Native American Heritage Month, Turkey Day Traditions, and a Final Cent-off
10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 615
1. Native American Heritage Month 🧡
2. The Final Cent-off 🪙
3. MLB MVPs ⚾️
4. The Oldst Ironwoman Finisher 💪
5. Doritos & Cheetos New Look 😋
6. Wild Wildlife News 🦭🐳
7. World's Largest Web 🕷️
8. ISS Celebrates 25 Years 👨🚀
9. A Turkey Day Dinner Like No Other 📱
10. The 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 🥳
RESOURCES
https://www.history.com/articles/native-american-heritage-month
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/penny-out-of-circulation-mint-rcna243486
https://apnews.com/article/mvp-ohtani-raleigh-judge-b3075edd1277418edc5f695e0e8b23ea
https://apnews.com/article/orca-killer-whale-24ad6060331703eeb667e0a8eef19d08
https://people.com/massive-spider-web-found-in-cave-might-be-worlds-largest-11847261
https://www.today.com/food/holidays/wanda-dench-jamal-hinton-10th-thanksgiving-rcna243464
https://www.today.com/popculture/macys-thanksgiving-parade-performers-2025-rcna241560
https://people.com/tv/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-balloons-history/
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TRANSCRIPT
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO - KITCHEN
<SFX OVEN DOOR SLAMS CLOSED> <SFX PIE TIN DROPS ON THE COUNTER>
PAM: <sniff sniff sniffs> WOW. That is a lot of smells, what is happening here, Ryan?
RYAN: Thank you for asking, Pam. I’m doing my pre-Thanksgiving baking, and this year is ALL ABOUT THE PIES. Behold!
PAM: (concerned) That’s… a lot. A LOT of pies.
RYAN: You didn’t ask what kinds I baked, so I’ll tell you.
PAM: Here we go.
RYAN: I made pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie, cherry pie, blueberry pie, banana cream pie, key lime pie, sweet potato pie, lemon meringue pie, grasshopper pie aaaand mud pie.
PAM: I never thought I’d say this, but that is way too many pies…
RYAN: Oh, I’m not done yet. I haven’t even gotten to my experimental pies: cheesy macaroni-chicken tendy pie, lasagna pie, Halloween candy pie, beef nacho pie, broccoli and mango pie—
PAM: Okay that last one…? No. I don’t think the world needs a broccoli and mango pie.
RYAN: Thanksgiving greatness requires innovation!
PAM: I’m gonna start the show before you think of another–
RYAN: —S’MORES PIE! YES! Okay, now I’m ready.
PAM: I’m Pamela Kirkland.
RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard. It’s Thursday, November 20th.
PAM: This is Ten Things You Need to Know!
PAM: The first thing you need to know is that it’s Native American Heritage Month! It’s a federal observance held each year in November to honor American Indians and Alaska Natives. Efforts to formally recognize Native Americans started in the early 20th century, with many states and organizations taking it upon themselves to set their own observances, like the Boy Scouts recognizing “First Americans Day” from 1912 to 1915, New York becoming one of the first states to mark “American Indian Day” in 1916, and Governor Ronald Reagan creating a “California Indian Day” in 1968.
PAM: It turned into a week-long recognition when Congress created the first “American Indian Week” in 1986. Eventually, Congress passed a joint resolution to dedicate a full month to Native Americans, and President Bush issued a proclamation designating November 1990 as National American Indian Heritage Month.” Since then, the month of November is spent learning about indigenous cultures, histories, and traditions, carrying them on, and honoring the contributions made by Native Americans.
RYAN: Pam I was gonna offer you a penny for your thoughts, but guess what? THE PENNY IS OFFICIALLY RETIRED! <SFX coins dropping to the ground> Last week, the United States Mint, which makes all of America’s circulating coins, struck the final 1-cent coin after 238 years in circulation. The first penny was struck in 1787 and had a sundial design, courtesy of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. It wasn’t until 1909 that President Abraham Lincoln appeared on the penny to mark what would have been his 100th birthday.
PAM: Penny production has ended because it actually costs 4 cents to make just one coin. And according to the Mint, ending penny production will save taxpayers roughly $56 million annually. An estimated 250 billion pennies are still in circulation according to the American Bankers Association, and although production has stopped, you can still use them to shop around.
RYAN: From banking to baseball, this is the Wide World of Sports <SFX Wide World of Sports>. To absolutely no surprise to anyone, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani not only won the World Series for a second season in a row, but he also claimed his fourth career National League Most Valuable Player award in a unanimous vote, meaning every voter selected him. Ohtani is the only player in history to win the MVP unanimously more than once and now ranks second all-time with four MVPs, trailing only the legendary Barry Bonds, who has seven. Meanwhile, New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge earned the American League Most Valuable Player award for the third time, becoming just the fourth player in team history to do so. He joins Yankees legends like Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle.
PAM: Another athlete is making history in her own way. Although 80-year-old Natalie Grabow didn’t win the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, she still set the record as the oldest woman to finish the 140.6-mile triathlon. In fact, she crushed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run in just 16 hours, 45 minutes, and 26 seconds to mark her 11th finish at the competition.
RYAN: Pam, I’m already tired just thinking about doing all of that exercise.
PAM: While 80 may sound old to some, Grabow says she doesn’t feel old, and her workout regimen supports that. Her triathlon training kicks off with breakfast and a strength and stretching routine between 5:30 - 6:30 am, then she begins her workouts. Running up to four times a week, swimming three times, and biking four times, with her longest bike workout lasting up to six hours. Grabow doesn’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon, with two races already scheduled for 2026.
RYAN: Eating right also plays a big role in how you perform. Speaking of which, Doritos and Cheetos are making changes to some of their snacks to benefit our health! PepsiCo has announced that its Cheetos and Doritos brands will offer colorless alternatives, made without artificial flavors or dyes, which it calls “Simply NKD”. Which I think stands for…naked? Rather than bright oranges and reds, the snacks will be a pale yellow, like a corn chip. Simply NKD products hit store shelves on December 1st and include favorites like Doritos Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch, and Cheetos Puffs and Flamin’ Hot flavors. So…are you gonna eat naked Cheetos and Doritos? Because I will try almost any snackymcyumyum.
PAM: Speaking of, I’m gonna grab a quick snack while we take a quick break…
SFX: Pie tin clatter
RYAN: Yes, Pam, you may have a slice of my beef nacho pie.
PAM: That is so generous of you Ryan! Is this because we’re diving into Giving Tuesday—a day all about helping others and making a difference.
RYAN: Oh we are? YES! That’s exactly why I’m giving you a slice of my special pie. Because tomorrow, we’ll explain what Giving Tuesday is, how it started, and share some super cool ways kids are giving back.
PAM: So look out tomorrow for our Giving Tuesday deep dive.
RYAN: Pam if you’re not gonna eat that slice, you can give it back.
PAM: Speaking of, back to the show!
PAM: We’re back with some wild, wildlife news! Wildlife photographer, Charvet Drucker, was on a rented 20-foot boat in the Salish Sea when she spotted a pod of at least 8 killer whales. Zooming her camera in on the pod, she also spotted a harbor seal trying to flee to safety. As the orcas got closer to the boat, they were still chasing the seal, and that’s when the seal made a bold move and made its way onto the stern platform of the boat, using it as a makeshift life raft. But that didn’t stop the whales as they used a coordinated technique called “wave-washing,” diving in staggered formation to rock the boat and try to knock the seal off. After about 15 tense minutes, the orcas gave up, and the seal managed to scramble back into the water and escape.
RYAN: Okay, getting chased by a pod of killer whales is scary… but I’ve got something even CREEPIER AND FREAKIER… the world’s largest spider web. It resides in an underwater cave on the border between Greece and Albania and spans 1,076.4 square feet along a wall of Sulfur Cave, which is about the size of half a basketball court. This massive web is home to an estimated 110,000 spiders from two species, including about 69,000 Tegenaria spiders and 42,000 Prionerigone vagans. Outside of this one web, the cave is also home to 512 other species from 20 different families, according to scientists.
RYAN: Now that I’ve said that out loud and I’m thinking of 110,000 spiders, I gotta do a quick little freak out. <RYAN FREAKS OUT>
PAM: Up next, the International Space Station recently celebrated a historical milestone: 25 years of continuous human presence in orbit! More than 290 astronauts have lived and worked aboard the space station since November 2, 2002. The International Space Station National Laboratory, also known as the ISS, is one-of-a-kind, enabling research and technology development that isn’t possible on Earth, and the discoveries and advancements made aboard the ISS not only expand our capabilities in space but also improve life on Earth.
RYAN: Okay this is one of my favorite holiday stories…What was meant to be a text inviting her grandson to Thanksgiving dinner in 2016 ended up sparking a lifelong friendship. Wanda Dench accidentally messaged Jamal Hinton, and after exchanging selfies to confirm the mix-up, Hinton jokingly replied, “Can I still get a plate tho?” — and Dench welcomed him, starting an unexpected tradition. The exchange went viral after Hinton shared screenshots online with the caption, “Somebody grandma is coming in clutch this year!!! Aye!!!” Every year since, they have celebrated the holiday together. This year, they will mark their 10th Thanksgiving together, and Green Giant, the vegetable company, is celebrating 100 years of business, so the two have partnered to provide the Hinton-Dench gathering with their turkey day dinner.
PAM: That sounds like such a fun Thanksgiving dinner, I love stories about kindness! And for our last thing you need to know, let’s go to our Trivia Master, Owen.
OWEN: Thanks, Pam! Do you know which giant balloon was the first to make an appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Is it:
Snoopy
Mickey Mouse
Kermit the Frog, or
The answer is… D! Instead of helium, Felix the cat was filled with air and carried through the New York City streets on stilts in 1927. This year will mark the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and will feature four new balloons, including Buzz Lightyear, the Onion Carriage from “Shrek”, PAC-MAN, and Mario from Nintendo fame.
RYAN: Dude, I heard the Mario balloon is 51 feet and 2-inches long, 37-feet wide and 43-feet and 8-inches tall. And Mario will be doing a flying pose from Super Mario Galaxy!
OWEN: Oh wow, I didn’t know that one, thanks Ry! Did you hear who’s performing?
RYAN: No…who?!
OWEN: The voices of the “KPop Demon Hunters”, the Radio City Rockettes, singer Gavin DeGraw, rapper Lil Jon, and more. You can catch this year’s parade on NBC or stream it on Peacock on Thanksgiving morning at 8:30 AM in all time zones.
PAM: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know. Okay, seriously, Ryan. What are you doing with all those pies?
RYAN: Well…since we’re doing a deep dive tomorrow about Giving Tuesday, I’ve decided to donate them.
PAM: All of them…?
RYAN: Maybe not the experimental ones. And there’s one I’m definitely keeping for myself…
PAM: Which one? Please don’t say the broccoli and mango pie–
RYAN: Nope, I’m keeping the… PEPPERONI PIZZA PIE.
PAM: So, it’s just a pizza?
RYAN: No, it’s 3 personal pan pepperoni pizzas in a pie crust. C’mon now. I’ll give you a slice after we give Ten News Snaps to some of our listeners!
PAM: And before that, here’s a quick note for the grownups.
<AD BREAK>
RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!
PAM: Halloween was last month, but we gotta send some snaps for some cool costumes…Kiki’s Quest was a pad of paper and her friends were crayons, and they made them all from scratch! That is so creative and impressive!
RYAN: Fun Bun 19385 was A lexander Hamilton, cool, I love your musical. Just a Jimmy was an Among Us dude, which is A LITTLE SUS. Man, I love Halloween, I can’t wait for it to come back, it’s already less than a year away! Hey Ten’ers, if you want a Snap, tell me which pie of mine you’d like to try! Leave us an apple review or a spotify comment!
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 planning their Thanksgiving meals which will include ALL OF THE pie and includes Tracey Not a Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas, the Duke of Earl Davis, and Carson Not So Harry Potter. Big thanks to Owen, Not Slowin Down for Anybody.
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.
