Good morning, and welcome to Kid News.
I'm Tori. Today is Monday, October 14, 2024.
Depending on where you live, it could be Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day.
And that's where we begin, with the debate on what to call this particular holiday.
For nearly 100 years, the second Monday in October was named for Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who sailed from Europe to the Americas in 1492.
But when historians dug up disturbing details about how he and other colonizers treated those who were here first, a push began to strip his name from the holiday and give the honor to Native Americans, also known as Indigenous people.
11 states plus the District of Columbia have made the switch, while 16 states stuck with the original.
The rest use a combination or nothing at all, which is why the Pew Research Center says today is the most inconsistently named, most inconsistently observed national holiday in the United States.
Whatever your town or state calls it, you likely have the day off from school.
Two exciting stories in space news.
At noon today, NASA heads to Jupiter.
It's sending an unmanned spacecraft on a five -year journey to Europa, one of Jupiter's 95 known moons and one that scientists believe has an 80 -mile deep ocean hidden beneath a thick layer of ice, the mission to find out if it has the potential to support life.
And yesterday, SpaceX made a historic catch.
Its super heavy rocket blasted off from southern Texas.
Then, minutes later, engineers ordered it back to the launch pad.
On command, the enormous flaming booster section turned around, slowed and successfully lowered itself between two massive mechanical arms nicknamed, Mechazilla.
Elon Musk plans to use the rockets to get astronauts to the moon and Mars and needs them to be reusable.
He called yesterday's engineering feat, science fiction, without the fiction part.
The 2024 baseball season started with 30 teams.
Today, only four are still standing, each vying for a shot at the World Series.
And two of them repped the Big Apple.
In the American League Championships, it's the New York Yankees hosting the Cleveland Guardians with first pitch in Game 1 of the seven game series at 735 Eastern tonight.
Play began yesterday for the National League, where the wildcard -winning New York Mets are in LA to face off against the Dodgers.
Progress is slow but being made in the double -barreled aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
Dry, sunny skies in Florida are allowing for the start of cleanup, but power remains out to about a million residents and nearly a third of all gas stations in the Tampa -St.
Pete area are still closed, either because they don't have electricity or they don't have gas.
Those that do have lines that stretch a half mile long.
President Biden took an aerial tour of the damage yesterday.
On Saturday, he approved an emergency declaration that frees up government money for hard -hit storm victims.
He said more than 250 ,000 Floridians immediately registered for help, the most in a single day ever in the U .S.
It's a big day of big pumpkins in Half Moon Bay, California.
This afternoon, farmers who've spent the last few months giving TLC to their gargantuan gourds, which can put on 60 to 70 pounds in one day, will line up for the 52nd annual weigh -off.
Last year, Half Moon Bay hosted a World Record Setter, a 2 ,749 -pound monster brought in from Minnesota by three -time champion Travis Ginger.
He'll be there again today to defend his record.
Still to come? An elderly rescue dog rescues her elderly human.
But first, today's Kid News Quiz.
Today is what holiday?
Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day, depending on where you live?
What engineering marvel did SpaceX complete yesterday?
It successfully launched and caught a massive flaming rocket booster to prove reusability.
What four baseball teams are left in the race for a World Series spot?
The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and Guardians.
How many pounds can super -sized pumpkins put on in a single day?
60 to 70. In today's Kid News Kicker, from Washington State, comes the story of a 13 -year -old rescue dog that paid back his human exactly when he needed it most.
The pooch named Geeta was found by a passing deputy straddling the yellow center line of a rural road in Stevens County.
She wouldn't budge when the officer tried to get her into the safety of his car, but kept looking from him to a secluded driveway and back again.
Then she took off, leading the deputy straight to her 84 -year -old owner.
Keith Johnson says Geeta knew I needed help and knew what she needed to do to get it.
By the time that help arrived, he'd been on the ground for six hours with a broken hip.
The sheriff's office issued a news release saying, We credit Geeta for saving Keith's life that day.
The loyalty and heroism of our furry friends never cease to amaze us.
Before we go, we want to celebrate our Kid News classrooms.
Mrs. Ramos and her Panthers at Parkview in Ripon, California.
Ms. Peeples and her Manuka Indians at Manuka Intermediate in Manuka, Illinois.
And Mom Turanose at the Turanose Academy in Eagle Mountain, Utah.
Thanks for listening.
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Have a great day. We'll see you back here for more Kid News tomorrow morning.
