Mr. Ecclestone didn't respond to requests for comment late Wednesday.

WSJ: German Banker Gerhard Gribkowsky Gets 8 ? Years for Accepting Bribes from Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone

The Interior Department didn't respond to a request for comment late Thursday on why the permits had been granted on Wednesday.

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Carnival didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment late Wednesday.

NPR: Fuel Barges Explode, Catch Fire In Ala.; 3 Hurt

The Department of Justice referred questions about the device to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which didn't respond to a request for comment by late Tuesday.

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