Hi, Russ. It's Isla. The huge winter storm recently came, and I'm wondering what the animals are doing to protect themselves. Stay warm!
Isla

Hi, Isla! That's a great question! Different animals have different strategies to stay warm during chilly weather. Take squirrels, for example. Those critters usually fatten up and spend more time in their dens during the winter. The fat helps keep them warm! If you want to learn about other animals, we have some articles that can help. Try typing "Cold Survival" or "Winter Survival" into the Search bar. You can learn about creatures like polar bears, narwhals, and wood frogs! 🐻‍❄️ 🐸 ❄️
Russ

Hi, Russ. I was wondering if you could make more hockey articles. I have been really getting into hockey lately and hope you can make more articles. Thank you for your time. 😊
Connor

Hi, Connor. I think it's cool that you want to read more about the sport! 🏒 We will be sure to write a hockey story for the upcoming Olympics. Players from the NHL will be competing in the Olympics for the first time since 2014!
Russ

Hi, Russ. My name is Carter. I love going on your app News-O-Matic.
Carter

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Carter! Messages from readers like you are very encouraging. 🙂
Russ

Russ I love all your articles. I was wondering if you can make more articles about sports. I would love that!!!
Jhersh

Thanks so much, Jhersh. I am a big sports fan, so I really enjoy writing sports articles. We will have the Super Bowl and the Olympics coming up. What sport should we write about?
Russ

Is the Eiffel Tower the tallest structure in the world? If not, what is?
Isla

The tallest structure in the world is the Burj Khalifa. That is a building in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is 2,717 feet (828 meters) tall. The Eiffel Tower is 1,083 feet (330 meters) tall. It WAS the tallest when it was built in 1887!
Russ

I can't wait for the snow to fall and have so much fun. Yay! SNOW TIME!
Kelly

Winter is full of cool activities, Kelly! Just remember to bundle up to stay warm. It's also important to be careful around slippery ice! What are some of your favorite things to do in the snow? ❄️
Russ

HI, RUSS! My name is Penni! I read an article about speech language pathology and loved it! It's my dream job! Could you make more articles about it? Thanks!
Penni

Hi, Penni! I'm so glad you loved that article! It's really cool to learn all about what different people do for jobs. I'm sure you can have that job some day if you keep learning about it and working toward it! I'll let you know if I see any more stories about speech language pathology.
Russ

Hi, Russ! Do you like squids?
Jackson

I think squids are cool, Jackson! Did you know that the animals have beaks? And they have three hearts!!! 🦑
Russ

Hello, My name is Bridgette. How are you today?
Bridgette

Hi Bridgette! I'm doing pretty well. Like most folks, I'm getting ready for the big storm. How are you?
Russ

Hey, Russ. Shouldn't the "Ask Russ" button only be for articles made by Russ, or do you just know everything about all the articles? 😊
Anthony

Good question, Anthony! The writers at News-O-Matic, including me, meet every morning. We plan the day's stories as a team! That means I know a lot about the articles that you read! If I ever need help, I can always check in with the other writers! ✏️
Russ

Hey Russ! I am getting ready for the winter storm that's coming in. This is the first snow my town has had in about 3 years! Does it snow a lot where you live? Hope everyone stays safe!
108134088

Hi there! A lot of readers are excited about the snow. It definitely snows where I live near New York City. What do you like to do in the snow? ❄️
Russ

I love art and I also love music!
Isabella

Thanks for sharing, Isabella! I will be sure to write more stories about art and music. Do you have a favorite kind of art or instrument? 🎸
Russ

Is Taylor Swift REALLY related to Emily Dickinson, and did all those people exist?
Kathleen

That's right, Kathleen! Emily Dickinson was a real writer. She was born in Massachusetts and lived from 1830 to 1886. Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson are sixth cousins, three times removed!
Russ

Dear Russ: can you write about the snowstorm coming soon?
Shayda

Hi, Shayda! Weather forecasters say much of the eastern United States will be affected by the big storm. Some schools canceled classes on Friday! The News-O-Matic team plans to do a story about the storm on Monday. By then, we should know more about it! ❄️
Russ

Hi Russ. Every time I come to the news room I always wonder who the 2 people in that picture are? I was just wondering. THANKS!!!!
a human

Those are my two children! I have a boy and a girl. That's a photo of them on my desk. 😊
Russ

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii Russssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's Thomas here. Can you tell me how many states you have been to? I love News-O-Matic!
Thomas

Helllloooooo, Thomas! 😉 I have visited 43 of the 50 states in the United States. The ones I have not been to yet are Hawaii, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, and New Mexico. I am looking forward to visiting them all! 🇺🇸
Russ

Hey Russ, this is Gracelyn. I was wondering what was the place with the most amount of snow in the United States?
Gracelyn

Good question, Gracelyn! Check out my recent story, "Huge Winter Storm Blasts America." It gives the answer. (Hint: It's a place in New Mexico.) ❄️
Russ

HI, RUSS!!! My name is Mia. I want you to tell me, are daddy long legs a spider?
Mia

HI, MIA! I had to do some research to answer your question. Daddy long legs insects are not spiders. They are arachnids, but spiders must have two body segments and produce silk. Daddy long legs have one body segment and do not produce silk. 🕷️
Russ

Is there such thing as edible glue?
Ammit

There is such a thing as edible glue. It's special glue just for food — don't eat any other kind of glue! Edible glue is sometimes used to decorate food and make things like spices, fruits, flowers, and leaves to stick.
Russ

Hi, Russ. How are you doing? My name is Alyssa. I love your articles.
Alyssa

Great to meet you, Alyssa! I'm doing well. Thank you for your kind words! And thanks for reading News-O-Matic! 😄
Russ

Hey, Russ. It's me, Harrison. How long does it take to make an article?
Harrison

That's a great question, Harrison! Most stories take a few hours to research, write, edit, and get pictures. But some stories can take longer! They might involve interviews or making maps and charts. What are some of your favorite stories to read? 📖
Russ

Hi, Russ. I want to talk about Laura the Wolverine.
Aditya

Hello! Laura the Wolverine is pretty cool. What do you have to say about her?
Russ

Things I want to learn about is probably would be more about the history of basketball and history of the teams.
Avery

You can learn about that on News-O-Matic! Check out the article "Nothing But Net!" to learn about Dr. James Naismith, the man who invented the game. And read "Women’s Hoops: A Bold History" to find out about the development of the sport for women. 🏀
Russ

Hey, Russ. Can you tell me, what's the hottest it's been in the United States?
Gracelyn

Hey, Gracelyn. The hottest it's been in the United States was 134°F (56.7°C). That was in Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913.
Russ

Hi, Russ. This is Harper and it's my first time on News-O-Matic and I love it!!!❤
Harper

Welcome, Harper! I'm so glad you're here reading on News-O-Matic!
Russ

Hi Russ. I’m Siya. I’m in 3rd grade and we have a Star test in 4 months. I’m scared but anyway I have to go, byeee!
Siya

Nice to meet you, Siya. There's no reason to be scared of a Star test! It's just a way for your teachers to learn about your skills so they can better support your learning. And as long as you're reading News-O-Matic, your reading skills will keep getting better! 😀
Russ

Hello, Russ. My name is Shepard and I want to know how tall the Eiffel Tower is.
Shepard

Hi, Shepard! The Eiffel Tower is 1,083 feet (330 m) tall! You can read about that in Ashley's story, "Eiffel Tower Gets Taller." You can find that and "Climbing the Eiffel Tower" by typing "Eiffel Tower" into the Search bar!
Russ

I love to read this. Thank you!
Abigmarmol

Hi, Abi! The team at News-O-Matic is so glad to know you're enjoying our stories. Keep reading to learn more about animals, science, sports, and world news throughout 2026!
Russ

Hey, Russ! I’m glad you got my message. The answer to your question "What are my favorite kind of stories?" is the funny photo ones. I love reading about them. They just make me laugh SOOO much.
Cecilia

Hi again, Cecilia. I'm glad some of our articles make you laugh. A lot of people enjoyed the story with the picture of the dancing gorilla. If you haven't seen it, check out "'High-Five' for Funny Wildlife Photos!"
Russ

What is your favorite sports team, Russ?
Charles

I grew up rooting for the New York Yankees, Charles. And they are still my favorite team today! ⚾️
Russ

Hi, Russ. I’m Wendy. Do you know what’s the coldest place on the planet?
Wendy

Hi, Wendy. The coldest place on Earth is Antarctica. Temperatures there can get below -128.2°F (-89°C). You should check out News-O-Matic's recent article "Saving Earth's Ice Memories!" It talks about an important project there!
Russ

HI RUSS! I just noticed that there is not a lot of autism things and just disabilities, soooo.... can you please make something?
Fiona

Hi, Fiona. News-O-Matic just ran a story called "The First Barbie With Autism." The story included some information about autism, like headphones people may wear and the loose dress on the doll. You can also read about autism in "Surviving With Autism!" and "Autism Month: Celebrating Differences." Type "autism" in the Search bar to find these and other stories!
Russ

Hi, Russ. I was wondering what your favorite book is :)
Hunter

I love this question, Hunter! I actually wrote a whole article about it! When I was a kid, my favorite book was "Hope for the Flowers" by Trina Paulus. (It still is today.) 🦋 You can read more about Paulus and her book in the article "Books We Love: Hope for the Flowers" here on News-O-Matic! 📖
Russ

Can you tell me about wolves?
Courtney

Sure thing, Courtney! Some scientists group wolves into three main species. The most common wolf is the gray wolf, which lives across North America, Europe, and Asia. Gray wolf pups stay with their packs until they are about three years old. Young wolves may then start their own packs and have their own pups. In the United States, many wildlife experts are working to track gray wolf populations and even bring the animals back to old habitats where the creatures once lived! 🐺
Russ

Hey, Russ. This is Cora. How long is a year?
Cora

Hey, Cora! Many countries, including the United States, use a calendar called the Gregorian calendar. In that calendar, a year is 365 days long. That’s 8,760 hours or 525,600 minutes! 🕙 However, every four years is a Leap Year. That means it has 366 days!
Russ