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Can You Spell Victory?

July 9, 2021

Fourteen-year-old Zaila Avant-garde of Harvey, Louisiana, has won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee. She’s the first Black American to win the event, which has been running annually since 1925. Zaila's winning word: Murraya. That’s a type of tropical tree…

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Animals

First Pets

June 30, 2021

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden love dogs. They have a German shepherd named Major who lives with them at the White House. Their other dog, Champ, died in June at age 13. The dogs are part of…

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Sports

Greatest of All Time

June 24, 2021

She’s won seven national championships, 19 world titles, and five Olympic medals, four of them gold. Her leotards are already decorated with a rhinestone goat (a nod to her "greatest of all time," or GOAT, status). Is there anything left…

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Sports

Olympic Climber

June 23, 2021

Kyra Condie is a 24-year-old sport climber from Saint Paul, Minnesota. She started climbing at a birthday party when she was 10. This summer, she’ll be one of four athletes representing Team U.S.A. in the first-ever Olympic sport-climbing competition. TFK…

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Sports

Meet an Athlete

June 21, 2021

The world’s best athletes with a disability will compete at the Paralympic Games, in Tokyo, Japan, from August 24 through September 5. Nicky Nieves is a Paralympic gold medalist. She’s on the United States Women’s Sitting National Team for volleyball.…

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Culture

Reflecting on Racism

June 7, 2021

In June 2020, Sesame Workshop began a study of how kids and families in the United States feel and talk about racism. Researchers questioned 147 families with children from ages 6 to 11. In January 2021, they checked in with…

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History

The Meaning of Memorial Day

May 25, 2021

This story was originally published on May 25, 2018. It was updated on May 25, 2021. Technically, summer doesn’t start until June 20. But many people consider Memorial Day to be the unofficial start of the season. This year, we…

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Government

Educating the Country

May 5, 2021

Once a teacher, always a teacher! I met the secretary of education, Miguel Cardona, at the Department of Education, in Washington, D.C. I could instantly tell that he’s a true teacher at heart. Miguel Cardona was sworn in as the…

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Culture

Calling for Change

April 23, 2021

On March 28, Mina Fedor, 12, led a rally with her friends Bee, Anna, Juno, and Mila. It took place in Berkeley, California. More than 1,200 people joined them. The girls led a crowd onto a bridge across a freeway.…

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Spanish

People

A Guilty Verdict

April 21, 2021

On April 20, a 12-person jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota, found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin killed Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. A bystander captured the event on…

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