Good morning and welcome to Kid News. I'm Tori. Today is Friday, April 12,

2024. And we begin with the Summer Olympics. Until now, they've always been

about amateurs competing with each other, but for the first time in the Paris Games this summer, some athletes will receive cash prizes.

World Athletics, which is the governing body that oversees track and field competitions, will award $50,000 to gold

medal winners.

There are 48 men's and women's events, including the 100 meter run, pole vault,

javelin, marathon, and race walk, which add up to $2.4 million in prize money.

There's a lot of controversy over the decision.

Critics say paying those who make it to the podium undermines the spirit of the games.

But World Athletics President Sebastian Coe says the cost to prepare is much higher than it used to be

and the athletes bring a lot of money and

glory to their respective countries.

Marine biologists in Northern California have put out an APB, all points bulletin, for a 30-foot

gray whale tangled in a massive fishing net.

Scientists suspect it swam into trouble during its annual migration from Mexico to Alaska.

It was first seen dragging the net in late March off Southern California.

Biologists attached a satellite tracker so they could monitor the whales whereabouts and hopefully free it.

But the tag fell off and they lost track of it until it briefly surfaced earlier this week off San Francisco.

Rescue crews need a break in the weather to find it,

reattach a tracking device, and follow it closely enough to safely remove the

net. They say the whale looks thin, and they worry the entanglement is making it unable to dive for food.

If you were wowed by this week's total solar eclipse, get ready for a sky show even more rare. Astronomers say a star system

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