"teen kids news" is next -- and here's what we've got. >> watch how teens get to work, to give a family a home. >> i'll tell you how something kind of rude might be good for your health. >> the u.s. marines call it the "evening parade." but you can call it "awesome." >> a sport that tries to keep kids out of the gutter -- gets

popular. >> give your friends the worst hair day of their lives. >> i'll be talking to a hot band with an unusual name. >> all that and more, so stay tuned for "teen kids news." >> hi, i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm jessica. let's check out this week's big stories from around the world. president obama has been speaking out this week during a series of town hall meetings. he is trying to gain support for his plans to reform healthcare. >> if you don't have health insurance, you will finally have quality, affordable options once we pass reform. if you do have health insurance, we will make sure that no

insurance company or government bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need. gearing up for back-to-school this year means greater efforts to keep kids healthy. school administrators are being given stricter guidelines to help prevent the spread of the h1n1 flu virus. this is the same swine flu that closed many schools last spring. dogs in italy are being trained to save swimmers' lives. the program takes about three years to complete. but once they can tackle the surf, these doggie-paddling canines help patrol the crowded beaches. for "teen kids news," i'm lara. johann sebastian bach is one of the greatest composers of all time. but perhaps his wife should be getting some of the credit. a musicologist has discovered early bach manuscripts -- in anna bach's handwriting. the question now is -- was she just taking notes for her husband or was she composing her own music? jessica? >> well, i guess we can tell

what she was thinking. >> "i'll be bach." many people give money to charity, and that's great. but e ere the thndsands of kids across the country who are helping out in a more hands-on way. felipe is here to tell us more. felipe? >> that's right jessica. an organization called habitat for humanity builds homes for needy families. it's hard work, but also a lot of fun. to me, home means a place to feel safe and secure and to be loved. >> home is someplace you can keep your family, have fun, and chill. >> a safe place where you could lay your head. >> unfortunately, not everyone can own a home. some people only have the money to rent. others can only afford houses that aren't safe. >> it's unacceptable for anybody to go to bed at night in substandard housing. that's the mission.

>> habitat helps families buy new homes at affordable prices. one of the ways they save money is by using volunteer builders. >> get out and go and change the world. one hammer at a time, one two-by-four at a time, one helping hand at a time. >> and a lot of those helping hands belong to teens. >> i just started my freshman year and got hooked on it. >> it's a good thing to help a family in need, and it's a good way to spend your weekends. >> take and it smooth it on down so it's nice and smooth. >> it doesn't matter if you've never held a screwdriver before. >> i remember my first time on one of the sites. i had no idea or any clue what was going on. but once i got the hang of it, the guys, they really help out, and they're really used to working with volunteers. >> sound all right? want to give it a try upstairs? all right, let's give it a whirl. >> i really wanted to build a house ever since i was 6 years old. i was a lego fiend. anything i could build, anything i can make, that's my thing. >> in fact, xavier wants to work

in construction, so habitat for humanity is great training for him. >> i know as a teen, there's a lot of times when you don't really feel you're on your own, things are screwed up, and that's the way it is. but you get together with a few of your friends, or a few people in the community that you didn't know before, and you have something tangible at the end of it. something concrete. >> nobody's more excited to see this house finished than the youngs. the family that's going to live here. >> i look forward to moving into my new house. to have my own basement where i can work out at. my own backyard and my own space. instead of renting, now we have our own house. >> habitat for humanity is making a difference everywhere from new orleans, to places on the other side of the world, like india. and it wouldn't be possible without teens. >> teenagers are powerful. the youth is powerful. and by getting involved, and realizing that you're important, that you're worth it. you can make a change in your own community. with that as a part of your life, you can do anything.

>> i've got to see a house from the beginning, where it's an empty lot, to a finished product, which is great. and i hope i can continue working with habitat the rest of my life. >> if you want to get involved, see if your school has a habitat for humanity club you can join. if it doesn't, consider starting one. visit teenkidsnews.com and follow the links to learn more. mwanzaa? >> thanks felipe. the word "meh" -- m-e-h. it used to be something only a "simpsons" fan would say. but a major dictionary has now made "meh" an official word. it means "i don't much care." as in, would you rather watch re-runs of "one tree hill" or "gossip girl?" meh. >> hey, i love those shows! coming up next -- the few. the proud. nicole takes us on a special visit with the united states marines. >> we'll be right back.

when you think of the u.s. marines, you typically think of soldiers hitting the beach in a hard-fought battle. but it's not all they do. nicole gives us a new view of the united states marines. >> welcome to marine barracks, washington. it's the oldest active military post in the u.s. marine corps. >> marine barracks washington was founded on march 31st, 1801 when president thomas jefferson rode on horseback with lieutenant colonel william ward borroughs, our second commandant of the marine corps. they rode around the southeast d.c. looking for a home for marine barracks, washington. >> ever since then, marines have been stationed here. >> there are seven companies that make up marine barracks, washington. altogether, we're stationed here with about 1,200 marine sailors and civilians. >> reporter: one of the oldest buildings in washington is the commandant's home. the commandant is the highest ranking marine.

it's easy to see why the post was declared an historic landmark. everywhere you look, you're surrounded by the proud tradition of the marine corps. >> what's interesting about the flag you see flown here this evening is that it has 15 stars and 15 stripes. >> and when the barracks was founded in 1801, they were actually at that time 15 states in the union, hence the 15 stars and the 15 stripes. >> this special flag is only flown here and at maryland's ft. mac hen mac henry, birthplace of the "star-spangled banner." >> the barracks was established to defend the nation's capitol, and because this is the oldest post of the corps, because most of our history comes from this place from the 19th century, we started holding parades to show people what we're all about. >> good evening, ladies. welcome to marine barracks, washington. >> every friday evening over the summer, the public is invited to visit the post to watch the evening parade. >> what's really nice about marine barracks, washington is that we treat all of our guests with the utmost respect.

they receive all military courtesies, customs. welcome to the barracks. have a great night. whether you're 5 years old or 85 years old, officer enlisted, we welcome everyone aboard equally and we try to show them the hospitality they would get anywhere when you invite people to your home. >> need any assistance? main gate 4 south. actually that's going to be right here, ladies. the reason we escort the ladies while we're outside on 8th street is to demonstrate propriety and courteousness. during the time of 19th and sometimes early 20th century, men actually did that for women. but that's something we try to carry out here. >> inside, the stands quickly fill up. marines are on hand to tell the visitors the history of the barracks. as part of the opening ceremonies, "chesty" the marine mascot is brought out. >> he's named after the general lewis p. "chesty" puller, one of our former marines, one of the most decorated marines in the marine corps.

>> actually "chesty the 12th" is retiring. he's turning over the leash to "chesty the 13th." one thing that's guaranteed here at one of our evening parades is chesty always gets that same applause. he always gets those "oohs" and "ahhs" and everyone loves chesty. >> when we come back, the evening parade, u.s. marine style.

we continuously practice all year round to put on the best show in america right here in d.c. >> because the marine corps grew out of the navy, they often use nautical terms. for example, marines call the parade grounds the "deck." as in a deck on a ship. >> here on parade deck, you don't get tanks, you don't get guns, you don't get whiz-bang lasers or anything like that. you get a marine in dress blues out there, showing the american people what we're all about. and it is about discipline, it is about honor, courage and our commitment to the country.

>> battalion. fix bayonets. >> ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of the colors. >> after the troops have lined up, the color guard makes its entrance.

>> what's really fascinating about marine barracks, washington is everything that we stand for in marine corps, for our honor, courage and commitment, our core values, they culminate here on the parade deck at marine barracks. and everyone leaves here with such a smile on their face, it makes this a very, very proud place for us to be as marines. >> it was amazing, definitely. >> it's quite an experience.

and we only gave you a taste of the evening parade. in future reports, i'll show you their famous marching bands and drill team. to find out more about the evening parade, visit our website, teenkidsnews.com. hairmixer is a website that does exactly what the name says. it lets you combine the face from one photo with the hair from another. first, you give it two pictures. next, draw boxes to show it where the faces are. then hit the button, and check out the results. here's jessica with here's jessica with miley cyrus' hair -- here's mwanzaa with hair from corbin bleu -- and my personal favorite, jessica with owen wilson's hair. i'm imani for "teen kids news." >> i'd like to see imani with bruce willis' hair. >> but he doesn't have any. >> exactly. anyway, when we return, tyler will be "hair" with sports. >> ouch. see you in a minute.

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.

it's being called the fastest growing sport in american high schools. and tyler is here to tell us about it. tyler? >> mwanzaa, the pins are flying. a game that used to be just for fun is catching on as a varsity sport. varsity bowling has doubled in the past five years around the country. while many teams are co-ed, this team is all girls. >> it's a social sport, you can talk to your friends, and there's actually kind of a strategy to it, you can get better and it's fun to improve and be with your friends. >> bowling offers an opportunity for a girl to make a sport, become a part of a team, become a part of the school, have a lot of school spirit. and i think that the fact that espn has publicized bowling more, i think it's opened up a lot of doors for girls.

>> like any sport, bowling requires a lot of practice if you want to get better. a perfect game is 300 -- but these girls are happy to work their way up. >> we try to have the girls at about a 100, as their average, and sometimes if they do practice, we can get a 125, 150 out of them within a couple of weeks, which i think is great improvement. >> i'd say my skill level is, has improved a lot. last year, i was rookie of the year in my school. and this year, i ranked 40 something out of 250, right now my average is around 117 a game. >> bowling can go beyond friendly fun. here at harlem lanes students are encouraged to score high in the classroom, too. >> you bring your report card in here, and depending how well you do on the school, you get to bowl for free, for the smaller kids we feed them for free, so i mean, we just try to provide, you know, incentive for the children, and just have them to do well and just strive to do well. >> what did you bowl? >> a 16 so far. >> another benefit to bowling is that students compete as a team. >> we try to get them excited as

team members because one girl's score affects the entire team, so while it's individualistic it really is the combination of the scores. so we try to give them a lot of team spirit to -- to try to get that higher score. >> and for these girls, that spirit is what it's all about. >> everybody has to have their morale up, and everybody has to do really well. so i like the whole group activity, and that it can be fun. it doesn't have to be this really, really competitive thing. >> and you thought bowling was just for birthday parties. jessica? >> this report is brought to you by warner brothers. >> they always say, "be careful what you wish for." in the suburban community of black falls, that couldn't be more true. >> 11-year-old toe thompson was always being bullied. >> all of that changed when i found -- the rock. it's a wishing rock -- you make a wish and then it comes true. >> one day, after a freak storm, a mysterious rainbow rock falls from the sky. toe makes his first wish. >> i wish i had friends. >> i was hoping for something a

little more menacing. >> i will show no mercy. >> soon, everyone wants to get their hands on the rock. from kids to their parents -- the wishes quickly spin this neighborhood out of control. >> i just wish we were closer. >> right. >> really close. >> mm-hmm. >> what just happened? we can't go in there looking like this. >> of course we can't. how's mr. black going to take me seriously when i'm wearing your dress? >> this fantasy adventure is told through a series of short films -- just like the movie's title suggests. and each short tells the story of a wish -- whether it be silly, wonderful, or downright terrible. >> i wish that i were the most powerful thing in the entire world. >> adults are going to wreck this place for sure. we gotta stop 'em. >> right!

>> right! >> the movie uses lots of cool stunts and effects. ♪ >> a lot of the acting we're doing is against blue screen or against something that will be put into the film later. >> this means the actors must have very good imaginations. they need to use the right expressions and gestures. >> behind you. >> this family fun movie comes with a lesson of course. >> to teach kids to be grateful for what they have 'cause sometimes when you wish for something, it doesn't always turn out how you planned. >> "shorts" will be in theaters starting august 21st. >> change your head back, will you? >> but there's certain advantages. >> what advantages? >> hello. >> for "teen kids news," i'm hannah.

ok, this time, i'm gonna do it. i'm going to actually go to school. tell me about some of the stuff you've had to deal with. i just dropped out completely. i just got caught up in it, the whole scene with the alcohol and the drugs. i was arrested. a lot of my friends were really concerned. especially my friend erin. you just have to find someone-- they don't have to tell you advice. they don't have to do that. they just listen. announcer: give your friends the boost they need to graduate. join us at boostup.org hey, mark. hey, mark. hey. where've you been? i lost my cat. aw. that's not right. yeah. so i made this cat magnet to try and get him back.

cool. does it work? kinda. [meow] nice. yeah. but that's not my cat. i gotta keep working on it. see ya. see ya. see ya. announcer: anything's possible, keep thinking. get started on your own inventions or just play some games at... it turns out passing gas might not be all bad. a new study found that when mice pass a certain kind of smelly gas -- okay, when they fart -- their blood pressure goes down. scientists think the same effect might happen in humans. but that doesn't make it any more pleasant. imagine performing sold-out shows around the country and appearing on mtv, while you're still in high school. kristen got to meet four guys who are making it happen. >> the band is called cute is what we aim for. but there are times they wish they were called something else. ♪

>> the band name was just kind of something that was thrown together as like a joke or a side project thing. it wasn't supposed to really stick, and it did, and it haunts my every day. >> so what would you want to change it to? >> i just wanted to go with cute. but i got denied. ♪ >> your lives have been crazy the past few years. do you feel like you've missed out on anything? >> the social events. just like the graduations, the proms and stuff. >> so what do you do to kill time on the road? >> we do what any other band does, we're 21-year-old individuals with a lot of free time. >> call of duty 4, halo 3. >> no one plays halo. >> are you kidding? >> you and jose play halo. >> just because you two -- >> no one wants to play a cartoon. >> it's the worst game ever.

we play call of duty 4. >> what do you mean "cartoon," >> that's way more real life. >> no way! i'm not going to get into an argument about this in front of everybody. >> do you guys ever play guitar hero? >> we do not play guitar hero or rock band, i don't think i ever wanna see anybody play guitar hero or rock band for the rest of my life. >> but what if they wanted to put one of your songs in the game? i play guitar hero all the time error are. >> guitar hero is actually my new favorite game. ♪ >> so what's next for you guys? >> well, we're going to do this headline tour and we're going to tour again and tour after that. >> and then again. >> i think more touring will follow the touring i previously mentioned. >> we're more than grateful for where we are. it would be dope to even go to an award show, or something like that, but -- >> i believe that we just wanna keep on being on a label and getting paid to play music. that's it. >> given their recent success, they shouldn't have any trouble staying in the music business

for years to come. for "teen kids news," i'm kristen. >> that's all for us this week -- thanks for tuning in. >> we'll see you next time, on "teen kids news." my name's brandon. in 9 years, i'll be an alcoholic. all: hi, brandon. i'll start drinking with the older kids, and whatever they do... i'll do. announcer: kids who drink before age 15 are 5 times more likely to have alcohol problems when they're adults. so start talking before they start drinking. i know it'll start with alcohol. i'm just not sure how it's gonna end.