Government Shutdown Impacts, Ceasefire News, and Birthday Cakes

10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 609

1. Indigenous Peoples' Day 🗓️

2. A Sweet Gesture 🎂

3. Good Food News 🥫

4. Palisades Fire Update 🚔

5. A Guarded Welcome 👩‍⚖️

6. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire 🗞️

7. Government Shutdown Update ✈️

8. Social Media Moves in Denmark 📱

9. Gaming Update with Ryan 🎮

10. Meet the World's Cutest Rescue Pup 🐶

RESOURCES

• https://www.almanac.com/indigenous-peoples-day

• https://www.today.com/food/people/baker-delivers-free-birthday-cakes-to-homeless-people-rcna235965

• https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/california-phase-ultraprocessed-food-school-meals-rcna236506

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/arrest-made-palisades-fire-investigation-rcna236378

• https://www.foxnews.com/us/palisades-fire-suspect-held-without-bond

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/500-national-guard-troops-deployed-chicago-illinois-pritzker-resist-rcna236356

• https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/live-blog/live-updates-israel-hamas-trump-peace-plan-rcna236552

• https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Travel/flights-impacted-travelers-amid-government-shutdown/story?id=126331250

• https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/08/tech/denmark-children-social-media-ban-scli-intl

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/07/danish-pm-plans-to-ban-social-media-for-under-15s-warning-it-is-stealing-childhood

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bastian-worlds-cutest-rescue-dog-people-hurricane-florence/

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TRANSCRIPT

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

RYAN: Heeeere BryanBryanBryanBryan–

BRYAN: Don’t you dare, Ryan. Don’t you throw that–

<SFX Poke Ball thro w and hit>

RYAN: Got ‘em!

PAM: Hey Bryan, can you check my mic for me–Bryan? 

RYAN: Ummm, he’s kinda busy right now–

BRYAN: (small and muffled inside the pokeball, yelling at Ryan) Let me out Ryan!

PAM: Did you trap Bryan in a Pokéball again? We’ve talked about this…

RYAN: I know I just got really excited and started practicing because it’s Pokémon day and and and–

PAM: Nope. Pokémon day is in February.  

RYAN: But today is a Pokémon new game day and and and–

PAM: –And we have to start the show before we play. I’m Pamela Kirkland, it’s Thursday, October 16th. 

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, this is Ten Things You Need to Know. 

RYAN: I know I get excited for new video games, but do you know what day just happened that is also really cool?

PAM: I’m gonna guess… Indigenous Peoples’ Day! It happens on the second Monday in October each year, and this year, it was on October 13th! It’s a day to honor the history, culture, and perspective of Indigenous peoples and their ancestors. It also raises awareness about their struggles, resilience, and traditions, to help build understanding across cultures. The first city to officially observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day was Berkley, California, in 1922, which occurred on the same day as the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in America in 1492. While Indigenous Peoples’ Day still isn’t a federal holiday, in 2021, President Joe Biden issued the first presidential proclamation to make it a national observance on the same day as Columbus Day to acknowledge Native American contributions. 

RYAN: Celebrating community can happen in many ways, sometimes even with icing and sprinkles! Manolo Betancur, the owner of Manolo’s Bakery has been baking kindness for 12 years. He donates cakes to celebrate birthdays for people experiencing homelessness in his city of Charlotte, North Carolina. It began when Manolo approached “Raise You Up Ministries,” a nonprofit focused on the needs of homeless people, and asked them where they get their cakes for birthdays, offering his bakery as the source. Now he and his team bake vanilla sheet cakes for every birthday that comes up, and recently delivered their 300th cake! And I gotta give a shout out to Manolo for being our kind person of the week! <SFX: ding! Over timer and then light cheering >

PAM: From the state of North Carolina to California, we’ve got more good food news. California Governor Gavin Newsom just signed a law that will make California the first state to phase out ultraprocessed food from school meals. 

RYAN: Wait, what exactly is an “ultra-processed food?”

PAM: While there’s no single definition of ultra-processed food, it’s basically food with a lot of additives or high amounts of sugar, saturated fat, or sodium. California’s new law establishes its own definition of ultra processed and has a 10-year deadline for the changes to take place. Schools will start getting rid of the foods by 2029. So start stocking up on apples!

RYAN: More news out of California…Do you remember the devastating Palisades fire from earlier this year? It’s now known as one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history. And, just last week, authorities arrested a 29-year-old named Jonathan Rinderknecht, who allegedly started the fire. Authorities said the Palisades fire was a “holdover” or continuation of the Lachman fire, which Rinderknecht reportedly started on New Year’s Day. Even though firefighters were able to put out the Lachman fire, they didn’t know it was still smoldering and burning underground. So, on January 7th, when heavy winds swept through the area, the fire resurfaced and spread, becoming the Palisades fire. Rinderknecht will now remain in the custody of U.S. marshals without bail, meaning he can’t pay money to go home before his trial. <SFX: heavy winds that fade out>

PAM: President Trump’s efforts to send National Guard troops into cities like Chicago and Portland is facing pushback from the U.S. courts. The President has sent the troops into places that he believes are crime ridden, even though there is no data to back up that claim. And this time his actions are being denied.. U.S. District Judge April Perry issued a temporary restraining order against the deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois. A restraining order, means the troops are blocked from going to Chicago for now. The judge criticized the Department of Homeland Security for relying on “unreliable evidence” about the crime in Chicago and expressed frustration during a hearing when Justice Department lawyers couldn’t explain the National Guard's duties if they were deployed. In a similar case in California, judges are deciding if the Trump administration can send the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, without the approval of the Governor of Oregon. This has become a heated showdown between the rights of individual states and the power of the Federal government.

RYAN: Can we talk about video games now?

PAM: Pretty soon Ryan, sometime after this quick break!

PAM: Okay, Ten’ers, time for a quick check-in. School is in full swing, and we want to know what you’re up to! Are you reading a cool book, studying state capitals, or maybe building something wild in science class? Whatever it is, we want to hear about it. Do you have a favorite teacher you want to shout out? Grab your grown up and leave us a voice mail at 877-TEN-NEWS or send us an email at hello@thetennews.com!

PAM: Many families in the Middle East are breathing a sigh of relief. On October 9th, Israel’s cabinet officially approved plans for a ceasefire with Hamas, starting what leaders are calling a new peace process for Gaza.

RYAN: A ceasefire means both sides agree to stop fighting—at least for a while—to let aid reach people who’ve been affected by the conflict and to make space for peace talks.

PAM: The country of Qatar, which has helped communicate between Israel and Hamas, confirmed the agreement, and both Israeli and Hamas officials say they are taking part. As part of the deal, Hamas released the 20 remaining living hostages, and Israel began freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in return. Speaking to Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset, President Trump said the war had “ended.” But many world leaders and peace experts are reminding everyone that the ceasefire is fragile, and lasting peace will take time and care. The world will be watching closely to see what happens next.

RYAN: Many of us are seeing the effects of the government shutdown, and flights are just one of them. For instance, some airports are seeing delays due to controller shortages, as air traffic controllers are “essential” and not furloughed, and are working without being paid. Some controllers have called in “sick” causing reduced flight options and longer wait times. 

RYAN: Specific airports like Hollywood Burbank in California, saw average delays of 2.5 hours after the control tower went unpaid and unstaffed for hours. And, at BNA in Nashville, limited staff prompted a temporary ground stop. Other major airports are seeing the same issues, so if you have any upcoming travel be sure to check your airline for the latest real-time information.

PAM: Big social media news out of Denmark. The country plans to ban social media for people under the age of 15. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen spoke at the opening of the Danish Parliament and said her government would propose the ban, but would also give parents the option to approve social media use at age 13. Frederiksen says there has been a rise in anxiety and depression among kids and hopes her ban will come into effect as early as next year. This ban follows Australia’s lead which is introducing a ban on Facebook, Snapchat, Tik Tok and YouTube for kids under 16. As well as Norway, who has a similar ban for anyone under 15 years old.

RYAN: Okay we’ve heard about a lot of important news but it’s time for the news that has been filling up my brain today… <SFX GGs!> The last few weeks have been an INCREDIBLE time to be a gamer, in what I believe might be one of the best years of gaming, EVER. We got Hades 2, the sequel to the game of the year Hades. Ghost of Yotei on the PS5, which is the sequel to the award winning Ghost of Tsushima. We also got Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, which are awesome remasters of the Wii classics games, and if you didn’t know, the sequel to the Super Mario Bros movie coming out next year is called… Super Mario Galaxy. And last but certainly not least, POKÈMON Z-A drops today and my life will be put on hold. I got to preview this game a month ago and because of the character customizations, real time battles and mega evolutions…I’ve been eagerly anticipating this release. If you want me to do a full review of this game, leave us a comment or a review. Can I play now can I play now can i play now, Pam? 

PAM: Not quite yet… For the last thing you need to know, let’s go to our Trivia Master, Owen. 

OWEN: Thanks, Pam. It’s not just me today, my cousins Talia and Felix are in town and they wanted to get in on it…

COUSIN 1: We here at the Ten News love our furry friends, but People magazine recently named the World’s Cutest Rescue Dog… 

COUSIN 2: Can you guess who that dog is? Is it…

1. Connie from Puerto Rico

2. Bastian from South Carolina

3. Lolita from the Bronx, New York

4. Dean from New Jersey

OWEN: The answer is… B! Bastian is a 7-year-old dog who was rescued from a flood during Hurricane Florence, in South Carolina in 2018. Following his rescue, he was brought to New Jersey where Bastian found his fur-ever home. Since Bastian was named the World’s Cutest Rescue Dog, he will be featured in People magazine, and a $1,000 donation will be made in his honor to the Burlington County Animal Alliance of New Jersey, which is who helped with his rescue. And finally, a big shout out to everyone in the world who has rescued a furry friend! Thank you for being awesome.

RYAN: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know. Now can I play, Pam?!

PAM: You’ve done your work, so now you can most definitely play. 

BRYAN: (muffled struggles still within the pokeball)

PAM: Also, you should let Bryan out, otherwise you’ll have to edit this episode.

RYAN: Which would get in the way of my game time, so good call. We should also 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: And a Ten’er named Jenni485 left us a review on Apple Podcasts and said, “Hi. I’m a kid and I like that you tell me news because I like to hear about news please put this on ten news snaps.” Thank you for listening Jenni and for that review, I hope these snaps made your day.

RYAN: A Ten’er named Adriancito 808 said, “I love NBA 2K25 it’s amazing.” I feel you Adriancito, but don’t you go dunking on me! 

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 doing their own MEGA EVOLUTION… while hanging with Owen’s cousins 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. Shoutout to _______ and _______ for stopping by!

PAM: 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 Pamela Kirkland.

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