AIs learn Droidspeak; The Reef’s coral crisis; Portuguese hamsters on the run; and a cool raccoon raises autism awareness.

Your daily kids news podcast. The Great Barrier Reef is in trouble—scientists report coral bleaching is taking a toll. But there's a win for underwater wonders: the world’s largest coral, over 300 years old, has been found near the Solomon Islands. Listen to our Shortcut on The Great Barrier Reef. A plane in Portugal was delayed for four days after 132 hamsters chewed through their cages and scurried loose. Workers had to track down the tiny troublemakers before takeoff. Carl the raccoon is PBS Kids’ first lead character on the autism spectrum! He’s teaching viewers about neurodiversity while solving everyday challenges with his friends. Listen to our Shortcut that's All About Autism. Microsoft’s “Droidspeak” lets AIs chat using a mathematical code, speeding up problem-solving by almost three times! For the full episode transcript, click here. Check out the Squiz Kids website for all of our other Fun, Free and Fresh offerings! What is Newshounds - video explainer. Find out more about Newshounds. Get started for free HERE.