Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Kim. Today is Monday, December 9th, 2019 and we begin with….

A shocking way to spread holiday cheer. Miguel Wattson is an electric eel at the Tennessee Aquarium. With help from students at Tennessee Tech, staff rigged his tank with probes that turn his low-voltage blips into blinks on a nearby Christmas tree. When he’s swimming fast, eating or excited, he gives off more voltage, which translates to bigger and more festive flashes. Watson even triggers his own tweets, like SHAZAM and BAZINGA which, like the blinks, correlate to the strength of his shocks. If you want more information on how students turned Miguel into a yuletide hero, visit the aquarium’s website at TNAQUA.org. (read: TN AQUA)

Can you sign your name? Not just write it, but sign it in the long lost art of cursive writing? If not, you might soon have to learn how. New Jersey is the latest state to consider requiring schools to bring it back into the classroom. The loopy, elegant style fell out of favor with the rise of computers; it even got dropped from Common Core standards in 2010. But one by one, states are telling teachers to carve out time to teach it. Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Virginia, California, Florida, North Carolina and Texas have all brought it back in one way or another; most begin teaching it in second or third grade and expect full paragraphs in cursive by the fourth grade.

“Wow. That seems a little late.” Those were the words, and the deadpan response, of 11 year old Charlotte Nebres (neh-bress) when she found out she made history as the first black dancer to win the lead role in New York City Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” The casting director says yes, the decision is a significant milestone, but Charlotte won the role simply because she had everything she was looking for in the character of “Marie.” And while Charlotte is proud of her achievement, she’s just enjoying moment. “When I dance,” she says, “I feel empowered and free.. like I can do anything.”

Bill Nye the Science Guy is determined to teach Disney a lesson. But this time, it has nothing to do with static electricity or fire tornadoes. The former show host is suing the House of Mouse for shorting him on profits from his wildly popular television series. The case bounced around the courts for two years before a judge announced last week that Mr. Nye can go after Disney to the tune of 28-million dollars. Disney’s defense will reportedly revolve around the Science Guy’s contract and related accounting issues. The trial is expected to begin in May.

Tis the season to show appreciation to the hardworking men and women dropping holiday packages on your porch at all hours of the day and night. And that’s just what a Delaware woman did, to the now-viral delight of an Amazon deliveryman. A doorbell camera caught Karim (Kareem) Ahmad-Reed doing a celebratory dance when he spots the basket of soda and snacks left for him, Fedex, UPS and the postal service. Homeowner Kathy Ouma’s (Ooo-ma) note read: “Please take some goodies to enjoy on your route. Thank you for making holiday shopping easy.” Kareem couldn’t contain his excitement – apparently he had forgotten his lunch that day – and did a happy jig all the way down her walk. So far, the video has been viewed by, and generated smiles for, more than 16-million people.

It might have been a tough night of sleep for movie stars and their handlers. This morning marks the start of awards season, with nominations announced for the 77th annual Golden Globes. The list gets read at 8am Eastern time and is often seen as foreshadowing the favorites for the Oscars, the most prestigious honor in the industry. Wednesday will give us another clue to the frontrunners, when the Screen Actors Guild announces its nominations.

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

1. How does Miguel-the-Eel power a nearby Christmas tree? Probes dropped in his tank turn his electric shocks into juice for a string of lights.


2. What type of writing is making a comeback in schools? Cursive writing, which fell out of favor with the advent of computers.


3. How did an 11 year old dancer make history? Charlotte Nebres is the first black lead for the New York City Ballet’s “Nutcracker”


4. Who is suing Disney for back profits? Bill Nye, the Science Guy.

In one for the road:  Before Bill Nye taught us all to love science, he was a mechanical engineer for Boeing who invented a widely used part for 747 airplanes. He also invented a safer ballet shoe, a sundial used on Mars Rovers and, on the heels of “Back to the Future,” corrected the world on the pronunciation of a key word in the movie. It was not a jiggawatt that powered the DeLorean Time Machine, but a gigawatt (gigga-watt). Sorry Doc Brown!

Our birthday shout-out today goes to Lielle (Lee-elle?) in Palo Alto, California. And, a big hello to Mrs. Gallo’s 6th Grade class at Demarest Elementary School in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you back here for more KidNuz tomorrow morning!

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