Good morning and welcome to Kid News.
I'm Kim. Today is Wednesday December 4, 2024.
And we begin with a Virginia Girl Scout saving her dad's life with CPR—just 11 days after she learned how.
Veda Carowand's Virginia Beach troop had practiced on a dummy, but last month, with her dad unresponsive on the floor, she was forced to put her training to the test.
As she told Wavy TV News, it was scary.
I started tearing up.
What do I do? For a minute there, I was in complete shock.
Then I was like, heart attack, heart attack 9 -1 -1.
With the help of a dispatcher on the phone, Veda began chest compressions and didn't stop until paramedics arrived.
Her dad is still in the hospital but on the mend.
And Veda's message to all young people, just put your mind to anything that you would want to do.
At first, I was like, I don't know if I can do CPR.
But apparently, I can.
Oxford Dictionary has chosen its word of the year, and it's probably something we can all relate to.
The respected wordsmith went with brain rot, referring to the fog that settles in between our ears after too much clicking, scrolling and reading through trivial online content.
According to CBS News, while it may seem like a modern term, the first recorded use of brain rot was by author Henry David Thoreau in his 1854 Ode to the Natural World Walden when he wrote, while England endeavors to cure the potato rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain rot, which prevails so much
more widely? Oxford chose brain rot over some other strong contenders, including demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy, and lore.
Australia is doing what it can to put the brakes on brain rot at least for kids.
It just passed the world's strictest laws on social media by banning anyone under the age of 16 from accessing it.
Supporters say the goal is to protect the mental health of the country's youth.
Between now and when the law goes into effect in one year, social media companies are expected to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from having an account.
If they don't, they could be fined up to $32 million.
Parents and underage users, however, will not face fines or penalties.
Those against the ban believe it was rushed into law and will be nearly impossible to enforce.
Baseball is considering a wild idea to up the excitement of the game.
Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed on the Varsity podcast that a Golden at bat is getting some buzz from the owners.
So far, it's only in the talking stage, but if approved, the Golden at bat would allow a team to pick one at bat in every game to send up its best slugger, even if it's not their turn to hit.
Still, the devil is in the details.
According to the Athletic, it might be limited to tie games, only the team trailing, or only the beginning of the seventh inning.
Or it might not be approved at all.
In other kid news notes, President -elect Trump is headed to Paris this week for Saturday's re -opening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
It will be his first overseas trip since his reelection in November.
An accidental fire ripped through the famous cathedral in 2019, and French President Macron promised and kept the promise to rebuild it in five years.
It's being called the most miraculous discovery of the last 100 years.
Construction workers in Great Britain just dug up a huge collection of Roman coins.
Most of the 1 ,368 pieces are silver denarii minted in Rome and dating from the time of the Roman Republic in 157 B .C., up to Emperor Nero's reign between AD 54 and AD 68.
And there are currently no turkeys at the box office.
Disney's Moana 2, the sequel to the 2016 hit, not only set a Thanksgiving weekend sales record, but also scored the best five -day opening in history.
Throw in Wicked and Gladiator 2, which are also bringing in big bucks, and Variety reports that the trio powered the biggest Thanksgiving period on record.
Still to come, 11 tons of holiday fun gets lit in New York City tonight.
But first, today's kid news quiz.
How many days after learning CPR did a Virginia Girl Scout save her dad's life with it?
11. What is Oxford dictionary's word of the year?
Brain rot. Which country just banned social media for anyone under the age of 16?
Australia. Baseball's golden at bat would allow teams to do what?
Send their best slugger to the plate, even if it's not their turn to hit.
In today's kid news kicker, tonight, with the flip of the switch, the Big Apple will get a whole lot jollier.
At 8 p .m. Eastern, Rockefeller Center will light its 74 -foot, 11 -ton Christmas tree.
On hand to Usher in all that's merry and bright, Kelly Clarkson, Dan and Shay, The Backstreet Boys, and Jennifer Hudson.
The event will be aired live on NBC, after which the tree will stay lit from 5 a .m.
until midnight until mid -January.
When it comes down, the tree will be donated to the non -profit organization Habitat for Humanity, so its wood can be used to build homes for those in need.
Before we go, shout -outs to our amazing teachers, Mrs.
Gervazio and Willie the Wildcat, at Kernersville in Kernersville, North Carolina, Ms.
Ratliff and her tigers at Saltillo in Saltillo, Mississippi, and Mrs.
Stewart and her bulldogs at Eastside Intermediate in Harrisburg, Illinois.
Thanks for listening.
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And we'll see you back here for more kid news tomorrow morning.