Good morning and welcome back to KidNuz! I’m Tori. Today is Monday, January 6th, 2020… that’ll take a little getting used to.. and we begin with…

The GOAT feeling the heat from Father Time. Tom Brady, the quarterback many believe to be the greatest to ever take the field, just couldn’t get it done this weekend. He and his Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans Saturday night, marking their earliest exit from the football playoffs in a decade. The larger question for sports fans: What becomes of Brady? He’s 42 and his contract with the Patriots is up. He calls retirement “unlikely,” but apparently sees the writing on the wall in New England; reportedly his Boston-area home is already for sale.

It’s summer down under and over the holidays, the wildfires burning there went from bad to worse. This fire season is now considered the most destructive in Australia’s history with 12 million acres scorched and hundreds of fires still racing across the country. Among the homes threatened is one owned by actress Nicole Kidman and her husband, country star Keith Urban. They’ve pledged 500-thousand dollars in aid, as has singer Pink. Other celebrities are taking to social media, appealing to their fans to send money to those fighting the fires, and those affected by them.

Over the weekend, an American astronaut shattered the space ceiling. On Saturday, Christina Koch passed the old record of 289 days spent in space by a woman — and she still has six weeks left to go. Koch originally blasted off in March for a six-month mission, but NASA decided to extend her time on board the International Space Station to get more data on how long-term space stays impact the human body. The OVERALL record for time in space by an American astronaut is 340 days, set by Scott Kelly. Christina will fall just 12 days short of that when she returns to Earth in March.

As any parrot owner can attest, you have to be mighty careful what you teach them to say. Words like “help” and “let me out” tend to draw a lot of attention, especially if repeated with some urgency. A neighbor in Lake Worth Beach, Florida heard those very-human-sounding pleas….and called police. Video shows a man in his driveway, surprised as four deputies approach. “Rambo,” he said, “come meet the men in green.” Much to the amusement of the officers, and the neighbor who phoned it in, the 40-year-old parrot obliged and demonstrated his speaking skills – many of which were taught to him as a baby bird, when he was still stuck in a cage.

This isn’t your ordinary bloom and it definitely doesn’t smell as fresh as a daisy. Scientists say a rafflesia plant in Indonesia just sprouted a blossom that measures 4 feet from one side to the other. It’s big enough to be called the biggest in the world, and smelly enough to earn the nickname “monster flower.” What’s more, the plant is parasitic.. meaning it gets its nutrients from other plants since it has no roots or leaves. It’s only visible when it breaks through its host plant to show off a scary looking open mouth surrounded by colorful petals, with a scent similar to that of rotting meat. If you can’t help but look, look fast. This freaky flower only lives for a week before it turns brown and dies.

And that’s it for KidNuz. Now our KidNuz Quiz;

1. What famous quarterback is debating retirement? Patriots QB Tom Brady


2. What nation is battling historic wildfires? Australia, which is in the middle of a hot, dry summer.


3. Aside from being big, what else is the rafflesia flower known for? Smelling like rotting meat.


4. What record did astronaut Christina Koch just break? The amount of time in space for a female astronaut.

In one for the road: Your moms and dads know her. So do your grandparents. Now, thanks to a music milestone, you do too. Mariah Carey just became the first artist in history to hit number one on the billboard charts in four different decades and for that, she can thank her own holiday classic. Last month, she re-released 1994’s “All I want for Christmas,” complete with a new video, and that was enough to push her right to the top and into a new decade. She’s now had a number one song in the 90’s, 2-thousands, 2010’s and 2020’s. Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Madonna and Usher have all topped the charts in three different decades, but Carey is the only one to score in four.

Today’s birthday shout-outs go to Mariah in Sacramento, California, Ian in Daly City, California and Tyla in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Thanks for listening, we’re so glad you’re back with us and we’ll see you right here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning.

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