Saturn's Secrets, Brain Busters & Health Defenders! (9.3.26)

0:00Yo yo, hey, it's time to dash. Welcome to Kids News Flash. News for Kids. We keep it cool. Stay in the know is the golden rule. Hey there, and welcome to Kids News Flash. The news show made just for curious kids like you. I'm Katie, here to help you stay up to date on what's happening around the world. Stay in the know is the golden rule. Hey, it's Thursday, September 3rd, 2026. Let's get into it. Happy Sky Scraper Day! The world's tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai at over 2,700 feet tall. Baby! Tell someone about it. Small days like this are fun to notice. Now, here are today's top stories. Saturn's got a weird new shape at its south pole. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope spotted a 10-sided storm pattern called a decagon swirling around the planet's bottom.

1:01That's different from the hexagon that's been spinning at Saturn's north pole for decades. Scientists aren't sure why Saturn's poles form these geometric shapes instead of round storms like Earth's hurricanes. The decagons about 20,000 miles wide you could fit more than two Earths inside it. Researchers are watching to see if it'll stick around or fade away. Out in space, a trailblazer we've lost. Gloria Steinem, who co-founded Miss Magazine, has passed away at 92. Hillary Clinton remembered her as one of the architects of women's equality. Steinem's work opened doors for women like astronaut Sally Ride to pursue careers that were once off limits. Clinton shared how Steinem's efforts made women's lived experiences more visible and inspired many to dream big. She didn't give up on women's rights throughout her life. Closer to home, your brain isn't a layer cake. You know how people say your lizard brain makes you act on instinct while your logical brain does the thinking?

2:01Turns out that's not really how brains work. Scientists at Georgia Tech just published research showing evolution doesn't stack new brain parts on top of old ones like layers of a cake. Instead, your brain balances two different wiring styles that compete for space. The old theory from the 1950s got it wrong. This discovery could help engineers build smarter AI that uses way less energy. Okay, let's see if you are paying attention. Here's your first quiz question. What magazine did Gloria Steinem co-found? A. Time Magazine. B. National Geographic. C. Miss Magazine. B. National Geographic. C. Miss Magazine. D. Sports Illustrated. Think it over. You've got five seconds. B. National Geographic. C. Miss Magazine.

3:01B. National Geographic. It's C. Miss Magazine. Miss Magazine became one of the most influential feminist publications in American history. Hope you nailed that one. Now for a moment from the history books. On this day, September 3rd, in 1783, the Treaty of Paris officially ended the American Revolution. Britain formally recognized American independence. The young nation was finally free after eight years of war. Still more to talk about. In government news, Supreme Court stays at nine for now. The House voted Wednesday on locking the Supreme Court at nine justices forever, but it didn't pass. Republicans needed a two-thirds majority to change the Constitution. They couldn't get it with the vote at 212 to 206. GOP-Repair and Andy Biggs from Arizona pushed the plan, saying a fixed number would stop

4:02future presidents from adding justices when their party wins. Some Democrats want to expand the court to 13. It's been nine seats since 1869, but Congress has changed that number seven times before. Over in Washington, the U.S. and Iran are in a tense standoff, with the U.S. launching new air strikes on Iranian targets. This follows Iran's attacks on U.S. military bases in Jordan. The conflicts heating up over Iran's nuclear program and military activities in the Middle East. The strikes hit Iran's Kesham Island near the strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil passage. Iran's threatening to block oil shipments there, causing oil prices to rise. Switching gears. Major health groups in the U.S. are stepping up to make sure everyone's clear on vaccines for this fall. They're urging folks to get their flu and COVID shots, especially since the Trump administration pulled back on some recommendations last year. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations have released their own guidelines.

5:05Dr. Sandra Fryhofer from the American Medical Association says there's been confusion, but the science still backs getting vaccinated. The FDA just approved new COVID shots, so it's a good time to get protected. One more quiz question from our latest stories. Who is Dr. Sandra Fryhofer affiliated with? American Academy of Pediatrics. B. Centers for Disease Control. C. American Medical Association. Or maybe D. Food and Drug Administration. Take five seconds and lock in your answer. The correct answer is C. American Medical Association. The American Medical Association represents over 250,000 doctors across the United States.

6:08If you got it, nice. Okay, time for what do you think? Hmm. If you could name a shape you discovered on another planet, what would you call it? There's no wrong answer. Just talk about it. A shout out to more elementary school in Fort Collins, Colorado. Glad you're here. If you want your school featured, leave us a review. We'd love to give you a shout out. Vocab time, here's a word to add to your toolbox. Today's word is persevere, to continue in a course of action in spite of difficulty. Here it is in a sentence. The team persevered through setbacks to finally launch the satellite. See if you can work persevere into a conversation. Here's your fact of the day. Diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth.

7:09That's pretty wild. Wow. Time for the joke of the day. What do you call a horse that lives next door? A neighbor? Hope that one got you. Today we covered Saturn's new 10-sided storm, the passing of women's rights icon Glorious Steinem. Why the lizard brain myth isn't true? The house vote on Supreme Court size, US Iran tensions, and health groups pushing back on vaccine guidance. That's all for today's kids news flash. If you love today's stories, don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Keep being curious and I'll see you tomorrow with more amazing stories. Thanks to our co-producers Tyler and Katie. This podcast was brought to you by Kids News Flash Universe. Be sure to check out our other podcasts, Science Kids News Flash, AI Kids News Flash, Launch Kids News Flash and more. For daily news for kids in 5 minutes or less.