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Good morning and welcome to Kid News.
I'm Kim.
Today is Thursday, November 20th, 2025.
And we begin with a wayward wild dolphin in Venice Italy, making it clear he has no intention of leaving.
Mimmo first appeared in a Venetian lagoon in mid-July and was nicknamed for the sailing instructor who first spotted him.
He's since set up shop, feasting on a diet of small fish and entertaining tourists with his acrobatic flips, but local veterinarians are concerned.
According to the Associated Press, they worry he could get hurt as the St.
Mark's Basin that constitutes his new home is teeming with boat traffic.
Officials used low-intensity sound waves to try to nudge Mimmo out of the basin and into open waters, but he returned within an hour.
For now, they are urging humans to steer clear of him and are hoping that colder seasonal temperatures will soon lure the dolphin out of the lagoon toward warmer waters.
LeBron James took to the court Tuesday night to begin his 23rd season, marking the longest career in NBA history.
Fittingly sporting his number 23 jersey.
The 40-year-old said of his start against the Utah Jazz It was just fun to be out there with the guys.
Man, this is the first time I've started a basketball season and not played, since I've started playing at like nine years old.
The 21-time All-Star, missed the first 14 games due to sciatica, a nerve issue causing pain down the back of his leg.
Prior to this week, LeBron shared the longest career honor with Vince Carter who, according to CNN Sports, played 22 seasons from 1998 to 2020.
Robotaxi rivalry is heating up in California.
Amazon's Zoox began offering rides in San Francisco Tuesday, infringing on a market currently dominated by Alphabet-owned Waymo.
Zoox launched its service in Las Vegas in September, and unlike others in the driverless taxi space, features boxy steering wheel-free vehicles that some say look like toasters.
Waymo's technology comes from manufacturers including Jaguar and Chrysler, with its taxis looking more like normal cars without drivers.
According to Axios, Zoox rides are currently free, pending regulatory approval, but are limited to select areas in the city.
Waymo has offered paid rides in San Francisco since 2023 and last week, as we reported, expanded its routes to highways.
He may be king of the box office, but until now it's been mission impossible for actor Tom Cruise to take home an Oscar.
He's been nominated four times for acting roles in Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire and Magnolia, as well as for producing and starring in Top Gun Maverick.
Each time, the statue went to someone else.
Over the weekend however, he was awarded an honorary Oscar for his unwavering commitment to moviemaking at the 16th Annual Academy Governors Awards.
Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg once credited Mr Cruise with saving cinema by insisting Maverick delay its pandemic release until theaters reopened, rather than let it go straight to streaming.
Tom will have another shot at an acting Oscar with an as-yet-unnamed movie coming out next year.
A Thanksgiving staple is now an everyday condiment.
Heinz has unveiled leftover gravy sauce in a nod to the 90s sitcom Friends, whose Ross Geller character raved about his sister Monica's Moist Maker Sandwich, a recipe she made every year using Thanksgiving leftovers.
Heinz says its own creation is made with real turkey broth and comes in a squeezable 12-ounce bottle and is the perfect addition to every feast and leftover meal.
But there's a catch.
According to USA Today, the leftover gravy sauce can only be bought online through Walmart.
To those who also buy Heinz Homestyle Turkey Gravy.
Customers will also get a recipe card for the ultimate Thanksgiving leftover sandwich for free, while supplies last.
Still ahead, a popular apple that demands to be pampered.
But first, today's Kid News quiz.
Which two robo-taxi companies are facing off in San Francisco?
Waymo and Zoox.
How many seasons has LeBron James played in the NBA?
Twenty-three.
What is the name of the wild dolphin that doesn't want to leave a lagoon in Venice, Italy?
Memo.
Which award did actor Tom Cruise receive over the weekend?
An honorary Oscar at the Academy Governor's Awards.
In today's Kid News.
Kicker, if apple pie is on your Thanksgiving menu, you may want to give extra thanks to the farmers.
Those who grow the crunchy sweet honey, crisp apple say while it's been called America's favorite, it's an absolute nightmare to grow.
According to the Wall Street Journal, those who discover the honey crisp in the late 80s found it too big, too fragile and a magnet for disease.
30 years later, however, the finicky fruit is dominating the market and charming consumers.
She's a diva, an absolute diva, says Washington apple farmer Kate Thornton.
The honey crisp's thick skin is easily punctured, so workers need to painstakingly clip the fruit from the tree by hand.
It also bruises easier and doesn't store as well as other varieties.
One of those, the cosmic crisp, is new to the market and reported to be more resilient.
But is it sweet enough to surpass the honey crisp?
One farmer isn't so sure.
There are very, very, very strong Honeycrisp fans, she said.
I don't think they'll ever waver from that.
And now shout-outs for our teachers.
Mrs. Webster's Roadrunners at Forest Road in LaGrange Park, Illinois.
Mrs. Benner's Barking Bulldogs at Meade Middle School in Meade, Colorado.
Mr Rodriguez's Thunderbirds at Tolson in Tucson Arizona, and Mrs Weddington's Lions at Lincoln Middle School in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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