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Good morning and welcome to Kid News!
I'm Kim. Today is Friday, September 27, 2024.
And we begin with the daybreak revealing the damage.
Hurricane Helene roared ashore along the west coast of Florida last night with 125 mile -an -hour winds, torrential rain and flooding that officials feared could be the most devastating in a century.
Even before landfall, streets in the seaside towns of Gulfport and Treasure Island were underwater, and more than 180 ,000 Floridians had lost power.
But the danger isn't limited to Florida.
Forecasters say size -wise, Helene is one of the largest hurricanes to ever form in the Gulf of Mexico, and has the potential to bring much of the south to its knees.
A foot of rain, tornadoes and mud slides are possible for inland Georgia, where more than half of all public school districts and several universities have canceled classes, as well as in the Carolinas, Virginia and Arkansas.
The mayor of New York apparently has bigger problems than rats.
We told you about Eric Adams' rodent summit yesterday.
Today, he's now the first sitting mayor in Big Apple history to face federal charges, including bribery.
Officials say Mr. Adams traded political favors for free upgraded flights, hotel stays and lavish meals from people in foreign countries, and then tried to cover it all up.
His first court appearance is today at noon eastern.
Despite growing calls for his resignation, Mr.
Adams denies he did anything wrong and says he will fight the accusations.
Fall is in full swing, which means the cold flu and COVID season isn't far behind.
And for the third year in a row, the government is offering four free COVID tests to every U .S.
household. According to a health and human services official, the test will help keep families and their loved ones safe this fall and winter.
The CDC says while evidence shows a lot of COVID going around, the current variant, an offshoot of Omicron, is not causing an increase in serious illness or hospital visits.
Testing kits are available now at covidtest .gov, and they'll be in the mail starting Monday.
The city of Oakland, California was once a big league sports fan's dream.
It simultaneously had the Raiders, Warriors, and A's, but as of this morning, it has none.
The Raiders and Warriors left years ago, and yesterday afternoon, the A's played and won their final game at the Oakland Coliseum, ahead of an eventual move to Las Vegas.
Not surprisingly, die -hard fans want something to remember them by.
After Tuesday's walk -off win against the Texas Rangers, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that two people were caught on video trying to steal a couple of stadium seats.
According to USA Today, players are also eyeing various keepsakes.
Some, like shortstop Jacob Wilson, plan to grab some dirt from the field while the team's catcher has his eyes on taking home home plate.
It'll be years before we know what Oakland A's memorabilia is worth, but the wait is almost over for Shohei Ohtani's record -breaking 50 -50 ball.
On Monday, we told you the lucky fan who snagged that home run reportedly turned down $300 ,000 from the Dodgers.
This morning, that scuffed -up, cork -filled piece of cowhide hits the auction block with an opening bid of $500 ,000.
Interested buyers with the deepest of pockets can skip the back and forth by buying it outright for $4 .5 million.
The current highest price ever paid for a baseball is just over $3 million for Mark McGuire's then record -setting 70th home run ball in the 1998 season.
Still to come, it's not just humans who like a good lullaby, but first today's Kid News Quiz.
The mayor of what major U .S.
city is in trouble with the law?
New York City. What have forecasters said about the size of Hurricane Helene?
It's one of the biggest to ever form in the Gulf of Mexico.
How much is the opening auction bid for Shohei Ohtani's 50 -50 ball?
$500 ,000. What U .S.
city just lost its third pro sports team?
Oakland, California.
And in our Kid News kicker, at one New York shelter, dogs and cats awaiting their forever homes have a new soundtrack.
Teenage piano prodigy Zen Michelin Hung began volunteering at Bidaoui Animal Shelter earlier this year, playing soothing tunes so the residents feel more comfortable while they wait for adoption.
Bringing her love of animals and music together, Zen tailors her playlist to keep things calm and gentle, drawing on her own experience playing music for her pets at home.
Zen's parents also volunteer at the shelter, which makes it a family affair.
She hopes sharing her story will inspire others to volunteer in their communities.
Before we go, shout outs for our teachers, Stacy Nietzsche and her Lions at Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto, California, Ms.
Armstrong and her Bulldog Math Scholars at George Washington Carver in Cleveland, Ohio, and Mrs.
McMurtry and her Wolves at North Star School in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Thanks for listening.
Please consider a tax -deductible donation to help keep us at the microphone five days a week.
Have a great weekend and we'll see you back here for more Kid News Monday morning.
