join us next for "teen kids news." here's a look at what we're reporting on this week. they had their own fight for civil rights. we'll tell you how japanese americans heroically overcame their darkest hour. i'll have a story on kids helping to heal injured birds. an amazing athlete works to inspire u.s. soldiers who have been injured in the iraq war. i'll have the story. and there's more, just ahead on "teen kids news." hi, i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm jessica. we'll start with headlines from

around the world. the eagle has landed. >> reporter: americans paid tribute to the 40th anniversary of landing a man on the moon. >> that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. >> reporter: the astronauts from the legendary "apollo 11" space mission visited the white house. they hope president obama will support new explorations in nasa's space program. >> we can venture outward to mars for america's future. it may sound like a distant destination beyond our reach, but that's what some called "apollo." >> reporter: president obama continues to move ahead with his august healthcare deadline. he spoke at the children's national medical center and urged congress to "do the right thing." >> and we can't afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to healthcare.

not this time, not now. there are too many lives and livelihoods at stake. >> reporter: but the president's plan is a controversial one. many lawmakers are concerned about the financial impact on the economy. it's one of the worst drought seasons this county in texas has ever seen. but this family is making the most of it. james installed special water catchment systems on his property. they literally catch and store rain water from the roof. >> it's relatively inexpensive, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to do it. >> reporter: once the water is purified, it's perfectly good to reuse. so, it helps the environment. for "teen kids news," i'm livia. here's a surprising weather report from mars. snow! laser instruments reveal that snow is falling from the martian clouds. but it doesn't reach the ground. jessica? >> thanks, lauren.

we're going to take you back now to the early 1940s. world war ii was raging abroad. here at home, the u.s. government put into play a drastic policy. as felipe tells us, it was a policy that our nation would regret. >> jessica, it's a sad chapter in u.s. history. people of japanese ancestry, many of them u.s. citizens, suddenly found themselves the victims of fear and discrimination. although guilty of no crime, they were rounded up and sent far away to what were basically prison camps. >> so this is my grandfather's yearbook from 1944, and here's this great shot of gila river, the camp he was at. >> reporter: jenny uchida's grandfather spent his high school years behind barbed wire. he and his family were locked away at a camp in the hot arizona desert. that's because he was of japanese descent, and the united states was at war with imperial japan. >> that is why the commanding

general of the western defense command determined that all japanese within the coastal areas should move inland. notices were posted. all persons of japanese descent were required to register. and the japanese themselves cheerfully handled the enormous paperwork involved in the migration. >> i think that it's important for people to know about what happened to the japanese americans during world war ii. >> reporter: japan's devastating surprise attack on hawaii's pearl harbor fanned the flames of national hysteria. particularly on the west coast. more than 100,000 japanese americans were ordered to pack their things. the uchidas were forced to leave their home in pasadena, california. >> they were first actually put

in the santa anita racetrack, where they lived for about six months in actual horse stables and they actually had to clean out the stables and make it livable. and then after that period, they were moved to gila river, which is in arizona. >> reporter: like so many other families, the uchidas were relocated to detention camps in remote areas of the country. >> they lived in barracks that really didn't have any insulation. it was hot, it was dry, it was windy, and it was very cold in the wintertime, as well. >> reporter: with the end of the war, the japanese americans were finally released. but the shame stung. that's why jenny's father craig helped raise money for this memorial in washington, d.c. its official name is the national japanese american memorial for patriotism during world war ii. on the walls are the names of

the ten relocation camps, along with the numbers of those forced to live at each camp. a statue of two cranes entangled in barbed wire, towers overhead. >> they're a very honorable bird, and to have them entwined in barbed wire really sends the message that they're not free. >> reporter: the memorial also honors the thousands of japanese americans who, despite the prejudice they faced, fought for the united states in world war ii. >> they felt that they wanted to show their patriotism. they wanted to show that they were americans and so they volunteered and served and while their families were in camp, they were fighting battles and dying and getting wounded. >> reporter: in fact, the units formed by the japanese americans became some of the most decorated fighting groups in u.s. military history. >> i was really concerned that my daughters would not know about any of this and other

japanese americans and americans across the country would not know about it. >> reporter: craig sits at a fountain in the center of the memorial dotted with five stones. they represent the five generations of japanese americans that have lived in the u.s. since the late 1800s. jenny is generation four, called yonsei in japanese. she's dedicated to her job as a graphic artist. jenny says her grandfather's story encourages her to work hard and succeed. she hopes it persuades others to be tolerant. after the september 11th terrorist attacks, jenny and her father feared arab americans would also suffer. >> we don't want to go and take away civil liberties that we hold very dear, even if there are attacks on our country and things like that. it's important to hold on to the freedoms and rights that are very important to our american culture and society.

>> reporter: it took more than 40 years for the u.s. government to say it was sorry for the mistreatment of the japanese american community. in 1988, president ronald reagan gave a formal apology. to learn more, visit our website, teenkidsnews.com. mwanzaa? thanks, felipe. if you live in a city, you know it can be stressful. crowding, the cost of living, pollution, unemployment -- they all take a toll. now "forbes" magazine has ranked american cities according to stress factors. topping the list, the windy city. chicago is followed by new york, detroit, los angeles and san francisco. i think "forbes" missed the biggest stress factor of them all -- the s.a.t.s. >> isn't te t thh?trut coming up next, a look at the healing powers of nature. >> don't stress, we'll be right back.

now, hannah continues her series on green chimneys. that's a school that takes an unusual approach to help kids overcome their personal problems.

>> reporter: most of the animals and kids that come to green chimneys have something in common. they need special attention. the kids are here because they have social or learning issues that make it difficult for them to attend regular school. many of the animals here were rescued from bad situations. at green chimneys, they help each other through what's called animal assisted therapy. >> when you work with animals or you work in gardens, you work within nature. these are normalizing kinds of activities for anyone. and they're relaxing. and they put kids who are probably under a lot of stress in a position where they can learn, and they can achieve much better results. >> reporter: in the school's wildlife program, students learn

how to care for injured birds, like this owl with a bad eye. >> the biggest difference between a hawk and a falcon and an owl is that owls are nocturnal. they come out at night and the hawks and falcons come out during the day. >> i've always been an animal lover. and i've learned a lot since i worked with them. the most important thing i've learned is that when you're around animals, you have to be slow, calm, and don't shout or run. >> reporter: one of david's responsibilities has been helping to nurture this hurt hawk back to health. >> i feel better when i'm around the birds because altogether, the birds are a whole lot more important to me than any other animal at the farm. >> i want you to feel the ridge of the wing. this is the part of the wing that was sprained when she was hit by a car. >> reporter: after weeks of being cared for, the bird is set free, as part of a rather special occasion. >> when we've got an opportunity to send a bird back out into the wild, one that's healed here at green chimneys, we have a little ceremony.

we give the kids an opportunity to talk to the bird, wish it good luck, and all of the things they'd like for the bird to have in its life after leaving green chimneys. >> today is a real special day. we get a chance to discharge this bird that's healed here at green chimneys in a very, very big way because of all that you've done for it. how do you feel today? >> i feel very good. i feel that i've really helped it in ways that i probably don't know. >> what do you want to wish for the bird? >> that it will be able to continue living its life as it normally would have if it didn't get hit. >> on the count of three, we'll try to send her right on top of that willow tree right there. one, two three!

>> we've heard the kids talk about reuniting with their families. we've heard the kids talk about having a good life, and staying out of trouble. and deep down inside, we really know that the kids are kind of talking about themselves. >> it's a very touching, wonderful moment. >> i really wish that when i leave, i'll be able to soar like they do. >> reporter: and that's the whole point of green chimneys. i'm hannah for "teen kids news."

his dreams were almost destroyed by a truck accident when he was a teen. today, scott rigsby is standing tall, and even running -- on artificial legs. tyler tells us how scott hopes his story will inspire others.

>> so i went from zero to an ironman in a year and eight months. >> reporter: scott wows two teenage girls in central park just by walking around. >> i'm an ironman triathlete and i'm also a double amputee. >> reporter: so walking is nothing. you should see him swim, bike and run. this is scott competing in the ironman triathlon world championship. the competition in hawaii is one of the toughest races on the planet. >> it consists of a 2.4 mile swim in either the ocean or a lake. then you have to jump on a bike and ride 112 miles. and then the third portion of the race consists of a marathon of 26.2 miles. and you have to do all three of those disciplines in 17 hours or you're disqualified. >> reporter: scott completed the race with the help of these special legs. >> this material right here, this curved foot, just allows me to cushion from the running that i do, and it's made out of

carbon fiber also. space shuttle material. >> reporter: that's right. scott's running legs are made from the same material that helps keep the space shuttle flying high. they cost more than $50,000. but scott didn't finish the race just because he had expensive equipment. >> so many things have to go right for an amputee to be able to run. and so the legs really, they compensate for something that's really not there instead of enhancing something that was there. >> reporter: that something is will and determination. but scott wasn't always so optimistic. he lost his legs in a horrible accident that left him depressed and suicidal. >> the way i lost my legs was i was in -- i was an 18-year-old kid sitting on the back of a truck, working for a landscaping job, and i got knocked off by an 18-wheeler when he tried to pass us. and as a result, i lost both legs. >> reporter: after years of

operations, scott had just about given up all hope, until he spotted another amputee in a magazine. it was sarah reinertsen. she was the first single amputee woman to enter the hawaii ironman competition. >> i was very inspired by her story, that she was able to use her life to really do extraordinary things and impact young women. >> reporter: scott thought maybe he could become an inspiration to others. >> i saw a lot of our military men and women that were coming back from the war, and they were missing limbs. and i felt like if i could do an ironman, then i could help inspire those men and women who, in service, who put themselves in harm easily way for our freedom. >> reporter: not only did scott finish the ironman race, he came in under the required 17 hours. in addition to wounded soldiers, scott hopes his determination also inspires teens. >> my story is about doing the unthinkable, and encouraging people to do the unthinkable. everybody out there has a finish line.

and everybody needs to cross their finish line. >> reporter: scott plans to do the unthinkable twice. he's training for the 2009 ironman. for more information on scott, head to our website, teenkidsnews.com.

scientists in australia have a surprising report. it turns out that bees can count, at least up to four. when it comes to math, i guess we should give those bees an "a." this report is brought to you by disney interactive studios. g-force, the video game, is inspired by the feature film of the same name. >> time to get this party started! >> reporter: g-force is one of the very first games to fully

feature brand new three-dimensional technology. this fast-paced action has players completing secret and dangerous government missions. darwin, the g-force team leader, is a specially trained guinea pig. >> come on, come on! not working! >> james bond never had these problems. >> reporter: and mooch is his sidekick housefly. >> i don't like when my fly is down. >> reporter: unique gameplay lets you switch between darwin and mooch during their spy adventures. the g-force's goal is to save the world from a robot army of evil household appliances. >> that was too close! >> reporter: problem solving skills help you navigate through puzzles. but steer clear of crazy irons and nasty toasters! >> reporter: g-force is literally a game for the next generation.

the state-of-the-art 3d fun is on playstation 3 and xbox 360. and the regular version is also available now on all major systems. for "teen kids news," i'm michaela. do you believe everything i tell you? you could be an example of our word for this week -- "credulous." c-r-e-d-u-l-o-u-s. it means willing to believe or trust too readily, especially without proper or adequate evidence. another word for it is gullible. credulous.

when you pet someone else's dog, does your own dog get jealous? quite possibly. researchers at a university in england report finding dogs experience emotions like jealousy. they also feel pride. to you, it might be a toy. but as sam reports, to one artist, it's a serious tool for creating.

>> hm. not working. screen's frozen. >> reporter: in nathan sawaya's computer, bricks replace chips. that's because it's made entirely out of legos. >> the method is one brick at a time. i start at the bottom and i work my way up. >> reporter: nathan knows lego. about 1.5 million of the famous bumpy bricks fill a room in his apartment. separated by color, shape and size, they sit beside some curious creations. >> well, my latest project is a form of a human heart all out of lego. and it's a large-scale replica of the human heart that's going to be used in a children's ho iitaln n sao.dieg >> reporter: like many of us, nathan started playing with legos as a kid. >> when i was 10 years old, i wanted a dog, and so i built one

out of lego. >> reporter: but for nathan, playtime never stopped. >> i was allowed to have a 36 square foot lego city in our living room. >> reporter: nathan's love of lego became his life's work. a few years ago, he actually quit his job as a lawyer to be a full-time artist. >> i realized this is what i wanted to do in life, so i followed my passion and i just took the leap, you know, had a little faith and took the leap and it's worked out ever since. >> reporter: now people all over the world pay him big money to build. >> one of the toughest pieces i've ever put together was a replica of the iwo jima flag raising. i wanted to do it justice and it took a long time to make sure it looked correct. >> reporter: a creation can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to build.

and even though lego makes bricks in various shapes and sizes, nathan prefers to use just the standard rectangles. >> i like building curves out of these right angles. it tricks the eye to see that there's an actual curve there, but it's just made out of rectangles. so, there's something magical about that. >> reporter: but the magic isn't always easy to see right away. >> sometimes, i'll be working on a project and i'll get halfway through it and i'll realize it looks proportionally incorrect and i will take days of work and have to strip it away and start over. and it -- it is part of the process. you have to be patient as a lego artist. >> reporter: to aspiring lego artists, nathan has one crucial piece of advice. >> practice, practice, practice, practice. just build and have fun and be creative and use your imagination. >> reporter: nathan's incredible creations have been on tour across the country. to find out if the tour's coming to an area near you, or just to

check out photos of his amazing work, check out teenkidsnews.com. follow the link. for "teen kids news," i'm sam. that's a wrap for this edition of "teen kids news." >> thanks for watching and have a great week. do you like this top? that's so gay. really? yeah. it's totally gay. you know, you really shouldn't say that. say what? well, say that something is "gay" when you mean it's bad. it's insulting. what if every time something was bad, everybody said, "ugh. that's so girl wearing a skirt as a top." oh. you are. ha ha. shut up. those are cute jeans, though.