Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

Are people on the South Pole walking upside down from the rest of the world? – Ralph P., U.S.

When I was standing at the South Pole, I felt the same way I feel anywhere on ...Read more

Two hurricanes churning in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico are sending high surf toward Southern California that will overlap with unusually high tides, bringing hazards for beachgoers and possible coastal flooding.

The hurricanes, Polo and Odalys, are not expected to make landfall in California, and only isolated showers are forecasted in parts ...Read more

The proposed permanent U.S. military base in Poland, dubbed Fort Trump, will cost as much as 17 billion zloty ($4.4 billion) and could open as early as in 2029, according to a report from newspaper Rzeczpospolita.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in New York this week that Poland, a NATO member and a front-line state to Russia’s...Read more

Brazil’s government extended measures to contain rising fuel prices, ensuring continued relief for consumers ahead of the presidential election’s first round on Oct. 4.

The Finance Ministry ordinance ensures that a diesel fuel subsidy totaling 2.12 reais ($0.41) per liter — which was scheduled to expire Saturday — will last at least ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — SpaceX has not launched from Florida since mid-September, but is planning two big missions on the same day next week with the launches of Crew-13 to the International Space Station and the NROL-97 mission on the powerhouse Falcon Heavy.

With both missions targeting Oct.1 liftoffs, it would also mark a first for the Space Coast...Read more

DENVER — Residents and businesses in Boulder have lost power six times since Aug. 20 as the city and county grapple with the threat of wildfires and an aging electrical infrastructure.

The frequent outages are indicative of an ongoing problem throughout Xcel Energy’s electrical transmission system, and state regulators are asking tough ...Read more

NEW YORK — The powerful early-season nor’easter that pounded the East Coast Saturday downed trees and flooded New York City streets and roadways as it unleashed heavy rain and powerful winds across the five boroughs.

The worst of the storm, though, was expected Saturday evening starting around 8 p.m. as a state of emergency was declared for...Read more

BOSTON — After heavy rain and gusty winds washed out Saturday, meteorologists say the worst of the nor’easter has yet to come in Massachusetts, cautioning Bay Staters to keep their guard up.

The Cape and Islands, South Coast and South Shore have all taken the brunt of the multiday storm so far, with thousands of households and businesses in...Read more

California is facing a potentially multibillion-dollar flood threat as El Niño gathers strength in the Pacific Ocean.

The warming El Niño phenomenon tends to unleash powerful storms in the Pacific, including atmospheric rivers, some of which are named the “Pineapple Express” if they originate near Hawaii. The heaviest rains tend to come ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she spoke with Donald Trump about this week’s U.S.-China summit in Washington, and touted the “unshakable” bond between the two allies.

Takaichi said Trump called her “right after” hosting a state visit for Chinese leader Xi Jinping and gave her a “detailed” debrief. The ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is planning to release new fuel efficiency mandates on Monday that would ease more stringent rules implemented under President Joe Biden.

President Donald Trump pitched the changes, which he announced in December, as a way to boost the domestic auto industry and lower consumer costs. He made the original ...Read more

NEW YORK — The powerful early-season nor’easter that pounded the East Coast Saturday downed trees and flooded New York City streets and roadways as it unleashed heavy rain and powerful winds across the five boroughs.

The worst of the storm, though, was expected Saturday evening starting around 8 p.m. as a state of emergency was declared for...Read more

Prince Harry made good on a promise he gave to a 102-year-old World War II veteran by jumping out of a plane over Canada.

Harry met former paratrooper Ed Marshall at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto in November, according to the Sunnybrook Foundation.

Marshall told the royal during his visit that he celebrated his 100th birthday by skydiving. ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The ocean is officially closed.

That’s the message from the Ocean City Fire Department as rough weather brought high winds, heavy surf and flooding to the resort Saturday.

The department issued an ocean safety alert Saturday morning because of dangerous conditions along the beach. Details of the closure were not immediately ...Read more

China agreed to import at least 10 million metric tons of coal from the U.S. next year and again in 2028, according to the White House, in a sign of progress in easing trade frictions.

The two sides will also pursue more favorable tariffs on $30 billion of nonsensitive goods as part of an agreement struck under the Board of Trade, the U.S. said...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford who spoke eloquently about his struggles with addiction and mental health, entered the mansion-like sober living home in an elite section of Santa Monica on Saturday night.

The next morning, he was found dead of what police said was a drug overdose.

His death has brought much...Read more

LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed legislation that seeks to remove abused and neglected animals from crowded municipal shelters during their owners' criminal cases, according to the bill's backers.

Assembly Bill 2344 by Assemblymember Matt Haney, a Democrat, declares animals seized in cruelty criminal cases "...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — It was a bad year for Bogus Basin.

By New Year’s Eve, the Boise-area recreation area had received only about 2 feet of natural snowfall, forcing it to increase its production of artificial snow by 120% compared with the previous season. Amid high temperatures, most winter precipitation fell as rain instead of snow — and the...Read more

President Donald Trump said Saturday he rejected a deal from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Saudi Arabia’s capital came under attack from Yemen’s Houthis over the weekend.

“They made a proposal but I rejected it,” Trump said as he departed the White House on Saturday. “They want to make a deal where they open the strait ...Read more

CHICAGO — More than three weeks have passed since the last beluga whales were transported from a shuttered marine park in Canada to Shedd Aquarium and other facilities across the U.S. and Spain. The dramatic rescues involved lifting the whales with cranes and flying them across international borders.

But since then, five belugas have died: ...Read more