Hey, Kid News fans. Are red pandas like giant pandas? Not really. They're closer relatives to skunks,

weasels, and raccoons than they are to those awesome black and whites. And technically speaking,

bananas are berries, but strawberries aren't. Fascinating, right? If you want your Kid News-loving kid

to tap into trivia, check out

The Week Junior. It's a weekly news magazine full of fascinating facts and interesting stories

that, like our podcast, is age-appropriate for 8 to 14-year-olds and 100% screen-free. Whether

they're into science or tech, animals or sports, or all of the above,

The Week Junior has it and delivers it straight to your mailbox every week. And it makes an

awesome gift. This holiday season, give your child the joy of reading and the confidence of knowledge.

Visit Theweekjr.com slash fun facts and try six issues risk free. That's the week junior

dot com slash fun facts. Good morning and welcome to kid news. I'm Tori. Today is Monday, December 8th,

2025. And we begin with a conundrum in Southern California. A massive 550-pound brown bear is now the hairy

unwelcome guest beneath a house in the town of Altadena. Barry, as he's been nicknamed by neighbors,

squeezed himself into a crawl space under the home of Ken Johnson more than a week ago, and as of this recording,

won't leave. Mr. Johnson tried luring him out with jelly rolls and sweet treats, but those haven't

worked. So wildlife experts are trying something new, scented spray that smells like caramel

and cherries, two tastes that bears tend to love. But part of the problem is Barry's

celebrity status. Reporters and TV helicopters can be noisy, and all the attention may be

making him stay put. With the chilly season coming up and the bear needing a safe, warm den for

winter, Mr. Johnson knows he could potentially have a roommate until spring.

One polar vortex down? Two more to go before the holidays. Low temperature records fell in several

Midwest and northern states over the weekend, with a mercury dropping to 22 below zero in Saranak Lake, New York,

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