U.S.A. Page 12 n THE ASIAN REPORTER November 6, 2023 D.C. pandas returning to China in mid-November, earlier than expected By Ashraf Khalil The Associated Press ASHINGTON — The National Zoo’s three celebrity giant pandas are heading home a little earlier than expected. Zoo officials told The Associated Press that adult bears Mei Xiang and Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji will return to China sometime in mid-November. The zoo’s exchange agreement with the Chinese government, originally brokered by President Richard Nixon 50 years ago, expires December 7. Ongoing negotiations to extend the agreement haven’t produced results, amid speculation from China-watchers that Beijing is gradually pulling its pandas from western nations due to deteriorating diplomatic relations with the U.S. and other countries. Panda-philes around the country had circled the December date as the last chance to view the iconic bears. But the zoo, for undisclosed reasons, said the departure would happen about three weeks earlier. “Discussions with our Chinese partner, the China Wildlife Conservation Association, to develop a future giant panda program will likely start after the current pandas have returned to China,” zoo spokesperson Annalisa Meyer said in an e-mail. “After 51 years of success, we remain committed to giant panda conservation. ... It’s our intention to have giant pandas at the zoo again and continue our research here and conservation work in China.” The bears have been a wildly popular attraction and an unofficial symbol of the nation’s capital for decades. Every birthday and anniversary was an occasion for public celebration and the long-shot birth of Xiao Qi Ji in the midst of the pandemic in August 2020 drove millions of viewers to the zoo’s panda-cam. Zoo officials say they remain hopeful they will come to a new agreement with the Chinese government. The San Diego zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. The departure of the National Zoo’s bears would mean that the only giant pandas left in America are at the Atlanta Zoo — and that loan agreement expires late next year. Beijing currently lends out 65 pandas to 19 countries W TREASURED TRIO. Three Sumatran tigers — two female and one male — were born at the Nashville Zoo on October 20. It’s the first time Sumatran tigers have been born at the zoo. (Photo courtesy of the Nash- ville Zoo) Three Sumatran tiger cubs born at a zoo in Nashville NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Three Sumatran tigers have been born at the Nashville Zoo. Zoo officials announced that the cubs — two female and one male — were born October 20. It’s the first time Sumatran tigers have been born at the zoo. The cubs’ mother, 9-year-old Anne, arrived at the Nashville Zoo from the San Diego Zoo in December. Sumatran tigers are native to the rainforests of Indonesia. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the Sumatran tiger as critically endangered with fewer than 600 in existence worldwide due to habitat loss and poaching. Nashville Zoo veterinary officials performed a routine checkup on the cubs in late October. “All three cubs are doing well and are now back with their mom, Anne, in the privacy of their indoor den,” the zoo said in a statement on Facebook. The cubs’ father, Felix, remains separated from Anne at the Nashville Zoo’s Tiger Crossroads Exhibit, which was renovated and re-opened in March of 2019. Originally built in 1989 as a black bear exhibit and then home to Bengal tigers until 2015, improvements to the Tiger Crossroads Exhibit featured an enlargement of the tigers’ habitat and night quarters and the addition of a new indoor viewing area for guests, including reinforced glass panels for the closest possible view. Two Sumatran tigers also were born at the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park in July. State Farm says catalytic converter theft claims fell for the first time in 3 years NEW YORK (AP) — The number of catalytic converter theft claims dropped in the first half of this year, the first time that’s happened since 2019, according to data from insurance company State Farm. Thefts of catalytic converters have become problematic nationwide in re- cent years. Once stolen, they are often melted down for their valuable metals. State Farm said that there were approximately 14,500 claims from January 1 through June 30. That compares with more than 23,000 catalytic converter theft claims during the same period a year ago. State Farm attributes the decline to several factors, including media coverage of the issue, more legislative efforts, and declining metal prices. HEADING HOME. Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji plays in his enclosure at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., on September 28, 2023. The zoo’s three celebrity giant pandas are heading home a little earlier than expected. Zoo officials told The Associated Press that adult bears Mei Xiang and Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji will return to China in mid-November. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) through “cooperative research programs” with a stated mission to better protect the vulnerable species. The pandas return to China when they reach old age, and any cubs born in the United States are sent to China around 3 or 4 years old. Reporter wins support after Nebraska governor dismissed story because the journalist is Chinese Continued from page 10 had laws prohibiting or restricting foreign ownership and investments in private farmland. But that ballooned to 24 states this year as lawmakers in nearly three-quarters of states considered legislation on the topic, according to The National Agriculture Law Center at the University of Arkansas. Naomi Tacuyan Underwood, executive director of the Asian American Journalists Association, described what happened to Xu in an interview as another example of how “people always resort to the perpetual foreigner trope and question our loyalties.” She said journalists aren’t the only ones subjected to this, recalling that earlier this year a GOP lawmaker questioned the loyalty of U.S. representative Judy Chu based on her Chinese heritage. Chu, a Democrat from California who chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, was among those who joined the clamor for an apology from Pillen, condemning his remarks as a “baseless xenophobic attack.” The Villa at the Beach is a 5,000 sq. ft. luxury home-away-from-home and corporate retreat venue in Lincoln City featuring 9 bedrooms & 9 bathrooms. u u u u u Hardwood floors, two electric fireplaces, sauna Main floor family room offers a 140-degree window view of the ocean Second floor dining room and conference space is ideal for larger gatherings & accommodates up to 25 guests Great for family reunions, birthdays, corporate retreats, holiday gatherings, weekend getaways, church events & more The beach is a short 5-minute walk from the front door Billiards table, ping pong, flat- screen LCD TVs, games, & much more. u Sleeps up to 16 guests comfortably u Outdoor dining area & barbeque u Spacious deck u To view more amenities this property has to offer or to learn more, please reach out to: www.VRBO.com/367962 w VillaAtTheBeach@gmail.com w www.facebook.com/VillaAtTheBeach