Super Bowl LX, Frozen Iguanas, and Lunar New Year 2026

Summary

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The Ten News, News For Curious Kids

Episode: Super Bowl LX, Frozen Iguanas, and Lunar New Year 2026
Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: Ryan Willard & Pamela Kirkland

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Ten News is a whirlwind journey through top stories for curious kids and families, catching everyone up on the big wins and “what's up” moments around the world. Standout moments include coverage of Super Bowl LX, the 2026 Winter Olympics highlights, animal news featuring frozen iguanas, groundbreaking science with species de-extinction, a real-life rescue adventure, and details on the upcoming Lunar New Year. The hosts maintain a fun, energetic, and inclusive tone throughout, offering plenty of memorable moments, trivia, and opportunities for kids to participate.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Sports Highlights: Super Bowl, Olympics, and Best in Show

[00:39–03:36]

• Super Bowl LX Recap (Santa Clara, CA)
  • The Seattle Seahawks win their 2nd Super Bowl, defeating the New England Patriots 29–13.
  • Seahawks kicker Jason Myers sets a new record with five field goals.
  • Kenneth Walker III named MVP, first running back to receive this since 1998, with 135 rushing and 26 receiving yards.
    • Quote: “Walker rushed down the field for 135 yards... His 135 rushing yards are also the most by any player in a Super Bowl since Terrell Davis.” – Ryan [01:24]
• Winter Olympics Wrap-Up
  • Team USA secures first gold in the women’s downhill via Breezy Johnson.
  • Johnson becomes the second American woman to win the event; previous winner was Lindsey Vonn.
  • Lindsey Vonn suffers a crash and is injured but is expected to recover.
    • Quote: “Breezy Johnson was the sixth rider... blew through the course in just over 1 minute and 36 seconds.” – Pamela [01:55]
• Westminster Dog Show — 150th Anniversary
  • “America’s Dog Show” sees Penny, a four-year-old Doberman, win Best in Show.
  • Handler Andy Linton won with a Doberman in 1989 as well.
    • Fun Fact: The show is the second-longest continuous sporting event in the US.

2. Wild & Science News: Frozen Iguanas and Bio-Revivals

[03:36–05:41]

• Frozen Iguanas in Florida
  • Cold weather causes iguanas to enter ‘torpor’ and fall from trees.
  • Florida wildlife officials coordinate removal; 5,195 green iguanas taken out of the ecosystem.
  • Viral video: People make a blanket out of frozen iguanas.
    • Quote: “Not really, but kind of. Freezing temperatures across Florida sent the invasive species into a coma-like state called torpor...” – Pamela [03:44]
• Colossal Biosciences’ New Project: The Biovault
  • Company working to revive extinct species like direwolves and woolly mammoths.
  • Launching the Biovault, a cryogenic genetic material library supervised by AI and robotics.
  • Aims to store over a million samples from more than 10,000 species to help conserve and possibly resurrect species.
    • Quote: “Colossal hopes that the vault will eventually hold more than 1 million samples across more than 10,000 species...” – Ryan [05:14]

3. Real-life Heroism: A 13-Year-Old Rescuer

[06:17–07:05]

• Australian Teen Saves Family
  • Austin Appleby, 13, rescues his mother and two siblings after they’re swept out to sea during paddleboarding.
  • Alone, he swims over two miles in four hours after his kayak is swamped, reaching help.
  • Family is rescued after almost 10 hours in the water.
    • Quote: “Austin set off in an inflatable kayak, but he quickly left it behind and began to take on water. He then ditched his life vest...” – Pamela [06:36]

4. Tech & Curiosity: Microscopic Robots

[07:05–07:57]

• Swimming Nanobots
  • University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan create robots smaller than grains of salt.
  • Each has a built-in computer, powered by solar, can be programmed by flashes of light, and costs only one cent.
  • Possible future uses include monitoring cell health inside the body.
    • Quote: “Despite their size, each robot has a built-in computer that lets it control its own movements as it swims through water...” – Ryan [07:22]

5. Pop Culture: Prizes and Rings

[08:06–08:49]

• Dave & Buster’s ‘Human Crane Game’ for Valentine’s
  • Players are lowered into a pit to grab prizes, with five $15,000 diamond rings hidden among them to celebrate Valentine’s.
  • “Human Crane” starts Feb 14 for $20 per couple.

6. Culture & Celebration: Lunar New Year 2026

[08:49–09:34]

• Year of the Horse
  • Lunar New Year begins Feb 17, marked by feasts, decorating, shopping, and lantern festivals.
  • The horse zodiac emphasizes energy and love; next occurrence is 2038.
    • Quote: “This year’s Zodiac animal, the horse, is the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle... The horse is thought to bring confidence, energy and love...” – Ryan [09:17]

7. Trivia and Trend: The “Cry Cry Horse”

[09:34–10:59]

• Trivia by Owen
  • Lunar New Year’s alternate name is the “Spring Festival.”
  • Viral story: The “Cry Cry Horse,” a plush toy made with a mistakenly frowning mouth, takes social media by storm in China.
    • Quote: “What was meant to be a cheerful red stuffed animal with a big smile ended up with its mouth stitched upside down by accident...” – Owen [10:19]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sports Energy:
  “Pacific Northwest for the win.” – Ryan [00:12]
• Compassionate Banter:
  “Nope. I think the world can only handle one Ryan Willard.” – Pamela [05:41]
• Listener Challenge:
  “Hey tenors... What’s your favorite Winter Olympic sport? Or if you could add any winter sport, what would it be? I personally would add snowball, dodgeball, which I just made up but actually sounds pretty awesome.” – Ryan [05:44]
• Playful Teasing:
  “Wait. Cry Cry Horse is what my sister used to call me when she beat me at Skeeball.” – Ryan [11:01]

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Segment Timestamps

| Topic | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|---------------| | Sports Wins Recap (Super Bowl, Olympics) | 00:39–03:36 | | Frozen Iguana Invasion in Florida | 03:36–04:35 | | Bioscience & Species Recovery | 04:35–05:41 | | Listener Challenge & Transition | 05:41–06:17 | | Heroic Teen Saves Family | 06:17–07:05 | | Microscopic Swimming Robots | 07:05–07:57 | | Dave & Buster’s Human Crane Game | 08:06–08:49 | | Lunar New Year Preview | 08:49–09:34 | | Trivia: Spring Festival & Cry Cry Horse Toy | 09:34–10:59 |

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Tone & Style

The hosts, Ryan and Pamela, keep the pacing punchy, direct, and peppered with humor and curiosity. Kids are consistently involved (“tenors”), and news is delivered in bite-sized, easily digestible pieces. Trivia and playful back-and-forth make news both relevant and memorable for families.

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Conclusion

The episode delivers a lively roundup of news highlights for kids and their grownups, balancing timely world and science news with fun cultural trends and listener engagement. By blending sports, strange animal news, remarkable science, and spirited trivia, it embodies “news for curious kids” with both depth and playfulness.

Transcript

[A]

This relentless Seattle defense continues to have a night. Last time an old English sheepdog won best in show, 1975. Step back, jumper.

[B]

Count it.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Let's go. Pacific Northwest for the win.

[D]

Hey, Ry. Oh, wow. That's a lot of screens you've got going.

[A]

I am just catching up on the Super Bowl, Westminster Dog show, and obviously the Winter Olympics.

[D]

Whoa.

[A]

Did you see that?

[D]

All right, Breezy. Making it look easy. That was awesome. Yeah. Yeah. We've got a lot of wins to cover this week.

[A]

Well, I'm ready to rock because I'm Ryan Willard.

[D]

And I'm Pamela Kirkland. It's Thursday, February 12th.

[A]

This is 10 things you need to know. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. All right, we're starting off with a bunch of wins. In the wild world of sports.

[D]

Super.

[A]

Bowl 60 out of Santa Clara, California, is officially in the books. The Seattle Seahawks came out on top, earning just their second super bowl win in franchise history. They defeated the New England Patriots 2913, denying New England their seventh Super bowl title, which would have been the most wins in NFL history. The game also saw a new super bowl record, as Seahawks kicker Jason Myers made a total of five field goals. The game's MVP honors went to Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker iii. He became the first running back to win the Super Bowl MVP since the Denver Broncos Terrell Davis in Super Bowl 32. Walker rushed down the field for 135 yards on 27 carries and had 26 receiving yards on two catches. His 135 rushing yards are also the most by any player in a Super bowl since Terrell Davis.

[D]

And as you must know, the 2026 Winter Olympics are over. The weekend Team USA won its first gold medal of the Games in the alpine skiing women's downhill event. Breezy Johnson was the sixth rider to speed down the mountain and blew through the course in just over 1 minute and 36 seconds. This was Johnson's first ever medal at any Games, and she's just the second American woman to win gold in the event behind the iconic Lindsey Vonn. While Vonn competed this year, she unfortunately entered the event with a ruptured ACL from a crash before the Olymp. She was hopeful to make a good run during the Games, but she had a pretty gnarly crash just seconds into her run. Vaughn was treated by medical professionals at a local hospital. She ended up with a broken left leg, but is on the road to recovery, and we wish her a smooth and speedy comeback.

[A]

2026 marked the 150th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, famously known as America's Dog Show. And now it's the second longest continuous sporting event in the United States. So who took home Best in Show? No, it was not Midnight or Rigby. They are cats. It was Penny. The four year old Doberman pinscher rose above nearly 3,000 dogs representing more than 200 breeds from all 50 states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and 17 other countries. Alongside her handler, Andy Linton, Penny claimed the trophy and the prestigious Best in Show purple ribbon. Remarkably, the last Doberman to win at Westminster was in 1989. And fun fact, Andy Linton was also the handler for that champion, Indy.

[D]

Up next, iguanas are falling from the sky.

[A]

Wait, what? Iguanas are falling from the sky?

[D]

Not really, but kind of. Freezing temperatures across Florida sent the invasive species into a coma like state called torpor in which their bodies shut down to conserv energy. This leaves iguanas immobile and unresponsive and often causes them to fall from trees. And since they're an invasive species, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced an executive order allowing people to remove the animals from the wild without a permit and take them to five drop off sites across the south and southwest Florida. Because of the effort, wildlife Officials say that 5,195 invasive green iguanas were removed from Florida's ecosystem. While progress was made, fun was also had as a viral video showed people making a blanket for themselves out of frozen iguanas.

[A]

Alright, we've got more animal news. Scientists at Colossal Biosciences are back to work. That's the company that made news after recently reviving the direwolf, an animal that was previously extinct. While they're currently trying to bring back the woolly mammoth, they also got a new project underway. The Colossal Biovault. The biovault will store frozen genetic material, including samples from multiple species, and will be monitored by advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. Colossal hopes that the vault will eventually hold more than 1 million samples across more than 10,000 species. These samples could help de extinct lost species and produce offspring for threatened species. Which is also needed because according to projections from Colossal and the United Arab Emirates, nearly half of the world's species could face extinction by 2050. The colossal biovault will be located in a new world preservation lab at the Museum of the Future in Dubai. I wonder if they're going to need my genetic material so they can make other Ryan's.

[D]

Nope. I think the world can only handle one Ryan Willard.

[A]

That's so Nice of you to say, Pam. Let's take a quick break while I digest that compliment. Hey tenors, the Winter Olympics are underway and I'm curious, what's your favorite Winter Olympic sport? Or if you could add any winter sport, what would it be? I personally would add snowball, dodgeball, which I just made up but actually sounds pretty awesome. Leave us an Apple review or a comment on Spotify and let us know and we might shout you out on the show. Speaking of back to it.

[D]

We're back with an incredible story out of Australia. Austin Appleby, a 13 year old boy, is being hailed as a hero after saving his mom and two younger siblings who were swept out to sea. The family was out paddleboarding and kayaking when the weather took a turn. And that's when Applebee's mom made the tough decision to send her oldest child for help because she couldn't leave all three children. Austin set off in an inflatable kayak, but he quickly left it behind and began to take on water. He then ditched his life vest to improve his swimming and after two and a half long miles and four hours, he made it ashore. He was able to get help and a search helicopter found his mom and two siblings after they had drifted nine miles and spent nearly 10 hours in the water.

[A]

From a life saving swim to swimming Robots Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, with help from researchers at the University of Michigan, have developed tiny swimming robots that are smaller than a grain of salt.

[B]

Whoa.

[A]

Despite their size, each robot has a built in computer that lets it control its own movements as it swims through water. Powered by a solar panel, it can run for months on light alone. The miniature computer can be programmed using flashes of light and even store memory. Despite the challenges of building such small machines, each robot costs only about US$1 cent to make. The researchers hope these robots could one day help with tasks such as monitoring the health of cells in the human body. Though I personally hope they can help me form a nanotech Iron man suit again.

[D]

I don't know if the world can handle that. Rye, have you ever been to a carnival or an arcade and won a prize winner?

[A]

Yeah, of course. Honestly, the prizes aren't that great most of the time.

[D]

Well, Dave and Buster's, a restaurant chain where you can enjoy yummy food and play arcade games.

[A]

I don't know where this is going, but I like it.

[D]

Has announced they are putting five $15,000 three carat diamond rings into their human crane game to celebrate Valentine's Day. The chain crane game isn't your typical one. Instead of a claw, players are actually lowered into a pit of giant prizes where try to grab as much as they can. The rings will be available as prizes at select stores and couples can secure their ride on the human crane for 20 bucks starting on February 14th.

[A]

While February may be the month of love, 2026 is the year of the horse. Coming up on February 17th is the Lunar New Year, a 15 day celebration filled with traditions like decorating, shopping, feasting and the famous Lantern Festival where kids carry lanterns around their neighborhoods at night, marking the end of the celebration. This year's Zodiac animal, the horse is the seventh animal in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac signs and follows behind the snake. The horse is thought to bring confidence, energy and love, making 2026 a year full of spirited fun and new adventures. Enjoy it while it lasts because the next Year of the Horse won't be back until 2038.

[D]

And for the last thing you need to know, let's go to our Trivia Master, Owen.

[C]

What is going on here? Trivia on the 10 thanks, Pam. Now, the Lunar New Year is a cool holiday, but it isn't just called the Lunar New Year. Do you know its other name? Is it A Harvest Festival, B Spring Festival, C Lantern Festival, or D Moon Festival? The answer is B Spring Festival. And this Spring Festival, China is kicking off the year of the Horse with a surprising twist. A viral plush toy nicknamed the Cry Cry Horse. What was meant to be a cheerful red stuffed animal with a big smile ended up with its mouth stitched upside down by accident. It came out with a frown that people are saying matches the mood of the current economy. While it may seem like a sad way to start the celebration, people can't get enough of the unhappy horse and the company had to increase production to keep up with the demand.

[D]

And that was 10 things you need to know.

[A]

Wait. Cry Cry Horse is what my sister used to call me when she beat me at Skeeball.

[D]

Well, if you can beat me at Skeeball, I'll get you a Cry Cry Horse plushie.

[A]

Challenge accepted, Pamela. After we give 10 new snaps to some of our listeners, obviously.

[D]

But first, here's a quick note for the grownups.

[B]

Frontboy can be a tough stretch for homeschool families. The days are shorter, schedules get busy and motivation can start to dip. And that's why I wanted to make sure we talked about ixl. It's designed to help keep learning, consistent and moving forward during this mid year stretch. One of the biggest strengths of homeschooling is flexibility. And that's exactly what IXL supports. It adapts to each child's level so kids can reinforce skills they're still building, work through challenging topics, or move ahead when they're ready. What really stands out to me is how practical it is for families. Everything is organized by grade and subject, which saves time and makes it easy to jump in. Kids get instant explanations as they practice, and parents get clear progress reports that show how learning is going. So if you're a homeschool family looking to keep momentum strong as spring approaches, the 10News listeners can get an exclusive 20% off an IXL membership when you sign [e-mail] 10 that's Iexcel.com 10 for a learning program trusted by millions of families.

[E]

What do you do when your toddler melts down or your teen shuts down? I want to introduce you to the Mindful Mama podcast. I'm Hunter Clark Fields, author of Raising Good Humans and your host for the past 10 years. I used to be a yelling, overwhelmed mom until I found mindfulness and practical parenting tools that changed everything. Each week I bring you honest conversations and expert advice to help you regulate your emotions, manage your kids behavior with compassion, and break the cycle of reactive parenting. Whether you're raising toddlers or teens, you'll find real strategies for conscious parenting, screen time, ADHD and more. Listen to the Mindful Mama Podcast wherever you get your podcasts because you can raise kind, confident kids without losing your cool.

[A]

It's time for 10 new snaps.

[D]

A tenor named Pooky Dancer Face left us a five star Apple review and said, I love your podcast. I use it to sleep. Also, it informs me about the world. Okay, I'm glad we can keep you informed and honored to help you get your Z's.

[A]

A tenor named Fan of Manga left us a comment on Spotify and said hi, where are you in Legend Za? I'm ranked C and my main goal is to get a full mega evolving dragon team. What's your rank and party referring to the six Pokemon that you carry around? Thank you for asking Phantom Manga and thank you for sharing your goals. I'm currently rocking Blastoise, Gengar, Alakazam, Beedrill, Emboar and Dragonite and I'm also rank C so we're pretty close and I hope to run into you in Lumiose.

[D]

City and two extra notes for the grown ups. You can now get ad free versions of our episodes when you join the Tenors Club on our website.

[A]

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.

[D]

The 10News is a co production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcast and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.

[A]

The ten News creative team is sending their love to the tenors and includes Tracy, Nada 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.

[D]

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.

[A]

And I'm Ryan Willard.

[D]

Thanks for listening to the 10 news.

[B]

Have you ever wondered who the Mary was from Bloody Mary? If the Loch Ness Monster was real or if Ouija boards actually worked? On each episode of the Family Friendly Unspookable, we look at the histories and mysteries behind your favorite scary stories, myths and urban legends. To get the real stories behind the scares, want to solve your next mystery stories? Find and follow Unspookable Now. Wherever you get your podcasts.