Newsy Pooloozi - The News Pod for Kids

Hello and happy new year, everyone! Firstly, we want to say THANK YOU for being such dedicated, steadfast listeners to our wacky world news podcast! It’s a lot of work but a labor of love we’re not ready to give up. However… we ARE going to make some changes to our output in 2024, so have a listen to our special announcement to find out the details. More importantly, we are also opening applications for new kid correspondents and writers to join the Newsy Pooloozi team so we can keep this international curiosity club going! Listen for more details and write to us at contact@newsypooloozi.com if you're interested.

As we get ready to dive into a new year, we wanted to look back at the past 12 months – the highs and lows – of news and current events. Yes, we’re talking about the Best of our Big New Stories – from the heavy stories of war and natural disasters to many stories of progress and hope. And, well, ChaptGPT which sits somewhere in the middle of it all, doesn’t it? Enjoy the reflection – we’ll be back with regular world news (the big, the wacky and all that in between) soon!

As a little holiday gift, we bring you... laughter, of course. Yes, have a listen to the wackiest world news stories from the last 12 months in this Best of Oddball round-up episode. It's guaranteed to make you smile more than once!

It's that time of year for our Best Of's - listen back to our best nature and animal stories of 2023! From the resurrection of the wholly mammoth to giraffes that do math, squirrels that sniff out more than nuts, goats that help fight fires and why chimpanzees gesture - this is the best wrap of wacky world animal stories you'll hear anywhere. Plus have you heard the beautiful - if not a little weird - sounds of the ocean? Or the giant seaweed blob that was headed for Florida? And if none of that appeals - two words: cat vaccine. But this revolutionary innovation is for your cat to take, not you! 

In kid news this week… Good news on the environment and innovation front - natural resources are being used to capture nasty carbon dioxide - from using limestone to suck it up in California to Italy’s cyanobacteria that likes to snack on it. Also, the latest dinosaur news in both Brazil and Mongolia, the history and wonder of Germany’s Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmarkt!) and China’s sleepy students lean into that doozy post-launch feeling with the help of new desk-beds!

In world news this week… Wild “super pigs” are on the rampage in North America, bears are on attack in rural Japan, blue whales return home to the Indian Ocean and a green mamba venomous snake is on the loose in the Netherlands - all that and more this week!

This week in world news for kids… Creepie crawlies – love them or loath them – we need them! But they’re on the threat of extinction, which is why a new study is being launched in the US. Over in Indonesia, though, it’s good news – their echidna mammal has come back from the brink of extinction. India scores another Guinness Book of World Records entry for its many-many Diwali diyas. And up in a northern Swedish city there’s a campaign to be neighborly – by just saying… oh, well, listen to find out!

 We give you a special rerun this week of our Autumn Festivals Capsule -- from Asia's Hungry Ghost Festival, Diwali, Guru Nanak to the West's Halloween, Day of the Dead, Bonfire Night, Thanksgiving and more!

In kids news this week… We’ve all heard of electric cars, but what about electric ROADS? Well, this is happening in Sweden where they’re charging on the move! In entertainment news, find out what new chart – typically dominated by middle-aged men – popstar Taylor Swift enters. And most of us have heard the expression (phenomenon!) of being “Rickrolled,” well in our second offering of Slange Explained we give you the entire wacky backstory. And did you know a small town in Pennsylvania had its very own mummy? Well, not anymore. Find out why on this week’s episode of Newsy Pooloozi! 

This week in world news for kids… France is facing an infestation of bedbugs that’s causing national anxiety, Australia rejects a referendum to give Aboriginals more of a “voice” in politics, plus FIFA announces a very mixed-up world cup is planned for 2023 and Austrian researchers discover the curious camouflaging of the Wallace’s flying frog – all that and more this week!

In world news for kids this week… Israel wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the militant group bombards it with bombs and terror attacks, Kenyan’s marathon record breaker, US fast food outlets sued and a very elderly skydiver tries to break a world record – but just how old? You gotta listen to the pod to find out!

This week in your favorite mix of wacky world news, goats and AI are used to fight fires in California, Swiss glaciers are melting at a record rate, humans have more of a Neanderthal mix than thought and animals are on the loose – from a bear that crashes a Mexican picnic to crocodiles in India and Malaysia that were not where they’re supposed to be, oh, and the alligator "support pet" that was not allowed into a major league baseball game… All that and more this week! 

This week in news for kids... Koreans say "Chuseok jal bonaeseyo!" as they celebrate their autumn harvest festival, aka Thanksgiving. Also, NASA says hello to rocks from the Bennu asteroid, completing a seven-year mission to bring back the samples and Australia gets ready to host a Taylor “Swiftposium” – inspired by the US popstar’s songs. Also in Australia – some pets are not allowed to surf - find out which one this week in Newsy Pooloozi!

In kid news this week… We hear the "voices of the ocean" and sounds of the sea (it's a noisy place!) and find out what they mean, also ancient cave art is discovered in Spain, a stolen Van Gogh is returned in a bloodied pillowcase in the Netherlands and the Laziest Citizen Competition nears a month – of participants just lying down – in Montenegro. All that and more in the coolest pool of news and information!

In world news this week – a 6.8 magnitude earthquake devastates Morocco, thousands die in Libya floods caused by Storm Daniel, India concludes the G20 and world leaders decide to let the Africa Union into the big economic club, Thailand’s big-but-small dinosaur discovery and “barking mad” police in the US use a creative way to catch car thieves – all that and more on Newsy Pooloozi!

In kid news this week we decode the international summit – the G20 – as world leaders head to host-country India, after landing on the moon the Indian Space Research Organisation sends a spacecraft to explore the sun, in our debut segment of “Slang Explained” we give the story behind the popular slang word “slay,” and the quirky English are at it again – this time holding the World Gravy Wrestling Championships, because everyone likes to roll around and wrestle in gravy, right? All that and more this week!

This is a fun, feline-packed episode with pets to the rescue in Ukraine, a breakthrough cat allergy vaccine (that your cat takes - not you!) and cat yoga with an adoption twist makes for the purrrrrfect pose, plus India’s 1st World Surf League (WSL) competition takes place in Tamil Nadu - all that and more this week!

Kid News This Week: There's a new space race to the south side of the Moon, weather woes from wildfires to fast-floods rattle the world, is Spain’s soccer championship betrayed by a kiss, and a Texas woman is caught in the middle of a fight between a Harris hawk and snake - that fell from the sky! All that and more this week! 

Sadly, summer is over… but happily we're back in action next week! Yes, from next Wednesday we’ll be bringing you a weekly round-up of the world's most important – and most weird – world news. Until then, enjoy the Kids Listen Summer Sampler and discover some cool new pods to add to your playlist!

Learn more about Kids Listen at https://www.kidslisten.org/

Girl Tales: www.girltalespodcast.com
Book Club for Kids: http://www.bookclubforkids.org
Like You: www.likeyoupodcast.com
Power Dog Adventures: https://www.powerdogadventures.com/
Unspookable: www.soundsingtonmedia.com
Stoopkid Stories: https://stoopkidstories.com/
Peace Out: www.peaceoutpodcast.com
What If World: http://www.whatifworldpodcast.com/
Newsy Pooloozi: https://www.newsypooloozi.com/
Dorktales Storytime Podcast: http://dorktalesstorytime.com
Fina Mendoza Mysteries: http://finamendozamysteries.comKids Listen audio transitions by Dan Saks of www.noodleloafshow.com
Summer Sampler artwork by Jodi Murphy of http://dorktalesstorytime.com
KL Summer Sampler 2023 produced by Lynn Hickernell of http://goodwordspodcast.com

Hey folks! We've been going non-stop for almost three years at Newsy Pooloozi and we're (finally) taking a little time off world news podcasting to do some real world traveling! This week we'll leave you with a darling new storytelling podcast, Suzie with a Z, for curious kids who like mysteries. Then for a few weeks there won't be any new episodes, swaps or even quick dips of news.  But never fear, in July we'll be back in your feed with more wacky world news from your favorite fun news pod, Newsy Pooloozi!

 

This week we dive deep with our easy-to-understand explainer on the US debt ceiling crisis, plus a report from Spain on boat-bumping orcas (yes, killer whales are on the rampage), in Australia they debate K-leather (no idea what that is, well, it’s nothing to do with K-pop – you gotta listen to find out more, but here’s a clue: it’s a debate that keeps “bouncing around”) and for anyone bickering over who in their house does the most chores, we have a special report on a new app offering some help. 

 

This week hear how Georgia Tech creates a centipede robot to help in natural disasters, India completes the world’s highest railway bridge in Kashmir, a 13-year-old with no cell phone becomes a US hero and after hiding behind COVID masks the Japanese take lessons to learn to smile again – plus the world wrap of other headline news and the Fab Fact Quiz!

This week hear about the Spanish researchers who find that giraffes understand basic math, also twilight-zone, cannibal fish wash ashore in Oregon, and hear how about the Cambodian runner winning hearts because she didn’t stop even when the odds were against her and we finish this week with the they tall-tale of the Welsh conductor who was not a duchess in disguise at King Charles III’s coronation!  

This week hear why and how bird drones take flight in New Mexico, a special report from Italy about the Napoli soccer stunner that saw the city party for days, plus a new box jellyfish is discovered in China and hear the silly story of the Spanish map-makers that… lost their way!

Kid News This Week: We have two special reports – one from London and one from the shires (as in the countryside!) – on the grand coronation of UK King Charles III, plus a story of art destruction in South Korea that’s just “bananas” and a Derbyshire cat on the prowl gives real meaning to “cat thief!”

Kid News This Week: India dethrones China as the world’s most populous country, SpaceX Starship rocket explodes during unmanned test – but not everyone is upset, Australia’s Take 3 for the Sea – what it means for you and me and Belgium holds a screechy seagull competition that you have to hear to believe! All that and more this week on Newsy Pooloozi!

Kid News This Week: Hear about the giant seaweed blob – sargassum – heading to the coast of Florida? We have a special report from Florida to explain all. Plus, JUICE rockets to Jupiter – no, not a rocket full of OJ! But a mission to find water (and maybe life?) on three of Jupiter’s moons. Happy Vaisakhi! No idea what that means – we’ll tell you all! And have you heard about New York City’s rat problem? Well, there’s a new sheriff in town aka, the “rat czar!”

Kid News This Week: Happy Songkran! We take a deep dive into Thailand’s wacky, annual water festival. That’s not all – sleeper trains are back on track in Europe as overnight travel sees a revival. Plus, you’ve heard of “pleather” but have you heard of “fleather?” Find out about India’s new vegan leather. And you won’t believe what the giant furball, found by Canadian gold miners, turned out to be – hint: it’s super nutty!

Happy Easter! We have special reports on the unusual Easter traditions in Ethiopia and Spain, plus it’s Olive Ridley turtle nesting season in India and Australian scientists create a mammoth meatball coming from a woolly mammoth in the Netherland. Plus we’ll reveal last week’s April Fool’s spoof story! All that and more on this weeks news pod for kids. 

This week in kid news – we keep up our annual April Fool’s Day tradition – we have five wacky world news stories, four are real but one will fool you: Meta is sued over causing social media addiction in teenagers and Utah adopts strict social media regulations, US fashion designer Jeremy Scott revs up the upcycling creating auto-part fashion, China’s 2400-year-old flushing toilet discovered, “Pungent Paints” are launched for smelly paints that help artists take immersive art to a new level and Malaysia opens first-ever snake and reptile café.

In world news for kids this week: What to do with a forest of wood planted for paper production not needed now in the digital age? Well, a company in Finland is innovating – creating sustainable batteries out of the wood! Also, Taylor Swift sings 44 songs in 3 hours during her first concert in five years. We’ll also explain Int’l Autism Day and how researchers think the “fish-lizard” – ichthyosaur – sea monster lived much earlier than the “Great Dying” when nearly all life on earth was wiped out. 

Kid News This Week: Aukus nuclear-powered submarine project upsets China, Valentine asteroid heading to Earth in 2046, the 95th Academy Awards show without the red carpet and the Fosbury Flopper who revolutionized the high jump dies – we share his inspiring story, plus the Fab Facts quiz and World Wrap of other news making headlines around the world!

Kid News This Week: Environmental triumph - Earth's ozone hole is getting smaller, UN launches ozone video game, no room for old stones in UK museums and new discovery about the loud, haunting sounds whales make – turns out they have extra nosey (and noisy) lips!

Kid News This Week: People go crazy for ChatGPT – we explain what it and chatbots are (including what GPT actually stands for), Cameroons Goliath frog being saved, Italy’s oily coffee on offer in Starbucks - all that and more this week! 

Kid News This Week: Carnival season ends and Lent begins - we explain what it all means, plus a special report from Germany's Fasching, Kenya’s 2.9-million-year-old tools redefines humanity, Australia’s 3 new spider species, Ecuador’s “Lord of the Ring” frog and more!

Kid News This Week: Move over sniffer dogs – squirrels get in on the act of sniffing out drugs in China, more on the US-China spy balloons saga, update on Turkey and Syria’s deadly quake, Portuguese city brings in drones to help with their seagull problem – we’ll explain how – and in Spain one man decides to test the law... by baring all!

Kid News This Week: 7.8 earthquake rocks Turkey & Syria, US shoots down Chinese spy balloon, Beyoncé sweeps Grammys but still doesn’t get top prize and owner of a naughty parrot pays the price in Taiwan – all this plus the Weekly World Wrap and the Fab Fact Quiz!

Kid News This Week: Tons of nature news this week! From understanding chimp gestures to a new “duck” dinosaur discovered and seaspider that can regrow their butts! Also, Ticketmaster apologies to Taylor Swift and US Senators riff off Tay-tay’s lyrics (you gotta hear it!), a special report from Taiwan for the Chinese Lantern Festival and a treasure hunt for some ill-gotten Nazi loot leaves some Dutch villagers unhappy. 

Kid News This Week: Texas biotech company closer to resurrecting the woolly mammoth, two dinosaur discoveries – one in India and one in the US, Avatar and its director, James Cameron break box office records and Australian park rangers discover a massive cane tone the size of a small dog, given the name “toadzilla” – all that news and more!

Kid News This Week: Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the year of the rabbit – what does that mean? Australia’s marathon marathoner who ran 150 marathons in a row, the English woman who uses her drone to save lost dogs and Bolivia’s epic search for a cat that went missing after taking a BOA flight – all that and more!

Kid News This Week: Grand funeral for groundbreaking Pope Benedict, now Catholics asking if Pope Francis will also retire, UK fails to launch satellites from “cosmic girl,” but NASA finds crater full of opal gemstones on Mars hinting to microbial life on the red planet, England bans single-use plastic for take-away food and Argentina’s inflation is so high one artist uses cash for canvasses – all that and more!

Kid News This Week: Hear about the ground-breaking research into why we get colds and flus, plus US bad weather brings out heroic and kind acts, Australian school students banned for acrylic nails and Belgium environmentalist find use in human hair.

 

Kid News This Week: As the year comes to a close, we look back at the biggest news stories of 2022 from Russia’s war on Ukraine to unusual protests in Iran and China, the end of an epic royal reign as Queen Elizabeth II dies, plus world population reaches new peak and all eyes on the world cup in Qatar. 

Kid News This Week: Best oddballs of the year from sea-sponge snot and deep-sea blue goo to Spain’s ghost village, Hong Kong’s dumbest thieves, Malaysia’s slithery plane passenger, Vietnam’s glass bottom bridge, the strongest shoulders and the most expensive shoes, ever!

Kid News This Week: Hear the first in our special holiday "Best Of" series - kicking it off with our best nature stories for 2022 from Earth Day to the return of cheetahs to India, Australia’s endangered koalas, Bangladesh’s oyster reef, the rebranding of a fish as carp becomes copi, swimming spinosaurs, feeding Florida’s manatees and drumming chimpanzees! 

Kid News This Week: Scientists make out of this world material - tetrataenite– in a lab (!) that could help save the world! Plus Prince William’s Earthshot prizes from innovative eco-warriors, Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year (any idea what goblin-mode means?!?), Taylor Swift-versus-Australia’s endangered frogs and high school students in Utah make an epic gingerbread house!

Kid News This Week: Unusual protests in authoritarian China, two young inventors create plastic recycle machine that makes 3D printer filament, spring comes early in UK – what are the knock-on effects? – and down under in New Zealand some young and enthusiastic rat-catchers help save kiwi birds by ridding the island of rodents

Kid News This Week: One of the biggest sporting events on earth kicks off in the desert of Qatar – we’ll tell you why World Cup 2022 is five months late, plus NASA’s Artemis 1 rocket finally takes off, Taylor Swift’s ticket woes, Taiwan’s peace panda dies but will it end “panda diplomacy” and a message in a bottle is found – but you won’t guess where! 

Kid News This Week: There are now 8 billion earthlings, Switzerland breaks record with the world’s longest train, Banksy’s 8 artworks in Ukraine, Taylor Swifts MTV Europe sweep and the men who braid the their beards together to create the longest beard in the world, beating Germany. 

Kid News This Week: Who knew busy bees like to play not just make honey?! Speaking of bees – their numbers are dropping, so the UK is creating special bus stops to attract bees and butterflies to help pollinate more plants. We’ll also give you the latest on the anti-hijab protest in Iran – with a woman rock-climber ditching her headscarf in a recent competition. Also, a major environment summit is taking place in Egypt – COP 27 – we’ll tell you what it means and why it’s important. Plus – new fashion in France for green cycling hearse for a pedestrian funeral procession. All that and more this week on the only world news podcast for kids (and adults too!).

Kid News This Week: Hear Earth’s magnetic field courtesy of the European Space Agency (ESA), the sad news of South Korea’s stampede and India’s bridge collapse, Taylor Swift tops the pops and breaks pop music records, candy inflation effects Halloween and nose picking primates discovered – yes, aye-ayes like to use their middle finger for a snot search! All that and more this week. 

Kids News This Week: Autum is a season full of festivals from the scary to the sweet - this autumn festival capsule has the story behind most of them. From Halloween in the US to Asia's Hungry Ghost Festival and Mexico's Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Never mind the Indian festivals, including Diwali for Hindus and Guru Nanak, the biggest festival for the Sikhs. Oh, and did we mention the British Guy Fawkes festival, also called Bonfire Night? Have a listen to get into the festive mood!

Kids News This Week: Did you know mushrooms "chat" to each other? Or that dancing can be used to power a Scottish nightclub? Hear all about it,  plus a new era in tennis as sporting greats go from the court and a San Francisco cafe dishes up a posh dog's dinner for the city's many pups -- all this week on the only world news podcast for curious kids and adults!

Kid News This Week: We dive into the Nobel Prizes and what the “merchant of death” has to do with it?! We also tackle the story of the protests in Iran and explain why they are so important. Plus, California’s “plastic piranha” is unleased and India’s “mystic” temple crocodile dies. All that and more this week on the only world news podcast for curious kids and adults!

Kid News This Week: It’s the “invasion” of stink bugs in the US & spider crabs in France, India’s electric car built from scrap, M&M and Quality Street candy news, plus dogs detect stress with their noses – all that and more this week!

Thanks also to Roa Music for supplying the backtrack to the Kids Listen promo.

Kid News This Week: Festive season in India is underway with Ganpati, Navratri and Dussehra festivals, NASA crashes asteroid, carp changes its name to tempt people in the US to eat the fish, in the UK TikTok might get fined and passengers on a flight to Hawaii get a ukulele treat!

Kid News This Week: NASA’s Artemis-1 moon rocket set to try launching again, Queen Elizabeth II’s epic funeral, UK Royal Mint releases Harry Potter coins, India’s running doctor defies traffic and deep-sea blue goo mystifies scientists in the Caribbean, plus the world wrap of news and the fab fact quiz!

Kid News This Week: UK mourns death of Queen Elizabeth II, chimps drum-talk, Taylor Swift announces album release date, California’s electric call-to-action and new “sus” words added to Merriam Webster dictionary, plus the world wrap and fab facts quiz this week on the coolest pool of news for curious kids and adults!

Kid News This Week: Oyster reefs fight land erosion in Bangladesh, scientist discovers spiders dream in their sleep, the world’s deepest pool in Dubai, weird British ice cream flavors from Heinz Baked Beans to Soy Sauce! 

Kid News This Week: From Texas to Pakistan floods create havoc, so do droughts but there is a silver lining as evaporating lakes and rivers are revealing long lost treasures, create global havoc but reveal treasures too, studies show the power of sleep, biofilm strip shows how sweat can recharge wearables and, speaking of… wearable fans keep pets cool! 

All that plus the world wrap and fab facts this week on the coolest pool of news for curious kids and adults!

 

Kid News This Week: China seeds rain to save autumn harvest and world food crisis, Japan builds a robot goat, space mission suggests Earth’s water came from asteroids and sea sponges sneeze snot and give shrimp a booger feast – plus the world wrap and fab facts!

Kid News This Week: World’s largest democracy turns 75, Uzbekistan and Ukrainian Olympiad chess champs, moths are smarter than we thought and Pac-Man hawk challenges pigeon poo in San Francisco and much more this week!

Kid News This Week: China-Taiwan-US tensions explained, surf’s pup - dog surfing, India’s satellite-making girls, “kidpreneurs” take off, Little Miss and Mr memes, Fab Facts and more!

Kid News This Week: Fantasy or the future - Saudi Arabia’s skyscraper city plans revealed, dog wagging deciphered, cheetahs return to India, dancing pigs in Belgium, plus the world wrap and fab fact quiz!

 

All about poo (ok, ok, "excrement") - Newsy Pooloozi's Poo News Capsule!

All about insects, spiders and more - Newsy Pooloozi's Creepy Crawlies Capsule!

All about space – our special space capsule with over 45 minutes of the whippiest, wackiest, most factual and fun space news from the last two years on Newsy Pooloozi!

Newsy Pooloozi's Corona Capsule - from the silly to the serious here are our COVID-19 stories all in one place! (And hear how Leela's voice has changed over the last two years!)

Quick Dip of world news begins by covering the protests in the US and India, which happen to be two of the world's largest democracies. We'll also talk about a massive plastic ban in India, mummified baby wooly mammoth, and bacon perfume. 

And finally,  this week we go to the stars, with one of the coolest spaciest podcasts around, for space nerds and star lovers alike — REACH: A Space Podcast for Kids!

Want to get the complete transcript of this episode? Then check out our website.

Like this episode? Awesome! We have a teeny-tiny request — please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

If you wish to be a guest reporter or specialist on Newsy Pooloozi, or just drop in to say hi, email us at contact@newsypooloozi.com.

To get the latest on Newsy Pooloozi and see what our co-hosts Leela and Lyndee are up to, follow our social media handles:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewsyPooloozi

Instagram: @newsypooloozipodcast

Quick Dip of world news begins with scorching heatwaves in the US and wildfires in Europe. In the US, 70% of Americans will feel the 90-degree heat (Fahrenheit), which is more than 32 degrees Celsius. 

In other news, we'll explore UK's DNA mapping project, Italy's giant batteries, K-pop stars BTS disbanding, and the garlic-for-homes scheme in China. 

Plus, we're doing a podcast swap featuring Jack to the Future  — a fortnightly kids podcast on the future of science, invention, and the world, from Jack.

Want to get the complete transcript of this episode? Then check out our website.

Like this episode? Awesome! We have a teeny-tiny request — please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you wish to be a kid podcaster on Newsy Pooloozi, or just drop in to say hi, email us at contact@newsypooloozi.com.

To get the latest on Newsy Pooloozi and see what our co-hosts Leela and Lyndee are up to, follow our social media handles:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewsyPooloozi

Instagram: @newsypooloozipodcast

Quick Dip of world news - from NASA investigating aliens and Google dismissing sentient AI and a sweet rescue at a chocolate factory - along with Dorktales Storytime Podcast Hidden Histories episode swap!

In kid news this week we give you a Quick Dip of world news - from parties and politics in the UK, to Japan's food waste cement and the cheese rolling in Gloucester - as well as Cool Facts About Animals episode swap!

This week, we gently decode the US gun debate by understanding the view points of the gun lobby led by the NRA, Congress, legislators on both sides, and also a quick peek into the US Constitution's Second Amendment. 

In other news, we start with the World of WOW, aka science news, on how scientists are working on space sprouts from the moon. Then we move on to robot-assisted surgery and VR medicine, Aussie football microchips, China’s sinkhole oasis - all that and more!

Want to get the complete transcript of this episode? Then check out our website.

Like this episode? Awesome! We have a teeny-tiny request — please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you wish to be a kid podcaster on Newsy Pooloozi, or just drop in to say hi, email us at contact@newsypooloozi.com.

To get the latest on Newsy Pooloozi and see what our co-hosts Leela and Lyndee are up to, follow our social media handles:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewsyPooloozi

Instagram: @newsypooloozipodcast

OMG – we reached 100 episodes! This special episode we look back and forward for our 100th episode with super-duper guest, Mindy Thomas of Wow in the World, helping us celebrate!

Kid News This Week: Russia furious at NATO’s Nordic expansion while Turkey says no-no, UK’s post-drones take off, possible microchip in Aussie footballs, jail for dumbest thieves  

Kid News This Week: 20% of reptile species risk extinction, rocket booster caught mid-air by helicopter, heartful art heads to the moon and longest glass-bottom bridge opens in Vietnam - all that and more!

 

Kid News This Week: The Indian subcontinent is in the grip of a heatwave, Mama mia! Mother’s Day sweet history revealed, 10-armed octopus fossil found, whisky waste becomes biofuel  and much more!

Kid News This Week: Celebrating Eid around the world, Azteca ants repair “trumpetrees” in Panama, Japan’s latest taste-tech, Spain’s smelly high art

Hear when and why Earth Day started and what we can do now, about India’s seaweed combine-harvester breakthrough, UK’s forest art keeping an “eye on climate” and an ingenious bouncy carbon-buster for kids!

Kid News This Week: Hear the lowdown on Easter, all about the digitally unwrapped mummy, the swimming Spinosaurus, rickshaw's rooftop garden, the stuck temple thief and more!

Kid News This Week: Saturn loses its rings - but how, low-down on Ketanji B Jackson, Finnish treasure hunters get ready for last push to booty and Spain's abandoned village appears in dried-up lake - all that and more. 

Kids News This Week: Take our April Fool's challenge - hear five wacky, world news stories and guess which one is April Foolin' you!

Kid News This Week: Sahara dust storm darkens Spain, Ukraine’s “wonder woman,” boys lost in Amazon found, UK solar tunnel, special escort for otters - all that and more on this week's world news pod for kids!

Kid News This Week: Find out how St Patrick’s day began, the latest on Ukraine – including propaganda, paramilitary and mercenary explained, Florida manatees are in trouble but you can help and the story of slithery smuggler.

Kid News This Week: Western Monarch Butterfly challenge*, India’s crimson rose butterfly pit-stop, Ukraine update and happy take, world's oldest pants reveal a lot about our blue jeans – all that and more!

* Take pictures of the Western Monarch Butterfly and log in here to help track these beauties - https://www.monarchmilkweedmapper.org/

The war in Ukraine explained, the glossary game of confusing words and phrases about the war and tips on coping with distressing news

Kid News This Week: Russia deploys troops to eastern Ukraine, Indian chess prodigy makes history, slithery fright on flight and DIY.org giveaway

Kid News This Week: History of Black History Month and Valentine’s Day, koalas on Australia’s endangered list, crazy rich people buy crazy expensive Nike shoes - all that and more on this weeks news pool for kids!

Kid News This Week: Date set for International Space Station deorbit and splashdown, Jeff Bezos’s takes on “De Hef” Dutch bridge, Barcelona bicibus, Guinness Record breaking shoulder power

Kid News This Week: We breakdown the crisis in Ukraine and explain why Russian soldiers are at its border, also NYT buys Wordle and space-junk will crash into the moon, all that and more this week on Newsy Pooloozi!

Happy Chinese New Year of the Tiger, deep coral reef discovered near Tahiti, funny animal rescue false alarms, plus our Around the World in 80 seconds news wrap and our five fab background facts from this week’s stories!

Kid News This Week: Fake plastic trees that suck up CO2 could save the world, English zoo uses animal poo for fuel and the launch of "Run Like a Girl" book series about young girls who run 

Quick Dip of Kid News This Week: It's an animalistic start to 2022 - from the US's pig heart transplant to Israeli goldfish learning to drive, from Saudi Arabia's camel pageant to the threat of Antarctica's foreign fish!

Kid News This Week: Start the new year with a laugh – it's time for the best of Newsy Pooloozi's Oddball stories from 2021!

Kid News This Week: As 2021 comes to an end, it's time to look back at the big news stories on Newsy Pooloozi this year!

Kid News This Week: We hear how Christmas is celebrated around the world - from beach barbecues Down Under to pooping Yuletide logs in Spain, to Santa on a camel in Kenya and Christmas music in the US.

Kid News This Week: As part of our holiday specials, we look back at the best technology news on Newsy Pooloozi this year!

Kid News This Week: As the holiday season begins, it's time to look back on 2021. First up, we present the best Newsy Pooloozi animal stories this year! Did your favorite make the cut? Have a listen!

This week’s kid news – Asia’s Joro spiders invade Georgia, new COVID variant omicron arrives, Singapore’s scientists get plants talking to humans and Canada’s maple syrup crisis – all that and more on Newsy Pooloozi!

Happy Thanksgiving and happy Hanukkah! Since it's a holiday week, we're giving you a "quick dip" of the news to keep you informed (and make sure you have some cool things to talk about around the table). Gobble, gobble!

Find out the cause of the toxic air shutting parts of New Delhi, hear a special report from the Cape Canaveral space launch, find out how Sikhs celebrate Guru Nanak Jyanti and why locusts become the second insect on the EU's “novel food” list

 

Will COP26 help save the planet? We unpack the global eco summit, plus hear about India’s floating solar power station, a California high school football team’s bad win and enter: the blue banana!

 

This week hear why India celebrates its "Festival of Lights," plus how Hindus celebrate Diwali around the world. Also in the episode, artificial intelligence lends Beethoven a helping hand and a microplastic sucking device developed by a young Irish scientist.

Kid News This Week: Hear what honeybees have to do with Oct 31 (it's scary candy news!), Halloween’s history, Spain’s witchy village, shadow scientists in deep space and Mexico’s doll island on this special spooky episode!

Kid News This Week: Microchip smaller than an ant can fly! Kerala's floods cause exodus, California's under-house snake pit, “ pig patrol” foil airport geese threat in Netherlands

Kid News This Week: In humanity's battle against mosquitoes – should we swat or swap them? Also, Britain’s beavers are back, cleaner cling-film is being developed and how to make cow poo less toxic for the environment? A poo zapper, naturally. All that and more on this week’s news pool for curious kids and adults!

A mega comet is heading for the sun in the next 10 years, Hollywood's box office highs but threat of workers strike looms low, UK's petrol crisis and Thailand’s taxi-top gardens - all this week in the Newsy Pooloozi news pool for kids!

Goodbye Newsy Jacuzzi, hello Newsy Pooloozi! We tell you why, plus the game of cricket also gets a name change, the UK spends millions on carbon suckers and a new spider app helps arachnophobia.

Hear about the everyday astronauts - private citizens who spent three days in space, plus how artificial intelligence lends a helping hand in art, Spain’s spewing volcano and Germany’s Moo-Loo!

India’s four-month festival season begins with Ganpati, new “fan-plastic” biodegradable food wrap, Emma Raducanu wows the world and Ig Nobel prizes make us laugh!

News Update: Hear how and why US flash floods cause havoc, that tuna is back from the brink of extinction, Marvel's first Asian superhero “marvels” the box office and the Japanese artist who's literally “out of the box!”. 

Artwork this week is courtesy of Edie Cizeika Bower

News Update: Ancient "god of death" whale fossil found (in a  desert?!), hear our hurricane explainer and about baseball’s new spit-free ball,  also Switzerland’s flying cows and Australia’s hearty sheep

News Update: This week find out how researchers can predict when and where lightning will strike, new vaccine for kids on the block, longest vaccination trek, Int'l Dog Day, bumblebee pet

News Update: Move over Zeppelins – airships get a rebirth, turmoil in Afghanistan as US troops leave and Taliban take over, research shows apes like to mind their manners – find out how on this week’s episode!

News Update: Hear the highlights of joy and good sportsmanship from Tokyo's Olympic 2020, India’s hockey triumphs, the human medicine that works on diseased coral and the underwater sculpture museum in Cyprus.

Hear how smart mouth-guards can revolutionize high-impact sports, what surfers and skateboarders think of their sports' Olympic debut, a new app for International Cat Day and the tale of the two-headed turtle! This episode Leela is co-hosted by Leela and our Sports Correspondent, Porter Robbins.

Last of our slim summer “quick dips” into world news, followed by a guest episode from the Curious Kid Podcast (Curious About Sharks)!

So we're slimming down for summer this July, but since the news doesn't stop we're giving you a "quick dip" of world news, followed by a guest episode from the Cool Facts About Animals podcast (Mega Plastic episode)!

Hear our "quick dip" of world news, as we slim down for summer, followed by a guest episode from The Dorktales Storytime podcast - a "Hidden History" about native American engineer, Mary Golda Ross!

Hear the top five stories our loyal listers nominated as their favorite covered on Newsy Jacuzzi during our first year!

We've produced a year's worth of weekly world news podcasts for kids (and quite a few adults too)!  Hear us reflect back on the past year and play the top stories nominated by our listeners. And play the best (or worst!) of our bloopers as well!

A major Hollywood movie is in the works about the Canadian “tree talk” pioneer, there's a new bamboo bat for cricket, a Spanish shepherdess school is calling all Bo-Peeps and a Swedish city embraces its rain

British scientists discover fruit flies get hangry (who knew!), a New Delhi teen creates affordable air purifiers, Spain’s robot chef creates a stir and London’s sky-pool gives onlookers the heebeegeebees!

Mega space news from new missions to Venus, fly-by of Jupiter moon, worms head space and kites on Mars, plus a cargo ship fire leads to plastic pollution for Sri Lanka, EV battery recycling break-through and Megawa, the mine-sniffing "Hero Rat," retires .

Hear how the Maldives will create a "floating city" in hopes of combating rising seas that could wipe the archipelago out, how Russia and the US race to get dramatic in space, the latest on the swarms of stinky and tasty (oh, really?!) cicadas in the eastern part of America  and one Frenchman's secret, snotty ingredient for soap!

The US finally - openly - investigates UFOs, international burger day for earthlings (but maybe aliens too?!), dramarama online theatre workshops are all the rage and the quaint English take to croquet to battle out a word dispute. 

Hear how Taiwan lives through its worst drought in 56 years, plus we explain the US gas ransom hack, how Brits trade their stiff-upper-lip for hugs, how Australia's overrun by mice and the discovery of the many-butted marine worm we like to call the "cetibutt!" 

A quarter of humanity celebrates Eid, COVID is making us kinder, biggest plane on path to rocket launch, Duke of Burgundy butterfly flutters back from brink of extinction and which is better for urban lawns? It's sheep versus lawnmowers. All that and more on this week's episode!

 

Thanks to Eestends for the music: Travis Scott RODEO X Kanye Type Beat  used in the Sheep V Lawnmower story. 

Get ready - the cicadas are coming to the US! Also, bacteria fights microplastic, Girl Scout cookie meltdown, bookworms get crazy for book clubs, lamprey bloodsucker fish fights extinction in Australia. 

(This week's art is courtesy of Yule Liu!)

As India buckles under a COVID crisis, we hear from our kid correspondent who’s recovered from the virus, plus an episode full of distraction hacks from dancing, to Olympic "gaming" (yes, gaming), a civics lesson in US trials plus pet love in Central Asia 

Hear why Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict is important for America, how NASA makes space history with the first-ever flight on another planet, soccer's Super League skirmish and MIT researchers translate spider "talk."  All that and more on this week's episode!

 

And a huge thank you to Yule Liu for her delightful artwork rendition of NASA's Ingenuity.

Courtroom sketch is Reuters/Jane Rosenberg. 

Hear about the discovery of Egypt’s lost “golden city," Georgia’s debate over a new voting law, the French love for French-bread, Lego larceny (stop thief!) and the real (ish) Candy Land in California and more this week!

Hear about the cargo ship chaos, space center on-the-go, how The Mississippi River got clean, Nat’l Poetry Month and Cairo's march of the mummies

Happy Holi, Happy Easter and April Fools'! Hear about Spring celebrations, Spain's 4-day week, the cotoneaster pollution-eating plant, NASA's breath box on Mars and crazy Easter candy! Five unbelievable stories - four are totally true, but one will April Fool you!

The craze for pets during the pandemic takes effect! Find out which country is happiest, what people will do for free sushi and stunning Rubik’s Cube moves in India - all that and more in this week's Newsy Jacuzzi!

And for more of what you heard...

See the list of the UK's  most popular pandemic pet names here: UK’s most popular lockdown pet names revealed - CBBC Newsround

Check out the Rubik's cube moves here: 8-year-old from Bengaluru solves 3 Rubik’s Cubes using his hands and feet. Watch | Hindustan Times

 

Water and solar powered planes, instruments made from ice, Afghan girls singing ban lifted, raccoon friend, lost walrus and the snail that severs its own head! All that and more on this week's dip in the whirlpool of news and information!

 

Some links of items covered on our show...

The Dodo - Raccoon Brings Her Baby To Meet Her Human Best Friend | Facebook

Minor Swing Django Reinhardt by Ice Music Sweden | Free Listening on SoundCloud

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/playing-it-cool-these-artists-make-music-with-ice

Newsy Pooloozi is a weekly world news podcast for smart kids and curious adults - a splashy pool of news and information! Or as the New York Times put it, "a news variety show" for kids by kids - one of their "30 best" podcasts for kids, in fact. It's great family entertainment (and, shhhhh, it's educational too!). New podcasts out every Wednesday. Subscribe, rate and review!

How did International Women’s Day begin and where’s it going, Amazon shakes up shopping with cachier-free shops, oranges spark electricity and a “purr”fect rescue of four cats at sea in Thailand. All that and more in this week's episode!

 

The art for this week's episode is thanks once again to Edie Cizeika Bower. 

From bricks to clothes – clever plastic waste solutions, a slug dangles like a spider, a new Van Gogh painting surfaces, world's most expensive video and the snoring Imam - all that and more!

Stunning videos show Perseverance landing on Mars, an endangered ferret is cloned, flying cars ready for take-off, second-hand Stonehenge, rowing teacher triumph and foul fatberg clogs London sewer!  

What the Year of the Ox means and how it’s celebrated, winter storms grip US, Finnish artist makes humungous snowflake (out of snow?!), teenager gives away car and a 17,000-year-old conch is played - all that and more!

This week's art is courtesy of Edie Cizeika Bower.

Tourism to the cosmos takes off, Spain’s sea-grass balls eat plastic, South Korea paints an island purple and New Zealand’s cactus smuggler is caught - all that and more in this week's Newsy Jacuzzi whirlpool!

How dogs went from predators to pets, app translates dog-talk, Flaming Lips bubble gig, wombat poo mystery solved, Prince Charles' terra carter plan and more!

Special thanks this week to artist Edie Cizeika Bower for the fab cover art!

Electric vehicles, driverless cars, solar motorbikes are here, plus warty pig cave drawing and wheelchair man climbs skyscraper!

India's cricket team makes sporting history, microplastics pollute the Arctic, Adidas fungi footwear and mealworms for dinner, anyone?

This week hear how the storming of the US Capitol tests democracy, about the ancient café uncovered in Pompeii, how millions of chopsticks are reused and an Indian man's rice ATM.

 

SHOW NOTES: 

Do check out the BEST KIDS PODCAST 2021 list we made it onto - thank you, Feedspot!

Also, here is a link to the super cool Pompeii discovery and the chopstick recycler. 

 

Hello and happy new year! We are temporarily reporting from London for the next few weeks - yep, lockdown central. Help us usher in the new year by hitting subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and also joining the Newsy Jacuzzi Facebook community here.  

Watch and hear NASA's space 'sounds' here.

Plus for two really great articles on the vaccines and the virus check out:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51665497

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/well/live/life-after-covid.html

Did you know there’s a new way to track dog years? Or how to make your cat smile? And what are your pets really thinking? How about the rat who saves lives, the mice that aren't mice, or coronavirus sniffing dogs? Have a listen to the best animal stories of the year!

It’s Christmas! Find out what that means for our reporters around the world. Plus, it’s that time of the year when we take stock of the last twelve months and as a special Xmas treat we give you our wackiest and weirdest Newsy Jacuzzi Oddball stories of 2020!

From 3D dinosaurs (in your living room!), Japan’s Norimaki synthesizer “taste pop,” the super squid bot, the revolutionary Hyperloop, H&M’s magic loom and the tech power of the… pencil!

Digital facial reconstruction of Saint Nicholas courtesy of Image Foundry. 

It’s beginning to look like… an alien left something in the Utah desert? Hear about the mysterious monolith, White House pets, big holiday for Sikhs, Oz girl’s kick-start and an Indian tale of perseverance.

Gratitude for COVID-19 vaccines, but what’s it really mean? Plus hear about the violin thank you, the virus survivor who got bit by a cobra, the super robot squid, Thanksgiving in America and the strange advice to eat more sugar!

Hear how future travel will swoosh thanks to Virgin’s Hyperloop, how brooms go “vroom” in Brazil, Japan’s monster wolf robot, India’s leopards and baseball’s first female general manager.

Festival season is underway in India – Happy Diwali! – while England’s bonfire night marks a big explosion that never happened. In science news clothing giant H&M turn old clothes into new yard and in Finland they prove dirty daycares are good for kids!

Hear reports across the US as voters show up in record numbers, about dirty cars creating clean energy, the city of angels becoming the city of champions and an odd animal election that’s barking mad!

Big thanks to some special contributions this week from fellow podcasters at the Kids Listen network: The Past and the Curious and Curious Kid Podcast.  

https://www.kidslisten.org/

https://thepastandthecurious.com/

https://curiouskidpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

 

Special thanks again to Amaira and Anaira Mirza for their joint work on this week's fabulous artwork!

Do lakes on Mars mean there’s Martian life? Also, find out why NASA sends an expensive titanium toilet to space, why India built the longest and highest highway tunnel in the world, who the Solely Sunshine girl is and how canines are sniffing out the coronavirus in Finland.

We jump into the ring of the US presidential election. We also hear about McDonald’s embrace of the “re-use” cup culture in Britain, the Spanish athlete who takes being a “good sport” to a higher level and move over Mighty Mouse… find out how a hero rat is saving lives! Oh, and for International Podcast Day - we share our favorites!!

Special thanks to Amaira and Anaira Mirza for their joint work on this week's fabulous artwork!

Why are fires tearing across the West Coast of America? We break it down. We also shout from the rooftops about our fav science show, Netflix's "Connected," we hear about a rooftop concert in Germany, the loneliest elephant in the world and a fly trap that goes wrong in France.

Hear how the skies are going to crowd with flying cars, jetpack flyers and delivery drones. Also those coronavirus poo fighters triumph in Arizona and it’s game-on for cricket's Indian Premier League.

Hear special guests "Hey Black Child" on race tensions in the US, also about the ocean's mysterious blue holes, Nigeria's dancing sensation and the "cheeky" way to stop lions eating cows.

Hear what Greenland's melting ice cap means for you, the high-tech power of low-tech pencils, Japan's answer to socially distanced haunted houses, the crazy league season in US sports and how it snowed cocoa in Switzerland.

The storm season is creating heavy monsoon rain in Asia and whipping up hurricanes in the Americas, also hear about a Kenyan boy's clever hand-washing contraption and the story of the sly fox and the cat thief all on this week's Newsy Jacuzzi!

We explore the likely “Covid Code of Conduct” when school reopens, hear the show goes on in Austria, how private space travel is making history, about the two Indian schoolgirls who discovered an asteroid and how you can get 3D dinosaurs in your living room, really!

Hear us volley (with a real tennis ball!) the pros and cons about going back to school or not, muse over the cotton candy iPhone Photo Awards and Facebook's "reel" competition for TikTok, plus KFC are digitally printing chicken nuggets (yumm?!) and Burger King think they have the answer to making cows fart less.

Hear about the race to find a COVID19 vaccine and how US college sports are on hold, also how to spot the biggest comet of your lifetime, never mind block your noisy neighbors. Find out about Toronto's drive-in art gallery and an English pub that goes to shocking lengths to maintain social distancing.

Find out why some lemurs and whales are almost extinct, why NASA needs your help, the big fight in video game consoles, the best socially distant event EVER and how the world’s highest mountain is inspiring a cycling craze that's getting a boost because of the pandemic.

Music and sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Music and sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Newsy Jacuzzi is a whirlpool of news and information for smart kids and curious adults! Hear how it all began when a certain half-Indian-half-American kid was stuck at home during the pandemic. Leela Sivasankar Prickitt is bubbling with curiosity about the world. Good thing her journalist mom, Lyndee Prickitt, is too. Together they produce a weekly world news podcast with the help of kid correspondents all over the globe. Great family entertainment and education! New podcasts out every Wednesday. Subscribe, rate and review!

 

Fab music ("Father Time, Mother Earth" by the talented David Gywn Jones) and some sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com - thanks y'all!

Happy Lohri and Pongal, everyone! No idea what those are? Never fear – this is your round-up of South Asia’s winter sun harvest festivals. Plus, scientist find miracle volcanic clay caused ice ages and in strict Singapore cats finally get credibility and can be pets in public housing after all. All that and more this week on the best news pod for kids, Newsy Pooloozi!

Also – did you hear our call-out last week? We’re expanding our team and accepting applications for MORE kid correspondents from anywhere all over the world – as long as you speak clear (and enthusiastic!) English and are curious about the world! Send us a voice note stating your name, where you’re from and where you live now (if they’re different) along with the answers to these three questions: What do you like doing in your spare time, what is your favorite class in school and which Newsy Pooloozi story has stuck with you the longest? Send the voice note to contact@newsypooloozi.com  and we’ll be in touch. We’re also looking for any older kids or adults who’d like to join our content writing team and/or our social media team. Drop us a line if so! 

In world news for kids (and adults!) this week… India sees the grand opening of the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya, but not everyone is happy – we dive deep to explain why. Also, a major discovery is found hidden beneath the Amazon rainforest – not just remains of the Upano people, but – thanks to laser technology – it’s discovered they were a vast and sophisticated civilization. And did you have any idea how dirty fast-food fumes can be, never mind posh cooking in big, fancy kitchens too? Well, some clever scientists in Sweden have an innovative solution – the Lepido device – for upcycling food fumes. And in Britain a zoo tries – again – to stop foul-mouthed parrots from creating a naughty pandemonium!

Gong xi fa cai, everyone! Say what? Happy Chinese New Year, of course. Hear our Year of the Dragon special with reports from China, Taiwan AND South Korea this year from our team of kid correspondents – find out how their families celebrate the biggest event of their year and the story of the first “monster” that inspired the celebrations! Plus, find out what’s causing the “blood rain” in the United Kingdom and what dust from the Sahara Desert dust has to do with it. And hear how a town in Italy is using DNA for a “poop patrol” to locate and fine lazy pet owners.

In kid news this week – mobile phones are banned in UK schools in line with European cell phone bans, India’s massive solar and wind park in the salt plains of Gujarat, the world’s biggest cruise ship takes week-long jaunts and Spain’s tiniest escape room creeps us out! All that and more on your wackiest wrap of world news.

This week in kid news from around the world – new, wild looking aquatic species are discovered off the coast of Chile, scientist also discover the world’s tiniest loud fish from Myanmar – and when we say loud, we’re not joking! Plus, NASA observes a new planet covered in hot water, Daylight Saving (or is it Savings?!) explained and the shroom-sprouting frog India. Yes, you read that correctly. But to find out what that actually means, have a listen to this episode now!

In kid news this week… Researchers uncover amazing ancient and medieval tools... from the 1700-year-old egg (that still has its slimy yolk intact!) and a map that proves how well people got along. Plus, the results are in on how effective a four-day-week is, plus Ariana Grande and her grand gran break records, Major League Baseball is wrapping up its spring training before the official start of the season – we have a special report from Arizona – and two UK soccer teams give new meaning to the phrase, “pull your socks up!” Have a listen to hear all that and more in your regular dose of wacky world news!

In world news for kids this week... Fake diamonds are on the rise, but it’s not all as dodgy or criminal as it sounds... Also, a US man and a genetically modified pig kidney make history in a ground breaking transplant, a Scottish grandmother turns into a game rand wins a fan - following despite, or because of her grumpiness and in France the beloved breakfast bun- the croissant -is "crossbread" in more ways than one!

 

 

 

In honor of Earth Day we have four environment and nature stories… Talk about grasping at straws – wait till you hear about the new cages being used to protect and rebuild Florida’s dying coral reef! Speaking of the environment, you won’t believe what a big group of Swiss grannies did to get their eco-warrior credentials. Taylor Swift releases her 11 album – hear what records she broke doing so. Hear a special report about a different kind of “swifty” from Indonesia gives new meaning to “spit and sawdust” when it comes to making their nests. And in Turkey a dog-squad are on the prowl in a major airport to help relieve stressed out travelers. All that and more this week!

In wacky world news for kids this week… We have a double dose of board game news – from the release of a new, noncombative Scrabble edition to a new Indian teenage superstar on the chess scene. We give you the lowdown on both, plus some backstory about the games. Also, learn how scientists are going to use AI to translate whale-speak. Staying with nature – two freakishly huge fossils are found that might creep you out. And a stowaway cat uses one of her nine lives and gives new meaning to a prrrrrrfect parcel – to find out what happened, you gotta listen to the podcast!

On kid news this week...An orangutang in Indonesia is found doing something fascinating with a leaf after he get a wound on his face we're talking break-through self-medication! Remember our story on whale-talk? Well, we have an update on efforts to decipher the code. Plus, an update on the man who got a pig kidney transplant. Also, way down under they're blasting rockets to the sky-find out where and why. And heard the one about the Great Dutch racoon escape? Well, you will if you stay tuned till the end!

 

 

 

 

 

 

In world news this episode, it’s World Environment Day – and that means – bring on the good dirt and soil. Plus, results are in from the world’s largest election ever held, yes, we’re talking about India. And, think you know your continents? Well, is Zealandia on your list? It should be as scientists map a newly discovered continent – hear our special report from “down under.” Also, feeling hungry? How about a handful of snails? They love them so much in Spain that thousands gather for a snail festival. And, finally, hear why some New Yorkers are getting scary with their laughs!

Hi Newsies! As you know, we're on a summer break... But we’re not leaving the news pool high and dry. Oh, no! We have a few episode's swaps in store for you with other podcasters, who are part of the fabulous Kids Listen Community. That’s a group of producers making audio content for kids. Check out their website kidslisten.org to hear a ton of great podcasts – from factual, like ours, to fictional stories that spark the imagination. And some are a mix of fact and fiction – real information along with made-up entertainment – like Dorktales Storytime, who were swapping with this podcast. Dorktales is a kids podcast of social emotional fairy tales, hidden hero histories and lores where anything-is-possible. In this episode they uncover the life of Maya Lin, the visionary artist and architect behind one of the most visited memorials in America. Enjoy! And see you in August!

Hello there Newsies! Yep, we're still on our summer break... But we have another episode swap for you with another podcast from the fab Kids Listen Community. That’s a group of producers making audio content for kids. Check out their website kidslisten.org to hear a ton of great podcasts – from factual, like ours, to fictional stories that spark the imagination and some that are a mix of both fact and fiction. This episode swap is with Storypillar where Sneak, Bean and Meg tackle the sticky situations kids face as they grow and change, like this episode, The Bunny and the Crow, set in The Yukon and about siblings driving each other crazy. Enjoy - and see you in mid-August!

 

Yes, we’re back. Our summer travels are over – five countries in two months (we love this wacky world of ours!) and we’re back in the news pool! First up, yes, it might have been a week ago (or, uhhh, a little more – sorry we also got sick last week, further delaying us), but we give you the highlights of the wonderous 2024 Olympics – the highs, the lows and many little fabulous factoids we bet you didn’t even know. Also, New Zealand races to make the WHOLE country rodent-free. But just why might surprise you. In entertainment news, the world’s biggest pop star is under threat – well, her concerts were. We’ll tell you more about the latest Taylor Swift concert saga. And the spooky story of a little girl who was afraid of the dark – because of the monsters in her room. She wasn’t all wrong either… You gotta listen to the whole episode to get the buzz on this crazy story and more!

In wacky world news for kids this episode, the US election and the debate over THE debate, Paris Olympic wow continues, Harry Potter back-to-school “boo” in London and “leaf” it to the Fins to take tree-loving to new heights – all that and more in this packed episode!

We get spacey this week… Well, I mean there is a LOT of space news this week. Like those two NASA astronauts who are... stuck in space! Find out WHY and when they’re coming back home to Earth! Plus, Space X’s Dragon Capsule makes history. In entertainment news, Taylor Swift gets political – saying who’s she’s gonna vote for and why she’s announcing it, but that’s not all… She also has a big “hit” for getting out the vote. 

Plus, it’s time to talk about book-banning – find out what censorship means and why it’s such an important issue this week. That’s not all… the planet Saturn is going to lose something iconic – but is it all just an illusion of grandeur? No idea what that means or has to do with space news? Well, you gotta listen till the end to find out!

In kids news this week we’re talking tech and social media which are getting a ticking off – all over the world – yes, we’re talking restrictions, limitations and outright bans being placed on social media and tech. Never mind the ill effects of too much tech on your rearend… that’s right, ever heard of dead-butt-syndrome? Stay tuned and you will!

In world news for kids this episode we take a deep dive into the charged-up world of batteries, we’re talking about mammoth batteries the size of skyscrapers – or is that skyscrapers that double up as batteries – a re-look at using wood to make batteries, plus solar strips – not panels – that could charge us all up. Oh, and did we mention the “powerful” deep sea rocks and the fool’s gold that might not be so foolish but in fact pretty precious – all that and more this episode!

Special festival episode as we look at the dark side of autumn with a dive into Halloween, the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)and the Hungry Ghost Festival which give off those skeleton and ghoul vibes… But over in India it’s a totally different story with festivals of light and hope. Which one do you prefer? Have a listen – it will help you decide. That’s not all, we also have seasonal news as crops of pumpkins and cocoa aren’t in good shape. Plus, ever heard of “ghost poop?” Apparently, it’s a thing. Tune in to find out more. 

This episode's world news for kids… Donald “trumped” Harris in the race for the US White House – we give you the lowdown and look forward to what the next four years might have in store for us. Elsewhere, Spain is rocked by a crazy torrent of rain that led to deadly floods – we’ll have a special report on the clean-up from Barcelona. Plus, conservationists to the rescue in New Zealand where their beloved kiwi bird is under threat. And you won’t believe what some very dumb art thieves did to four Andy Warhol paintings they stole from a gallery in the Netherlands. 

World news in this episode… Well, it’s official. The Australian government bans its teenagers from using social media – sparking relief in some, anger in others. We’ll have not one – but two – reports from teens down under. In nature news, conservationists are worried giraffes are going bye-bye – yes, we mean endangered. Hear the details in this week’s episode. Also, good news in Paris where the Notre Dame cathedral reopens five years after a major fire. In entertainment news – it’s a tidal wave of sales for Moana 2. And, finally, hamsters don’t run amok but FLY amok in a plane over Portugal. What on earth am I talking about? Well, you gotta listen to the end to find out!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… But just what that might look like in the southern half of the world might surprise you? Never fear, we have special reports from our teams of Australian and New Zealand correspondents on how they spend December 25. Hint: there are no roasting chestnuts! It’s cold and cozy up in Germany though – where they take their advent calendars to new heights – like human-sized heights, in fact. The world has a new chess champ, and India is over the moon… why? He’s Indian, of course. And the youngest to boot! We’ll go to his hometown of Chennai for that one. And finally, well, there’s a new fashion for…  killer whales. Salmon, anyone? Confused? Well, listen to the end to hear this fishy tale!

After our lonnnnnnnnng winter break, we’re back!! And boy are we back with a bang – we have a seriously packed and very special episode of Newsy Pooloozi – The New Pod for Kids. First up, we have two special – and touching – on-the-ground reports from both sides of the divide in the Israeli war. Plus, climate change is drastically impacting education with more kids missing school than ever before because of extreme weather. Millions celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Snake. We’ll give you the lowdown on what that means. In India a strange court case brings up a bizarre debate in the world of sports: is a horse an athlete or just part of the equipment? We discuss! And finally, scientists are bottling old bones. Yep. But you gotta listen to the pod to find out what this wacky practice has to do with solving crime!

We have another packed episode for all you, newsies! Half a billion people attend the biggest peaceful gathering in the world – right here in India. Yes, we’re talking about the mega – or should I say, “Maha,” Khumb Mela. We’ll give you the low-down AND have a special report from a kid correspondent who was there. Ever wondered how polar bears can go in and out of ice-cold water without their fur freezing? Well, some Norwegian scientists did and they found the answer. Heard about Valentine’s Venus – yep, it’s a thing and it’s still happening. We’ll tell you all in our space news. `And some heroic rodents who were beavering away in the Czech Republic save a town a million dollars – but you gotta listen till the end to find out how!

In wacky world news this episode… The biggest street parades and parties are underway – we’ll tell you where and why in our Mardi Gras explainer. We’ll also give you the low-down on diplomacy – what it means and why it matters – AND what it’s got to do (or not) with Donald Trump and the new world order. Big environment news with an innovative sponge that might help solve the world’s microplastic pollution problem. And, lost at sea… a couple deep sea creatures are showing up on the surface – you gotta listen to the end to find out which ones and where!

This episode is a packed and punny one… A real flying car takes flight – according to a California aeronautical company that released footage of the “high-way” drive. The two NASA astronauts stuck in space for nine months splash back down to Earth. A quarter of the world celebrates the Islamic Eid festival – we have the lowdown on the festivities. We also have a special report on the marvels of 3D printing in Japan where a train station can be “printed” and then constructed in just six hours! And the US President is walking on eggshells over the high price of eggs and a certain European country he needed a favor from… All that and more this episode!

The important and wacky world news for kids this week… The US taxes the world – we’ll have the lowdown on what tariffs are and what they mean. Asia celebrates MANY happy new years – yes, you heard me right – new years (as in plural!), and a special report on celebrations in Cambodia. Are you a junk food addict, do you have tons of junk food stored away, do you take it to school sometime? Well imagine inf your school banned it. Well, that’s what’s happening in Mexico. Rats to the rescue. (We love our good old rat stories – well, I do at least.) This story is about a big rat as it fights disease in Africa. And who – or what – in the world is Ghibli and why is everyone sending cartoon messages and calling it Ghibli??? Well, you gotta listen to find out!

In world news for kids… It’s the end of an era for the Catholic church as Pope Francis – known for his kindness that also caused some controversy – passes away. It’s the return of the prehistoric wolf puppies – three to be exact. Yes, the once extinct dive wolf returns thanks to the magic of science. We’ll tell you how.

In tech, or should I say, the world of fashion – AI models are replacing humans.

In the US a bookstore moves location, one book at a time, thanks to some helpful book lovers.

And – heard the one about the wiener dog stranded on an Australian island? Well, you gotta listen to the end to find out whether this story has an odd or a happy ending…

Kid News This Week: A massive prize is being dangled in front of code-breakers and linguists (you know, those people who are foreign language experts) – how much and for what in this episode. Plus, we give you the BREAKING NEWS about the Indian Army’s strike on targets in Pakistan. 

Also, heard the one about the man who loves snakes so much he’s willing to be bitten endlessly? Well, you’ll never believe what good is coming out of that “sssssssssssssssussss” love. 

The world’s first human and humanoid robot marathon took place in China – guess who (or what) won?

And talk about a wild – or dangerous taxi ride – meet the octopus who jumped on the back of… wait – you gotta listen till the end to hear this one! 

In this episode of world news… We give you the dope on the pope with special reports from BOTH Rome and Chicago, where the world’s first US pontiff comes from. We’ll also try to explain India and Pakistan’s conflict – the aerial dogfight (which is not at all as cute as it sounds) and ceasefire. China and the US agree on some new, cheaper tariffs. The Australian dog lost on Kangaroo Island is trapped and found – confused? Don’t worry, we’ll tell you all. And we’ll also tell you why those kooky Kiwis love the ugly blobfish. 

In wacky world news this week… It’s summer in the northern hemisphere and that means prime tourist season in many places, but in Spain – we have a special report – about people who are so sick of tourists, they’re taking to the streets in protests. Speaking of demonstrations, after Paris wins a big football championship celebrations turns nasty. We have the story from the French capital.  In the UK, a piano prodigy is invited to the Royal Academy of Music – you’ll never guess how he learned to play the keys. And talk about weird – in Panama monkeys are acting beyond odd, abducting other… well, you gotta listen to find out. That’s not the only oddball either, in Japan, businessmen give professional cheerleading a new meaning. All that and more!

This is our 200th episode, folks. Yes, indeed. And not just that – we also just completed FIVE YEARS of this world news pod for kids! Yep, Newsy Pooloozi turns 5! And coming back after a long summer break, we have a doozy of an episode for you – from a wrap of all the conflicts brewing around the world to AI education in schools, chess at the E-Sports World Cup, Taylor Swift announces her latest album, New Zealand’s former PM shares her secret power, chimps put hair in their orifices (yes!), orcas act strange and a toddler fights a snake (and the snake is the loser – you won’t believe how!). All that and more this episode!

Now that we’re a monthly news pod for kids – boy, do we have a doozy of an episode for y’all! First up, we'll explain why people in Denmark are offering their ailing pets as food (!) at zoos - yes, we'll dive deep into the Danish cycle – or circle – of life belief. Staying with nature, move over Nemo - there's a shark that's been spotted off the coast of Costa Rica, lighting up the ocean. In tech news is it the end of batteries for our tech devices? If so, then how? And the search is BACK on for Amelia Earhart's plane that famously went down in the Pacific Ocean way back in 1937. In entertainment news Taylor Swift is finally getting hitched. In sports find out who takes the crown in The Little League World Series. (Clue – it’s actually a worldly team!) And, why, oh, why do the Spanish like to toss tomatoes? At each other? Yes, we'll have a special report from one of the craziest, or do we mean tastiest, festivals around. All that and more in this monthly episode. 

This month in wild world news… Israel and Hamas militants agree to a major ceasefire, though it’s hanging by a thread… So, will it help Donald Trump in his ambitions to get a Nobel Peace Prize? 

In India festival season is on– but have you heard of the 75-day festival that is the longest-lasting in the world? We have a special on-site report. 

In science news the world’s leading primatologist (as in a person who studies primates!) passes away – we’ll tell you why Jane Goodall was known as the “chimp whisperer.” And with winter fast approaching in the northern hemisphere, bears in the US are fattening up for hibernation – but which cuddly creature will win the Fat Bear Competition? 

Lastly, forget about the Nobel prizes – the other ones are perhaps more interesting, or, at least more odd! Confused – well, listen to the end and you’ll be all the wiser. 

Howdy, Newsies!  In wacky world news this month, we dive deep into the high-tech efforts being used to save the world’s coral reefs – from water robots to underwater speakers. 

But that’s not all. In nature news… what started as a small national prize is now a global beauty pageant for birds. Find out what country and what bird has taken the crown. 

In Europe a centuries‑old tradition meets modern city life, as thousands of animals march straight through a bustling street in Spain. Here’s a clue: baaaahhh. Heard the one about the stolen skull being returned? Oh, you will if you hear this episode. 

And as if those two previous stories aren’t odd enough, you gotta hear the one about spiders in a stinky cave – thousands and thousands of them! 

As we take a break for the holiday season, why not dip into the wonderful new series, “Big Emotions,” from the Kid’s Listen Community. It’s a new podcast series that helps children (and adults!) understand and navigate big feelings – from fear and jealousy to love and sadness – all through connected stories and clips from various Kid’s Listen podcasts (like ours!). Enjoy and do check out the rest at the Kid’s Listen website. 

As we gear up for the new year (yes, we’re still on break!), we thought you might like to hear a debut episode from a new series out made by kids for kids on the Hidden History of Mumbai, one of India’s biggest cities. Two Indian cities take you on a journey of this fascinating city that not only used to be called something else but has history mysteries and neat nuggets of fab facts to keep you enthralled. 

Hello, hello newsies!! Yes, we’ve taken quite the long Christmas, New Year, errrr, January break! Yes, work, school and life took over a bit (which happens more and more that Leela is a TEENAGER now, can you believe?!). But, we’re back in time for the… new Chinese New Year, yay! Or should we say, neeeehaaaay! Because, yes, it’s the Year of the Horse for 2026. We’ll give you the low-down on what that represents and, as ever, what the zodiac calendar means. 

In world news this month, we decode the who, what, when, where and – most importantly – why there’s another major war – this one between the US, Israel and Iran. Plus, social media giant, Meta, formally known as Facebook, is told to pay $375million dollars for misleading users over child safety. Speaking of social media, a viral “therian” craze in Spain turns out to be… fake. No idea what therians are – well, you’ll know once you hear the story. And, ever heard of flying windmills? Yep, it’s a thing. Find out WHAT they are and why ELEVEN of them are flying above China... Finally, stay tuned for Japan’s curious incident of the mystery pipe that popped up in the middle of the night.

In this episode of the world’s wackiest news… Find out why people in China are arguing over one of their favourite foods – dumplings – yes, we’re talking about the dim sum debate. Staying in Asia, we have a report on the futuristic cafés in South Korea where food and drink are only half the attraction. And how would you like a piece of Parisian history? Well, a chunk of France’s Eiffel Tower is being auctioned, or sold, off. Find out which bit and for how much. And just to make you feel warm and fuzzy about the world – we have two Kindness Corner stories – one featuring some heroic school kids in the US and a runaway bus. Finally, a silly and pretty gross prank that lands a French teenager in serious trouble in Singapore – you gotta listen to the end to find out why this is THE LAST STRAW!