As COVID-19 ebbs in California, Disneyland reopens after 13-month closure
CBSN
Disneyland, California's world-famous theme park, reopened to excited visitors Friday after an unprecedented 13-month closure in what tourism officials hope is a sign of the state's rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.
The day began with Disney officials and park employees gathered in the park's town square for the morning flag-raising ceremony. Disney CEO Bob Chapek thanked the color guard for raising the flag every day during the 412-day closure and asked employees to "bring the magic back" for visitors. Some visitors cheered as they entered. "Not having it for over a year was really kind of hard for us, and so it's just really nice to be able to come back," said visitor Jaki Montanez of Modesto.
The peace and tranquility of Muir Woods, just north of San Francisco – home to 500+ acres of old-growth redwoods – make it just about the last place you'd expect to find a fight brewing. "The fact that they're taking down whole groups of signs about climate change and our nation's history is disappointing, and embarrassing," said retired U.S. Park Ranger Lucy Scott In:

We share our planet with maybe 10 million species of plants, animals, birds, fish, fungi and bugs. And to help identify them, millions of people are using a free phone app. "Currently we have about six million people using the platform every month," said Scott Loarie, the executive director of iNaturalist, a nonprofit.

At ski resorts across the West this winter, viral images showed chairlifts idling over brown terrain in places normally renowned for their frosty appeal. Iconic mountain towns like Aspen, Colorado, and Park City, Utah, were seen with shockingly bare slopes, as the region endured a historic snow drought that experts warn could bring water shortages and wildfires in the months ahead. In:










