🗞️10 Things You Need to Know - 12/19/2023

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The Ten News: Season 4, Episode 29

10 Things to Know with The Ten News

1. 🚆 A High-speed Passenger Rail Project

2. 🐂 Bull Blocks Morning Commute

3. 🌪️ Tornadoes Tear Through Tennessee

4. 💫 The Geminids Meteor Shower

5. 🇺🇦 Ukraine Update

6. 🐟 Giant Goldfish Takeover Great Lakes

7. 🐊 An Absolutely Extraordinary Alligator

8. 🇮🇱 Israel-Hamas Update

9. 🍔 McDonald's Introduces CosMc's

10. 🎅 300 Skiing Santa's Hit the Slopes

Resources

• https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/12/08/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-billions-to-deliver-world-class-high-speed-rail-and-launch-new-passenger-rail-corridors-across-the-country/

• https://people.com/runaway-bull-on-tracks-stops-trains-in-new-jersey-8416114

• https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/11/weather/tennessee-tornadoes-nashville-damage-monday/index.html

• https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2023/red-cross-helping-after-deadly-tennessee-tornadoes.html

• https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/geminids-meteor-shower-where-see-peak-times-2023-rcna129068

• https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/12/politics/takeaways-volodymyr-zelensky-washington/index.html

• https://www.today.com/news/giant-goldfish-great-lakes-rcna129235

  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0380133023002460#ab005

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/white-leucistic-alligator-one-only-seven-known-exist-born-florida-rept-rcna128769

• https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/12/middleeast/ceasefire-vote-gaza-israel-un-intl/index.html

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mcdonalds-cosmcs-locations-near-me-bolingbrook-illinois-starbucks/

• https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/300-skiing-santas-over-maine-184909764.html

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TRANSCRIPT:

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

RYAN: Now, Pam?

PAM: Nope.

RYAN: Okay, how about now?

PAM: Still no.

RYAN: C’mooon! When do I get to go on the adventure you got me for the Secret Friend Holiday Gift Exchange?

PAM: That’s on THURSDAY, it’s only Tuesday and we’ve got some headlines to break down. I’m Pamela Kirkland.

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard. It’s Tuesday, December 19th.

PAM: This is Ten Things You Need to Know. 

RYAN: This week’s word of the week is ‘transportation’ and we’ve got a lot to talk about from high speed rails to skiing Santa’s. Let’s get going! Last week, President Biden announced $8.2 billion in new funding to support 10 major passenger rail projects across the country which would include the first world-class high speed rail in United States history! Some of the projects include building a new high speed rail system between California and Nevada, upgrading rail corridors in Virginia, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia, and more. Not only would this project ease travel for passengers across the country but it would create tens of thousands of union jobs and open economic opportunities for communities!

PAM: High speed railways would be a great solution for quick, eco-friendly travel, but what about potential delays and suspensions for repairs OR if you have to wait for a bull to cross the tracks!? Morning commuters in New Jersey experienced a 45-minute delay for trains going from Newark Penn Station to Pennsylvania Station in New York City after spotting a brown bull with white horns on the tracks. Members of the Newark Police Emergency Services Unit were able to assist Port Authority PD and safely contain the runaway bull in a fenced lot. After being retrieved, the bull was transported to a local animal sanctuary to be cared for. 

RYAN: Up next, wild weather continues as communities across Middle Tennessee were struck by deadly tornadoes that left thousands of Tennesseans displaced and without power. The severe weather left more than 17,000 homes and businesses without power, families without homes as temperatures hit below freezing, and took the lives of 6 people, prompting local officials in some of the hardest hit areas to declare local states of emergency. As communities across the state face a long road of recovery, there are ways you and your family can help. Visit the link in our show notes for information on how you can donate or volunteer to help those affected. 

PAM: Now, on to some space news. The Geminids meteor shower, one of the best meteor showers of the year, peaked last week. The Geminids began in November and runs through December 24th, but peaked this year on December 13th and December 14th. At its peak, the brightly lit shower can produce approximately 120 meteors per hour and at a rate of 22 miles per second! The Geminids have been around since the mid-1800s and is a result of debris left behind by the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, unlike most meteor showers that come from comets. 

RYAN: Now back to earth with a Ukraine Update. President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington D.C. in an effort to lock in additional military and economic aid for Ukraine’s defense against Russia. Zelensky met with members of Congress on Tuesday morning and President Biden in the afternoon, on the same day that the U.S. declassified new intelligence about Russia’s losses in the war so far. The Ukraine funding package remains stalled by Republicans who want the Biden administration to focus on issues happening in the United States. However, President Biden made it clear that we will support Ukraine for as long as we can. Stay tuned for more updates! Now time for a short break for the grown-ups and then we’ll be back with some HUGE goldfish, some news to make you hungry, and a santa sighting.

PAM: We’re back with some fishy news about giant goldfish taking over America’s Great Lakes. Goldfish are typically known as family pets and spend most of their time in fish tanks, so how are they popping up in lakes? Experts say it’s because of human error, such as people releasing their goldfish into lakes or streams near their homes, or even flushing them down the toilet. Once out in the wild, as long as they have food, the goldfish keep growing and it’s not just that they’re giant. According to a study in the Journal of Great Lakes Research, there is a goldfish population explosion that has negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and native species. 

RYAN: Speaking of species! A white leucistic alligator was born at a Florida reptile park and is only one of seven to exist! Leucistic alligators are the rarest genetic variation of the American alligator, and this one is the first solid white alligator ever recorded to have descended from a nest of leucistic alligators that were discovered in the swamps of Louisiana in 1987. The female alligator was born at Gatorland Orlando where park visitors will be able to visit her and her normal colored brother early next year. The park is also asking the public for help with a name for the female alligator, so Ten’ers, if you have any ideas, let them know!

PAM: Now for an Israel-Hamas update. The United Nation General Assembly voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. A majority of 153 nations voted for the ceasefire resolution, while 10 voted against and 23 abstained from voting. While the vote shows that many countries want the fighting to stop, the vote is nonbinding, meaning that the ceasefire cannot be legally put into effect. A ceasefire would provide safety to Gaza civilians and allow for aid like water, medicine, and food to be delivered to the area. 

PAM: Calling all McDonald’s lovers, we’ve got big news about a new chain that the fast food restaurant is rolling out called CosMc’s! CosMc’s main focus will be on coffee and other drinks in an effort to boost afternoon sales as grown-ups growing demands for an ‘afternoon beverage pick-me-up’ continue. The first location opened on December 7th in Illinois, with plans to open additional restaurants in 2024. Some of CosMc’s menu items include a churro frappe for coffee drinkers, and other beverages like a sour cherry energy burst and a popping pear slush. We can’t forget about the food which is different from your traditional mcnuggets and big mac. Instead, the new chain will offer items like pretzel bites, a spicy queso sandwich, and caramel fudge brownies. 

RYAN: Man, that headline made me hungry, good thing we’re on our last one of the show! 300 skiing santa’s took over the Sunday River Resort in Maine last weekend for the 23rd Annual ‘Santa Sunday’. The event included skiers and snowboarders dressed as Santa, helping raise $8,000 to support the River Fund Maine, an organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to investing in the education of local area youth and the region's recreational assets that will eventually support a brighter economic future for the community. Since opening in 2018, River Fund Maine has been able to award two college scholarships of $20,000 a year for up to 4 years! So, these Santa’s weren’t just skiing in style, but in support of education! 

RYAN: That was Ten Things You Need to Know.

PAM: Check out Thursday’s episode where where I’m taking Ryan on a special field trip. 

RYAN: WE’RE GOING TO MARS BABY!

PAM: Nope, Ryan, that’s not quite accurate. 

RYAN: (Sings) I BELIEVE I CAN FLY! I’m Ryan Willard.

PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland. Thanks for listening to the Ten News!