Hello sunshine. Happy holidays and happy
Friday. Most of us are getting ready to
this long holiday break for the most
wonderful time of the year. For a last
show before the break here at CNN 10,
we're going to do this. 10 stories, 10
categories, a snapshot of the world in
2025. From extreme weather to global
politics to pop culture, we're looking
back at some of the stories that shaped
the year based off of the feedback we
received from you. The top weather story
of 2025, Hurricane Melissa. The category
5 storm rapidly intensified as it
crossed the Atlantic, earning the
nickname storm of the century.
The massive system brought torrential
rain, destructive winds, and dangerous
storm surge to coastal communities.
Flooded neighborhoods, damaged
infrastructure, and prolonged power
outages caused recovery efforts to go on
long after the storm weakened. People
are still coming to grips with the
destruction, but uh from what I've seen
and the interaction, the people here are
strong, resilient, and positive in
outlook. In climate and the environment,
Los Angeles devastated. Satellite images
show the breadth and depth of the
runaway Eaton and Palisades wildfires.
The fast-moving flames this past January
forced thousands to flee their homes in
search of safer ground. Devastation like
this will take years to rebuild.
In global news, Israel and Hamas agreed
to a US brokered ceasefire in Gaza that
paused active fighting and included a
phased plan for releasing hostages held
by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian
prisoners held by Israel.
>> It's a very important day cuz nobody
thought this was possible. So, it's very
good. While all living hostages have
returned to their families, the
ceasefire has not fully held.
Negotiations remain fragile as
international mediators work to prevent
renewed fighting. History made the first
ever American Pope. In May, shortly
after the death of Pope Francis, the
College of Cardinals elected their next
leader. And to the surprise of many, the
choice was Chicago's very own Cardinal
Robert Francis Pvost, the first
Augustinian Pope. Even more surprising,
he briefly spoke in English during his
first mass.
>> You have called me to carry that cross
and to be blessed with that mission. In
crime and culture, the Louv jewelry
heist. French authorities investigated a
high-profile jewelry theft inside the
Louv Museum, one of the world's most
visited cultural landmarks. The incident
raised renewed concerns about security
at major museums and how priceless
collections are protected. The top
science story of 2025. You guys voted
almost unanimously for this one. A deep
sea expedition off Argentina recorded
dozens of previously unseen species,
including a rounded sea star that uh
quickly went viral for its unusual
shape. Nicknamed the big butt starfish,
the discovery highlighted how much of
the ocean's depths remain unexplored. In
global politics, the feud seen around
the world. On the left, Ukrainian
President Vladimir Zalinsky hoping to
win more lethal aid from US President
Donald Trump, who moments later launched
into a verbal rampage against Zalinski.
Today, diplomatic efforts to end the war
are more productive, but active combat
is still unfolding, particularly in
eastern Ukraine.
Oh, it's their moment. K-pop demon
hunters domination. The Netflix animated
series became a breakout hit, blending
K-pop action, and Korean folklore. Fans
praised its music, visuals, and cultural
references, turning the show into a
global pop culture moment.
And finally, in technology news,
artificial intelligence playing an
increasingly visible role in daily life,
from classrooms to media to medicine.
Time magazine named the architects of AI
its person of the year, highlighting the
people behind the technology and the
influence it had across society. Field
trip time. Holiday season is in full
swing. Many of the world's most famous
places are going all out with holiday
displays. Check out the scene in Rio de
Janeiro, the world's largest floating
Christmas tree, clocking in at nearly
250 ft tall, featuring millions of LED
lights. and Rome, Copenhagen, Brussels,
Lisbon, London, Tokyo, and more. Some of
the world's most scenic cities going
allin on the holiday spirit. In the
ancient city of Bethlehem, crowds
celebrated in Manger Square, nestled
between the Church of the Nativity and a
mosque adorned with lights. If Christmas
markets are your thing, there is a
dreamy scene in Strawburg, France. And
there's a full-blown winter wonderland
in Bucharest, Romania. In the US,
there's no shortage of holiday cheer.
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, the
country's biggest cities are showing out
and glowing out in festive decor. In
Washington DC, President Trump and First
Lady Melania oversaw the lighting of the
national Christmas tree at the White
House. On Sunday, Commerce Secretary
Howard Letic scaled the massive national
monora to officially kick off Hanukkah
with a ceremonial lighting. 10sec
trivia. What was Amazon's inspiration
for the name of their AI assistant,
Alexa? Founder Jeff Bezos dog, the
library of Alexandria and Egypt, former
Jeopardy host Alex Tbeck, or Alexa Khan,
the vocabulary of a person, language, or
branch of knowledge.
My name is Alexa because it's more
dignified than Hey Robot. But seriously,
I was inspired by the ancient library of
Alexandria. That legendary center of
knowledge where scholars could find
answers to anything.
>> As the year comes to a close, Amazon has
taken a look back at the last 12 months
Alexa style. The uber popular AI
assistants field countless questions
around the world every day. And Amazon
has released a list of this year's top
queries. Taylor Swift topped the list of
most asked about celebrities. She was
joined by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo,
the world's richest man, Elon Musk, and
YouTube juggernaut Jimmy Donaldson aka
Mr. Beast. But what about Alexa's
biggest bops of the year? Swift was also
Alexa's most played artist, closely
followed by Bruno Mars, whose earworm
duet with Rosé Aapate was the most
played song. The top album K-pop Demon
Hunters soundtrack with three songs in
the top 10 most played. Other unique
asks ranged from everyday requests like
how long do I poach an egg and how to
fall asleep to deeper dives like how to
solve a Rubik's cube? What's the
diameter of the Earth? And even what is
AI? If you ask an AI assistant to define
AI, does it have an ex lexistential
crisis?
Today's story getting a 10 out of 10.
One wicked super fan getting a wickedly
cool surprise. Meet Rooney, a 9-year-old
from Virginia who watches the movie
adaptation of Wicked weekly and loves
New York City. Rooney suffers from an
inflammatory condition and the
Makea-Wish Foundation partnered with
Tela to send her to Broadway to see her
favorite show live. But what she didn't
expect was a surprise visit from the OG,
the original Glenda, Kristen Chennowith.
The Broadway superstar brought the role
to the stage during Wicked's original
run, and the heartwarming moment had the
good witch feeling good.
>> Who doesn't want to be a part of helping
make someone's wish come true? The
secret is you think, "Oh, it's going to
make them feel so good." But no, it
makes you feel good, too. The two spent
the day together bonding and building
bears as part of the fundraiser for the
foundation. It's safe to say the
experience left Rooney feeling like she
is defying gravity.
>> It was amazing. The best thing ever. I'm
just speechless. It's incredible.
>> Talk about Christmas. Come early. All
right, Jolly old friends. Time to close
out our last show of 2025. We will miss
you during the break, so keep in touch.
Koiwire, CNN10 on Instagram, Tik Tok.
We'll be posting and replying. Looking
forward to sharing some holiday fun.
Speaking of holiday fun, our last shout
outs of the year go to Miss Bell and
Mrs. Harris at Elando Charter School in
Anaheim Hills, California. We hear uh
your class elf. Pepe is a big CNN 10 fan
as well. Putting a little Pepe in our
steps. And speaking of elves, Mrs.
Cheats, Mr. Moose, and Mr. trucks at
Lancaster High School in Lancaster,
Ohio. They elfed myself and all of their
students, too. Sending L-sized cheer and
big holiday smiles. Absolutely. Thank
you for sending us some holiday laughs.
All right, cue that Friday music.
Nadair, my team, Nadair, Issa, Brendan,
Sabrina, and Chelsea. We wish you many
blessings and lots of holiday cheer.
Remember, you are more powerful than you
know. So, rise up, shine bright. We'll
see you in 2026. I'm Koi Wire and we are
CNN 10.
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up here.
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