♪ "teen kids news" is on now, and here's what we've got. >> it's been called the spice of life. but adding too much to our food may be hazardous to our health. believe it or not, this guy is a driving instructor. find out why he's trying to distract me. coming up, i'll tell you why i went from this. to this for a good cause. what do a major star, a love

of broadway, and a group of motivated teens have in common? stay tuned to find out. >> and much more next on "teen kids news." ♪ welcome to "teen kids news." i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm jessica. here's our top story for this week. >> reporter: it's the building block of life itself, but too much of it can be very bad for your health. now there's a nationwide effort to protect us from something we love to add to our food. cheryl has the story. >> reporter: salt is everywhere. it's about 3% of the oceans. our bodies need it to survive. and we love its taste. >> my favorite salty foods are probably chips. potato chips. >> onion rings and french fries. >> french fries are my

favorites. >> i really like pretzels and chips. >> ooh. i'd have to say potato chips and french fries. >> my favorite salty foods, probably salt and vinegar chips and also crunchy seaweed. >> reporter: the problem is too much salt is unhealthy. >> too much salt overwhelms your body. you eliminate salt with your kidneys. however, there's only so much your kidneys can do. all the extra salt stays in your bloodstream. you end up retaining water, gaining more water weight, and your heart has to pump harder in order to circulate all this extra volume around. and that over the course of a long period of time leads to elevated blood pressure and strokes. >> reporter: unfortunately, the average american takes in twice as much salt as he or she should. and that's where new york city's health department comes into the picture. it's leading a campaign to help us all cut back on salt. >> the salt initiative is really a national initiative. it's led by new york city, but

it's really over 40 health organizations. other cities and other states that are working together. we think it has the opportunity for tremendous impact and the ability to save lives. >> reporter: of course, we can all make healthier food choices without the government's help. it's simple to choose a fruit instead of fries. but the salt initiative is taking aim at the salts we don't see. >> almost 80% of the salt that we take in each day comes from packaged and restaurant food. still, most consumers don't really have any control over the salt that they take in. it's already in the food when we buy it. it's not always actually the salt you that taste. a muffin can have a lot of salt. >> reporter: when you're shopping for packaged food, check the label. salt is listed as sodium. it's measured in milligrams. and you don't need more than 2,300 milligrams a day. they add up fast. even a can of vegetable soup can be loaded with sodium. >> you can have as much salt as

you're supposed to eat in a whole day in one chicken sandwich at a chain restaurant. >> reporter: so the government is working with restaurants and food companies to cut back on the salt they put in their food. >> we've gotten a great response so far, and the overall goal with the initiative is to reduce population sodium intake by 20% over the next five years. >> reporter: but don't wait for that. make an effort now to start reducing the amount of salt you eat. and read those labels. >> stay with us. there's lots more still to come on "teen k k ks news." >> we'll be right back.

new revlon just bitten. it's the first two-in-one lipstain and balm. the lipstain gives me a light flush of color while the moisturizing balm softens my lips. have you ever been bitten? new revlon just bitten lipstain and balm. i'm on my way to go get a haircut. but not just any ordinary haircut. i'm donating some of my hair to charity. come with me.

well, here we are. okay. i can do this. hello. >> how are you? >> i'm great. how are you? >> great to see you. >> reporter: fabio has been donating the services of his studio to locks of love for years. >> locks of love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces for children that suffer hair loss. >> reporter: there are all sorts of medical reasons why kids lose their hair. some may have a disorder called alopecia. others may be undergoing cancer treatment. >> so why did you decide to donate your hair? >> well, i thought it was a really great cause and just a really easy way to help other people. >> are you nervous? >> a little bit. >> are you ready? >> i'm ready.

>> reporter: every year thousands of kids and adults donate their hair to locks of love. whether you're a girl or a guy, 7 or 70, your hair is needed. and it doesn't matter what color it is. to be able to donate your hair must be at least 10 inches long. >> oh, my gosh. i love it. oh, my gosh. wow. it's really short, but i love it so much. thank you so, so much. >> thank you. >> reporter: locks of love says 80% of all donations come from us kids. you know, i haven't had my hair this short since i was real little. brings back memories of nursery school. nap time. for "teen kids news" i'm nicole. >> this fashion tip is brought to you by polo ralph lauren. as the weather cools down this fall, there's one way to heat up your look. layers. to create the perfect back to school ensemble, try some embellished leggings under a

short dress. or pair a rugby shirt with a vintage inspired hoodie. either way you're bound to make the grade.

this season we were invited to do some behind-the-scenes reporting on the new york yankees. here's this week's segment. >> reporter: hi. my name's erica. this is a field report. come on. hi. i'm erica. >> hi, erica. i'm joe gilligan. how are you? >> reporter: good. >> i'm going to show you around today, show you how to make a baseball bat. >> reporter: let's get started. >> i'm going to come over here and kind of show you some different pieces of wood. we actually use the two most popular, maple and ash. >> where do the trees come from?

>> maple is grown primarily in vermont and massachusetts, and the grains are typically very hard to pick up. they're very light. and the ash primarily comes from the northern part of pennsylvania and the southern part of new york. the ash is a little different in the way you can really see -- you see the lines here? >> yeah, these lines are more defined. which one is more popular, the ash or maple? >> well, right now it's probably maple. the last ten years a lot of players have attributed better bats to maple bats. it's all about bat speed these days, and the faster you can whip the bat through the zone the better off they feel like they're going to be. >> so what kind of bat did babe ruth use, maple or ash? >> well, he used an ash. and he hit all those home runs with an ash bat. >> joe, this doesn't quite feel like a bat yet. how do you make this a bat? >> okay. so we've got a six-pound billet right here. now we're going to shave about four pounds off of it. for this we're going to need our

master craftsman, greg. >> nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you as well. >> let's do this. >> the first thing we have to do is mark the center of this billet. this is the center finder. this one makes two distinct lines. and where they intersect is the center. >> x marks the spot. >> here we stamp the dry center in the center of the billet. >> what's the drive center? >> this is the teeth that actually holds the billet in place and causes it to turn. there you go. >> all right. >> what is this machine called? >> this is a computerized lathe machine. >> this is where the bats are made? >> this is where it is. >> how many bats do you make in a day? >> i usually average between 50 and 60 bats a day. >> wow. >> we have it all loaded up. and we come over here, we program the machine. now it's all set to go.

>> safety first. ooh. it's the cast of "glee." man. all right. >> how long does it take to make one bat? >> usually, one bat it takes about three minutes to cut, and then another about four minutes to paste. about seven to ten minutes for the entire process. >> now it's looking for like a bat. >> definitely. now the bat's all cut. all we have to do is smooth it out. for our last and final finishing touchy like to polish it a little. and you can see how it makes the bat nice and shiny.

>> looks more like a classic baseball bat. >> would you like to see how we finish these? >> yeah, let's see it. >> step on into the paint room. here is our paint room. >> so do you have any pink paint? >> of course we have pink paint. >> are professional baseball players allowed to use pink bats? >> yes, they are. one day of the year. can you guess what it is? >> mother's day? >> you got it. so let's get this bat pink. there you go. perfect. i'll grab it. >> ooh, that's pink. >> let me show you the last step in our process, which is putting on the decals. and you will know how to make a bat from start to finish. and i hope you were paying attention because you start on monday. >> uh-oh. >> oh, cool. just like the big leaguers. it's ready for the big leagues. see you next time on

i spend three hours on my homework -- or at least that's what my mom thinks. with high speed internet from at&t, i get my homework done fast, leaving me time to download movies and music and chat with my friends. [ mom ] how's your studying? it's coming along! [ female announcer ] work faster, play more with the fastest internet for the price. call to get high speed for $14.95 a month with a one-year price guarantee. please, i know what he's up to. high speed internet from at&t is so fast

that we get more done in less time, leaving me time to chat... watch movies... without teenage distractions. and it's affordable for our family. [ female announcer ] call to get high speed for $14.95 a month with a one-year price guarantee. plus get access to the entire at&t national wi-fi network on the go. cookies? [ boy ] sure! tell your friends hi for me. ♪ [ female announcer ] high speed internet from at&t.

this book report is brought to you by worthman publishing. you may have seen reports about kids building a better world. building houses for the homeless. training guide dogs. sending mosquito nets to africa. or helping patients in a hospital. and maybe you wonder if you can do something to make the world a better place. nancy lublin, the head of dosomething.org, and author of this book says you can. even if you're not in high school yet. >> you can be young and do great stuff. in fact, some of the most creative things we've seen have come from younger people. because no one has told them

they can't do it yet. >> reporter: the book highlights middle schoolers who saw a need and did something. from collecting puzzles for the elderly to knitting scarves for disaster victims. the book also features young celebrities who are making a positive difference. but first and foremost, do something is an action plan. it's designed to help kids identify cause they care about. >> every cause you could think of is in here. animals, the environment, homele homelessness. peace. everything is in here. and it's possible to have an effect on this issue. please, you don't have to have money, a car, or an adult to do something good. >> reporter: what you do need is some help getting going. and that's what do something is all about. with step by step instructions on putting a good deed in motion. >> tweens have been underestimated for a long time. so they kind of feel helpless and frustrated and yet passionate and enthusiastic to do something. so we made a handbook for young

activists. and helping them have power, creativity, to do something important. and impactful. >> reporter: so next time you see a headline that makes you sad, remember, there could be something you can do about it. it's in the book. i'm laura reporting. >> the headline is tragically common. teens killed in a car accident. but with better skills, thousands of lives might be saves. with the help of ford we've been reporting on a nationwide effort to give teens the driving smarts they desperately need. here's tyler with another crash course on how not to crash. >> reporter: hey, i'm tyler. >> hey, tyler, i'm dana. nice to meet you. >> you too. >> reporter: dana is an instructor with ford's driving skills for life program. the concept is to show kids how to anticipate and react to a dangerous situation. today's driving hazard is actually inside the car. >> it's in the news a lot. texting, talking on cell phones. a lot of those things. distractions is huge. >> there's just so much to do in

the car that it's unbelievable, the distractions now. and that's the big concern we have. >> reporter: how bad can it be? i'm about to find out. >> you ready to go? >> we're ready to go. >> you're on your own, my friend. >> let's listen to my music. hey, i'm really thirsty. i think i've got a bottle of water over there. if you wouldn't mind getting it tore me. thanks a lot, man. appreciate that. you're the best. what's that over there? you're from here. go ahead. unlock my window. my window won't unlock. can you unlock it for me? now, a little distracting? >> yes. >> annoying? >> really. >> so what happens to your emotions when you get annoyed like that? >> you just -- you go crazy. >> you go crazy. you get angry. >> yeah. >> you become an angry driver. what should you have done immediately as soon as i turned the radio up? >> turned it off. >> who is the boss? who's in control? >> i am. supposed to be. >> supposed to be.

i would have given you an a-plus for that had you turned the radio off and said hey, that newspaper, i can't see where i'm going to the right, it's really annoying to me. i asked you to get the bottle of water you that had to take your eyes off the road to do that at that moment. you're the boss. you're in charge. you have your life you're responsible for, my life, or anybody else that's in the vehicle. so bear that in mind when you get behind the wheel of a car. you don't like what's going on, you take control. >> reporter: but some teens lose control because of other dangerous choices they make. we'll put on the fatal vision goggles when we come back. "teen kids news" i'mall julie

banderas, fox news channel in the classroom. ♪ this is my fourth course and i'm having a great time. it's been really awesome. so what are we going to be doing in here? >> we're going to be putting special goggles on you that change your vision. you'll still have normal reaction time like a normal driver would and good judgment where if i told you to stop you'd be able to stop quickly. where if a person's actually

intoxicated or drunk if they went to slam on the brake they would be real slow or sluggish reacting and if they needed to turn real quick the bod write just doesn't react that quick because it's impaired by alcohol. i'm going to put these goggles on you and go to the course. >> put your foot on the brakes, please. you want to begin. >> this is crazy. >> and are you seeing the cones very well? >> not very well. it's hard to see where the cones are coming up on you too. they just kind of sneak up. did i just hit a cone? i did. >> and that was a person or a kitten you just ran over. and in real life that could hurt somebody or kill them. as a police officer i'd be following your car. i'm looking at you swerving real wide when you've actually got plenty of room to get around these cones. and you've actually doubled the speed. you were going to stay at 5 miles an hour. another thing we're looking for

is speeding. >> what do these goggles show? >> a possible impairment of .17 to .20 of alcohol, which is double the legal limit in illinois. this is just showing the vision part of it, though. imagine driving on the highway at highway speed with your eyes being affected like that. >> reporter: and that's why they call them fatal vision goggles. i was glad to take them off. to learn more about ford's driving skills for life, visit our website at teenkidsnews.com. i'm tyler, and i'm on the road to becoming a better and safer driver. schools are facing tough budget cuts across the country. some of them have been forced to eliminate so-called non-essential programs like music and art. but as hanna reports, there's an organization that wants to pick up where the schools have left off. ♪ >> rosie's broadway kids was start bid tv star rosie

o'donnell. she saw a need in her community for more theater and music education. >> not like when i was a kid in fifth grade and we did "the king and i," and i had drum lessons. the arts programs have been gutted. >> reporter: so rosie's organization started sending actors and musicians to new york city schools to replace the missing program. >> we are currently in the public schools in our program that's called ps broadway. and it serves over 1,500 kids. >> reporter: for 15 weeks the students learn about music and dance. the students who excel in class receive a special invitation. >> we take those kids who are super interested, super motivated, and we invite them to audition for our full scholarship program. and that's the act two program. >> reporter: the act two students meet after school during the week. they take classes in acting, dancing, and singing. ♪ >> i think it's like a really amazing opportunity because like i get to act, dance, and sing about three days a week and i

don't always -- it's like fun. and i love coming here. >> it's a wonderful program. i love it. i love being here every day. >> reporter: what's the best part about working at rosie's broadway kids? >> that the kids here aren't afraid to try anything. >> reporter: i wanted to prove i wasn't afraid to try knick eithe anything either. so i figured i'd ftry my hand - my foot at tap dancing. >> kick one like you're kick a can. kick one. kick right and toe and toe heel. kick right and toe and toe heel. >> i have two left feet. i'm trying, i'm trying. >> reporter: even though i was tapped out, i had to admit dancing was fun. >> what do you like about dance? >> i like it that it's a way of

telling a story. it's a way where you can let go of your problems and you embrace something and in so many different type of varieties you never get bored. >> reporter: it's hard to imagine anyone getting bored here. >> what are you interested in? dancing? acting? singing? all of it? >> right now i would have to say probably all three. >> reporter: even if you don't live in new york city, how can you become one of rosie's broadway kids? >> we have a program called spotlight on broadway which offers tuition-based classes for students outside the city. >> reporter: anyone can sign up for the spotlight on broadway summer program. if you think performing arts might be something for you, here's some advice from the students and teachers at rosie's broadway kids. >> that you just give 100%, 100% of the time. and the only competition you have is yourself. so you just jump in and do your very best, and things will fall into place. >> it's a really like fun thing to do because you get exercise and you also get like a lot of like friends. >> you can be as talented as who

knows what? but if you don't work hard, come on, repetition's the key to mastery. >> don't let anyone ever tell you no because really, it's not their dream, it's yours. don't let anyone get in the way. >> reporter: if you'd like to learn more about rosie's broadway kids and how you can get involved, visit our website. for "teen kids news" i'm hannah. >> that wraps up our show. but we'll be back with more "teen kids news." >> thanks for joining us, and have a great week. ♪ ♪ >> write to us at