Giant panda Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. (Courtesy Skip Brown, Smithsonian’s National Zoo) Hopes are high for Mei Xiang: The National Zoo’s giant panda had her second ultrasound Monday morning, and she’s still pregnant. Although the National Zoo said anything can still happen, Mei Xiang’s caregivers are fully confident she’s still pregnant and could possibly have a successful birth and a healthy cub within days. “It just feels particularly exciting, and almost monumental, this year because we have just been plowing through this pandemic culture and environment, and — finally — some really, really good news,” said Pamela Baker-Masson, a spokesperson for the zoo who shared the news with WTOP last week. Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated in March and has already had three cubs over the last several years. But the 22-year-old isn’t in the clear just yet: There’s still the chance of a miscarriage, or that Mei Xiang could reabsorb the fetus. But hopes are high, and fingers are crossed. You can catch Mei Xiang on the zoo’s panda cam.
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DC-area volunteers raising money for truck to support Ukraine war effort
Some D.C.-area residents are trying to raise enough money to send a specially equipped truck to Ukraine as part of a nationwide grassroots fundraising campaign.
Bethesda, Maryland, resident Jeffrey Bloch is helping lead Maryland's effort through the 50 States for Ukraine campaign. The group is trying to raise $13,000 for a vehicle for use by a Ukrainian military unit.
Funds raised through 50 States for Ukraine are used by the organization Car for Ukraine to purchase, modify and deliver vehicles. According to the fundraising website, efforts in neighboring D.C. and Virginia have already raised enough money to fund multiple vehicles.
“These are not really the large military vehicles or tanks, things like that, that are normally associated with government aid packages, but they are a bit smaller vehicles that are not covered under these aid packages, but they're very urgently needed on the ground," Bloch said.
