1. Squiz Kids

Knight’s Choice wins the Cup; a fierce eruption in Indonesia; meet the 3-metre tall “terror bird”; and an ancient Ice Age survivor.

Your daily kids news podcast. The Melbourne Cup, Australia’s legendary horse race, was a nail-biter this year! Knight’s Choice barely edged out Warp Speed to claim the win—and a prize of $4.4 million. But not everyone’s celebrating; more Aussies are questioning the event’s impact on horses and fans. Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi volcano erupted with incredible force, shooting ash and hot lava into the sky. Thousands of people have had to leave their homes. Indonesia sits on the “Ring of Fire,” where volcanoes and earthquakes are common, keeping locals on their toes. Your Squiz Kids Shortcut to… Earthquakes and Volcanoes. It’s election day in the U.S., and Americans are picking their next president! With six time zones in play, votes will trickle in all day. And the winner isn’t just decided by votes—there’s a system called the Electoral College that plays a big role Meet Pando, the world’s biggest tree—a forest of aspen trees sharing one root system! Scientists found Pando is a whopping 34,000 years old, dating back to the Ice Age! But climate and disease now threaten it. Let’s hope this incredible tree can keep growing strong. New fossil evidence shows a gigantic bird once ruled ancient South America—a 3-meter-tall “terror bird”! These flightless predators had sharp beaks perfect for hunting. But even they had enemies: one fossil shows it may have been chomped by a massive prehistoric crocodile! For the full episode transcript, click here.