Good morning and welcome to Kid News.
I'm Kim. Today is Friday, December 6, 2024.
And we begin with killer whales once again strutting their fashion sense.
A recent photo shows an orca by the name of Blackberry in Washington's Puget Sound, balancing a salmon on its head.
This unusual activity was first observed in the late 1980s and, as we've reported, a handful of other times in recent years.
The salmon hat trend seems to start with a single whale.
Then sometimes spreads to several pods.
According to Discover magazine, orca's are social creatures who tend to follow each other's behavior.
Experts don't know if Blackberry's Balancing Act will catch on.
But they do believe it's a sign that the orca likely has so much to eat he can play with some of his food.
Which is good news for a species now considered endangered.
California is used to earthquakes, but a 7 .0 is big even by the state's Ben -There -Done -That standards.
The latest shaker hit the north coast near the tiny town of Petrolia yesterday morning at 10 .44 local time.
One resident told USA Today his apartment was swaying back and forth.
A brief tsunami warning was issued for coastal residents from San Francisco up to Oregon to get off beaches and away from harbors.
And so many people logged into the state's tsunami maps to check out the danger zone, SFGate reports that the site crashed.
The good news, no significant damage has been reported.
Even though that first big jolt was followed by at least 13 aftershocks, ranging from a 3 .1 up to as high as a 5 .1.
U .S. train travel is making a comeback.
Amtrak just hit a record -breaking milestone, carrying 32 .8 million passengers in the past year, about 4 million more than last year.
Since its inception in 1971, Amtrak has never turned a profit.
But that's not stopping it from investing billions of dollars to improve tracks, build new stations, and spruce up in -car dining service, hoping to double its ridership by 2040.
It also recently launched a partnership with Google, where train times will show up in certain flight searches for those seeking more climate -friendly travel options.
Wondering what songs dominated 2024?
Spotify wrapped as the answers.
According to the streaming channel's annual report, Taylor Swift took the crown and ran away with it.
Swift was Spotify's most streamed artist this year with a total of 26 .6 billion streams.
Her tortured poets' department album broke a few records, too, becoming the first album to top 300 million streams in one day and more than one billion in the first week of its release.
One record Tay -Tay can't lay claim to, the most streamed song.
That prize goes to Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso, which boasted over 1 .6 billion global streams.
And despite that song's popularity, it turns out many people are mispronouncing its name.
The correct pronunciation is espresso, not expresso, according to the language -learning app Babbel, which just released its annual list of the most mispronounced words.
Joining espresso on that list, Vice President Kamala Harris, whose name is pronounced Kamala, not Kamala, Spider -Man actress Zendaya, not Zendaya, and for fans of the fast -fashion online shopping brand, it's Sheehan, not Sheehan.
Still to come, helping frogs dodge danger.
No joystick required.
But first we want to shout out Violet Kanoff, also known as the Grinch in Longmont, Colorado.
Violet, your family is so excited to see your sousa -kle musical and hear you sing your heart out this weekend.
They say you are bubbly and fun and are so proud of you.
And Violet, our team would love to see a clip of your performance, so please have your parents send it to us.
Break a leg. Now, today's Kid News Quiz.
What animal was recently spotted balancing a salmon on its head?
An orca. How big was the quake that rattled northern California yesterday?
It measured 7 .0 on the Richter scale.
What's Amtrak's big goal for 2040?
Double its ridership.
Who was Spotify's most streamed artist in 2024?
Taylor Swift. Tis the season for wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, and boxes.
Looks great, until it doesn't.
Once all the gifts are open, the trash left behind is not great for the planet.
Can we decorate and gift to the nines and still protect mother nature?
You bet. Tomorrow on the latest episode of Kid News Convos, Tori talks to a fellow mom and recycling guru from the Nature Conservancy about fun options to consider, like buying an experience like tickets for indoor rock climbing or an ice cream museum instead of a present.
I think those are really great gift options that have basically zero waste and they create a lifelong memory.
You don't grow out of them.
Tune in for more creative ways to have a fun but less wasteful holiday on the next Kid News Convos available tomorrow morning.
And in our Kid News Kicker, it's like the video game Frogger, but real.
In Portland, volunteers are helping northern red -legged frogs safely cross a busy highway during their winter migration.
Each year, the frogs travel downhill to wetlands to lay eggs, then head back up to Forest Park come spring.
Sadly, their paths cut across a busy span of U .S.
Highway 30. Dubbed the frog taxi, these do -gooders pick up the frogs and transport them to safety, saving hundreds from getting hit by passing cars.
Designs for a frog -friendly underpass are underway, but for now, these real -life heroes are hopping to the rescue.
Thanks again to the Kanoff family of Longmont, Colorado for sponsoring today's quiz.
A big shoutout for Violet, who's taking the stage for a sous -sicle this weekend.
Hello to big brother Asher as well as to her teacher Miss Utes and all her friends at Flagstaff Academy.
And we can't sign off without recognizing our other Kid News classrooms, Mrs.
Anderson and her Panthers at Kolb School in Bay City, Michigan.
Miss Binkley and her River Otters at Goochland School in Goochland, Virginia.
And Mrs. Bossingham and her Vikings at Washington Monroe School in Lincoln, Illinois.
Thanks for listening.
Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here for more Kid News Monday morning.
