>> welcome to "teen kids news". i'm livia. let's start with our top story. maybe you've seen a friend do it -- grab one of those drinks that promise to give you a boost of energy. they even say "energy" on the label. but as nicole reports, energy drinks could be packing a dangerous punch. >> for more than a thousand years, people have relied on coffee to help them wake up. >> i drink coffee because it gives me more energy and i wake

up and i'm ready to go for the day. >> they can get a little energized, you know, to get going. >> it's not the coffee that gets you energized. it's the caffeine in the coffee. there's also caffeine in many types of soda, as well as some teas. in moderation, caffeine doesn't cause problems for most people, but too much caffeine is bad for you. >> it could affect your heart, it could affect your mind, it could affect your breathing rate, it can affect a lot of things. >> and that brings us to energy drinks. most of us don't realize that the typical energy drink can deliver far more caffeine than we should have. that's why public-health officials, like dr. delaney, are concerned. >> over the last five years, what we've seen is a marked increase in the number of people who are ending up in emergency departments because of their energy-drink use. and what we're seeing -- people with insomnia, nervousness, agitation, serious headaches, and in very advanced cases, seizures.

>> energy drinks are big business -- $20 billion in sales a year. a lot of those buyers are teens, and they could be buying big trouble. >> energy drink is healthier. >> i say an energy drink. >> energy drink because it gives you energy, and you can get up and exercise and do whatever you need to. >> many kids don't realize that all that caffeine in energy drinks can be bad for them. we're not saying it's fine to drink soda. the point we're making is, if you think that energy drinks are safer than soda, you're wrong. according to nutrition specialist dr. deb, kids and teens should not take in more than 100 milligrams of caffeine per day. that's about how much caffeine is in a regular cup of coffee. >> in this can, it has about 154. and you also notice that there's no re-sealable can, and this is two servings. so you can get too much caffeine really easy, and the sugar in these make them go down really, really easy. >> if it tastes good, that's

great. but if it tastes good, and you start drinking a lot of it, that may not be safe for you. >> just to be clear, the energy drinks we're talking about are different from the sports drinks teens might have after a workout. >> they think that these sports drinks and these energy drinks are the same thing, and they're not. the sports drink has some electrolytes, which is just a big, fancy word for, like, salt that you sweat out, but these energy drinks, they have a lot of different types of stimulants in them -- and not just caffeine. >> so, what's the best choice when you want an energy boost? >> when you want an energy boost, why don't you make a delicious smoothie? those are true energy drinks. the energy drinks you get from the store, they're gonna make you go up really high and then crash really low. it's a fake energy, and let me tell you, it's gonna deplete you. >> the next time you visit your doctor, don't be surprised if you're asked if you use energy drinks. more and more doctors are including that question in their routine check-ups. so remember, energy drinks are not kid stuff. and they're not so hot for

grown-ups, either. >> using brushes and paints, students have created a touching tribute to our men and women in uniform. my report is coming up.

>> the men and women of america's military put their lives at risk to keep us safe. a lot of us take their service and sacrifice for granted. but not the kids at one school in brooklyn. tyler has the story of their ongoing effort to honor fallen heroes. >> we've reported before about mckinley junior high school. what started as an unusual art project has grown over the years. the school, the students were unveiling a tribute to the heroic first responders on 9/11. the hallway art wasn't simply for decoration. it was also for education. one of the teachers behind the project realized that many students were growing up unaware of a very important part of our recent history -- the terrorist attacks on september 11, 2001.

>> they knew nothing about 9/11, and we decided we're gonna change it. we're gonna do a mural 270 feet long that will explain the whole thing. >> that part of the project was finished back in 2012, but they didn't stop there. >> thank you for giving them the opportunity... >> recently, guests gathered at the school once again... and this time, in addition to police officers and firefighters, there were representatives from the military on hand. that's because the newest mural created by the students honors the men and women of our armed forces. it begins with the flag of heroes above the doorway and continues all the way down the hall. >> the 6,000 names that are on these walls here are the soldiers who died in iraq and

afghanistan, helping to keep our country safe from terrorists. >> each name was carefully painted by hand. >> we worked on the mural for eight months. there's a lot of hard workers here. >> a lot of the work was done early in the morning, before classes started. >> and the leaves, we made them go and float into the names, symbolizing the rebirth and the memory of the soldiers because they're still within us in our hearts. >> and like the soldiers they're honoring, the artists wear their own special version of dog tags. >> it shows that you've been working on the mural and that you have the courage to work on it and make a difference. >> and it's supposed to, once again, represent hope, freedom, and everything the soldiers fight for. >> i have been in combat five times. and every time you deploy and you're away from your family, away from the united states, a

lot of time you wonder if people really care, and if people are actually thinking about you. it makes me feel much better when i see things like this. >> i have deployed, too. and it brings memories back just to see these names on the walls, to see some of the paintings that they have done. it's remarkable. and what really impressed me the most is that our kids are taking the time to do this. >> this is truly incredible to think that, basically, 6th- through 8th-graders did all this. you know, just to know that the younger generation really, you know, appreciates the sacrifice of those who have gone before them, is really humbling. >> at the school assembly earlier that morning, one of the guests sang a song she had written. >> ♪ my memory of you will never fade ♪ the song is about what it means to never forget, and what the words really indicate is that

the people who've lost still exist in our lives. they are not forgotten. and that's what the song is all about. ♪ you sacrificed that day ♪ you're gone but not forgotten ♪ ♪ and no matter how many years ♪ my memory of you will never fade ♪ >> i really want to honor these people, and i want to learn more. >> ♪ disappear >> the mural project has been going on for more than eight years, and they're not done yet. they've chosen a new hallway to honor the first responders of superstorm sandy. >> find out how turning somersaults is turning lives around.

>> long before gabby douglas won olympic gold, another african-american gymnast was blazing the trail. now she's training the stars of the future. emily has the story.

>> girls, when you kick, feel your arms as close as they can be to your ears. >> meet wendy hilliard, a woman who made sports history. >> i was the first black to compete for the united states rhythmic gymnastics. >> rhythmic gymnastics is a relatively recent olympic event. it uses props like ribbons and hoops and routines. and although other countries had athletes of color, the u.s. didn't. >> in -- yeah, this way. one, two. >> back in the 1970's, wendy had to overcome racism to earn a spot on the national team. >> good! stretch, stretch, stretch! it was a challenge because i had to sometimes go against situations where if it was a group routine, you know, they didn't want to choose me 'cause i stood out and la-la-la, so it was unfortunate that i had to go through that. >> pace yourselves! pace yourselves! >> wendy succeeded.

she even went on to coach the national team, but she never forgot how difficult it was for minority kids to get into gymnastics of any kind. the lack of role models, as well as the cost of equipment and training, often put the sport out of reach. so she started a foundation to turn that around. >> the goal is really to introduce kids to the sport of gymnastics, to allow them the opportunity to get the benefits of discipline and good health, and if they have the talent to take it as far as they can go, we will support them and make sure that happens. >> one of wendy's success stories is alexis. >> good. now, when you finish from here, finish in fifth position all the way. i saw these girls -- before it was, like, red leotards, but i guess you can call them purple leotards now -- i saw these girls in purple leotards, and i told my mom, "i want to be one of those girls in the purple leotards." [ chuckles ] so... and it's something cool to do. i mean, it provides an activity that lets you travel to places that you would never travel to if you didn't do the sport.

and it's really cool. >> reallcool for alexis. she made it all the way to the national team. now a coach, she's teaching not just the skills she learned, but the values as well. >> it takes a lot of work to make a perfect cartwheel. and if they get the discipline to do things over and over again, then that's what i'm giving them to get them a good work ethic, so that they can do it in school, or they do it in life. i want them to be champions, of course, but i want them to learn to appreciate hard work. >> it gives me discipline, a lot of confidence, a physical, nice body. >> kinda keeps you out of trouble. you start to do things you're not supposed to when you don't have, like, nothing to do in your house, so... so i'll be here. >> i'm learning that you have to be aggressive and don't give up. >> gymnastics is a very, like, tough-minded sport, so i would say you get -- you'll be a well-rounded person when it comes to, you know, making good decisions and stuff like that. with the discipline from your

coaches, it's just a big learning experience. >> another coach with top-level experience is stacie. after competing around the world, she's now helping these athletes to rise to their potential. >> and here, it offers for people for free for the community, for kids that would never have an opportunity to do this without being from some sort of background of gymnastics, so knowing someone who does it. >> this program in harlem started in 1996. over the years, thousands of kids have worn the iconic purple leotards. now even more want to come because a gymnast named gabby won olympic gold. >> and she didn't have the kind of money and background that people usually associate with gymnastics. that made a very powerful story, so for the people that i serve, they said, "i can do it, too." and so that's why our gyms are filling up! [ chuckles ] >> dreams can come true. it takes talent, hard work, and a helping hand from caring role models like wendy hilliard.

>> if you can't "bear" to hear about cruelty to animals, then you'll be happy to hear this story. six bears in china were rescued by an animal-rights group. they were being kept on an illegal bear-bile farm. bear bile is a fluid stored in the bear's gallbladder. those who practice traditional chinese medicine claim that bear bile has many health benefits, but other experts point out that there are plant and manmade substitutes that can be used instead. bears often die after being held on these farms, but for these six bears, help came just in time. >> when teen scientists win awards, it's a victory for all of us. i'll have a report. tell you w medical website designed especially for older folks. website you say! i can't work on computers, they're not senior-friendly.

blah, blah, blah. but the national institutes of health fixed all that. now you can make the type bigger, increase contrast, even make it talk to you. just go to nihseniorhealth.gov and get the best medical information available anywhere. nih seniorhealth.gov. built with you in mind. of the united states of america... and to the republic for which it stands... one nation, under god... indivisible, with liberty... and justice for all. our disabled veterans pledged to sacrifice life and limb to ensure our way of life. now, they deserve our support. find out how you can help disabled veterans in your community. visit dav.org.

>> when you think of teens in the spotlight, do you think of performers? and when you think of cheering crowds, do you think of sports? as kristina tells us, maybe you should be thinking about science. >> the second-place winner... >> you can almost feel the tension as the contestants wait to hear the winning names announced. >> from ambler, pennsylvania, and germantown academy, jonah kallenbach. [ applause ] >> this might seem like the oscars, but these winners are scientists. the intel science awards recognizes high-school seniors who solve real-world problems. for example, jonah took second place for taking on the challenge of a dangerous kind of protein. >> i basically built a computer-science tool, which

solves this problem by predicting exactly when a disordered protein is going to bind to an older protein, and what that interaction looks like. >> let me translate -- jonah is on track to finding a better way to treat cancer. as for the first-place winner... >> sara volz. [ applause ] >> ...her project focused on using algae for fuel. >> i feel like there were so many deserving people, and, like, all of the people who i got to meet this week are so smart, and their projects are so amazing that... i'm really stunned and honored and amazed. >> all this excitement happens every year at the intel awards. 40 finalists from across the country came to washington, d.c., for a super-charged science fair. >> and these can be converted into a diesel substitute. it's chemically almost identical to diesel. >> of course, it takes a whole lot of work to get here.

sara volz literally lived and breathed her science project. >> actually, all of my work i do in my room. i have a loft bed, and i've set up my sort of algae lab underneath with a ton of flasks and my microscope and bubbling, and i actually sleep on my algae's light cycle. so, it's really become a large part of my life, and it's something i really love. so i had this idea that if i could use this chemical -- it's actually an herbicide -- it will kill everything with low oil production. >> all that effort led to a breakthrough. it had already been determined that algae contains oil. sara figured out how to make it worth harvesting. >> i used a chemical that kills cells with low oil production, so i forced the entire population to evolve to my specifications. >> sara's discovery earned her the top prize of $100,000. clearly, she's got a bright future ahead of her. but even more important, she and all the other contestants are helping to make the future brighter for the rest of us. for "teen kids news", i'm kristina. >> as you're about to see, a

state flag can have a lot to say. brandon explains. >> in 1610, an english sea captain bound for jamestown, virginia, was blown off course. he found safety in a bay to the north. he named the area after a local baron, lord de la warr, or, as we say today, delaware. delaware is a small state with a big history. it was the first colony to fly the 13-star american flag during the revolution. it was also the first state to ratify the new u.s. constitution. >> and that's why delaware has the first seat in congress whenever there is an inaugural address and things like that. it's seen as a place of honor because they were the first state to sign the constitution. >> the flag proudly features the motto "liberty and independence" beneath the state seal.

other symbols reflect the importance of shipping, agriculture, the delaware river, and the defense of freedom. and there's one more important image. >> in delaware, they chose to use the image of the diamond because when thomas jefferson visited delaware, he thought it was a diamond of a state. he called it "the little diamond". >> with "flag facts", i'm brandon. >> it first became a film, then a hit musical on broadway. we'll go backstage at "newsies".

barry, time is running out. according to my calculations, 1 in 5 kids in america struggles with hunger. how can so many children face hunger, when there is more than enough food to feed them all? doo ba baba doo! you're right, barry! baba doo! we can help solve hunger by teaming up with feeding america to get food to hungry kids in communities across the country. announcer: help flint and the feeding america network of food banks get food to the people who need it in your community. find your local feeding america food bank at feedingamerica.org/hunger together, we're feeding america! music i want some more. what's he doing? please sir, i want some more. more? he has asked for... thank you. well he did say please... yes he did. and thank you. please and thank you. pass it on. (crowd of children) thank you.

>> what do you get when you combine kids, history, dancing, singing, and a whole lot of energy? a hit show on broadway. harry's got the scoop. >> i love it! i've seen it six times. >> ♪ look at me ♪ i'm the king of new york ♪ suddenly... >> the musical "newsies" has been making headlines ever since it opened. >> ♪ glory be ♪ i'm the king of new york

>> it's a really great show! >> ♪ victory ♪ front-page story ♪ guts and glory >> and if you thithese actors are working hard, imagine how hard the real "newsies" had to work back in the 1800's. >> ♪ of new york >> in order to, like, gain a profit and make a living, the "newsies" actually had to buy their newspapers that they would sell, and then they would sell it for a little more, just so they could make a living. >> ♪ tomorrow they'll see what we are... ♪ >> it was a tough life made even tougher when the rich newspaper owner decided to raise the price the kids had to pay for their papers. was there really a paperboy strike back in the late 1800's? >> yeah, it was. "newsies" is based on a real story. like, all of this actually happened, so it's really interesting to see, like, it onstage. >> ♪ they're gonna see there's hell to pay ♪ >> and speaking of that stage, it's amazing. andy took me on a tour. >> and here's onstage.

yeah. our entire theatre has 1,195 seats. >> that's incredible. >> yeah. and this is our gigantic set. >> yeah! the set is so much a part of the play, the actors gave it a name -- reuben. why reuben? >> no, don't really know, but it stuck. and anytime someone gets hurt -- like, we trip up the stairs or something -- we're just like, "dang it, reuben!" >> [ chuckles ] "reuben" weighs two tons, has lots of steps, and it moves. as an actor, is it difficult to perform while you're running up and down the set? >> it definitely makes it more difficult just because it's the added effort of running upstairs. like, when we're singing songs, we're running up stairs, so it just, like, takes your breath away a little more. but it's so much fun. like, our set is gorgeous and really awesome. >> ♪ once and for all

>> what else is awesome is how close the "newsies" cast has become. >> this is the best that i've ever worked with. like, i love them all so much. they have become my family. like, all of the newsboys that you see onstage, we're actually just having fun because we just love each other. >> ♪ one for all and all for one ♪ >> and the audience loves them, too. >> ♪ ...and all for one >> what's the message of "newsies"? >> i would say the message of "newsies" is definitely, if you feel strongly about something, and you really, like, work for it and fight for it, you can change the world. >> ♪ once and for all [ applause ] >> one of the show's hit songs is "seize the day". if you don't mind the pun, i recommend that you seize the play. it's a lot of fun. for "teen kids news", i'm harry. >> well, that wraps it up for

this week's "teen kids news", but we'll be back next week, so see you then. >> here's a shout-out to pr newswire for including "teen kids news" on their big screen in times square, new york city. to preserve the world we share. to see a tapir in the wild! whoo hoo! (music)