Vacation Destinations

Michelin Guide Goes Interactive

BusinessWeek  |  Jun 18, 08 8:45 PM CDT

(Newser) - Before it was the last word in gastronomy, the Michelin Guide was a free book designed to spur travel, and hence sell tires. Now, it’ll be free once more, thanks to a revamped Web strategy, BusinessWeek reports. Michelin’s redesigned site will not only give away more content, it’ll also include web 2.0 features to let amateur gourmets get a word in. More »

Player Denies Vegas Run-In Led to Mugging

TheDirty.com  |  Jun 18, 08 5:40 PM CDT

(Newser) - Disputing reports he was mugged after a Las Vegas run-in with boxer Floyd Mayweather, Javon Walker tells TheDirty.com's Nik Richie (who claims the NFL wide receiver is a "very close friend") that three armed men entered his hotel room early Monday, knocked him out and took his valuables. Walker, recently signed by Oakland, was released from hospital today after suffering facial injuries. More »

Raccoon Checks Into Berlin Hotel

Der Spiegel  |  Jun 17, 08 11:42 AM CDT

(Newser) - The talk of the town in Berlin is a raccoon who's taken up residence in a hotel garage and can't legally be removed. Under German law, a wild animal can't be removed from private property unless it poses a threat, Der Spiegel reports. One wildlife expert says he thinks the animal, a rarity in Germany, may have grown up at the Brandenburg Gate. More »

Fuel Costs Squeeze Services for Native American Tribes

Reznet News  |  Jun 17, 08 2:26 AM CDT

(Newser) - Higher gas prices are forcing Native American tribal governments to cut back on transportation services, reports Reznet News. The Rosebud Sioux tribe provides its police, education and social services departments with transportation, as well as rides for the elderly and trips to medical appointments. But with coffers running on empty, the South Dakota tribe is changing its driving practices, reallocating funding—and may be forced to shelve programs entirely. More »

Bush to Overhaul Access for Disabled

New York Times  |  Jun 16, 08 7:19 AM CDT

(Newser) - With an eye to aging Boomers and Iraq vets, the Bush administration is set to propose wide-ranging new rules to improve disabled access to public spaces from retail stores to golf courses, the New York Times reports. The move, which updates  implementation of the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, would affect 7 million businesses and all state and local government agencies. While some call the plan's $23 billion price tag too steep, advocates for the disabled say it’s not enough. More »

Alaskan Salmon Sick of Climate Change

Los Angeles Times  |  Jun 14, 08 7:24 PM CDT

(Newser) - Alaskan king salmon are getting sick, and experts have named a culprit: global warming. Marine ecologists say that a rise in "white spot disease" is tied to a 3-decade trend of higher temperatures in the Yukon River, the Los Angeles Times reports. With cold-temperature barriers melting, parasites and bacteria are moving north—and threatening Alaska's prized salmon stock. More »

Top Vacations Off-Limits to Americans

Foreign Policy  |  Jun 14, 08 4:53 PM CDT

(Newser) - Here are top spots for an exotic foreign trip—except that Washington has labeled them off-limits or far too dangerous. Foreign Policy lists five: Mt. Kumgang is North Korea's "unspoiled spiritual retreat," but Americans will be quarantined by Pyongyang if they can even get in. More »

Mexican