“Cincinnati Zoo named best zoo in the U.S.”
Thanks to the awesome exhibits, the people and the animals -including the world-famous Fiona the hippo — the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden was just named the best zoo in the U.S.
The Queen City’s zoo earned the No. 1 spot in the Best Zoo category of USA Today’s 2022 10Best Readers’ Choice poll.
Per the poll, North America is home to “hundreds of zoological parks, including more than 200 facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).”
Baby formula shortage could ease as Abbott reopens Michigan plant
Abbott says it’s restarting the production of infant formula at its Sturgis, Mich., plant in a step that could ease a nationwide formula shortage in the coming weeks.
The facility was forced to close in February after a bacterial contamination was found in the company’s formula products. Several babies were sickened and two died after consuming formula made at the plant.
The closure intensified ongoing supply shortages of baby formula in the U.S. To help alleviate the scarcity, the Biden administration has been importing formula from abroad in recent weeks.
Abbott’s specialty formula EleCare will be available to consumers beginning on or about June 20, the company says. EleCare is formulated for infants with allergies to cow milk.
Mariah Carey facing Copyright Suit over ‘All I Want for Xmas is You’
A new lawsuit targeting Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” claims the 1994 hit violates an even older song’s copyright. Performer Vince Vance, a member of the pop country group Vince Vance & The Valiants, alleges that in 1989 he co-wrote a song with the same title. That song was released several years before Carey’s hit, but has different lyrics and melodies. The songs only share a title, and a general theme of the singer wanting their significant other for the holiday. Stone holds a copyright certificate for his song from 1988, but according to the U.S. Copyright Office, song titles alone are not protected by copyright law “because they contain an insufficient amount of authorship.” Still, Stone alleges that Carey’s song has “damaged” his music career and is suing for at least $20 million. Despite Carey’s song being a massive hit for 25+ years, Stone’s lawyers state in the lawsuit that they didn’t reach out to Carey’s legal team until April 2021. A cease and desist followed, and was ignored.
Disney Employee Ruins Engagement at Park, Snatches Ring Mid-Proposal
The moment was shared on Reddit, and shows a couple in the middle of an engagement proposal, which was in a seemingly in a restricted area but had allegedly already been cleared with a Disneyland Paris employee before taking place. So they allegedly had permission. Posing on what looks like a small stage area in front of the park’s castle, Le Château de la Belle au Bois, things look pretty magical to start. Then a Disney cast member/worker swoops in, grabs the ring, and motions for the couple to step down from the stage. The worker was not happy about having to do his job but it looked like he had no choice. I’m sure Disney doesn’t want to start a trend of people trying to propose in restricted areas, but could there have been a better way to correct this situation? In some ways, the guy in the video telling the groom “Yes, but it’s going to look even better,” seems like a clear attempt to diffuse the situation in the moment, but you can hear people in the crowd booing. A Disney spokesperson Said: “We regret how this was handled,” the Disney spokesperson added. “We have apologized to the couple involved and offered to make it right.”
North Korea & U.S. Responded To South Korea’s Missile Launch
South Korea and the United States responded to North Korea’s launch of eight missiles yesterday by firing eight more missiles into waters off the east coast of the Korean peninsula this morning.
Seven were fired by South Korea and one by the US, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, which said they demonstrated that “even if North Korea provokes with missiles from multiple locations, (South Korea and the US have) the ability and readiness to immediately strike with precision.”
MTV Movie & TV Awards
Host Vanessa Hudgens opened the show by inserting herself into House of Gucci and Top Gun: Maverick. Click here for all the winners.
Jennifer Lopez was honored with The Generation Award, and Jack Black was named this year’s Comedic Genius.
‘Tiger King’ star Doc Antle to face money laundering charges
“Tiger King” star Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was arrested by the FBI and expected to appear in court Monday to face federal money laundering charges, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. In May, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked the IRS to probe Antle’s Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit raising money for wildlife conservation. PETA alleges he uses some of the fund’s money to subsidize his safari site in Socastee outside Myrtle Beach.
Federal agents arrested the controversial wild animal trainer Friday and he has been in custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway, South Carolina throughout the weekend.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, Antle is facing two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to wildlife trafficking charges, as well as 13 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and animal cruelty charges tied to trafficking lion cubs. Those charges are scheduled to go to trial next month.