Jump to May 2012 archive page: 1 ... 3 4 5 6 7 ... 17
  • Gulf Coast fishermen fear effects of oil spill may be far from over

    Gerald Herbert / AP

    This May 16 photo shows shovels used to load shrimp into containers at Ken Lee's Dock, a seafood dock, in Lafitte, La. The mood on the hard-working shrimp and crab docks of this gritty fishing town in the Barataria estuary, a traditional seafood basket for New Orleans, is gloomy as the second full year of fishing since BP's catastrophic oil spill kicks into high gear.

    Gerald Herbert / AP

    Tuna Pham, a shrimper, talks as he works on his idle boat in Lafitte, La.

    Gerald Herbert / AP

    Empty crab hampers, foreground, and crab traps, rear right, at Crescent Seafood, a seafood dock, in Lafitte, La. This spring, catches are down, docks are idle and anxiety is growing that the ill effects of the BP spill may be far from over.

    Gerald Herbert / AP

    Wade Christian, rear, sorts crabs at a seafood dock in Lafitte, La.

    Gerald Herbert / AP

    An idle shrimp boats sits in Lafitte, La.

    Story: BP wins delay of Gulf spill trial until 2013

    Show more
  • Shaven-headed youngsters attend Little Buddha Camp in South Korea

    Lee Jin-man / AP

    Shaven-headed young boys wearing 3-D glasses watch a movie at SK Telecom T.um Museum in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 24. They are among nine children who entered the temple to have an experience of monks' life for three weeks, called Little Buddha Camp, to celebrate upcoming Buddha's birthday on May 28.

     More monk photos in PhotoBlog

  • Mars rover sees its own shadow

    NASA / JPL-Caltech / Cornell / ASU

    NASA's Opportunity rover catches its own late-afternoon shadow in a view looking eastward across Endeavour Crater on Mars. Endeavour measures 14 miles across, encompassing a crater with about as much area as the city of Seattle. The colors in this picture have been tweaked to exaggerate surface differences.


    NASA's Opportunity rover can't really take a full-frontal picture of itself on Mars, but catching its own shadow on camera is the next best thing. And if you can get a breathtaking view of Endeavour Crater in the background, so much the better.

    This view combines about a dozen separate images taken by Opportunity's panoramic camera in early March, while the rover was biding its time on Endeavour's western rim. At the time, the solar-powered rover was in stationary, low-energy mode due to the Martian winter. But since the images for this mosaic were collected, Opportunity has resumed its drive and is currently investigating a patch of windblown Martian dust nearby.

    Eventually, Opportunity will head for a spot known as Cape Tribulation to look for special types of clay minerals known as phyllosilicates. If such minerals are found, studying the deposits could provide fresh insights into the role that water played in Mars' ancient past.

    The picture reflects the scene at 4:30 to 5 p.m. on a Martian afternoon, with the colors enhanced to exaggerate differences in surface composition. That's why the far reaches of Endeavour Crater's basin have a bluish tinge. In natural color, the vista would have a more uniform reddish tone.

    And while we're on the subject of color, check out the knobby protuberance at lower left. That's the rover's sundial. The device isn't used so much to tell the time as to calibrate the panoramic camera's color balance. Patches of color and circles of grayscale help the rover operators back on Earth figure out how to match the colors to what the eye would see. Unfortunately, the color-calibrating "Marsdial" isn't as helpful as it might be, because it's covered with reddish dust — like the rest of the solar panels in the foreground.

    To find out what the Marsdial looks like when it's cleaned up, and to get a better sense of how it's used, check out this explanation from Cornell University's Athena team.

    NASA sent Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, to opposite sides of Mars in January 2004, with the expectation that their missions would last for 90 days. Both rovers were crazy overachievers, and although Spirit gave up the ghost a year or two ago, Opportunity is still going strong. Soon it will no longer be alone: In August, NASA's Curiosity rover is due to be dropped onto the Martian surface for at least a couple of years of work on the Red Planet.

    More about Mars:


    Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding Cosmic Log's Google+ page to your circle. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for other worlds.

  • Gemini capsule launched on a string

    JP Aerospace

    A 2-inch-long paper model of a 1960s-era Gemini capsule hangs from a string in front of a camera mounted on a balloon-borne platform at an altitude of more than 97,000 feet. Meanwhile, the moon hangs in the far background, sans string.


    So what if it's only a paper spaceship? This year marks the 50th anniversary of Project Gemini's christening, and you could regard this small-scale re-creation of a Gemini space mission as a fitting tribute to the times.

    The original 19-foot-long Gemini spacecraft was built to accommodate two astronauts for missions that would lay the groundwork for the Apollo missions to the moon. This 2-inch-long Gemini model was built by John's Paper Models and hung from a string during one of JP Aerospace's high-altitude balloon flights in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.


    "The model was flown to 97,704 feet on balloon during last month's PongSat mission. 980 student experiments were also flown," John Powell, the founder of JP Aerospace, told me in an email. The California-based venture sends payloads up to the edge of space at the end of a helium-filled balloon, and recovers the payloads after the balloon breaks.

    The payloads range from mini-experiments that can fit inside a pingpong ball — hence the name "PongSat" — to the occasional chair or cellphone. These flights don't come anywhere close to the internationally accepted 62-mile (100-kilometer) boundary of outer space, but they do rise high enough to provide exposure to cosmic rays, the near-vacuum of near space and other conditions that can put space hardware to a rigorous test. And as you can see here, the flights provide an awesome view as well.

    JP Aerospace

    JP Aerospace's "Away 66" mission rises. The tiny model of the Gemini capsule can be seen hanging from the left side of the balloon-borne platform.

    Meanwhile, another near-space mission has successfully sent "Star Trek" captains and celebrities into space, at least in miniaturized, plasticized action-figure form. StarTrek.com provides a photo essay chronicling the results of this month's "Send Picard to Space" balloon mission, backed by more than $6,000 in Kickstarter contributions. "The captains and equipment spent two hours aloft, 90 minutes of that in the stratosphere, until the balloon popped and the payload parachuted safely back to Earth," StarTrek.com reported. Stay tuned for the encore presentation. 

    More adventures in near space:


    Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding Cosmic Log's Google+ page to your circle. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for other worlds.

  • Destroying poppies in a Guatemala plantation

    Johan Ordonez / AFP - Getty Images

    A police officer shows a poppy flower during an operation to destroy a plantation in Tuinima village, Tajumulco nunicipality, San Marcos departament, 315 km northeast of Guatemala City, near the border with Mexico, on Wednesday.

    Johan Ordonez / AFP - Getty Images

    A soldier takes part in an operation to destroy a poppy plantation in Tuinima village.

    Most of the images of poppy cultivation (and destruction) we see are from Afghanistan. See this series about opium previously in PhotoBlog, and this piece about security forces burning opium.

    Sign up for the msnbc.com Photos Newsletter

  • U.S. Air Force Academy cadets receive presidential sendoff

    Jewel Samad / AFP - Getty Images

    Air Force cadets celebrate during their graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. on May 23.

    Jewel Samad / AFP - Getty Images

    Graduates of U.S. Air Force class of 2012 celebrate as they are greeted by President Barack Obama during their graduation ceremony at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. on May 23.

    Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

    U.S. Air Force Academy Cadets, lower their heads during the Invocation at the start of the commencement ceremony on May 23 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

    Jewel Samad / AFP - Getty Images

    President Barack Obama salutes as he arrives to deliver commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. on May 23.

    President Barack Obama delivered his final commencement speech of the season, addressing graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

    Obama is keeping up a presidential tradition of speaking to one of the service academies every year at graduation time.

    Speaking to at an Air Force graduation ceremony, President says. "We can say with confidence and pride: The United States is stronger, safer and more respected in the world." Watch the entire speech.

  • Tall ships sail up Hudson River for Fleet Week

    Don Emmert / AFP - Getty Images

    Sailors aboard the tall ship from Indonesia "Dewaruci" sail past the Statue of Liberty May 23, in New York. The tall ship is participating in Fleet Week events in New York.

    Andrew Burton / Reuters

    Ships sail up the Hudson river during the start of Fleet Week in New York May 23.

    Don Emmert / AFP - Getty Images

    The tall ship from Ecuador, Guayas sails past Manhattan on May 23, in New York. The tall ship is participating in Fleet Week events.

    From NBC: Naval vessels ranging from a U.S. amphibious assault ship to a Finnish minelayer are participating in Fleet Week. The organization Operation Sail says 17 tall ships from around the world also will be in the city. The large vessels are rigged with traditional sails.    This year's event marks the bicentennial of the War of 1812.   For more on the Fleet Week activities click here.

     

     

  • Stuntman in wingsuit lands parachute-free

    Gary Connery Archive / Getty Images

    Stuntman Gary Connery celebrates after his attempt to become the first skydiver to land without the aid of a parachute on May 23, in Henley-on-Thames, England. Professional Hollywood stuntman performed a 3,000ft BASE jump without the aid of a parachute, landing on 24,000 cardboard boxes in his home town of Henley upon Thames. Gary was wearing a revolutionary wing suit, which lessens the forces of gravity as he descended, requiring him to land at the optimal angle to the boxes as he approached at speeds in excess of 90mph.

    Eddie Keogh / Reuters

    Stuntman Gary Connery (bottom) is seen in the sky wearing a specially developed wingsuit near Henley-on-Thames, west of London May 23. He jumped from a helicopter at 2,400 feet and successfully landed without the use of a parachute.

    Gary Connery Archive / Getty Images

    Stuntman Gary Connery attempts to become the first skydiver to land without the aid of a parachute on May 23, 2012 in Henley-on-Thames, England.

    Eddie Keogh / Reuters

    Stuntman Gary Connery, wearing a specially developed wingsuit, prepares to land among cardboard boxes in Henley-on-Thames, west of London May 23. He had jumped from a helicopter at 2,400 feet and successfully landed without the use of a parachute.

    Eddie Keogh / Reuters

    Stuntman Gary Connery, wearing a specially developed wingsuit, lands among cardboard boxes in Henley-on-Thames, west of London May 23. He had jumped from a helicopter at 2,400 feet and successfully landed without the use of a parachute.

    Daredevil Gary Connery is the first person to jump from a helicopter in a wingsuit and land without deploying a parachute. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown has the story.

     

  • Russian military plane crashes outside Prague

    Josef Vostarek / AP

    An AN-30 military aircraft lies off the runway at the Czech air force base in Caslav, some 20 miles east of Prague, Wednesday, May 23. An official says the Russian military plane caught fire after problems during the landing maneuver, injuring at least six people on board. Czech military spokeswoman Jana Ruzickova said the plane had 23 people on board, 14 Russians and 9 Czechs. Five Russians and one Czech national have suffered injuries, mostly burns. The plane and Russian officials were in the Czech Republic on a regular monitoring mission.

    AFP - Getty Images

    Firefighters evacuate debris from a Russian military Antonov An-30 aircraft lying on May 23, in a field near the airbase in Caslav, about 80 kms (50 miles) east of Prague, after skidding off the runway as it was landing. Seven people were injured, including two who were taken to a hospital in Prague by helicopters with serious burns after the plane caught fire.

     From AP: PRAGUE  — A Russian military jet malfunctioned while landing in the Czech Republic on Wednesday, injuring six people as it rolled off the runway, broke apart and caught fire, Czech and Russian officials said. At least one man was in life-threatening condition.

    The Russian-made An-30 plane had 23 people on board — 14 Russians and 9 Czechs, Czech military spokeswoman Jana Ruzickova said

     

  • Archaeologists uncover proof that Bethlehem existed centuries pre-Jesus

    Baz Ratner / Reuters

    A clay seal recently unearthed by Israeli archaeologists is displayed by Eli Shukron, who directed the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, just outside Jerusalem's Old City on May 23, 2012.

    Reuters reports — Israeli archaeologists said on Wednesday they had discovered the first physical evidence supporting Old Testament accounts of Bethlehem's existence centuries before the town became revered as the birthplace of Jesus.

    The proof came, they said, in a clay seal unearthed near the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem and imprinted with three lines of ancient Hebrew script that include the word "Bethlehem".

    Experts stumped by ancient Jerusalem stone carvings

    Eli Shukron, who directed the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said the seal apparently had been placed on a tax shipment of silver or agricultural produce sent from Bethlehem to the King of Judah in nearby Jerusalem in the 8th or 7th century BC.

    Violent storm reveals ancient art on the coast of Israel

    "This is the first time the name Bethlehem appears outside the Bible in an inscription from the First Temple period," Shukron said in a statement, referring to the years 1006 BC to 586 BC.

    The coin-sized remnant of the seal proves that Bethlehem - first mentioned in the Book of Genesis - "was indeed a city in the Kingdom of Judah, and possibly also in earlier periods", he said.

    Baz Ratner / Reuters

    The tiny clay seal is imprinted with three lines of ancient Hebrew script that include the word "Bethlehem".

     

  • Miners set fires, block Spanish highway in protest

    Eloy Alonso / Reuters

    A miner stands in front of burning barricades on the A-66 motorway, on the first day of a strikes to protest against the government's spending cuts in the mining sector, in Pola de Lena, near Oviedo, northern Spain, on May 23.

    Eloy Alonso / Reuters

    Miners on strike move to set up a barricade on the A-66 motorway, on the first day of a strike to protest the government's spending cuts in the mining sector, in Pola de Lena, near Oviedo, northern Spain, May 23. Spain's economy is contracting for the second time since late 2009 and four years of stagnation and recession have pushed unemployment above 24 percent, the highest rate in the European Union.

     From Reuters:  MADRID - Spain may say on Wednesday how it will plug a hole of at least 8 billion euros ($10.21 billion) at Bankia, part of an effort to clean up a banking sector laden with bad debts and stop the country sinking further into the euro zone debt crisis.

    Economists say Spain has little hope of emerging from recession unless there is a wide-ranging bank recapitalization and many predict it will need an international aid package similar to the ones handed out to Greece and Ireland. Continue reading this story here.

     

  • Egyptians vote in first democratic presidential election

    Pete Muller / AP

    Egyptian voters line up to cast ballots in Basateen, a southern suburb of Cairo, on May 23, 2012, the first of two days of presidential voting after 16 months of interim rule by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces.

    Suhaib Salem / Reuters

    A policeman hangs a list of voters' names outside a polling station in Cairo.

    Ian Johnston, msnbc.com reports — A dying man came "for my children," a college student said he finally felt "like a citizen of this country," and an undecided voter was just happy to take part in "a historic" moment.

    Ahmed Youssef / EPA

    18 days of popular protest culminated in the downfall of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11, 2011.

    Egyptians turned out in droves Wednesday to take part in the country's first-ever democratic election of its leader.

    Fifteen months after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring uprising, BBC News reported lines began growing at many polling stations shortly after they opened at 8 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET).  Read the full story.

    Related content:

    Pete Muller / AP

    Voters argue with a soldier as they wait to cast ballots in Basateen a southern suburb of Cairo.

    Pete Muller / AP

    Ahmed Maher, a co-founder of the April 6 Revolutionary Movement, waits in line to vote at a polling center in Maadi, a southern suburb of Cairo. The April 6 Movement was one of the leading youth protest movements during the uprising against former President Honsi Mubarak last year.

    Suhaib Salem / Reuters

    A woman is assisted outside a polling station in Cairo.

    Suhaib Salem / Reuters

    Women cast their votes at a polling station in Cairo.

     

  • Bodies of Indonesia jet crash victims returned to families

    Romeo Gacad / AFP - Getty Images

    Fellow Indonesian pilots carry the casket of Captain Darwin Pelawi during a turnover ceremony for the bodies of 45 passengers killed on the Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 at the Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta on May 23, 2012.

    The remains of all 45 victims of a crashed Sukhoi jet were officially handed over to their families in a ceremony in Jakarta on Wednesday, two weeks after the plane slammed into a dormant volcano in Indonesia's West Java province during an exhibition flight, killing everybody on board. 

    Follow @msnbc_pictures

    Beawiharta / Reuters

    A woman places a hand on the coffin of one of the victims of the Sukhoi crash during a ceremony in Jakarta on May 23, 2012.

     

     

  • Hunt for drug trafficker terrorizes Honduras village

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Clara Wood Rivas, 59, whose son Antonie Brooks Symore, 14, was killed during a drug raid that appears to have mistakenly targeted civilians in a remote jungle area of Honduras, killing four riverboat passengers and injuring four others.

    The Associated Press reports — AHUAS, Honduras — A fearsome rattle of gunfire from the sky. The roar of helicopters descending on a tiny, Honduran town. And the sound of commandos speaking in English as they battered down doors and detained locals in the hunt for a drug trafficker.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    An aerial view of the Mosquitia region near the remote community of Ahuas, Honduras, on May 21, 2012.

    Villagers say the drug bust that left four passengers of a riverboat dead after helicopters mistakenly fired on civilians continued into the predawn hours when commandos, including Americans, raided their town.

    Mexico's drug war: No sign of 'light at the end of the tunnel'

    Heavily armed Honduran police in at least two helicopters landed and took off numerous times while agents searched homes and detained several people in the village on the banks of a river deep in Honduras' Mosquitia region, named for the Miskito Indians. In the end, enraged residents torched the home of the town's suspected drug trafficker in retaliation for the fatalities on the river.

    Central American migrants protest targeting by Mexico gangs

    The May 11 shooting and subsequent raid raises questions about what role, if any, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents who were on the helicopters played in the events described by villagers. The DEA has repeatedly said its agents on the mission, which included two U.S. helicopters, acted only in an advisory role to their Honduran National Police counterparts and did not use their weapons. Read the full story.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Clara Wood Rivas, right, accompanied by her daughter July, 18, mourns in front of the tomb of her son in Ahuas on May 22, 2012.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Honduran soldiers patrol in Ahuas on May 22, 2012. Following the raid on May 11 Honduran police narcotics forces and men speaking English spent hours searching the small town for a suspected drug trafficker, according to villagers.

    The burnt house of an alleged drug dealer know as 'El Renco', one of four homes burned after the raid. "The family and friends of the victims burned the homes because of the narcos," villager Hilaria Zavala said. "This whole mess was their fault ... because of them, we all had to pay."

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Wilmer Lucas Walter, 14, rests while recovering in a public hospital from the wounds caused during the attack. On May 11, Wilmer and more than a dozen others dove from a riverboat into the water for cover from Honduran police, who say they were hitting drug traffickers who fired first. Four died.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A dog bites meat drying outside a house in Ahuas on May 22, 2012. Ahuas Mayor Lucio Baquedano, who said all the shooting victims were innocents, said that there is a drug trafficking cell in his town and that the number of clandestine landing strips is not only increasing, but getting closer to populated areas and putting more uninvolved people at risk.

     

  • Inside Syria: War-torn city of Homs scarred by violence, riddled with fear

    NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports from war-torn Homs showing how parts of the city have been ravaged by fighting while others have been spared.

    HOMS, Syria -- Fighting has ravaged Syria over the past 14 months, as evidenced in parts of the Homs neighborhood of Baba Amr. Nearly destroyed, hollow buildings stand on the side of roads seldom traveled by either cars or people. Once a stronghold of the opposition, the city now sits firmly under the control of the Syrian military.

    Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News

    A child rides his bike across the bombed-out main street of Baba Amr. Once the stronghold of the opposition, it's now firmly in the hands of the military and the neighborhood is nearly empty as residents have fled to nearby areas. You can still see the damaged buildings and the mosque along the main street.

    A fragile truce brokered by international mediator Kofi Annan has failed to stop the violence, which has killed more than 9,000, according to U.N. figures. It has also caused a refugee crisis in the region.

    Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News

    One of Syria's Olympic athletes, Raya, trains at a shooting range ahead of the upcoming Summer Games in London. Some have called on the IOC to ban Syrian athletes from participating in the Games, while others have defended the right of athletes to not be punished for their government's actions.

    Just a few hundred yards away from Baba Amr, the neighborhood of Akrema is bustling with activity, as people wander through busy streets and markets. But concern is at an all-time high here, as many people fear a regime change would be dangerous for them.

    A roadside bomb exploded in Douma, Syria this weekend near a United Nations convoy carrying the head of a Syria ceasefire monitoring mission and a senior U.N. Official. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.

    Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News

    A U.N. vehicle attempting to enter the opposition-held area of Tel Kelakh was swarmed by government supporters who marked the vehicles with pro-Assad slogans. The U.N. observer mission turned back and did not enter the city.

    A resident of Khalidiya shows the wounds he suffered after he was attacked by pro-government thugs, known locally as the as the "Shabeeha" -- which means "Ghosts".

    See more images from inside Syria, taken by NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin (Editor's note: Some of these images are graphic in nature):

    Related: Slideshow: A glimpse inside Syria (by Ayman Mohyeldin)

    Related content: 

    More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

    Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

  • Wildfire burns homes and forces evacuations near Gardnerville, Nev.

    Photos by Cathleen Allison / AP

    Firefighters battle a wildfire south of Gardnerville, Nev. On May 22, 2012. The fast-moving blaze near the Nevada-California line destroyed at least two homes on Tuesday as it forced evacuations and sent up huge plumes of black smoke, witnesses said.

    Firefighters battle a wildfire south of Gardnerville, Nev., on Tuesday.

    The Record-Courier reports:

    Firefighters are battling a wildfire that is threatening more than 100 homes in the southern Douglas County Community of Topaz Ranch Estates.

    The fire was reported at 1:39 p.m. as burning in heavy fuel between homes. Structures were confirmed burning.

    Sign up for the msnbc.com Photos Newsletter

  • Joplin tornado survivors take a Walk of Unity

    People walk together during a city sponsored Walk of Unity through the area that was ravaged by a massive tornado one year ago today on May 22 in Joplin, Mo.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    Jody Kirk carries a sign in honor of her father Stan Kirk as she and other people walk together during a city sponsored Walk of Unity through the area that was ravaged by a massive tornado one year ago today. Kirk said her father was one of the 161 who died.

    It's been a long, hard year for Joplin, Mo., where the destruction is still clearly visible today, even from space. NBC's Ron Mott reports.

    A year after a massive tornado tore through Joplin, Mo., thousands of people touched by the storm marched through the streets of the hardest hit areas of town in a city sponsored four-mile "Walk of Unity."

    Related links:

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    Scott Hasty places an American flag next to where his house was before it was destroyed by the massive tornado that passed through the town one year ago when the EF-5 tornado hit leaving behind a path of destruction along with 161 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    Dawna Middleton and Bill Cook share a moment together during a prayer service in front of the iron cross that is all that remains of St. Mary's church after it was destroyed by the tornado one year ago today.

    'Nightly News' spoke with Joplin tornado survivor Bethany Lansaw, who first talked with NBC's Brian Williams in 2011.

    Sign up for the msnbc.com Photos Newsletter

  • Rick Wilking / Reuters

    Walking with tigers at Colorado's Wild Animal Sanctuary


    Visitors walk on a new elevated walkway as they pass by a rescued tiger at The Wild Animal Sanctuary on the prairie near Keenesburg, Colo. on May 22. The 720 acre sanctuary is a refuge for large carnivores such as tigers, bears and lions that have been seized from illegal or abusive cases around the world.

  • Plebes struggle to climb lard-covered monument in Annapolis, Maryland

    Mark Wilson / Getty Images

    Annapolis Naval Academy freshmen climb the Herndon Monument which is covered with lard on May 22 in Annapolis, Maryland.

    According to this Wikipedia article, the Herndon Monument on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy is a tall grey obelisk. It was erected in memory of Captain William Lewis Herndon who courageously decided to go down with his ship, SS Central America, and the men left aboard rather than save himself on September 12, 1857. All women and children and many of the men aboard were saved by a nearby ship during the storm.

    Mark Wilson / Getty Images

    Each year the freshman class, known as 'Plebes,' climb the monument at the Naval Academy to retrieve the Plebian Sailor's hat and replace it with an officer's hat. The tradition is one step in marking the end of wearing freshman headgear and moving up to headgear more like a U.S. Naval officer.

    Youtube video of plebes scaling Herndon

     

  • Berlin beekeeper boasts bountiful honey harvest

    Sean Gallup / Getty Images

    Urban beekeeper Erika Mayr checks on the health as well as the honey content of one of her honey bee colonies on the roof of a building in Kreuzberg district on May 22, in Berlin, Germany.

    Sean Gallup / Getty Images

    Mayr is among a growing number of city dwellers who are giving urban beekeeping a try.She sells the 100kg of honey she harvests annually at local markets.

    Sean Gallup / Getty Images

    Mayr maintains colonies that contain approximately 200,000 bees at two rooftop locations in Berlin

    Honeybees may be victims of widely used insecticides coated on a variety of crop seeds. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.

     

    Related story: Beekeepers ask EPA to ban pesticide toxic to bees

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