09.04.2026

0:00Hello, parents. As you brave the excitement and chaos of back to school, remember that now is the perfect time to start maximizing your kids' math skills, ramping up their reading or helping them slay science. Make IXL their go-to. It's an online learning platform back by 75 scientific studies and trusted by 15 million K through 12 students in the U.S. alone. It's flexible and personalized and adding IXL to the school day research shows adds to test scores. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now. Kid news listeners can get 20% off IXL memberships when they sign up today at IXL.com-Kidnews. That's IXL.com-Kidnews for the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Good morning and welcome to KidNews. I'm Kim. Today is Friday, September 4th, 2026. Get away day for the long, labor day weekend.

1:01And we begin with a new U.S. coin sporting a very familiar face. It's a gold-color $1 piece with President Donald Trump's head on the front and the presidential seal on the back. Putting a living U.S. President's face on legal tender has long been against the norm, but it's not without precedent. According to Time Magazine in 1926, then-president Calvin Coolidge graced a special half-dollar coin alongside George Washington to mark the country's 150th anniversary. Fast forward a century in this new round of coins celebrates America's 250th birthday, with 1776 to 2026 stamped on them. And while they're considered legit money, getting one for a buck may take some luck. They went on sale at the U.S. Mint on Wednesday, rolls of $25 for $61, but sold out by noon yesterday. Now they're on back order. Imagine being told you couldn't get a credit card just because you were a woman.

2:02That was still a reality for many Americans in the 1960s when Gloria Steinem became one of the country's loudest voices for change. Miss Steinem passed away on Wednesday at the age of 92, after decades fighting for girls and women's rights. In addition to her activism, she was also a journalist, helping to launch Miss Magazine. Interestingly, the New York Times refused to use Miss as a form of address, so when reporting on Steinem, the paper for years referred to her as Miss Steinem of Miss Magazine. Gloria Steinem remained engaged with causes she cared about until the end of her life. She also wrote a memoir, which will be released this fall. JetBlue and Southwest budget airlines that once thrived on offering cheaper no-fills flights are going up scale. JetBlue is debuting Blue First, a first-class cabin for domestic flights with rumour reclining seats and seatback ordering. Southwest is getting fancy too, announcing its first-ever airport lounges, starting with

3:03the four late next year in Austin, Baltimore, Nashville, and Honolulu, with at least seven more to follow. Both companies are trying to cash in on flyers, willing to shell out big bucks for a better flying experience. It's a vest with healing powers. Researchers in Chile are fitting injured Humboldt penguins with snug red vest, threaded with copper and zinc. The director of the Buen Zoo got the idea from veterinarians who for years have outfitted similar vest on dogs and cats post-surgery. Studies show the medals can help fight bacteria and speed up healing. Plus, the vest keeps the birds from pecking out their wounds and pulling out their stitches. So far, vets say the penguins seem to tolerate the new gadgets just fine, and some wounds look better after only a day. It could be especially useful now, as El Nino warms Pacific waters and makes food harder for Humboldt penguins to find, leaving some weak or injured. If you're looking for an out-of-this-world experience, Star Wars creator George Lucas

4:07may just have the ticket. He's opening a massive new museum in Los Angeles later this month that looks like a spaceship on the outside, but is a whole lot more than that on the inside. Only about 7% of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to the Star Wars saga. The rest is devoted to all kinds of storytelling, from Pokémon and Batman to Winnie the Pooh and where the wild things are. Their fans won't be disappointed, though. Among the intergalactic treasures, a giant Naboo Starfighter, Luke Skywalker's land speeder, and even a Yoda fountain. Still to come, a young Indiana schoolteacher gets bedazzled on the daily to spread classroom joy. But first, today's kid news quiz. Which two US Airlines are trying to woo premium flyers? What Blue and Southwest? Who is the last living president to appear on a US coin before Donald Trump?

5:11Calvin Coolidge in 1926. What champion of women's rights passed away this week? Gloria Steinem. What two medals are woven into special vest designed to help injured penguins heal? Copper and zinc. In today's kid news kicker, sequins, sparkles, gemstones, and a whole lot of color. That's the everyday wardrobe of 23-year-old Indiana teacher, Jasmine Jazzy Blackburn, who's seriously flashy outfits have turned her into a social media sensation. The first year teacher calls it dopamine dressing. Basically, wearing clothes that trigger the release of our body's happy hormone. She picked up the habit when she herself was young, earning the nickname Snazzy Jazzy, but gave it up as a teen when she felt more pressure to fit in. Now, more comfortable and more confident, she's using themed head to toe outfits in eye-popping hues to lift the learning experience of her students.

6:14Just since January, she's up to nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok, telling People magazine, I love sharing the colorful outfits, but I think what I'm really sharing is joy. A quick Friday fun fact. How many hot dogs typically get eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day in the US? Seven billion according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Association. That is a lot of mustard. For more fun facts about the holiday, tune in to our special Labor Day podcast on Monday. Now shout-out to our terrific teachers. Mrs. Arts Raiders at Reynolds in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Jennings Gremlins at Sacred Heart in Sidelia, Missouri. Mrs. Schultz's Cyclones at Mayfield Center and Mayfield Village, Ohio. And Mrs. Amthorse Wildcats at Onsted School in Onsted, Michigan. Thanks for listening, teachers and parents a week from today is the 25th anniversary of 9-11,

7:16a tough topic, but an important date in US history. Tune in tomorrow as we're joined by the brother of someone who was in the towers that day, and embodies the mantra, never forget. We'll also be joined by a family that heard about the steal across America tour on Kid News, then went to see it. Have a great long weekend. We'll be back with our regular podcasts on Tuesday.