Summer Sneak Peeks, Wild World of Sports, and Gaming BTS

Episode
Written By Tracy Kaplan

10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 645

1. It's National 🌽 Day

2. Summer Solstice Sneak Peek 👀🌞

3. Creatures Uncovered 🔎

4. Return of the Giant Pandas 🐼

5. Making History in Monaco 🏎️ 🏁

6. Tswift 🤝 Toy Story 🤠

7. Minecraft Memories 🧱

8. Gaming BTS with Ryan 🎮

9. Baseball Blooper ⚾️

10. A Summer Grand Slam 🎾

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TRANSCRIPT

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

<SFX Ryan making race car sounds>
<SFX Door opens>
PAM: Hi Ry, are you…playing make believe go kart driving? 

RYAN: <SFX Ryan makes screeching to a halt sound> Actually Pam, I’m playing make believe F1 racing, but thank you for asking. 

PAM: I didn’t know you’re an F1 fan.

RYAN: It’s a pretty crazy sport, and a 19 year old just won his 5th race in a row.
PAM: Wow, that is impressive. You’re not training right now, to become an F1 driver, are you? Because that’s not a great idea. 

RYAN: No. But I am playing make believe so I can be mentally prepared to try a racing simulator. Because I’m Ryan Willard.

PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland. It’s Thursday, June 11th. 

RYAN: This is Ten Things You Need to Know. 

RYAN: <SFX Let’s get weird. Wild. And a little wacky.>

RYAN: Do you know what we're talking about if we say "cornstick" or "long maize"? Here's a hint: it's one of America's favorite summer cookout foods! If you guessed corn on the cob, you're right, and it just so happens that today is National Corn on the Cob Day!

PAM:  Corn has a long history. More than 9,000 years ago, farmers in what is now Mexico began growing and improving corn, turning it into the crop that we know today. Over time, corn spread across North America and became a favorite food in many forms, from corn on the cob to cornbread to even popcorn at the movies! But today, it’s all about celebrating the cob.
RYAN: Okay, you sold me Pam, I will have some corn on the cob with my lunch. And dinner. I love me some corn on the cobby!

PAM: While it might be feeling like summer with the warmer days and no more school, it’s technically still spring. 

RYAN: Wait. WHUT! I’m already in my beach attire.
PAM: You may be dressed for it but, the Summer Solstice isn’t for another 10 days! On Sunday, June 21st, summer officially begins with the solstice, marking the astronomical first days of the season in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun will travel along its northernmost path in the sky, and Earth will arrive at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt toward the sun. As a result, June 21st will be the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the start of winter and is the shortest day of the year!

RYAN: Honestly, I'm just happy it's finally warming up. This winter was COLD.

But while I was busy trying not to freeze, a team of African and international scientists was exploring the remote Lisima Plateau in eastern Angola and discovering dozens of species that may be brand new to science. Researchers found eight possible new dragonfly species, three possible new grasshopper species, and around 60 moths and butterflies.WAIT! Who added butterflies in there!?

PAM: I don’t think anyone added them Ry, that was just what they found. You gotta keep going…

RYAN: Ugh. Okay! They also recorded several other species, with six added to Angola’s national species list and eight now being formally studied and described. One of the most eye-catching discoveries was a crowned crab spider that glows bright blue under ultraviolet light! Okay that one’s pretty cool.

PAM: For Ten Points, can you tell me what animal this is? <SFX PANDA SOUNDS> <SFX TICK TICK TICK DING!>, Back in the United States, more giant pandas are expected to return sometime this year! Two pandas will officially call Zoo Atlanta home as part of an international conservation and research agreement between the zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Zoo visitors, get ready to meet Ping Ping, a male panda, and Fu Shuang, a female! While it’s still unclear exactly when they’ll arrive, the zoo says it will share updates as more information becomes available. Giant pandas were declared no longer endangered in China in 2021, but they are still considered “vulnerable” worldwide on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated 500 to 1,000 mature giant pandas living in the wild.

RYAN: And now over to the Wild World of Sports. <SFX Wild World of Sports>. Kimi Antonelli is having a seriously unbelievable season in Formula 1. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver from Italy just won the Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most famous races in the world. And get this: it’s only his second season in F1. In Monaco, Antonelli became the youngest driver in F1 history to complete a Grand Slam. That means he started on pole position, set the fastest lap, led every single lap, and won the race. It was also his fifth Grand Prix win in a row, giving him a 66-point lead in the drivers’ championship. So yeah… Kimi is officially zooming into superstar territory. Let’s go Kimi! <SFX Ryan driving sounds>

PAM: Alright, that calls for a quick pit stop. Box box, Ry. It’s time for a break!

PAM: Hey Ten’ers - tomorrow we have a Summer Deep Dive, which will be our last episode of season 6. So this is the last Ten Things You Need to Know of the season. And we just wanted to take a moment to thank you for listening, commenting and participating. We love making this show and you are the reason we do it. We will be coming back for season 7, but for now, thank you so much for joining us for season 6. You are aaaawesome! Alrighty then, back to the show!

RYAN: We. Are. BACK. 

PAM: Ready to find out which pop star has written a special song for Toy Story 5? We’ll give you a hint, their name has the same first initials as Toy Story. 

RYAN: TINY TIM!

PAM: What? No. If you guessed Taylor Swift, then you are correct! Swifties can look forward to hearing Taylor’s brand-new original song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” in the latest installment of Disney and Pixar’s beloved film series. The song marks Taylor’s first new music since her 2025 album, The Life of a Showgirl, and was written after she watched an early screening of the movie. Taylor shared that she has loved Toy Story since childhood, making this collaboration a dream come true. 

RYAN: Okay, now it’s time for some… <SFX GGs!> I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Minecraft is more than just a game. A new interactive project in Sheffield is proving that! Sheffield, a major city in South Yorkshire, England, is inviting community members to recreate their favorite places using Minecraft. It’s called Sheffield of Stories: The Big Sheffield Build and was designed by digital artist Adam Clarke to bring people together to build locations from the city’s past, present, and future. At events hosted by the National Video Game Museum, people of all ages have been building everything from homes and football stadiums to banks, parks, and community spaces. Alongside these creations, personal memories will also be recorded and animated within the final Minecraft world of Sheffield.

RYAN: And now for a BONUS GG… I got an early hands on preview of two upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 games… and they were awesome.  First up, Starfox It’s a remake of Starfox 64, where you play as Fox McCloud the legendary Nintendo space pilot. Fox leads a team of pilots who fly Arwings and fight to save his own galaxy. I’ve played Starfox 64 but this adds a whole new level to the game. It is a major glow up! The graphics and cut scenes were awesome, but I had the most fun playing the 4v4 multiplayer mode. Starfox drops on the Switch 2 on June 25th. The second one was Rhythm Heaven Groove, which is a music and rhythm game. It’s a series of mini games that are music based. I’d never played this series, but I had a blast trying it out. It was very very challenging and the music was actually dope. Listen to this mini game, where you're catching vegetables thrown at you and then cutting them. Rhythm Heaven Groove drops on July 2nd for the Switch and Switch 2. 

PAM: Back to the sporting world… Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell has had quite the season so far. Earlier this year, the major leaguer’s defense against the Seattle Mariners was top-notch, as he denied the team three home runs. But in a recent game against the Colorado Rockies, he didn’t have the same luck. In fact, he actually kind of helped the team hit a home run. TJ Rumfield hit a deep fly ball in the fourth inning, and as Adell reached to catch it, the ball grazed the outside of his glove, then bounced off his head and over the wall for a solo home run. The ball then bounced off a scoreboard and back onto the field, causing some confusion about the official ruling on the play. But sure enough, it was confirmed a homer, and the Colorado Rockies went on to beat the Los Angeles Angels 8–2.

RYAN: Well that’s one way to keep your head in the game. And for the last thing you need to know, let’s go to our Trivia Master, Owen. 

OWEN: Thanks, Ry. As sports continue into the summer, we have a lot to look forward to, especially with the FIFA World Cup, but there’s another major event on the way. Do you know which iconic tennis tournament is played every year in London on grass courts? Is it:

  1. The US Open

  2. The Wimbledon Championships

  3. The French Open, or 

  4. The Australian Open

The answer is… B! The Wimbledon Tennis Championship is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, dating back to its debut in London, England, on June 9, 1877. Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, but it stands out for one very important reason: it's the only Grand Slam played on grass courts. Other courts are hard courts or made of red clay. The tournament features 128 men and 128 women competing in a single-elimination bracket. Lose once, and you're out. Win, and you move one step closer to lifting one of the most famous trophies in sports. This year's matches begin on June 29th and continue for two action-packed weeks as the world's best tennis players battle for the Wimbledon crown. I love playing tennis and will be tuning in to watch!

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

PAM: <SFX Makes race car driving sounds>

RYAN: I’m sorry…are you racing me?! 

PAM: <SFX BIG driving sound> I’m not racing…I’m just… taking the lead! <SFX BIG driving sound zooming away!>

RYAN: But wait! We gotta give out Ten News Snaps!

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

<AD BREAK>

RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!

PAM: A Ten’er named King Bob left us an Apple review and said, “Best Podcast Ever. I love how the podcast informed me what is going on in the world in a kid friendly way. I also do not like butterflies.” Thank you for the kind words, King Bob. I have a feeling that Ryan–

RYAN: –FULLY AGREES WITH YOU, YOUR MAJESTY. 

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 one episode away from summer break 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 and Sasha the Intergalactic Intern. 

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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