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Good morning and welcome to Kid News.
I'm Kim.
Today is Thursday, February 19th, 2026, the first day of Ramadan for our Muslim friends.
And we begin with tears of joy for a Team USA superstar skier as she ends her Olympic medal drought in the best way possible.
Michaela Schifrin cried, pumped her fist and hugged her mom after winning gold in the women's slalom yesterday with a one and a half second margin of victory, which NBC News reports is the largest in any Olympic alpine event since 1998.
Michaela first won gold as an 18-year-old in the 2014 Sochi Games, but has struggled to reach the podium since.
According to CNN Sports, that 12-year gap is the largest between individual golds in a Winter Olympics event.
It was Mikayla's last chance, as she just missed meddling last week in the team event and took 11th in the giant slalom, despite being widely considered skiing's goat.
With this victory, she now has more golds than any other US alpine skier in the history of the Winter Games.
In more Olympic news as the US women's hockey team faces off against Canada today, one family is already claiming victory.
Hours after forward, Taylor Heise scored a goal against Sweden Monday to help Team USA make the final.
Her brother Nate, a guard on the Iowa State men's basketball team, hit a go-ahead three-pointer in his team's underdog win over number two Houston.
And that's not all.
Two days earlier, their brother Ryan scored a career-high 30 points in his Winona State basketball game against Sioux Falls.
The siblings' father Tony, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Ryan started it and that his success amped up his siblings.
Nate told reporters it was a pretty good day for the family.
He said he watched his sister's big game before his own, but that some of his relatives in Milan went to sleep before his game and woke up to some fun tech.
An update on a story we reported on a few weeks ago.
The baby Asian elephant, born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., now has a name.
Lin Mai was chosen by the public among four possible names for the 308-pound calf.
The name is Vietnamese for spirit blossom, with Lin meaning spirit or soul, and Mai referring to the apricot blossom, a flower associated with the Lunar New Year.
According to WTOP News, the naming contest raised more than 58000 for elephant care and conservation programs.
Zoo officials say Lin Mai is eating well and will make her first public appearance on the zoo's elephant cam this spring.
Make no bones about it.
A court has ruled.
Buffalo Wild Wings can keep its boneless wings on the menu.
U.S.
District Judge John Tharp dismissed a lawsuit yesterday filed by an Illinois man who claimed the sports bar franchise was misleading customers by offering boneless wings when they are essentially chicken nuggets.
According to Chicago's News Channel 9, the plaintiff demanded up to 10 million in damages and asked the restaurant to change its marketing.
But the judge said the suit failed to drum up any evidence of fraud and that boneless wing is a fanciful name and that no reasonable customer would have thought they were getting a deboned wing reconstituted into some sort of Franken-wing.
He likened it to chicken fingers not being made of fingers, Fox Business explained.
The free hotel breakfast may be on the chopping block.
From Hyatt to Holiday Inn, hospitality chains are making changes to the popular offering as a way to cut costs and raise revenue.
Over the past year, Hyatt alone removed free breakfast from 40 of its properties, and other hotel franchises have moved to smaller continental breakfast or grab-and-go models.
How do guests feel about this?
According to a J.D.
Power guest satisfaction study.
About 47 of Americans rate complimentary hotel breakfast as a need-to-have.
Bucking the trend.
Best Western says it has no plans to unplug the waffle iron, as free breakfast is an important part of the guest experience.
Still ahead, a furry force corrals a suspected criminal.
But first we want to wish a happy birthday to amazing son and brother, Armand Sanga of Dorado, Puerto Rico.
Armand, whether you're landing a big catch on the water, acing your serve on the court or getting lost in the pages of a great book, your family is so proud of you.
They hope you keep exploring, keep reading, and have the best day ever.
Happy birthday, Armand.
Now, today's Kid News Quiz.
Which Alpine skier now has more gold medals than any other U.S.
Alpine skier in the history of the Winter Games?
Michaela Schifrin.
What are the names of the three siblings who made a massive splash in the Olympics and college basketball this week?
Taylor, Nate, and Ryan Heisey.
What is the name of the new baby Asian elephant born at the National Zoo?
Lin Mai.
What restaurant chain did a judge say has the right to call its chicken nuggets boneless wings?
Buffalo Wild Wings.
In today's Kid News Kicker, leave it to the llamas.
Police in Derbyshire England, arrived at the scene of a crime to find eight llamas had done their job for them.
A would-be robber had cut a hole in a fence to get onto the farm of Heidi Price and Graham Oliver, but didn't get far.
The couple's eight llamas encircled the man and began crying loudly in llama speak, which Graham says sounds more like laughing.
According to the Washington Post, after police arrived, the suspect was arrested and charged with theft, as he had allegedly stolen items from a neighbor.
If not for the llamas, he might still be on the lam, Heidi says.
Quite frankly, I think they did pretty good police work.
Llamas are often used by farmers as guard animals because they're protective, tall and intimidating.
But Graham and Heidi say their pets wouldn't actually attack anyone.
Their only defense mechanism is spitting.
Thanks again to the Sunga family of Dorado, Puerto Rico for sponsoring today's quiz.
Happy birthday to Arman and hello to all his teachers and friends at the Tassus School.
And shout outs to our other Kid News classrooms.
Ms.
Martin's Journalism Jaguars at Toby Johnson Middle School in Elk Grove, California.
Mrs. Hanson's Wingers at Twin Bluff Middle School in Red Wing, Minnesota.
Ms.
Nelson's Timberwolves at Northwoods International in La Crosse Wisconsin, and Mrs Fernandez's Lions at George Washington in Durant, Oklahoma.
Thanks for listening.
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Have a great day, and we'll see you back here for more Kid News tomorrow morning.