Episodes
01.16.2020
Jan 16 2020
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Thursday, January 16th, 2020 and we begin with…. A somber political ceremony ushering in the start of only the third Presidential Impeachment trial in U.S. history. At 9am Eastern this morning, the seven House Representatives chosen to present the case against Mr. Trump will physically walk the two articles into the Senate… and read the charges out loud. All 100 lawmakers will then be sworn in to serve as the jury, and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will take the oath as judge. The trial itself will begin next Tuesday and last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. But when all is said and done, it is highly unlikely that President Trump will be removed from office. Doing so would require a two-thirds vote and many Senate Republicans have already said they do not believe the President’s actions on a phone call with the President of Ukraine rose to that level. If you like snakes, really really big snakes, head to Florida. The state is in the middle of its annual 10-day python wrangling contest. Hundreds of people, some pros and some first-timers, have signed up to help rid the Everglades of a reptile that just doesn’t belong there. The problem started in the 1980’s when pet stores imported baby pythons from Southeast Asia. People bought them when they were little and cute – then dumped them when the snakes grew, in some cases, to 20 feet long and 200 pounds each. Now, there are hundreds of thousands of the massive reptiles slithering around south Florida. Conservationists say if nothing is done, the pythons will overrun the state’s native plant and animal life. Smoke from the bushfires burning in Australia will circle the planet —at least once. According to meteorologists, fire-induced thunderstorms allowed the soot and ash to reach the Earth’s stratosphere 10 miles up. Once there, the smoke was able to move further and faster than normal. By the end of December, it was already halfway around the globe. Soon, it will travel the other half and return back to Australia. NASA is monitoring the crisis from the International Space Station. This week, Astronaut Christina Koch looked down at the fires and posted: “Australia, our hearts and thoughts are with you.” A little bit of false advertising led to a long night for a gym rat in Utah. Dan Hill was swimming laps just after midnight at his local 24-Hour Fitness when, unbeknownst to him, the staff packed up, locked up, and left. Dan was unaware the gym, despite its name, closed between midnight and 4am, and the workers were apparently unaware that anyone was still inside. Unable to get out without triggering alarms, and baffled by his sudden aloneness, Dan did what everybody does now— and started posting on Facebook; two hours later, help finally arrived. Dan took it all in stride. “Everyone makes mistakes, he posted, “this was just funny enough to be interesting. In health news, scientific proof that doing good is more than its own reward. According to a new study, the act of being kind to others actually translates to immediate pain relief for the giver. Researchers scanned the brain waves of 280 people and found that doing something nice for someone else instantly impacted the region that registers hurt. In one experiment, people who donated blood-for-a-cause experienced less pain from the stick than those who did it as part of a routine medical test… even though a larger needle was used for the do-gooders. Another experiment found that people given shocks to their hands felt less discomfort if they had first given money to the needy. The results of the study were so clear, the authors are calling for good deeds to be paired with other pain remedies. And that’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz Quiz: When will the Impeachment Trial in the Senate begin? Next Tuesday. What are hunters hoping to catch in Florida? Pythons, some of which can reach 20 feet in length.. and weigh 200 pounds. How far is smoke from the Australia brushfires expected to travel? All the way around the globe. According to a new study, what can provide immediate pain relief? Doing something kind for others. In one for the road: He could’ve followed his father onto the stage and made millions. Instead, the youngest son of rocker Bruce Springsteen is following the beat of his own drum. Earlier this week, 25-year-old Sam Springsteen signed on as a firefighter with the Jersey City, New Jersey Fire Department. The boss and his wife Patti had front row seats for the swearing in but didn’t want the spotlight. “This is my son’s day,” he said, “I’m just excited to be here.” Sam’s older brother Evan dabbles in music. Sister Jessica is an equestrian champion and may be headed to the Olympics. Our birthday shout-outs today go to Emerson in Honolulu and Darren in Albuquerque. And a big hello to Mrs. Scharwath’s Special Education Class at Dutchtown High in Geismar, Louisiana. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you back here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning! The post 01.16.2020 appeared first on KidNuz....more
01.15.2020
Jan 15 2020
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Kim. Today is Wednesday, January 15th. 2020 and we begin with… ..another first for Billie Eilish. The 18 year old pop star is now the youngest ever to write -and record – the theme song for a Bond Movie. The official double-oh-seven twitter account was the first to break the news. The film “No Time to Die” hits theaters in April and will be the fifth and final Bond movie featuring Daniel Craig in the lead. For her part, Billie has been unstoppable. She has the most nominations for the iHeart Music Awards with seven and, later this month, is up for Grammys in six different categories. Five million kids in the Philippines are getting some time off from school today as a volcano there makes itself seen, heard… and felt. Lava and ash shot a half mile in the sky, and the ground beneath the city of Tagaytay (Tah-gay-tay) is rumbling. Officials there say the Taal (Tahl) volcano could blow its top within hours or days.. or not at all. But they’re taking no chances; They’ve closed 4-thousand schools and moved 40-thousand people to safety while they watch and wait. So far, there’s no estimate of when they’ll be allowed home. Here’s concrete proof that it’s hard to outrun – or undo – the consequences of cheating. Monday, the hammer came down on the manager and GM of the Houston Astros for letting players steal signs from opposing catchers. Major League Baseball suspended both men for a year, but the team’s owner immediately one-upped that punishment and fired them outright. To be sure, sign stealing is almost as old as the game itself. But the league draws the line when it comes to using electronics. And that’s what Houston did. The Astros set up a camera in center field fixed on the catcher. A monitor in the dugout allowed a player to watch for the signal, then relay the type of incoming pitch to the batter by banging on a garbage can. The scheme was reportedly used throughout the Astros 2017 championship season but Major League Baseball says there’s no way to know if it actually helped them win the World Series, so it can’t void the victory. As you know, the House of Representatives voted in December to charge President Trump with two counts of wrongdoing. Today, lawmakers there will decide whether to send those two articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial. If that happens, the proceedings could start as early as next week. Unclear at this point, is if that trial will include new witnesses, as the Democrats want, or be conducted using only the evidence already brought before the House, as preferred by Republicans. Either way, the Senate will act as the jury, and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will serve as the judge. What’s better than one smart NASA intern? Two. Earlier this week, we told you about a teenager helping the space agency find a new planet. Now comes word of some newfangled Northern Lights, courtesy of a Pepperdine University Physics major. Jennifer Briggs spotted the colors of the Aurora Borealis moving in a never before seen spiral, like a seashell. After a lot of research, Jennifer and her team said the celestial show was likely the result of a geomagnetic storm, which happens when solar winds impact Earth’s magnetic field. In presenting her findings, she said not only have scientists never seen something like it, they’ve never even predicted it was possible. That’s it for KidNuz this morning. Now our KidNuz Quiz: Why is Billie Eilish in the news? She is the youngest to ever write and record the theme song for a Bond movie. Where is a volcano threatening to erupt? In the Philippines. What baseball team is in big trouble for sign stealing? The Houston Astros. What could move to the Senate as early as today? The Articles of Impeachment. In one for the road: Former bench warmer turned Heisman Winner Joe Burrow now has a new notch on his belt: National Champion. The transfer student threw 6 touchdowns Monday night for Louisiana State to dethrone Clemson from the top spot in college football. For the season, Burrow connected for 60 touchdown passes and ran for five —more than any player in a single season in college football history. The next stop for him is as the Number 1 pick in the NFL draft this April. On the other side of the field: Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. His defeat on Monday night was his first loss.. since high school. Our Birthday shout-outs today go to Jaycee in Wichita Falls, Texas and Cameron in Arlington, Massachusetts. Plus, we want to say hello to all three of Miss Rostermundt’s classes at General Mitchell Elementary in West Allis, Wisconsin. Thanks for listening. Parents and teachers, please rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to support us with a tax deductible donation at KidNuz.com! We’ll see you all back here, tomorrow morning. The post 01.15.2020 appeared first on KidNuz....more
01.14.2020
Jan 14 2020
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Kim. Today is Tuesday, January 14th, 2020 and we begin with…. …a martial arts champion grabbing headlines for her bold moves off the mat. Four years ago, eighteen-year-old Kimia Alizadeh took bronze in Taekwondo at the 2016 summer games, the first female to win an Olympic medal in Iran. Now, she’s making news again. This time, for her decision to defect – or “disown allegiance to her country.” In making the announcement, Alizadeh pointed to Iran’s poor treatment of its people, especially women. Rumor has it that the 21-year-old has settled in the Netherlands, and that she may compete for that country in this year’s Olympic games. Alizadeh says she has “no other wish except for taekwondo, security and a happy and healthy life.” Over in Great Britain…it appears that a royal defection is all but assured. After meeting with her family yesterday, Queen Elizabeth announced her support for Harry and Meghan to become “part time” monarchs.Details are few, but one thing is clear. “Megxit”, as it’s being called, will not drag out like Brexit. Any lingering questions about the couple’s finances or obligations are expected to be worked out in the next few days. Some interesting footnotes. Although Meghan was expected to take part in the call, she reportedly did not, because the royals feared eavesdroppers. And in the Queen’s statement, she notably referred to the couple by name only, and did not use their official titles. A 130-year-old giant tortoise named Diego is getting credit this morning for almost singlehandedly saving his entire species. He lived in the San Diego Zoo for 30 years before being sent back to the Galapagos Islands on what could be called mission impossible: Breed his Chelonoidis hoodensis (Chello-NOY-dis Hood-DEN-sis) back from the brink of extinction. Diego was apparently happy to oblige and helped raise the tortoise population there from 15… to 2000. Researchers estimate that 40% of the giant tortoises living today are all descendants of Diego. Now that the program’s goals have been met, Diego will be reintroduced to the wild in the coming months to live out the rest of his retirement. In political news…another prominent Democrat is out of the Presidential race. New Jersey Senator Corey Booker ended his campaign late Monday night because he couldn’t raise enough money to stay in the race and had also failed to qualify for tonight’s primary debate in Des Moines, Iowa. In all, six Democrats will take the stage at Drake University and, with voting there just weeks away, the stakes are high. During the last five election cycles, the winner of the democratic caucuses in iowa has gone on to become the party’s nominee. There’s no clear frontrunner, but one of the state’s most reliable polls shows Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders with a slight lead in the state. Apparently, there is such a thing as scoring too many touchdowns. The Kansas City Chiefs scored a mind-blowing, seven touchdowns during their comeback win in the AFC Division Championship game sunday night, three in just over three minutes. Each time the team scored, home field fans were treated to fireworks. That is, until the 4th quarter.. when the supply went dry. The message on the jumbotron: “We are sorry to report, but due to…the Chiefs continually finding the end zone, we have run out of touchdown fireworks.” The team might want to do a little shopping before next Sunday, when the Chiefs take on the Titans for a spot in Super Bowl 54. And that’s it for KidNuz this morning. Now, our KidNuz quiz. What percentage of tortoises today are believed to be descendants of Diego? Up to 40-percent. Who is the latest democrat to drop out of the presidential race? New Jersey Senator Corey Booker. Why did they run out of fireworks at Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs game? Because the team scored so many touchdowns. For what country did Kimia Alizadeh win an Olympic medal in taekwondo? Iran. And in one for the road…It’s official. “Frozen 2” is now the highest-grossing animated movie ever. With $1.4 billion in box office sales, it will also soon crack the top 10 highest grossing films of all time. Even so, Anna, Elsa and Olaf couldn’t melt the hearts of Oscar voters. The movie wasn’t nominated in the Best Animated Film category for this year’s awards, even though the original took home the prize back in 2014. Not all was lost, tho. Elsa’s power ballad, “Into the Unknown” did get a nod for Best Original Song. Today’s birthday shoutouts go to Joy in San Francisco, California and Rilee in Arvada, Colorado. Also in Colorado, we’d like to say a big hello to Mrs. Melany’s 4th grade class at Legacy Elementary in Frederick. Thanks for listening! We hope you tune in for more KidNuz tomorrow morning. [/noarchive} The post 01.14.2020 appeared first on KidNuz....more
01.13.2020
Jan 13 2020
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Monday, January 13th, 2020 and we begin with… A royal showdown so unusual, it’s hard to find the right adjective. Queen Elizabeth has summoned her family together this morning for a crisis meeting to hash out the how’s and why’s of Prince Harry’s bombshell decision to step back from royal life. The hurt is obvious: This weekend, Prince William said, “I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that anymore…I’m sad about that.” In attendance today will be Her Majesty, Prince Charles, William, Harry and possibly joining by phone from Canada, Harry’s wife Meghan. The newlyweds blindsided Buckingham Palace last week by publicly announcing their intention to be only “part-time” royals, split their time between the UK and North America, and become financially independent. The clock is ticking. On Friday, the Queen gave the couple 72 hours to find a solution and bring stability back to the house of Windsor. Not too many people can say they’ve saved a life from a distance of 5-thousand miles. But Dia Lathora sure can. She was gaming from her home in Texas with British teenager Aiden Jackson, when the line went silent… except for sounds of a seizure. Dia quickly looked up and dialed an emergency number for England. But it didn’t work from the states. So she found a non-emergency number and got a human on the phone, who straightaway sent an ambulance and police to Aiden’s home. Aiden’s parents answered the door to the first responders— and that’s the first they knew their son was in distress. Mom and dad say they were shocked to realize they could be in the same house and not know there was a problem — and have expressed their gratitude to Dia for getting help as fast as she did. The stalled Impeachment of President Trump will take a step forward this week. Before the holidays, the House of Representatives voted to move forward with the process. Now, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she’ll meet with lawmakers tomorrow to outline next steps and possibly send the two Articles to the Senate. That would allow the next big phase, which is the trial, to begin. Democrats and Republicans are still at odds on how that trial will look. Democrats want more evidence and more witnesses to testify. Republicans prefer a verdict based on what’s already been presented. Typically, it’s moms and dads telling kids to watch their language. But, according to Reuters, it was teen tennis sensation Coco Gauff who took the lead and called out her own dad for his choice of words. Coco was mid-match, when her dad stepped in for some coaching advice. He used a colorful word, to which she said dad, “you can’t curse.” Dad couldn’t remember which one he used, so Coco gave him the first letter. “Oh that one doesn’t really count, “ he said. But she persisted with, “In some places it does.” By this time, both were laughing at each other —an exchange that perhaps made her loss in the match a little easier to stomach. The exchange wasn’t meant to be public but, thanks to a nearby television mic, the father-daughter moment was picked up… and sent around the internet. The football playoffs are now set. Facing off next weekend – in what are often the best games of the season – will be the San Francisco 49’s vs the Green Bay Packers in the NFC and the Tennessee Titans vs the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC. The two winners of those games head to Super Bowl 54, which will be played in Miami on February 2nd, starting at 330. Headlining the half time show: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. And that’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz Quiz: A gamer in Texas saved the life of a teenager in what country? Great Britain, 5-thousand miles away. What could happen on Capitol Hill this week? Articles of impeachment might be sent to the Senate. What four teams are in the football play-offs? The Niners, the Titans, the Chiefs and the Packers xx What historic meeting is taking place in England today? The royal family is trying to find a new, reduced role for Prince Harry. In one for the road: While Harry negotiates a more appealing work-life balance, his wife Meghan Markle is making some moves of her own. The Duchess of Sussex has reportedly signed a voiceover deal with Disney in exchange for a donation to a wildlife charity that protects elephants from poaching. Meghan and Harry have worked with Disney before; In July, they attended the London premiere of The Lion King to support one of Harry’s organizations called “African Parks.” Our birthday shout-outs today go to Kyle in Hamilton, Ohio, Brynlee and Bennett in Milwaukie, Oregon, and Elliott in Santa Rosa, California. And we’d like to say hello to Ms. Ramirez’ 6th grade class in Woodlake Elementary in Sacramento, California. Thanks for listening everyone! We’ll see you back here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning. The post 01.13.2020 appeared first on KidNuz....more
01.10.2020
Jan 10 2020
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Kim. Today is Friday, January 10th, 2020 and we begin with… A teenager turning heads at NASA. High school senior Wolf Cukier (guessing Koo-kee-er) was just three days into his internship with the space agency when he discovered a brand new planet nearly seven times the size of Earth in a constellation 13-hundred light years away. It’s a big find; big enough for NASA to make an announcement about it. Even so, Wolf doesn’t get to name it. New planets discovered by the satellite he used are only given identification numbers, so his will be known as TOI 1338 B. A bummer, he says, because he and his brother believe “Wolftopia” would have been a much better choice. Ticks don’t give a lick whether you’re a grammy winner or not. Singer Justin Bieber announced this week that he’s battling Lyme Disease, an illness that comes from the bacteria of the dreaded deer variety. Those ticks are tiny, about the size of a pin head, but to humans their bite can be devastating. Symptoms include fever, chills, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, neck stiffness, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue and a rash. A fellow pop star knows just what he’s going through: Avril Lavigne battled lyme disease a few years ago and has reached out to Justin with support. In case you didn’t know, Lyme disease is spelled with a Y: L-Y-M-E and gets its name from the place where it was discovered — the town of Lyme, Connecticut. As it turns out, the signs were a bit premature. Rangers at Glaciers National Park in Montana are replacing the posters that warn visitors that its signature glaciers would melt by 2020. The signs went up more than a decade ago to reflect climate change forecasts made by geologists. But the models have changed and while the warming is real, the complete melt off is no longer expected to take place so quickly. The new signs will read: “When they will completely disappear depends on how and when we act. One thing is consistent: the glaciers in the park are shrinking.” And the facts back that up. A recent study found that in the past half century, some of the ice formations in Montana had lost 85% of their size and the average shrinkage was 39%. It’s just not an image anyone would expect to see – for science or otherwise. Researchers at Woods Hole in Massachusetts velcro’d tiny 3D glasses onto the heads of little mollusks known as Cuttlefish to study their depth perception. It reportedly took some wrangling but once the glasses were on, the squid like creatures were treated to two different pictures of shrimp, which just so happens to be their favorite food. The goal was to determine if they processed information from each eye separately… or together, something scientists figured out by watching how the cuttlefish positioned themselves for attack. According to the study’s author, mollusks didn’t mind the specs and, if they were bothered, could have used their tentacles to take them off. Do you have pooping anxiety? The latest headline grabbing invention at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas suggests you might. And that’s why with much fanfare, a bathroom products company has rolled out a “toilet paper robot.” The little droid has a teddy bear face, two wheels, and is designed to deliver relief for those moments when – just a few moments too late – you realize the roll is empty. Presuming you’ve brought your phone with you – as many kids, teens and even adults are known to do – the answer is just a tap away. Is there a need? According to the company, we all use the bathroom 6-7 times a day, and spend 156 hours a year on the throne so, at some point or another, we’ll probably pull up short on paper products. Before our quiz this morning, a reminder that KidNuz has partnered with a nonprofit and donations are now tax deductible. Please visit our website to support us and consider having your employer make a matching donation! Now today’s KidNuz quiz: Who just found a new planet? A high school intern working at NASA. How did researchers get cuttlefish to wear sunglasses? With velcro What is the average shrinkage of Montana’s glaciers? 39 percent in the past 50 years. Who just announced his has Lyme Disease? Pop star Justin Bieber. In one for the road: More on ticks. There are hundreds of different kinds of those little buggers. Deer ticks are what got to Bieber. Another common type is the Dog Tick. They’re bigger, up to a half inch long and they, too, like to take a bite out of humans. But the disease they carry isn’t lyme disease. It’s Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which generally gives you a headache, fever and a rash. It’s not quite as severe as lyme disease and can be treated with antibiotics. Our birthday shoutout today goes to Naya in Burlingame, California. And this weekend we celebrate Claudia in Redwood City, California, Shepherd and Spencer in Auburn, Alabama, Blake in Chandler, Arizona and Ken in Tustin, California. Thanks for listening, don’t forget our Week in Review quiz, and we’ll see you back here for more KidNuz Monday morning! The post 01.10.2020 appeared first on KidNuz....more
01.09.2020
Jan 09 2020
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Kim. Today is Thursday, January 9th, 2020 and we begin with…. …A valuable lesson in how to deal with embarrassment. On live TV Tuesday morning, “Kelly and Ryan” talk show co-host Ryan Seacrest was doing what a lot of us do, leaning back in a chair – when he took a very public spill. While reaching up to grab a gold balloon, he fell backwards and off the stage. His studio audience had a front row seat to the mishap, as did millions of at-home viewers. Seacrest didn’t shy away from the moment. Instead, after being helped to his feet, he grabbed the elusive balloon, smiled, and yelled “I got it!” Then he beat social media to the punch by posting the video to his own Instagram account with the caption, “First fumble of the season. Hope I make the playoffs.” A car company intends to break ground on the city of the future. Toyota has announced plans to build a modern metropolis where people will live and work alongside robots. Employees and visiting scientists will make up the town’s first wave of 2-thousand residents. All will test new technologies while living in smart homes equipped with artificial intelligence. “The Woven City” will rise at the base of Japan’s Mt. Fuji, about 60 miles outside of Tokyo. The automobile maker’s focus is on developing self-driving cars, so the town will be split into sections: one for fast vehicles only, one for slower cars to share with pedestrians, and a third for pedestrians only. Construction is expected to begin next year. A royal rift is rocking Buckingham Palace. In an unprecedented move, Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Megan announced they will step back from their official roles, split time between the UK and North America, launch a new charitable foundation and become financially independent. According to reports, their decision caught the Queen by surprise. In a statement, the Royal Family could only muster a response of “it’s complicated. Ever since Harry became serious with the former American actress, there have been reports of tension between him and his older brother, William. Harry and Megan say they will continue to support Queen Elizabeth while continuing to raise Archie with a respect for his royal lineage. Prince Harry is 6th in line for the throne, behind his father, older brother and niece and nephews. A new study on kids and snacks confirms what advertisers already know: what you see on TV can influence real life choices. Researchers in the Netherlands studied 125 boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 12 who each watched 10 minutes of a cooking show. Some watched an episode featuring healthy ingredients while others watched one featuring unhealthy foods. Afterwards, they were offered a snack. The ones who watched the “healthy food” episode were nearly 3 times as likely to choose a nutritious snack like apples or cucumbers over salty chips or pretzels. Moreover, the researchers predicted that adopting healthy eating habits early on could have lasting effects into adulthood. 10,000 applied. 14 were chosen. Yesterday, Disney revealed the newest members of its Disney Parks Mom Panel, which is made up of Disney Super fans who answer online queries like, “What’s the best time to ride Space Mountain?” And despite the outdated name, not all of the panelists are moms – in fact, 3 of the newest recruits are men. This highly coveted, year-long position is not paid but comes with a free Disney family vacation. In exchange, the panelists – many of whom hold real jobs – commit to answering about 15 questions a week in their free time. And that’s it for KidNuz this morning. Now, our KidNuz quiz. What royal couple is stepping back from the British monarchy? Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. What connection did a new study make about cooking shows and snacks? Programs featuring healthy ingredients helped kids make better food choices. What’s the name of the futuristic town Toyota will build in Japan? The Woven City. How many applicants were selected out of 10,000 for the Disney Parks Moms Panel? Fourteen lucky winners get to work for free giving travel advice for one year. In one for the road…Toyota’s city of the future has bigger plans than just blazing trails in technology. It also intends to spearhead sustainability. In addition to its fleet of fully autonomous, zero-emission cars, the Woven City will be powered solely by hydrogen fuel cells and solar power. The town will also minimize its carbon footprint by building homes and buildings mostly out of wood. Today, we salute Ms. Papulias’ 4th grade class at American Academy Charter School in Parker, Colorado. If you’ve got a birthday coming up and would like a shout-out, just ask your mom or dad to go to our website, KidNuz.com, and sign up for our KidNuz Club. Thanks for listening, everyone! We hope you tune in for more KidNuz tomorrow morning. The post 01.09.2020 appeared first on KidNuz....more
01.08.2020
Jan 08 2020
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Wednesday, January 8th, 2020 and we begin with… A high-flying vacation and an ocean splash down for three dozen mighty mice. The genetically modified rodents rode a SpaceX capsule back to Earth yesterday, following a month in orbit aboard the International Space Station. Before they were sent skyward, researchers engineered them to have twice their normal muscle mass. Now that they’re back, they’ll be weighed and measured to help scientists understand how to prevent physical changes to astronauts during space flight — especially for those on longer missions. Their findings will also be valuable in understanding muscle and bone deterioration in the elderly and others with certain medical conditions. Fewer ads in your favorite content. That’s the upshot of some stiff new rules rolled out by the world’s number one site for videos. As of the new year, YouTube stopped allowing advertisers to collect the personal information of young viewers; information that was routinely used to pepper them with a steady stream of ads and pop ups. Privacy experts call it a big win for kids. Those who make the videos aren’t happy. They say limiting ads will limit their ability to make money. The hustle and bustle is back in the nation’s capital. After a long holiday break, Senators and Representatives returned to the halls of Congress this week with two big issues facing them: Tension with the middle eastern nation of Iran, and questions over when the impeachment trial of President Trump will begin in the Senate. Those two problems have pretty much pushed the 2020 election to the back burner, even though the Iowa caucuses – which are the first big test of a presidential candidate’s chances – are only 26 days away. The movie “Back to the Future” may have been on to something. An astrophysicist from the University of Connecticut believes he’s figured out a way to build a real-life time machine. Professor Ron Mallett says he has a scientific equation to take people to the past.. and a prototype – or model -to prove it. His claim is based on Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, which says whatever you do to space, you do to time.. and that space-time can be bent and twisted using ‘lasers’. Most physicists believe this type of travel will someday be possible, but aren’t yet convinced that Professor Mallett holds the key. Few things look sadder than a live Christmas tree a week or two after the holiday. But a New Jersey town has found a festive way to give new purpose to those saggy, dried pines; it’ll use them to build sand dunes. Island Beach State Park set out to collect 200 old trees —and ended up getting 2-thousand. Volunteers will hit the beach this weekend, place them where it’s extra windy and let the branches catch the flying sand. Other volunteers will add dune grass and voila! Natural berms to protect the beach from erosion. It’s never too late to find a forever home. And if anyone knows that, it’s 12-year-old Sandi the mutt, who spent 2-thousand-461 days – more than half her life – in an Indiana shelter. She was there longer even, than any of the staff. The lucky couple who got Sandi said they were in search of a new dog after their old pooch passed away and, after their visit to the shelter, just couldn’t stop thinking about her. Workers threw quite a celebration when she left, complete with a red carpet and crown. And while it’s bittersweet to see Sandi go, her legacy lives on. All the attention has attracted more families who want to give a needy pet a better life. And that’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz Quiz: Why were pumped up mice sent to space? To help understand muscle and bone loss in humans. What site just cracked down on ads directed at kids? YouTube. What does a Connecticut astrophysicist believe he can create? A real-life time machine. How long did Sandi the dog spend in a shelter before being adopted? 2,461 days which works out to about 6 years and 9 months. In one for the road: The world’s biggest display of all things shiny and new is underway in Las Vegas. It’s the annual Consumer Electronics Show. One of the highlights: a robotic pet cat that can recognize human faces, understand 20 commands, walk, stretch, play with toys, avoid obstacles and even bite its nails. Our birthday shout-outs today go to Sonja in Bellevue, Washington, Kaya in Colleyville, Texas and Jill in Conshohocken Pennsylvania… and a big hello to Mrs. Pritchett’s 4th grade class from Sedalia Elementary in Mayfield, Kentucky. Thanks for listening! We’ll see you back here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning! The post 01.08.2020 appeared first on KidNuz....more
01.07.2020
Jan 07 2020
Good morning, and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. It’s Tuesday Jan 7th 2020. And we begin with.. … some bittersweet news about chocolate. According to the Wall Street Journal, the price of just about everyone’s favorite sweet might be going up. Why? There are 2 West African nations, Ivory Coast and Ghana that produce about two-thirds of the world’s cocoa and, according to the paper, they have joined forces and can essentially charge whatever they want. This has created concern in the multi-billion dollar global chocolate market. And it’s also expected to raise the cost of candy bars, ice cream and cake. But a lot of companies that make those treats support the move. They say it’ll improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers, so they can support their families and earn a decent salary. Right now most of those farmers live on less than 3 dollars a day. A big surprise at the Golden Globe award show Sunday night. “The Missing Link,” managed to edge out “Frozen 2”, “How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World”, “The Lion King” and “Toy Story 4” to win the best animated film award. It’s the first win for Laika Studios, which also created animated hits “Coraline” and “Kubo and the Two Strings.” The Missing Links director said their movies require a huge amount of effort behind the scenes. The studio uses stop-motion animation.. which requires dozens of snapshots to make just one second of film. This movie took 5 years to complete because nearly everything on screen is made by hand with lots of wood, metal, paint and string. He said walking around their studio is like walking around Santa’s workshop. It’s a first for an American Girl Doll. The brands’ 2020 Girl of the Year is named Joss Kendrick, a surf-loving cheerleader with brown hair and brown eyes, who also has a hearing aid. The company’s president says they wanted a new doll that would instill confidence and character in girls who are learning to think about the possibilities in their own lives. To develop the doll, American Girl teamed up with experts on surfing, competitive cheerleading and hearing loss. And they also plan to donate 25-thousand dollars to the Hearing Loss Association of America. Good news for the NFL. TV ratings for the National Football League have increased for the second year in a row. The number of viewers in the regular season rose 5 percent, making it the most-watched season since 2016, with an average of 16 and a half million people tuning in per game. This is according to data from Nielsen, the company that measures the size of TV audiences. One reason for the increase… a crop of new stars like quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Lamar Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens. And more people are expected to watch this coming weekend, for the 2nd round of playoffs. The NFL’s grand finale, the Super Bowl will be played in Miami on February 2nd and that game is usually the most watched TV broadcast in the US every year.. in the ballpark of 110-million viewers. If your mom or dad is feeling a little stressed at work, maybe you can suggest they get a plant to put on their desk. A new study by researchers in Japan found that many types of indoor plants can boost the mental health of office workers. The volunteers who took part in the study were asked to put a plant near their computer monitor and take care of the plants for 4 weeks. They were also told to look at it for 3 minutes whenever they felt tired. Those workers say they felt more relaxed and less anxious. The scientists said it worked across all age groups, so maybe a plant will help students too. That’s it for KidNuz. Now the KidNuz quiz; Which film won the Best Animated Movie award at The Golden Globes? The Missing Link How much has the TV audience for the NFL grown this year? By 5 percent Which 2 countries produce two-thirds of the world’s cocoa? Ivory Coast and Ghana What can help office workers feel less stressed? Putting a plant on their desk. In one for the road.. some were surprised that Disney’s The Lion King was even nominated in the Golden Globes animated film category. Because it looks so realistic, the studio had not positioned it as an animated film and in fact hasn’t even entered it for consideration in the animated feature category for the Oscars. Before we go, our KidNuz birthday shout outs today go to; England in Dayton, Ohio; Logan in York Haven, Pennsylvania and Mason in Chandler, Arizona. Thanks for listening. And parents it really helps us if you can rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you tune in for more KidNuz tomorrow morning. The post 01.07.2020 appeared first on KidNuz....more
01.06.2020
Jan 06 2020
Good morning and welcome back to KidNuz! I’m Tori. Today is Monday, January 6th, 2020… that’ll take a little getting used to.. and we begin with… The GOAT feeling the heat from Father Time. Tom Brady, the quarterback many believe to be the greatest to ever take the field, just couldn’t get it done this weekend. He and his Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans Saturday night, marking their earliest exit from the football playoffs in a decade. The larger question for sports fans: What becomes of Brady? He’s 42 and his contract with the Patriots is up. He calls retirement “unlikely,” but apparently sees the writing on the wall in New England; reportedly his Boston-area home is already for sale. It’s summer down under and over the holidays, the wildfires burning there went from bad to worse. This fire season is now considered the most destructive in Australia’s history with 12 million acres scorched and hundreds of fires still racing across the country. Among the homes threatened is one owned by actress Nicole Kidman and her husband, country star Keith Urban. They’ve pledged 500-thousand dollars in aid, as has singer Pink. Other celebrities are taking to social media, appealing to their fans to send money to those fighting the fires, and those affected by them. Over the weekend, an American astronaut shattered the space ceiling. On Saturday, Christina Koch passed the old record of 289 days spent in space by a woman — and she still has six weeks left to go. Koch originally blasted off in March for a six-month mission, but NASA decided to extend her time on board the International Space Station to get more data on how long-term space stays impact the human body. The OVERALL record for time in space by an American astronaut is 340 days, set by Scott Kelly. Christina will fall just 12 days short of that when she returns to Earth in March. As any parrot owner can attest, you have to be mighty careful what you teach them to say. Words like “help” and “let me out” tend to draw a lot of attention, especially if repeated with some urgency. A neighbor in Lake Worth Beach, Florida heard those very-human-sounding pleas….and called police. Video shows a man in his driveway, surprised as four deputies approach. “Rambo,” he said, “come meet the men in green.” Much to the amusement of the officers, and the neighbor who phoned it in, the 40-year-old parrot obliged and demonstrated his speaking skills – many of which were taught to him as a baby bird, when he was still stuck in a cage. This isn’t your ordinary bloom and it definitely doesn’t smell as fresh as a daisy. Scientists say a rafflesia plant in Indonesia just sprouted a blossom that measures 4 feet from one side to the other. It’s big enough to be called the biggest in the world, and smelly enough to earn the nickname “monster flower.” What’s more, the plant is parasitic.. meaning it gets its nutrients from other plants since it has no roots or leaves. It’s only visible when it breaks through its host plant to show off a scary looking open mouth surrounded by colorful petals, with a scent similar to that of rotting meat. If you can’t help but look, look fast. This freaky flower only lives for a week before it turns brown and dies. And that’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz Quiz; What famous quarterback is debating retirement? Patriots QB Tom Brady What nation is battling historic wildfires? Australia, which is in the middle of a hot, dry summer. Aside from being big, what else is the rafflesia flower known for? Smelling like rotting meat. What record did astronaut Christina Koch just break? The amount of time in space for a female astronaut. In one for the road: Your moms and dads know her. So do your grandparents. Now, thanks to a music milestone, you do too. Mariah Carey just became the first artist in history to hit number one on the billboard charts in four different decades and for that, she can thank her own holiday classic. Last month, she re-released 1994’s “All I want for Christmas,” complete with a new video, and that was enough to push her right to the top and into a new decade. She’s now had a number one song in the 90’s, 2-thousands, 2010’s and 2020’s. Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Madonna and Usher have all topped the charts in three different decades, but Carey is the only one to score in four. Today’s birthday shout-outs go to Mariah in Sacramento, California, Ian in Daly City, California and Tyla in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Thanks for listening, we’re so glad you’re back with us and we’ll see you right here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning. The post 01.06.2020 appeared first on KidNuz....more
12.20.2019
Dec 20 2019
Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Friday, December 20th, 2019 and we begin with…. An 8-year old boy turning a simple YouTube premise into a mind-numbing success. According to Forbes Magazine, Ryan Kaji made 26 million dollars off his Ryan’s World Channel, cementing his status as the site’s best paid influencer in 2019. He was only 3 when he started unboxing toys while the cameras rolled. Now he’s added science experiments, collected 23 million subscribers, and launched his own clothing line. According to Pew Research, videos featuring kids average three times as many views as other types of posts. But Ryan and others may soon feel the squeeze of privacy concerns. Starting next year, YouTube is cracking down on what ads – if any – will be allowed on kids content. A German Shepherd named ‘Baby’ got a whole lot more than he bargained for while chasing a cat in California. The cat did what cats do, and ran up a tree. Baby then did what dogs usually don’t, and ran up after it. The cat perched itself on the end of a branch, no doubt amused, while the full-grown shepherd found himself stuck 25 feet off the ground with no way down. San Joaquin County Firefighters rolled in for what even they called ‘a first’ and got him down. Not surprisingly, the cat got himself out of the tree and, according to Baby’s owner, continues to taunt and tease his canine nemesis… daily. And that’s a wrap. Today, the 9th and apparently final Star Wars Movie hits the big screen, 42 years after the saga began. According to the film’s director, “The Rise of Skywalker” ties up the series without leaving loose ends, cliffhangers or plot points for Disney to build upon later. Early reviews give it a “B” – and the ending may not please everyone – but that will likely have no impact on the bottom line. “Skywalker” is expected to crush the box office this weekend and rake in more than one-billion dollars when all is said and done. Fall, we hardly knew ya. Tomorrow night, winter marches back in to the northern hemisphere. The exact time of arrival is 11:19 pm Eastern, when those of us above the equator will be farthest from the sun. It’ll also mark the end of the shortest day of the year in terms of daylight. For tomorrow night’s change of season – and all the others – we can tip our hats to the tilt of the Earth. No one knows exactly how our planet got off kilter but, according to NASA, it’s probably the result of collisions between the Earth and other planets during the formation of the solar system billions of years ago. If you’re a teen with a phone, you’ve heard of it. Parents are probably just getting wind. The app is called Photo Roulette. Players invite up to 49 friends to join, and each grants the app access to their phone’s entire photo album. Roulette selects a picture at random, shares it with the group, and the guessing game begins: Who is it? What were they doing at the time? Without warning though, suggestive photos, memes, and texts you thought were private can pop up. One teenager forgot her mom once sent her a picture of her social security card — and that, too, became part of the game. Makers of the app say they delete the photos after players quit the game, but privacy experts believe there’s obvious cause for concern. That’s it for KidNuz. Before the quiz.. a quick programming note: The KidNuz team will be doing what we hope you’ll be doing over the holidays – enjoying friends and family. We’re taking the next two weeks off and will be back with fresh podcasts on Monday January 6th. Now today’s quiz. What got stuck 25 feet up a tree? A German shepherd named Baby. How old is YouTube’s top earner? Ryan Kaji is 8 years old. What season starts tomorrow? Winter in the northern hemisphere, summer in the southern hemisphere What movie opens today? “The Rise of Skywalker,” the 9th and last in the Star Wars franchise. In one for the road; We’re five years from the 2024 Summer Olympics and already a world record is in jeopardy. The games will be held in Paris, yet organizers there just picked a spot half a world away to host one particular event. Instead of anywhere along France’s coastline, the surfing competition will be held in Tahiti, 98-hundred miles away from the main venue. The previous long-distance mark was 97-hundred miles away back in 1956 when Melbourne, Australia had to move equestrian events out of the country to Sweden because of quarantine laws. Surfing makes its Olympic debut next Summer at the 2020 games in Tokyo. Our birthday shoutout list is a long one! Today we cheer Ascher in Little Falls, and Miguel in Ephrata. This weekend, Grant in Portola Valley and Adalyn in South San Francisco celebrate. And Happy Birthdays are in order next week for Gavin in Chicago, Henna and Zara in Manassas, Colton in Clayton, Arin in Cedar Park, Brady in Lafayette, Zayd in Pleasanton, Addyson in Edgewood, Mingi in Oakland and Clementine in Crested Butte. Thanks for listening, have a wonderful holiday, and we’ll see you back here for more KidNuz Monday January 6th! The post 12.20.2019 appeared first on KidNuz....more