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"Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.”
— George Washington
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You've almost made it to the three day weekend, POLITI-Kids!
And we are honored to help you kick it off. There is a lot to celebrate this weekend, including Black History Month, Presidents' Day and Pluto Day. Long weekends can also be a great time to recharge and practice self-care, so make sure to check out the POLITI-Kids at Home section for ideas.
And remember, spring is just around the corner...
Dreaming of warmer days,
The POLITI-Kids Team
Aloïse Phelps and Alexa Velickovich
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RECORD-BREAKING NEWS
David Rush set a New Year’s resolution unlike any other — to break one Guinness World Record every week of 2021. While the challenge was certainly a big deal, Rush has broken more than 100 world records since 2015.
According to his website, Rush “is the world's fastest juggler, the world's slowest juggler, and has the record for most bowling balls juggled, most consecutive ax juggling catches, and longest duration balancing a bicycle on the chin” among many other things.
However, there is a reason, beyond the pride of being a mega Guinness World Record holder, for Rush’s passion. He uses his mission to inspire students who struggle in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to persevere. Rush is living proof that working hard through difficult things can lead to success.
In a conversation with NPR, Rush noted, "in 2015 I broke my first Guinness World Record to create a tangible example for folks to show that if you set your mind to a goal, believe in yourself and pursue it with a passion, you can accomplish nearly anything.”
Rush started his challenge on January 4, 2021, by stacking wet bars of soap. He then moved on to things like catching fruit and marshmallows in his mouth, bouncing ping pong balls and doing various other tasks very quickly — such as wrapping his neighbor in wrapping paper.
To learn more about Rush’s record-breaking year, you can watch a video on the various challenges and records he broke.
(Source: NPR)
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WORD OF THE WEEK:
PRESIDENTS DAY
Presidents Day is a U.S. federal holiday that is celebrated each year on the third Monday in February. This year, it will occur on Monday, February 21.
The holiday was originally established in 1800, as a way to recognize and celebrate the birthday of our nation’s first president, George Washington. It was celebrated each year on the 22nd of February, which is Washington’s actual birthday.
However, in the 1960s, Congress proposed a measure known as the “Uniform Monday Holiday Act.” This new law sought to shift the celebration of federal holidays from specific dates to predetermined Mondays throughout the year. It was at this same time that Congress had the idea of renaming the holiday "Presidents Day," instead of "Washington's Birthday," as a way to honor all persons who have served as president of the United States. This was an extreme point of contention, especially with the lawmakers from Washington’s home state of Virginia, so the proposal was dropped.
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed in 1968 and took effect in 1971, and Presidents Day became the common term used to celebrate the holiday, despite its official name still being Washington’s Birthday.
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JOKE OF THE WEEK:
Q: If you crossed a vegetable with our first president, what would you get?
A: George Squashington.
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Below is an excerpt from a POLITICO article, along with some questions to help guide your reading.
To read the full article, click here. |
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California lawmakers pitch major overhaul of kids' web privacy
By Susannah Luthi
February 16, 2022
Two California lawmakers are proposing a web overhaul to protect California kids when they’re online, the most sweeping privacy measure since voters approved the California Privacy Rights Act in 2020.
The bipartisan proposal from Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and Jordan Cunningham (R-Templeton) is modeled after a 2020 U.K. law requiring online products that children will likely use to adjust their design and operations to improve kids’ privacy and safety.
In an interview Wednesday, Wicks said she doesn’t want to deny her children the good experiences they can have online. But she said, it’s “long past due” to recognize “that we have an environment where kids are nudged to take part in risky behaviors, they’re exposed to predators, they’re exposed to harmful material, they’re encouraged into compulsive behavior.”
Impact: The U.K. is the only nation that has authorized enforcement of supercharged online safeguards for children. A similar law in California, the most populous U.S. state, could have outsize influence across the country if tech companies want to keep their products uniform.
The details: The bill would require web products to protect kids’ data and limit their online exposure.
Default settings for websites and services would include high privacy settings with geolocation switched off and a ban on any “nudging” techniques to convince kids to weaken their settings. The collection, sharing and profiling of children’s data would be restricted, and companies would have to consider children’s rights and interests above other considerations like engagement.
Key context: The U.K. law, which became enforceable last September, has already pushed changes across tech companies, according to 5Rights, a U.K.-based privacy nonprofit behind that bill. 5Rights is also the main group driving the California measure.
Google, for example, has set SafeSearch as the default for children under 18 browsing the web. TikTok and Instagram have barred adults from directly messaging kids who don’t follow them, and TikTok has also stopped late-night push notifications for children. YouTube meanwhile has shut off video autoplay for kids and has set automatic break and bedtime reminders.
But the companies could shut those changes off in any market outside the U.K. unless other governments institute similar protections, said Baroness Beeban Kidron, the 5Rights chair, in an interview Wednesday.
Privacy push: California’s proposal comes as Congress has started to eye similar reforms. On Wednesday, U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) unveiled their own proposal to shore up privacy for kids 16 and under while limiting their screen time.
Wicks noted that she and other state lawmakers are coming at the issue two years into the Covid era, when kids in remote learning spent intensive amounts of time online. Many legislators, she said, are “parents of young kids who are grappling with this in real life."
What’s next: The bill won’t be heard for at least another month and it is sure to be the subject of intense lobbying from industry and children’s and consumer advocacy groups.
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GUIDED ARTICLE QUESTIONS:
1. Which law are the California lawmakers using as a framework for their proposal?
2. How will the proposal, if passed, impact children's web user experience?
3. What could happen more broadly if the bill is passed in California?
4. What is 5Rights, and why are they involved?
5. What internet safety measures for kids are in place in the U.K.?
6. What is the reasoning for this proposal?
7. Which Senators are working on their own proposal?
8. What is the next step for this bill?
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NOTABLE NEWS THIS WEEK
Use the guided reading questions in blue italics to help gain a deeper comprehension of this week's notable news.
Across the country, mask mandates are being lifted as Covid-19 cases are declining. Since January, seven states — California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New York and Rhode Island — dropped mandatory mask requirements for businesses, and of those states, only Nevada is still requiring masks in schools. Only five states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., still require masks in some or all settings, and several of those states have announced plans to lift the mandates by the end of February or beginning of March. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend using masks indoors in most of the country. What are the pros and cons of lifting mask mandates?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced new school nutrition standards as part of an effort to make school meals healthier. The transitional nutrition standards are set to be implemented in the next two school years and include updates to milk, whole grains and sodium requirements for school meals. With the pandemic and spikes in food prices and supply chain issues, schools have struggled to serve students meals. The USDA hopes the new nutrition requirements will help return schools to pre-pandemic "program operations and meal standards that are consistent with the latest nutrition science." The USDA also announced long-term nutrition standards that are expected to be established for the 2024-2025 academic year. What are some other ways that the pandemic impacted school meals?
Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win Team USA a gold medal in speed skating on Monday, an event Team USA has not won since 1994. This was Jackson's first Olympic medal, and despite being ranked No. 1 in the world, Jackson almost didn't make it to the Beijing Games after stumbling during the Olympic trials. Jackson first competed in the Olympics four years ago — she was the first Black woman to make it on to Team USA as a speed skater. Fun fact: the 29-year-old Florida native was a lifelong rollerblader before moving to the ice and only started speed skating about a year before her debut in 2018. Who are other notable Black athletes that were the "first" in their sports?
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PAW-LITICO OF THE WEEK: HALE
Submitted by POLITI-Kid Anna Hukill
Hi, I'm Hale! I love to eat kibble, peanut butter, smoked beef lung tips, sticks and bananas — I'll eat them all then ask for more! I was born on Valentine's Day two years ago and was rescued two months later in Columbia, South Carolina. Some people call me a mutt, but I prefer to think of myself as a one-of-a-kind canine melting pot. I'm me — and that's enough to hang with the big dogs in our Nation's capital. Who would have ever guessed?
Do you want your pet to be next Paw-litico of the week?
Send us a photo and a bio to politikids@politico.com
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RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
MALWAH
(Somali Sweet Pancake)
Adapted from A Sweet Point of View
The author of this recipe is Melissa Ifemwe, a Nigerian chef who lives in Austria.
Ingredients:
For the pancakes:
– 320g all-purpose flour
– 185ml plant milk (any milk will work)
– 1 large egg
– 1/4 tbsp. cinnamon
– 1 pinch of salt
– 1 tbsp. of sunflower oil
– 85g sugar
For the apple sauce:
– 300g apples
– 1 tbsp. of honey
– 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
– 1 tbsp. corn starch
Directions:
1. Peel and cut the apples into small pieces.
2. Put them in a pan and add the lemon juice and honey. Let it cook at medium heat for 20 minutes.
3. Sift in the starch and stir until the apple sauce thickens. Once the apple sauce is thick, set it aside and let it cool.
4. For the pancakes, mix all the ingredients together.
5. Now, add oil to the pan and put a large spoon of pancake bater into the pan. Fry one side for 3 – 5 minutes at middle heat.
6. Put the apple sauce onto the pancakes and enjoy.
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CRAFT OF THE WEEK:
TRAFFIC LIGHT
Adapted from Doodles and Jots
Did you know that a man named Garrett Morgan, who was born in Kentucky in 1877 to freed slaves, invented the traffic light? Even though he only had a sixth-grade education, he became a very successful entrepreneur and the traffic light was not his only life-saving invention!
Supplies:
– Printer
– Card stock
– Bottle cap
– Red, yellow, and green tissue paper
– Hole punch
– Scissors
– Glue stick
Instructions:
1. Print out the following PDF on card stock: DIY Traffic Lights for Kids.
2. Cut out pieces along the solid lines and fold pieces along dashed lines.
3. Place slider inside the tri-folded traffic light. The black pill shape should be on top facing front with the flap hanging over top opening.
4. Now punch out the bottom hole only and remove slider.
5. Refold, and punch out the remaining two holes.
6. To add the lights, apply glue to the inside front of the tri-folded traffic light piece.
7. Attach a small square of tissue paper over each hole.
8. Next, seal up the tri-fold traffic light piece (slider inside) with your glue stick.
9. Cut a slot in your plastic bottle cap to stand your traffic light in.
10. Add hot glue inside the cap to help the light stay straight (if needed).
11. Now you’re ready to use the tab on the top of the slider to change the light!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following POLITICO's, POLITI-Kids and celebrities. Is your birthday coming up? Let us know by submitting your name and date of birth here!
February 18: David Hounshell, Deanna Garcia, Raven Waters, Dr. Dre
February 19: Jennifer Plesniak, Millie Bobby Brown, Victoria Justice
February 20: Carmen Paun-Dejesus, David Cohen, Elana Zak, Joseph Kenol, Juan Perez, Olivia Rodrigo, Rihanna, Trevor Noah, Miles Teller, Mitch McConnell
February 21: Grant Moore-Sargent, Lucas Gomez-Acebo, Mona Zhang, Sophie Turner, Elliot Page, John Lewis, Jordan Peele
February 22: Heidi Sommer, President George Washington, Drew Barrymore, Steve Irwin
February 23: Andrew Briz, Katy Murphy, Matthew Choi, Dakota Fanning, Emily Blunt, Josh Gad
February 24: Andrew Blatchford, Connor O’Brien, Mark Matthews, Steve Jobs, Daniel Kaluuya
February 25: Matthew Dixon, Rashida Jones
February 26: Kathryn Ellsworth
February 27: Audrey Artis, Kelsey Wessels, Kirsten Messmer, Michael Irwin, Chelsea Clinton
February 28: Duffey Phelps, Charlie Mahtesian
February 29 (Leap Year Birthdays!): Kate Irby, Pamela King
March 1: Tierra Perdue, Ali Taki, Lorraine Woellert, Justin Bieber, Lupita Nyong'o, Paul Hollywood, Ke$ha, Don Lemon
March 2: Brakkton Booker, Caitlin Floyd, Dr. Seuss, Rebel Wilson
March 3: Lily Mihalik, Camila Cabello, Alexander Graham Bell
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