Pride Month, Pokémon Palooza, and T. Rex Trivia

Episode
Written By Tracy Kaplan

10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 644

1. Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈

2. U.S. Team Roster Reveal ⚽️

3. BTS 🤝 Oreo 🍪🎸

4. It's a Pokémon Party 🎉

5. Un-bean-lievable Flavors 🫘

6. Iran War Update 🇮🇷

7. NASA's New Missions 🚀

8. Timmy the Whale 🐋💔

9. A Tail-wagging Reunion 🪖🐶

10. Tiny, but Mighty 🦖

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TRANSCRIPT

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

<SFX RYAN juggling a soccer ball> <SFX Door opens>

PAM: Oh boy. Ryan. Didn’t we talk about balls inside the studio…?

RYAN: Yeah, but the World Cup is just a week away and I’m HYPED. They just announced the US team roster! 

PAM: I know…I’m excited too, but the last time you were juggling a soccer ball in here you shattered your Lego F1 cars.

RYAN: Yeah but that was then, this is now and I’m LOCKED in. <SFX the juggling is still going and sounding good!>

PAM: Okay…so you can juggle that ball and start the show? 

RYAN: Why do you think I’ve been practicing? 

PAM: Alright, then I’m Pamela Kirkland. 

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard. It’s Thursday, June 4th.

PAM: This is Ten Things You Need to Know–

<SFX KICKS it, bounces off something and shatters another Lego set…>

RYAN: GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAL!

RYAN: Pam, can you believe it’s already June!?

PAM: I honestly can’t…but I do love June and Pride Month is officially here! Pride Month has been around since 1969, after a series of protests known as the Stonewall Riots in New York City helped spark a movement for equal rights and fair treatment for the LGBTQ+ community. Today, Pride Month is celebrated every June with colorful parades, community events, and, of course, rainbow flags, all helping to spread awareness, acceptance, and kindness. June is also a time to learn about important figures in history who helped shape Pride Month into what it is today, such as Marsha P. Johnson, a Black transgender activist who played a major role in the Stonewall movement, and Brenda Howard, a bisexual activist known as “The Mother of Pride.”

RYAN: Happy Pride to those who celebrate! And now over to the Wild World of Sports. <SFX Wild World of Sports (no dialogue just the sounds!)> It is ALMOST here… FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off in exactly 1 week from today, and the official U.S. roster has finally been announced! The U.S. team is chasing its first-ever World Cup title and includes stars like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams. Plus, players like Folarin Balogun and Matt Freese will be making their first-ever World Cup appearances this year. This year’s World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and it’s the first time since 1994 that matches will be played in the U.S. Tune in on June 11th for the tournament’s opening matchup, Mexico vs. South Africa, and on June 12th to watch the United States take on Paraguay. Do you want to kick the ball around with me now, Pam?

PAM: Maybe after…in other news, BTS is going from the concert venue… to the cookie aisle. The global superstars have teamed up with Oreo to launch Limited Edition Oreo & BTS Cookies, available now for presale through Oreo's website and arriving in stores beginning June 8 while supplies last. The special cookies feature a sweet cream inspired by hotteok, a popular Korean street food made from fried yeasted dough and typically filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. According to the brand, the flavor was chosen by all seven BTS members, who share childhood memories of enjoying both Oreo cookies and hotteok. Timed to line up with the group's 13th anniversary, the release also includes 13 unique cookie embossments, from special messages to fans to the band members' names.

RYAN: As you might know, Pokemon turned 30 this year and they JUST revealed the 30th anniversary card set… Pikachu is all over it…each pack will have one of 30 possible Pikachu variants, each variant is illustrated by a different artist. There will be six special holofoil cards in the set and an all new card rarity: Futuristic rare. The 30th anniversary set drops worldwide on September 16th. Also, Lego Ideas selected five finalists for the Pokemon trading card game Lego sets. Fans were invited to build their own Lego Pokemon card and you can vote for your favorite at Lego Ideas. The idea with the most votes will see their build turned into an official LEGO set, and will get 10 complimentary copies of their set, a credit and bio as the designer, and 1% of the total net sales of the set. So if that set makes $10M in profits, the creator will get a $100K bonus! 

<SFX BRIAN YELLING SOMETHING FROM INSIDE A POKEBALL>

PAM: Ry, why does that Pokeball sound like Brian Not Ryan Douglas?

RYAN: I dunno… <SFX Pokeball opens and BRIAN pops out>

BRIAN: DUDE! You’ve kept me in there for ________ episodes. 

PAM: Oh boy. 

RYAN: Did I really?

BRIAN: YES!

RYAN: My bad, I kinda forgot I put you there but great news, you are out in time to celebrate Pokemon’s 30th anniversary. 

BRIAN: Yea, real great Ryan. <SFX walks away>

RYAN: Pam, did he seem mad to you? 

PAM: We’ll talk about it later Ryan. In other news…Bush’s Baked Beans is also making big moves for bold summer flavors that you wouldn’t expect. As a go-to summer cookout dish, we know Bush’s for its OG flavor and brown sugar hickory beans. But, they’ve decided to spice things up a bit with 3 new flavors, including Dill Pickle, Apple Pie, AND probably the most wild of them all… Rocket Pop-flavored baked beans. The dill pickle flavor comes from the latest pickle craze with a tangy, savory dill-tasting sauce. The apple pie baked beans feature a brown sugar taste, along with sweet apple pie spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. And for the Rocket Pop baked beans? You’ll find a sauce filled with cherry, lime, and blue raspberry flavors, just like the classic popsicle itself. For those of you looking to shake up your summer cookout menu, all three flavors are available now for a limited time!
RYAN: Alright Pam, you’ve convinced me. I will try the BTS Oreos and will eat all of those baked beans. Possibly at the same time. You in?

PAM: Ummmm, I’ll have a think on that, as we take a quick break…

PAM: Hey grownups! It’s finally June, which means school’s almost done and we’re about to finish Season 6 and get ready for Season 7…but we need your help. To stay independent and unbiased, we are crowd funded. So if you’d like to make a tax deductible donation, we have a link in our show notes. No gift is too small or large and we greatly appreciate it. We couldn’t do this show without you. Speaking of…let’s jump back in. 

RYAN: And we’re back with an update on the Iran War...

PAM: On Monday, Iran took back its negotiations with the United States in light of Israel’s military expansion in Lebanon. With this, according to a government-aligned media source, Tehran would also consider fully closing down the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to disrupting other waterways like the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in an effort to punish Israel and its supporters. Iran’s government has not officially commented on those reports. However, Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Aragchi, posted on X that a ceasefire between Iran and the United States should also apply to the fighting in Lebanon. With the talks on hold, many people around the world are hoping leaders can find a peaceful way to resolve their disagreements and prevent the conflict from growing larger.

RYAN: Alright, it’s time to get <SFX OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD!>  NASA has three new, uncrewed missions to the moon slated for later this year to begin the early steps toward building a permanent base on the lunar surface. On these robotic flights, NASA plans to select sites at the moon’s south pole, gather scientific data, and test technologies to prepare for the return of astronauts to the lunar surface. These missions are known as Moon Base 1 <ding>, Moon Base 2 <ding>, and Moon Base 3 <ding>. With the support of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, Moon Base 1 will carry two science and tech payloads to the moon using its lunar lander. Moon Base 2 will carry over 1,000 pounds of cargo and a moon rover to the lunar surface. And Moon Base 3 is all about science, studying formations on the surface of the moon. And I’m still waiting for them to announce Moon Base 4 where I imagine they will store all of the space ice cream. 

PAM: You might remember us telling you about a humpback whale nicknamed "Timmy" who got lost in European waters earlier this year.  Sadly, despite months of rescue attempts, including being loaded onto a barge on May 2nd to be guided back toward the open ocean, the whale was found dead near a small Danish island. Scientists think Timmy may have gotten lost while chasing a school of fish, which led it far from its natural home in the Atlantic. Officials say a detailed medical examination will be carried out next week to determine the cause of death. According to the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, the examination is expected to help researchers better understand what led to Timmy’s decline after months of repeated strandings in the Baltic Sea.

RYAN: Okay, well now…we’ve got some very good news about a very good boy! The stars have realigned for a United States Air Force reservist and a military working dog whose paths first crossed in 2020. Senior Airman Alex Jones met Max, a now-retired military working dog, while on deployment. Although the two didn’t work together on missions, they still formed a special bond. Thanks to the nonprofit Paws of War, Max and Jones were reunited during a special ceremony honoring the dog’s service to the military. Max was also awarded the Hero with a Heart award by Paws of War for his years of dedication and service. Now, Max gets to spend the rest of his life with Jones, after being officially given a forever home with the Air Force reservist he first bonded with years ago.

PAM: Good dog news always makes my day better. And for the last thing you need to know, let’s go to our Trivia Master, Owen. 

OWEN: Thanks, Pam! Today’s trivia is about T. Rex, the giant dinosaur known for its large head and tiny arms. But, do you know why it had such tiny arms? Is it:

  1. Because it skipped arm day

  2. It needed a better balance for running

  3. Its head and jaws did all the hunting

  4. To reduce energy use during growth spurts

OWEN: The answer is… C! A new study has finally given us an answer to those tiny arms. As the T. Rex evolved, its enormous skull and powerful bite became its main weapons for hunting, and because it didn't need its arms as much, they gradually shrank over millions of years. Scientists still aren't totally sure what those little arms were actually used for, but they're hoping more research will help crack that mystery.

RYAN: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know. Wanna do Ten News Snaps? 

PAM: Yeah, after my kick. 

RYAN: Wait, what? You said we shouldn’t play soccer in the studio. 

PAM: Yeah, that’s why I’m kicking it out the window, past the parking lot and into that goal across the park.

RYAN: Yeah right, there’s no way you could–<SFX A GOLDEN BOOT SENDS IT SAILING> Sweet fancy moses, that might make it!

PAM: <SFX a net in the distance> GOOOOOOOOAL! Okay, now I’m ready for Ten News Snaps.

RYAN: But first, here’s a quick note for the grownups.

<AD BREAK>

RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!

PAM: A Ten’er named Hamilton Fan 572 left us a 5 star Apple Podcast review and said, “This is an amazing podcast and it is great for kids. I would definitely recommend. It helps you understand what’s going on in the world in a way that’s gentle enough for kids, sharing serious topics without overwhelming them. They also keep it fun with their characters, stories and games. I would love it if you gave a little more information though, I often end an episode feeling like it didn’t quite finish. But besides that, it’s an amazing podcast.” Thanks so much Hamilton Fan! We have to keep our episode length prrrrretty tight, but we will do our best to give you more info! 

RYAN: Hamilton Fan, I’m wanna know, what topics are you most curious about these days? And to all the Ten’ers? What are you most excited about for this Summer? 

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 playing soccer in the park 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 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!

Tracy Kaplan
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