Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 195 i The Week Junior US

As the US gears up for a major election on November 5, candidates have begun making their case to voters. A President will be chosen, as will members of Congress and state leaders. What is happening? On January 6, President Joe Biden, a Democrat, gave a speech in Pennsylvania to kick off his effort to be reelected. In recent days, Biden’s likely Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, has given several speeches around the US. Meanwhile, US states are preparing to host Presidential caucuses or primaries. At these events, voters choose a single nominee from each major political party (Republican and Democrat) to compete against each other in November. The events will begin with the Iowa caucuses on January 15. In every Presidential election year since the 1970s, Iowa has…

A SURPRISING FIND An Arkansas man thought the object he found at Crater of Diamonds State Park was a clear piece of glass, but it turned out to be a 4.87-carat diamond. Experts said the “spectacular” gem is nearly colorless, which is very rare. HONORING A HERO The US Mint has released three commemorative coins featuring Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery and led other formerly enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad. The $5, $1, and half-dollar coins will honor Tubman and “inspire others to learn more about this amazing woman,” said the director of the Mint. REDUCING WASTE Starbucks has announced that it will allow customers to use their own clean cups for most drinks ordered in store, in the app, or at a drive-thru window. People who…

Germany Carbon dioxide emissions fall Germany’s emissions of carbon dioxide (a gas that contributes to climate change) are at their lowest levels in 70 years after the country reduced the amount of coal it uses to make electricity. In 2023, more than half of Germany’s electricity was generated from renewable energy (sources such as solar, wind, and water power) for the first time. The country has a goal of removing as much carbon dioxide from the air as it produces by 2045. Estonia New marriage law takes effect On January 1, a new law allowing same-sex couples to get married went into effect in Estonia. Previously, same-sex couples could enter into a civil partnership (legal union) but could not marry. In June 2023, however, Estonia’s parliament (similar to Congress) voted…

For thousands of years, humans have used names to communicate with one another. We also give names to animals, especially ones we love, such as pets. Until now there has been little evidence of animals naming one another, but a new study suggests that elephants use specific noises to identify other elephants. A few animals, including parrots and dolphins, have been known to use sounds that are similar to names. Each dolphin invents a signature whistle that is unique to it, and other members of its species communicate with it by imitating this special call. The new study, led by Michael Pardo of Colorado State University, shows that wild African elephants use names in a way that is not just copying sounds and is much closer to the way humans…

An international team of researchers has discovered a group of six planets revolving around a distant star, which they have called “the perfect solar system.” The newly discovered star system, called HD 110067, is 100 light years away from Earth. A light year is the distance that light travels in one year (about 6 trillion miles). The planets are all about the same size and look as if they have barely changed since they formed about 12 billion years ago. The six planets in HD 110067 are considered “sub-Neptunes” because they are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. This is thought to be the most common type of planet in our galaxy, the Milky Way. By contrast, our solar system contains eight planets of very different sizes orbiting (traveling…

The college basketball season is in full swing, and one player has been outstanding. The University of Iowa’s forward Caitlin Clark, who won several major player of the year awards for last season, is leading her team to victories, setting records, and on track to break the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) all time women’s basketball scoring record. In a four-game stretch from December 16 to January 2, Clark scored 35 points or more in each contest. She is the second player in Division I history to do that in the past 25 seasons. When Iowa, which is now ranked number three in the country, beat unranked Michigan State University, 76–73, on January 2, Clark scored 40 points for the 10th time in her career. She also sank a tie-breaking…

Lego Fortnite is a new game mode in the multiplayer gaming platform Fortnite. It was released last month and can be found on the lobby screen of the Fortnite app. Fortnite can be downloaded to PlayStation platforms, Xbox Series systems, Nintendo Switch, PC, or Android devices and can also be accessed through cloud gaming. Fortnite is rated T for Teen, but Lego Fortnite is made for younger players and has an E10+ rating. Lego Fortnite mixes survival elements, Minecraft-like building, and the style and flexibility of Legos. There are two gaming modes: Sandbox and Survival. In Sandbox, you build a dream Lego island without having to gather resources or level up. In Survival, you wander around the island to collect resources and supplies. The island also has room for more…

Crisscross Each of these world capitals fits into this grid. Can you find where each one goes to complete the grid? 4 letters KYIV LIMA OSLO 5 letters PARIS TOKYO 6 letters BERLIN MADRID PRAGUE VIENNA WARSAW 7 letters CARACAS 8 letters NEW DELHI SANTIAGO 9 letters STOCKHOLM 10 letters COPENHAGEN MEXICO CITY ALL THE SAME Each answer contains the letters A-C-E. Those letters have been placed for you. Can you figure out the words? (NEED A HINT? Check the bottom of the page.) 1.Royal residence 2. Jewelry for your wrist 3. Competition to be the first country to land an astronaut on the Moon 4. A “V” made with your fingers 5. Scientific name for a hard-shelled animal like a lobster or crab Spot the difference These two pictures…

How much of this week’s news can you remember? 1 What type of fruit did astronaut Frank Rubio grow (and lose) in space? a) Apple b) Pear c) Tomato 2 True or false? The first commercial electric waffle maker was invented in 1953. 3 A De Winton’s golden mole was found in the wild for the first time since what year? 4 True or false? Queen Margrethe of Denmark announced that she will step down. 5 Which physical features seem to help African penguins recognize their mates? a) Chest spots b) Flipper lengths c) Neck lines 6 In the book The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum, what do Olive and her friends have to find? a) Earrings b) A necklace c) A tiara 7 Scientists have found a “perfect solar system”…

Colorado has released 10 gray wolves into a remote region of the Rocky Mountains as part of a plan to bring the species back to the state. Wildlife advocates applauded the release, but the voter-approved plan has divided residents. What happened? Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) first released five gray wolves in Grand County, then released another five a few days later in Grand and Summit counties. All 10, which were from Oregon, quickly ran into forested areas. The releases took place because Colorado voters narrowly approved a plan in 2020 to reintroduce wolves to the state, with nearly 51% in favor and about 49% opposed. As part of the plan, CPW hopes to release between 30 and 50 wolves in the next five years. Why is this significant? Gray…

Have you ever wanted to put on your favorite T-shirt or pair of jeans but you can’t because it’s in the hamper or washing machine? Well, what if you could wear your clothes as many times as you wanted to, without having to worry about whether they’re freshly laundered? In recent years, a growing “no-wash movement” has people opting to clean their clothes much less frequently. They say this has huge benefits for the environment and saves them time and money. But other people think clothes that have been worn even once need to be washed to get rid of germs and odors. What do you think? Should we wash our clothes less? Yes—we’re overdoing it Even energy-efficient washing machines use an average of 14 gallons of water per load,…

A species of golden mole that hadn’t been seen since 1937 has been rediscovered in sand dunes in South Africa. Known as De Winton’s golden mole, the creature appears to shimmer because it produces an oily substance to make its fur more slippery. This helps it to “swim” through sand, just as other creatures might travel through water. Its technique makes it hard for scientists to detect it because it doesn’t create tunnels underground like other moles do—although it does leave tracks when it comes up. The mole is blind but has very sensitive hearing, which helps keep it safe from threats. A group of conservationists has been searching for these moles for two years. They trained a border collie named Jessie to sniff them out. Jessie helped the team…

Scientists identify polar bears by their paw prints Researchers have found a way to identify individual polar bears by studying paw prints they leave in the snow. They do this by collecting samples of DNA (the chemical that carries all the information about a living thing) the bears leave behind. Polar bear numbers are dropping as their habitat and food supply are affected by climate change. Studying DNA helps scientists learn how many bears live in an area and how they are related to one another, which helps guide conservation efforts. But getting DNA previously required capturing a bear, which is tough for scientists and dangerous for humans and animals. Now researchers have collected DNA from skin cells (the microscopic units that make up all living things) that bears leave…

The work of fashion designers from across Africa is being celebrated in a major exhibition. Africa Fashion, at the Portland Art Museum in Oregon through February 18, was considered the largest-ever show on the subject when it originated at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England, in 2022. It was shown at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City last year. The exhibition’s curator (person who chooses art), Christine Checinska, told The Week Junior she had been following the African fashion scene and wanted to give the designers’ voices and perspectives a chance to shine. “The fashion creators on the continent are really changing the way we think about fashion,” she said. The show has about 50 outfits and 220 objects, and there are 45 designers and 22 countries…

(Random House Children’s Books) Olive has a bad feeling about the boarding school her parents decide she will attend until they return from a long business trip. The school, located on an island off the coast of San Francisco, California, was once a prison. Olive takes a strange test, called a “conundrum,” to see what classes she’ll take. After passing the test, she is one of five students selected for spy training, but she is shocked to learn that the school is hiding a secret spy operation. Olive and her new friends, including tech-wizard Philomena and language expert Theo, spend months practicing martial arts and other skills. On the night of the school’s fundraiser, they’re called into action after a famous woman’s gemstone necklace is stolen. Using cool gadgets, like…

The chicken that walks in style Thanks to some thoughtful humans, Nubz the chicken has the coolest kicks in town. Meesh Davignon adopted Nubz, who had lost most of his toes due to a mite infestation. He had trouble walking on rough dirt, so Davignon fitted him with miniature slippers she had bought for her pet chihuahua. After she posted a TikTok video of Nubz walking more easily in his new footwear, people sent him more than 60 pairs of tiny shoes, from sandals to booties. “They’ve been a great blessing,” Davignon said, for the“sassy, sweet, and extremely loving” bird. A reward for their hair-d work At the world championships of mullet growing, only the best hairdos made the cut. A mullet is a hairstyle that is short on the…

On January 3, the London Zoo began the annual count of its animals (called a census). About 14,000 animals live at the facility. Counting them all is “a mammoth task which involves tallying up every furred, feathered, and scaled creature in our care,” zoo officials said. The London Zoo opened in 1828 and now cares for 300 animal species, including endangered Asiatic lions, Sumatran tigers, and Galapagos giant tortoises. The zoo runs conservation programs to help save and restore endangered animal populations. For example, zookeepers breed mountain chicken frogs, one of the largest species of frogs in the world, and return them to the wild. The zoo is part of the Zoological Society of London, a charity dedicated to international wildlife conservation. The data gathered from the animal census will…

The best films and TV shows from 2023 were honored on January 7 at the 81st Golden Globes. The televised ceremony was held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California, and was hosted by comedian Jo Koy. The Golden Globes have previously been voted on by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of about 85 journalists. It disbanded in 2023 after being criticized for a lack of diversity among its members. This year, a new group of more than 300 entertainment journalists from around the world voted. The top winner was Oppenheimer, a film about scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer during World War II (1939–1945). It won five Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture, Drama. Many award winners made history. The Boy and the Heron was the…

Jamie Lee Curtis, a star of the classic family film Freaky Friday (2003), has written more than a dozen picture books. Her best-sellers, like Today I Feel Silly, are known for playfully helping children navigate their emotions and the world around them. Just One More Sleep will be released on January 16. It explores the suspense kids feel before a big day. Curtis, age 65, was raised in Los Angeles, California, and has been acting in TV shows and movies since she was a teenager. In 2023, she won an Oscar (top film award) for best supporting actress in Everything Everywhere All at Once (rated R). Curtis told The Week Junior that she never expected her career to include creating children’s books. She said she was inspired to write her…

About 2 billion waffles are eaten each year worldwide. Find out how this tasty treat became a morning staple and more. How waffles began As early as 1100 BCE, ancient Greeks cooked “obelios,” a type of flat cake made of grains and baked between two heated metal plates. The origin of the word“waffle” comes from the Dutch word wafel during the Middle Ages (476–1450 CE). In the 1200s, waffle irons with a honeycomb pattern were created. Batter was poured into the hinged iron, pressed closed, and cooked over a flame. Street vendors across Europe began to sell waffles, primarily for religious celebrations. As waffles grew more popular, waffle vendors became competitive and unruly with one another, and in 1560, French King Charles IX established rules to keep them in line.…

On January 8, the University of Michigan beat the University of Washington, 34–13, to win this year’s College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship. The game was played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. It is Michigan’s first national title since 1997. Michigan split the title with the University of Nebraska that year, so it is their first solo championship since 1948. Michigan was the number one team in the playoffs, and Washington was number two. Both were 14–0 before the final. During the season, Michigan played six games without head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was suspended twice for different reasons, including a sign-stealing scandal. The teams made it into the championship with thrilling semifinal wins on January 1. Michigan beat fourth-seeded (ranked) University of Alabama, 27–20, in overtime, and Washington…

During the final week of 2023, in addition to celebrating the holidays, people across the US were busy going to the movies. From December 25 to December 31, movie theater ticket sales totaled about $300 million. The biggest hit was Wonka, a musical about candy maker Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It came out on December 15 and made more than $133 million in the US by the end of the month. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrived on December 22 and was the top film during its first three days in theaters. It made more than $76 million in 10 days. Another December standout was The Boy and the Heron, the new animated movie from legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Ponyo). It is set…

Editor’s note Welcome to our first issue of 2024! Each December, our team asks you which of that year’s front covers you liked best. Then, when we return from our holiday break in January, we have the delightful task of checking the mail to read your answers. This year you made it clear that you love music and movies. Many of you chose “Taylor’s Year” (Issue 182) as your top pick, followed by “Willy Wonka” (191) and “Trolls!” (187). Our sports covers, including “Messi Mania” (172) and “Aces Win!” (185), were popular too. You also liked “The 50 Books Kids Love Most” (165), “Horse History” (162), and “Out of This World” (171). Other favorites included “Now That’s Funny!” (Issue 153, our humor issue),“Winter Wow!” (192, featuring our cover contest winner),…