similar $25 million ruling against Reebok last September over its similarly rockered Toning shoes. Skechers has said that its shoes provide a passive muscle toning effect for wearers—claims that are not supported by legitimate research. "Skechers put it... Read More
