Princess Cruises on Wednesday announced that is has launched an investigation into reports that the captain of the passenger ship Star Princess ignored distress signals from a stranded Panamanian fishing boat on March 10. Bird watchers on the Star Princess spotted a man on a small fishing boat frantically waving a red T-shirt. They relayed the sighting to the Star Princess's captain, who believed it was a "thank you" for avoiding their nets. Two of the three teenagers manning the small vessel,... Read More
The National Park Service is backing down on a proposed ban on commercial rock guiding in the Black Canyon of Colorado's Gunnison National Park after protests from three U.S. senators. In a letter to NPS Director Jon Jarvis, Senators Mark Udall and Mark Bennett of Colorado and Max Baucus of Montana cited both the high level of difficulty associated with climbing in the park and tourism's economic impact on the area. "While guided climbing in the Black Canyon comprises a very small portion of t... Read More
Italy's doping tribunal on Thursday banned rider Riccardo Ricco for 12 years following an alleged 2011 blood transfusion gone bad, his second major brush with anti-doping authorities since 2008. Ricco, 28, became ill in February 2011 after what doctors say was a self-administered attempt at blood doping. At the 2008 Tour de France, during which he won two mountain stages, Ricco tested positive for the synthetic blood booster CERA and was suspended for 20 months. Ricco maintains that he injecte... Read More
Transportation Security Agency officials arrested a Portland, Oregon man on Tuesday after he stripped naked at a security checkpoint in Portland International Airport. John E. Brennan, 50, of Portland had tested positive for nitrates on his clothing but insisted he was not carrying any illicit materials. To prove it, Brennan removed his clothing in front of TSA agents and nearby passengers in an act that he insists was "nude but not lewd." Brennan, who flies frequently, said he had no intentio... Read More
A fisherman off the coast of Mexico caught a 427.9-pound yellowfin tuna, the largest-ever with a reel and rod on record, last Thursday after a 30-minute battle. But Robert Pedigo's catch won't qualify as an official record, because a crew member touched the rod during the fight, qualifying it as an "assisted catch" under International Game Fish Association rules. The official world record dates back to 2010, when Californian fisherman Mike Livingston caught a 405-pound yellowfin in Mexican wat... Read More
