Now to Alaska, where hundreds of people have turned out for the ceremonial start of the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage.

Dozens of mushers and their teams took off for an 11-mile jaunt through the state's largest city on Saturday, much to the delight of the cheering spectators. The actual race, though will begin on Sunday in Willow, a town about 80 miles north of Anchorage. However, the event has been having operational issues of late. With the oil-dependent state experiencing some economic hardship, it has lost much of its financial backing. Meanwhile, animal-rights activists have also been protesting against the mistreatment of dogs.