04.27.2026

0:00The sun is out, temps are rising, and that means it's getting tougher to focus on the academic finish line. Let IXL help. The online platform, trusted by millions of kids and parents, makes tackling the last months of the school year fun and rewarding. Keep your student engaged and encouraged with celebrations, awards, and visible progress markers across social studies, science, reading, and math. Take an impact on your child's learning, get IXL now. Kid news listeners can get an exclusive 20% off an IXL membership when they sign up today at IXL.com slash kid news. Visit IXL.com slash kid news to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Good morning and welcome to Kid News. I'm Tori. Today is Monday, April 27th, 2026, and we begin with the U.S. rolling out the red carpet for Britain's Royals.

1:00Just as soon as King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in Washington, D.C. today, the pomp, pageantry, and parties begin. Tomorrow, a combination of business and history. The couple will be greeted at the White House with a military arrival ceremony followed by an inspection of the troops that includes 500 members of the U.S. armed forces from all six military branches. Afterwards, King Charles will become only the second British royal to address a joint session of Congress. The first was his mom, Queen Elizabeth II, back in 1991. That'll be followed by a formal state dinner at the White House before the King and Queen head to New York City Wednesday to meet with families of 9-11 victims ahead of the 25th anniversary of that attack later this year. The King's visit almost didn't happen and it may look a bit different than it was supposed to. Saturday night's threat against President Trump at the D.C. correspondence dinner now has Buckingham Palace taking another look at the King's security while he's in town.

2:03On top of that, British lawmakers were already pushing for him to cancel the trip entirely because of the mess with Iran. The U.S. and Great Britain are not seeing eye-to-eye on the conflict, and top lawmakers in England thought the King should sit out the visit to send a message. Clearly, he came anyway. The war meantime goes on. Plan peace talks over the weekend didn't happen. President Trump canceled a plan trip by negotiators. The ceasefire, however, is still an effect. It was a feat once thought impossible, and now it's happened not once, but twice in the same race. In London yesterday, Kenya's Sebastian saw it became the first person to ever cross the finish line of a competitive marathon in under two hours. His official time, one hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. An Ethiopian athlete remarkably running his first marathon was hot on his heels, and also pulled him below two hours, just 11 seconds behind Sebastian.

3:03As former London race winner Paula Radcliffe said on the BBC, the goalposts have literally just moved from marathon running. Once in a mascot, plenty of you live in the town of Lennox, Massachusetts. At issue, whether the high school should keep its long-time, Lennox Millionaire's identity, or throw it on the scrap heap, age seems to play a big part in picking sides, older folks who appreciate the town's history as a magnet for the wealthy want to keep it. While younger bucks say the mascot, which looks like Mr. Monopoly, complete with top hat and cane, is nothing short of embarrassing, especially at game time. As varsity soccer player Lauren Bridges told The Wall Street Journal, it just makes it seem like we think we're superior to other people. According to local papers, the mocking and maybe the debate goes back at least 100 years, but now it's up for a vote, or maybe two. If students and their families decide overwhelmingly to give Mr. Monopoly the old shoe, then the journal

4:04reports the vote may expand to the entire town. When it comes to setting precedence, Taylor Swift remains in the league of her own. The pop star just topped Spotify's first-ever list of most-streamed artists of all time, a close-second, bad bunny, followed by Drake, the most-streamed song of all time, blinding lights by the weekend, an album Marano Sinti by Bad Bunny. The release was time to celebrate Spotify's 20th anniversary last week. The company was founded in Sweden back in 2006, and, according to the Associated Press, accounts for 31 percent of the streaming market. Still to come, why it'd be awfully hard to top the ride some Kansas kids took to the prom? But first we want to recognize some of our dedicated kid news donors, Crystal Chavez of Phoenix, Arizona, Amy Smith from Lafayette, California, Deborah Elliott of Bryn Mar, Pennsylvania,

5:05Francesca Wernish from North Palm Beach, Florida. Thank you for supporting us on our mission. Now, today's kid news quiz. Which British royals are spending the next few days in the U.S.? King Charles and Queen Camilla. What major athletic feat happened not once, but twice over the weekend? A runner finished a competitive marathon in under two hours. What U.S. town is trying to ditch its millionaire's high school mascot. Lennox, Massachusetts. According to Spotify, who are the top three most streamed artists of all time? Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and Drake.

6:06In today's kid news kicker, for some people, prom is as much about the ride as it is about the date. And if that's the measuring stick, some seamen high school students and Kansas hit the jackpot. They saw an Oscar-meyer winner mobile at a NASCAR event and had the wherewithal to ask if they could use it for their prom. The head honcho hotdoggers talked about it, did some weenie swapping, and made it happen. The 27-foot-long Festive Frank rolled up for pre-prong pictures, then chauffeured five lucky students and their dates all the way to the door of the dance in what they dubbed their limo weenie. It was almost as exciting for the hotdogger at the wheel. I'll never forget the smiles of the friends and their parents as I piloted the weenie mobile down their driveway. Meatloaf Maggie told people, safe to say, it was a ride relished by all involved. Before we go, shout-outs to our terrific teachers, Mr. Stevens and his students at Woodward Middle School in Woodward, Oklahoma. Ms. Love it, her kids and Carlos the Koki at Munoz Moran in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

7:08Mrs. Barr and her pulse and pirates at Pulse and High School in Pulse and Montana. Mrs. Gordon and her Wildcats at Marmoton Valley in Moran, Kansas. And Mr. Weasner at his fourth grade, giant Capibaras and fifth grade screaming pencils who are galloping toward greatness spreading smiles and shining every day. Thanks for listening. A friendly reminder that kid news is a nonprofit that survives and thrives on your generosity. If circumstances allow, please consider making a tax deductible donation on our website kidnews.org. Have a great day. We'll see you back here for more kid news tomorrow morning.