Summer Recap: Sun Selfies, Political Mayhem, and More

Episode

Aug 28

Written By Tracy Kaplan

10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 601

1. Snapshots of the Sun 📸

2. Summer Storms ⛈️

3. Big, Beautiful Bill Passes 📜

4. Town Takeovers 🚔

5. The Snack Wrap is Back 😋

6. New Barbie on the Block 👱‍♀️

7. Taylor Swift's Newest Era 💍💿

8. A Grand Slam Moment 🎾

9. Esports World Cup Recap 🏆

10. New Video Game Loading... 🎮

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TRANSCRIPT

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO - DAY

<SFX door opens>

PAM: Gooood morning, Ten News Studio! Happy first day back every–

<SFX controller and video game sounds>

RYAN: I did it Pam. I played more video games this Summer than I’ve ever played in my life. And I even just got to play a game that’s not even out yet!

PAM: Wow! Well, congrats on accomplishing your Summer goal! <SFX controller and video game sounds> But we should probably get to work, since it’s our first episode back–

RYAN: I hear you, Pam. But it’s technically still Summer, so I do have some gametime left…

PAM: Fair enough, so then how do you wanna do this?

RYAN: Well, I was thinking we could talk about the big stories that happened this Summer. In case you were having so much fun doing the things you love doing, so much so that you missed…everything. that. Happened…this summer.

PAM: That’s actually a great idea! Let’s do a Summer recap to kick off the first episode of Season 6! I’m Pamela Kirkland.

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard. It’s Thursday, August 28th…

PAM: We are the Ten News and this is Ten Things You Need to Know about the Summer of 2025.

RYAN: Okay, the first thing you need to know is that science <SFX Science Intro underneath> showed us something we’ve never seen before…which could be called, the Sun’s bum bum. <SFX: Kid saying What?> The Sun’s south pole was seen for the first time EVER this summer, thanks to images captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft. The Solar Orbiter was launched by the European Space Agency and NASA in 2020 to study the Sun. It had a long way to travel and use a little help from Venus! The spacecraft used the planet’s gravity like a slingshot, <SFX: slingshot> and and flung itself to just 26 million miles away from the Sun. Although this seems far away, the temperature will reach about 500 degrees Celsius, or a scorching 932 degrees Fahrenheit. <SFX: burning or someone saying hot, hot > But not to worry, the spacecraft’s instruments are protected by a titanium heatshield to keep everything safe and working. Images released so far show a view of the Sun from an angle of 17 degrees below the solar equator, just enough to see a direct view of the Sun’s bum…I mean, the Sun’s south pole. Why is this cool? Scientists hope to gather data that will help explain the behavior of the Sun’s magnetic field, which flips direction every 1 Rai 1 years and drives powerful solar storms that can affect Earth, including satellites and power grids. And by 2029, the Orbiter will climb high enough to provide a clear view of both solar poles, giving us a deeper understanding of the Sun than ever before.

PAM: Summer isn’t always filled with sunshine; <SFX Weather or Not> Weather in July was wild! The United States had not one, not two, but FOUR storms that scientists called 1-in-1,000-year rainfall events. This means that the rainfall had about a 0.1% chance of happening in any given year…very rare! The first storm happened in Texas’s Hill Country. <SFX: storm> The Guadalupe River rose more than 20 feet in 90 minutes, taking the lives of at least 120 people and causing major floods. A few days later, on the East Coast, Tropical Storm Chantal caused extensive flooding across the central portion of North Carolina. A few places got almost 12 inches of rain in just 24 hours. <SFX: rain> In New Mexico, flash floods swept through the small mountain village of Ruidoso, causing the Ruidoso river to rise to a record-breaking 20 feet. And, lastly, Chicago received 5 inches of rain in just 90 minutes, turning streets into rivers. While there’s no exact cause for why these storms happened, experts believe that climate change is making them more common.

RYAN: <SFX Hail to the Chief?>From big weather to the Big, Beautiful Bill. President Trump’s spending and tax bill, coined the Big, Beautiful Bill, was signed into law on July 4th. But is it big and beautiful or a big ugly bill? The Senate approved the bill in a 51-50 vote, which required Vice President JD Vance to break the tie. <SFX: gavel> The bill was then approved by the House in a 218-214 vote before reaching the president’s desk. The bill is a whopping 887 pages long and will impact some programs like:

Medicaid: a government-sponsored health care program for low-income and disabled Americans. Work requirements for able-bodied adults will change, with more frequent checks to stay eligible.
Homeland security and immigration: Billions of dollars are going to be spent on more border wall construction, additional detention space for immigrants, and hiring, training more U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE agents.
Green Energy: Tax credits for Electric vehicles, home chargers, and energy-efficient upgrades are being rolled back, meaning taken away.
And public broadcasting: PBS stations had about $1.1B in funding taken away. PBS brings us shows like Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger, Donkey Hodie and Lyla in the Loop.

There are plenty of other changes to government spending and programs, and the effects of this bill will be felt for years to come.

PAM: Throughout the summer, immigration raids by ICE…and the nationwide protests against them…have been front and center. In June, President Trump sent 4,000 National Guard soldiers, and 700 marines to California to deal with protests over the ICE immigration raids that have led to thousands of arrests. California’s leaders pushed back saying they had things under control and the troop deployment was only making the situation worse. The troops were withdrawn by late July. But that wasn’t the end of it. In August, President Trump sent almost 2,000 National Guard troops to the US capitol, Washington DC. They were sent to support a federal crackdown on what President Trump calls, a quote ‘crime epidemic,’ That’s confusing because in January, the Department of Justice announced that violent crime last year was down 35%--the lowest it’s been in 30 years, according to data collected by the Metropolitan Police Department. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said she did not think the arrival of troops was about tackling crime, but a show of power by the President, and expressed concern about having quote “an armed militia in the nation’s capital.” Ten’ers are you in DC? We want to hear from you and what you think about seeing troops around the city. Send us a email at hello@thetennews.com or leave us a voicemail at 1-888-TEN-NEWS.

PAM: Okay let’s change things up <SFX badabababa> This Summer a McDonald’s classic made its way back on the menu by popular demand. That’s right, the Snack Wrap is back for good after 10 long years. While it’s not the original, it’s still pretty tasty and features one of the chain's newest items, a McCrispy Strip with shredded lettuce and shredded cheese wrapped in a tortilla and comes in two different flavors: spicy or ranch. The Snack Wrap was originally introduced to the McDonald’s menu in 2006 but was removed in 2016, leaving customers very disappointed. So disappointed that a Change.org petition was started in 2021, which received over 17,000 signatures, to bring it back to the menu.

RYAN: A petition with a lot of signatures can go a loooong way. I think I’m going to start a petition for a 4 day work week, so all businesses and schools have Fridays or Mondays off.

PAM: I don’t know if that will work, but you can certainly try!

RYAN: Let’s take a quick break so I can find my pen… <SFX: phone ring or some kind of bell> Hey ten’ers. It's me, Tracy, Leeds, Kaplan. I'm so excited that the show is back for our sixth season. We truly couldn't do this without you. And speaking of our wonderful listeners, it's now time for a special 10 new snaps for 10 of our donors, <SFX: big snaps> the Erica and Ben Good giving fund, Brian Barletta, Molly Beck, Keith and Amanda Wolf. Bill and Grace Gregor, Jen and v Charlie Grosso, the Goose Kaplan family. Hi Italian. Felix, Deb, Parsonson, family, and the Bentleys. Thank you all for your support and grownups. So can in grownups. We'd love to get to our full goal. We're already a quarter of the way there. From $5 to a hundred dollars, all gifts are appreciated and needed. Check out the link in our show notes for more info and thank you all for listening,

PAM: Aaaaaaand we are BACK. With a brand-new Barbie that’s never been made before! This summer, Mattel, the toy maker that makes the Barbie doll, made a big move by expanding its collection to include a doll with Type 1 diabetes. Mattel announced its newest addition on July 8th, 2025, saying that it not only lets children with Type 1 diabetes “see themselves in the doll, but also encourages play that extends outside of a child’s own lived experience.” What’s really special is that the doll is outfitted with realistic medical devices, including a glucose monitor attached to her arm and an insulin pump that’s attached to her waist. Here’s the science part: diabetes is a chronic condition where a person’s pancreas creates little to no insulin, the hormone that helps sugar (or glucose) from food get into your body’s cells where it’s broken down for energy. A glucose monitor helps people keep track of their sugar levels, and an insulin pump is a wearable device for delivering insulin into the body. According to the CDC, more than 18,000 people 20 years old and younger were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the United States last year. Thanks to Barbie, in partnership with nonprofit organization Breakthrough T1D, this new doll not only raises awareness of Type 1 diabetes but gives kids with diabetes the chance to see a doll that represents them!

RYAN: That is so cool, and a shoutout to all the kids that were at Camp Nejada this summer, which is a Summer camp for kids with Type 1 diabetes. a Ten’er I know named HAZEL, just got back from Camp Nejada and I gotta find one of those Barbies for her! Or maybe her grownups will.

PAM: Well for Hazel and a LOT of other people, the Summer of 2025 became a Swifty Summer when Taylor Swift revealed a brand-new era in a brand-new way. The popstar announced her 12th studio album on an episode of the sports podcast, New Heights, hosted by her boyfriend and the Kansas City Chiefs standout, Travis Kelce, and his brother and former Philadelphia Eagles center, Jason Kelce. On August 12, 2025, at 12:12 AM, Swift surprised Travis and Jason with a mint green briefcase that showcased her initials, containing her next album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” This teaser, paired with website updates that featured a blurred orange and green design, a countdown clock, and preorder options, gave fans a hint that something big was coming. Eagle-eyed swifties noticed an orange door at the end of the Eras Tour, and now have pointed out that it was for mastermind Swift to step into her next era. The actual album drops on October 3, 2025, and we can’t wait!

RYAN: And speaking of awesome women, on to the Wide World of Sports <SFX Wide World of Sports> history was made this past week at the biggest tennis event here in the US, the US Open. And we can include this one since it still is technically Summer! The 20 year old woman, Alex Eala, became the first player representing the Philippines to win a Grand Slam match in the Open era, the period since 1968 when amateur and professional players could all compete together. Eala defeated No. 14 seed, Clara Tauson last Sunday, coming back from a 5 to 1 deficit in the third set. Eala is ranked 75th in the world and this is her fourth win against a top 20 opponent in 2025. After her historic win for the Philippines, Eala said, “I’m so blessed to be the first to do this. I take so much pride in representing my country. It makes what I do bigger than myself.” Congrats Alex, we hope you keep on making history!

PAM: Now for some… <SFX GGs> We’ve got a recap of the Esports World Cup! In the Teamfight Tactics grand finals, Weibo Gaming beat Virus Pro 3–1 to claim the championship…and a $150,000 prize. This makes it two years in a row that a Chinese team has won. The top player on Weibo Gaming was Yin “Saopimi” Shengjie, who added Finals MVP to his resume as a two-time world championship qualifier and Into the Arcane top-five finisher. The KO Coliseum season may be over, but the stage is set for an electrifying year in esports.

RYAN: Does this mean you want to play Teamfight Tactics with me?!

PAM: Ummmm, I’m more of a Mario Kart person myself. But I’ll watch you play TFT!

RYAN: GAME! And for the last thing you need to know, I’d like to challenge our Trivia Master, Owen, to some…well, trivia.

OWEN: Oh rrrreeeeeally, Ryan. The first episode of the season? Okay, I’m game, let’s see if you can stump me.

RYAN: As you know, this was my Summer of Gaming, and I played more video games than I’ve ever played in one Summer. And just last week, I got to try out a brand-new game that isn’t being released until NOVEMBER. Was that game…
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for the Switch 2

Ghost of Yotei for the PS5
Kirby Air Riders for the Switch 2 or
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 for PC and all the consoles

OWEN: Okay that’s actually a tough one… It can’t be D because Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is already out…and it’s not A because you already played Metroid Prime 4 at the Switch 2 experience…so it’s either B or C…well you can’t stop talking about your Switch 2, so I’m going to guess C: Kirby Air Riders

RYAN: Sweet Summer Child that is CORRECT. I played Kirby Air Riders last week, which is the brand new game from Masahiro Sakurai, who not only created Kirby but he also created the Super Smash Bros franchise.

OWEN: That is SO COOL.

RYAN: Right?! Now I thought Kirby Air Riders was going to be just like Mario Kart World, but it’s actually completely different. You only use 2 buttons and the racing isn’t even the main feature in the game…it’s all about City Trials mode, where you and other players zoom around a map on a flying machine collecting all of the powerups possible, while frantically battling each other. And when the round is over, you’re put into a mini game against other players.

OWEN: Wow, that sounds bonkers. I know it’s the sequel to Kirby Air Ride, which…came out before I was born. But I’ve heard that game is a lot of fun.

RYAN: I gotta be honest, Kirby Air Riders was one of the most chaotic games I’ve ever played and I’m still wrapping my head around it. But in my opinion, Masahiro Sakurai is one of the greatest game creators of all time, so I’m excited for it. Kirby Air Riders comes out on November 20th!

PAM: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know from the Summer of 2025.

RYAN: I’m sad the Summer is almost over, but I do love the Fall…

PAM: Me too! And then Halloween and spooky season are around the corner, and then the holidays–

RYAN: Whoa whoa whoa. We still got a few days left of the Summer, okay?! You gotta let a player… play, his video games.

PAM: Alright, well, I will challenge you to some Mario Kart then…but first, here’s a quick note for the grownups.

RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!

PAM: A Ten’er named Fox left us an Apple review and said, “Shout out to Ryan’s kitten and BUTTERFLIES!” and then left 33 butterfly emojis and also said, “We are coming, Ryan. Love the podcast!!!” Fox, we are so glad you love the podcast, and thank you for that wonderful review! And an 8-year-old Ten’er named Hannah said, “You posted this episode on my birthday, August 14th! And Ryan, I double dare you to wear anything with butterflies for two days.”

RYAN: Ummmm, happy belated birthday, Hannah, but I will not be wearing anything of the sort! We are one episode in, and Ten’ers are already sending butterflies?! C’MON. Well, Wilker S2 said, “Love the show! It’s funny and has a bunch of jokes.” And then said, “butterflies are garbage emoji.” Thank you, Wilker S2, I am NOT disagreeing with you.

PAM: And two extra notes for the grown-ups, you can now get ad-free versions of our episodes when you join the Ten’ers Club on our website.

RYAN: And if you want to help support the Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes. The whole team thanks you for your support!

PAM: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts, and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.

RYAN: The Ten News creative team is back and cooking up Season 6, and includes Tracey Not a Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas, and Carson Not So Harry Potter. Big thanks to Owen, Not Slowin Down for Anybody.

PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald Albright, Albright, Albright! and show creator Tracy Takes the Leeds Kaplan. I’m Pamela Kirkland.

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard. Thanks for listening to the Ten News.

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Tracy Kaplan

Summer Recap: Sun Selfies, Political Mayhem, and More

10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 601

10 Games You Need to Know with Ryan 🎮