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[00:02] As the old saying goes, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. And that means spring is right around the corner, and sports, travel, and after school activities are about to take over. Keep your students' momentum going through these busy days with IXL, a super popular online platform to sharpen skills in language arts, science, and math for kids from kindergarten through high school. The format is focused and flexible, and will give your kids a confidence boost as they wrap up the year. Give it a try at ixl.com/kidnuz, and get 20 percent off monthly and annual plans. That's ixl.com/kidnuz. Good morning and welcome to KidNuz. I'm Kim. Today is Friday, April 24th, 2026. And we begin with another sport making room for robots. Just days after marathon running droids made big news in Beijing, comes ACE, a new AI-powered robotic arm device built by Sony, that's been taking on elite table tennis players and on more than one occasion, leaving them in the dust. ACE follows the small white ball using nine small cameras. The robot's eyes can even track the ball's spin by following its printed logo, reacting in split seconds to move forwards and back and change its arm position. The designers say this is a major milestone, because instead of programming the robot step-by-step, it learned to play and improved through experience, just like humans. Ongoing ripple effects from the Iran War oil supply disruption aren't limited to rising gas and airfare prices. Your toy box could be next. That's because oil is also used to make things like crayons, stuffed animals, and school supplies. According to the US Department of Energy, over 6,000 products like t-shirts, sneakers, and even chewing gum rely on materials that come from oil. Some companies are already paying 10 to 15 percent more for supplies, and if oil prices don't come down, shoppers could see higher prices later this year. The 2026 NFL Draft is now in full swing with the top college players getting scooped up last night. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was picked first by the Raiders, but he skipped the formal festivities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to experience the excitement at home with his family and friends. At Acreshur Stadium, however, it's party time. In addition to watching each pick broadcast on giant screens, fans line up to get autographs from former players, and some even step onto the field to attempt their best field goal. The fun runs through Saturday night when the 257th pick is announced to close out the 7th round. That player gets to say he was drafted, but leaves with the unfortunate nickname of Mr. Irrelevant. You may not give a lot of thought to those potato chips in your lunchbox, but scientists sure do. At Michigan State University's Potato Breeding and Genetics Program, one professor spent 15 years developing spuds that can deliver the perfect crisp, resist disease and last longer in storage without spoiling. Potatoes have a complex genetic structure, which presents a big challenge to scientists trying to make them better. Michigan is the top producer in the US of potatoes used in the chip industry, and there are around 50 unique varieties. The ultimate goal, creating the perfect potato that can stay fresh for a full year. If you're coughing, sneezing or rubbing your eyes nonstop right now, you're not alone. It's the start of peak pollen season when more than 80 million Americans get walloped with environmental allergies. The seasonal suffering starts in spring from tree pollen, then grass pollen ramps up in the summertime as warmer weather moves north, followed by weed pollen in the fall. The top five hotspots for sniffles according to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, are Boise, Idaho, San Diego, California, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Provo, Utah, and Rochester, New York. Still to come, the McDonald's location where you can't order a single French fry. But first, we want to give a huge birthday shout out to Rider Looney of San Francisco, California. Rider loves football, baseball, soccer, and skiing. On top of all that, his mom, dad, and cat Fernan tell us he's a math whiz, and one of the funniest humans they know. Happy 8th birthday, Rider. Now, today's KidNuz quiz. How many cameras does the robot Ace use? Nine. Why could some toys get more expensive? Because many products use materials that come from oil, which is in short supply due to the war with Iran. Where is the NFL Draft happening? In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which pollen comes first in the calendar year? Tree pollen. In today's KidNuz kicker, it may look just like a real McDonald's, but this 5,000 square foot restaurant set in Southern California's Gabriel Valley is just that, a set. Since the 1970s, this McDonald's location has been used solely to film TV commercials and movie scenes. There are actually two versions on the lot. One designed to look like a suburban location, the other with a city feel. While there are real kitchens on the inside to cook up everything from burgers to nuggets that will be seen on camera, also on hand, things like dry ice in a specialty supply room used by stylists to make the food look perfect in pictures. Thanks again to the Looney family of San Francisco, California, for sponsoring today's quiz. Happy birthday to the one in a million writer Looney. And hello to his teachers, Ms. Bell and Sue Laoshi, and all his friends at the Chinese American International School. And shoutouts for our other KidNuz classrooms. Mr. Wilcox's Huskies at Hamilton Heights and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Hunsaker's Hooligans at Wasatch in Ogden, Utah. Ms. Maseli's Tigers at Timber Trace in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Ms. Jankarelli's class at Washington and Nutley, New Jersey. And Mrs. Cashmere's Flying Eagles at Beverly Farms in Potomac, Maryland. Thanks for listening. Tomorrow we're dropping another KidNuz Convos episode. Join us as Tori talks with a teenager determined to help kids tap into the good and leave behind the bad of social media. Have a great weekend and we'll see you back here for more KidNuz Monday morning.