Friday, August 24, 2007

What's Black and White And Just Had a Baby?

The first giant panda born in Europe in 25 years arrived yesterday at a zoo in Vienna, Austria.

The hairless cub is about four inches long and weighs 3 1/2 ounces -- about the size and weight of a king-size Snickers. Whether it's a male or female panda won't be known for a few months.

Giant pandas are one of the world's rarest species. About 40 percent of cubs do not live beyond the first year.

"In the next hours we'll keep our fingers crossed that the cub is healthy. But the first hurdle has been overcome -- the mother has accepted her baby," said Dagmar Schratter, head of the Tiergarten Schoenbrunn zoo.

Add SpongeBob SquarePants to the growing list of recalled children's products.

Nearly 250,000 journals and address books featuring the funny fry cook have been recalled because they have unsafe levels of lead in their spiral bindings, U.S. government officials said. The books were made in China.

Parents can check out which items are being recalled by calling 866-898-0261.

Heavy thunderstorms battered Midwestern states for a fifth straight day yesterday.

Thousands of people have been forced from their homes by floodwaters in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Ohio. The storms have been blamed for at least 26 deaths there and in Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri.

In Findlay, Ohio, every downtown street and many neighborhoods were under water as the Blanchard River reached its highest level since 1913.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland called it a "major, major disaster."