Ten News Callback: Checking in on Inflation & Iran 🗞️
LISTEN HERE
The Ten News Season 3: Episode 19
🛍️ Inflation and shortages ease up right in time for the holidays 🌎 Is the ozone healing and why is our carbon footprint important? ❤️💚 Iran update: support from the US Soccer Federation & progress made from protests 🍭 Trivia with Tessa: what job did the inventor of Cotton Candy have?
Links
What is the current state of the ozone layer? — European Environment Agency (europa.eu)
Ultraviolet Radiation: How It Affects Life on Earth (nasa.gov)
Chlorofluorocarbons and Ozone Depletion - American Chemical Society (acs.org)
NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory - Halocarbons and other Atmospheric Trace Species
The World Acted for the Ozone Layer. Why Not Climate Change? | Time
What is the current state of the ozone layer? — European Environment Agency (europa.eu)
Why Is a Carbon Footprint Bad for the Environment? All You Need to Know | Impactful Ninja
Fact check: Has Iran sentenced 15,000 protesters to death? | Explainer News | Al Jazeera
Iran Crisis Update, November 27 | Critical Threats
World Cup result: How the USA beat Iran to set up round of 16 clash with Netherlands - The Athletic
5 SWEET FACTS ABOUT COTTON CANDY - National Day Calendar
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-report-iran/id1514325670?i=1000584273523
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TRANSCRIPT:
Ryan Willard 0:01
Pamela, do you ever have a question that you don't want to as because you're embarrassed, but you really want to know the answer?
Pamela Kirkland 0:07
Like what?
Ryan Willard 0:08
Like, when I asked you if I smelled bad?
Pamela Kirkland 0:11
Ah, yes. And I told you you smelled like hot garbage.
Ryan Willard 0:15
That's because I accidentally threw away my Nintendo Switch and I had to go dumpster diving to get a back.
Pamela Kirkland 0:20
Oh, I remember, we all remember. So, what's your question, and why are you embarrassed?
Ryan Willard 0:28
Because I feel like I should know the answer. But I don't. It's actually a couple of questions. I know we talked about this before, but what's going on in Iran right now, and as inflation is still a thing?
Pamela Kirkland 0:38
You shouldn't be embarrassed to ask. We can do a Ten News Callback and follow up on all those questions. I'm Pamela Kirkland.
Ryan Willard 0:45
And I'm Ryan Willard. It's Wednesday, December 7th.
Pamela Kirkland 0:48
And this is a Ten News Callback.
Sound Bit 0:53
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Ryan Willard 1:01
Okay, I personally celebrate Christmas. And I remember that last year, it was super hard to find what I wanted in stores and online gifts had really long waits this year, with inflation and shortages, is Christmas canceled?
Pamela Kirkland 1:14
I celebrate Christmas too, Ryan. And it's not just about gifts. That being said, Christmas is not canceled, or any holiday for that matter.
Ryan Willard 1:24
But, inflation and shortages make everything really hard for people.
Pamela Kirkland 1:27
Well, there have been some updates and developments on that actually. For the past few months, it feels like we were bringing you updates about shortages, shortages of pretty much everything. Toys, lumber, coins, and even books. This time last year, we were warning you tenors, that holiday shopping might be a little harder. The COVID-19 pandemic really messed with shipping, trucking, and deliveries, all key to keeping the supply chain in tip-top shape. The delayed delivery times shortages of products and higher prices for some goods meant companies had trouble getting supplies to make things and then not being able to put as much stuff on store shelves, help. And it wasn't just that everything was in short supply. It all cost more to thanks to inflation, gas prices soared, and the price of groceries went up. It cost more money to do the same things we do every day. And some Americans are really having trouble keeping up with rising prices. In order to keep prices where they are. Some companies dealt with higher prices by putting stuff in smaller packages. Sneaky, shrink inflation is what they call it, making you think you're getting the same size Snickers but it's just a tad bit tinier. Well, we finally have some good news. The price of gas is just about back to where regularly is. Cream cheese is available for your holiday baking needs. And chicken wings for all. That's right, global supply chains are finally back to normal. That's partly because people aren't spending a lot of money on goods or products right now. It's also because the cost to ship large containers of goods from faraway places like China have dropped as much as 90% from a year ago. And after watching how much we're spending on household items, we can finally catch a break on how much things cost because inflation is easing. Remember, inflation isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, a sign of a healthy economy might mean the rate of inflation increases to 1 or 2% Economists measure inflation regularly to see how a country's economy is doing.
Ryan Willard 3:57
That's great news. Pamela, shortages were definitely a drag and it's a great thing that inflation is easing.
Pamela Kirkland 4:03
Yeah, so hopefully you'll be able to get all the stuff on your list.
Ryan Willard 4:07
Oh, my holiday gift list is going straight to Santa. I want a PlayStation VR2, a Nintendo Switch, and Goat Simulator 3. Oh, and I have some fun Hanukkah presents picked out for Kap and her kids. We got an email from a Ten'er that had a question they didn't know the answer to. It's not just me. It's about the ozone.
Pamela Kirkland 4:31
Ooh, an ozone question. That's some really old news that Ten'ers parents might remember. All right, let's hear it.
Ten'er 4:41
Hi, my name is Elaine. I'm 12 years old. I live in Denver, Colorado. And my question is, I heard that the ozone layer is repairing itself. If it is, why do we need to keep up with our carbon footprint? Thank you.
Ryan Willard 4:53
I remember learning about the depletion of the ozone layer. So, we did some research. First. The ozone layer is a kind of shield that protects all life on Earth from harmful UV radiation released by the sun.
Pamela Kirkland 5:06
Back in 1986, scientists warned that the ozone layer was developing a hole.
Ryan Willard 5:12
A hole in the shield, not good. When more harmful types of UV radiation hit the Earth. It's bad for plants, animals, and humans because certain UV rays can damage DNA.
Pamela Kirkland 5:23
The household chemicals causing the hold were chlorofluorocarbons, also called CFCs. And were used in fridges, air conditioners, light bulbs, bug spray, hair spray, and paints. But, world leaders acted fast in the 1980s and 90s by banning CFCs that were depleting the ozone. And the good news is the hole in the ozone has been healing since the year 2000.
Ryan Willard 5:51
Excellent. Wow. But in that case, like Elaine said, why do we need to worry about our carbon footprint?
Pamela Kirkland 5:57
Well, we know climate change is warming the earth which actually isn't bad for the ozone, except above the North and South Poles where the greenhouse gases created by human industry are causing the ozone layer to thin
Ryan Willard 6:11
Ah, yes. Plus our carbon footprint affects so many things beyond the ozone, climate change, air pollution, acid rain, the acidification of the oceans, and the melting of the polar ice-caps. So yes, your carbon footprint matters. Yep. So some other 10 News messages have come in asking about Iran. And I've also been wondering about the latest. A few weeks ago, we covered the female-led protests which started after masa, a meanie was arrested by Iran's morality police for wearing her hijab incorrectly and died in custody. You can listen to that episode at the link in our show notes.
Pamela Kirkland 6:47
And to refresh everyone on what's happening in Iran. At the start of the protest, show creator Tracy leads Kaplan spoke with Shideh Almasi. And Iranian American with family back in Iran.
Shideh Almasi 7:01
Hi, my name is Shideh. I am an Iranian American. I was born in Michigan and now live in New York City, my family back in Iran is all safe and sound. Thankfully, the first two weeks of the protests, the government had shut down the internet, and it was hard to get in contact with them.
Tracy Kaplan 7:26
A lot of us are seeing things on the news about the protests. What do you want us to know about them?
Shideh Almasi 7:30
I think one of the most important things to know about what is happening in Iran is that it is a fight for equality and women's rights. However, there are a lot of other issues at play. At the moment. There are real bad air quality issues and Teheran. I was able to go about nine years ago now. And I could not breathe. I really had a hard time breathing when I was there. I think until you're really in a situation that is so polluted, it's hard to even imagine. But witnessing it firsthand, it's really terrible. So there's really this kind of perfect storm, of issues at play right now. You know, women’s equality, air pollution, just generally being able to provide food on the table for people's families. And I think it's important to know that those other components are a big factor in what's happening right now as well.
Ryan Willard 8:46
Wow. It's hard to imagine not being able to contact your family when you're seeing all these protests on the news. I saw a story on social media that said 16,000 protesters in Iran were sentenced to death. Is that true?
Pamela Kirkland 8:59
It turns out that story was actually misinformation. It's believed 15,000 people were arrested. But so far, only five have been sentenced to death. Another 350 People are reported to have been killed during protests. But it's hard to confirm exact numbers because the Iranian government is not allowing journalists to report on the protests. These protests are still ongoing all across the country. Is there anything we can do? Good question. We can keep talking about it and making sure we're sharing correct information and not any misinformation and support those that are using their voices to keep a focus on it.
Ryan Willard 9:38
Oh, like the US Soccer team did last week. Right?
Pamela Kirkland 9:41
The US Soccer team made news last week when it played around in the World Cup. The US won the match one to zero. And before the match, the US Soccer Federation broadcast an image of the Iranian flag with the Islamic Republic symbols removed. They were showing support for the protesters in Iran. But Iranian state media called for the US to get a 10-game suspension because altering another country's flag is against FIFA rules. You know, FIFA is the international soccer organization that runs the World Cup. They haven't responded to Iran.
Ryan Willard 10:15
And most recently, after months of protests all over the world and Iranian officials suggested Iran may have decided to abolish the morality police, which is the police force that enforces Iran’s strict rules on dress code and behavior. While Iran still faces other challenges. This would be a step in the right direction and a reminder that protesting and speaking up can make a difference.
Tessa Flannery 10:39
Welcome to the trivia room.
Tracy Leeds Kaplan 10:42
Hi, Tessa.
Tessa Flannery 10:43
Oh my gosh. Ten News Creator Tracy Kaplan. How can I help you?
Tracy Kaplan 10:47
Well, everyone's gotten to do the trivia and I was wondering if I could have a try.
Tessa Flannery 10:51
Of course, get in here and hop up on the trivia thrown for today's trivia question. You ready?
Tracy Leeds Kaplan 10:58
Oh, yeah.
Tessa Flannery 11:11
Here's a yummy bit of trivia calling back to 1887. December 7th is National Cotton Candy Day and this sweet treat was invented in the US and 1887. But, what job did the inventor of cotton candy have? Was the inventor, a) a dentist, b) a teacher, or c) a baker? Ten'ers, did you guess it? Tracy, what's your answer?
Tracy Kaplan 11:36
Well, I could see a dentist being excited about cotton candy because of all the kids that would end up in his chair. But, I'm gonna go with c) a baker.
Tessa Flannery 11:45
The answer is a! A dentist invented cotton candy.
Tracy Kaplan 11:54
What? I had a right. Ah, I should have gotten my first instinct.
Tessa Flannery 11:59
Dentist and inventor William James Morrison teamed up with candymaker John C. Wharton in 1887. To build a machine that makes spun sugar candy, also known as candy floss, also known as cotton candy. They took their invention to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, which is also where ice cream cones and peanut butter were first served. Ooh, maybe someone got an ice cream cone and put cotton candy in it with peanut butter topping.
Tracy Kaplan 12:29
That doesn't sound very appetizing.
Tessa Flannery 12:31
Good point, boss. Ten'ers, do you want to sit on the trivia throne and share your trivia knowledge? Visit thetennews.com/contact to get in touch and we might have you on the show.
Pamela Kirkland 12:43
Okay. Are you feeling any better about your questions, Ryan?
Ryan Willard 12:47
Much, much better. Oh, we've got to give special Ten News snaps to the Ten'ers who sent in that great question about the ozone.
Pamela Kirkland 12:54
But before we do, here's a quick note for the grownups.
Tessa Flannery 12:57
Hi Ten'ers. It's me, Tessa, and I'm going to the Girl Tales holiday party this weekend. Girl Tales, a kid's podcast of feminist fairy tales, is throwing a holiday party for families in New York City. There will be a live reading of a Girl Tale story candlemaking for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, a singalong holiday photo booth, and pizza for everyone, and kids who attend will help write a story that will air on the Girl Tales podcast. Join the fun at New Women's Space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Sunday, December 11th at 1 pm Eastern Time. Head to girltalespodcast.com/events to buy tickets and find out more. See you there.
Ryan Willard 13:37
Now it's time for the Ten News snaps.
Pamela Kirkland 13:42
Thank you, Elaine, for sending in your excellent question. And thanks for listening to The Ten News. We love when our Ten'ers contact us thank you very much. The Ten Things You Need to Know drops every Tuesday and our in-depth reports drop every Wednesday. But, if you want some bonus content, you could join the Ten'ers Club on our website or on Apple podcasts. Check out the website or our channel on Apple to learn more.
Ryan Willard 14:09
The Ten News is a coproduction of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts. The Ten News creative team is buying discount gifts and includes Tracy Crooks, Pete Musto, and Tessa Flannery.
Pamela Kirkland 14:20
Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle. And our executive producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan.
Ryan Willard 14:28
I'm Ryan Willard.
Pamela Kirkland 14:29
And I'm Pamela Kirkland. Thanks for listening to The Ten News. And remember, there are no silly questions.
