State of the Union Update, Animal News, and USA Hockey Team Takeover

10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 627

10 Things You Need to Know

1. R.I.P Rev. Jesse Jackson 💔

2. State of the Union Address 🇺🇸

3. Hannah Montana Makes a Comeback 🎬

4. A Pricey Pokemon Card 🤑

5. USA Hockey Team Takeover 🏒

6. A Historic Nor'easter ☃️

7. A Mitten Made for 🧊 Coffee Lovers

8. Punch the Monkey 🐒

9. A Paws-itively Happy Ending 🐾

10. The First Animal 🇬🇧

RESOURCES

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/rev-jesse-jackson-civil-rights-activist-dies-rcna42408

• https://youtu.be/A1wXEEQBHeQ?si=eB4xbRXrGD9mfTDW

• https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5717096/trump-congress-state-union-highlights

• https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/article/miley-cyrus-will-revisit-hannah-montana-with-20th-anniversary-special-223949134.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHNk9FiKYZs9gJ4ybfGWjLCOMsPCtc51vTRJiLNwrlC4rn--t4PJn1_btgmIC0c5ICSTfwwXVXoLKuvyflUElH62Q0ETUILDZAunX3b7lzqSF3IROCe9QI8Kcw8VAhdhUCAGN0-HENeyZXXfN52IVwRqJt1COX0YVH3t9OBvp5UH

• https://apnews.com/article/logan-paul-pokemon-record-auction-e4f17184466589e7313b58de734a06ad

• https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2026/02/19/usa-canada-olympic-womens-hockey-gold-results-highlights/88744612007/ https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/live/usa-beats-canada-in-ot-to-win-first-hockey-gold-since-1980-miracle-on-ice-121000403.html

• https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2026/02/22/new-york-blizzard-noreaster-snow-totals-outage-map/88811782007/

• https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/02/18/dunkin-glove-mitten-iced-coffee/88740142007/

• https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/viral/punch-monkey-japan-friends-stuffed-animal-rcna259784

• https://people.com/dog-abandoned-at-airport-thousands-apply-to-adopt-him-11911410

• https://www.nbcnews.com/world/united-kingdom/first-feline-larry-marks-15-years-britains-political-top-cat-rcna259129

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TRANSCRIPT

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

<SFX Door opens (with a crazy blizzard outside), then slams shut>
RYAN: What in the wild weather is happening out there!
PAM: It’s one of the worst storms we’ve had in decades!
RYAN: I’ve got snow in my sneakers, snow in my socks, and I’m pretty sure I’ve got snow coming out of my ear holes. I had to sled here.
PAM: That’s like…all downhill, coming from your house.
RYAN: I know! It was really fun but getting home is gonna be tough.
PAM: Then we better get rolling, I’m Pamela Kirkland.
RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, it’s Thursday, February 26th!
PAM: This is Ten Things You Need to Know.

PAM: We start today’s episode with some unfortunate news about a civil rights icon. Reverend Jesse Jackson has passed away at the age of 84. He lived a long, meaningful life as a Baptist minister, a two-time presidential candidate, and an important leader who worked to make sure people were treated fairly under the law. Jackson was a close ally of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He not only participated in marches but also built lasting organizations like Operation Breadbasket and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to advance economic opportunity, protect voting rights, and more. Even though Rev. Jackson is no longer with us, his legacy lives on in the movements and people he inspired.

RYAN: And onto the President’s agenda… <SFX Hail to the Chief bite> President Trump held the first State of the Union address for his second term on Tuesday night. A State of the Union address is when the President gives a big speech to Congress about what’s happening in the country and what they want to focus on next.

PAM: Aaand on to the red carpet <paparazzi camera SFX> Up next, Miley Cyrus is returning to her roots for the upcoming Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. The Hannah Montana series originally aired on Disney Channel from 2006 to 2011 where Cyrus played Miley Stewart, an everyday teen by day and a chart-topping pop star by night. 

RYAN: Wait, Miley Cyrus is Hannah Montana?!?

PAM: Yes, Ry. Cyrus announced the “Hannahversary” special in an Instagram post featuring a Ford Mustang with a purple-and-gold license plate reading ‘HM 20,’ captioned ‘Going back to where it all began.’ The special premieres on March 24th and will be filmed in front of a live studio audience, featuring an interview with Miley Cyrus, never-before-seen archival footage, and some of the show's most iconic moments. 

RYAN: Friday, February 27th is Pokémon’s 30th anniversary! And while the rest of us are celebrating three decades of the franchise, Logan Paul is celebrating the fact that he sold a Pokémon card for MILLIONS of dollars. The social media star set a Guinness World Record after auctioning off his rare Pikachu Illustrator card for $16.5 million dollars. This price isn’t just a record for a Pokémon card, but for ANY card sold at an auction. When Paul purchased the card in 2021 for $ 5.275 million, it was yet another Guinness World Record for a Pokémon card at the time. The Pikachu Illustrator card was designed by Atsuko Nishida for a contest in 1998. It’s one of the rarest Pokemon cards on the planet and Logan Paul’s card is the only one with a PSA perfect 10 condition rating. And yes, at the auction, Paul put the card in a diamond necklace and hung it around the buyer’s neck. Because…why not? 

PAM: And now on to the Wild World of Sports <SFX Soccer Ball Kick, then Baseball Bat Crack, then Basketball Net Swish and a Stadium Crowd Roar> The 2026 Winter Olympics are officially a wrap, but we can’t go without giving a HUGE shoutout to both the Men’s and Women’s USA Hockey Teams. In a nail-biting finish, the women of Team USA defeated Canada 2 to 1 in overtime! It’s the Americans’ third gold medal overall, and the first since the 2018 PyeongChang Games, where they won in a shootout.

RYAN: The U.S. men also stepped up, beating Canada 2 to 1 in overtime to capture their first Olympic gold since the legendary “Miracle on Ice” victory, when a team of U.S. college players shocked the world by beating the powerful Soviet Union team. And believe it or not, the win came exactly 46 years to the day! 

PAM: Not only did the men’s and women’s hockey teams show out, but Team USA as a whole made the 2026 Winter Olympics unforgettable by racking up a record-breaking 12 gold medals, the most the country has won since the Salt Lake City Games in 2002!

RYAN: I’m tired just thinking of all those medals! Let’s take a quick break so I can catch my breath…

PAM: Fun fact! Snow isn’t actually white. It’s made of tiny ice crystals that are clear, but when light bounces around inside them, it looks white to our eyes. Also, no two snowflakes are exactly alike. Scientists have studied thousands and never found two that match perfectly. So technically, you’ve never been hit in the face by the same snowflake twice.

RYAN: We are baaaack. <SFX Weather…or Not>
PAM: A historic nor’easter slammed parts of the northeastern United States on Sunday and Monday, bringing winter storm and blizzard warnings across the region. A nor’easter is a powerful storm that hits the East Coast and usually brings heavy snow, strong winds, and flooding. States including New York and Pennsylvania were buried under more than a foot of snow, with widespread power outages and coastal flooding left in the storm’s wake. The Weather Channel named the system Winter Storm Hernando. It became New York City’s heaviest snowfall in five years and marked the first time in nine years that all five boroughs were under a blizzard warning. And in a rare twist, some parts of the East Coast, including Southeast New England, experienced lightning flashes while the snow was falling, which feels like winter and summer got their wires crossed. Now that’s some wild winter weather.

RYAN: Okay I’ll admit it, I’m one of those people that actually LIKES iced coffee even in the winter… And Dunkin’ Donuts gave away something that I wish I snagged. The donut and coffee chain gave away a limited-edition ‘iced coffee glove’ to customers who purchased an iced drink. It was just a singular, hot-pink mitten meant to keep iced-coffee lovers’ left hands warm while holding their beverage. So one hand stays cozy… and the other hand just has to deal with it. The giveaway started at 10 a.m. at participating locations, but fans had to be quick because only a limited number of gloves were available and handed out on a first‑come, first‑served basis. I didn’t get one so now I’m just wearing two regular mittens like a normal winter human. <SFX straw sip>

PAM: For Ten points, what animal is this…? <SFX monkey sounds> <SFX Tick Tick Tick DING!> Punch the monkey, a Japanese macaque, has become an internet sensation and has won over many hearts. The little monkey was abandoned at birth, and online videos showed Punch being shunned and bullied by other monkeys, and the internet collectively said: Nope, not okay. But the heartwarming part of the story is his comfort toy, called ‘Plushie.’ Punch can be seen carrying his orange plush orangutan around the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, and cuddling with his stuffed companion while he sleeps. But, don’t worry, Punch has started to make real monkey friends, and the zoo has said that he’s deepening interactions and others are warming up to Punch within the enclosure!

RYAN: Punch, if you ever come to the Ten News studio, I will be your friend! And speaking of furry friends, we’ve got a heartwarming story out of Paradise, Nevada. A dog that was left at a JetBlue ticket counter at the Harry Reid International Airport has been adopted! Security footage released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department showed the 2-year-old goldendoodle tied to a baggage sizer and left behind. Officers were able to locate the owner at an airport gate, where she was later charged with animal abandonment, which means leaving a pet somewhere without making sure they’re safe. In a much happier turn of events, the pup was taken in by Animal Protective Services and later transferred to Retriever Rescue of Las Vegas. He was given the name “JetBlue,” and after his story went viral, more than 2,400 adoption applications poured in. So who’s the lucky new owner? None other than one of the police officers who helped rescue him at the airport.

PAM: Awwww, I love great animal news! I hope you love your new home, JetBlue. And for the last thing you need to know, let’s see if our Trivia Owen can make it three in a row…

OWEN: I got you, Pam. Did you know that the British Government has a first animal that serves under the prime minister? Before we introduce them, do you know what kind of animal it is? Is it:

1. A dog

2. A cat

3. A hamster, or

4. A rabbit?
   The answer is… a cat! Larry the cat, just celebrated 15 years as the British government's official rodent catcher and unofficial first feline. He’s served under six prime ministers, and his duties span from ‘greeting guests to testing antique furniture for napping quality,’ according to a profile on the United Kingdom government website. He basically runs the place. The humans just think they’re in charge. Talk about the purr-fect job! 

RYAN: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know.
PAM: I bet Larry the cat would get along with Midnight and Rigby. <SFX Meow from both of them>
RYAN: Maybe I’ll take them on an adventure to England—

<SFX protest meows>
PAM: Maybe you should want till the wild winter weather clears up a bit. 

RYAN: And to wait, I’ll give some Ten News Snaps out–

PAM: But first, here’s a quick note for the grownups.
<AD BREAK>

RYAN: It’s time for Ten News Snaps!

PAM: We asked what your favorite sport to watch at the Winter Olympics was…and EvaPookie67 left us a five star apple review and said, “my fave is figure skating.” Mine too EvaPookie! Thanks for letting us know!

RYAN: And a Ten’er left us a comment on Spotify… Aly Avila said, “Great podcast, can you make a soccer episode?” With the world cup coming up… I think we’ll have to cover it! Football is life! 

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 currently fueled by hot chocolate and marshmallows the size of snowballs 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. 

RYAN: I’m Ryan Willard.

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