D.C. welcomes new giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao
Why it matters: Pandas have become a D.C. symbol, synonymous with cherry blossoms and the three-star flag, and their return is hailed as a giant step forward for the city.
Driving the news: The three-year-old bears, which arrived from China in October and acclimated in quarantine, were welcomed in a ceremony featuring Chinese ambassador Xie Feng, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch, and zoo director Brandie Smith.
Yu Ying Charter School kindergarteners, who sang and performed a poem, "Giant Panda Friendship Rhyme," were first to burst through the gates — accompanied by Crush Funk Brass Band and a dancing bear.
The debut also unveils the remodeled and expanded David M. Rubenstein Panda Habitat, which was revamped for $25 million (with $10 million from Rubenstein himself). It features new climbing areas, pools, bamboo stands, and more.
What they're saying: " Our shared love for pandas has deepened my conviction that China and the United States have much more in common than what divides us," Feng said in his ceremony remarks.
"Whenever I think of what we've achieved in panda conservation, I have more confidence that as long as we work together, we can make great things happen to the benefit of both our countries and the world."
Between the lines: It's a sentiment echoed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who's called pandas"envoys of friendship" — notable at a time of thawing Chinese-U.S. relations.
Zoom in: The young bears look friendly in their new habitat, feeding on locally raised bamboo every few hours and tumbling around in their active mornings and afternoons (zookeepers note they typically nap in the late morning, good to know before visiting).
It can be tough to tell them apart. Bao Li — a nepo-bear, the son of Bao Bao, who was born at the zoo in 2013 — is bigger. His black eye patches are wider. Qing Bao is slighter with a fuzzier face.
What they're saying: " It's been fun to see how different they are," zoo director Brandie Lee tells Axios. "Qing Bao is our girl. I love her because she's independent. She likes to do her own thing. Her happy place is climbing up a tree and staying there for a few hours."
"Bao Li is more people-centric, he talks to his keepers all the time."
What we're watching: The zoo's new high-tech Giant Panda Cam launched Friday morning, and will broadcast the bears with its 40 cameras from 7pm-7am daily, replaying during the bears' private hours.
If you go: Visiting the zoo is free, and you don't need a special panda pass (though you can buy a special panda-themed SmarTrip Metro card to get there). Everyone — even infants — needs an online pass to enter, and a few same-day passes may be offered at the gates. Paid parking reservations can be made online.
The zoo is expecting thousands of visitors, and set up a queue for the pandas by the Asia Trail entrance, across from the Visitor's Center.
Plan for long lines and give enough time to reach the Panda House before the last entry at 3:30pm daily.
The bottom line: If you need a bear-ake, the nearby panda-conomy has kicked into full gear. Baked by Yael across from the main gates serves panda pops and cookies, as well as coffee and bagel sandwiches.
The Bamboo Bar, a new panda pop-up next door, goes stronger with panda-ritas and "Bao-zy" spiked cocoas.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
42 minutes ago
- New York Post
Nobody wants to shop anymore — and our classic stores are suffering
Shoppers keep dropping America. Land of the Pilgrims' pride. That was yesterday. Today gone like the covered wagon. Because some designers' bills haven't been paid since January, shops are not receiving new merchandise. Thus, a handful of stores are amalgamating — Saks 5th, Neiman's, Bergdorf all snuggling under the same entity — Saks Global. Major outlets have closed. Saks 5th Palm Beach was captivity's most successful outlet. For ladies of a certain age, it was their pastime. Those limbs could no longer do what they used to do so — got nothing to do? You shop. Took up time. That was then. Now not. Dressing today is just for salads. Already on luxury overload they need nothing. Maybe only an accessory like a handbag. Even collectors stopped collecting. Take photographs. Nobody buying. Pics are like Biden. Not moving. Big-time front-cover fashion shots once grabbed big dollars. Now? It's that craggy thing you snap with your crappy cell. Auction sales of formerly big-time photographers have tanked. Why? Collectors grew old. Not selling like 10 years ago. Scenes, faces, models, places, history, geography, nudity, fashion — now, forget it. Worldwide front-cover fotogs like Irving Penn? It's now 'so what?' Christie's and Phillips auction houses once sold him. Not now. Pros tell me that at a 2013 auction of one Irving Penn photo brought $459,000. Now his masterpieces — down to $80,000 — huge drop — remain unsold. Grandkids aren't into black and white. They want showy. Shiny. Glittery. They don't care about the old masters. Owners now sit on their collections. Not even trying to sell. Huge drop. Auction houses were off 40% this season. Famous photo titled 'Woman in Moroccan Palace' sold for $459,000 in 2013. Lately it came back up for $80,000. Didn't sell. Also not moving — clothing. Its buyers only look to wear it once. Disposable goods. Not investment clothing. They'll post themselves on Instagram or TikTok wearing the new cheapo tee then — shove it. Off with it. The designer market has gone the way of zoot suits. They say low-fruit spenders will shop — but not in volume or to show quality. Just 'something to do.' A way to save the day. Not an activity. Not to flash your semi-covered behind at a tennis match. Just something to do before going home to argue with him. Brands are suffering — consumers are stiffing Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Dior, Valentino. Unless designers possess their own personal special place, it's sayonara. No room at the inn. Shops aren't paying or ordering. Forget lunch — stylists now hunt for friends to take them to dinner. And nobody's breaking out of the mold. Two nights ago, five people were at the next restaurant table — husband, wife, two children and grandma. All 10 feet were in sneakers. Once big buyers came from overseas, including the Chinese. Now no one. South Americans have their own problems. Europeans? Busy killing each other off. Nobody wants Russians. And if you're US stock and come from places like, maybe, Minnesota — nobody wants you any place. And never — never — forget the immortal words of Irving Hauser who said: 'A penny saved is a point on your credit card.' And he said it: Only in New York, kids, only in New York.
Axios
2 hours ago
- Axios
Former reporter's new novel features Valley institutions — including Axios Phoenix
Christina Estes' new mystery novel is chock-full of local references, including one that's especially near and dear to our hearts — a fictional Axios Phoenix reporter. The big picture: " The Story That Wouldn't Die," Estes' second book featuring tenacious television reporter Jolene Garcia, was officially released Tuesday. The intrigue: There's a brief appearance by a fictional Axios Phoenix reporter whose name, Jessmy Doehm, is a mash-up of the two reporters who make this newsletter happen every day. Estes was a longtime Valley journalist who spent years with KJZZ. Zoom in: Garcia's latest adventure has her delving into City Hall corruption, a fitting follow-up to the Emmy-winning reporter's investigation into a controversial radio host's murder in Estes' first book. Part of the story that revolves around development and the displacement of residents was inspired by Estes' reporting, she said. Between the lines: The book in many ways is a love letter to Phoenix, with Garcia visiting restaurants and landmarks throughout town, including Miracle Mile Deli, Sweet Republic, Steele Indian School Park and Fair Trade Cafe. It also opens with a fictionalized version of the 2016 incident in which then-Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton got stuck in an elevator at City Hall. Estes told Axios that Luana's Coffee and Beer added a secret menu item because of the book, so pay attention to the references. "The book's dedication says it all: "To Phoenix, for welcoming me, challenging me, and cheering me," she told Axios Phoenix. My thought bubble: I was especially happy to see Garcia get lunch at Chino Bandito. The north Phoenix Chinese-Mexican fusion eatery has been one of my favorite restaurants for 30 years.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Joy Reid says ‘mediocre white men' like Trump, Elvis steal culture from other races
Advertisement Former MSNBC anchor Joy Reid condemned President Donald Trump, Elvis Presley and others on Friday as some of history's many 'mediocre White men' whose achievements are stolen or counterfeit. Reid criticized Trump's review of the Smithsonian during an interview with Wajahat Ali for his 'The Left Hook' substack, in an episode titled, 'How Mediocre White Men and Their Fragility Are Destroying America.' They argued that across America's institutions, there is a phenomenon of 'mediocre White men' with no actual culture of their own who co-opt the achievements of Black people to aggrandize themselves. Ali opened the episode by talking about Trump reforming the Kennedy Center in what his critics call a hostile takeover. The institution, which in recent years had featured drag queen performances, is now being reformed to show decidedly more conservative and pro-American content. Advertisement Trump announced this year's Kennedy Center awards last week, which he will also be hosting. 3 Reid made the comments on Wajahat Ali's 'The Left Hook' substack. 'These people cannot create culture on their own,' Ali said. 'Without Black people, Brown people, the DEIs, there's no culture in America. We make the food better. We make the economy better. We make the music better. Right? MAGA can't create culture. They got Cracker Barrel and Kid Rock.' Reid and Ali claimed that White conservatives practice their own variant of outrage culture where they complain about what they say. 'They don't have the intellectual rigor to actually argue or debate with us, right? And what they do is they tattle and tell. They run and tell teacher that 'the Black lady or the Brown man was mean to me.' And that's what they always do,' Reid said. Advertisement Reid, who initially wore a hat dedicated to the historically debatable 1619 Project, then changed to one with the letters 'FDT,' took special umbrage at Trump's efforts to review the Smithsonian's historical exhibits ahead of America's 250th anniversary. 3 United States President Donald J Trump speaks during a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 18 August 2025. AARON SCHWARTZ/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock 'They can't fix the history they did. Their ancestors made this country into a slave — a slave hell, but they can clean it up now because they got the Smithsonian. They can get rid of all the slavery stuff,' she said. 'They got PragerU that can lie about the history to the children. They can't originally invent anything more than they ever were able to invent good music. 'We Black folk gave y'all country music, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, rock and roll. They couldn't even invent that, but they have to call a White man 'The King.' Because they couldn't make rock and roll, so they have to stamp 'The King' on a man whose main song was stolen from an overweight Black woman,' Reid continued. Advertisement Reid was referring to 'The King' Elvis Presley singing 'Hound Dog,' which was first recorded by Big Mama Thornton, a Black blues singer, and written by two Jewish-American songwriters. Elvis' version, which was more upbeat, with a faster rhythm and slightly altered lyrics, boosted his rise to fame in 1956 after his previous breakout hit, 'Heartbreak Hotel' earlier that year. 3 Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley performing on the Elvis comeback TV special on June 27, 1968. Michael Ochs Archives Elvis helped pioneer the rockabilly (a portmanteau of rock 'n' roll and 'hillbilly') sub-genre of rock 'n' roll, a mix of country music and rhythm and blues, and was candid throughout his career about his influences from Black American music. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters White House spokesman Harrison Fields responded to Reid's comments, saying she was 'too unhinged for MSNBC.' 'Joyless Reid is an ungrateful hack who fails to acknowledge her privilege. Whatever remains of her success would only be possible in the United States of America, the same country she degrades for sport. She was too unhinged for MSNBC and was fired. Instead of changing her act, she's doubled down on stupid,' he said. Fox News Digital reached out to PragerU and did not receive an immediate reply.
