Innehållsförteckning för Issue 249 från The Week Junior US

On January 20, Donald Trump was sworn in as the nation’s 47th President in a ceremony in Washington, DC. The inauguration marked the transfer of power from former President Joe Biden to Trump, who also served as the 45th President. What is the inauguration? The inauguration is a formal ceremony to officially mark the start of a President’s four-year term. At the ceremony, the incoming President and Vice President swear an oath to uphold and defend the US Constitution (nation’s highest law). The Constitution calls for the inauguration to take place at noon on January 20. Although the ceremony usually happens on the steps of the US Capitol, it was held inside the building in a room called the Rotunda this year due to cold temperatures of about 27° F.…

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the US agency that monitors the safety of food and medicine) announced on January 15 that Red Dye No. 3, a chemical that gives food and beverages a bright red color, has been banned from the nation’s food supply. The chemical is currently used in more than 9,200 products, including candy, baked goods, canned fruit, ice cream, flavored drinks, and gummy vitamins. The dye, also known as erythrosine or FD&C Red No. 3, was first approved for use in 1907. Research conducted in the 1980s showed that it can cause cancer in laboratory rats. In 1990, the FDA banned the dye from being used in cosmetics and medicine applied directly to the skin. In 2022, scientists and consumer protection groups petitioned the FDA to…

Australian conservationist and TV personality Bindi Irwin, age 26, is passionate about protecting wildlife and educating others. In her debut children’s book, You Are a Wildlife Warrior!, which will be released on February 4, she invites kids to explore the natural world and ways they can help protect it. ​Irwin is carrying on the legacy of her conservationist parents: her mother Terri Irwin and father Steve Irwin, who was the beloved host of the nature documentary series The Crocodile Hunter until his death in 2004. She grew up surrounded by animals at the Australia Zoo, which her family runs in Queensland, Australia. She frequently appeared on her father’s show, and at age 8 she hosted her own series, Bindi the Jungle Girl. Irwin now manages the zoo alongside her family…

Chili has been a staple in the US for hundreds of years. How did it go from a roadsidestand offering to a kitchen-table favorite? What is chili? Chili is considered a classic American comfort food. It is a thick sauce or stew traditionally made with red chile peppers, which gives the stew its spicy flavor and red color. Chili con carne is chili made with stewed meat that’s either chopped or ground. Other ingredients can include beans, onions, and corn, as well as spices like cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic, onion, coriander, oregano, and bay leaves. Chili can also be made without meat or with meat substitutes. How it started People in the Americas have been farming chile peppers and using them to make food for more than 10,000 years.…

On January 20, Ohio State University defeated the University of Notre Dame, 34–23, to win this year’s College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship. The game was played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Ohio State, which had not won a national title since 2014, now has nine overall. The CFP format was new this season, and for the first time, it began with 12 teams: the five highest-ranked conference champions plus the next seven teams with the highest rankings. Ohio State was seeded (ranked) eighth in the playoffs, and to reach the title game, they beat ninth-seeded Tennessee, top-seeded Oregon, then fifth-seeded University of Texas. They dominated their opponents and won each of their first three games by double digits and a combined score of 111–52. Notre Dame was the…

The Thundermans: Undercover (Nickelodeon) Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ET (Paramount+) There is a new spin-off of the Nickelodeon series about a superhero family. This one follows twins Phoebe and Max Thunderman, along with their younger sister Chloe, as they investigate a mysterious threat in their town. My Best Friend’s an Animal (Disney+) (Hulu) (National Geographic WILD) This new documentary series tells the stories of humans forging unlikely yet extraordinary friendships with animals in the wild. The people include a rhino caregiver in Africa and a diver connecting with a Caribbean reef shark. Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir (Disney+) It’s time for season six of this popular series about teens fighting villains in Paris, France. The action picks up after the events of the recent Miraculous World: London at…

The Adventures of Invisible Boy: Zeroes to Heroes By Doogie Horner (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers) In the second book of this graphic novel series, Stanley and Gene become invisible and use their powers to fight crime. Their first mission: Track down the criminals who stole from the store that belongs to Stanley’s family. Ages 8–12 Amazing Adventures: Marvel Super Stories By Marvel Entertainment and various creators (Harry N. Abrams) This story collection was created by 15 well-known cartoonists who write about popular superheroes such as Black Panther, Captain America, and Thor. Jarrett J. Krosoczka, who writes the Lunch Lady series, contributes a story about Spider-Man. Ages 8–12 The Stupendous Switcheroo By Mary Winn Heider, illustrated by Chad Sell (Knopf Books for Young Readers) In this zany start…

After 15 months of war, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas (a terrorist group based in the Palestinian territory of Gaza) began on January 19. A ceasefire is an end to fighting. The agreement has three phases. The first will last six weeks and include the release of 33 Israeli hostages who are being held by Hamas. Hamas is believed to have about 100 hostages. More than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails will also be freed, and a flow of humanitarian aid will enter Gaza. Israel will begin to move its soldiers out of Gaza, and Palestinians who fled northern Gaza will be allowed to return home. On the first day, Hamas released three hostages, Israel released 90 prisoners, and 630 trucks carrying food, water, and…

Just as some people take multivitamin tablets for their health, new research points to the possibility of using vitamins to help coral stay healthy. A team of scientists found that some ingredients in multivitamins can support the immune system of growing coral, which could help it withstand climate change. Coral reefs are made up of many individual corals called polyps. These tiny sea creatures eventually develop a hard skeleton of limestone rock on the outside of their bodies and become permanently located in one place. Coral polyps can be found in many different parts of the ocean, but they develop into reefs (big structures) only in shallow, warm water. The world’s biggest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Australia. Coral reefs protect coastlines from being…

Two recent studies have helped scientists learn more about when Homo sapiens (modern humans) interbred with Neanderthals. This species of prehistoric humans lived about 400,000 to 40,000 years ago in Europe and Asia. Modern humans, meanwhile, emerged about 300,000 years ago in Africa before migrating to other continents. Scientists have known for many years that as Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens encountered each other, they mated and produced offspring. As a result, many people today get 1% to 2% of their DNA (the complex chemical that carries instructions for how a living thing should grow and develop) from Neanderthals. When this interbreeding occurred has been a mystery, however. Now researchers believe it took place about 47,000 years ago. One study, published in the journal Science, looked at DNA found in…

Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, began its highly anticipated first season on January 17. The league was cofounded by WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. It is an important addition to the sports world because it provides an opportunity for many WNBA players to compete in the US during the off-season instead of joining teams overseas. There are six Unrivaled clubs—the Laces, Lunar Owls, Mist, Phantom, Rose, and Vinyl—with six players each. Among the league’s WNBA stars are Collier, Stewart, Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Sabrina Ionescu. All the games are played at a custom-built venue near Miami, Florida. Unrivaled’s game style resembles fast-paced pickup games. The action takes place on a court that is 72 feet long, which is 22 feet shorter…

A popular character from graphic novels is headed to the big screen. Dog Man, the hero in a best-selling book series by Dav Pilkey, is starring in a new animated comedy that arrives in movie theaters on January 31. As readers of Pilkey’s series know, Dog Man comes into being after a police officer and his dog are in an accident and the dog’s head is sewn onto the man’s body. The movie weaves together elements and characters from several books, but the main story comes from the third book, A Tale of Two Kitties. In the film, Dog Man is charged with trying to stop evil cat Petey. Things get complicated after Petey clones himself and creates L’il Petey, a sweet kitten that bonds with Dog Man. When L’il…

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a new action-adventure platform game. It was recently released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. The original side-scrolling Donkey Kong Country Returns was released for the Nintendo Wii in 2010 and was a major hit. Nintendo put out a remake with some new levels for the handheld 3DS in 2013. The new version combines the two older ones, with updated graphics and the additional levels from the 2013 release. In the game, a volcano erupts and wakes a group of angry walking masks called the Tiki Tak Tribe. When they show up on Donkey Kong Island, chaos breaks out. The Tiki Taks put most of the island’s animals into a trance, then steal Donkey Kong and his pal Diddy Kong’s banana stash. The thieves split…

Lunar New Year, a celebration that dates back more than 3,000 years, marks the start of spring and a new year. It is observed in many Asian countries, including China, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. “It’s a lucky time of year and a time to celebrate traditions with family and friends,” Danielle Chang, host of the culinary series Lucky Chow, told The Week Junior. Here are some ways to celebrate. Know the history Lunar New Year is celebrated on a different date each year and observed for 15 days. This year, Lunar New Year begins on January 29. The year 2025 is the Year of the Snake (see sidebar at right). Different regions have their own traditions. For example, in South Korea, Lunar New Year is called Seollall. It lasts…

Keyword crossword Once you have completed the crossword, transfer the letters in the yellow boxes, in order, into the boxes below to get the answer to the Keyword question. ACROSS 1 Person on the crew of a boat or ship 5 Gorilla or orangutan, for example 8 Cutting it may cause your eyes to water 9 Belly button 10 A black bird (but not a blackbird) 11 Philadelphia football team 14 Expanding circle on a disturbed surface of water 16 Color of the Earth when seen from space 19 Numerical term on a typical carton of eggs 20 Slimy green stuff on the surface of a pond 21 Hot drink often served in special cups 22 Egg-laying creature with a shell of its own DOWN 2 Mi ___ (“My friend,”…

When we invited you to share your hopes for the nation in Issue 247, we were excited to see if you would take us up on our offer—and you did! The responses are starting to come in, and we are reading every one. You can see the form that Eva, a 12-year-old reader from New Jersey, submitted in the red box below. Given that the US has bid farewell to the outgoing President and a new Presidential administration has begun (p2), this is a good time to think about our nation. What does America mean to you, and what are your hopes and dreams for the country? If you’d like to participate, ask an adult to download the form at kids.theweekjunior.com/activities. You can fill it out and have it emailed to…

TikTok, the video-sharing app that is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, became temporarily unavailable to its more than 170 million users in the US when a new law went into effect on January 19. The app returned to phones and devices later that day, but many legal experts said the app’s future is unclear. What is the law? Last spring, Democrats and Republicans in Congress (branch of government that makes laws) came together to vote in favor of a bill that would ban TikTok in the US or force its sale to a US company. Many people, including then former President Donald Trump, were concerned that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over data about US users, compromising US security. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law…

In 2003, science fiction became reality when scientists brought the Pyrenean ibex, an extinct species of mountain goat, back to life. Although the animal survived for only a short time, the feat was considered a success. People began to wonder—if de-extinction could happen for a goat, could it also work for other creatures? Could the woolly mammoth or Tasmanian tiger roam the Earth again? Scientists have been trying to find out, and while the idea sounds exciting, other experts wonder if it’s the right thing to do. Would bringing long-gone animals back help the planet, or would it do more harm than good? What do you think? Should we bring back extinct species? Yes—we can reverse the damage In 2023, at least 21 animals went extinct in the US, mainly…

When you call your dog’s name from another room, does your pet know who’s speaking? The answer may be yes. Researchers from Hungary have discovered that dogs can identify the voices of several different members of their human family. The research team tested 31 pet dogs. Three human caretakers of each dog were asked to record their voices. All three people then sat quietly in front of the dog while the recording played. The pups usually approached—or at least spent more time looking at—the person whose voice they heard. They responded best to the voice of their main owner. “The study shows that dogs do know a lot about human voices—not only if they heard it before or not, but also who that voice belongs to,” said researcher Anna Gábor.…

The oldest and largest iceberg in the world, known as A23a, is on the move after months of being stuck in one place. It is now drifting through the Southern Ocean, near Antarctica. Experts at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) expect A23a to eventually reach warmer waters near the island of South Georgia, where it will break apart into smaller icebergs and melt. A23a is about 1,312 feet thick and covers 1,418 square miles, making it slightly larger than Rhode Island. The BAS said the massive iceberg’s journey “has been marked by intriguing scientific events.” In 1986, it broke off from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf. Not long after, A23a became lodged on the seafloor, which is common for large icebergs, and remained in place for more than 30 years. As…

Coach’s Name: Kristy Moore Nelson Team: Girls at the Barn (barrel racing) “Ms. Kristy is very positive, encouraging, and patient! She has a gift for teaching her students how to simplify all things in riding. She is very humble, realistic with her expectations, and down to earth. My confidence and riding abilities have improved so much because of her dedication and leadership. Ms. Kristy always goes above and beyond for her horses and her students. She is the very best coach in the world!” Megan, 11, Texas To nominate a Coach of the Week, send your coach’s name, photo, sport, and team to hello@theweekjunior.com. Include your name, age, state, and a few reasons why your coach is great.…

Each year, the Library of Congress selects American movies with “cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance” and adds them to a list called the National Film Registry. Last month, a set of movies that included the sci-fi adventure Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and the action-comedy Spy Kids (2001) were added to the collection, bringing its current total to 900. The National Film Registry was established in 1988 to help preserve the country’s film legacy. A film is eligible for the registry 10 years after its release. Home Alone, Toy Story, and Shrek are among the films in the archive. Before the latest picks were made, members of the public submitted 6,700 films for consideration. Jacqueline Stewart, chair of the National Film Preservation Board, said the selection process…

BOOK OF THE WEEK Inside the Park By Andrea Williams (HarperCollins) Timothy’s family nicknamed him Pumpsie in honor of Pumpsie Green, who became the first Black player on the Boston Red Sox in 1959. While 12-year-old Pumpsie is struggling with hitting on his youth baseball team, his favorite pro team, the Wildcats, is having a good year. If the Wildcats win their next three home games, they will make the playoffs for the first time in Pumpsie’s life. Pumpsie and his mom have tickets to one of the games, and the Wildcats defeat their opponent! The next day, Pumpsie’s twin sister, Tiana, is cast in a commercial with the Wildcats. Pumpsie is jealous because Tiana doesn’t even care about baseball. After the game, Tiana and a dog actor, Campy, start…

What you’ll need • Recycled paper (such as maps, newspaper, sheet music, gift wrap), construction paper, or cardstock • Ruler • Pencil • Scissors • Glue stick • Optional: battery-operated tealight Instructions 1. Cut a rectangle of paper about 8 inches wide and 5 to 7 inches tall. Fold it in half lengthwise (along the long side). 2. Use a ruler and pencil to draw a line ½ inch in from the edge of the long side. Mark dots ½ inch apart along that line. Repeat on the folded edge, aligning dots with the first set of marks. Use the ruler to draw lines connecting each dot on the open side to the corresponding dot on the folded edge. 3. With scissors, cut along the lines, stopping at the first…

Rooting for radish sculptures The city of Oaxaca, Mexico, has carved out a quirky place in history with its Noche de Rábanos (“Night of the Radishes”) contest, held annually since 1897. In a quest to win cash prizes, competitors transform giant radishes into elaborate sculptures, ranging from people and animals to mythical creatures. The city grows the radishes, which can weigh up to seven pounds, and provides them to the participants for free. “It reminds me of my childhood, when they said, ‘Don’t play with your food,’ ” one artist commented. ”But here they say, ‘Sculpt something with your food.’ ” Meals from a mega mushroom While on a family walk in Buckinghamshire, England, Alissimon Minnitt stumbled upon a giant mushroom in a field. The puffball mushroom was “about twice…

Drawing for dogs “When I heard about dogs that were abandoned after Hurricane Milton, I knew I had to act. I combined two things I love—dogs and drawing. I asked people for photos of their dogs and I drew them to raise money for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, a shelter that helps neglected dogs. My dad set up a page on a crowdfunding site, and we reached out to people we knew. So far, we’ve raised more than $1,000 from making 36 drawings of 25 dogs, eight cats, two horses, and even a bearded dragon! It makes me feel proud to see how people have responded. I know the charity will help the dogs find their forever friends and homes.” Have you done something interesting or raised money for a…

1 The main story of the new movie Dog Man comes from which book in the series? 2 True or false? Bald eagles have always been the official national bird of the US. True ☐ False ☐ 3 In the book Inside the Park, what is the name of the dog that gets trapped in the stadium with Pumpsie? a) Campy b) Charger c) Chompy a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 4 Scientists recently determined that modern humans and Neanderthals interbred how many years ago? 5 Which of these films was recently added to the National Film Registry? a) Inside Out b) Ratatouille c) Spy Kids a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 6 True or false? The Vendée Globe sailing race is held every four years. True ☐ False ☐…