Come in.
Um, Pam, we're like two weeks into the year and I feel like there's been a lot of big news already.
Yeah, there has been a lot of intense stuff happening, but there has been some good news too.
Like, the Winter Olympics are almost here and a record number of rehabilitated manatees were released back into the wild.
Oh, that's awesome.
Oh, and Lego just announced some brand new sets and I want all of them.
So there's been some great news and some not great news.
Yep.
Let's get into all of it.
I'm Pamela Kirkland.
And I'm Ryan Willard.
It's Thursday, January 15th.
This is 10 Things You Need to Know.
10, 9, 8.
Before we jump in, we have a quick heads up for our listeners.
The first few headlines of the show talk about some heavier news.
If that's not a great fit for you or your family, feel free to skip ahead to the second half of the show for some lighter stories.
And of course, trivia.
First up, an update on the United States and Venezuela.
Earlier this month, Venezuela's longtime leader, Nicolas Maduro, was captured.
Since then, his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has been sworn in as Venezuela's interim president.
And the United States has backed her, at least for now.
But that support comes with some major conditions.
The US says Venezuela won't hold elections in the near future and that it will closely oversee what happens next, especially when it comes to oil, Venezuela's most valuable resource.
The US has already seized millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil under sanctions.
Trump says that oil will be sold on the global market with the money controlled by the US government to help push Venezuela toward what the administration calls a quote stable transition.
But not everyone agrees that this is the right or legal way to do that.
Some lawmakers and world leaders say the US is going too far and raising serious questions about international law and global security.
And inside Venezuela, the situation is still tense.
The US State Department has warned Americans to leave the country immediately, While Venezuela's government insists things are calm.
So what happens next?
That's still unclear.
The U.S. says this oversight could last months or even years.
And countries around the world are watching closely to see what this means, not just for Venezuela, but for how powerful countries act on the global stage.
For more background on how we got here, check out our special report that we put out last week.
The link is in our show notes.
Now, over to Iran.
Over the past few weeks, people in many cities across Iran have been protesting.
At first, the protests were about the economy things like food costing more money and people having trouble paying for everyday needs.
But they've grown into something bigger, with many people asking for changes to how their country is run.
And the situation has gotten pretty serious.
Yes.
Human rights groups say many people have been hurt or killed and thousands have been arrested for protesting.
To limit the protest.
Iran's government has also shut off or slowed down the internet in many places.
That makes it harder for people to communicate and harder for the rest of the world to know exactly what's happening.
Iran's top leader, Ali Khamenei, says the government will not back down.
Iranian officials have blamed other countries for the unrest and warned protesters they could face severe punishment.
President Trump has said the US is watching how Iran's government treats protesters and has warned there could be consequences if violence continues, though leaders have also said they're open to talks instead of fighting.
And while people are speaking out in places like Iran and Venezuela, there are also big protests happening right here at home in the United States.
That's because earlier this month in Minneapolis Minnesota, a 37-year-old woman named Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by a US.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, better known as ICE, during a federal operation.
Her death has sparked demonstrations in cities across the country, with people gathering to call for change and justice and to talk about how immigration enforcement should be handled.
Some marches have been peaceful, while others have led to clashes with police and a few arrests.
There have been videos circulating on social media of the incident, and we'd like to remind our tenors that just because something is out there, you don't need to watch it.
And not everything on social media is real these days.
There have been reports of AI videos circulating that show different versions of what happened.
What is clear in the videos is that Goode was trying to leave the seat.
And according to many in law enforcement, The ICE officer did not follow proper training and did not need to act with lethal force.
An investigation is ongoing, but there are concerns about it being done fairly, since the Trump administration was quick to condemn Renee Good and support the actions of the ICE officer right away after the incident.
So, just like in Venezuela and Iran, here in the US people are raising their voices because they feel strongly about how the government and law enforcement treat people every day.
And we want to hear from you.
Let us know how you feel about the latest news by sending us an email at hello at the 10newscom or leaving us a voice note at 877-TEN-NEWS.
Okay, it's now time to talk about germs.
It's flu season, but this one seems to be hitting a bit harder than usual.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu-like symptoms, including fevers, sore throat, fatigue and body aches, have prompted the highest level of doctor's visits in nearly 30 years.
The flu alone has accounted for over 11 million illnesses and 120000 hospitalizations, and it shows no signs of slowing.
45 out of 50 states are experiencing high to very high levels of flu activity, and this data doesn't yet include illnesses caused by holiday travel and gatherings, which could further impact the flu season.
This all comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced they are reducing the number of vaccines routinely recommended for children from 11 to 17.
Vaccines that had long been recommended for all children, like rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis and you guessed it, seasonal flu, are now more restricted on this new schedule.
These vaccines are now recommended only for those at high risk or after discussing them with a health care provider as part of what is now called quote shared decision making.
The CDC says the change is meant to give families and doctors more flexibility and mimic the schedule of other developed countries.
But public health experts and pediatricians warn that these changes were rolled out without the usual scientific input, a move they say could create confusion about routine childhood protection and potentially allow dangerous diseases to spread again.
So make sure to wash your hands, everybody, and try to stay healthy this winter season.
Shoot!
Um, yeah, let's take a quick break so I can wash my hands.
Great idea, Rye.
Before we get back to the show, I think we need a little vibe cleanse.
So here are some sounds that I find oddly satisfying.
Okay, back to it.
We are back.
For 10 points, what animal is this?
If you guessed a manatee, you are correct, and I am incredibly impressed.
The Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park Florida is a family attraction, a rescue rehab and a care facility for animals.
They announced that they released 26 rehabilitated manatees back into Florida waters in 2025.
This is the highest number for the park in a single year.
One of those manatees was Madonna, rescued in November 2024 following the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Madonna was trapped in just five inches of water, with temperatures dropping to 30 degrees, with very limited food.
At only 345 pounds, far below the typical 1000-pound adult manatee.
Madonna made a remarkable recovery and returned to the wild weighing a healthy 700 pounds.
We've got another great comeback story, but instead of wildlife we're spotlighting an Olympic figure skater.
And in the wide world of sports.
Alyssa Liu had already retired at the age of 16 after winning bronze at the 2022 World Figure Skating Championships and representing the United States in the Olympics at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
Liu also modeled for the iconic fashion brand Ralph Lauren and was a guest on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.
Despite these accomplishments, Lou felt something was missing the chance to have a normal childhood, with all of her time dedicated to training.
So she stepped away, taking her first vacation getting her driver's license and spending time with family and friends.
But after a ski trip to Lake Tahoe in 2024 she realized how much she missed the adrenaline rush and was inspired to get back on the ice.
Since then, she's won gold at the 2025 World Championships and now has her sights set on returning to the Olympic Games.
Drumroll, please, for the latest unveiling of LEGO.
The brand new LEGO Pokémon sets have been announced and include Pikachu Eevee and an epic 3-in-1 set with Charizard, Venusaur and Blastoise.
The 3-in-1 set will have 6838 pieces and will retail for 64999, which is nuts because that's more expensive than a PS5 or a Switch 2.
The LEGO Pokémon sets will drop on February 27th.
LEGO also announced the new Smart Play Bricks, Tags, and Minifigures.
Lego Smart Play uses a custom-made chip that makes Lego bricks more interactive for children, families and people named Ryan.
Those interactive bricks are paired with Lego Smart Tags and Lego Smart Minifigures to add sound effects to your Lego creations.
Almost like bringing your builds to life.
It's alive!
Star Wars LEGO Smart Playsets are available for pre-order now, but won't hit stores until March 1st.
And I am saying this hoping that someone from LEGO is listening and wants to give me a hands-on preview before March 1st
Please.
Hollywood's biggest party, the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, are officially wrapped.
The annual awards ceremony honors excellence in film and American television productions, and 2026 was a big year.
Some top takeaways from this year's winners include Timothy Chalamet, for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, for his role in the film Marty Supreme, beating out big-name actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney.
The Best Motion Picture Animated Award went to none other than K-pop Demon Hunters, which was up against productions like Walt Disney Studios' motion pictures Elio and Zootopia 2.
And last but certainly not least, Owen Cooper made history as the youngest person to win the award for Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series for his role in Adolescence.
Cooper is just 16 years old, and you know that we love people named Owen.
Yes, we do.
And for the last thing you need to know, let's go to our Trivia Master, who we love, Owen.
What is going on here?
Trivia of the Ten.
Thanks, Rod, and congratulations, Owen Cooper.
It's great to see another Owen doing great things.
This week's trivia is out of this world.
But before we blast off, what was the year that the first person ever traveled into outer space?
Was it?
The answer is c 1961, when soviet pilot yuri alexeyevich gagarin completed one orbit of earth on the voztok 1.
But let's fast forward to today.
An engineer from germany, michaela benthouse, became the first wheelchair user to travel into outer space, taking off from West Texas on a Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital mission.
After her accident, she thought there was no chance of her ever going into space, but she experienced a 10-minute period of weightlessness in a capsule designed with accessibility in mind.
And that was 10 Things You Need to Know.
Sweet sassafras!
You okay?
Yeah, I just saw that a free update for Animal Crossing just dropped, so I think I should download it and do some research to see what it's all about.
That sounds like a good idea, but you still gotta give out 10 new snaps.
Of course.
Before that, here's a quick note for the grown-ups.
It's time for 10 new snaps.
A tenor named Messi left us a review on Apple Podcasts and said, I love this podcast.
Six, seven.
I don't think that's the real Messi, but I will pretend that it is.
A tenor named L-V24 said, great show.
This is an amazing show.
And Ryan, I won't mention bubbler fry.
Thank you, my friend.
I really appreciate that.
Shout out to your cat, Biff.
And two extra notes for the grownups.
You can now get ad-free versions of our episodes when you join the Tenors Club on our website.
And if you want to help support the 10 News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes.
The whole team thanks you for your support.
The 10 News is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcast and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.
The 10 News creative team is getting their flu shots and includes Tracy, Notta 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 Slowing Down for anybody.
Our production director is Jeremiah Onfaya-Tittle and our executive producers are Donald Albright Albright, Albright and show creator Tracy Takes the Leads Kaplan.
I'm Pamela Kirkland.
And I'm Ryan Willard.
Thanks for listening to The 10 News.
