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Good morning and welcome to Kid News.
I'm Kim. Today is Wednesday, October 30th, Halloween Eve, 2024.
And we begin with a South Carolina fraternity making news for all the right reasons.
Clemson University's Phi Kappa Alpha extended a bid and welcomed to the brotherhood Charlie McGee, a junior with Down Syndrome.
Charlie is one of the first intellectually challenged students to join the school's Greek life, and the frat, known as Pike, couldn't be happier with its decision.
He kind of broke all the preconceived notions that I thought a fraternity man should be like, one brother told CBS News, while another said Charlie brings the joy and light we were missing in our chapter that we didn't even know we were missing.
Pike isn't alone. A total of six fraternities and five sororities at Clemson welcome students with intellectual differences.
Charlie says for him, it's a game changer, because when he's with his new brothers, my disability, it doesn't really exist.
Another day, another record that's ringing climate change alarms.
Mount Fuji is Japan's highest peak, and by now, its summit is usually dusted in snow.
But this October 30th, for the first time in 130 years, the peak is bare.
The country's warm fall weather is to blame, say meteorologists.
And it follows Japan's hottest summer on record since statistics began in 1898.
But Japan isn't alone.
This summer broke global heat records for a second straight year, with 2024 on track to be the hottest year in recorded history.
All you trick -or -treaters are no doubt in full prep mode today getting ready for tomorrow's 24 -hour sugar fest of school parades, parties, and door -to -door candy collection.
At the heart of it all, of course, is the costume, something many of you have been thinking about for weeks, maybe months.
So what's trending?
According to Google, chances are you won't be alone if you're wearing any of the following.
Red, or Queen of Hearts from Descendants, Shrunkenhead Bob from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Envy from Inside Out, Marvel's Doctor Doom, Ladypool from Deadpool, Wolverine, and Fortnite character Peely.
Not to take attention away from Halloween, but there's already news about Christmas.
Rockefeller Center in New York City has chosen its holiday headliner, and for the first time since 1959, the tree is coming from the great state of Massachusetts.
Rockefeller Center's head gardener, Eric Pause, is always on the lookout for the perfect tenon bomb, spotted the towering 74 -foot Norway Spruce in West Stockbridge four years ago, and knew it was the one.
The property owner agreed to donate it, and Mr.
Pause has been checking in on it and feeding it ever since.
The soon -to -be celebrity will be cut down next week and begin its journey to the Big Apple, where it will be wrapped in 50 ,000 lights, topped with a Swarovski star, and lit on December 4th.
We're now just six days from Election Day.
Think you're too young to play a role in this important civic event?
Think again. Our roving reporter Briggs Cosman did some digging.
Here's his report. Hi, Kin News.
This is Briggs, and with the election approaching, I've been asking myself every day, what can I do as a kid to get involved?
I did some research, and I found a few ideas I wanted to share.
First, did you know in 44 states, kids 14 to 17 can volunteer at polling stations?
This means that many of you can be part of Election Day excitement by helping out at local voting locations.
If you're a preteen like me, you can still make posters and signs encouraging others to get out and vote.
And just because we're too young to actually cast a ballot, that doesn't mean we can't make our voices heard.
We can write letters to local politicians and state representatives about the issues that matter to us.
It's a great way to get engaged and involved in the direction of our country while we wait our turn to check those boxes.
Finally, we all know who's running for president this fall, but do you know who else is on the ballot?
You can learn more at the nonpartisan site.
Vote411 .org. I used this site to learn about who was running to represent my home state and what they stood for.
You can too. As the future generation of Americans, we need to pay attention and get involved now.
Let's do it, Kid News listeners.
Thanks, Briggs. And just a reminder, we'll have election results on Kid News one week from today.
Still to come, have you ever paddled in a pumpkin?
But first, today's Kid News Quiz.
Fraternities and sororities at which university welcomed students with intellectual challenges for the first time?
Clemson in South Carolina.
What mountain is so far snow -less for the first time in 130 years?
Mount Fuji in Japan.
Name three top costumes this Halloween, according to Google.
This year's top choices include Red, Queen of Hearts, Shrunkenhead Bob, Envy, Doctor Doom, Lady Pool, Wolverine, and Pelee.
How tall is the Christmas tree chosen for 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City?
74 feet. In today's Kid News kicker, they grow pumpkins big in Belgium.
So big, in fact, that every year, hundreds of people hollow them out, climb in, and paddle like crazy in a local pumpkin regatta.
The event started in the town of Casterly back in 2008 when local farmers decided they needed to find a new use other than soup for their 800 -plus -pound gourds.
And with that, the race was born.
But like porridge, getting it just right is hard.
The pumpkins can't be too small or you won't fit.
Can't be too big or it won't float.
It needs to be just right.
And then you need some skill.
As reported in Reuters, paddling doesn't make them go forward, it makes them spin.
One of this year's participants called the experience dirty, sticky, and oily before saying he'll definitely be back again next year.
Before we go, shout outs to our Kid News Classrooms, Mrs.
Mitchell's Pirates at Climber Central in Climber, New York, Mrs.
A. and her Dorsey Bulldogs at Dorsey Attendant Center in Fulton, Mississippi, and Mrs.
Kerr and her 6th Grade Cougars at Ruby Drive in Placenta, California.
Thanks for listening.
As a reminder, you can listen ad -free by signing up for a subscription at starglomedia .com.
Have a great day and we'll see you back here for more Kid News tomorrow morning.
