D.C. zoo poll picks name for panda cub
WASHINGTON -- More than three months after his birth, the National Zoo's new panda cub finally has a name.
Officials at the Smithsonian, which runs the zoo, announced Monday morning that the cub born on August 21 would be named Xiao Qi Ji (pronouced shee-OW-chee-jee), which is Mandarin Chinese for "little miracle."
The choice was the result of a five-day online poll that drew nearly 135,000 voters to choose between different Mandarin Chinese names. In a nod to Chinese tradition, the name was not chosen until 100 days after the birth.
Monday's announcement comes on the day the zoo shut its doors to the public for the second time this year because of the the covid-19 pandemic as the virus continues to spike locally and around the country.
The Smithsonian first shut down all its facilities in mid-March. But the zoo reopened on July 24 and other museums gradually reopened with timed entry passes to keep the crowds low.
Even if the zoo were open, the indoor panda house would have remained closed to the public, making the zoo's popular panda-cam, the only way to view the baby bear, who doctors say is up to 10.4 pounds and starting to crawl.
Court clears 2 states to cut clinic funds
NEW ORLEANS -- A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Texas and Louisiana can cut off funding to Planned Parenthood clinics, reversing earlier decisions stemming from legal battles over abortion.
Opponents of legal abortion have long sought to deny federal Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood because some Planned Parenthood affiliated clinics perform abortions. Abortion-rights supporters and advocates for women's health have argued that the move also would deny needy women the right to choose their providers for a variety of vital nonabortion health services.
The decision by the full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans reverses an earlier ruling by a three-judge appellate panel that blocked Texas from enforcing its ban on Medicaid funding of Planned Parenthood.
It also expressly reversed a ruling blocking Louisiana from banning Planned Parenthood funding. A three-judge panel had ruled against the ban and that decision stood when the full court deadlocked 7-7 in 2017. This time, 16 judges -- including five nominees of President Donald Trump -- participated in the case and 11 were in the majority.
In dissent, two judges said the case will leave millions in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, which falls under 5th Circuit jurisdiction, "vulnerable to unlawful state interference with their choice of health care providers."
Apple exec indicted over iPad offer
Apple's head of global security was charged with bribery last week after being accused of promising to donate iPads to the Santa Clara County, Calif., sheriff's office in exchange for concealed-weapons permits, according to an indictment made public Monday.
Thomas Moyer, who has run Apple's security department since 2013, according to his LinkedIn page, had applied for concealed-weapons permits, according to a news release. The sheriff's office held up the application, the release said, until Moyer agreed to get Apple to donate $70,000 worth of iPads.
Santa Clara Undersheriff Rick Sung and Capt. James Jensen, accused of requesting the bribes, were also indicted.
The charges are part of a broad two-year investigation into the sheriff's office, according to the release on the Santa Clara County district attorney's website. The investigation explored an alleged scheme to trade concealed weapons permits in exchange for goods, such as iPads and expensive sports tickets.
Apple's sprawling headquarters in Cupertino falls within Santa Clara County and is staffed with security. Concealed-weapon permits are rarely granted in the county.
Apple and Moyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Arrest made in California church attack
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A suspect has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbings of two people and the wounding of three others at a church that was being used as a homeless shelter, the San Jose Police Department said Monday in a Twitter post.
The stabbings happened Sunday night at Grace Baptist Church, where no services were taking place. Officials said a man died there and a woman died at a hospital. Three other men who were wounded remained hospitalized Monday in serious but stable condition.
Police did not identify the suspect. The victims were not identified and police said the names of those who died will be released by the Santa Clara County coroner's office after their families are notified.
The church, through its nonprofit Grace Solutions, offers an overnight winter shelter to up to 50 men and women during cold, rainy weather and it makes showers available daily for drop-in visits to those who may need them, according to the nonprofit's website.
The motive of the attack was under investigation, police said.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports