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memberships at Iexl.com slash Kid News. Good morning and welcome to Kid News. I'm Tori. Today is

Tuesday, January 6, 2026. And we begin with part two of California's gold rush. Recent extreme weather, long droughts

followed by heavy rains, has exposed riverbeds and sediment that were once underwater, making

them easier to access and drawing a new wave of prospectors searching for gold dust, flakes, and nuggets.

High gold prices are adding to the appeal, and longtime prospectors searching for gold dust, flakes, and nuggets. High gold prices are adding to the

appeal, and longtime prospectors say the rewards can add up. Modern technology is also helping

uncover gold in previously overlooked areas. Still, the work is physically demanding, and even

experienced prospectors can go days or weeks without finding anything at all.

Those who are doing it say patience and persistence are the key, just as it was back in 1849.

Scientists are hoping a high-tech space crawler will soon phone home. NASA lost contact with its maven probe in early December,

and the last data it sent suggested the spacecraft had begun spinning unexpectedly,

an issue that could alter its orbit around the red planet.

For now, there's little the agency can do, but wait.

Mars is currently on the far side of the sun,

making radio communication impossible until at least mid-January. Maven's mission is critical.

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