Three Earthquakes Rock Italy

The quakes hit a region already coping with heavy snowfall

SIPA USA/SIPA/AP

Snow blankets the town of Amatrice, in central Italy. It is near the epicenter of three earthquakes that occurred Wednesday morning.

Three earthquakes hit central Italy, in the Marche region, on Wednesday morning. Many towns in the region were blanketed with up to three feet of snow, making it difficult for aid to reach them. The quake, coupled with the snow, caused landslides and widespread power outages.

So far, no deaths have been reported. Still, Italy’s prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni, called it a “difficult day” for the country.

A Series of Tremors

CLAUDIO LATTANZIO—ANSA/AP

Firefighters try to help elderly people trapped in their home in Montereale, one of the towns struck by the quakes.

The first quake struck at about 10:25 a.m. local time, shaking the town of Montereale. Its magnitude was 5.3 on the Richter scale—slightly below the 5.5 magnitude generally considered to be the threshold for very destructive quakes. The second tremor occurred in the same area a little less than an hour later, with a magnitude of 5.7. The third quake came just 10 minutes later, with a magnitude of 5.3.

The region was already reeling from severe storms that dumped feet of snow on rural villages, making them virtually inaccessible from major roads. The storms also left many residents without electricity. The quakes worsened the problem and knocked out some cell phone service, as well. Emergency responders struggled to reach the isolated areas. Residents were left to wait anxiously for military snowplows to arrive and clear the way for emergency vehicles.

“The situation is really getting extreme," Franco Campitelli, the mayor of the town of Canzano, told the Associated Press. "It's snowing hard. We're without electricity. … We risk being completely isolated.”

Tremors from the quake were felt as far away as Rome, the nation’s capital. Subways, schools, and businesses were temporarily shut down there, as a precaution.

Bringing Back Memories

The Marche region is still coping with the destruction caused by a series of powerful earthquakes that struck last year. Hundreds of people died in the region, with 46 killed in just one tiny mountain village, Pescara del Tronto. The nearby city of Amatrice lost 236 people in a major quake in August 2016. It is near the epicenter of the new tremors.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, said that all of Europe stands with Italy during this difficult time. “We will provide all kinds of efforts, instruments, helps at our disposal,” he said. “Italy cannot be left alone.”

As kids, you may feel powerless to help, but can you think of a way we can help the people of Italy? 

Clever Cats

A new study finds that cats may be just as smart as dogs

MARK TAYLOR—GETTY IMAGES

A new study has found that cats match dogs in some memory tests.

Cats are as good as dogs at certain memory tests, according to a new Japanese study published in the journal Behavioural Processes. The study findings suggest that cats are just as smart as dogs, researchers say.

The study was conducted using 49 domestic cats and different bowls of food. The findings shows that cats can recall memories of positive experiences, such as eating a delicious snack. The experiment was a test of episodic memory, or memory of past events and experiences that occur at a particular time and place. It was modeled off of a similar 2012 study conducted on dogs.

Kyoto University psychologist Saho Takagi told BBC News that both cats and dogs may have episodic memory similar to that of humans. “Episodic memory is viewed as being related to introspective function of the mind,” Takagi said. “Our study may imply a type of consciousness in cats.”

A Feline Study

In one phase of the experiment, cats were led to four open containers of food, and were permitted to eat from two of them. After fifteen minutes passed, the containers were replaced with empty ones, and the same cats returned to the room in search of food. Here, researchers found that they spent more time exploring those containers from which they had already eaten than others.

That cats were able to remember “what” and “where” information about the food bowls suggests they have episodic memory. Still, it’s unclear whether cats can experience past memories in the same depth that humans do.

“It’s hard to know if the cats actually subjectively remember the experience of going to that particular bowl, such as the colors and the sounds,” Nick Diamond told TFK. He is a researcher at the University of Toronto and Rotman Research Institute. “So when we study [episodic memory] in animals, scientists tend to boil it down to the what, the where, and the when without getting into the experience of what the animal is remembering, which is certainly tough to figure out.”

Still, the study’s results may have practical applications. “It opens the door to new studies examining how long cats’ memories can be,” Yale University Professor Laurie Santos told BBC News, “and whether they also remember richer episodes in their own life as humans do.”

Do you think cat are smarter than dogs? What makes you believe this?

What is a Refugee?

On January 7, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that suspends all refugees from being admitted into the United States for 120 days. The U.S. received about 85,000 refugees in 2016, mostly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Burma, also called Myanmar.




Click the video link below to see a short video explaining what is a refugee.
What is a Refugee? video

Do you agree with President Trump's order to not allow refugees into the United States? Why or why not?

Obama Says Goodbye

President Barack Obama gives his final speech to the American people

DARREN HAUCK—GETTY IMAGES

President Barack Obama takes the stage on January 10 in Chicago, Illinois, to thank the nation, reflect on his presidency, and look toward the future. 

President Barack Obama stepped into the spotlight one last time at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday evening. In the city where his political career began, Obama gave a 50-minute farewell address to the nation. With a large presidential seal overhead and a row of flags lining the stage, Obama reflected on his eight years in the White House, talked about the future of the country, and said “thank you” to the American people.

“You were the change. You answered people’s hopes, and because of you America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started,” Obama said to a crowd of about 18,000, just ten days before Donald Trump is sworn into office as the country’s 45th president.

SHUA LOTT—AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Around 18,000 people gathered at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois, to hear Barack Obama’s presidential farewell speech.  

The appreciation and gratitude in the room was mutual. Audience members cheered, broke into applause, and chanted “Four more years! Four more years!” during the speech. Obama was spirited at times and tearful at others.

A Call to Action

While much of Obama’s address was optimistic, appreciative, and celebratory, the president also acknowledged that the country faces certain threats. In his speech, Obama warned of closed-mindedness, economic inequality, and racism as threats to the American political system.

“Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift. But it’s really just a piece of parchment,” Obama said. “It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. We, the people, give it meaning — with our participation, and with the choices that we make and the alliances that we forge.”

When Obama spoke these words, he was only the tenth U.S. president to deliver a formal goodbye, according to author Gleaves Whitney.

America’s first-ever presidential farewell came from George Washington, in 1796. It is one of the most influential statements in American political history. In his speech, Washington warned that political parties could become a threat to the country’s unity.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower also gave an influential farewell address, in 1961. In the face of the Cold War, he spoke about the importance of using American strength and power “in the interests of world peace and human betterment.”

Many farewell speeches given by past U.S. presidents have been significant because they say something about the era and the political climate in which they are given. They also give important advice for the future of American political relations. Obama, in his speech, emphasized the importance of taking action in order to preserve American democracy.

“For all of our outward differences, we all share the same proud title: Citizen,” Obama said. “Ultimately, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there’s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.”

Looking Back and Ahead

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President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Malia Obama wave to the crowd after the president’s farewell address. 

As the president wrapped up his speech, he turned his attention back to his eight years in office. Obama thanked the people who helped him during his time in the White House. Forcing back tears, he praised First Lady Michelle Obama and his daughters, Malia and Sasha. Obama also thanked vice president Joe Biden, as well as members of his staff.

“I leave this stage tonight even more optimistic about this country than when we started,” Obama concluded. “Because I know our work has not only helped so many Americans, it has inspired so many Americans—especially so many young people out there—to believe that you can make a difference.”

Finally, Obama assured Americans that he would spend the rest of his life working alongside them to make a difference. As he stepped away from the podium, Obama spoke some familiar words: “Yes, we can. Yes, we did. Yes, we can.” It was the same chant that energized his supporters when he was first elected, in 2009.

Do you think President Obama did a good job as president? Why or why not.

An Unlucky Day?

Find out why Friday the 13th is often thought to be bring bad luck

GETTY IMAGES

The superstition that stepping on a sidewalk crack is unlucky causes some people to carefully watch how they walk.

Beware of Friday the 13th! Many people think the day is unlucky. As legend has it, you should try not to break any mirrors, walk under a ladder, or even spill any salt. Why?

Folklore historians say it’s tough to pinpoint how the tradition came to be. Many believe it has religious origins. In the Christian faith, there were 13 guests at the table for the Last Supper, which was held the day before the Friday on which Jesus died. “You are reestablishing two things that were connected to that terrible event,” Dr. Phil Stevens, an associate professor of anthropology at the University at Buffalo, tells TIME. “The number 13 became a problematic number because of the number of people at that table during that fateful event,” Stevens says.

A Widespread Worry

Now, Friday the 13th has become a cultural wonder. Many Americans avoid the number 13 all together including hotel rooms and airplane seat assignments. Some event venues even charge couples less to get married on the day. There are many other theories of how the luckless day came to be. Simon Bronner, a professor of American studies and folklore at Pennsylvania State University, believes Friday the 13th is a way for people to pin their bad luck to a certain cause. But, there’s nothing special about the date itself. After all, the number 13 is even considered lucky in some countries, like Italy.

“It may be a case of religious folklore that rose to explain a belief. Psychologists treat [the fear of Friday the 13th] as real, but my sense is that…it’s something to blame. I think it was a constructed belief,” Bronner, 62, says.

Still, whether people choose to avoid black cats or tiptoe around sidewalk cracks on Friday the 13th, Stevens notes that it’s important not to mock other people’s beliefs about the day. “Sometimes they are deeply rooted cultural fears,” he says. “You can insult somebody by making fun of it. Some people have deep cultural taboos that you cannot change by denying them.”

Do you think Friday the 13th is an unlucky day? Why or why not.

Helpful Honeybees

TFK Kid Reporter Mia Muniz learns about a sweet mission at SeaWorld Orlando

COURTESY MUNIZ FAMILY

TFK Kid Reporter Mia Muniz learns how honeybees are helping heal marine animals at SeaWorld Orlando.

I used to run away in fear when I heard the buzzing of a bee. But after spending a day at SeaWorld Orlando in Florida and getting up close and personal with these insects, bees seem less intimidating to me.

SeaWorld is on a mission to help bees. It brings these insects to the park, where they are used to help heal injured animals such as turtles and manatees. While at the park, I also found out why bees are important and how to collect honey.

Meeting the Bees

After I arrived at the theme park, Mark Russell, the animal park’s director of horticulture, introduced me to a swarm bucket. A swarm bucket is what SeaWorld uses as a safe temporary habitat for honeybees. Once the bees are safely in the swarm bucket, the bucket is transported to SeaWorld’s bee yard.

COURTESY MUNIZ FAMILY

Mark Russell, the park’s director of horticulture, shows off a bottle of honey collected from honeybees at SeaWorld Orlando.

At the bee yard, Russell had me suit up in a special suit to protect me from any stings. I was a bit nervous but Russell explained that bees are not naturally aggressive. “They are defensive in certain situations,” he said. “They will defend their colony and brood, but it’s not aggression and they won’t actively go after somebody.” Once I suited up, Russell then demonstrated how to use a smoker. A smoker is a tool that uses the smoke of burning wood to calm down the bees. The bees sense the smoke and begin to slowly move out of the hive. This made it easy to get up close and personal with the bees.

SeaWorld started working with honeybees in 2014. By relocating the bees, SeaWorld is contributing to worldwide bee pollination and conservation efforts. These efforts aim to ensure that bees continue to thrive and pollinate plants that bear fruits, vegetables and nuts for humans to eat. Since 2014, swarm buckets at SeaWorld have helped save 52 honeybee swarms, or more than 1 million honeybees, according to Russell.

Kid Reporter

Mia Muniz

SeaWorld has a special location where they extract honey from the comb. With some help from Russell, I was able to decap a fresh comb. Decapping honey is when a thin layer of wax is removed from the comb in order to get to the honey. The honey is extracted using an extracting machine. After bottling up some honey, we met with Dr. Lara Croft to learn about how this honey is helping heal injured marine animals at the park.

The Healing Power of Honey

Dr. Croft is a senior veterinarian at SeaWorld. According to Dr. Croft, honey is used regularly to treat injured animals. Not only is honey sweet, it also holds healing properties, which helps treat injuries such as cuts. “Honey has an antibacterial agent that works really well on wounds,” she said. “It promotes healing by sealing in the good tissue fluid that has enzymes and proteins." The honey extracted at SeaWorld is kept refrigerated for about two weeks before it is ready to be used by the veterinarians. The raw honey is helping to heal fractured turtle shells, as well as sea birds with skin lacerations and manatees that have been struck by boats.

COURTESY MUNIZ FAMILY

Dr. Lara Croft, a veterinarian at SeaWorld, and her staff demonstrate how honey is applied to the fractured shell of a rescued sea turtle. Once healed, the turtle will be returned to the ocean.

Dr. Croft offered a first hand look at one of her current patients, an injured sea turtle with a crushed shell. She used the honey to coat the wounds and said that after a month or so they hoped this sea turtle would heal and be ready to head back out into the ocean.

Contrary to what many may believe, I found out from my trip to SeaWorld that honeybees are not simply waiting around to sting people. They perform a task that is vital to our ecosystem and survival. They help keep plants and crops alive and the honey produced has many healing properties. No wonder bees are always busy working!

So how can we help protect the honeybee population? According to Russell one simple way is to be careful when using pesticides, as it could be toxic to the bees and plants they extract nectar from. Starting a garden is also a great way to help, “Planting plants that bees like is a great way to help pollinators like bees,” Russell added. Make sure to remember everything bees do the next time you have the urge to squash one!

How do honey bees help people? What should we do to help them?

An End to the “Greatest Show on Earth”

MICHAEL S. WILLIAJSON—THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES

An End to the “Greatest Show on Earth”

After 146 years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is closing forever. Its final show will take place at the Nassau County Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on May 21. Declining attendance, high operating costs, and battles with animal rights groups have caused what is called ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ to come to an end. “This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family,” said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. The Feld family bought the Ringling circus in 1967. The Felds say their existing animals — lions, tigers, camels, donkeys, alpacas, kangaroos, and llamas — will go to suitable homes. The company will also continue operating the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation. The Ringling Bros. circus and its exotic animals, flashy costumes and death-defying acrobats has been a part of American culture since the mid-1800s. The circus emerged out of P.T. Barnum’s popular traveling group of animals and human oddities. Barnum eventually joined with the five Ringling brothers, who performed skits in their home base of Wisconsin. The troupes grew and traveled across the U.S. by train, becoming routine family entertainment by the mid-1900s. But by the 21st century, the circus had a tough time competing with new kinds of entertainment — like video games and smartphones. "We tried all these different things to see what would work, and supported it with a lot of funding as well,” Feld said. “We weren't successful in finding the solution," said Kenneth Feld.

Have you ever been to a circus? Do you think circuses should have animals performing? Why or why not

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Photograph by Donald Uhrbrock, Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1929, never backed down in his stand against racism. He dedicated his life to achieving equality and justice for all Americans of all colors. King believed that peaceful refusal to obey unjust law was the best way to bring about social change.

HISTORY AND CULTURE

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. REMEMBERED - EP. 1

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth home still stands in Atlanta, Georgia. King experienced racial prejudice early in life. Segregation was both law and custom in the South and other parts of America.

Photograph courtesy the Library of Congress

Photograph by Ben Martin, Time Life Pictures/Getty Images 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King lead demonstrators on the fourth day of their march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

King was arrested several times during his lifetime. In 1960, he joined black college students in a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter. Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy interceded to have King released from jail, an action that is credited with helping Kennedy to be elected President.

Photograph by Horace Cort

Photograph by Julian Wasser, Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks to a large crowd. King, raised in a family of well-off preachers, is considered one of the greatest speakers in American history.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. waves to supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. during the "March on Washington." There, he delivered the "I Have a Dream" speech, which boosted public support for civil rights.

Photograph by AFP, Getty Images

Photograph courtesy Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed racial segregation in publicly-owned facilities. Here, President Lyndon B. Johnson shakes the hand of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the signing of the landmark piece of legislation.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, sit with three of their four children in their Atlanta, Georgia, home in 1963. His wife shared the same commitment to ending the racist system they had both grown up under.

Photograph courtesy Associated Press

Photograph courtesy Keystone/Getty Images

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received the Nobel Prize for Peace from Gunnar Jahn, president of the Nobel Prize Committee, in Oslo on December 10, 1964.

A large crowd of mourners follow the casket of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through the streets of Atlanta, Georgia. King was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968 on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. Americans honor the civil rights activist on the third Monday of January each year, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Do you think Dr. Martin Luther King's dream came true? Why or why not.

Photograph courtesy Hulton 

A Victory for Native Americans

Protesters march in North Dakota in September to oppose the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Alyssa Schukar/The New York Times

Jim McMahon

A teepee in the camp near Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Conditions there are getting rougher as winter brings snow and freezing temperatures.

Michael Nigro/Sipa via AP Images

Native Americans celebrate the decision of the U.S. government not to build the pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Nima Taradji/Polarisvia Newscom

A Victory for Native Americans

After months of protests by Native Americans, the U.S. government agrees to move a controversial oil pipeline.

BY SEAN PRICE

Since last April, thousands of Native Americans from tribes across the United States have gathered near Cannon Ball, North Dakota. They have put up tents and teepees, camping on the same land where many of their ancestors once lived. These tribes, joined by environmental activists, came to protest construction of a section of a huge new oil pipeline. Part of the pipeline’s 1,170-mile route was to travel under the Missouri River, just a half mile from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s reservation.

Protesters, led by members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, argued that the pipeline was a major threat to both the environment and their culture. They said that the pipeline was being contructed too close to the tribe’s source of drinking water. They feared that a break in the pipeline would poison the water. In addition, the pipeline was being built through land the tribe considers sacred.

On Sunday, the protesters won a huge victory. The U.S. government said that it would no longer allow the pipeline to run under the Missouri River near Standing Rock land. The government said that it will look for other paths for the project.

Jon Eagle Sr. is a member of the Standing Rock tribe. On Sunday he thanked everyone who joined in the protest. “I don’t know quite how to put into words how proud I am of our people,” he told The New York Times. “I don’t just mean the indigenous (native) people of this continent. I mean all the people who came to stand with us.”

TAKING A STAND

The Standing Rock protest started off small. But the protesters’ camp grew quickly, as people from at least 90 native tribes arrived to show their support. Non-indigenous people came too. Many of them want the U.S. to rely less on fossil fuels like oil because burning such fuels pollutes the air.

Thousands of U.S. military veterans had also joined the protests. Some of them say they came to protect people from law enforcement officers, who have clashed with the demonstrators. Police have used tear gas on crowds and sprayed protesters with hoses, even as temperatures dropped below freezing. Law enforcement officers say they were responding to violence and threats. The protesters have denied doing anything threatening and insist that they have been peaceful.

PIPELINE CONTROVERSY

The pipeline, officially known as the Dakota Access Pipeline, is already more than halfway finished. It was designed to move oil from North Dakota to Illinois. Currently, most oil is shipped out of North Dakota on trains. Supporters of the project say a pipeline is a safer, cheaper, and faster way to transport oil. Energy Transfer Partners of Texas, the company building the pipeline, says the pipeline poses no threat to the water supply, and it claims to have followed all the proper procedures to build it.

“For more than three years now, Dakota Access Pipeline has done nothing but play by the rules,” the company said in a statement released on Sunday. It also pointed out that construction projects like pipelines create jobs.

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has challenged the oil company’s claims about the pipeline’s safety. Last summer, the tribe sued the U.S. government to stop the oil pipeline or change its route. The suit argues that the tribe was not properly consulted on the plan for the pipeline. The Army Corps of Engineers, a part of the U.S. Army, is in charge of many large building projects, including the pipeline. By law, any government agency working on a construction project has to consult with native peoples if the project is close to areas of religious or cultural significance to them.

In September, President Barack Obama’s administration ordered a stop to construction until the Army Corps of Engineers could revisit the arguments in this case. The agency ruled on Sunday that the pipeline could not be built near the Standing Rock reservation. Its decision that an alternate path for the pipeline should be found could stall the project for months.

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Though the decision is a major victory for the demonstrators, not everyone is happy about it. Many people, including some Republican leaders, support building the pipeline through the disputed area. President-elect Donald Trump is one of them. When Trump takes over as president in January, he could work to reverse the Corps’ decision.

For many protesters, Sunday’s ruling meant that they wouldn’t need to stay out in the bitter cold in North Dakota all winter. But some say they are staying where they are, or will certainly be back, because the future still feels so uncertain.

“This is a temporary celebration. I think this is just a rest,” Charlotte Bad Cob, a protester from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, told Reuters, a news service. “With a new government, it could turn and we could be at it again.”

Sometimes people disagree. Do you think this was a good way to handle their disagreement? why or why not.

Remembering Astronaut John Glenn

Astronaut John Glenn in front of the Friendship 7 capsule, in which he orbited Earth in 1962

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Astronaut John Glenn climbs into the Friendship 7 capsule in preparation for his flight to space in 1962

NASA

Senator John Glenn (right) with the space shuttle Discovery crew before the launch on October 29, 1998.

Keith Meyers/The New York Times/Redux Pictures

U.S. President Barack Obama awards former U.S. Senator John Glenn the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House on May 29, 2012.

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Remembering Astronaut John Glenn

The famous astronaut died yesterday at age 95. He was an American hero of the space age.

BY SEAN PRICE

Millions of Americans are mourning the death of astronaut John Glenn, who passed away on Thursday. Glenn was 95. He rose to fame in 1962, when he became the first American to orbit (circle) Earth in a spaceship. The journey made him an American hero and the face of a successful new space program that made Americans proud. Glenn later served in Congress for 24 years as a U.S. senator from Ohio.

Glenn was known for his modesty, refusing to see himself as a hero. He preferred to focus on his work, saying, “If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet, it’s that the happiest and most fulfilled people I’ve known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest.”

SOARING TO GREAT HEIGHTS

Glenn, born in 1921, grew up in the small town of New Concord, Ohio. He started his flying career as a fighter pilot for the U.S. Marine Corps. He won medals for his brave service in World War II (1939-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). After that, Glenn took a dangerous job as a Marine Corps test pilot, flying new planes to see if they were safe. In 1957, he set an air-speed record by flying from Los Angeles to New York in less than three-and-a-half hours.

In the late 1950s, a “space race” began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. (That nation broke up into several countries in the early 1990s. Russia is the largest former Soviet republic.) Both countries wanted to be the first to send a human into space, including to the moon. In 1959, Glenn became one of seven test pilots chosen to take part in the U.S.’s first space program.

The Soviet Union won the race to get to space first. In 1961, it became the first nation to send a person into space when a Russian astronaut (called a cosmonaut), Yuri Gagarin, orbited Earth. But the space race was not over yet. Glenn’s chance to go into space came on February 20, 1962. By that time, another American, Alan B. Shepard, had flown in space, but he had not orbited Earth. Glenn’s flight was aired live on television and radio. Americans everywhere stopped to watch.

Glenn’s Friendship 7 capsule circled the planet three times. A faulty instrument led Glenn to believe the capsule might burn up on its return to Earth, but in the end, it splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean.

Glenn’s flight showed that the U.S. space program was as good as the Soviet Union’s. He became an instant hero. Cities across the country threw parades for him, and President John F. Kennedy invited him to the White House.

A LIFE OF SERVICE

In 1974, Glenn was elected to Congress as a senator from Ohio. He would serve there until 1999 and was well-respected by other senators. Glenn also ran for president in 1984 as a Democrat, but his campaign did not get enough support and he dropped out of the race.

Glenn returned to space on October 29, 1998, when he was 77. He spent nine days on the space shuttle Discovery. Glenn went so that scientists could study the effects of space travel on older people. He holds the record for being the oldest person in space.

In recent years, Glenn’s achievements were recognized with awards like the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

“John spent his life breaking barriers,” said President Barack Obama on Thursday. The president also praised Glenn for inspiring future leaders in space exploration. Obama said they are the “scientists, engineers, and astronauts who will take us to Mars and beyond—not just to visit, but to stay.”

Have you ever dreamed on being an astronaut? Do you think it would be something you want to try? Why or why not

A Furry Farewell

Panda twins Mei Lun and Mei Huan enjoy a snack at Zoo Atlanta last year.

Wang Lei/Xinhua/Alamy

Jim McMahon

The twin pandas at 4 months old, playing at Zoo Atlanta.

Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jason Getz/ AP Photo

Giant pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China

Imaginechina via AP Photo

A Furry Farewell

A pair of panda twins leaves the U.S. for China.

BY JOE BUBAR

Last month, a plane took off from Atlanta, Georgia, carrying two unusual passengers: twin giant panda cubs. The pandas, Mei Lun and Mei Huan (may loon and may hwaan), were being sent to their new home in China. The 3-year-old sisters were born at Zoo Atlanta, but like all pandas, they actually belong to China.

In the wild, giant pandas live only in the bamboo forests of China. The Chinese government loans pandas to zoos around the world, including four zoos in the U.S. The zoos pay about $500,000 each year to borrow each panda. As part of the deal, all pandas born in another country are sent to China by the time they turn 4 years old. The Chinese government says it uses the money it gets from loaning out the bears for research and protection of panda habitats (the places where animal species usually live).

POWER TO THE PANDAS

Giant pandas have long been considered one of the most threatened species on Earth. Years of logging and clearing forests to build farms and roads wiped out much of the supply of bamboo, their favorite food.

But conservation (protection) efforts in China have helped the panda population recover. Today, China has 67 panda reserves, which protect about two-thirds of all pandas in the wild. In September, the white-and-black bears were taken off the endangered species list. Still, only about 2,000 giant pandas remain in the wild.

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Mei Lun and Mei Huan are the first twin pandas ever sent from the U.S. to China. The pandas’ “luggage” for their long flight included 375 pounds of bamboo and 8 gallons of water.

Their new home is the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in central China. There, they will be part of a breeding program to help increase the panda population. “We’re very proud to see two more Atlanta-born giant pandas go to join such an important program,” the president of Zoo Atlanta, Raymond B. King, said in a statement.

The twins will be joined by another American-born panda, Bao Bao (bow bow), within the next few months. The 3-year-old female cub currently lives at the National Zoo, in Washington, D.C.

Do you think it is a good idea to loan the panda bears out for money? Why or why not