Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I’m Tori. Today is Tuesday, December 17, 2019 and we begin with…

Turning computer coding into child’s play. That’s what seems to be happening in China where some kids are learning coding even before they enter grade school. One example.. an 8-year-old boy in Shanghai logs in for an online coding lesson… as the teacher. Vita started learning about coding at age 5 from his Dad who is a translator for scientific and technology books. The young instructor uses his tutorial channel to patiently take his students, mostly kids older than him and young adults.. step by step through a coding app, explaining as he goes. And there seems to be a growing demand for this instruction. Already Vita has 60-thousand followers and over a million views.

There’s a new king at the box office. Final numbers confirm that the movie “Jumanji: The Next level” has put Frozen 2 on second-place ice. The film starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas brought in over 60 million dollars in the US and Canada over the weekend. That set a new 3-day record for a comedy in December. Frozen 2 dropped to 2^nd place with just over 19 million after claiming the top box office spot for 3 straight weeks. But it did break the billion-dollar mark globally this weekend.

A group of Canadian fishermen said they had never seen anything like it. The crew was off the coast of Vancouver Island last week when they heard a lot of screeching and splashing sounds. As their boat got closer, they realized they were witnessing a knock-down drag-out fight between an octopus and a bald eagle. The men debated if they should get involved but eventually used a pike pole to slowly peel the octopus’s tentacles off the bird, which promptly dashed to shore… took a few minutes to gather itself and then flew off. The fishermen didn’t see how the battle started but guessed the raptor tried to pluck the octopus from the ocean before realizing how big it was and getting trapped. Safe to say the eagle will likely be more selective next time in picking its prey.

The world’s first community of 3-D printed houses is set to open in Mexico. Each 500-square foot home in a rural area called Tabasco, will feature 2 bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bath. It takes a total of 24 hours to print each home..using a massive 3D printer that is the first of its kind. It squeezes out layer upon layer of a thick strong concrete blend to create the homes. The builders say the units are resilient to weather and earthquakes and are built to last a long time and don’t cost very much. The first 2 homes were just finished and eventually there will be 50 homes in total in this new community.

One dog has done a lot of good for his hometown in Michigan. Last year a group of 1^st graders successfully convinced their principal to adopt a therapy dog for their school in Muskegon. Buddy has been a huge success; when students are feeling sad, he either lies next to them or brings them a toy. He’s helped calm down students who are feeling angry or aggressive. And he’s even cheered up teachers who are having a rough moment. The school’s vice principal was so pleased with the 4-year-old dog, that she shared his story with the Petco Foundation. And as part of their holiday wishes grant campaign, the company recently presented a large check for 100-thousand dollars to the animal shelter that matched Buddy with the school.

Before our quiz, we have some big news about KidNuz! Our loyal listeners spoke and we listened. We are now a nonprofit, partnered with Independent Arts and Media. If you would like to help us with our mission to deliver timely, age-appropriate, nonpartisan news to kids, please consider visiting our website kidnuz.com and making a tax-deductible donation. Thank you from all of us at the KidNuz team.

Now.. our KidNuz quiz:

• What 2 animals got in a huge fight off the coast of Vancouver? An octopus and a bald eagle


• How old is the instructor of a coding tutorial channel in China? He is 8 years old


• What is so different about a new housing community in rural Mexico? The homes are all build using a 3-D printer


• How does Buddy the therapy dog help out a school in Michigan? He helps makes students and teachers feel better

In one for the road: Speaking of therapy animals.. ever notice that many doctors’ and dentists’ waiting rooms feature a lovely fish tank? This isn’t just because they look pretty – studies have shown that watching fish can actually also calm people down, slow heart rates, lower blood pressure, and reduce anxiety and muscle tension.

Before we go.. our KidNuz birthday shout-outs today go to Andrew in Walnut Creek California. And Bobby in Spotsylvania, VA . Our teacher greeting goes to Ms. Sara Smith’s 5th Grade class at Dr. Thomas S. O’Connell School in East Hartford, CT

Thanks for listening. Have a great day and we hope you tune in for more KidNuz tomorrow morning.

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