A Ten News Deep Dive: Episode 702
Ryan has disappeared on a mysterious Zelda side quest, so Tracy jumps in to help Pam tackle Ten Things You Need to Know!
We’re covering the 25th anniversary of September 11, an erupting volcano in Indonesia, strange new shapes on Saturn, Serena and Venus Williams back on the court, baby octopuses taking on invasive crabs, a 91-year-old Appalachian Trail hiker, Team USA basketball, a spacecraft headed for Mercury, and the 50th birthday of The Muppet Show.
Plus, Owen puts your Zelda knowledge to the test!
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Transcript:
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
<SFX: TEN NEWS STUDIO. PAPERS SHUFFLING. DOOR OPENING.>
PAM: Ryan?
<SFX: Crickets>
PAM: Ryan?!
TRACY: Pam?
PAM:Tracy! Thank goodness.
TRACY: Why are you yelling for Ryan?
PAM: Because It’s time to start the show and Ryan is nowhere to be found.
TRACY: Did you check the snack room?
PAM: First place I looked. He wasn’t there but I found this.
<SFX: PAPER UNFOLDING>
TRACY: A note? What does it say?
PAM, READING: “To whom it may concern: I have embarked on a super secret side quest that might or might not involve one of my favorite video games of all time. I’ll return when I’ve located the Master Sword. May the Triforce be with you, Ryan.”
TRACY: Pam. I think Ryan abandoned his job to go play Zelda. I guess I’m filling in until he gets back. Let’s get started!
PAM: Sounds good. I’m Pamela Kirkland.
TRACY: And I’m Tracy Leeds Kaplan, filling in for our apparently sword-seeking co-host Ryan Willard.
PAM: It’s Thursday, September 10th and this is Ten Things You Need to Know!
SFX: GENTLE MUSIC
PAM: We’re starting today with an important anniversary. This Friday marks 25 years since September 11, 2001. For most Ten’ers, September 11 is something you’ve learned about in school or heard adults talk about. But for millions of Americans, it’s a day they remember personally. On the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists from a group called al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger airplanes. Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Another hit the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. A fourth plane, Flight 93, crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers. Nearly 3,000 people were killed, including passengers, workers and first responders.
TRACY: The attacks changed life in the United States in ways we still feel today. Airport security became much stricter. The U.S. created the Department of Homeland Security. And the country entered wars in Afghanistan and later Iraq. There were also painful consequences at home. Many Muslim Americans — and people who were perceived to be Muslim or Middle Eastern — experienced discrimination and violence after the attacks. And 25 years later, people are still dealing with health problems linked to the toxic dust and debris released when the World Trade Center towers collapsed.
PAM: This week, ceremonies in New York, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania will honor the people who died.
<SFX: MUSIC OUT>
<SFX: LOW VOLCANO RUMBLE>
TRACY: From history to a volcano that is very much making news right now. In Indonesia, the volcano Anak Krakatau erupted over the weekend, sending large clouds of ash into the sky and disrupting travel. Several airports remained closed Monday because volcanic ash can be extremely dangerous for airplanes. The ash may look like ordinary dust, but it’s actually made of tiny pieces of rock, minerals and volcanic glass. If enough of it gets into an airplane engine, it can cause serious damage.
PAM: So definitely not the kind of dust you want flying into an airplane engine.
TRACY: Exactly. The eruption has also affected schools and communities near the volcano. Anak Krakatau means “Child of Krakatau.” It formed in the same area where the famous Krakatau volcano erupted catastrophically in 1883. Scientists are continuing to monitor the volcano for more activity.
PAM: A very good reminder that volcanoes do not care about your flight schedule.
TRACY: Or any schedule.
<SFX: SPACE STINGER>
TRACY: The planet Saturn is apparently not satisfied with having rings. It also wants all the best giant geometric shapes. Saturn already has one a giant six-sided hexagon around its north pole and now scientists have found a giant 10-sided pattern, called a decagon, around the planet’s south pole. Researchers think the shape is created by an enormous atmospheric wave moving through Saturn’s clouds. And when we say enormous, we mean it. One side of the shape stretches thousands of miles.
PAM: Saturn is apparently doing geometry homework for fun, making all math teachers very proud.
<SFX: Space zinger>
TRACY: Serena and Venus Williams were back on the court together at the U.S. Open. The legendary sisters reunited for women’s doubles, marking their first appearance together at the tournament in four years. At ages 44 and 46, they pushed their opening-round match all the way to a deciding tiebreak and even jumped out to a 5-to-nothing lead. Their opponents eventually came back to win, ending the Williams sisters’ run. But for fans, just seeing Serena and Venus competing together again was a pretty big moment.
PAM: Some sibling activities involve board games. Some involve winning 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.
<SFX: UNDERWATER>
PAM: Okay, Ten’ers. We’ve reached the part of the show where nature starts sounding like an action movie. Italy has an invasive crab problem. Atlantic blue crabs have multiplied in parts of the Adriatic Sea, damaging clam populations and other parts of the ecosystem. Researchers have tried several ways to control them, including bringing in more natural predators, like young octopuses, that eat crabs.
TRACY: Octopus versus crab. I would watch that movie.
PAM: Scientists are still studying how effective that strategy may be. Italy has also found another solution: catch the blue crabs and sell them as food. So the invasive crabs are now facing pressure from octopuses and seafood menus.
TRACY: Honestly, not a great week to be a blue crab. Let’s take a quick break.
SFX: TEN NEWS INTERSTITIAL MUSIC
PAM: Hey, Ten’ers, now that everyone is back at school, we want to hear about the teachers in your life. Do you have a teacher who makes you laugh? A teacher who explains things in a way that finally makes sense? Maybe a teacher who has a very unusual classroom rule, a surprising talent or a catchphrase everyone in your class knows by heart? Tell us about them! You can send us a voice message, write to us or ask a grownup to help you share your story. You can email us at hello@thetennews.com or leave us a voice mail at 1-888-TEN-NEWS. We’d love to shout out your class and teacher on a future episode of The Ten News!
SFX: INTERSTITIAL OUT
PAM: And we’re back with a story that may make the rest of us rethink what counts as “too tired.” Meet Dale “Greybeard” Sanders. <SFX: FOOTSTEPS / HIKING> He just completed the entire Appalachian Trail at 91 years old. The Appalachian trail stretches more than 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine and crosses 14 states. Sanders finished his journey on August 31, becoming the oldest person to complete the trail. And it was not exactly an easy hike. He reportedly fell 71 times along the way and kept going. <SFX: What?!> Sanders is no stranger to big adventures. He has also held the record for being the oldest person to paddle the entire Mississippi River.
TRACY: Wow, just Dale out there picking up all the records!
<SFX: BASKETBALL / CROWD>
PAM: Team USA’s women’s basketball team is at the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, and the tournament is already getting interesting. The Americans opened with a big 94-to-61 win over China, with Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers each scoring 14 points. But game 2? Much tighter. Italy kept things close until the final seconds, and Team USA escaped with a 55-to-52 victory. That win sends the U.S. directly to the quarterfinals, but it also showed that the defending champions could have a real fight on their hands.
TRACY: Translation: this tournament is officially spicy.
<SFX: ROCKET>
PAM: Time for a space journey that requires a little patience. A spacecraft mission called BepiColombo is entering the final stage of its eight-year journey to Mercury. And if you’re wondering: Mercury is the closest planet ot the Sun. Why does it take 8 years to get there? The answer is gravity. The Sun pulls spacecraft inward very strongly, so getting into a stable orbit around Mercury requires carefully slowing down along the way. BepiColombo launched in 2018 and has used a series of planetary flybys to adjust its speed and path. On September 3, it completed another major step in its arrival process. The spacecraft is scheduled to enter Mercury’s orbit in November. Once there, scientists will study Mercury’s giant iron core, magnetic field and mysterious surface.
TRACY: So yes, Ten’ers, sometimes taking the long way really is the fastest way but do not use this line the next time you are late for school.
<SFX: School bell>
TRACY: And now it’s time for a very big birthday.
The Muppet Show is 50 years old!
<SFX: THEATER APPLAUSE>
The show premiered on September 5, 1976, introducing audiences to the backstage chaos of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and my favorite, Animal! <SFX: Animal style drum chaos!> Fun fact: Kermit is actually older than The Muppet Show. Jim Henson created an early version of him way back in 1955. That means Kermit has been in show business for more than 70 years.
PAM: And somehow still looks exactly the same.
TRACY: Muppet skincare is no joke. And Ten’ers, if you can find it, the original Muppets Cast album is a classic. We listen to it all the time. Maybe that’s why Owen is the way he is… Speaking of Owen, let’s check in on the trivia master extraordinaire!
SFX: TRIVIA STINGER
OWEN: Um. thanks Mom. Hey Ten’ers! Ryan’s note ends with: “May the Triforce be with you.” So here’s your question. In The Legend of Zelda, the Triforce is made up of three pieces representing which three qualities? Is it…
A) Power, Wisdom and Courage
B) Speed, Strength and Magic
or
C) Snacks, Naps and Video Games?
< SFX: CLOCK TICKING>
OWEN: The answer is…A! Power, Wisdom and Courage. Those three forces make up the legendary Triforce. And Ryan is probably going to need all three if he plans to find the Master Sword. Good luck Ryan!
TRACY: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know.
PAM: Today we had volcanoes, giant shapes on Saturn, tennis legends, a 91 year old hiker and octopus vs. crab drama!
TRACY: And somehow we made it through the entire show without Ryan.
PAM: Well, not the entire show just yet.
TRACY: Oh right, it’s time for Ten News Snaps!
PAM: But first, here’s a quick note for the grownups.
<AD BREAK>
TRACY: Time for Ten News Snaps!
PAM: A Ten’er named Starcrash said “Big City Greens is the best!!!” We couldn’t agree with you more Starcrash. It was so much fun having Cricket on our show.
TRACY: And Holden said “You should do a section on the soon to come “super el nino” storm. Great idea Holden. We’ll get that in the next episode. I love hearing from our Ten’ers.
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.
TRACY: And if you want to help support the Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes. It keeps the show going! Thank 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.
TRACY: The Ten News creative team is discussing their favorite muppet 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.
TRACY: And I’m Tracy Leeds Kaplan filling in for Ryan, thanks for listening to the Ten News.
