Feeding Pandas to Toys for Tots - 10 Things You Need to Know

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10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 521

1. 🐼 How to Feed a Panda 101

2. 🏀 Caitlin Clark Named Athlete of the Year

3. 📆 Sacagawea Day 2024

4. 🦞 A Creepy Crustacean

5. 🐟 A Fishy Folklore

6. 🦋 Bad News for Butterflies

7. 📱 Pokemon Trading Cards Go Digital

8. 🎤 The End of an Era

9. 🎁 Toys for Tots Turns 77

10. 💭 Toys for Tots Trivia!

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Transcript:

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO 

RYAN: <SINGS> It’s the last, episode of… 2024…time for us to take a little break before 2025 sooooars.

PAM: 2024 went really fast, didn’t it? It flew by like a kaleidoscope of— 

RYAN: –DON’T. Don’t say it Pam. 

PAM: It flew by like a swarm or flutter of–

RYAN: NOPE. No no no. There’s no need to mention those horrific creatures—

PAM: Well actually, your least favorite creature is one of the things you need to know. 

RYAN: No.--

PAM: –Yes!--

RYAN: –NO!

PAM: I’m Pamela Kirkland. 

RYAN: And I’m the nervous and confused Ryan Willard, it’s Thursday, December 19th.

PAM: This is Ten Things You Need to Know. 

RYAN: Okay Ten’ers for 10 points, what animal is this? <Giant panda bleating> <SFX three second clock tick> It’s a panda! More like pan-d’aaawwww! Pandas are some of the cutest and coolest animals in my opinion, but, ummm, how do you feed them? According to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Pandas are very picky eaters. While their diet is about 95% bamboo, not all bamboo is created equal, and the pandas don’t just eat all of it. Zookeepers take notes on what parts of the bamboo or species they’re eating, and then pass that information along so staff can gather the right bamboo species in the next harvest. Three to four times a week, the zoo staff goes through a process of selecting, harvesting, and delivering massive amounts of bamboo. This is so that the pandas have enough to eat - sometimes up to 100 pounds of bamboo a day! In addition to all that bamboo, zookeepers will sometimes make “panda bread,” a dense bread made up of soybean, rice, and corn flour to add diversity and nutrition to a panda’s diet. 

PAM: For our next story, we move out of the zoo and onto the court for the                                                                        <SFX Soccer Ball Kick, then Baseball Bat Crack, then Basketball Net Swish and a Stadium Crowd Roar> Caitlin Clark has been named Time Magazine’s athlete of the year. At just 22 years old, the Indiana Fever rookie already holds a ton of records. In her time playing at the University of Iowa, she scored a whopping 3,951 points. That’s more than any other Division 1 basketball player! Clark’s senior year was also the first year the NCAA women’s basketball championship had higher viewership than the men’s. Girl power! So far with The Fever, she’s set records for most points scored by a rookie, most assists by a rookie, and most turnovers by a rookie. She’s also the first rookie in WNBA history to pull off a triple-double, when a player scores ten or more in three different categories, including points, rebounds, and assists. Congratulations Caitlin!

RYAN: Tomorrow, December 20th, is Sacagawea Day in the United States. Sacagawea was the daughter of a Native American chief, and she’s celebrated for her bravery and contributions to early American exploration. In the early 1800s, when she was just 16 years old, she acted as an interpreter for the explorers Merriweather Lewis and William Clark (no relation to Caitlin as far as we know!) as they set out on the Louisiana Territory. She helped translate between languages like English, French, and her tribe’s language of Shoshone. Not only was she an interpreter, but she also offered her knowledge of geography and edible plants. Today, Sacagawea Day is a celebration of women and Native Americans who helped shape today’s America. 

PAM: Now, it’s time to get weird.

RYAN: Wild.

PAM: And a little waaacky.

RYAN: Ten’ers, in the deepest parts of the ocean, there’s a ton of pressure and not a lot of light, so it’s really hard to live there. Unless, of course, you’re a dulcibella camanchaca. 

PAM: The who, now?

RYAN: It’s a shrimp-like crustacean, and the first predatory one of its kind to be found in the deepest parts of the ocean. At about four centimeters long, it might seem small, but honestly, I’m glad it’s not any bigger! This predator is fast-swimming, named after the word “darkness,” AND has some raptor-like “arms,” which it uses to catch prey. Aside from maybe inspiring a cool comic book supervillain, researchers say that its discovery brings us closer to understanding how life has adapted to living in the crazy conditions of the deep sea, and helps us to protect those ecosystems from threats like pollution and climate change.

PAM: Moving out of the sea and onto the shore, for the third time since August, a dead ten-foot-long oarfish has washed up on the shores of southern California. Experts say this could be a really bad sign.

RYAN: Ten’ers, I’m not an expert, but I’m gonna agree that a dead fish the size of a basketball hoop is not a good luck charm <SFX eeeeewwwwww>. 

PAM: In Japanese folklore, oarfish are considered bad omens, and predictions of doom, especially earthquakes. From a scientific perspective, seeing them ashore is a little concerning, too. The fish usually swim at depths of 300 to 3,000 feet, so they’re rarely seen on the surface unless they’re injured or confused. Scientists say that the recent fish on shore may be linked to changes in ocean conditions, including broader shifts like the El Nino and La Nina cycles. 

RYAN: Speaking of bad omens, I think I know what our next story is about…

PAM: You ready Ry?! 

RYAN: Uhh no, but I do have a job to do.

PAM: You can do it Ry, I believe in you…

RYAN: <GULPS> While I try to believe in myself, let’s take a quick break–

PAM: Hey Ten’ers, heads up that there will be no new Ten Things for a couple of weeks during the holiday break!  We’ll be drinking lots of hot chocolate, and recharging our batteries so that we can come back with lots of energy to keep making awesome new episodes in the new year! Send us a message and let us know how your holidays were - we’ll be back with a brand new ten things to know on Thursday, January 9th, 2025. Speaking of, let’s get back to the show.

RYAN: Alright Ten’ers, we’re back and our next story–

PAM: –is about butterflies!

RYAN: NOOOO! No Pam NO! 

PAM: It’s your turn Ry, and…I believe in you. And I’m pretty sure the Ten’ers believe in you too. You got this!

RYAN: Okay…ummmmm…The monarch butterfly population could be in danger as climate change threatens the trees that protect these creatures during the winter. Every November, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate toward Mexico City, where they hibernate for the winter in the protection of the oyamel fir trees. These trees aren’t very common because they require a really specific climate that’s humid yet cold, so keeping them safe is super important. They provide shade during the day, and also protection against rain that might freeze on butterflies’ wings. Without these trees, the butterflies would have to spend too much energy just staying alive, and they wouldn’t be able to head north and lay eggs. Some experts think that because of the changing climate, these trees might not be around by 2090. BLEAH. ALKFJWOEIJFS:LIEDFJ. Oh my gulay I cannot believe you just made me do that. 

PAM: You did great Ry, I’m proud of you. Maybe as a reward you should talk about your favorite thing…

RYAN: Ohhhh yes, you mean GGs!!! <SFX Super Mario theme song> OR <SFX PS5 Startup Sound> OR <SFX XBOX Startup Sound> OR <SFX 3x Mario coins> Pokemon is almost 30 years old and ready for a glow-up. Now the popular universe is available on phones as the Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, so players can collect and battle with digital cards. The game was released at the end of November, and was downloaded more than 30 million times in its first week. And, it was nominated for Best Mobile Game of 2024 at The Game Awards. Players have the option of paying extra for the premium pass that gets them extra card draws and easier access to special cards, but there’s tons to do in the game for no additional cost. It just might take a little more patience and a little more playing. Oh man, spending more time playing Pokemon. The horror! 

PAM: Next up, let’s roll out the red carpet for some entertainment news <SFX paparazzi, cameras flashing> Taylor Swift gets a double shoutout in today’s episode. Happy belated birthday to the pop star, who turned 35 on December 13th, and a huge congrats on wrapping up her Eras tour earlier this month. The almost two-year-long, record-breaking tour brought in $2 billion. This is double any other tour in history. And that was just ticket sales alone! It doesn’t even count merchandise, the Eras Tour book, or The Eras Tour movie, which was also the highest-grossing concert film of all time and the record for most mobile data used during a standalone concert. Swift performed a total of 149 shows, across five continents, and each one was over three hours long. Across these shows, over 10,000,000 fans showed up. 

PAM: Another birthday, Toys for Tots turns 77 this year! “Toys for Tots Turns 77” - say that three times fast. Founded in 1947, Toys for Tots is a program run by the US Marines that spreads joy by distributing toys across the country to kids whose parents might not be able to afford gifts for the holidays. In its first year, founder Bill Hendricks and the Marines in his Los Angeles unit collected and distributed 5,000 toys. Now, the program has collected and distributed millions and millions of toys. 

RYAN: But it didn’t stop there! It has grown into a year-round effort to help underprivileged children’s reading, by providing books to children in low-income neighborhoods. They also added a Native American Program that donates toys and books to kids on Reservations. Speaking of Toys for Tots, I think Owen has a cool fact about them. Let’s kick it to him for some trivia!

<SFX Trivia Theme song> 

OWEN: Who designed the original Toys for Tots poster in 1948?

1. An artistic marine in the army

2. Walt Disney

3. Toys for Tots founder’s wife, Diane Hendricks

<SFX 5 second clock tick>

OWEN: Did ya get it? The answer is B, Walt Disney! Toys for Tots Founder Bill Hendricks worked at Warner Bros. Studios, so he and Walt Disney knew each other. As a favor, Walt Disney designed the original Toys for Tots poster. 

PAM: It was a colorful image with a smiling Santa, a giant bag of toys, and the three-car train with the name “Toys for Tots.” This iconic train stood the test of time, and is still a part of today’s logo!

OWEN: Trains also represent Toys for Tots in two ways. 1) Toy trains were one of the most popular gifts when Toys for Tots started, and 2) they also represent how the foundation was moving and shipping toys all over. 

PAM: So cool, I never knew any of that Owen! You’ve been crushing Trivia this year.

OWEN: Thanks Pam! Ten’ers, if you have any trivia you want me to ask, drop us an email at Hello@thetennews.com and we’ll shout you out if we use it!

PAM: And that’s Ten Things You Need to Know!

RYAN: I know this is the last episode of 2024, but I cannot believe I actually read a headline about butterflies. 

PAM: You’re making real progress, Ry. Maybe in the new year we can do an episode about phobias and learn WHY you’re afraid of butterflies…

RYAN: Wait, whaaaaat–

PAM: –Ten’ers if you want that, let us know!

RYAN: Or…maybe we can just do Ten News Snaps?

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

[Ad Break]

RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps! <Grand fanfare SFX>

PAM: A Ten’er named bro vin hanson left us a comment on Apple Podcasts and said “Listen to it I guarantee you you’ll like it”

RYAN: Thank you, bro vin hanson!,  And thanks for the great advice to listen to the podcast! Everyone, listen to bro vin hanson - he is clearly very wise. FYI, Ten Things You Need to Know drops on Thursdays, and our deep dive episodes drop once a month. If you want some bonus content, you could join the Ten’ers Club on our website. And to our grownups, 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 volunteering for the holidays and includes: Tracey Not A Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian NOT Ryan Douglas, Hebba the Big Cheese Gouda, Tia Johnson, and Carson Pitter Patter Potter. Big thanks to our Trivia Master, Owen, Not Slowin down for anybody.  

PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I’m Pamela Kirkland.

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, thanks for listening to the Ten News.

PAM: We hope you have the happiest of holidays!

RYAN: And the Ten News will be back in 2025! BYYEEEEEE!