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CBS News
20-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Bronx Zoo hosts New York City boroughs honey-tasting contest
Battle of the boroughs over which one produces the best-tasting honey Battle of the boroughs over which one produces the best-tasting honey Battle of the boroughs over which one produces the best-tasting honey The Bronx Zoo hosted a contest on Tuesday to see which New York City borough produces the best-tasting honey. Jim Breheny, the director of the Bronx Zoo, said the tasting was an opportunity to share how bees and other pollinators are key to a healthy ecosystem. "The taste come from the pollen of the flowers or the plants that the bees are visiting. So some of them ... these very sweet. Some really fruity. Some will be more earthy," Breheny said. "Bees are vital to all of our food crops. All the fruits and the vegetables that we need. Bees are the major pollinators. And we're actually facing a crisis in the country where the population of honeybees is declining." So which borough rules? People from near and far weighed in on their favorite, but at the end of the competition the Bronx won with 34 votes followed by Staten Island with 23 and Manhattan with 22 votes. Queens came in fourth place, leaving Brooklyn in fifth. "It was a tie between the Bronx and Brooklyn, but the Bronx took it," contest voter Lanaya Bellamy said. "I voted for Staten Island. That was stronger. I think the strongest flavor," said Samantha Dates. You can email Erica with Bronx story ideas by CLICKING HERE.
Business Wire
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Bronx Zoo Debuting New World of Darkness This Summer with Nocturnal Species from Around the World
BUSINESS WIRE)--The Bronx Zoo is opening the new World of Darkness featuring 25 nocturnal species on Saturday, July 12. The World of Darkness invites Bronx Zoo visitors to explore a nocturnal experience highlighting over 20 different habitats including tropical forests, wetlands, deserts, caves, and subterranean environments. Some of the featured species include sloths, pygmy slow loris, broad-snouted caiman, aye-aye, sand cats, naked mole rats, vampire bats and many other species. All the habitats in the World of Darkness are designed to showcase specialized adaptations and behaviors that allow these species to thrive in darkness. The World of Darkness first opened to the public on June 12, 1969, as the first major zoo exhibit to utilize a reverse light cycle. This innovation made it possible for visitors to see night-dwelling creatures during their active period. For the re-opening this summer of the exhibit, which closed in April 2009, the zoo built on its history of innovative lighting design and on the original concept of a reverse day-night cycle. The new World of Darkness features programmable LED lighting systems that simulate natural day-to-night transitions, with soft fades that mirror sunrise and sunset. Said Jim Breheny, Bronx Zoo Director and WCS Executive Vice President of Zoos & Aquarium: 'The opening of the new World of Darkness will once again provide Bronx Zoo visitors with a unique immersion experience to observe amazing creatures that have evolved to live and thrive in darkness. Many New Yorkers have great memories of the exhibit which originally opened in 1969. It was the first major zoo exhibit to feature nocturnal animals in a reverse light cycle. We have updated all aspects of the experience to ensure an amazing opportunity to enter a shadowy world rarely seen.' The exhibit, which will include English and Spanish graphic interpretation, will open to the public on Saturday July 12; and for Wildlife Conservation Society members, it can be previewed on Tuesday, July 8 (10AM-4PM), and Thursday, July 10 (1PM-4PM). World of Darkness is included in all Bronx Zoo entry tickets. Tickets can be purchased HERE. A link to the World of Darkness online can be found HERE. The Bronx Zoo The Bronx Zoo, located on 265 acres of hardwood forest in Bronx, NY, opened on Nov. 8, 1899. It is world-renowned for its leadership in the areas of animal welfare, husbandry, veterinary care, education, science and conservation. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is the flagship park of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which manages the world's largest network of urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium. Our curators and animal care staff work to save, propagate, and sustain populations of threatened and endangered species. We have educated and inspired more than 400 million visitors at our zoos and aquarium since our opening and host approximately 4 million guests at our parks each year – including about a half-million students annually. The Bronx Zoo is the largest youth employer in the borough of the Bronx, providing opportunity and helping to transform lives in one of the most under-served communities in the nation. The Bronx Zoo is the subject of THE ZOO, a docu-series aired world-wide on Animal Planet. Members of the media should contact mdixon@ (+1 (347) 840-1242) for more information or with questions.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Michael Che apologises to Scarlett Johansson on SNL season finale: Here's why
Colin Jost and Michael Che's ongoing joke swap battle took a surprising turn during the Season 50 finale of Saturday Night Live, ending with an on-air apology to Scarlett Johansson. In their signature "Weekend Update" bit, the duo once again forced each other to read blind jokes written by the other. Also Read: Is Annabelle still in New Orleans? Here's what we know about haunted doll's next destination In a twist on their usual antics, this time Johansson herself joined the "Weekend Update" segment. Che, reading from remarks written by Jost, began by saying he wanted to "apologise to someone I hurt" and invited Johansson, the episode's host, to sit beside him. Acknowledging the awkward moment from a previous joke swap, Che added, "last time we did joke swap, I made Colin do some tasteless jokes" about her. He read, 'The fact is, I was just lashing out because I'm jealous. I've never even seen a human vagina. And notice I said human, because I once spent the summer on a farm." Talking to Jost, he went ahead, 'I owe you everything. When Colin discovered me, I was selling crack outside the Bronx Zoo, and now look at me: selling crack outside the American Girl Doll store. I've told thousands of jokes on 'Update' and gotten dozens of laughs, but I've never said the three most important words of all: I love you,' as reported by USA Today. During Jost's turn in the joke swap, Che amped up the mischief by making him read a fake plea to 'SNL' creator Lorne Michaels to retire and hand over the reins. The bit escalated as Jost was also made to deliver several racially charged jokes, including a jab at Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance, leaving the co-anchor visibly uncomfortable, much to Che's delight. Also Read: Malia Obama's Nike directorial debut sparks copycat claims; Indie director says, 'Why not hire from the source?' Johansson was also present during the 2024 joke swap, when Che had Jost read a crude joke about her. After the punchline aired, the camera cut to Johansson, who appeared stunned and said, "Oh, my God!" Reflecting on the moment, Jost later remarked that she looked "so genuinely worried" during the segment. Following the incident, she jokingly said that Che had some 'vendetta' against her on the Today show. She teasingly asked, 'Michael, why? What did I do to you, Michael?"
USA Today
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Michael Che apologizes to Scarlett Johansson for crude 'SNL' joke swap
Michael Che apologizes to Scarlett Johansson for crude 'SNL' joke swap Show Caption Hide Caption 'Saturday Night Live' celebrates 50 years of comedy Live from New York, it's the 50th anniversary of "Saturday Night Live." Colin Jost and Michael Che's joke swap war continues to escalate. During the Season 50 finale of "Saturday Night Live," the "Weekend Update" hosts partook in their biannual segment where they make each other read jokes that the other person has supposedly not seen before. In December, Jost was forced to read an offensive joke about his wife, Scarlett Johansson, and her private parts. This time, the "Black Widow" actress joined the segment. Che, reading remarks written by Jost, declared he wanted to "apologize to someone I hurt" and brought out Johansson, the episode's host, to sit next to him. He noted that the "last time we did joke swap, I made Colin do some tasteless jokes" about her. "The fact is, I was just lashing out because I'm jealous," Che read. "I've never even seen a human vagina. And notice I said human, because I once spent the summer on a farm." Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Che went on to tell Jost, "I owe you everything. When Colin discovered me, I was selling crack outside the Bronx Zoo, and now look at me: selling crack outside the American Girl Doll store. I've told thousands of jokes on 'Update' and gotten dozens of laughs, but I've never said the three most important words of all: I love you." 'Oh, my God!': Colin Jost shocks wife Scarlett Johansson in 'SNL' 'joke swap' During Jost's portion of the joke swap bit, Che forced his co-host to read a message urging their boss, "SNL" creator and producer Lorne Michaels, to retire and let him run the show. Jost was also forced to read several racist jokes, including one insulting Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show performance. Jake Gyllenhaal sings Boyz II Men: Colin Jost, Michael Che swap offensive jokes on 'SNL' Johansson was also in the building during the previous joke swap in 2024. After Jost read the crude joke about her that Che had given him, a camera cut to the actress looking shocked and saying, "Oh, my God!" Jost noted she looked "so genuinely worried" during the segment. Johansson later said on the "Today" show that she was stunned and joked that Che seems to have a "vendetta" against her and Jost, playfully asking, "Michael, why? What did I do to you, Michael?"
Boston Globe
17-05-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Cher wants a better home for Los Angeles' elephants. Not Tulsa.
In recent months, the legal, political and zoological drama playing out over the fate of the zoo's Asian elephants has escalated. After two aging members of the herd had to be euthanized, zoo officials announced in April that Billy and the only other surviving elephant, Tina, who is 59, would soon be relocated. Advertisement But instead of the sanctuary that Cher and other advocates wanted, officials said the elephants would be moved to a zoo in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they could join a larger herd. That has led to protests, a lawsuit, tense city meetings, anger at the zoo director and a legal declaration submitted by the pop icon on the elephants' behalf. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The battle comes at a time when lawsuits from animal-rights advocates and the shrinking number of available animals have led more zoos to close their elephant enclosures. New York City's Bronx Zoo has faced growing legal pressure to move its last two elephants to a sanctuary, and in 2023, California's Oakland Zoo sent one of its elephants to a sanctuary in Tennessee after it was unable to find it a compatible companion. Advertisement Billy and Tina's case was in Los Angeles County Superior Court this week, where a judge denied a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit filed by John Kelly, a longtime Los Angeles resident seeking to stop the relocation to Tulsa. The judge's action allows zoo officials to move forward unless the City Council decides to intervene. On Friday, the Nonhuman Rights Project filed a separate lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court to stop the move. Visited by nearly 1.8 million people a year, the zoo is owned by the city of Los Angeles and has been Billy's home since he arrived in California as a 4-year-old from Malaysia. Tina joined him in 2010 from San Diego. Their herd also included Jewel, who was 61 when she died in 2023, and Shaunzi, who died last year at 53. Zoo officials have said that the elephants were declining for reasons unrelated to their enclosure, and that they were euthanized because of age-related health problems. To keep their accreditation, zoos must maintain a herd larger than two so that the animals can properly socialize with other elephants. Los Angeles officials said there weren't enough Asian elephants available to acquire more, so they decided to move Billy and Tina to another zoo instead. Five Asian elephants live on a 17-acre complex at the Tulsa Zoo, and they share a 36,650-square-foot barn -- a space much larger than the one Billy and Tina have now. But animal-rights advocates say they are concerned about Billy and Tina being able to adapt, and the trip there being unhealthy or traumatizing. 'Billy and Tina may not be any better off at the Tulsa Zoo than they are at the LA Zoo,' Chris Draper, an expert in animal behavior and management, said in a declaration filed with the lawsuit by animal-rights advocates last week. Draper is on the accreditation committee for the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. Advertisement The Los Angeles Zoo, which said in a statement this week that its elephants and other animals 'receive the best care possible,' referred questions about the legal battle to the city attorney's office, which declined to comment. The zoo's director, Denise Verret, has said that the decision to move the elephants was made in consultation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits zoos across the country. She is the current chair of the association's board of directors. The decision has prompted criticism from some city officials, and concerns about conflict of interest. At a budget hearing last week, City Council member Bob Blumenfield asked Verret if she could promise that the elephants would not be moved until council members had a chance to study the move. She did not agree. 'What I can promise you is that I am always going to make decisions that are for the best interest of the animals at the zoo, including the elephants,' Verret said. For now, it is unclear when the move to Tulsa will happen. Zoo officials said a date had not been determined. On Friday morning, Tina appeared to be receiving some sort of treatment inside the zoo's 16,600-square-foot barn. Outside, Billy paced around the 6.56-acre elephant enclosure, at one point stepping in his own feces. For several minutes, he bobbed his head up and down, which could be interpreted as a sign of a happy elephant. But Cher, co-founder of animal advocacy group Free the Wild, says that when an elephant does that, 'they're having a breakdown.' Advertisement Cher acknowledged that she had never visited Billy or his companions at the zoo, but she said in an interview that she had viewed videos of their condition. 'Billy and Tina have served their time in confinement,' she said. 'They deserve the chance to live out their lives in peace and dignity.' This article originally appeared in
