Hi, Russ! It's Anna! My mom and her sisters went Christmas shopping on Black Friday! My mom said it was busy; I think it probably was!
Anna

Hi, Anna! A lot of people go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving because they have the day off work. And many people also shop online. I'm sure it was busy. Shoppers in the United States spent BILLIONS of dollars on Black Friday!
Russ

What does 6-7 mean, Russ?
Henry

Good question, Henry! A lot of readers have asked about that. Check out Ashley's story, "6-7 Meme Takes Over," to read all about it!
Russ

Hi Russ. My name is Sara and I don't know how or where animals go for the winter. Can you tell me?
Sara

Hi, Sara. Animals behave differently in the winter. Some hibernate. Others stay active. And there's brumation, in which animals like alligators and turtles save energy by not moving. Type "hibernation," "brumation," "winter animals," and "winter survival" to find a bunch of News-O-Matic stories on this topic!
Russ

Hi there Russ! I'm Asya from Turkiye. I just wanted to know, do you love Turkiye? What is your favorite Turkish food? All my friends (only my girl best friends) want to say hi to you. I hope you can read it. Enjoy your life with your family and your friends. Now bye.
Asya

Hello Asya from Turkiye! I do love your country. It is a beautiful and special place. I enjoy many Turkish foods, especially Turkish Delight (lokum). Please say "Hi!" to all your friends! 🇹🇷
Russ

Hi my name is Penelope. I'm 9 years old. I am in third grade. I love the earth. Can you tell me what is the rarest animal on the planet?
Penelope

Thanks for telling me about yourself. The rarest animal may be the vaquita. You can read about the sea creature in News-O-Matic. I am so glad that you love the Earth. The world needs more people like you, Penelope. 🌍
Russ

Can you do an article about Spanish? Lately I have been into Spanish. Ma'ma means Mom and pa'pa means dad.
Aryia F

Did you know we translate every article into Spanish? You can listen to each story in Spanish too! There are a lot of articles about the Spanish language too. Try one called "The Spanish Spelling Bee Winner!" from a few weeks ago.
Russ

Hi Russ, Didem here! Your article about you was so enjoying. I found out that you worked so hard for this. This website is so good that I spent a whole year reading articles here. By the way, what's your favorite emoji?
Didem

Nice to meet you, Didem. I'm so glad that you have been reading our articles for a long time. And, yes, we work very hard to make News-O-Matic! Tough question about my favorite emoji. I kind of love the shrug emoji! 🤷‍♂️
Russ

Hi! This is my first time writing to you. So I heard you write articles. Can you write a Wizard of Oz one please???!!!
10037908

Hi there! You can read about the classic movie in the stories, "The Wizard of Oz Turns 85" and "Ruby Heels Go Home." And the new Wicked movie is based on the old Wizard of Oz story!
Russ

Hi! Do you have Dr. Seuss books?
Dora

Hi, Dora! News-O-Matic has written a bunch of stories on the legendary children's book author, Dr. Seuss. You can find them by typing "Seuss" or "Dr. Seuss" into the Search bar!
Russ

How many names are there for a mountain lion?
Rrichter920

Some other names for a mountain lion are puma, cougar, catamount, and panther. It has many names because these animals live in so many different places. For example, puma is an Inca word from South America. And "catamount" is short for "cat of the mountain!"
Russ

Why is some art so expensive?
Reid.155

Good question, Reid! Some art is expensive because people believe it is valuable. That could be because it's by a famous artist, like Frida Kahlo, or because the art is rare. The value of anything — like a baseball card, house, or painting — is based on how much people are willing to pay for it!
Russ

What is skibidi?
35Atallini

A lot of people are wondering about "skibidi." We explained the word's origin in a News-O-Matic article. It came from a YouTube video series. Read more about that and other interesting words in the story, "From the Internet to the Dictionary."
Russ

What is a penny made out of?
Maddie

Hi, Maddie! Pennies were mostly made of zinc. You can find that fact and more info about pennies in Ryan Cramer's story, "Last Pennies Off the Presses." Type "penny" or "pennies" into the Search bar to find this and other News-O-Matic stories on the topic!
Russ

Why is there a thing called National Toilet Day?
Willa

Good question, Willa! The United Nations created World Toilet Day to bring attention to a problem. Many people around the world don't have access to safe sanitation. Read all about it in Ryan's story, "World Toilet Day: A Healthy Future." 🚽
Russ

Hi Russ! I read the article about the concrete cars underwater and how they will grow coral and I thought that was really cool. Why did they decide on cars to put in the water? Couldn’t they put something different?
Fia

Good question, Fia! The underwater sculptures are cars because that calls attention to the impact of traffic jams on the environment. The artistic director for the project said the cars are symbols of "transportation to transformation."
Russ

I love K-Pop Demon Hunters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VIVIAN

Hey, Vivian! If you love the K-Pop Demon Hunters, then you'll enjoy News-O-Matic's upcoming story about the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!
Russ

Love the 67 stories. Keep it up!
Anthony

Thanks, Anthony. News-O-Matic got a lot of positive feedback about "6-7 Meme Takes Over" and "Wacky Week: 6-7." Many people wonder what the next fun trend will be!
Russ

Hey, Russ. Why do people like civics so much? It sounds like a boring school subject, but I know there's more to it. Please help me understand!
Carjoh1595

Civics may seem boring. But it's not just ancient history. For example, leaders in a community may decide to create a park for kids to play — or a shopping mall — in an undeveloped area. Which would you prefer? And who gets to make that decision? Understanding civics, or how communities make decisions, affects EVERYBODY.
Russ

Hi, Russ. I love your work. Can you please make an article about the first time a plane broke the speed of sound?
Beckett

Got you covered there, Beckett! Search for the article "The First to Fly Faster Than Sound!" from 2022. It talks about a famous flight that happened on October 14, 1947. On that day, pilot Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager flew in an aircraft called the Bell X-1. It was the first time an aircraft broke the sound barrier! ✈️ Thanks for reading News-O-Matic!
Russ

What is diabetes?
Charlotte

Diabetes is a disease, Charlotte. People with diabetes can’t control the amount of sugar in their blood. This can lead to health issues. You can learn more about the condition in the article "Living With Diabetes."
Russ

My name is Elijah and I love 6-7. Everybody is screaming about it.
Elijah

You've got that right, Elijah! It's been very interesting to see all the weird and wacky ways that 6-7 has popped up recently. Dictionary.com even named 6-7 as its "Word of the Year!" 👀
Russ

Hi! My name is Sydney. Can you write about Wicked: For Good pleeeeeeease?
Sydney

Hi, Sydney! A lot of our readers are excited about the new movie. Check out today's story about Wicked: For Good. It's a review by Madeleine from Kids First!
Russ

Any recommendations for stories to read?
Aleksa

Hi, Aleksa! You can find cool, newsy stories each day in News-O-Matic. Have you checked out our latest Kids in the News stories? You can find them by typing "Kids in the News" in the Search bar.
Russ

Hi Russ Emily again still wondering if you could do a new article about the wonders of eczema fun fact about 60 percent of the world’s population has eczema
Emily

What a great idea, Emily! Do you want to help us write the article? If so, ask a parent or teacher to email ask@newsomatic.org. We'd love to hear from you about this important story!
Russ

Hi Russ, How do you get your information? Brad from Stanton Elementary School
Brad

That is SUCH an important question, Brad. You should ALWAYS ask where information comes from. At News-O-Matic, we want students to be able to know what sources were used in each article. Tap the "Sources" button to see how each author learned about the story.
Russ

if you see this message do you like Messi or Ronaldo?
Stella

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are amazing soccer players. It is hard to say who is better, but I am a bigger fan of Messi. 🇦🇷
Russ

The World Toilet Day article was very interesting. I didn't know that many people didn't have access to clean toilets or that so many people didn't have a place to relieve themselves.
NOM2402164

I am so glad you read that story and understood the value of World Toilet Day. It may seem like a silly day but it helps teach about an important problem. 🚽
Russ

Hi, Russ. This is Jack. Why did they stop making pennies?
Jack

That's a pretty popular question, Jack! One big reason is cost. Pennies are only worth one cent, but it costs about FOUR cents to make a penny. That cost adds up over time. U.S. government officials think that cutting the penny will save the government money. 💵💵💵
Russ

Do you write the news on News-O-Matic? And are they all true stories?
Nessa

Thanks for your question, Nessa! Yes, I write many of the articles here on News-O-Matic. But I also I work with a great team of writers! Ashley, Ryan, Hannah, Diana, and Tyler are included in that team. We all work hard to make sure the information in our stories is true. ✍️
Russ

Hi, Russ! Are there any articles about space?
Samuel

We've got tons of space articles, Samuel! That's one of my favorite topics! Ryan Cramer recently wrote about a mission called "ESCAPADE." You can read about it in the article "Blasting Off to Study Mars!" We've also got stories about exoplanets, stars, meteors, space telescopes, and more! What kinds of space stories do you like to read about the most? 🌌
Russ

Hi, Russ! News-O-Matic is the best. Every time I read a new story I gain a lot of knowledge. Thank you for letting me and other people learn lots on certain topics.
Evan

Hi, Evan! I'm so glad you're enjoying News-O-Matic. This week, you can learn about Bob Ross, a cheese contest, and World Toilet Day. I hope you enjoy those topics!
Russ

Hi, Russ! How is cheese made? I just want to know.
Jade

Hi, Jade! You can learn about how cheese is made in a story called "Meet the Cheesemaker!" Find it by typing "cheese" or "cheesemaker" into the News-O-Matic Search bar.
Russ

Hi again, Russ. I'm interested in being an author. Could you create a News-O-Matic writing challenge again? It's time to dig our heels into the floor!
Bea

Hi, Bea! We're planning another writing challenge for the spring of 2026. I can't wait to read your essay!
Russ

Hi, Russ! I loved the 6-7 article! It was so funny. But in my school, its getting kind of old. I can't wait to have a new trend!
Aperrott

I'm glad you enjoyed that story, Aperrott! And yes, you are not the only one a bit tired of the 6-7 trend. Am sure people will move on in 2026!
Russ

News-O-Matic helps me find what I need to find. It keeps me up with what’s going on around the world!
Kbatman231

That's the idea! It is our honor to be able to tell you what is happening across the world. 🌍
Russ