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Money isn’t as complicated as it seems, but when your finances are out of control, managing money does indeed seem overwhelming. To get started, here’s the first thing you should do, according to one financial planner.

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Because there’s always time for a new trendy thing in coffee to catch on across the nation, Starbucks will have a new option on tap for customers at around 500 locations this summer: Nitro Cold Brew.

The company’s new offering will be available at stores in seven major U.S. cities this summer: Seattle, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland.

So what exactly is Nitro Cold Brew? It infuses nitrogen in cold-brewed coffee, which gives it a “smooth and creamy sweetness,” Starbucks says. Cold-brewed coffee is made from steeping coffee beans in cold water for hours, unlike iced coffee, which is made by pouring hot coffee over ice.

“It almost comes out like a Guinness beer,” CEO Howard Schultz told CNNMoney (warning: link contains auto-play video) of Nitro Cold Brew. “These are craft products, not dissimilar to the trend of craft beer.”

Starbucks started serving Nitro Cold Brew at its Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle in March for $3.95, and it proved to be the second-best selling item on the menu.

Beyond the new nitro brew, Starbucks has a slew of other summer offerings, including a new “cold bar” menu at all 10,000 North American stores this summer. The bar will feature classics like iced coffee, cold brew, and iced espresso, as well as some new items like a “vanilla sweet cream” to top off a cold coffee and a “double shot on ice” made with chilled espresso, a dash of milk, and sugar.

This is all just the start of cold coffee’s world domination, at least according to top boss Schultz.

“For over 40 years we have perfected the craft of roasting and brewing the finest hot coffee and while we have always offered our customers new options in cold coffee, nothing will compare to the pace of flavor, craft and brewing innovation we will see in the next few years,” said Schultz said in a press release.

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP) — Three teenage girls are facing animal cruelty charges after video appeared online of them allegedly throwing a bunny against a wall several times.

The Florida Times-Union reported Sunday (http://bit.ly/1WsXMZ2 ) that the Jacksonville-area girls giggled and laughed as the bunny smashed against the wall. The video shows one of the girls kick the bunny as it tries to escape.

After the video was posted, the girls were located Saturday by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and arrested. The three are 13 and 14.

The bunny was found at the home and taken to the local animal shelter where it is being treated for a broken leg.

The post Teen girls charged with throwing bunny against a wall appeared first on WTOP.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia state police say a baby was soaked in urine in the back seat of a parked vehicle where four adults allegedly were using heroin.

The Herald-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1NXejlb) says the adults were arrested Friday along U.S. 60 in Huntington, about 52 miles west of Charleston.

Trooper J.A. Roach says troopers saw a 1-year-old boy in the back seat. Roach says the baby’s urine formed a puddle in his car seat.

According to a criminal complaint, charges of child neglect creating risk of injury were filed against 56-year-old William Ernest Smith Sr., 54-year-old Gregory Allen Smith, 46-year-old Peggy Veronica Smith and 27-year-old Heather Lynn Bledsoe, all of Branchland.

William Smith also was charged with possession of a controlled substance, and Peggy Smith was charged with an outstanding warrant.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that Huntington is 52 miles west of Charleston, not east.

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Information from: The Herald-Dispatch, http://www.herald-dispatch.com

The post Police: Urine-soaked baby found in car during heroin arrest appeared first on WTOP.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s hog and dairy industries are hoping voters will bless state lawmakers’ decision to allow non-family corporations to own operations, but it could be a tough sell in a state that has safeguarded its family farming heritage for nearly a century.

Up for vote in the June 14 election is whether to uphold the 2015 Legislature’s move to loosen North Dakota’s corporate farming ban, which has tried to keep crop and pasture in the hands of small-operation farmers and away from large out-of-state businesses that some believe might have little regard for the land.

“Family farming agriculture has delivered in this state forever,” said Mark Watne, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, which is leading the fight against the exemptions. “This would be a senseless change.”

Supporters of the change point out that the ban has not stemmed a steady loss of family farms, especially for hogs and dairy cattle. Those two industries have declined precipitously in the state while crop farming has flourished — North Dakota is first or second in the nation in the production of 17 types of crops, from wheat to honey, and is third in acres of cropland.

“We get this portrayal (from opponents) of a boogeyman lurking in the shadows,” said Daryl Lies, a lifelong hog farmer and president of the North Dakota Farm Bureau, which would like the corporate farming change to apply to all agricultural sectors.

The main debate is whether exemptions would give small family owned farms more opportunity to remain economically viable or run out the small operations. The latter is a concern for many because the bill, passed with mostly Republican support, would allow corporations to own or lease up to a square mile of agricultural land to sustain hundreds of pigs or cows — often called concentrated animal feeding operations — that many see as an environmental threat.

Only nine states have restrictions on corporate farming, and most allow exemptions for some livestock operations. But protecting family farms has always been important in North Dakota, where nearly two-thirds of farms have less than $100,000 in annual sales. The anti-corporate farming law has been in effect since 1932 and the state in 2012 became the first in the nation to enshrine the right to farm in the state constitution, mainly meant to ensure out-of-state groups — including animal rights organizations — don’t keep family farmers from making a living.

Supporters of blocking the corporate farming exemptions seem to have an upper hand. The latest campaign disclosure filings show they’ve raised more than $1.2 million, while a coalition aimed at keeping the exemptions reported raising less than $6,000.

Those in favor of the exemptions see it as a way to save two industries, as the number of hogs and the amount of milk produced in North Dakota are less than one-third of what they were half a century ago, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Allowing corporate dairy farming would give farmers more access to capital and options when it comes to expanding operations, said Mandan dairyman Kenton Holle, a member of the Milk Producers Association of North Dakota. The attitude that “this kind of structure is going to kill the family farm — now you’re just putting emotion into it, putting ideas into consumers’ heads that aren’t real,” he said.

Other legal options for expansions exist, such as limited liability partnerships, Lies said, but “those types of structures do not provide the same security … as a corporation does.”

But many North Dakota residents are wary of opening the barn door to corporations that might be less environmentally responsible — and tougher to be held accountable, said House Minority Leader Kenton Onstad, D-Parshall, a vocal opponent of relaxing the law. The bill, however, requires corporations to set up a farming operation as a safeguard against big companies buying up land just to be held as an asset.

North Dakota State University livestock economist Tim Petry did not offer an opinion on the ballot measure but said he believes corporate farming and family farming can co-exist under the right rules. Gov. Jack Dalrymple has said the Legislature’s action is “not a threat to the farm sector.”

Republican Sen. Joe Miller, who farms crops near Park River and was a main sponsor of the legislative bill, said the dairy and hog industries in North Dakota are at the point where “all we can do is go up.”

“I think it’s really important that we look beyond the idea of the American Gothic — everybody has a couple dairy cows and couple beef cows, and they have some chickens and they farm 40 acres,” he said. “We’re well beyond that point, and we have been for years.

“We need to accept this as a reality of agriculture now. Farmers are businessmen.”

___

Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake

The post North Dakota ballot measure pits family vs. corporate farms appeared first on WTOP.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Latest on the killing of a gorilla after a child fell into its enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo (all times local):

6:05 p.m.

Jack Hanna says the Cincinnati Zoo made the right call by killing a gorilla that grabbed a 4-year-old boy who had entered its enclosure.

The host of “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild” tells WBNS-TV (http://bit.ly/1THqi3i ) that he saw video of the gorilla jerking the boy through a shallow moat in the exhibit Saturday.

Hanna says he knew what would happen if the gorilla wasn’t killed. He says, “I’ll bet my life on this, that child would not be here today.”

Hanna says killing the gorilla was the only way to protect the child. He says that it would take up to 10 minutes for a tranquilizer to set in and that the gorilla would be agitated after getting shot.

Hanna is also the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

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4:10 p.m.

The Cincinnati Zoo’s director stands by the decision to kill a gorilla after a boy entered its enclosure.

Thane Maynard told reporters on Monday that the 4-year-old boy’s life was in danger. He says the 420-pound gorilla was agitated and disoriented and acting erratically.

Maynard says the western lowland gorilla was extreme strong and could crush a coconut in its hand.

A witness reports hearing the boy tell his mother he wanted to get in the water Saturday afternoon. She said no, but the boy entered a moat in the gorilla exhibit anyway.

Maynard says the zoo is reviewing security measures to ensure both visitors and animals are safe.

The zoo hopes to reopen its Gorilla World within several days.

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2:35 p.m.

The director of the Cincinnati Zoo says staffers are receiving messages of support and condolences from around the world after a gorilla there was fatally shot to protect a 4-year-old boy who had fallen into its enclosure.

Thane Maynard tells The Associated Press by email that zoo visitors Monday dropped flowers at the gorilla exhibit and asked him how they could support gorilla conservation.

He acknowledges there are also critics of the zoo’s decision Saturday to kill Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowlands gorilla. He says the 400-pound-plus gorilla wasn’t attacking the child but was in an “agitated situation” and was “extremely strong.”

Maynard acknowledges the situation is “very emotional.” He says, “Not everyone shares the same opinion and that’s OK. But we all share the love for animals.”

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2:15 p.m.

The Texas zoo and birthplace of a western lowland gorilla that was shot after a boy fell into its exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo says it’s deeply saddened by the animal’s death.

The 17-year-old gorilla named Harambe was born at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, and officials there say he was hand-raised. He was sent to the Cincinnati Zoo less than two years ago in hopes he would eventually breed offspring for the endangered species.

Zoo officials shot Harambe on Saturday afternoon after a 4-year-old boy fell into the gorilla’s exhibit. Cincinnati Zoo officials say they feared for the boy’s life.

The Gladys Porter Zoo says the death has affected gorilla conservationists across the globe.

Harambe’s longtime caregiver planned to talk Monday evening about the gorilla.

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1:05 p.m.

Officials at zoos in Ohio and Texas are holding news conferences to talk about the death of a western lowland gorilla that was shot after a boy felt into its exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo.

The 17-year-old gorilla named Harambe was born at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, and arrived in Cincinnati less than two years ago. Zoo authorities had hoped he would eventually breed with females to preserve the endangered species.

Officials at the Brownsville zoo are holding a news conference Monday night.

The Cincinnati Zoo’s director also plans a Monday afternoon news briefing on Harambe’s death.

A special response team shot and killed the gorilla Saturday after concluding that the life of a 4-year-old boy who had fallen into an exhibit moat was in danger.

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12:40 p.m.

Animal rights activists have gathered at the Cincinnati Zoo for a vigil in remembrance of a gorilla who was fatally shot to protect a 4-year-old boy who had fallen into its exhibit.

Dozens of people were outside the zoo Monday afternoon. They held signs with messages such as “Rest in Peace Harambe.”

A 4-year-old boy slipped through a barricade at the gorilla exhibit on Saturday and fell into a small moat. A zoo special response team feared the boy’s life was in danger, so they shot and killed the gorilla, named Harambe.

Vigil organizer Anthony Seta (SAY’-tuh) of Cincinnati calls the 17-year-old western lowland gorilla’s death “a senseless tragedy.” But he says the purpose of the vigil isn’t to point fingers but to pay tribute to Harambe.

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10:30 a.m.

Animal rights activists plan a Memorial Day vigil for the gorilla killed at the Cincinnati Zoo after a 4-year-old boy slipped into an exhibit and a special zoo response team concluded his life was in danger.

Anthony Seta (SAY’-tuh) calls the 17-year-old endangered lowland gorilla’s death “a senseless tragedy” and says the Monday afternoon gathering is meant as a memorial to Harambe (huh-RAHM’-bay).

There has been a strong outpouring on social media of people upset the gorilla was killed Saturday. A Facebook page called “Justice for Harambe” created Saturday night has drawn wide attention.

Seta says Monday’s memorial is meant as a tribute, not to point fingers at the zoo or the boy’s parents. The boy hasn’t been identified and his family says he is doing fine at home.

The post The Latest: Jack Hanna backs decision to kill gorilla at zoo appeared first on WTOP.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A group of animal rights activists briefly interrupted a Bernie Sanders rally in Northern California when they jumped barricades and tried to rush the podium.

Sanders’ security stopped the protesters before they could reach the Democratic presidential hopeful, who was addressing supporters at Frank Ogawa Plaza at Oakland’s City Hall Monday.

Video of the incident shows two bodyguards immediately surrounded Sanders while nearby security personnel quickly handcuffed the protesters and escorted them out of the rally, even carrying one of them by the legs and arms.

Sanders continued his speech within minutes of the disruption.

Earlier Monday, Sanders joined actor Danny Glover and San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim for a conversation at the historic Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland.

The post Animal rights activists disrupt Sanders rally in Oakland appeared first on WTOP.

DIETRICH, Idaho (AP) — Teaching her children how to peacefully respond to racist comments in a tiny Idaho town was not new for the mother of 20 adopted children, many of whom are black. She often found herself echoing the virtues taught in Dietrich’s only church.

Kindness and patience can overcome ignorance in the mostly white, rural community, she told her kids. Forgive. Turn the other cheek.

Then her black teenage son joined the football team. Within months, three of his teammates used a coat hanger to sexually assault him in a school locker room, prosecutors say. The attack came after the woman said she spent months trying to convince school officials that her and her husband’s concerns about the repeated racist harassment directed at their children needed to be treated seriously.

The allegations of prolonged racist taunts and physical abuse were revealed this month when the family filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Dietrich School District. It claims the school failed to prevent the abuse even though much of it happened in front of football coaches and school officials.

Three teens have been charged in the Oct. 23 assault: two with felonies in adult court and one in juvenile court. In the lawsuit, the victim contends one of his teammates pretended to want to hug him but instead held him down so 17-year-old Tanner Ward and 18-year-old John Howard could assault him.

Ward has pleaded not guilty, and Howard has not yet entered a plea. The juvenile court case is sealed.

“Sometimes I wish I hadn’t said anything,” the mother said. “Then we could have lived a quiet life. But when you’re right, you sometimes have to stand alone.”

The Associated Press does not generally identify victims of sexual abuse and is withholding the woman’s name to avoid identifying her son.

Ward’s attorney declined to comment, saying he was court-ordered not to discuss his client’s case with the media. Howard’s attorney did not return a request for comment.

The victim’s mother, who is white, said her son was not alone in experiencing hurtful comments from fellow students. Another son was called the N-word in grade school, a daughter was called “Aunt Jemima,” and another child was told by fellow students to “go back to Africa.” The school district treated the taunts with indifference, she said.

School officials have repeatedly denied requests for comment from the AP. However, other residents of the town that revolves largely around church and school sports say it’s a safe and welcoming place. They’re stunned by the allegations, but some are unhappy the family took the district to court.

It’s not the first time the family has been on the wrong side of local public opinion. The teen’s father, a teacher at the school, received an ethics complaint in 2013 for saying the word “vagina” during a biology class. The complaint was eventually deemed unfounded, but the incident made national headlines, and the mother said residents who treated their family with disdain a few years ago have returned with the same anger.

Melissa Towne, 37, who has spent her whole life in the town of about 330 people, says Dietrich is a good place despite the negative attention. People wave at one another as they pass on the mostly gravel roads, and Towne makes it a point to welcome the occasional new neighbor.

“We never had this kind of attention when I was in school,” she said. “But I still like it here. We have good people here. I like living in a small town, and so do a lot of people who live here.”

Most residents attend church in the simple Mormon building that marks the town’s main entrance. Basketball is the favored sport because of a series of state championships, but the high school football program is gaining popularity thanks to a recent winning streak and new equipment donations.

“In this town, it’s all about your name and how athletic you are,” the victim’s mother said.

She and her husband have lived in Dietrich for more than two decades, though many of their children are older and have moved away. Large families and adoptions are common in the Mormon faith.

Most families in Dietrich, about 125 miles east of Boise, tally their time there in decades, not years.

“Everyone who is from here pitches in and helps each other,” said Clay Divine, who has lived in the town for more than 30 years. “Those kids were not from here. This is a nice community.”

Still, Ward is practically a next-door neighbor in the rural region where the nearest Wal-Mart is 40 miles away. He hails from Richfield, a slightly larger town of about 480 just 16 miles away.

Howard, accused in the lawsuit of being the ringleader in the attack, moved to Dietrich last year from Keller, Texas, a city nestled inside the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

But he’s related to a Dietrich celebrity — Acey Shaw, a beloved girls’ basketball coach who led the team to a record five state championships. The town rallied around Shaw after he contracted a rare bovine disease that stole his ability to walk and most of his ability to talk.

The victim’s lawsuit cited that family connection, arguing school officials looked the other way on Howard’s behavior because of his relatives.

It also said the victim has mental disabilities, though it does not elaborate. His mother declined to discuss specifics about the boy and the case.

Divine said he felt bad for the victim and understands why the state pressed charges against his teammates. But the lawsuit has given the town another black eye, Divine said, and in the insular community, that offense can be hard to forgive.

“This lawsuit really has people divided,” Divine said. “But it happened on the coaches’ watch, and this is something that young man is going to have to live with his whole life.”

Divine’s children grew up in the Dietrich school system, where they played sports and studied hard in a safe environment. He’s not sure that’s the case now.

“This is a good town for my grandchildren. I just don’t think I would send them to the school anymore,” he said.

Just down the road, the victim’s mother was working in her front yard, waiting for a call back from a real estate agent. After 21 years in Dietrich, they’re searching for someplace safer.

The post Rape allegation, race, glare of national media divide town appeared first on WTOP.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Call it a big CAT scan.

Louisiana State University’s live tiger mascot was sedated this past weekend and brought to a human cancer center near campus where he’ll be treated for a rare cancer.

At the hospital, Mike VI received a CT scan and a radiation simulation. During the simulation, doctors set up devices that will keep the 420-pound tiger in position for precisely targeted radiotherapy to treat a tumor on his face.

The LSU veterinary school says in a statement that doctors haven’t yet decided whether to treat Mike on one day or over two or three days. They say that without treatment Mike could live one or two months, but treatment could extend that to one or two years.

The post Big CAT scan: LSU mascot Mike the Tiger in cancer treatment appeared first on WTOP.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Brooklyn rapper is being held without bail in connection with last week’s fatal shooting at a popular Manhattan concert venue.

Troy Ave, whose real name is Roland Collins, appeared in court in a wheelchair on Monday evening.

The gunfire erupted Wednesday night in a green room at Irving Plaza, just before the rapper T.I. was to perform.

One of Collins’ bodyguards, Ronald McPhatter, was killed. Three other people, including Collins, were wounded.

Attorney Scott E. Leemon says Collins, who’s charged with attempted murder, did not shoot McPhatter or himself.

He says McPhatter “died a hero” trying to protect Collins.

The post NYC rapper held without bail in fatal concert venue shooting appeared first on WTOP.

No one likes the idea of not being paid for their time and effort, but there is a case to be made for working for free. Maybe you gain experience and build your resume. Maybe you get exposure. It’s tricky, though, and author Seth Godin suggests a few important questions when deciding whether or not to work for free.

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From a hummus soup with the texture of miso to hummus-stuffed falafel and a hummus potato salad, Brothers Green Eats offers up five different ways to incorporate hummus into amazing dishes you may never have thought of—assuming any hummus is left in your fridge after opening it.

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WASHINGTON — Firefighters rescued two cats trapped during a Takoma Park, Maryland, apartment fire over the weekend.

Capt. David Barcenas and Kyle Holder, a tillerman, brought the cats to safety.

The cats did require about 10 minutes of oxygen after Takoma Park firefighters from Station 2 brought them to safety. The cats and their owner were quickly reunited.

No people were hurt in the blaze on Hudson Avenue, according to Montgomery County’s Fire & Rescue news blog.

The post Cats rescued by Takoma Park firefighters appeared first on WTOP.

Cats and Dogs are curious creatures, especially when it comes to the plants you have indoors. These expert tips will help you keep them away so you can keep your plants alive.

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DELTA, Pa. (AP) — A couple who got lost in Pennsylvania while driving to New York entered the property of a nuclear plant by cutting a chain at a gate, apparently in a quest to get back on the right road, authorities said.

The Chesapeake, Virginia, couple were driving from Baltimore on Friday night when they got onto an access road at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, owned by Exelon. The driver told police he didn’t see two “No trespassing” signs when he cut the chain on the gate, The York Daily Record (http://bit.ly/27XVuF5) reported.

Exelon spokeswoman Krista Merkel said the couple never posed a threat to the plant and security was monitoring them the entire time they were on plant property.

“It seemed they inadvertently made it to our property and were trying to find their way back out,” Merkel said. “They thought the only way they could get back was to cut the fence.”

Police initially said, after consulting with security staff, that the man and woman appeared to have made it to “a highly security sensitive area where radioactive material is transferred from the main power plant. If the couple had gone inside a nearby outbuilding, the plant would have been placed on lockdown and there was a “possibility of lethal force being used,” authorities said in court documents.

But Merkel said Saturday that the couple hadn’t made it to any areas where radioactive materials are transferred or stored and didn’t make it past security officers who constantly monitor all sides of the plant. She said the couple was “very cooperative” and waited until police arrived.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokeswoman Diane Screnci also said there was no threat to the plant or harm done to equipment, and officials believe “security at the plant is appropriate.”

Nuclear plants have at least two resident inspectors from the agency who watch things like work activity, and the Inspectors may go in on Tuesday to go over the arrest and what happened, Screnci said.

The couple was charged with trespassing. The woman was also charged with possession of a controlled substance. Police said she had a small metal pipe that smelled like marijuana.

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Information from: York Daily Record, http://www.ydr.com

The post Cops: Lost couple cuts chain to enter nuclear plant property appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON — A motorcyclist who had participated in Rolling Thunder died from injuries sustained in a crash Sunday evening.

The Virginia State police on Monday morning identified the motorcyclist as Craig A. Vanbrunt, 66, of Pendleton, Indiana.

He had lost control of his bike and was unable to brake in time in the westbound lanes of Interstate 66 in Arlington County, the Virginia State Police say.

He was riding with a group of other motorcyclists who had also participated in Rolling Thunder on Sunday afternoon. They were on their way out from the event when they came upon stopped traffic near the Rosslyn Tunnel.

Vanbrunt couldn’t brake in time, fell from his bike before it crashed and was taken to George Washington University Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The police say he was wearing a helmet.

State police continue to investigate the crash.

The post Rolling Thunder rider killed in I-66 crash appeared first on WTOP.

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — While Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer travel season, it’s also a time to remember the nation’s fallen heroes.

Through the Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles program, travelers can donate their miles to military and veteran’s families receiving treatment that would provide round-trip airline tickets to injured or ill service members and their families. Fisher House says that in the last 10 years, more than 58,000 tickets have been given to wounded, injured and ill service members and their families, worth nearly $88 million.

Sometimes Hero Miles can also be used to help family members travel to Fisher House in Dover, Delaware, which provides a home away from home for families traveling to Dover to be there for the arrival of fallen military members.

Fisher House Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides a network of comfort homes around the country where military and veteran’s families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment for an illness, disease or injury.

Sound: 4:32 aed

The post Hero Miles Help Military Families appeared first on WTOP.

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BALTIMORE (AP) — The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore says its African leopard has died.

The zoo said in a statement Sunday that the 22-year-old leopard named Hobbes was euthanized after his health declined rapidly over the past week.

The zoo says Hobbes came to the zoo as a 2-year-old in 1995 from Pretoria National Zoological Gardens in South Africa. A female leopard named Amari also came to the zoo at the same time. The two produced two female offspring together in 1997. Amari died at age 20 in 2014.

Both Hobbes and Amari were orphaned as cubs when their parents were poached.

The zoo says it will no longer be working with African leopards, but it does have a different kind of leopard on display: an Amur leopard named Sofiya.

The post Maryland Zoo says Hobbes, its African leopard, has died appeared first on WTOP.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Zoo has temporarily closed its gorilla exhibit after a special zoo response team shot and killed a 17-year-old gorilla that grabbed and dragged a 4-year-old boy who fell into a moat.

Zoo officials said the boy fell after he climbed through a public barrier at the Gorilla World exhibit Saturday afternoon. He was picked up out of the moat and dragged by the gorilla for about 10 minutes.

Authorities said the child, who has not been identified, fell 10 to 12 feet. He was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center where he is expected to recover. Hospital officials said they couldn’t release any information on him.

Zoo Director Thane Maynard said the zoo’s dangerous animal response team decided the boy was in “a life-threatening situation” and that they needed to put down the 400-pound-plus male gorilla named Harambe.

“They made a tough choice and they made the right choice because they saved that little boy’s life,” Maynard said. “It could have been very bad.”

But he mourned the loss of the gorilla, which came to Cincinnati in 2015 from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.

“We are all devastated that this tragic accident resulted in the death of a critically endangered gorilla,” he said in a news release. “This is a huge loss for the zoo family and the gorilla population worldwide.”

Witness Kim O’Connor shared video she and her family recorded with WLWT-TV of the boy and Harambe. The two appear in a corner of the exhibit while a voice yells “Somebody call the zoo!” and “Mommy’s right here.” Later, the two are shown in the moat. At one point, Harambe touches the boy’s back and arms. A woman’s voice is heard saying “Be calm, be calm.”

The station reports more graphic parts of the video not shown include Harambe dragging the boy.

Two female gorillas also were in the enclosure when the boy fell in but zoo officials said only the male remained with the child.

Maynard said the gorilla didn’t appear to be attacking the child, but he said it was “an extremely strong” animal in an agitated situation. He said tranquilizing the gorilla wouldn’t have knocked it out immediately, leaving the boy in danger.

It was the first time that the team had killed a zoo animal in such an emergency situation, Maynard said. He called it “a very sad day” at the zoo.

The area around the gorilla exhibit was closed off Saturday afternoon as zoo visitors reported hearing screaming.

Maynard said the zoo believes the exhibit remains safe.

The zoo will be open on Sunday but officials said the gorilla exhibit has been closed until further notice.

The zoo prides itself for its work in protecting endangered species, and has been part of successful captive breeding efforts in recent years in the effort to save the endangered Sumatran rhino.

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Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

For some of his other recent stories: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/dan-sewell

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Video from: Cincinnati’s WLWT5, http://www.wlwt.com/news/video-gorilla-grabs-child-whos-fallen-into-habitat/39774904

The post Ohio zoo closes gorilla exhibit for now after boy falls in appeared first on WTOP.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s midwives will face a new set of rules designed to make homebirth safer as a result of a bill that reflects changes to the profession around the country.

The rules follow a bill passed by the state’s legislature that requires midwives be licensed by the state while also setting educational requirements and standards for data collection with an eye toward improving safety.

The changes come as out-of-hospital births are increasingly popular in Maine and throughout the country. The rate of out-of-hospital births in Maine nearly doubled between 2000 and 2013; nationwide, it grew 29 percent between 2004 and 2009.

The new rules emerge as midwives in many states are becoming increasingly integrated into mainstream health care, and some see state licensure as the path to further accomplish that. More than half of the states require licenses of midwives, and efforts are afoot in just about every other state to create a licensure system, said Eleanor Daniels, a Maine midwife and president of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives.

Daniels said the licensing system will bring accountability and oversight to midwifery as well as make it easier for midwives to get access to medication and insurance reimbursements.

“For those of us who are interested in greater access to midwifery care for any woman who chooses it, this is the pathway forward,” Daniels said.

Maine’s midwife rules go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. Maryland and Rhode Island have new midwife licensing laws, while Illinois is close, Daniels said. She said Maine’s legislation can serve as a template for other states that consider creating a licensure system.

But the changes haven’t pleased all midwives, some of whom said they will limit patients’ ability to access their care. Jill Breen, a St. Albans midwife, said she fears the licensure system will drive some midwives who don’t complete it underground.

The law states that certified professional midwives in Maine cannot deliver twins or breech babies or deliver a baby for a woman who has had a cesarean section in the past. Breen also said she fears some mothers might attempt those kinds of births unattended if they can’t get access to a midwife.

“When you’re making rules and you’re making plans, you want people to have the broadest options they could have,” Breen said.

Maine’s bill states that midwifes must show proof of successful completion of a formal midwifery education and training program by January 2020. Midwives who completed their training through an institution that lacks accreditation will need to finish a midwifery “bridge certificate” to show competency.

Members of the Maine Association of Certified Professional Midwives, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Maine Medical Association, Maine Family Planning and the Alliance for Maine Women all testified in support of the proposal when it was in the legislature.

Republican Gov. Paul LePage vetoed the legislation, but an April override by the legislature saved it. LePage wrote in his veto message that he felt the bill was well intentioned but constituted an “unnecessary expansion of government.”

He also wrote that the licensure program would cost about $130,000 in its first three years, and that the bill was passed without funding.

The post New Maine midwifery rules reflect licensure drive around US appeared first on WTOP.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Standing before the Los Angeles Unified School Board, Susan Zoller delivered a startling assessment: More than 100,000 students in the nation’s second-largest district were now enrolled in charters, draining more than $500 million from the budget in a single academic year.

“The financial future of Los Angeles is difficult,” said Zoller, a consultant hired by the district’s union. Board member Richard Vladovic leaned anxiously toward his mic.

“We are bleeding,” he said.

If current trends continue, the district could be significantly diminished in another 10 years — at least a third smaller than at the start of the century.

In financially struggling urban districts from LA to Philadelphia — and most notoriously, Detroit — the increasing popularity of charter schools, combined with family flight to the suburbs and declining birth rates, have caused enrollment to plummet. The changes have unfolded slowly for years and recently accelerated in some places.

“It’s come to a tipping point for many of these districts like Detroit,” said Ron Zimmer, an education professor at Vanderbilt University. “They just can’t finance their school district that was meant for a much bigger enrollment than they currently have.”

Charter schools arrived in the 1990s and began attracting parents searching for an alternative to big-city districts that had strained for years to raise performance among minority and low-income students and those who are learning English.

More than two decades later, charter enrollment continues to climb. Nationwide, more than 2.6 million students attended charter schools in 2014, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

In districts with growing student populations, such as Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida, that growth helps ease potential overcrowding.

But in cities like Los Angeles, where the school-age population has been shrinking, the continued flight from traditional public schools has become a mounting concern. In most states, schools receive funding on a per-pupil basis, and the majority of those dollars follow students when they leave for a charter.

Charter school advocates say it’s only fair for local and state property tax dollars to follow children to the new schools, and that parents aren’t to blame for a district’s failing finances.

“To the extent the district is not serving the needs of their students, this has been a trend line for some time,” said Nina Rees, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a nonprofit advocacy group.

District leaders contend that even with fewer students to educate, they still have a range of fixed costs. Ultimately, they say, the funding decline affects programing for students still at traditional public schools, who often face the steepest challenges.

If Los Angeles schools are no longer able to function as a district, “there is going to be collateral damage,” said Steve Zimmer, president of LA Unified’s school board. And the damage “will be to those children and families who are the most vulnerable.”

The issue surfaced recently when nearly all of Detroit’s public schools were closed and more than 45,000 students missed classes for two days after about half of teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some wouldn’t get paid over the summer if the district ran out of cash.

The number of students enrolled in Detroit public schools has dropped dramatically since the 1990s, fueled by the flight of a quarter million city residents, abysmal graduation rates, financial mismanagement and corruption. In 2002, the district had 156,000 students. This year, that number was 46,000 — a 70 percent decline.

Detroit is unique in the severity of its financial struggles, but isn’t alone in its enrollment troubles.

Kansas City schools, which once educated more than 70,000 students, now enroll about 15,000. Los Angeles had almost 674,000 students enrolled in district-run schools in the 2006-07 school year, compared with about 542,000 in 2014-15, a nearly 20 percent decline. Enrollment in traditional Chicago public schools has declined by nearly 85,000 students in the last decade.

Some charter advocates believe the resulting fiscal strain will eventually have a positive effect by pushing districts to be more competitive and provide better services. Yet there’s no clear evidence of that. One study found greater school choice did not significantly influence school effectiveness and put more financial pressure on schools with the steepest educational challenges.

Others also question how much charters are ultimately responsible for woeful district finances, pointing instead to other factors such as rising pension and health care costs, inflexible staffing allocations and low state funding.

Faced with the prospect of continuing declines, many districts are making difficult decisions.

The Philadelphia district has closed more than 30 schools and reduced 20 percent of its staff since 2012. While the district is expected to end this year with a 4.8 percent surplus, a $603 million deficit is projected by 2021, Superintendent William Hite said.

Districts are also drumming up public-relations campaigns in an attempt to draw families back to traditional public schools. At a recent meeting, the LA Unified board passed a resolution to increase the number of seats in magnet schools and highlight successful district-run schools.

Los Angeles parent Lisette Duarte is debating where to enroll her 11-year-old daughter. Her 16-year-old son already attends a charter school with many benefits she doesn’t see at their neighborhood school: a small learning environment, extra-curricular activities and close attention from teachers. Her daughter, by contrast, is struggling in a low-performing school with a large English learner population, she said.

“It makes me really sad when I hear about parents who are still struggling,” she said. “We were that family struggling” in Los Angeles public schools.

___

Associated Press Writer Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.

___

Follow Christine Armario on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cearmario .

The post As charters grow, public schools see sharp enrollment drop appeared first on WTOP.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Urban school districts from Los Angeles to Philadelphia are experiencing declining enrollment in traditional public schools as more parents enroll their children in charters, depleting millions in per-pupil funding from district budgets.

In states experiencing population growth, such as Arizona, charter schools help relieve overcrowding. But for districts that are struggling financially, the student flight is costly.

Below is a look at Department of Education data showing enrollment at some of the nation’s largest districts by school type:

___

NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 995,028. Charters: 38,614.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 983,624. Charters: 71,590.

___

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 589,332. Charters: 84,723.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 513,789. Charters: 152,006.

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CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 364,560. Charters: 40,024.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 338,699. Charters: 54,857.

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MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 346,842. Charters: 34,853.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 304,182. Charters: 52,051.

___

CLARK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (includes Las Vegas)

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 309,749. Charters: 9,192.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 314,643. Charters: 18,672.

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BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (includes Fort Lauderdale)

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 232,978. Charters: 24,151.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 224,407. Charters: 38,939.

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HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 187,570. Charters: 16,675.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 193,458. Charters: 18,094.

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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (includes Tampa)

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 188,318. Charters: 6,207.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 189,353. Charters: 14,086.

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ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 170,013. Charters: 5,995.

In 2013-14, traditional public school: 177,398. Charters: 9,694.

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HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 171,312. Charters: 8,289.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 177,009. Charters: 9,816.

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SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 155,856. Charters: 40,291.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 133,703. Charters: 59,302.

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DETROIT CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

In 2010-11, traditional public schools: 74,276. Charters: 32,568.

In 2013-14, traditional public schools: 47,896. Charters: 39,673.

The post Data show more students leaving public schools for charters appeared first on WTOP.

Plants can go almost anywhere in your home, even your bathroom . If you don’t have the wall or counter space for bathroom plants, add them to your shower with this easy DIY planter, made from a shower caddy.

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The debate over hand writing important notes versus typing them is one we’ve hit on before , but this graphic lays out all of the data clearly, and even offers some tips on choosing a writing implement based on the type of notes you’re taking.

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Smartphones, Wi-Fi, and GPS have made traveling easier , but a physical travel guide is always a smart investment when trotting the globe. Both Lonely Planet and Fodor’s have been around for decades, but it’s time to decide which guidebook deserves that coveted space in your travel bag.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Memorials to veterans in a Los Angeles neighborhood and a town in Kentucky, as well as a Civil War veterans cemetery in Virginia, were damaged as the nation prepares to mark Memorial Day, officials said.

A Vietnam War memorial in the Venice area of Los Angeles has been extensively defaced by graffiti. The vandalism occurred sometime during the past week, KCAL/KCBS-TV (http://cbsloc.al/1RAa3mg) reported. The homespun memorial painted on a block-long wall on Pacific Avenue lists the names of American service members missing in action or otherwise unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.

News of the vandalism came as another veterans-related memorial was reported damaged in Henderson, Kentucky. Police say a Memorial Day cross display there that honors the names of 5,000 veterans of conflicts dating back to the Revolutionary War has been damaged by a driver who plowed through the crosses early Saturday.

In Virginia, the Petersburg National Battlefield has apparently has been looted, the National Park Service said. Numerous excavations were found at the Civil War battlefield last week, Jeffrey Olson, and agency spokesman, said in a news release Friday. Petersburg National Battlefield is a 2,700-acre park marks where more than 1,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died fighting during the Siege of Petersburg 151 years ago.

In Los Angeles’ Venice neighborhood, the wall for missing veterans has been tagged previously, but the latest vandalism covers the bottom half of the memorial for much of its length.

To George Francisco, vice president of the Venice Chamber of Commerce, it’s not just graffiti. “It’s a desecration. I mean it’s very simple. There’s no sort of other way around it, said Francisco, who also runs a nonprofit called Veterans Foundation Inc.

“I’ve known the sacrifices these people made in an incredibly unpopular war. So to continue the mistreatment of Vietnam veterans is somewhat shocking, somewhat shocking and quite sad,” Francisco said.

Painted by a Vietnam veteran and dedicated in 1992, it declares, “You are not forgotten” and states the number of missing as 2,273.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the number of unaccounted-for Americans was listed at 2,646 in 1973. About half were those missing in action, and the others were those killed in action but the body was not recovered. Since then, the remains of more than 1,000 American have been identified and returned and about 1,600 have still not been accounted for, although efforts continue.

In Henderson, Kentucky, Jennifer Richmond, a spokesman for the Henderson Police Department, said the community is devastated and working frantically to repair and replace the crosses that were put on display for a Memorial Day ceremony in Central Park.

She said a 27-year-old local man drove straight through the cross display in the Henderson park, about 130 miles west of Louisville, just before 6 a.m. Saturday, but investigators don’t know if it was deliberate.

Anthony Burrus has been charged with criminal mischief in the first degree and leaving the scene of an accident. Online jail records do not list an attorney for Burrus.

The post Veterans sites in California, Kentucky, Virginia damaged appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s hardly a dog’s life of just eating and sleeping for President Barack Obama’s pets, Bo and Sunny.

The pair of Portuguese water dogs — Bo with his distinctive white chest and front paws, and the all-black Sunny — are canine ambassadors for the White House, very popular and so in demand that they have schedules, like the president.

“Everybody wants to see them and take pictures,” Michelle Obama said. “I get a memo at the beginning of the month with a request for their schedules, and I have to approve their appearances.”

The dogs have entertained crowds at the annual Easter Egg Roll and Bo has been at Mrs. Obama’s side when she welcomes tourists on the anniversary of the president’s inauguration. The dogs also have cheered wounded service members, as well as the hospitalized children the first lady visits each year just before Christmas. In a sign of just how recognized Bo and Sunny are, authorities in January arrested a North Dakota man who they say came to Washington to kidnap one of the pets.

Bo, now 7, joined the Obama family in April 2009. He was a gift from the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., a key supporter of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign who became close to the family. Bo helped Obama keep a promise to daughters Malia and Sasha that they could get a dog after the election.

Sunny, nearly 4, came along in August 2013.

Bo already had a job as a “helper” to Dale Haney, the head groundskeeper at the White House, which happens to be a national park.

“He leaves every morning and he goes down with Dale … and he’s with all the National Park Service guys. And you’ll see him, and he’s like walking around with them, and looking at the plants,” Mrs. Obama said. “I think he thinks he has a job because he takes it very seriously. So if I go out and see him, he kind of ignores me when he’s with his worker crew people.”

The dogs have a pretty nice life. “They can sit on my lap, they sit on my chair, they cuddle with me,” Mrs. Obama said. “I like to lay on the floor with them and blow in their face. I like to make them run and chase each other. But they’re so cute, I just love to just cuddle them and massage them.”

Presidential pets are always popular and many presidents kept dogs as companions. President Harry S. Truman famously advised: “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

President George H.W. Bush’s English Springer Spaniel, Millie, “wrote” the best-seller “Millie’s Book.”

President Bill Clinton’s chocolate Labrador Retriever, Buddy, helped Clinton weather the scandal over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

President George W. Bush’s Scottish Terrier, Barney, had an official web page and starred in “Barneycam” videos that were filmed from a camera hung around his neck. Like Mrs. Obama, first lady Laura Bush was involved with the video scripts and the taping schedule.

President Lyndon B. Johnson angered animal lovers by lifting his pet beagle, Him, by the ears in front of news photographers.

Obama promised last year to “clean things up a little bit” before leaving the White House in January because the dogs “have been tearing things up occasionally.”

Mrs. Obama said her four-legged family members had been nice overall, but she exposed Sunny’s naughtier side.

“You know what she does sometimes? She leaves the kitchen and she’ll sneak and she’ll go poop on the other end of the White House,” the first lady said.

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap . Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/author/darlene-superville

The post Hardly a dog’s life for Obama’s pets Bo and Sunny appeared first on WTOP.

Despite being used to portray strange and frightening creatures that puff up and attack in the movie “Holes,” bearded dragons are generally docile and tolerate handling better than other lizards species.^[1] Pet “beardies” are really curious, gentle, friendly and easy to hold. And regular handling accustoms them to people and minimizes stress during baths,^[2] habitat cleanings, and trips to the vet.

EditSteps

EditPreparing to Hold

1. Wash your hands. Washing your hands before you handle a bearded dragon will reduce the risk of passing any germs or illnesses on to the dragon. You may also consider wearing gloves; this has the added benefit of protecting your hands from the dragon’s rough skin.
   
2. Approach the lizard slowly until you are able to touch it. It is important that your actions around the beardie are calm and deliberate. If the beardie is stressed, it will not be comfortable being held. If the beardie is in a cage or enclosure, you will have to slowly reach in, but do not attempt to reach from above; bearded dragons have sensory nerves on top of their heads that will interpret your reach as an attack.
   
   • Do not interrupt the bearded dragon while it is eating.
   • Do not back a beardie up in a corner, as it will feel threatened.
   • Do not tease the lizard with your finger, as it might think it's a worm and chomp!
3. Pet the bearded dragon’s head gently. This will allow the dragon to become accustomed to your hand and feel comfortable. When the bearded dragon has blinked or closed its eyes, it is calm enough to pick up. A beardie shows anger or stress by making his chin go black, and if he's very angry his chin is black and puffed up. If you see this, then it's best to back off as the beardie is not in the right frame of mind to be picked up.^[3]
   

EditHolding a Bearded Dragon

1. Pick up the beardie. Gently put your hand, palm upturned, under its body and scoop it up. Use your thumb and forefinger to support the front arms while the body rests in the palm of your hand. Make sure that all of the dragon's legs are supported. You might place a second hand under the tail as well.
   
   • If getting your hand under the dragon is awkward, gently grasp the dragon behind the front shoulders with your forefinger and thumb to lift slightly, and slide your other hand underneath.
   • Don’t squeeze, just support. Let it sit on your hands.
   • Be aware that if the beardie's back end is not supported, he will 'windmill' his tail around in circles. If this happens, immediately support his rear legs and tail, so that he feels more secure. Otherwise, he may injure his back.
2. Get comfortable and stay calm. Place the bearded dragon on your arm, chest, or lap and it will most likely stay there comfortably while you pet it. Your calm gentle touches will help the beardie to feel relaxed. Adult bearded dragons can be up to two feet long, so you may be most comfortable sitting with it. Young dragons are speedy, so you may want to loosely hold on.
   
   • Know that a beardie's scales and spikes point in one direction, so pet him along the scales rather than against or you will end up with prickles in your skin and an angry beardie.
3. Read the bearded dragon’s body language. The bearded dragon will communicate its level of comfort to you and if you’re able to decipher what it’s saying, you’ll have a better experience holding it.^[4] If it becomes stressed or agitated, put it back in its cage. Watch for these gestures:
   
   • Inflated beard: When a lizard wants to show dominance, or feels startled or threatened - this particularly happens during breeding season - it puffs its throat out.
   • Mouth gaping: As with the inflated beard, this gesture is meant to make the dragon look menacing, as a show of dominance or to scare off a potential aggressor.
   • Mouth open, but not wide. It may just be trying to cool off.
   • Bobbing head: Males show dominance with this gesture.
   • Arm waving: Sometimes a dragon may hold up one front leg and slowly wave it, which is a sign of submission.
   • Raised tail: This is commonly seen during breeding season. It can also be a sign of alertness and activeness. Juveniles tend to raise their tail when they're hunting prey.^[5]
4. Return the dragon to its habitat. When you are done holding the dragon, or the dragon is done being held, return it to is enclosure using the steps described above. You can hold a bearded dragon for as long as it will tolerate being held. Start with 15 minutes once a day and as it gets used to being handled, you can hold it longer. Some dragons enjoy being held several times a day for several hours. When the beardie becomes restless, it is time to put him back.
   
   • The length of time he can stay out of his vivarium depends on the room temperature. Reptiles are cold-blooded, so if the room is cool, he may start to chill and his digestion will stop. If his belly feels cool to the touch, then return him to the vivarium to warm up.
5. Wash your hands. Bearded dragons, like most reptiles carry Salmonella. It is normal for them, but can cause illness in people. Always wash your hands after handling a bearded dragon.^[6]
   

EditTips

• If you are calm when dealing with these animals then most likely they will be calm for you.
• Bearded dragons sometimes cling to your clothing.
• Please supervise children at all times.
• Have patience with a baby Beardie. Let him warm up to you! Don't try to force him to touch you, and don't feel discouraged if he isn't friendly with you right away.
• Babies are more fragile than adults, so be prepared for them to jump; you might accidentally drop them in surprise.
• Young dragons, or ones not accustomed to human contact may become stressed and uninterested in food if over-handled .
• Very young dragons may be frightened at first, and should be kept close to the floor in case of a sudden dash.
• If a Bearded Dragon gets its claws stuck in your clothing just gently pick up the beardie's finger and very carefully move it out until the hand is not in your clothes and then leave the lizard to get relaxed so it does not get stressed.
• Bearded Dragons might try and escape a couple times if they are not used to you. When you first get your lizard, let it sit inside of its vivarium for a day or two before holding it because they need to get used to their new surroundings first.
• Bearded dragons, just like any other pet, should not be fed crickets or worms from your garden. They may contain diseases that your beardie will not have been exposed to before.

EditWarnings

• If the bearded dragon is bobbing its head or has a puffy beard - do not attempt. They are busy communicating, to you or another lizard, and they may bite.
• If this happens put an object between it and the other dragon/animal because there might be a fight.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Care for Bearded Dragons
• Teach a Bearded Dragon to Drink from a Water Bowl
• Raise Bearded Dragon Hatchlings
• Breed Bearded Dragons
• Look After Baby Bearded Dragons
• Feed a Bearded Dragon
• Handle Bearded Dragons Around Children
• Build Love With Your Bearded Dragon
• Make a Bearded Dragon Habitat
• Bathe a Bearded Dragon
• Get Your Parents to Let You Have a Bearded Dragon
• Buy a Bearded Dragon
• Take Good Care of a Bearded Dragon

EditSources and Citations

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