Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Kim. Today is Thursday, January 9th, 2020 and we begin with….

…A valuable lesson in how to deal with embarrassment. On live TV Tuesday morning, “Kelly and Ryan” talk show co-host Ryan Seacrest was doing what a lot of us do, leaning back in a chair – when he took a very public spill. While reaching up to grab a gold balloon, he fell backwards and off the stage. His studio audience had a front row seat to the mishap, as did millions of at-home viewers. Seacrest didn’t shy away from the moment. Instead, after being helped to his feet, he grabbed the elusive balloon, smiled,  and yelled “I got it!” Then he beat social media to the punch by posting the video to his own Instagram account with the caption, “First fumble of the season. Hope I make the playoffs.”

A car company intends to break ground on the city of the future. Toyota has announced plans to build a modern metropolis where people will live and work alongside robots. Employees and visiting scientists will make up the town’s first wave of 2-thousand residents. All will test new technologies while living in smart homes equipped with artificial intelligence. “The Woven City” will rise at the base of Japan’s Mt. Fuji, about 60 miles outside of Tokyo. The automobile maker’s focus is on developing self-driving cars, so the town will be split into sections: one for fast vehicles only, one for slower cars to share with pedestrians, and a third for pedestrians only. Construction is expected to begin next year.

A royal rift is rocking Buckingham Palace. In an unprecedented move, Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Megan announced they will step back from their official roles, split time between the UK and North America, launch a new charitable foundation and become financially independent. According to reports, their decision caught the Queen by surprise. In a statement, the Royal Family could only muster a response of “it’s complicated. Ever since Harry became serious with the former American actress, there have been reports of tension between him and his older brother, William. Harry and Megan say they will continue to support Queen Elizabeth while continuing to raise Archie with a respect for his royal lineage. Prince Harry is 6^th in line for the throne, behind his father, older brother and niece and nephews.

A new study on kids and snacks confirms what advertisers already know: what you see on TV can influence real life choices. Researchers in the Netherlands studied 125 boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 12 who each watched 10 minutes of a cooking show. Some watched an episode featuring healthy ingredients while others watched one featuring unhealthy foods. Afterwards, they were offered a snack. The ones who watched the “healthy food” episode were nearly 3 times as likely to choose a nutritious snack like apples or cucumbers over salty chips or pretzels. Moreover, the researchers predicted that adopting healthy eating habits early on could have lasting effects into adulthood.

10,000 applied. 14 were chosen. Yesterday, Disney revealed the newest members of its Disney Parks Mom Panel, which is made up of Disney Super fans who answer online queries like, “What’s the best time to ride Space Mountain?” And despite the outdated name, not all of the panelists are moms – in fact, 3 of the newest recruits are men. This highly coveted, year-long position is not paid but comes with a free Disney family vacation. In exchange, the panelists – many of whom hold real jobs – commit to answering about 15 questions a week in their free time.

And that’s it for KidNuz this morning. Now, our KidNuz quiz.

1. What royal couple is stepping back from the British monarchy? Prince Harry and his wife Meghan.


2. What connection did a new study make about cooking shows and snacks? Programs featuring healthy ingredients helped kids make better food choices.


3. What’s the name of the futuristic town Toyota will build in Japan? The Woven City.


4. How many applicants were selected out of 10,000 for the Disney Parks Moms Panel? Fourteen lucky winners get to work for free giving travel advice for one year.

In one for the road…Toyota’s city of the future has bigger plans than just blazing trails in technology. It also intends to spearhead sustainability. In addition to its fleet of fully autonomous, zero-emission cars, the Woven City will be powered solely by hydrogen fuel cells and solar power. The town will also minimize its carbon footprint by building homes and buildings mostly out of wood.

Today, we salute Ms. Papulias’ 4^th grade class at American Academy Charter School in Parker, Colorado. If you’ve got a birthday coming up and would like a shout-out, just ask your mom or dad to go to our website, KidNuz.com, and sign up for our KidNuz Club. Thanks for listening, everyone! We hope you tune in for more KidNuz tomorrow morning.

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