Hi Russ! It’s Ayaan and I really like your articles and videos and polls and more. It really helps me learn more and more stuff!
Ayaan

I am very glad to hear that News-O-Matic is helping you learn. That is what we are for! As long as you keep reading, you're going to get SO smart! 🧠
Russ

Hi Russ my name is Ellie. Today is my birthday and I am turning ten years old! My mom and me are going to the 2026 Olympic Games!
Eleanor

Happy birthday, Ellie! I hope you got to celebrate your special day. 🎂 And it is AMAZING that you are going to the Olympics! Maybe you want to write about your experience for News-O-Matic? If so, ask your mother (or a teacher) to email us at ask@newsomatic.org.
Russ

Hi, Russ. I'm Nadia and I had the best Thanksgiving on Earth!!!
Nadia

Hi, Nadia. I'm glad you enjoyed Thanksgiving. What did you like about it? What's your favorite Thanksgiving food? The team at News-O-Matic also enjoyed the holiday. Many of us spent time with friends and family.
Russ

Hi Russ! I was interested in the Australian Art On Tour.
Ariah

Hi, Ariah! I'm glad you liked the story about Australian Indigenous art. Did you enjoy the video? Keep reading News-O-Matic for more articles about art, animals, science, sports, and politics!
Russ

Hi, Russ! My name is Mariana and I have 480 bird feathers! Are there any articles on birds? If so, what do you know about birds?
Mariana

Wow, that's a great collection, Mariana! 🪶 There are HUNDREDS of bird-related articles here on News-O-Matic! Try typing "bird" into the Search and see what comes up! You can read about New Zealand's "Bird of the Year" contest, a festival of cranes in the U.S. state of Alabama, and even a look at how bird poo affects the environment! What are some of your favorite bird-related fun facts? 🦉
Russ

Hi, Russ! Who do you think will win the Kid of the Year and why?
Aaleena

That's a tough one, Aaleena! I really do think ALL of our finalists are great choices for Kid of the Year! I'm just looking forward to finding out what readers like you think! 🧠
Russ

Hi, Russ. This is Lana. What does 6-7 mean?
Lana

Hey there, Lana! The short answer is that 6-7 doesn't really mean anything! It's just a fun joke that folks like to repeat. Ashley Morgan wrote an article about where the joke comes from and how people use it. Check out the story "6-7 Meme Takes Over!"
Russ

My elves were sitting on my toilet paper.
Erdeleon02

What fun! A lot of our readers are looking forward to the winter holidays, including Christmas. And some of the season's traditions have already started, like "elf on a shelf" at your house. Check out "NYC Lights Its Tree" to read about the big Christmas tree in Manhattan!
Russ

Hello, Russ. This is Sofia. I am in grade 3. I live in the U.K. I love reading so much. I think this is an amazing app. I am a big fan of News-O-Matic!
Sofia

Hi, Sofia! I'm glad to hear you love reading, and that you enjoy News-O-Matic! You can type "England," "Scotland," "Wales," "Ireland," or "United Kingdom" into the Search to find articles about the U.K. Yesterday, I wrote the story "Scotland Adds Official Languages." It's about Gaelic and Scots joining English as official languages!
Russ

Hey, Russ. How do you vote for Kid of the Year? Thanks.
Joy

Good question, Joy! You can vote by going to the Poll in the story, "Who Should Be Kid of the Year?"
Russ

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