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Good morning and welcome to Kid News.
I'm Kim.
Today is Thursday, March 12, 2026.
And we begin with more than 90 million people from the Gulf Coast of the US to the mid-Atlantic surveying the damage after as many as a dozen tornadoes ripped through the region the past two days.
At least 10 of the twisters were reported Tuesday alone, most of them in Texas, Illinois and Indiana.
As of this recording, parts of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia were also under threat.
According to the National Weather Service, the storms produced huge hail large enough to dent cars.
One reportedly measured six inches in diameter twice the size of a baseball and may have set a new state record in Illinois.
Weather patterns are predicted to change today, giving residents and first responders a much-needed break and chance to clean up and assess the mess.
California's Death Valley is definitely not living up to its name right now.
According to Sunset Magazine, the famously dry national park is very much alive with a once-in-a-decade super bloom.
A carpet of gold orange purple, pink and white flowers now covers the desert floor and foothills at a magnitude not seen since 2016, and there may be more to come.
Many flowers haven't even sprouted yet, according to the National Park Service, especially in higher elevations.
The Park Service attributes the super bloom to the perfect mix of mild winter temperatures and lots of rain.
For those who plan to visit, there's one important rule to remember.
Do not pick the flowers.
It's strictly prohibited.
One of the biggest stars of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games may soon have even more to smile about.
Jack Hughes, who lost a few front teeth in Team USA's gold medal winning game, says he's been flooded with offers from dentists to fix them.
The 24-year-old scored the overtime goal in the ice hockey team's 2-1 victory over Canada.
Well after parting with his pearly whites.
According to Yahoo Sports, Jack shared an update on his choppers at a media event in New York City.
He says almost too many dentists have reached out, but confirmed I'm going to get them fixed, hopefully this week, and hopes fans will still ask him to smile.
Speaking of smiling, wouldn't it be fun to get a phone call from Fido?
A company in Singapore called YouCloud Link has created a so-called smartphone for pets that lets your furry friends call you when they need attention.
According to Euronews, the wearable device called PetPhone works with artificial intelligence, motion sensors and GPS to recognize certain movements made by pets and turn them into alerts or calls to the owner.
It also connects to an app humans can use to check on pets, play music, or communicate with them.
According to the company's CEO, a dog jumping three times in a row might prompt the device to call its owner.
Or a dog turning in a circle could trigger a notification letting the owner know the pet is hungry or thirsty.
He says the company realized our pets are just waiting for people to bring them to the AI age.
An update for the NBA record books.
Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo scored a whopping 83 points Tuesday night in his team's win over the Washington Wizards.
That's the second highest scoring game in NBA history, passing Kobe Bryant to shadow only Wilt Chamberlain's legendary 100-point performance in 1962.
According to ESPN, Bam's previous season high was 32 points and his career high was 41.
But Tuesday, he nearly eclipsed both by the end of the first quarter.
Fellow Hoops Goats, LeBron James and Asia Wilson, who happens to be Bam's girlfriend, congratulated him online with Bam Bam Bam, followed by fire emojis and a new record.
Still ahead, more fun ways to express yourself through text.
But first, we want to thank a few of our generous supporters.
Laura Larson of Moraga, California.
Fish Leah from Key Biscayne, Florida.
And Megan Molinini of Vienna, Virginia.
Thank you for helping us stay on the air five days a week.
Now, today's Kid News quiz.
How large was the piece of hail that may have set a new state record in Illinois?
Six inches in diameter, or nearly twice the size of a baseball.
What is Death Valley experiencing right now?
A once-in-a-decade super bloom.
What is hockey star Jack Hughes hoping to get fixed this week?
The front teeth he lost during Team USA's gold medal ice hockey game.
What is the name of a new smartphone for pets?
Pet phone.
In today's Kid News Kicker, it's an emoji explosion.
A whole new batch of the fun little characters rolled out this week after a group called the Unicode Consortium approved them last summer.
They've been added to Apple's new iPhone operating system and will eventually be available on Android and Windows as well.
The new emojis include a ballet dancer, distorted face, fight cloud, hairy creature landslide orca, trombone and treasure chest.
According to USA Today, iPhone users can create their own emojis through Apple's Genmoji feature.
But these eight have official approval to be used across various devices and platforms.
Candidates for the next rollout that have not yet been approved include leftward and rightward thumb sign gestures, a meteor and an eraser.
Now, shout-outs for our Kid News classrooms.
Mrs. Sandler's Lions at Scottsdale Country Day School in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Mrs. Hill's Eagles at Northeast Academy in Lasker, North Carolina.
Mrs. Gillen's students at John Greer, home of the Corn Jerkers in Hoopston, Illinois.
Ms.
Naomi's Rangers at Greeley High School in Cumberland, Maine.
And Ms.
Sherry and Mrs. Ikea's Learners and Leaders at Learners and Leaders School in Ridgewood, New York.
Thanks for listening.
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And we'll see you back here for more Kid News tomorrow morning.
