>> here's what's coming up on this edition of "teen kids news." >> i'll tell you why marijuana could cause your dreams for the future to go up in smoke. >> these teen tutors are helping new immigrants to overcome language barriers, one word at a time. >> what has eight legs, plays guitar, drums, sings, and changed music history? with a little help from my friends, i'll tell you. oh, and by the way, your mother should know. >> there's "spider-man" the comic book, "spider-man" the movie, and even "spider-man" the broadway play, but none of them give you the thrill of spider-man the ride at universal orlando. i'll have the report. >> all that and more, next on "teen kids news."

>> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm livia. here's this week's top story. >> so let's start with the good news. fewer teens today are smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. >> now the not-so-good news -- marijuana use is on the rise. >> and here's worse news. most teens probably don't realize what they're risking. scott reports. >> i wish i had an easy job like you have. >> you have the easiest job on earth. you smoke all day! >> [ laughs ] >> in the movies, getting high is often played for laughs. >> in the next couple of hours, i expect the both of us to be blitzed out of our skulls. [ both laugh ] >> but what's not funny is that many of us may be under the influence of a misconception.

>> no, i don't think a person is harmed by smoking pot. >> it doesn't really do serious damage, not like tobacco. >> we think that the data shows that one of the main contributors to increased use is the reduction in the perception of risk. >> dr. baler talks like a government scientist because he is one, but he's also a dad. >> so i tend to talk to my daughter about why kids are attracted to these things. after rolling her eyes, she tells me that what kids look for is really natural things because they perceive that they are less dangerous. >> yes, marijuana that comes from a plant natural, but that doesn't mean it's safe. marijuana is filled with chemicals. experts say these chemicals can affect your memory and your ability to learn. and because our brains are still developing, teens are at particular risk. >> the data shows that people that use marijuana from early on, as youngsters -- they have lower income, lower satisfaction in life. >> that's why a survey of 8th through 12th graders is causing

alarm. it shows that smoking marijuana is at the highest level in 30 years. >> i know people that smoke marijuana often. >> i do know people who smoke marijuana a lot. >> in fact, 71% of teens say they have friends who use marijuana regularly. >> you wouldn't pay a company to lower your s.a.t. scores, but it is exactly what you're doing when you're using marijuana. marijuana affects all the functions in the brain that are important for your success in life. >> and here's another thing to be concerned about. there are synthetic -- that means man-made -- forms of marijuana that can be even more dangerous. they're often legally sold as incense. >> some of these mixtures may have minerals or metals, like heavy metals, that can do direct damage to the neurons in your brain. >> worse than that, synthetic marijuana can kill you. there are reports of teens across the country being rushed to the hospital after smoking synthetic marijuana. the fact that marijuana for medical use is legal in some

states confuses a lot of teens. they ask, "if it's okay for sick people, isn't it safe for the rest of us?" the short answer is "no." as dr. baler said, marijuana affects teens differently. it's so not worth the risk. >> there's still lots ahead, so stay with us. >> we'll be right back. >> rallies in support of slain teen trayvon martin happening in dozens of american cities one week after a jury acquitted george zimmerman of murder. zimmerman shooting and killing martin in 2012, saying it was in self-defense. yet some critics saying it was racially motivated. thousands across the country showing up in support of martin, including musicians jay z and beyoncé. in new york city, martin's mother speaking out. >> not only do i vow to you to do what i can for

trayvon martin -- i promise you i'm gonna work hard for your children, as well. >> america's motor city working to start up for recovery. detroit becomes the largest city in the country to file for bankruptcy in u.s. history. this after a steady drop in population and decline in tax base for the past several decades. now the city is sitting on $18.5 billion in debt. >> one of the things that i want to say to our citizens is that as tough as this is, i really didn't want to go in this direction, but now that we are here, we have to make the best of it. >> detroit's murder rate is also at a 40-year high, and the population is at a low of 700,000. pope francis makes his first trip overseas since becoming pontiff, presiding over world youth day in rio de janeiro, bringing in millions of young catholics from around the world to attend the event that happens every two

years. the pope, who has spoken often of concerns for the poor, will tour a shanty neighborhood and speak to business and political leaders. for "teen kids news," i'm laura ingle, "fox news channel in the classroom." >> imagine trying to find your way in a new country when both the language and the customs are strange. alexa reports on how some teens are helping immigrants coming to america. >> which one would that be? >> a bananas. >> well, it would be just "bananas," because when you have plural, you don't have to have the "a." >> word by word... >> this one's emergency room. >> ...side by side, around the table, and around the classroom, teens from local high schools are helping their latino neighbors learn english. >> en inglésyou need "i...am" and then the verb with "ing."

>> why do you volunteer to teach english? >> i love spanish, first of all, and i think it's a really rewarding thing to be able to help teach them english 'cause it's really important to be able to speak that. >> the program is run by neighbors link. the goal is to encourage connections between the english-speaking and spanish-speaking communities. >> the people who come to learn are able to learn from the tutors. they're able to learn english, but the teachers, the tutors are also able to learn how to interact better with community members. >> it's hoped that the teens and their students will also learn about each other's customs and heritage -- what they call cultural awareness. in what ways do you encourage cultural awareness? >> we encourage cultural awareness by encouraging individuals to share with each other the experiences of their own countries. so we encourage the high-school students who come here to tutor, we encourage them to talk about their proms, to talk about their exams, to talk about what school

is like in high school in this country. >> clearly, this is a life-changing experience for both the new immigrants and their student tutors. >> it's awesome to be able to interact with the community that's so close by that we sometimes never get in touch with, and the feeling of making a difference in someone's life is great. >> ...the different types of jobs. yeah, good job. >> that's why neighbors link also covers things like job skills and health issues. and because teens help run the program, they are getting great leadership training. >> and i'm getting the learner gifts. i've spent 35 of them. >> cuando hay una camisa, es shirt, pero cuando dos camisas, ¿qué es? >> shirts. >> shirts, good job. >> of course, a great benefit for the teen tutors is getting a chance to practice their spanish, and that goes for reporters, too. [ speaking spanish ]

>> [ speaking spanish ] >> no matter what the language, it's clear the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well here. for "tkn," i'm alexa. >> let's test your knowledge of music. who were the beatles? >> they're a band from, like, the old times. >> the beatles were a rock band that existed in the early '60s into 1970, i believe. and they were george harrison, ringo starr... >> paul mccartney... >> and john lennon. >> i did a whole paper about

this, so i know. and they are the most influential band of all time. >> one, two, three. >> ♪ oh, yeah >> yes, the beatles were no doubt one of the greatest -- if not tgreatest rock band ever. the british group only played together for about 10 years, yet they had an incredible influence on not only music but fashion and culture, as well. >> ♪ i wanna hold your hand ♪ i wanna hold your hand >> by the way, this clip that you're watching isn't really the beatles. these musicians are playing the roles of the beatles. it's part of a concert tour called 1964: the tribute. hi, guys. >> hello! >> why don't you introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about the beatle you represent? >> i'm mark benson, and i portray john lennon, the rhythm-guitar player for the beatles. >> i'm tom. i play george harrison, the one who plays the really important guitar parts. >> i'm bobby, i'm the drummer, and i portray ringo starr.

>> and i'm graham, and i play paul, who plays bass, still today. >> left-handed. >> yeah. >> mark, so, what is 1964: the tribute? >> it's a show that shows you what it was like to see the beatles when they were touring. more of a beatle concert rather than a beatle story, so we try to stick with the early sort of what you would have seen if you were lucky enough to see the beatles in concert. so it's all the early british-invasion music -- the look, the sound, the stage banter, all the guitars and the amps and the drums -- the same thing you would have seen had you gone to see the beatles is what's happening on our stage. >> tom, is the tribute just for people our parents' age, if not even older? >> oh, we see all ages at our shows. we see young, old, and in between. some of the young ones, i'm surprised to see that they sing along, and i can read their lips. they even know the second verse. [ laughter ] >> bobby, it's not just the sound that you've re-created but the haircuts and even the clothes, as well. >> these outfits are actually

made and copied directly from the originals by a friend of ours that lives in baltimore, maryland, and he's very, very good. he's been doing this for years, but he has a couple of the original beatles suits. >> graham, the beatles even set a trend in shoes. >> these shoes are, uh... well, back in the days of old, these would have been pretty outrageous to wear. they're not that outrageous these days, but the beatles wore these same type of boots, or beatle boots, and they could probably be credited with kind of, well, definitely popularizing them, certainly. >> guys, what's your personal favorite beatles song? >> i couldn't begin to pick just one. i can't pick a favorite album. i mean, try to find one that's bad. if i had to pick, i'd probably say "yes it is," because it's a "b" side, and we don't often play it, and it's just a very

poignant and beautiful song that's kind of unknown to most beatle fans.>>y favori is "we can work it out." love way t written,nd i think it really says something imptant, that we can woreverything out. >> i guess i really don't have a favorite, but the one that standsut the most, that keeps going around in my head is probably "she loves you." i love the arrgement of the chords, the melody of the song. it just maybe is my favorite, but i love them all. what about you, graham? >> i... >> go on, say it. >> no, i d'tave any. >> say it. >> i truly don't have any favorite beatles song. >> go ahead, you can tell us. >> if i could, wou. i indeed would.noit wld be likeg your favorite amendment to the constitution.

[ laughter ] >> interesting analogy. anyway, we'll find out the fans' reactions to 1964: the tribute when we return. trust me, it won't be long. >> ♪ and i'll send it along with love from me to you ♪ >> we're talking with a band that travels the world, not just performing beatles songs but looking and sounding like the famous fab four. >> ♪ so, how could i dance with another? ♪ ♪ ooh ♪ since i saw her standing there ♪ so, graham, what's the best part of being in 1964: the tribute? >> oh. >> there's so many things. >> i love these boots.

i really... no, no. you know, the best part of playing this music is the fact that everyone knows it, it's an american icon, and as british as the beatles are, america really took to them, and they still do today. i think its cultural significance is seen right here, when you can have a show playing in a place like carnegie hall 40 years, 50 years after the group originally created its music. it's the new classical music. >> the best part for me is that we're all involved in a show that has such a positive effect on people. you look out in the audiences and see three generations of a family sitting together. they're all singing, they're all smiling, and they leave happy. so, that's something that's a real plus for me -- just to look out there and see everybody sing along and happy. and you can scream your head off at one of these shows, and everybody thinks it's fine. >> mark, where can people go for

more information? >> 1964thetribute.com is the website, and there's everything you want to know and things you don't want to know and never wanted to know on there. there's lots of cool videos and pictures and a tour schedule. that's the best place to find out where we are. >> well, guys, thank you very muchor joining us. >> thanks for having us on. >> thank you. >> so, what did teens think of the band's recent concert here at new york's legendary carnegie hall? let's find out. >> i thought it was an excellent show. it was really good. >> it was wonderful! i mean, like, i was dancing and singing. it was the best. >> my favorite part was when they...when, like, everybody was clapping and, like, singing at the same time. it was cool. >> i loved most the parts where we got to stand up and dance. "twist and shout" was really fun. >> yeah, they sounded almost exactly like them. >> there's no comparing them. >> i mean, they inspired so many people, so they're the foundation for all other musicians to build upon. and nobody can really beat the

beatles. i mean, can you? is it possible? no. >> and i agree. the beatles are certainly one of my favorite groups, here, there, and everywhere. >> we're celebrating our 10th year on tv, so this whole season, we're taking a look back at some of the stories we've done and the reporters who covered them. >> many kids like to play with balloons, but so do a lot of grown-ups. that's why the quickchek new jersey festival of ballooning has become so popular. it started 25 years ago at a truck stop. since then, gsave ally taken off. >> at the first event, there were about 10 balloons, about 100 balloonatics that came to see it. this year, we expect 175,000 of our closest friends, 125 balloons, and it's grown now to become the largest summertime balloon festival in north america. >> they come to enjoy the balloons and raise money for charity.

and i was about to take my first ride ever, but before leaving solid ground, i wanted some solid information, like how exactly do these things work? >> the way the balloon flies is you heat the air inside of it, which makes it buoyant, wants to lift off the ground, and so the opposite is for landing. for landing, you just allow the air to cool off, and you'll come back down to the ground. >> he makes it sound so simple, but there's a lot more to learn if you want to get a balloon pilot's license. >> well, you have to know weather. you have to understand what causes clouds and what causes wind because these are things that factor into our flight. >> and bob says you also need to know the rules of the road up there in the air. >> there's other people up there flying at the same time, so you kind of have to understand what goes on with airplanes and helicopters. >> plus, you'd better know just what to do with a whole bunch of equipment -- basket, fuel tanks, burners, fan, wires, and the

nylon fabric -- what they call the envelope. the one i'm going to ride in is shaped like a bee. there's a lot of commotion to get it started. but once you're up in the air, it's smooth sailing. no wonder balloonatics call it love at first flight. oh, wow, this is awesome. there's no engine noise, except for the occasional blast of the burner. [ burner hisses ] this was a short trip, but we did take time to play a super-size game of darts. accuracy -- it's not easy when you're constantly adjusting to the elements. so when it comes to landing, even the experts are at the mercy of the wind. >> if the wind is so calm, we just literally come down, touch the ground so soft you might not even know we landed, but if we have any forward movement whatsoever, we have to touch the ground and really allow ourtouc.

we call that a drag. >> i call that a thrill. for the record, the longest balloon flight was in 2002. it went around the world in not 80 days but just over 14. i wonder where they put the bathrooms. for "teen kids news," i'm gabe. >> time for more expert advice on staying healthy. >> reading can help you grow... reading labels, that is. nutritionist jax hubbard is back with us again. hello, jax. >> hi, there. >> so, how can reading help us to become taller? >> it starts with your genes.

they're the building blocks that tell your body how to grow, but to do their job well, genes need to get the right fuel, and that comes from what we eat, so read food labels and look for these vitamins and minerals. these nutrients help you reach your growth potential. >> jax, you've just taken reading to new heights. thanks for the info. >> glad to help. >> that's health bites for this week. i'm magdalene. >> he fights villains, crawls up walls, and spins webs so strong, they can catch a falling car. and as nicole reports, now he's got a new ride at universal orlando resort. >> this could be the most dangerous night of my life. >> we've got an all-new version of the amazing spider-man ride, with all-new projection, all-new animations. it is a thrill ride beyond thrill rides. >> and like the comic book, this ride comes with a story. the bad guys have captured a famous american landmark, and

spidey has to get it back. >> you're in for a... >> this 3-d ride has great special effects, all designed to make it feel like they're happening to you. how was the ride? >> incredibly awesome. >> basically, it was like you were moving around the city. >> it was like very lifelike, the shaking and... >> you actually got splashed with the water, and you felt the fire. >> it seemed like you were flying through the air a couple times. >> and you felt like you were actually there. [ cheering ] >> i can sum up the amazing adventures of spider-man in one word -- amazing. hey, spidey. can you show me some moves? at universal orlando resort, i'm nicole for "tkn." >> that's our program for this week. thanks for joining us. >> and, of course, "teen kids news" will be back again next week, so we'll see you then.

>> write to us at... óq?rf?tx

- in this episode of travel with kids, join us as we travel through the craggly plains of the scottish highlands, from snow-capped mountains to monster-filled lochs, plus storm a castle, taste some haggis... kind of crunchy. and help santa take care of some very special friends... - it's fun, 'cause they lick it off. - and try to solve the mystery behind scotland's most famous residents, coming up next. female announcer: this program is made possible by the reno-sparks convention and visitors authority. with year-round outdoor family activities, including skiing, snowboarding, white-water rafting, horseback riding, and biking, reno tahoe is far from expected. also by csa travel protection.