03.19.2026

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.

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Good morning and welcome to Kid News.

I'm Kim.

Today is Thursday, March 19th, 2026.

And we begin with spring break travel getting dicier by the day.

With the partial government shutdown now lasting more than a month, there's talk that

some smaller airports may have to close entirely.

Even the big ones are struggling with staffing.

At Philadelphia International yesterday, checkpoints in three terminals had to close temporarily

due to lack of people power.

The nation's busiest airport at Lanta's Hartzfield, Jackson, had TSA delays of up to an hour.

And George Bush and Houston about 45 minutes, according to CNN.

The shutdown isn't the only reason for the mess, however, severe weather hit just as

spring breakers packed their bags.

But if TSA agents don't get paid soon, the situation could get even worse.

As acting administrator Adam Stahl told reporters, as the weeks continue, if this continues,

it's not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports,

particularly smaller ones, if call out rates go up.

The new I did-a-rod champ is the same as the old I did-a-rod champ.

Former reality TV star Jesse Holmes mushed his way to a repeat victory in nine days, seven

hours, 32 minutes, and 51 seconds, after setting out from just north of Anchorage, Alaska,

on March 8.

The 1,000-mile course took dog teams and their musher over two mountain ranges, along

the frozen Yukon River, and across ice of the Bering Sea.

According to the Anchorage Daily News, Jesse's 12-dog team was led by three-year-old Zeus

and eight-year-old Polar.

How are his champion fight-os rewarded with a dozen gigantic ribeye steaks?

The mercury is climbing, and records are falling from one end of California to the other.

So far, this marathon of a heatwave, as forecasters call it, has set dozens of new high-temperature

marks for the month of March.

L.A. was one of them, hitting 98 degrees on Tuesday, and breaking a record from 112 years

ago in 1914.

Hundreds of miles to the north, San Francisco also broke a 100-year-old record by hitting

86 degrees.

And to the east, in Phoenix, Arizona, the temperature was expected to climb above 100

yesterday to mark its earliest 100-degree day on record.

The west coast's sizzle is expected to last through tomorrow before more seasonal weather

kicks in.

Snail mail could turn into no mail soon, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

The head of the agency warned lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday that it will run out of cash

within a year if it doesn't get help from Congress.

Postmaster David Steiner blames the financial quandary on the decline in use of traditional

mail and regulations that govern how the Postal Service can borrow money.

He also noted U.S.P.S. postage is significantly cheaper than in other industrialized countries,

and that raising the price of a first-class stamp from 75 to 95 cents would largely solve

our uncontrollable loss.

The U.S. Postal Service has a universal obligation to provide mail services to all Americans at

the same price, regardless of how hard or expensive it is, for mail carriers to get to them.

According to the New York Times, lawmakers agreed Congress should help resolve the budgetary

bind, but are at odds over how best to do it.

There were tears of joy on the field in Miami and in the streets of Venezuela, as the country

celebrated its first world baseball classic title.

The finale of the so-called Olympics of Baseball ended in a nail-biter Tuesday night.

Venezuela led to zero until the eighth inning, when the United States and its star-studded

lineup of MVP's and All Stars amped up the action and rallied back with the Bryce

Harper home run to tie it up.

Venezuela answered with another run in the ninth, leading to a crucial last-at-bat for

Team USA, that for them was not meant to be.

The tournament is held every few years to allow major league players a chance to represent

their home country rather than the team that hired them.

According to USA Today, Venezuelan players make up the second-largest foreign-born population

in MLB and relished the chance to play and win for their country.

Still ahead, the secret to why cats always land on their feet.

But first, we want to wish a happy birthday to Sina Zalotimo of Brooklyn, New York.

Sina, we hear you're an awesome soccer player with the Central Brooklyn Soccer Club and

that you're headed to Spain next week for a tournament.

We also found out that if you get all four of our quiz questions correct, you get points

toward buying your favorite soccer trading cards.

Good luck on the pitch and good luck with the quiz.

Here we go.

If TSA agents don't get paid soon, what may happen according to the acting TSA chief?

Smaller airports will have to close.

LA's 98-degree reading broke a March record that was how old.

112 years.

Who won the World Baseball Classic?

Venezuela.

Why is the U.S. Postal Service sounding the alarm?

They say they'll run out of money within a year without help from Congress.

In today's Knowskicker, we may never know why cats supposedly have nine lives, but

another cat's secret may be solved.

According to Wired Magazine, an extremely flexible part of a cat's spine allows it to twist

in the air and helps it almost always land safely on its feet.

Researchers at Japan's Yamaguchi University made the discovery while studying the mechanical

properties of the feline spine.

In one experiment, they used high-speed cameras to film cats dropping onto a soft cushion,

and found they first rotate their head in front legs toward the ground because their thoracic

spine is flexible.

Then the back of their body follows, and the stiffer lumbar part of their spine provides

stability for the landing.

The study's authors say the findings could help veterinarians treat pet injuries and even

lead to more flexible robots.

Pass again to the Zellatimos of Brooklyn, New York for sponsoring today's quiz.

Happy birthday to Cena and a shout-out to his teachers and fourth-grade friends at Brooklyn

Prospect Charter School.

And hello to our other kid news classrooms.

Mr. Rodriguez's Thunderbirds at Tulson in Tucson, Arizona.

Mrs. Carol's Mavericks at Madison Crossing in Canton, Mississippi.

Mrs. Lewis's Tigers at South Noll in College Station, Texas.

Mrs. Smith's Vikings at Lakewood in Lake Odessa, Michigan.

And Ms. Platte and Mrs. Polito's privateers at Port Republic School in Port Republic,

New Jersey.

Thanks for listening.

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And we'll see you back here for more kid news tomorrow morning.