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Today’s Pulse rundown
Diphtheria
Transcript: What happens when a community teams up to stop a sickness? In Australia's Northern Territory, the government reports that cases of diphtheria are finally declining. Health Minister Steve Edgington says there have been 163 cases during this unusual outbreak. To fight back, health workers launched a massive campaign, and in just the last seven weeks, 10,000 vaccines went into arms! Because of this fantastic effort, new reports dropped from 22 each week down to just nine cases in the past seven days. While officials say they are far from out of the woods, the quick action is keeping people safe. Next time you get a shot, remember you are helping protect your whole town!
Tiny Octopus
Transcript: Imagine finding a brand-new animal that is the size of a golf ball! Scientists at the Field Museum officially identified a new species of tiny blue octopus. It was first spotted during a 2015 deep-sea expedition nearly 6,000 feet underwater near Darwin Island in the Galápagos Islands. Researchers only had one specimen, so they could not cut it open to study its mouth and beak. Instead, they used a special machine. CT scanning works by combining thousands of X-ray images into a detailed 3D model that reveals both the exterior and internal anatomy of an object without physically cutting into it! This let scientists safely look inside the rare creature. What would you name a tiny blue octopus?
CERN Particle
Transcript: How do scientists study things that are completely invisible? Physicists with the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN just observed a rare, excited particle called a Bc*+ meson. They found it by smashing protons together at high speeds inside the Large Hadron Collider. Because the particle is unstable, the Bc*+ quickly decays into a Bc+ meson and a photon. Then, that photon converts into an electron-positron pair within the ATLAS tracking detector, leaving behind closely spaced charged-particle tracks! By following those tiny tracks, scientists proved the original particle was really there. This discovery helps experts understand the strong nuclear force that holds our universe together. If you could shrink down to the size of an atom, what would you explore?
Spelling Bee
Transcript: Could you spell the hardest words in the dictionary under pressure? The 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee is happening this week in Washington! The famous competition started back in 1925. Today, 247 spellers from all 50 states and several other countries are competing for the championship at Constitution Hall. To enter, kids must be in the 8th grade or younger and cannot be older than 15. They face a written test, and the top 100 advance to spell out loud at the microphone. If the final two spellers are tied, they might even face a lightning-fast spell-off! The winner takes home a custom trophy and $52,500 in cash. What is the longest word you know how to spell?
Pope Leo Encyclical
Transcript: What does the leader of the Catholic Church think about artificial intelligence? On Monday, Pope Leo XIV released a massive 42,000-word letter at the Vatican. The document focuses on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence. He met with tech companies like Google and Anthropic before publishing it. The Pope is not rejecting technology. Instead, he is calling for limits on AI so it does not dominate humanity. He wants to make sure that human dignity always comes first, especially when computers affect jobs, schools, and safety. He warned against putting profit ahead of people. Next time you use a smart computer, remember that real people matter most!
Dinosaur Fossil
Transcript: Did you know that ostrich-like dinosaurs once roamed the ancient beaches of North America? Paleontologists from the University of Toronto described a rare dinosaur tail bone found on Denman Island in British Columbia, Canada. The fossil was actually collected back in August 1999, but researchers recently published their findings in the journal FACETS. The bone belongs to an ornithomimosaur that lived between 80 and 75 million years ago. These fast-running creatures had long legs and toothless beaks, and could sprint up to 60 kilometers per hour! Dr. David Evans says this is only the second reported occurrence of dinosaur skeletal material from the Nanaimo Group of rocks. What ancient creature would you want to race?
Memorial Day
Transcript: Why do we celebrate Memorial Day with parades and picnics? Every year on the last Monday of May, Americans pause to remember the military service members who died. The holiday started after the Civil War, which took place between 1861 and 1865. Originally called Decoration Day, the first national observance happened in 1868 when people decorated graves with flowers. Over time, the tradition grew. In 1971, the government officially moved the holiday to a Monday to create a three-day weekend. Today, families still visit places like Arlington National Cemetery to pay their respects, while also enjoying the unofficial start of summer. Next time you enjoy a long holiday weekend, remember the history behind it!
BTS at AMAs
Transcript: How do you open a massive award show when you are traveling the world? On Monday, the superstar band BTS kicked off the 2026 American Music Awards! Because the group is busy with a four-night concert run at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, they could not perform live on the main stage. Instead, RM, Jin, and the rest of the band pre-filmed an incredible performance of their song Hooligan right from their tour stage! Surrounded by fog and red lights, they sang, "Watch this, watch this beat going hooligan." Later in the night, the band actually showed up in person to hand an award to the singer SZA. If you could watch any band perform live, who would it be?
Star Wars Box Office
Transcript: Are you ready to travel back to a galaxy far, far away? The brand-new movie The Mandalorian and Grogu just had a massive opening weekend! Disney reports the film earned an estimated $165 million globally. This is the first Star Wars film to play in theaters in seven years! The movie continues the story of the famous bounty hunter played by Pedro Pascal and his tiny green friend. Fans absolutely loved it, giving it an 89 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Kids under the age of 13 gave it a perfect 5/5 rating on exit polls! The huge turnout proves that people still love watching space adventures on the big screen. If you had a spaceship, what planet would you visit first?
Power Banks
Transcript: Did you know the portable charger in your backpack could be dangerous on an airplane? The Civil Aviation Authority in the UK is warning travelers about power banks. Last week, an EasyJet flight heading to London Luton had to divert to Rome because a passenger packed a charger in their checked luggage! The agency says lithium-ion batteries overheating poses serious fire risks. To stay safe, there is a basic set of international rules. You must keep chargers in your carry-on bag, and you should absolutely do not charge the power bank itself while flying, because that makes them really hot! Next time you pack for a trip, remember to keep your batteries close by.