03.06.2026

Good morning and welcome to Kid News. I'm Kim.

Today is Friday, March 6th, 2026.

And we begin with a quick reminder that daylight saving time returns this weekend.

At 2 a.m. on Sunday, most of the U.S. will spring ahead by an hour.

Meaning we'll lose a little sleep, but gain more daylight in the evening.

In Italy tonight, another opening ceremony, this time for the 665 international athletes

participating in the Paralympic Games.

The origins of this event go back to 1948, when a doctor organized a competition for World

War II veterans with spinal injuries in the UK.

The first official Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy in 1960, featuring 400 athletes

from 23 countries. And since 1988, they've been held in the same city as the Olympic Games,

just a few weeks after, to help raise awareness and respect for athletes with disabilities.

One of them is two-time world champion, two-time Olympic snowboarder Zach Miller from Colorado,

who was born with cerebral palsy, which weakens his muscles, but not his motivation.

I will say, it's been kind of a blessing in disguise. My disability has taught me a lot

about life, taught me how to be resilient, taught me how to deal with extra challenges

and maybe the feeling of not fitting in.

Zach has a remarkable story and a remarkable outlook. He sat down with Tori and you can

hear the entire interview tomorrow when we drop our kid news combos episode at 7 a.m.

U.S. health officials are raising alarms about a disease most Americans rarely think about

anymore. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel advisory to 32

countries after new cases of polio were reported during the past year. Polio is a highly contagious

virus that is spread through coughing, sneezing and poor hygiene. Many people who

contract it don't experience any symptoms, but the virus, which vaccinations helped eliminate

in the U.S. in 1979, attacks the nervous system and can lead to paralysis. The CDC is advising

anyone traveling to places including the U.K., Spain, Finland, Poland and Germany to make sure

their shots are up to date.

For those planning to visit Washington, D.C., the nation's capital is about to turn pink.

Yesterday, the National Park Service released its prediction that the majority of the city's

famous cherry blossom trees will reach peak bloom between March 29th and April 1st.

The approximately 3,000 cherry trees that line the title Basin at the National Mall were a gift

from Japan back in 1912 to celebrate the two nations' friendship. This year, Japan plans to

deliver an additional 250 trees in honor of America's 250th birthday. Each year, millions of visitors

flock to D.C. to enjoy the spectacle, which coincides with the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

What if you could see a Disney song instead of just hearing it? In honor of National Deaf History Month,

the Walt Disney Company is releasing three of its hit songs in American Sign Language.

Director Hiram Osmond, who grew up with a deaf parent, collaborated with more than 20

animators to reimagine new versions of incontos we don't talk about Bruno, the next right thing

from Frozen 2, and beyond from Moana 2. Animators worked with performers from the Deaf West theatre

to convey the feelings behind the songs beyond the music, using animated sign language.

All viewers can experience these musical moments in a whole new way, beginning April 27th on Disney+.

A TV soccer star is trying to turn his on-screen skills into the real thing. Fans of the Apple TV show

Ted Lasso, no actor Christo Fernandez, for his performance as striker Danny Rojas, who regularly

shouts, football is life. Now, the real-life Fernandez is training with the US-based pro soccer

team El Paso locomotive FC, hoping Nellanda spot on the squad. Last weekend, the now 35-year-old played

about 30 minutes in a preseason scrimmage. Fernandez is no stranger to the sport.

He played youth soccer in Mexico until a knee injury at age 15 ended his dream of going pro.

Still to come, a pop star takes on a new role behind the music, but first we want to shout out

some of our awesome kid news supporters, Katie Taylor of San Francisco, California, Amelia and Max

Lavon from New Orleans, Louisiana, and Deborah Elliott of Brynmar, Pennsylvania. Thanks for all your

generosity. Now, today's kid news quiz. How many international athletes participate in the

Paralympic Games that begin after tonight's opening ceremony?

665. What disease that was wiped out in the US decades ago is behind a new travel warning.

Polio. The actor who portrays Danny Rojas on Ted Lasso is trying out for what real pro soccer

team. El Paso locomotive FC. What famous Washington DC flowers could reach peak bloom later this month.

Cherry blossoms. In today's kid news kicker, Charlie Pooth just got a day job, and yes,

it's still about music. The pop star is now the chief music officer for Moises,

an app that uses AI to pull songs apart into vocals and instruments so musicians can practice,

remix, and tinker. There has been a healthy debate among musicians and music lovers when it comes

to using artificial intelligence to write songs. But according to the singer, AI, when done

right, isn't here to replace musicians. Pooth says he's used it for years. And in his new role,

he's going to help shape new tools that make making music faster and easier.

Before we go, it's shout out time for some of our kid news classrooms.

Ms. Castillo's Thunderbirds at Alicia Rays in Merced, California. Mrs. P's Starfish at

Raton Intermediate School in Raton, New Mexico. Ms. Hunt's Warriors at Red Lake in Red Lake,

Minnesota. Mr. G's Bulldogs at Liberty in Galena, Kansas. And Mrs. Sips Bengals at Temerak in

Troy, New York. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead before going to bed

Saturday night as daylight saving time returns at 2am on Sunday. Have a great weekend and we'll see

you back here for more kid news Monday morning.