Banned Books Week, Dot the Bot, and a Rogue Planet

Episode
Written By Tracy Kaplan

10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 608

10 Things You Need to Know

1. Banned Books Week 📚

2. Remembering Jane Goodall 🐒

3. Fat Bear Week Winner 🐻

4. Dot, the DoorDash Bot 🤖

5. Big Win on Wheel of Fortune 🤑

6. Scientist Trio Wins Nobel Prize 🧪

7. Wild Weather on Mount Everest 🎿

8. A Planet Acting like a Star 🔭

9. MLB Postseason Update ⚾️

10. 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Superstar 👀

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TRANSCRIPT

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

<SFX Pam sips a hot cup of tea>

PAM: Ahhh. Nothing better than a cup of tea and a good book before everyone else arrives–

<SFX door opens>

RYAN: Good morning Pam, did you hear?? Wait. What’s that in your hand?

PAM: The tea, or the book…? 

RYAN: NO! You can’t do that!

<SFX grabs and THROWS book across the room> <SFX crash> 

RYAN: It’s Banned Books Week! You’re not supposed to be reading!

PAM: Ummm, that’s the exact opposite of how Banned Books Week works. 

RYAN: Wait. Whut.

PAM: Let’s get into it. I’m Pamela Kirkland.

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, it’s Thursday, October 9th. 

PAM: This is Ten Things You Need to Know.

RYAN: So… I know Sunday, October 5th, kicked off Banned Books Week, which runs through Saturday, October 11th. And…we are allowed to read? 

PAM: Yup! <SFX: Ding ding> Banned Books Week isn’t about banning books - it’s about celebrating the freedom to read! This week raises awareness about book censorship in libraries, schools, and bookstores. This year’s theme is “Censorship Is so 1984: Read for Your Rights,” inspired by George Orwell’s famous novel, “1984,” about a man trying to think for himself in a very controlling society. Each year, thousands of books are challenged or banned, but most Americans disagree with this. The 2022 American Library Association poll found that 71% of people opposed book ban efforts. How can you join in? Read a book that;s been challenged or write to your local library director or school board to express support for the freedom to read! <SFX: page flipping>

RYAN: The animal kingdom lost a legend. World-famous scientist and conservationist Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91. <SFX: rainforest sounds> Starting her research in Tanzania in the 1960s, she transformed the study of chimpanzees by documenting their behavior and social lives based on how they lived and interacted. Unlike other scientists that would observe animals from far away, Goodall lived alongside the chimpanzees - learning about their families, routines, and social dynamics. She began her career without any scientific training at all, later earning a doctorate from the University of Cambridge, and eventually becoming one of the most influential scientists in history. Goodall spent her life's work focused on conservation, animal welfare, and inspiring us all to protect the wildlife that surrounds us. 

RYAN: Oh and speaking of wildlife… for ten points, what animal is this? <SFX BEAR ROAR> <SFX TICK TICK TICK DING!> If you guessed a bear, that is correct! 

RYAN: The people have spoken and the fattest bear in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve has been crowned. The winner of Fat Bear Week 2025 is the one and only Chunk, weighing in at an estimated 1,200 pounds, an estimate since contest organizers don’t actually weigh the bears for obvious safety reasons! <SFX: some funny twang> In a bracket-style, single-elimination tournament featuring 12 bears, Chunk earned the most votes out of more than 1.5 million, securing first place and proving he’s the ultimate heavyweight of the wild. This is a well-deserved win after Chunk has finished second the past three years in a row. Congrats on your win Chunk!

PAM: From bears to bots, meet Dot, the newest Door Dasher in Phoenix, Arizona. The delivery service, DoorDash, has unleashed a fleet of red robots named Dot, calling them the first of their kind with the ability to navigate bike lanes, roads, and sidewalks, and the first built for local commerce. Standing 5ft tall, carrying up to 30 pounds of merchandise, and traveling at speeds up to 20 miles per hour, Dot is powered by DoorDash’s AI-driven Autonomous Delivery Platform, which determines the best delivery method for customers based on location and order size. Dot is designed to streamline deliveries of small items, offering a faster, more efficient, and eco-friendly alternative to vehicle-based deliveries. So the next time you open your door for a delivery, it might not be a human holding your food!

RYAN: A woman from Stamford, Connecticut, has made game show history after winning the most money ever on a single episode of Wheel of Fortune. The Wheel of Fortune is a game show in which contestants guess hidden phrases by guessing letters one at a time to win money or prizes. And, Christine Derevjanik did just that, winning one million dollars. Before the show, Derevjanik joked that if she won, she might quit her job - and since her boss was in the audience, that could get awkward. Turns out, she and her boss may be having that talk after all!

PAM: Ryan, what would you do if you won a million dollars?

RYAN: I wouldn’t quit the show. But I would buy myself a full Batman costume and wear it to work every day. And I’d also buy 100 pounds of ice cream. 

PAM: Where are you going to store 100 pounds of ice cream?

RYAN: Why would I need to store it…?

PAM: Oh boy. Let’s take a quick break! 

RYAN: I love books and more books…and books about food, and books about games…

PAM: I love that you are so into books now Ry. Let’s give a shout out to XXX for reading XXX this week. Keep reading Teners. And if you want to hear from a librarian, check out our episode from last year linked in the show description.

RYAN: Aaaand we’re back. Aaaaaaand, <SFX Science is awesome! cue>

PAM: Three scientists have won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their work that explores how our immune systems protect healthy cells, creating paths for possible new treatments for autoimmune diseases and cancer. The team includes American scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell, as well as Japanese scientist Shimon Sakaguchi. Their research focused on special immune cells called regulatory T cells, which stop our immune system from attacking our own body. They’ll share a prize of 11 million Swedish crowns, which is equal to $1.2 million, as well as a gold medal presented by the Swedish king. <SFX: Applause>

RYAN: Okay, that would be a much better way for me to spend $1 million dollars. 

PAM: I 100% agree, Ry. And over on the eastern side of Mount Everest in Tibet, hundreds of climbers were caught in a sudden blizzard, <SFX: gusts> prompting a massive rescue operation. The storm lasted three days, and brought heavy snow, rain, thunder, and lightning, burying tents and blocking trails. Around 350 trekkers were able to descend safely off the mountain while about 200 others remained stranded but stayed in contact with rescuers. Mount Everest is a very popular hiking destination for experienced climbers. This is a reminder that nature can have other plans.   

RYAN: Astronomers have spotted a planet five to 10 times the size of Jupiter - and it’s still growing! <SFX: whoosh!> The planet, called Cha 1107-7626, is a free-floating planet located outside of our solar system, 620 light-years from Earth in the Chamaeleon constellation. Cha 1107-7626 is estimated to be 1 to 2 million years old and still forming. Observations by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, which is its actual name, and the James Webb Telescope have shown that the planet is adding material 8 times faster than it was just months ago. It’s gobbling up gas and dust at a record rate of 6.6 billion tons a second, the strongest growth rate recorded for any kind of planet, ever! For comparison, I would estimate that I would like to eat 1.3 billion tons of donuts a second.

PAM: Ryan, please do not try that. 

RYAN: Okay, FINE. But only because we’re now on to the <SFX Wide World of Sports>!

PAM: The MLB playoffs are underway, and the road to the 2025 World Series is heating up. Let’s run it down:

  • The Milwaukee Brewers kicked off the Division Series with a 9-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. 

  • The Toronto Blue Jays blew the New York Yankees out of the water, scoring eight runs in the 7th and 8th innings of the game for a 10-1 win. 

  • The Los Angeles Dodgers were the ultimate comeback kids after trailing 3-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies to eventually get 5-3 victory. 

  • And, finally, after 11 total innings and a combined 15 pitchers, the Detroit Tigers beat the Seattle Mariners in Game 1 of their series, 3-2. 

The MLB postseason continues this week with several teams on the brink of advancing to the league’s Championship Series. Seattle holds the edge over Detroit in the American League Division Series, while the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees are trading wins in a tight battle. In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers are both looking to finish off their opponents with the Brewers facing the Cubs and the Dodgers taking on the Phillies. With so much baseball to be played until the World Series, fans have a lot to look forward to! 

RYAN: And for the last thing you need to know, let’s go to our Trivia Master, Owen. 

OWEN: Thanks Ryan. This one’s for all the music fans who can’t wait for the Super Bowl. Big news dropped this past week. Do you know which global superstar was just announced as the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime show performer? 

Is it: 

  1. Drake

  2. Beyonce

  3. Taylor Swift or

  4. Bad Bunny

OWEN: The answer is… D, Bad Bunny! Sorry Swifties, but Taylor already had a big week with her new album. Now back to Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican rapper will take the stage at next year’s Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California. He’s become one of the biggest artists in the world — with songs that mix Spanish and English, and a style that blends hip-hop, reggaeton, and even a little rock. He’s already broken tons of records: his album Un Verano Sin Ti was the most-streamed album in the world for two years in a row, and he’s sold out stadiums across North and South America. He’s also acted in movies, appeared on Saturday Night Live, and even wrestled in the WWE — seriously! Now, he’s adding one of the biggest honors in music: performing at the Super Bowl. <SFX: stadium cheer> 

PAM: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know. 

RYAN: Sorry about throwing your book earlier, Pam. 

PAM: It’s all good, you can make it up to me by writing a letter to your local library director, all about why the freedom to read books is so important. 

RYAN: Mission accepted. But we still gotta give Ten News Snaps to one of our listeners.

PAM: And before that, here’s a quick note for the grownups. 

<AD BREAK> 

RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!

PAM: A Ten’er named Kittenscr@zy said, “Hi. Dear Ten News I love your podcast so so so much. It’s the best podcast ever. Ahhh thank you so much Kittenscrazy! We hope you enjoy it and tell your friends about it!

RYAN: Btw Kittenscr@zy, I have a kitten named Rigby, and he is an orange little rascal. 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. 

PAM: 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!

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

PAM: The Ten News creative team is reading and enjoying critical thinking 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.

RYAN: Our Production Director is Jeremiah “On Fyaaah” Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald “Albright, Albright, Albright!” and show creator Tracy Takes the Leeds Kaplan. I’m Ryan Willard. 

PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland, thanks for listening to the Ten News. 

Tracy Kaplan
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