Newsy Pooloozi - The News Pod for Kids

Hello and happy new year, everyone! Firstly, we want to say THANK YOU for being such dedicated, steadfast listeners to our wacky world news podcast! It’s a lot of work but a labor of love we’re not ready to give up. However… we ARE going to make some changes to our output in 2024, so have a listen to our special announcement to find out the details. More importantly, we are also opening applications for new kid correspondents and writers to join the Newsy Pooloozi team so we can keep this international curiosity club going! Listen for more details and write to us at [email protected] if you're interested.

As we get ready to dive into a new year, we wanted to look back at the past 12 months – the highs and lows – of news and current events. Yes, we’re talking about the Best of our Big New Stories – from the heavy stories of war and natural disasters to many stories of progress and hope. And, well, ChaptGPT which sits somewhere in the middle of it all, doesn’t it? Enjoy the reflection – we’ll be back with regular world news (the big, the wacky and all that in between) soon!

As a little holiday gift, we bring you... laughter, of course. Yes, have a listen to the wackiest world news stories from the last 12 months in this Best of Oddball round-up episode. It's guaranteed to make you smile more than once!

It's that time of year for our Best Of's - listen back to our best nature and animal stories of 2023! From the resurrection of the wholly mammoth to giraffes that do math, squirrels that sniff out more than nuts, goats that help fight fires and why chimpanzees gesture - this is the best wrap of wacky world animal stories you'll hear anywhere. Plus have you heard the beautiful - if not a little weird - sounds of the ocean? Or the giant seaweed blob that was headed for Florida? And if none of that appeals - two words: cat vaccine. But this revolutionary innovation is for your cat to take, not you! 

In kid news this week… Good news on the environment and innovation front - natural resources are being used to capture nasty carbon dioxide - from using limestone to suck it up in California to Italy’s cyanobacteria that likes to snack on it. Also, the latest dinosaur news in both Brazil and Mongolia, the history and wonder of Germany’s Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmarkt!) and China’s sleepy students lean into that doozy post-launch feeling with the help of new desk-beds!

In world news this week… Wild “super pigs” are on the rampage in North America, bears are on attack in rural Japan, blue whales return home to the Indian Ocean and a green mamba venomous snake is on the loose in the Netherlands - all that and more this week!

This week in world news for kids… Creepie crawlies – love them or loath them – we need them! But they’re on the threat of extinction, which is why a new study is being launched in the US. Over in Indonesia, though, it’s good news – their echidna mammal has come back from the brink of extinction. India scores another Guinness Book of World Records entry for its many-many Diwali diyas. And up in a northern Swedish city there’s a campaign to be neighborly – by just saying… oh, well, listen to find out!

 We give you a special rerun this week of our Autumn Festivals Capsule -- from Asia's Hungry Ghost Festival, Diwali, Guru Nanak to the West's Halloween, Day of the Dead, Bonfire Night, Thanksgiving and more!

In kids news this week… We’ve all heard of electric cars, but what about electric ROADS? Well, this is happening in Sweden where they’re charging on the move! In entertainment news, find out what new chart – typically dominated by middle-aged men – popstar Taylor Swift enters. And most of us have heard the expression (phenomenon!) of being “Rickrolled,” well in our second offering of Slange Explained we give you the entire wacky backstory. And did you know a small town in Pennsylvania had its very own mummy? Well, not anymore. Find out why on this week’s episode of Newsy Pooloozi! 

This week in world news for kids… France is facing an infestation of bedbugs that’s causing national anxiety, Australia rejects a referendum to give Aboriginals more of a “voice” in politics, plus FIFA announces a very mixed-up world cup is planned for 2023 and Austrian researchers discover the curious camouflaging of the Wallace’s flying frog – all that and more this week!