Episodes
12.13.2019
Dec 13 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Friday December 13th 2019and we begin with… Two big words for a day with a historically bad rap. Triskaidekaphobia is a fear of the number 13. Paraskevidekatriaphobia is more specific; it means you’re superstitious whenever the calendar coughs up the number 13 on a Friday. No one knows exactly when it took such an unlucky turn, or why, but the unfortunate juju has been around for centuries. Some say it’s because Christian historians believe Jesus died on Friday the 13th, others point to the arrest of hundreds of knights, by the King of France during the Crusades on Friday the 13th, 1307. And then there’s the movie “Friday the 13th” which was released in 1980 and made sure the date would never be looked at the same again. Of course, there’s no real reason to fear this day. Even the doctor who coined the term Paraskevidekatriaphobia told his patients that all they had to do to be cured… was to learn how to pronounce it. Bundle up and look skyward tonight. One of the best and most reliable cosmic showers of the entire year will peak late this evening and stretch into the early hours of tomorrow. They’re called “The Geminids” and are named for the constellation Gemini, which seems to be the starting point. Geminids are fast – moving around 79,000 miles per hour – and famous for producing orange, yellow, blue, green and red streaks of light. According to NASA, this isn’t your average meteor-shower-caused-by-a-comet. This is an annual ‘asteroid’ shower visible only when Earth passes through a trail of space debris left behind by a weird, rocky object named 3200 Phaethon. What makes organized sports fun for kids? The answer might not surprise you, but it may come as a shock to your coaches. George Washington University studied the question and found that winning.. was nowhere near the top. Also far down the list were things like playing in tournaments and traveling to new places. The reasons most kids say they enjoy their sport is because they get to be active, try their best and work as a team. The findings were the same for boys and girls, young kids and high schoolers and across recreational and more competitive levels of play. The research is important because a lot of kids quit sports around the age of 13 or 14 when, they say, it just isn’t fun anymore. Oceanographers have a mystery on their hands. They’ve just discovered a massive field of nearly perfectly round holes in the sea floor off of Big Sur, California. They range in size, with the largest measuring 600 feet across and 16 feet deep. All told, there are more than 15-thousand unexplained divots, about a third of which were found to have trash in them. Scientists say the garbage was likely dropped off the side of a boat, but that doesn’t explain what caused the holes to form in the first place. The find was made by researchers mapping the ocean for a planned wind farm. Pigeons dressed like cowboys. It’s a thing on the streets of Las Vegas. Not surprisingly, video of the two birds sporting miniature cowboy hats, one red and one gray, has made its way to the internet. Naturally, everyone wants to know where the hats came from.. and how the heck they stay put. Representatives from the National Rodeo, which just so happens to be in town, deny involvement. Animal activists are concerned, but a respected ornithologist – or bird expert – says there’s no real need to worry. “They look like happy pigeons to me” he said, while adding, “It’s hard to know of course, because they will not talk to us.” That’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz quiz: What’s the word for fear of Friday the 13th? Paraskevidekatriaphobia What asteroid shower peaks tonight? The Geminids. What was found on the ocean floor near Big Sur, California? 15-thousand mysterious holes. What does NOT top the list of why kids like to do sports? Winning. Instead, kids say they have fun being active and working as a team. In one for the road: If you haven’t heard of Baby Yoda yet, you will. The little green sensation is the starring character on Disney+’s “The Mandelorian” and it only took one episode of the live action Star Wars show to launch the tiny tyke into the social media stratosphere. Baby Yoda is animatronic, meaning he’s operated by puppeteers. And he’s got a cult following among celebrities like The Rock, who post pictures with him and report on alleged sightings. Today’s birthday shoutouts go to Oren in New York City and Colin in Rochester, Michigan. Tomorrow, we celebrate Keaton in Gilbert, Arizona .. and on Sunday, Colin in Libertyville, Illinois, Merrick in Littleton, Colorado and Emily Lu in Walnut, California. Thanks for listening! We’ll see you back here for more KidNuz on Monday morning. The post 12.13.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.12.2019
Dec 12 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Thursday, December 12th, 2019 and we begin with… The youngest person ever named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year.” And as a KidNuz listener, it’s someone you’ve heard a lot about. 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg got the honor for turning her one-person, one-day-a-week protest in front of the Swedish Parliament …into a worldwide movement. In the process, she’s inspired millions of kids to take up the fight and traveled the globe to criticize some of the world’s most powerful leaders for their inaction. Just this week, she was at the U.N.’s climate talks in Madrid, Spain. Other finalists for this year’s award, included Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Trump and the Hong Kong protesters. A 9-year-old Belgian boy is making headlines…for dropping out of college. We told you about Laurent Simons last month. He started elementary school at age 4, high school at 6, and had been planning to graduate this month from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. But it looks like his electrical engineering degree will have to wait. The university says uncompleted coursework would push Laurent’s graduation date to next year, when he’s 10. Laurent’s family said no, he finishes now or they’re pulling him out, which is what they decided to do. He’ll be transferring to another school, possibly in the U.S. An NBA superstar is shifting the spotlight from physical to mental fitness. LeBron James is speaking out about meditation and how it helps him deal with stress and regrets. James says he began playing “angry” in 2011 when he very publicly abandoned his hometown in Cleveland for a fresh start in Miami —then lost the Finals anyway. Looking back, he says he knows he disappointed a lot of fans and wishes he’d handled that situation – and a lot of others – differently. His new focus, he says, is to train his mind as much as he trains his body. And for that, even the King needs help; Lebron admits to using an app to help him de-stress enough to get a good night’s sleep. Call it Life Hacks 101. With more sign-ups than seats, students at UC Berkeley are being turned away from a popular new class in “Adulting.” The class teaches basic life skills like time management, keeping a budget and navigating face-to-face relationships in an online world. These types of classes have exploded in popularity as many millennials and post-millennials have left the nest lacking the basics in day-to-day living. Who’s to blame for their common sense shortcomings? Some point to helicopter parents whose hyper-focus on academic achievement leave kids no time to learn everyday tasks. Others blame high schools for dropping courses like home economics. Google has just released its list of the top trending searches of the year, meaning, search terms that saw the largest spikes in traffic in 2019 compared to 2018. And the winner should come as no surprise: Disney Plus, which registered ten million subscribers in just one day after going live last month. The remaining top ten searches in the US are Cameron Boyce, Nipsey Hussle, Hurricane Dorian, Antonio Brown, Luke Perry, Avengers: Endgame, Game of Thrones, iPhone 11 and Jussie Smollet. And that’s it for KidNuz this morning. Now, our KidNuz quiz. Who’s been named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year? 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, the youngest person ever to receive the honor. Why are college students signing up for a class in “Adulting?” Because they are lacking knowledge in basic life skills. Which NBA player is speaking out about the benefits of meditation? Superstar LeBron James What was the top trending search on Google this year? Disney Plus. In one for the road… Time Magazine first introduced the annual profile on a person, group or an idea back in 1927. It was a slow news week and they wanted to do a special feature on Charles Lindbergh and his historic trans-Atlantic flight. It was initially called “Man of the Year”, though there were a few “Woman of the Year” winners. But the magazine changed the title to the more neutral Person of the Year in 1999. We have one birthday shout-out today to Elizabeth in Conway, Arkansas. And we’d like to give a big KidNuz hello to Mrs. Ramos’ 4th Grade Class at Park View Elementary School in Ripon, California. Thanks for listening, everyone! If you’d like to sign up for a birthday shout-out, just go to our website and join our KidNuz Club. We hope you tune in for more KidNuz tomorrow morning. The post 12.12.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.11.2019
Dec 11 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. It’s Wednesday, Dec 11th 2019. And we begin with… A 9-year old boy from Virginia pounding the pavement for a good cause. Matteo Lambert has run 120 miles this year, and raised more than 65-thousand dollars.. all to help children battling cancer. Matteo first ran in a charity race 2 years ago and came in 2nd place for his age group. But he told his dad he wasn’t interested in hanging around after the race to collect his medal. He said he’d just done the 5-k to support people like his grandfather who is a cancer survivor. With the help of his family, Matteo is starting his own organization called the Off the Charts Club, to continue helping and visiting kids with cancer in hospitals across the country, while also participating in charity races. In Washington DC, House Democrats have announced they will charge President Trump with 2 Articles of Impeachment. One is abuse of power, for allegedly putting his political concerns over the national interest. And the other is obstruction of Congress, because Democrats claim the President stonewalled, or tried to stop, the investigations. Mr. Trump and his fellow Republicans strongly disagree with these charges. So what happens next? The House Judiciary committee will likely vote on these articles in the next week. If they pass, as expected, the full House would take a vote before Christmas on whether to impeach the President, and then send the case to the Senate for a trial beginning early in the New Year. In International news.. the world’s youngest prime minister has just been sworn into office. Sanna Marin is Finland’s new leader and she is only 34 years old. Marin was nominated by her Social Democratic party. The previous leader stepped down after losing the confidence of his government over his handling of a postal strike. Marin was first elected to Parliament 4 years ago and said her party’s values of equality, freedom and peace appealed to her when she first got into politics. She now leads a coalition of 4 other parties, all headed by women and all but one are under the age of 35. Sometimes it pays to hold on to things. At least that was the case for a perfectly preserved copy of Marvel’s first-ever comic book. It sold recently at an auction in Dallas, to an anonymous buyer for a record 1-point-26 million dollars. Published in 1939, it features a superhero called The Human Torch and was first bought for just 10 cents. According to the auction house, the book was in ‘outrageously’ good condition and it’s without question the granddaddy of all Marvel Comics because without it, we wouldn’t have all the characters that came after, including Spiderman, Antman, The Hulk and at least 59 more! Nothing says it’s the holidays, like a log in the fireplace, giving off the scent of…. chicken? KFC is selling this special artificial log for the 2nd year, and just like in 2018, the insanely popular item sold out in a matter of hours last weekend. It’s made by Enviro-Log, using 100 percent recycled wax cardboard, meaning it’s fairly eco-friendly. And because it costs only 19 dollars, it could be a popular gift! KFC does have a warning on its website that the scent may attract bears or hungry neighbors, and – for obvious reasons – also cautions against putting your face too near the fire to smell the fried chicken. And that’s it for KidNuz. Now the KidNuz quiz: A 9-year old boy is running in a lot of races, raising money for what cause? Helping children who are battling cancer. What’s the age of Finland’s new prime minister? She is 34. What does an artificial fire log, that sold out last weekend, smell like? Fried chicken. How much did Marvel’s first ever comic book sell for, back in 1939? Only ten cents. In one for the road; Marin may be Finland’s youngest-ever head of state and the youngest currently in the world. However, she is not the youngest in world history. Conservative British politician William Pitt, became prime minister at the age of 24 but that was back in 1783. Here in the US, the President must be at least 35 years old to serve. Before we go, today’s KidNuz birthday shout outs go to… Bennett in Woodstock, GA, Gavin in Catonsville, Maryland and Lily in Chicago, IL. And a KidNuz hello to Mrs. Corazza’s 6th-to-8th grade Social Studies Class at Mt Olive Middle School in Budd Lake, New Jersey Thanks for listening. We hope you tune in for more kidnuz tomorrow morning. Charity Run, DC Latest, Million Dollar Marvel, Young PM, and Lip-smacking Logs! The post 12.11.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.10.2019
Dec 10 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Tuesday, December 10th, 2019 and we begin with… A first for Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. In a history-making move, the city’s Chamber of Commerce just gave a car… its very own star. Until now, the honor has only gone to people and characters – never to an inanimate object. The auto in question? No, it’s not the DeLorean from “Back to the Future.” It’s the Chevy Suburban which, according to Chevrolet, has made appearances in 1,750 films since 1960. The car’s star joins those of more than 26-hundred celebrities who currently make up the world’s most visited sidewalk. Nearly half of those recognized got famous on the big screen, the rest come from television, music, radio and live performance. If you watch the Olympics next summer, you won’t be seeing the Russian flag. Nor will you hear the Russian anthem. The World Anti-Doping Agency just banned the country from international competition for four years for helping its athletes cheat their way to medals by using banned substances. The agency says Moscow not only knew about the doping, but covered it up by changing lab data. As a whole, the country will have no formal presence at the games, but individual Russian athletes can still participate – under a neutral flag – IF they can prove they were not part of the scandal. It wasn’t without warning. Early yesterday, an active volcano erupted off the coast of New Zealand. The White Island ‘cone’ volcano blew its top for the first time since 2001, sending smoke and ash 12-thousand feet in the air. This particular volcano is reportedly one of the world’s most accessible active volcanos and is closely monitored. In fact, scientists from GeoNet had raised its alert level on the island from one to two on November 18th as sulfur dioxide gas increased. And as recently as last Tuesday, one scientist posted that “eruptive activity is more likely than normal.” Holiday generosity comes in all shapes and sizes. And this weekend, it came in the form of Chicago Bears star linebacker Khalil Mack, who returned to his hometown of Fort Pierce, Florida to quietly pay off the layaway debts of 300 Walmart shoppers. Media outlets reportedly tried to reach Mack to talk about his kindness but he’s staying under the radar…. just like he did last June when his foundation paid for 100 pairs of cleats for his high school’s football team. A friendly new face just joined astronauts on board the international space station. CIMON-2 is a floating robot head with a big smile. It can recognize people, make eye contact and carry on a conversation using ‘emotional intelligence,’ meaning it has a tone analyzer that can help it evaluate the moods and emotions of the astronauts and respond appropriately. CIMON gets his name from a reference to Professor Simon Wright, the “flying brain” robotic assistant from the Japanese “Captain Future” sci-fi series. The art world went a little bit bananas this weekend. It all started when Italian artist – and prankster – Maurizio Catelan duct taped a browning piece of supermarket fruit to a gallery wall in Miami, slapped a 120-thousand-dollar price tag on it, and somehow sold it within minutes. Weird got weirder when another artist stepped up, peeled the overpriced banana off the wall and ate it – in front of shocked onlookers. An obviously hungry David Dutana said little other than “it was delicious’ and “one artist just ate another – it’s fun.” Apparently, no harm no foul. The gallery replaced the banana, jacked up the price to 150-thousand.. and sold two more. And that’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz quiz: What country just got banned from the 2020 Olympics? Russia, for allowing its athletes to take banned substances. Where is the White Island Volcano? Off the coast of New Zealand. What unique skill does a new robot on board the space station have? ‘Emotional intelligence,’ which means it can pick up on the moods of astronauts. What honor did the Chevy Suburban just receive? A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – a first for an inanimate object. In one for the road: Muhammad Ali was given a star back in 2002 when the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce decided that boxing could be considered a form of live performance. Interestingly, Ali’s star is the only one that can’t be stepped on. At the athlete’s request, it was installed in the wall of the Dolby Theatre because the legendary athlete didn’t want his name … walked on. Before we go, our birthday shout out today goes to Carson in Coral Springs, FL and our school hello goes to Mrs. Callahan’s 4th Grade class at Mitchell Community Elementary in Canyon Country, California. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you back here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning! The post 12.10.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.09.2019
Dec 09 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Kim. Today is Monday, December 9th, 2019 and we begin with…. A shocking way to spread holiday cheer. Miguel Wattson is an electric eel at the Tennessee Aquarium. With help from students at Tennessee Tech, staff rigged his tank with probes that turn his low-voltage blips into blinks on a nearby Christmas tree. When he’s swimming fast, eating or excited, he gives off more voltage, which translates to bigger and more festive flashes. Watson even triggers his own tweets, like SHAZAM and BAZINGA which, like the blinks, correlate to the strength of his shocks. If you want more information on how students turned Miguel into a yuletide hero, visit the aquarium’s website at TNAQUA.org. (read: TN AQUA) Can you sign your name? Not just write it, but sign it in the long lost art of cursive writing? If not, you might soon have to learn how. New Jersey is the latest state to consider requiring schools to bring it back into the classroom. The loopy, elegant style fell out of favor with the rise of computers; it even got dropped from Common Core standards in 2010. But one by one, states are telling teachers to carve out time to teach it. Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Virginia, California, Florida, North Carolina and Texas have all brought it back in one way or another; most begin teaching it in second or third grade and expect full paragraphs in cursive by the fourth grade. “Wow. That seems a little late.” Those were the words, and the deadpan response, of 11 year old Charlotte Nebres (neh-bress) when she found out she made history as the first black dancer to win the lead role in New York City Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” The casting director says yes, the decision is a significant milestone, but Charlotte won the role simply because she had everything she was looking for in the character of “Marie.” And while Charlotte is proud of her achievement, she’s just enjoying moment. “When I dance,” she says, “I feel empowered and free.. like I can do anything.” Bill Nye the Science Guy is determined to teach Disney a lesson. But this time, it has nothing to do with static electricity or fire tornadoes. The former show host is suing the House of Mouse for shorting him on profits from his wildly popular television series. The case bounced around the courts for two years before a judge announced last week that Mr. Nye can go after Disney to the tune of 28-million dollars. Disney’s defense will reportedly revolve around the Science Guy’s contract and related accounting issues. The trial is expected to begin in May. Tis the season to show appreciation to the hardworking men and women dropping holiday packages on your porch at all hours of the day and night. And that’s just what a Delaware woman did, to the now-viral delight of an Amazon deliveryman. A doorbell camera caught Karim (Kareem) Ahmad-Reed doing a celebratory dance when he spots the basket of soda and snacks left for him, Fedex, UPS and the postal service. Homeowner Kathy Ouma’s (Ooo-ma) note read: “Please take some goodies to enjoy on your route. Thank you for making holiday shopping easy.” Kareem couldn’t contain his excitement – apparently he had forgotten his lunch that day – and did a happy jig all the way down her walk. So far, the video has been viewed by, and generated smiles for, more than 16-million people. It might have been a tough night of sleep for movie stars and their handlers. This morning marks the start of awards season, with nominations announced for the 77th annual Golden Globes. The list gets read at 8am Eastern time and is often seen as foreshadowing the favorites for the Oscars, the most prestigious honor in the industry. Wednesday will give us another clue to the frontrunners, when the Screen Actors Guild announces its nominations. And that’s it for KidNuz this morning. Now our KidNuz quiz. How does Miguel-the-Eel power a nearby Christmas tree? Probes dropped in his tank turn his electric shocks into juice for a string of lights. What type of writing is making a comeback in schools? Cursive writing, which fell out of favor with the advent of computers. How did an 11 year old dancer make history? Charlotte Nebres is the first black lead for the New York City Ballet’s “Nutcracker” Who is suing Disney for back profits? Bill Nye, the Science Guy. In one for the road: Before Bill Nye taught us all to love science, he was a mechanical engineer for Boeing who invented a widely used part for 747 airplanes. He also invented a safer ballet shoe, a sundial used on Mars Rovers and, on the heels of “Back to the Future,” corrected the world on the pronunciation of a key word in the movie. It was not a jiggawatt that powered the DeLorean Time Machine, but a gigawatt (gigga-watt). Sorry Doc Brown! Our birthday shout-out today goes to Lielle (Lee-elle?) in Palo Alto, California. And, a big hello to Mrs. Gallo’s 6th Grade class at Demarest Elementary School in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you back here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning! The post 12.09.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.06.2019
Dec 06 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Friday, December 6th, 2019 and we begin with… History in the making on Capitol Hill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has now officially asked the House of Representatives to move forward with Articles of Impeachment. That means, Democrats will spend the next week or so writing up the crimes they believe President Trump committed, vote on the charges and, if they pass, send them on to the Senate for a trial. The President’s response: If you’re going to impeach me, do it now and do it fast. Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, do not believe he did anything wrong when dealing with Ukraine or Russia, and are unlikely to remove him from office. The articles could be completed and ready for a vote by Christmas with the trial starting in January. It’s the first rule of motherhood: Don’t mess with my kids. And this week, that age-old code was enforced by the First Lady when one of the law experts testifying in the impeachment inquiry brought up the name of Trump’s 13-year-old son, Barron. Stanford Professor Pamela Karlan was making a point that there are no titles of honor or nobility in the U.S.… and that even though Mr. Trump can name his son Barron, he can’t make him one. Mrs. Trump took offense and tweeted: “A minor child deserves privacy.” Ms. Karlan later apologized. Occasionally, the children of Presidents do get dragged into the news, but it is a longstanding tradition to keep them out of the headlines as much as possible. Don’t even think about trying this. A trio of speed racers just drove clear across the U.S. in 27 hours, 25 minutes, shattering a legendary – and highly illegal – record by more than an hour. Even without sleep, the trip should take at least 36 hours when following posted speed limits. The drivers say they were determined to pull off the stunt made famous in the Cannonball Run movies of the early 80s – and are quick to admit they broke a lot of laws along the way. Their average speed was 103 miles an hour, their fastest: 193. To outwit and outrun the police, they equipped their souped-up Mercedes-Benz with GPS, radar, a CB radio, binoculars and even an airplane detection system. While many are celebrating the record, even a popular auto website says the stunt is naughty and just can’t support it. The Big Apple is calling it “Eli Manning’s Farewell Tour.” After getting bounced from his starting quarterback position earlier this season, the 2-time Super Bowl Champion for the New York Giants may get one more turn behind center. The rookie who replaced him has a high ankle sprain- and that means the team may dust off Manning and put him in the lineup against the Eagles Monday night. If he plays, it will be his first start since mid September. If he wins, it’ll fall on the anniversary of his ‘last’ win, exactly one year ago. Aquaman is sorry. Actor Jason Mamoa called out Jurassic Park star Chris Pratt for being in an Instagram ad, standing next to a treadmill while holding a plastic water bottle. Momoa posted “Bro, I love you but no single use plastic. Come on!’ The comment backfired. Pratt’s fans rushed to his defense and slammed Mamoa for being overly sensitive on the issue. Aquaman agreed and apologized, but Pratt maintained the high road. He said Mamoa was right and that he always brings a refillable jug wherever he goes. But – on this particular shoot – someone threw him the bottle at the last moment just so he had something to do with his hands. Bottomline, for the two actors, it’s now water under the bridge. That’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz quiz: What did Speaker Pelosi ask the House to do? Draft Articles of Impeachment. What is the new record for driving coast to coast. 27 hours, 25 minutes. What benched Super Bowl winning quarterback may play Monday night? Eli Manning of the Giants. Why did Aquaman apologize to the star of Jurassic world? Jason Mamoa publicly shamed Chris Pratt for holding a plastic water bottle. In one for the road….It’s about time! After all these years, the House of Mouse is giving Mickey and Minnie a ride of their own. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opens in March at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando. It’s 7 minutes long, is suitable for all ages, and comes with a challenge to find all the hidden Mickeys. Sources say it has more— than any other Disney attraction or area in the world. Our Friday birthday shout-outs go to Cal in San Antonio, Texas, Olivia in Menlo Park, California, Grant in Clayton, California. .. and celebrating tomorrow is Maija in San Francisco. We’d also like to say a hello to Ms. Wendy Louis’ Special Education class at Putnam County High School in Granville, Illinois. Thanks for listening! Remember to take our week in review quiz and we’ll see you back here for more KidNuz Monday morning. The post 12.06.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.05.2019
Dec 05 2019
Good morning, and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Thursday, Dec 5th 2019. And we begin with.. French fry fans in a frenzy. Heavy rains and plunging temperatures early in the growing season took a toll on the potato crops in Idaho, North Dakota and Minnesota – so much so the availability of everybody’s favorite ‘side’ is now in question. Hardest hit were long potatoes, which are the preferred variety for frying. As of early November, only 73 percent of the total crops had been harvested. Stores and restaurants are now being forced to import foreign spuds to make sure there are enough French fries to keep up with demand. For the record, Americans eat more than 46 pounds of potatoes per year, with most of that in the form of fries. If you saw snow in the last week, you are not alone. A wintry storm that barreled across the entire US, caused snowfall in 30 of our 50 states. It started on the west coast a week ago, and finally moved off of New England yesterday. The mix of cold, wind, snow, sleet and rain closed schools, blocked hundreds of miles of roadways, cancelled thousands of flights, all over the busy Thanksgiving week. A meteorologist with the National Weather Service says it was rare to have a storm with this kind of staying power. Of course, this chilly storm did bring out some heart-warming behavior. A 99-year old woman who lives on her own in Albany New York was trapped at home, because she couldn’t clear all the snow from her driveway. Up to 18 inches fell in the state capitol on Sunday night. So she called the police for help and 3 officers came to her rescue, using shovels and snow-blowers to clear a path through her property. A fellow officer posted pictures of the action, which quickly went viral earning the officers some well-deserved kudos from the public. While President Trump met with NATO leaders in London, the Impeachment Inquiry here in the states entered a new phase. Previous hearings were held by the House Intelligence committee. Now it’s the House Judiciary committee’s turn. That group held its first hearing yesterday, with constitutional law experts giving their opinions to lawmakers. As expected, the session – and the spin afterward – fell along party lines. Democrats believe the President abused his power. Republicans disagree, and think the process has not been fair. It is up to this committee to decide whether to write up articles of Impeachment against Mr. Trump. IF it does, a trial will be held in the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority and are unlikely to remove him from office. If you’ve ever lost something really important.. you’ll relate to this story. A guy named Bill recently lost his wedding ring while hiking on a mountain in Manchester New Hampshire. Even though it seemed impossible, he was determined to find it. So he sent out a plea on social media to a local hiking group for help in searching the 4-thousand foot, snow-covered peak. The only clue he could give is he thought the ring might have slipped off while he switching his gloves near the north peak. 2 days later, a pair of hikers using a metal detector uncovered the elusive band in that area and personally returned it to a very happy Bill and his wife. it’s never too early to start working on a college scholarship. 5-year old Jeremiah Travis is so good at the snare drum, he’s already received a full ride to play in the band for Alcorn State in Mississippi. Travis’ mom says he’s not in to video games; he only spends about 15 minutes playing them before he’s off banging on something, learning new music, or working on his dance moves. And the band’s director says although Travis is a great player, it’s his work ethic that really stands out. That’s it for KidNuz. Now, the KidNuz quiz: How many states in the US saw snowfall from the same storm? 30 states What did 3 police officers do to help a 99-year old woman in Albany NY? Shoveled out her driveway Where did a man lose his wedding ring? On a 4-thousand-foot mountain in New Hampshire Why could we be facing a French fry shortage? Wet cold weather has impacted the potato crop In one for the road: Which country has the smartest school children in the world? Yesterday we mentioned the global report that offers an assessment every three years, of 15-year olds all around the world. The US, like many other countries, hadn’t made much improvement since the last report was done. So what nation topped the survey? It was China, whose students did much better than their peers in reading math and science skills, bumping the previous winner, Singapore down to 2nd place. Before we go, today’s KidNuz birthday shout outs go to Connor in Boulder, Colorado, Liam in Chicago, Ben in Gilbert, Arizona and Greta in Richmond, Virginia. And a KidNuz greeting to Mrs. Barney’s 3rd Grade class at Doby’s Bridge Elementary School in Fort Mill, South Carolina Thanks for listening. And we hope you tune in for more KidNuz tomorrow morning. The post 12.05.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.04.2019
Dec 04 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Kim. Today is Wednesday, December 4th, 2019 and we begin with… Some eye opening comments from the big boss at YouTube. Chief Executive Officer Susan Wojcicki (Whoa-Jisky) has five kids ranging in age from grammar school to late teens and she says the youngest ones aren’t even allowed on the site. The only place they can roam.. is on youtube kids and even then, only with time limits. Youtube has come under fire in recent years for promoting inappropriate content through an algorithm, which is a fancy way of saying its computers push content based on our browsing history. And there’s a lot of content to push. 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube.. every minute of every day. YouTube Kids, on the other hand, creates a wall between age-appropriate content and the other stuff that’s out there. A pretty mediocre report card for America’s high school sophomores. Every three years, 15 year olds around the globe are given the PISA test, which stands for Programme for International Student Assessment. The most recent results show that scores here haven’t gone up much at all in the last 19 years.. and while U.S. students are about average in reading when compared to other countries, they still fall far below average when it comes to math. The test also revealed a widening achievement gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students and one very troubling statistic: as many as a fifth of America’s 15-year-olds can’t read at a 10-year-old’s level. Some big news from the Presidential race. One of the early favorites on the Democratic side has dropped out. California Senator Kamala Harris announced her decision in a phone call to staff yesterday. Ms. Harris qualified for this month’s Presidential debate, but reportedly didn’t have enough campaign cash left to buy ads ahead of the upcoming caucuses in Iowa. She also fell behind in the polls to the newest candidate, Michael Bloomberg. Senator Harris is expected to travel to several states this week to thank her supporters for their help and commitment to her campaign. In case you were wondering, there are still 15 Democrats vying for the nomination. And the award goes to “Senorita”! According to Spotify, the hit duet by Camila Cabelo and Shawn Mendes was the most-streamed song of 2019. Right behind them, was Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.” When it came to most-streamed artist of the year, that honor goes to Post Malone. And for the decade, look no further than Drake. Asbestos was once so popular it went by the nickname “Grey Gold”. A Canadian town that mined it, even nameditself after the in-demand natural resource, which was primarily used to make insulation for homes and businesses. But that was a hundred years ago, before scientists knew just how dangerous it was to those who worked with it or installed it. Today, the health impacts are undeniable and the mayor of Abestos says he’s losing too much business; companies won’t set up shop because they don’t want that word in their address. The mayor is hoping to shake the stigma — by shaking the name. He’s asking his 7-thousand residents to come up with a new moniker, which will be revealed to the world sometime in 2020. The police response was quick, but not quick enough for the 5 second rule. A Facebook post shows officers in Brookhaven, Georgia responding to the scene of an accident where dozens of Krispy Kremes fell from a truck, and rolled into a gutter. Though tempted to make good on their donut-loving reputation, they had no choice but to declare a “total and senseless loss of delicious pastries.” Their loss didn’t last long, though. Police from a neighboring town sent over a sympathy batch.. with a side of coffee. That’s it for KidNuz this morning. Now our KidNuz quiz; A fifth of America’s 15 year olds can’t read at what level? That of a 10 year old. Who just dropped out of the 2020 Presidential Race? California Senator Kamala Harris What was the most streamed song of 2019? Señorita by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes. What was the natural resource asbestos once used for? Insulation, until doctors realized it was dangerous to those who worked with it. In one for the road: They’ve arrived! The newfangled apple that we told you about last month is hitting stores shelves this week. The Cosmic Crisp is the creation of the University of Washington: It’s red with yellow dots that look like stars, hence the galactic name. What’s more.. it can reportedly stay fresh in the refrigerator for an entire year. Growers say they expect the Cosmic Crisp to completely replace another apple favorite, the honeycrisp, within the next decade. Our KidNuz birthday shout-outs today go to Aliza in Newton, Massachusetts, and Jericho in Wichita, Kansas. And we want to give a big hello to Ms. Hagen’s 4th Grade class at Sam Houston Elementary School in Marshall, Texas. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you back here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning! The post 12.04.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.03.2019
Dec 03 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019 and we begin with… …A nine-year-old boy from Florida hoping to make a 1-million dollar bet with President Trump. Evan is a fourth grader from the city of Melbourne and, through a series of tv ads and billboards, is challenging the leader of the free world to go vegan- meaning eating no fish, meat, dairy or eggs – for the month of January. If Mr. Trump puts his love for fast food burgers aside for 30 days, the nonprofit “Million Dollar Vegan” – which Evan represents – will donate one million dollars to veterans. The vegan advocacy group fights for “climate change through diet change,” has the support of celebrities including Paul McCartney, Moby and Woody Harrelson and says it’ll be ready to cash out within one hour if the president agrees on Twitter. According to Evan, it’s time to “Make America Healthy Again.” So far, Mr. Trump hasn’t responded to the challenge, but that could be because he’s busy being one of 29 heads-of-state getting a royal welcome today in the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II is hosting a big event at Buckingham Palace to mark the 70th anniversary of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is a military alliance formed between the United States, Canada and Europe after World War II. Expected to greet the President and First Lady: The Queen, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William will miss the reception; he’s away on an official visit to the Middle East. Before boarding Air Force One for London, Mrs. Trump took part in a holiday tradition more than a century in the making. Early yesterday, she unveiled the official White House Christmas decorations, made possible by hundreds of volunteers from all 50 states. They spent the weekend transforming 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue into a winter wonderland. This year’s theme is “The Spirit of America.” In all, the White House halls are decked with 15-thousand bows, 25-hundred strings of lights and 58 Christmas trees. The most important is the Blue Room Christmas tree, which stands 18 feet tall and is the ‘official’ tree of the residence. But by far the sweetest decoration can be found in the State dining room: it’s a giant replica of the White House made from 200 lbs. of gingerbread, 25 pounds of chocolate and another 25 pounds of icing. In Science News… They won’t be cranking out Lizzo or Halsey, but ocean researchers are, in fact, turning to music for a most ingenious reason. They’ve found it actually helps a dying reef… recover. Scientists from England and Australia dropped underwater speakers around the endangered Great Barrier reef .. then played sounds associated with a healthy underwater ecosystem, like the snap of shrimp and the swish of fish. And wouldn’t you know.. it worked! The study found that healthy reef sounds brought out double the number of young fish, and increased the number of species around the coral by 50 percent. Researchers say this fake it-till-you-make it approach won’t fix the crisis, but it’s a promising start. In Business News, Many Americans are waking up today with sore fingers and lighter wallets following a record-breaking Cyber Monday. According to Adobe Analytics, online shopping was expected to shatter records yesterday with a predicted $9.4 billion in sales, up a whopping 19% from last year. Experts point to two big reasons for the increase: a major East Coast snowstorm keeping gift buyers at home and a shorter, holiday shopping season – with Thanksgiving falling so late in November this year. That’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz quiz: A 9-year-old Florida boy is challenging President Trump to do what? Go vegan for the month of January. What is taking place at Buckingham Palace today? A royal event to mark the 70th anniversary of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. What is helping dying coral reefs recover? Underwater speakers playing sounds from ‘healthy’ reefs. How tall is the official White House Christmas tree? It stands 18-feet tall. In One for the Road: The fourth grader challenging the President to change his diet, went vegan when he was only 5. Evan now has more than 15-thousand followers on his Instagram account, which is run by his mom. He’s also making a business of his lifestyle by selling his own vegan-inspired swag, including “powered by plants” and “animal defender” baseball caps on his website. Our KidNuz shout out today goes to Ms. Jennifer Brooks’ 5th Grade Class at Kelly Elementary School in Wichita, Kansas. Thanks for listening! Please remember to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll see you all back here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning! The post 12.03.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.02.2019
Dec 02 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Monday, December 2nd, 2019 and we begin with… A Florida high school saying a final farewell to formaldehyde frogs. Traditionally, students who take Biology are at some point asked to dissect, or carefully cut apart, the body of a dead, chemically preserved frog in order to study its organs. It’s exciting for some kids, disgusting for others. JW Mitchell in New Port Richey may have the answer: it’s reportedly the first school in the world to opt for state-of-the art synthetic frogs, which are made out of water, fibers and salt and are designed to look and feel just like the real deal. The company that makes these frogs- of-the-future say they’re safer, because students no longer have to come in contact with chemicals. And the animal protection group PETA, which stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, says the new technology will save the lives of millions of frogs. There are no two ways about it: Talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. It’s also illegal if you’re not hands free. Until now, getting caught required a police officer rolling up on a driver when they weren’t expecting it. Not anymore. A state in Australia is deploying first-of-its-kind technology to catch those breaking the law behind the wheel. 45 high-definition “detection” cameras will be scattered around the state of New South Wales and, with artificial intelligence, will spot and verify offenders, then mail them a ticket that could top 450-dollars. A trial of the technology earlier in the year reportedly nabbed more than 100,000 drivers illegally using a phone at the wheel. This will ‘rewrite the astronomy books.’ That’s what scientists are saying about the discovery of a “stellar” black hole that’s so massive, it shouldn’t even exist. Typically, these kinds of holes form after stars die, collapse and explode. Previously, researchers believed that none could be more than 30 times the mass of our sun because most of the star gets blown to bits and swept away by stellar winds. But then came LB-1, which is a full 70 times the mass of the sun. Credit for the find goes to space experts from China, but their revelation has astronomers the world over scratching their heads over how it got so huge— and what it means for our overall understanding of the galaxies. If you were among the throngs of people who saw “Frozen 2” last weekend, you helped make history. The Disney sequel made more money over the 5-day Thanksgiving holiday than any other movie – ever. It took in 123-million dollars, obliterating the record held by “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” back in 2013. Princess Anna, Queen Elsa and Olaf also broke records a week ago, when their sequel debuted as both the biggest ever money maker for Disney animation studios — and had the biggest ever global opening for any animated film. A few moments in a Denny’s parking lot last week went viral for all the right reasons. Hours after a couple found out their young waitress walked 7 miles – each way – to her job at the restaurant in Galveston, Texas, they returned. Not for more food, but to hand Adrianna Edwards the keys to a Nissan Sentra. The car will turn her five hour walk into a 30 minute drive and, because she no longer has to save up for a set of wheels, will get to pay for college sooner than she thought. The couple who made her dreams come true wish to remain anonymous. And the only thing they asked in return, was that Adrianna pay their good deed forward. And that’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz quiz; A high school in Florida is the first to do what? Trade out real frogs for fake ones in Biology class. Why is a stellar black hole making news? It’s more than 2 times bigger than astronomers thought possible. What record did Frozen 2 break? It made more money over the Thanksgiving holiday than any movie in history. How will an Australian state crack down on illegal cell phone use behind the wheel? With special cameras and artificial intelligence. In one for the road: Thanksgiving is already a tough day for turkeys, and one in particular was not in the mood to be messed with last week. A big aggressive bird showed up out of the blue, right where a California motorcycle cop was writing out a ticket for a speeding driver. Video from the officer’s uniform shows the wild turkey casually strolling up to the scene, then not so casually chasing the cop around in circles. At one point, the exasperated officer can be heard saying “He doesn’t want you getting a ticket!” — before quickly letting the driver off with just a warning. The Livermore Police Department posted the bird’s few minutes of fame, and dubbed him the “No Ticket Turkey.” Before we go, our KidNuz birthday shout outs go to Tucker in Edgewood, Maryland and Zander in Palo Alto, California. And special KidNuz greeting to Mrs. Hinck’s 5th Grade class at Hidden Hills Elementary School in San Ramon, CA Thanks for listening. We hope you tune in for more KidNuz tomorrow morning. The post 12.02.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more