09.26.2025 | KidNuz: News for Kids

The Mysteries About True Histories podcast is back for season two.

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Good morning and welcome to Kid News.

I'm Kevin.

Today is Friday, September 26th, 2025.

And we begin with a potential weather mess in the middle of the Atlantic.

Two storms are currently dancing in the same general area.

One is Humberto, which is the eighth named storm of the season.

It's spinning just north of the Caribbean and could become a category three hurricane by the beginning of next week.

It's reportedly close enough to another smaller system to trigger a rare weather event known as the Fujiwara effect, which happens when two storms either rotate around each other or merge into a monster.

At this point, experts are betting against the formation of a Fujiwara, but are urging residents of Bermuda to keep a close eye on the forecast.

And while neither system is expected to make landfall in the US, high winds and dangerous surf are likely on the Georgia and Carolina coasts starting Sunday.

TikTok is back on the clock.

Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order that states his plan to shift 80 of TikTok's ownership to a group of US investors satisfies the national security concerns of Congress.

But it also gives him 120 more days to get the deal done once and for all.

US-based software giant Oracle will reportedly take the lead retraining and operating the app's all-important algorithm.

Lawmakers told Reuters they still want to see the details to make sure it represents a clean break with China.

This fourth extension of the TikTok ban likely means nothing will be official until at least January of 2026.

Seattle's catcher just swung into history again.

Only a month ago, Cal Raleigh became the first catcher to hit 50 homers in a season.

A week ago he passed Mickey Mantle for the most home runs hit by a switch hitter, and Wednesday night he doubled down, blasting two home runs against the Rockies to reach 60 on the season.

That put him in rarefied air.

He's now only the seventh player in MLB history to hit that mark, joining a club that includes Babe Ruth, Roger Marris, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and Aaron Judge.

And he still has a few games left to chase more.

It was also his 11th multi-homer game this year.

There's a new bird on the block.

A mystery jay spotted by a homeowner near San Antonio, Texas has turned out to be a rare hybrid.

Part blue jay and part green jay.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin used DNA from blood tests to confirm the bird's unique family tree a green jay mom and a blue jay dad.

This evolutionary mashup is most remarkable because these two types of jays evolved separately over the past 7 million years and didn't even share territory until a few decades ago, likely due in part to warming climates.

The study was published in this month's journal, Ecology and Evolution.

And speaking of new, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary is getting a glow up.

The company just unveiled its 12th edition and the first full hard copy overhaul in 22 years.

It includes 5000 new words like dumb phone, cancel culture, side eye farm to table dad bod and riz.

To make room, editors cut out sections featuring biographical and geographical information that users nowadays search for online.

They also got rid of some obscure and antiquated words.

The new book will be out on November 18, but if you can't wait, all of the new entries are available on Merriam-Webster's website.

Still to come, how an NFL quarterback challenge ended up with free hot dogs for all.

But first we want to wish Lila Celine Haney-Helfgott of Denver Colorado, a very happy 10th birthday this Sunday.

Lila, your grandma tells us you're curious, creative, generous, funny, and above all, kind.

We hear you're also pretty great at piano, guitar, and rugby, too.

All of us at Kid News hope your double-digit celebration is amazing.

Now, today's kid news quiz.

What's it called when two nearby storms orbit each other?

The Fujiwara effect.

How many extensions has President Trump given to TikTok?

Four.

Which two species formed the Texas hybrid jay?

A Blue Jay and a Green Jay.

In all of MLB history, how many baseball players have hit 60 homers in a season?

Seven, the latest being Seattle's Cal Raleigh.

In today's Kid News Kicker.

On Friday, Chicago's most famously feisty hot dog stand posted on X that if Bears QB Caleb Williams threw four touchdown passes on Sunday, the Wiener Circle would give away free hot dogs on Tuesday.

And Williams did exactly that, throwing four TDs at Soldier Field to beat the Cowboys.

The stand, which normally sells around 400 hot dogs on a Tuesday, prepped an extra 2,000.

Fans lined up around the block and waited for hours for their free lunch, alongside none other than Williams' bulldog Supa, dressed in a tiny number 18 jersey.

A big shout-out to Lila Selene Haney-Helfgott of Denver, Colorado, who's turning 10 on Sunday.

Thank you to her grandma for sponsoring today's quiz.

And hello to Lila's teachers, Ben and Amy, and all of her friends at the Logan School.

And shout-outs for our other Kid News classrooms.

Mrs. Terrar and her tigers at Holy Trinity Lutheran School in Tampa, Florida.

Mrs. Linder and her wild cats at Woodland School in Greer, South Carolina.

Mrs. Zielinski and her busy bees at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School in Heron, Illinois.

Ms.

Potter and her possum bulldogs at Rocky Run School in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Thanks for listening.

If you signed up for our word search, it should already be in your inboxes.

Happy searching, and we'll see you back here for more Kid News Monday mornings.

[Kid News Weekly Roundup: From Atlantic Storms to MLB Milestones and Linguistic Evolutions]-[09.26.2025]

📋 Summary

Weekly News Highlights: Science, Sports, and Cultural Updates

Meteorological Watch: The Atlantic Storms

Political Updates: The TikTok Timeline

Sports History: Cal Raleigh’s Power Surge

Evolutionary Discovery: The Texas Hybrid Jay

Cultural Shifts: Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary Update

Community Corner: The Hot Dog Challenge

🎯Key Sentences

📝Key Phrases

📖 Transcript