Good morning and welcome to Kid News! I'm Tori, today is Monday, June 5th, 2023.

And we begin with a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida running away with a Super Bowl of

Spelling and its $50,000 top prize. 8th grader Dev Shaw had already nailed dictionary

doosies like Kairomancy, Shastorakis, and Ega Gris when he was hit with the word that

could win it all. Samo file, which actually begins with a P, and means an organism that thrives

in sandy soil. He cracked a slight smile as he spelled it because, as he told the New York

Times, he knew the two roots and just put them together. But that's what's studying 10

hours a day for the past year, just for this contest, will do. Dev had competed in previous

bees, never placed higher than 51st, and last year didn't even make it out of the regional

competition in his home state. He told the Times his takeaway is, never give up, no matter

what.

Last Friday, we told you about Delaware and its new state dog. This morning, we bring

you the great state of Alabama and its first official cookie. The yellow hammer is the

kitchen creation, not of some famous chef, but of a fourth grader. Mary Claire Cook whipped

up the winning recipe after her class came up with the idea of a state cookie during a

lesson on Alabama history. Other states, including Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Connecticut

have them, but the heart of Dixie did not. Seniors at the school crowned the winner, chose

the name Yellow Hammer, which is also a nickname for the state, and pitched the idea to lawmakers.

On Friday, Mary Claire brought her creation to the Capitol where Governor Kay Ivy signed

the bill that made it official. Sweet home Alabama, she said, just got a little sweeter.

Another big bill signing, this one in the Oval Office of the White House, on Saturday

President Biden signed off on a solution to the problem that's spinning the headlines

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