Good morning and welcome to Kid News. I'm Tori. Today is Thursday, May 19th, 2022.

And we begin with the U.S. Women's Soccer Team arguably scoring its most important goal

yet, equal pay with the men. It took a decade of fighting, but yesterday the women reached

a landmark deal with the U.S. Soccer Federation that means the two squads will have similar

contracts, share all the loot they get from sponsorships and broadcast fees, and perhaps

most significantly split the World Cup prize money awarded by FIFA. Is that a big deal?

You bet. In 2015, when the women won the entire event, their team got two million dollars.

The men's team lost in the round of 16 and still got nine million.

Starplayer Megan Rapinoe says it's a win for all female athletes, and not only writes

the wrongs of the past, but sets the next generation up for something that they could

only dream of.

A once in a century sighting is bringing hope to lovers of the great outdoors. Late last

month, a university student taking a morning walk along the Canadian side of the Detroit

River spotted something unusual swimming in the water. An otter for the first time in

more than 100 years. Before laws made it illegal, both Canadian and U.S. factories used the

river as a dumping ground for oil and petroleum. The resulting pollution left the water

a toxic mess and ultimately unlivable, not just for otters, but for lots of wildlife.

Conservationists like John Hardick, a scientist who spent his career studying the local ecosystem

credits decades of cleanup efforts for the hopeful development. He says, if the otters are

back, it's a good sign.

All 50 states now have something new and unwelcome in common. From the east coast to west and

everywhere in between, the average cost of a gallon of gas now tops $4 for the first

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