World News & the World Series 🗞️
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The Ten News Season 3: Episode 9
In today's episode:
💙💛 The latest developments on the war in Ukraine with Correspondent Pamela Kirkland
💂 Correspondent LizaBanks Campagna breaks down British Politics in the UK
⚾ Sports Correspondent Kenny Curtis shares some of the wackiest baseball good-luck charms in the game
🥜 Trivia with Tessa: do you know where peanuts were first farmed?
Links
Ukraine war: Massive Russian strikes target energy grid - Zelensky - BBC News
Ukraine war: US and Russian defence ministers discuss Ukraine in rare talks - BBC News
National Peanut Butter Lovers Month (November 2022) | Days Of The Year
Peanuts: a Brief History (peanutsusa.com)
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TRANSCRIPT:
Sound Bit 0:00
The British Governing Conservative Party is beginning its second leadership contest in four months. It leaves the way clear for the former chancellor, Rishi Sunak, who today formally entered the race. As promised today Rishi Sunak officially became Great Britain's Prime Minister for this week.
Ryan Willard 0:16
Well, that sounds absolutely bonkers. Another new prime minister? Well, I'll look into it.
Pamela Kirkland 0:25
Ryan, why are you talking in a British accent?
Ryan Willard 0:29
Well, sometimes when I talk to my friends in the UK, I just start accidentally doing it because I think they sound so cool.
Pamela Kirkland 0:34
Is everything good with your friend in the UK?
Ryan Willard 0:36
Yes. Well, they said they have another new prime minister. I mean, there's so much happening here in the US. But, when I think about the rest of the world, what's happening in Ukraine and the UK, my head feels like I've been playing Smash Brothers for 10 hours.
Pamela Kirkland 0:49
Whoa, buddy. Let me make you a cup of hot tea. And I'll help you make sense of what's happening in the world.
Ryan Willard 0:57
Thank you so much.
Pamela Kirkland 0:58
I'm Pamela Kirkland.
Ryan Willard 0:59
I'm Ryan Willard. It's Wednesday, November 2nd.
Pamela Kirkland 1:02
And, this is The Ten News.
Sound Bit 1:06
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Ryan Willard 1:14
Before we dive into what's happening in the UK, can you give us an update on what's happening in Ukraine?
Pamela Kirkland 1:19
Good idea, Ryan. There have been a lot of developments in the war in Ukraine in the past few weeks. Russia is continuing to target Ukraine's energy grid with missiles and drones. This is making daily life difficult and dangerous for Ukrainians and for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Aw, man. Ukraine's President condemned a large attack on October 22nd but also said most of the Russian rockets had been shut down. The US and Russian Defense Secretaries spoke in a phone call on October 21st, discussing Ukraine in their first conversation since May 13th. US defense officials say there's no indication that Russia will use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Ryan Willard 2:05
Wow. A lot has been happening in Ukraine. And there's been big changes in the UK as well. Right?
Pamela Kirkland 2:10
Yeah, Ry. That's right. Let's go to Ten News correspondent LizaBanks Campagna for an update on British politics.
LizaBanks Campagna 2:20
Hello, governors. It's LizaBanks here for a political rundown of what's been going on across the pond. Okay, sorry. I'll stop with the accent but the Brits have been going bonkers over the last few months. Okay, the last one, I promise. So, for some context, you may have heard about Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss. And then in the blink of an eye, Liz Truss had resigned. So, what happened and how did our fish and chip-loving friends get here? Before we dive in, let's break down the differences between the terms the United Kingdom, or UK, Britain, and England. Now we're talking. The UK is a sovereign state that includes the countries of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the Big Island where Wales, England, and a part of Scotland are located. England is the most populated country within the UK and Parliament, which is led by a prime minister who rules over the entire United Kingdom. Alright, let's get into it because the drama going on with Britain's leadership right now is straight out of a Shakespearean play. It all started in the summer when the previous Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned after 60 members of his own party revolted against him and quit their jobs, putting pressure on him to step down.
Sound Bit 3:29
Well, you know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now. Our future together is golden.
LizaBanks Campagna 3:38
Since Boris Johnson stepped down with time still left in his term, his party, the Conservative Party, got to elect a new leader and finish out the remainder. Then came Liz Truss who was elected the new leader of the Conservative Party and sworn into office on September 6th.
Sound Bit 3:53
And I also want to thank our outgoing leader, my friend, Boris Johnson.
LizaBanks Campagna 3:59
Two weeks into her term, the Queen passed away and the entire United Kingdom went into a period of mourning. Truss didn't land on the right note of sadness or consoling her fellow countrymen, and many saw her response as cold. Then on September 23rd, her finance minister aka the money man, Kwasi Kwarteng, announced a new economic strategy that would cut taxes for the rich and big corporations. In his new plan, the finance minister left out the part that explains how the tax cut would actually be paid for which made the entire English population to her. People were furious and the markets went crazy, tanking the British pound the currency they use in England to a historic low. Yikes. Liz Truss also seemed to be pretty mad even though the plan was also sort of her plan too and Kwarteng was a longtime political ally. Truss fired Kwasi, but the damage was already done. With markets down and inflation up. Even people within our own party were frustrated with the new prime minister. The entire debacle made the conservative party look terrible, and with the general elections coming up, many believe the miscalculations will lead to a lot of conservative party members losing their seats, jeopardizing the majority after 13 years as the primary governing party in parliament. Eventually, under mounting pressure, Liz Truss followed in Boris Johnson's footsteps and resigned after only 44 days in office, making her the shortest-serving Prime Minister and Britain's long 300-year history. Given this situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party. Oof, that's a tough way to make your mark. Now, Britain is on the third Prime Minister in two months and they're really hoping this one stick. Rishi Sunak is the newest Prime Minister, formerly the finance minister and a hedge fund manager. Sunak whose parents are Indian immigrants will be the first person of color to be the British prime minister. Yay. Finally, something to celebrate.
Sound Bit 4:12
There are always limits, more so now than ever, but I promise you this, I will bring that same compassion to the challenges we face today.
LizaBanks Campagna 6:11
Sunak's step into the spotlight does come at a cool moment. His appointment coincided with Diwali, an Indian holiday that is widely celebrated in the UK, which is a large East Asian population. While the British are still reeling from all the political turmoil of the last few months, many are hoping that Sunak's leadership will bring stability back to Great Britain.
Ryan Willard 6:30
Thanks, LizaBanks, Ten'ers, we'll keep you updated on what's happening in the world. And if there's something you want to know more about, call to leave us a voicemail at 8-7-7-T-E-N-N-E-W-S. That's 877-TEN-NEWS. Hey, teachers, do you listen to the Ten News in your classroom? We would love to hear from you and all about your class. Maybe some of your students want to be on the show. Or maybe one of the Ten News team could stop by and say hi to your class, just visit thetennews.com/contact and send us an email. Okay, my head isn't spinning anymore. Though, I think I need to think about something fun.
Pamela Kirkland 7:09
Like the fact that the Astros swept the Yankees in the ALCS?
Ryan Willard 7:14
I am a huge Yankees fan and remembering that just made me cry on the inside.
Pamela Kirkland 7:18
Oh, my bad, Ry. But the World Series is going to be awesome anyway.
Ryan Willard 7:23
That is true. I love the World Series no matter who's playing in it.
Pamela Kirkland 7:26
Let's go to Ten News correspondent Kenny Curtis to give us a look into some interesting ways the players get ready for it.
Kenny Curtis 7:36
The World Series is officially underway. The Phillies and Astros are in the middle of the biggest baseball tournament in the world. So who will emerge victorious? Well, it might depend upon who scores the most runs and makes the most defensive plays. But it also might depend on whether or not I decide to wear my lucky Phillies underwear. Okay, the Phillies need me to wear them in order to win. I know that sounds strange, but as far as good luck terms go. That one's actually not that bad. Strange superstitions and good luck. Rituals are an integral part of the sports world, especially baseball. So what are some of the weirdest good luck charms out there? Well, Wade Boggs, a famous MLB player, and world series champ had a tradition of eating chicken before every game that happens so frequently that he eventually became known as the chicken man. Not a terrible nickname, but not exactly the most intimidating either. Word on the street is that the tradition started because he planned on writing a chicken cookbook, and was using the superstition as a publicity stunt. But then it took on a life of its own when he won a batting title The same year, so he started eating chicken before every game, whatever bugs did go on to publish that cookbook appropriately titled foul tips and the chicken tradition stuck around to but nobody in baseball was as zealous about their superstitions as former Mets pitcher Turk Wendell Turk had a few wacky good luck charms, including wearing a necklace made of animal teeth and claws. Talk about a fashion statement that's gross Turk also insisted upon eating black licorice and brushing his teeth between innings a decision that was well supported by dentists across the nation. right fielder Larry Walker was one of the best players in the 1990s. He was the National League MVP in 1997 and played in five all-star games. He attributes his success to many things, but mostly he thinks it's because of his devotion to the number three. What does that mean? Larry was number 33 on the field, of course, but that's not all. He insisted on getting up at 33 past the hour and on having as many threes in his phone number as possible. And then to seal the deal. He got married on November 3rd at 3:33 pm I mean, hey, when you find Something that works you stick with it. Am I right? That's right brother. But I think the weirdest Good luck tradition has to come from baseball player Moises Alou. The outfielder admitted that he peed on his hands before every game as a way to harden them before going out on the field. Oh, ah, wow. To make matters even worse, doctors have claimed that peeing on your hands can actually make them softer. So let's just go ahead and file that one under epic fail. So by comparison, wearing my lucky underwear is actually pretty normal. Sure, it might be a little strange, but I'm just doing my part to help the team win. And there's no animal teeth involved, or pee, for that matter. The games are happening this week, so make sure to tune in to watch the Astros and the Phillies compete for the World Series title. And keep your eyes peeled for any wacky good luck charms or superstitions out there.
Ryan Willard 10:57
Thank you, Kenny. We'll be bringing back Kenny for more updates on football, hockey, and basketball as their seasons get underway.
Tessa Flannery 11:09
Welcome to the trivia room.
Kenny Curtis 11:13
Oh, yeah, I love trivia.
Tessa Flannery 11:18
Awesome. Kenny. You can hop on up on the trivia throne for today's trivia question. You ready?
Kenny Curtis 11:21
Oh, a throne? Okay. You bet!
Sound Bit 11:24
What is going on here?
Tessa Flannery 11:33
November is National Peanut Butter Lovers Month, and I am definitely a peanut butter lover. But do you know where peanuts were first farmed? Is it a) Asia, b) South America, or c) Africa? Ten'ers, did you guess it? Kenny? What's your answer?
Kenny Curtis 11:46
Okay, follow me on this. Elephants love peanuts. Right. Okay. And elephants are found in Africa, and also in Asia. It's got to be one of those two. I'm gonna say peanuts were first farmed in Africa.
Tessa Flannery 12:03
The answer is B. South America is the original home of the little legumes used to make delicious, nutritious peanut butter. Wow. South America is also the home of cacao, the main ingredient in chocolate. So my theory is that someone in South America must have been making peanut butter cups thousands of years ago, right? Oh, peanut butter cups. 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 12:47
Wow, we covered a lot today. Are you feeling less overwhelmed, Ry?
Ryan Willard 12:52
Yep. Thank you so much. And even though it's National Peanut Butter Lovers Month, I'm thinking of my friends with nut allergies and going to enjoy a spoonful of Sun Butter instead.
Pamela Kirkland 13:04
Yeah, I have absolutely no idea what you're saying. So, maybe we should wrap up the show. But before we do, here's a quick note for the grownups.
Ryan Willard 13:13
Thanks for listening to The Ten News. Our show is now weekly and drops every Wednesday. But if you want some bonus content, you can join the Ten'ers Club on our website or on Apple podcasts, club members get special bonus content and more, check out the website or our channel on Apple.
Pamela Kirkland 13:27
The Ten News is a coproduction of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts.
Ryan Willard 13:31
The Ten News creative team is watching the price of tea and includes Tracey crooks, Pete Musto, and Tessa Flannery. LizaBanks Campagna and Kenny Curtis contributed to this episode.
Pamela Kirkland 13:41
Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle and our executive producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan.
Ryan Willard 13:49
I'm Ryan Willard.
Pamela Kirkland 13:50
And I'm Pamela Kirkland. Thanks for listening to The Ten News. Chip, chip, Cheerio.
