Good morning and welcome to Kid News! I'm Tori, today is Thursday, August 26, 2021, and we begin with some unusual advice coming from the adults in charge of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Squash it, smash it, just get rid of it.

The it in question is the spotted lantern fly, an invasive species making itself at home in the Keystone State.

The pesky pests are beautiful to look at with their pinkish grey wings, red bodies and black polka dots, but spell big trouble for native plants and especially trees.

Known as bad bugs, their tendency to swarm can damage leaves and devastate crops. They also release a sugary substance called honeydew that causes black mold.

It's not harmful to humans, but has been found coding playgrounds. The little buggers are native to Asia, first appeared in Pennsylvania in 2014 and now infiltrate over half of the state's counties.

The long-time raining queen of the tennis court is taking an extended time out. Serena Williams has announced she's pulling out of next week's US Open Tournament in order to fully heal the right hamstring she injured at Wimbledon last June.

This will be the first grand slam she'll miss since coming back to the sport following the birth of her daughter three years ago.

The big apple tournament is where Serena won her first major championship as a teenager back in 1999.

The six-time US Open winner won't be the only big star missing the high profile event. Both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are also sitting this one out due to their own season ending injuries.

The US Open begins on Monday.

You've probably heard the expression you are what you eat. Now a new study published in the journal Nature Food is taking that old adage one step further.

According to University of Michigan researchers, what you eat may either add or subtract minutes from your life.

One popular item on the don't eat list that's making headlines, hawk dogs eating just one will supposedly take away 35 minutes.

But eating something healthier like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich will add 33. The study looked at 5,800 foods using the recently compiled health nutritional index as its guide.

Bottom line sugary drinks burgers and other processed meats ranked the worst while fruits non-starchy vegetables and grains as the best bet for a healthier life.

A company known for its vacation destinations is stepping up in Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis. Airbnb plans to offer free temporary housing for up to 20,000 of the refugees currently escaping the country.

According to the White House, more than 70,000 Afghans have been evacuated since Tuesday and that number is expected to grow.

This is not the first time Airbnb, which rents out homes all over the world, has opened its doors to those in need, most recently offering free housing to COVID first responders.

Back in June, it launched a nonprofit with a $25 million goal of helping refugees around the world.

Those funds as well as donations from the company's billionaire CEO will help foot the bill for individuals and families in need.

The age of the driverless car is motoring one step closer to reality. Waymo, a sibling company to Google, is letting its robot cars loose on the streets of San Francisco and looking for passengers to take a spin.

Signing up in the app is simple and the rides will be free. Those chosen for the company's trusted tester program get to be among the first to experience the new technology.

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