Good morning and welcome to Kid News, generously supported by the Latimer family of San Jose, California.
I'm Kim.
Today is Wednesday, January 28th, 2026.
And we begin with a California teen taking the biggest names in social media to court for allegedly getting her addicted to algorithms.
Jury selection began yesterday in what many are calling a landmark civil case, much like those that brought down big tobacco and big pharma.
The now 19-year-old says she got hooked starting at the age of 10 because of intentionally habit-forming features like infinite scroll and notifications, and that her mental health suffered as a result.
Instagram YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok are all named in the case, but the latter two apparently saw the writing on the wall and settled out of court in the 11th hour.
Unless Instagram and YouTube also settle, the trial could last six to eight weeks.
Overseas, more social media pushback.
Early yesterday morning in France, the National Assembly voted to ban the platforms to anyone under 15, with President Macron proudly announcing our children's brains are not for sale.
The measure also banned cell phones in schools.
The legislation now moves to the Senate before a final vote.
No, you can't just sit where you want.
As of yesterday, Southwest Airlines' quirky open seating tradition that dated back 55 years, to its founding in 1971, is officially a thing of the past.
Now, it's like every other carrier, which assigns a seat either when you buy the ticket or right before you board.
No more waking up early to check in, hoping for a group, and that means the gate experience will also change.
Those metal stanchions with numbers from 1 to 60, they'll be phased out over the next two months.
So far, reaction to the change has been mostly positive, with many flyers celebrating the end of the Southwest Cattle Call.
Others say it's just nothing more than a money grab by the carrier.
To that the airline says it's done extensive research and found that 80 of its passengers and 86 of all air travelers prefer assigned seating.
Recursive is continuing its comeback.
New Jersey is now the 25th U.S. state requiring schools to teach kids how to loop their letters.
The push for penmanship was lost in 2010 when Common Core standards prioritized keyboard literacy.
But studies have shown that the pen-to-paper skill improves dexterity, certain reading skills and spelling accuracy.
The law kicks in next fall and while signing the bill, Governor Phil Murphy said the return to including cursive instruction is especially meaningful as we celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of our country's founding.
Giving our students the skills to read our nation's founding documents and complete tasks like opening a bank account or signing a check, in addition to offering cognitive benefits.
Some parents see an added benefit, being able to read cards and letters from grandma and grandpa.
Everyone's favorite feathered couple is expecting again.
Big Bear, bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow welcome their first egg of the year on Friday, and they'll now take turns sitting on it, keeping it warm and safe for the next month or so.
There's also a chance that Jackie lays another egg or two in the next few days.
The incubation road is not always a smooth one, though.
Friends of Big Bear Valley tell the LA Times that bald eagle eggs typically have a 50-50 chance of hatching.
Then the eaglets sometimes struggle to survive their first year due to severe weather, food shortages, falls from the nest and predators.
According to the American Eagle Foundation,
The power couple has already reared Simba Spirit, Sunny and Gizmo, all of whom have successfully flown the nest.
If you'd like to follow this season's nest activity, we'd put a link on our website.
Each year, dictionaries announce their Words of the Year based on what's been trending.
Well, leave it to kids to top anything adults could come up with.
The Oxford Children's Dictionary surveyed 5000 UK students up to 14 years old and gave them three options for last year's word peace, AI or resilience.
The winner, peace.
When asked why 1 in 10 mentioned war, while some highlighted specific conflicts such as Ukraine or Gaza.
Interestingly, when calling for peace around the world, the kids often used accompanying words like need, want and should.
Still to come, the king of YouTube goes bionic to help a Texas tween.
But first, we want to shout out some of our generous donors.
The Edelson family of Port Washington, New York.
Jordan Bozinski of Wellesley, Massachusetts.
And Judith Ubsdell of Oakland, California.
Thank you all for supporting our mission.
Now, today's Kid News quiz.
A California teen is suing social media companies over what?
The addictiveness of their algorithms.
Which airline abandoned open seating after more than 50 years yesterday?
Southwest.
How many states now require instruction on cursive writing?
25.
What power couple is expecting again?
Bald Eagles, Jackie, and Shadow.
In today's Kid News Kicker, you know who he is, even if your parents don't.
Jimmy Donaldson, aka Mr. Beast, reigns over YouTube with 460 million subscribers.
One of them is 12-year-old Kai Paulnitz, who was born without his right hand and couldn't cut food or even tie his own karate belt.
By middle school, he was getting bullied.
Kai tried on and was wowed by an arm from the company Open Bionics, but insurance wouldn't cover it.
Kai told his mom, it would be so great to have a right hand, but I'm fine with waiting.
Unknown to the patient tween, his story had already reached Mr. Beast, who showed up carrying a custom Hero Pro bionic arm featuring personalized Mr. Beast covers with the creator's signature blue and pink panther in Kai's name.
The futuristic device can lift up to 55 pounds, is touchscreen compatible and features a fully articulating wrist.
Kai can now even play basketball.
Mr Beast hasn't commented on his generosity, but Kai has advice for others in challenging situations.
Don't let people put you down.
Nothing's going to stop you.
Just learn an alternative.
It's shout-out time for our terrific teachers, Mr Jones and Mrs Letterman and their gators.
Even though there are no gators in New Jersey, at Mount Horeb in Warren.
Jake and his crew at the Cracked Mug Coffee Shop at the Clovis Adult Transition Program in Clovis, California.
Mr. Blaylock and his Panthers at Gum Springs in Jefferson, Georgia.
And in Massachusetts, Mrs. Kahn and her Titans at North Pembroke in Pembroke.
And Mr. McSweeney and his Phoenix at East Somerville in Somerville.
Thanks for listening.
If you have feedback, we're all ears.
Please send it to us at wehearyou at kidnews.org.
Have a great day and we'll see you back here for more Kid News tomorrow morning.
