04.13.2026

As the old saying goes, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. And that means spring is right around the corner, and sports, travel, and after-school activities are about to take over. Keep your students' momentum going through these busy days with IXL, a super popular online platform to sharpen skills in language arts, science, and math for kids from kindergarten through high school. The format is focused and flexible, and will give your kids a confidence boost as they wrap up the year. Give it a try at IXL.com slash KidNews and get 20% off monthly and annual plans. That's IXL.com slash KidNews. Good morning and welcome to KidNews! I'm Tori. Today is Monday, April 13, 2026. We're happy to be back. Can we begin? With NASA prepping the piggyback on the wildly successful deep space voyage of Artemis II, next up is Artemis III, during which the astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with lunar landers while in orbit. The crew for that mission will be announced soon. For now, the spotlight remains on their colleagues, the four that lapped the moon last week, and set a new record for traveling 252,756 miles from Earth. On their return Friday, they entered Earth's atmosphere at a fiery speed of more than 24,000 miles an hour, or Mach 32, which is 32 times faster than sound. Parachutes slowed their ride to 20 miles an hour before splashdown in the Pacific off of San Diego. The crew received a hero's welcome in Houston over the weekend, and Commander Reid Weisman was emotional, telling the crowd, it's a special thing to be human, and it's a special thing to be on planet Earth. Good news from Big Bear Valley, California. Celebrity bald eagles Jackie and Shadow welcomed two new chicks over the Easter holiday, and it was all caught on the live cam. For now, the new eaglets have been nicknamed bobbleheads because their weak necks aren't yet supporting their wobbly noggins. But according to the LA Times, their official names will be decided by third graders at a nearby school. In the meantime, you can check out the action live from the nest 24-7. A familiar face is once again eyeing the Oval Office. Former VP and two-time presidential candidate Kamala Harris told a crowd in New York City Friday that she's considering yet another run. Listen, I might, I might, Harris said. I know what the job is, and I know what it requires. Ms. Harris made the comments at the National Action Network Convention, which hosted a number of prominent Democrats. According to a new poll from St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, she has her work cut out for her. At this point, the frontrunner is former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who leads the pack with 29 percent, followed by California Governor Gavin Newsom with 15 percent, and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with 10 percent. Ms. Harris has 6 percent. If there's any doubt about the popularity of BTS, this should end it. The tickets for all 79 shows in their 34-city world tour sold out within 20 minutes of being released. Hotel rooms near those venues are getting snapped up, too, with the booking.com site blowing up in tour cities. According to CNBC, searches for rooms in one Taiwan town where the K-pop stars are making a stop in November were up 6,700 percent. Before we broke for spring break, we told you about the breakout star of the hip movie Project Hail Mary. Turns out Rocky, the little alien, isn't the only scene stealer. Demand is skyrocketing for the hearty yet humble cardigan worn by science teacher turned hero Rylan Grace, played by Ryan Gosling. Unfortunately, the sweater isn't for sale. It was handmade from a mail order pattern from the 1950s. So as the Wall Street Journal reports, if you want one, you have to knit it yourself. The company behind the original design is Mary Maxim, a fourth-generation family-owned shop in Michigan. It's riding the wave, selling out of their kits to make it. If you can get your hands on one, the cost is $90, and maybe some time watching YouTube to figure out those foxes. Still to come, the CEO of McDonald's, who became a punchline for his tiny taste of the Big Arch Burger, blames the normally good advice of his mom. But first, today's Kid News Quiz. How far did the Artemis II astronauts travel from Earth to set a new record? 252,756 miles. Until they get a real name, what are Jackie and Shadow's new bald eagle chicks being called? Bobbleheads. Which former VP is considering making another run for the US presidency? Kamala Harris. How fast did BTS's 34-city world tour sell out? In 20 minutes. In today's Kid News Kicker, remember the social media roasting the CEO of McDonald's took for his itty-bitty bite of the company's new Big Arch Burger? CEO Chris Kamchinsky recently addressed his measly mouthful in the backlash that followed with the Wall Street Journal, saying, I blame it all on my mom because she told me, don't talk with your mouthful. The internet had a field day, but Mr. Kamchinsky didn't realize how bad it was until his kids called him and said, Dad, you've gone viral and not in a good way. Moms are almost always right, but as the McDonald's chief told the paper, he wishes he had ignored her advice at least that one time. It's shout out time for our terrific teachers, Mrs. Phelps and her storm at Stuckey Middle School in Wichita, Kansas. Mrs. Lee, her students and Cookie the Guinea Pig at Lee Academy in Bartlett, Tennessee. Mrs. Mater at Warren Middle School, Go Warrior Nation in Vincent, Ohio. And to North Carolina from Mrs. Woodruff and her sandcastles at Moorhead City in Moorhead City and Ms. Ramirez and her Eagles at Belmont Central in Belmont. Thanks for listening. A reminder, we're a nonprofit that survives and thrives on your generosity. Please consider making a donation on our website at kidnews.org. We'll see you back here for more kid news tomorrow morning.