join us next for "teen kids news." here's a look at what we're reporting on this week. meet a man who literally dives into his work to save the ocean. i'll show you a new museum in washington that's making headlines with visitors. i'll be stepping up to the plate to bring you a story on girls in little league baseball. there's something simple you can do to help a sick kid. i'll tell you what. i'll introduce you to some of america's most talented artists and writers. i'll have the story of a musician who gets her inspiration from books. >> 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 first family visited europe earlier this week. mr. obama met with russia's president to talk about reducing nuclear weapons. both nations agreed to sizable cuts. the administration sought to repair strained relations between the two countries, a theme echoed in president obama's speech to graduates at a moscow business school. >> i believe that on the fundamental issues that will shape this century, americans and russians share common interests that form a basis for cooperation. >> the president then traveled on to italy for the g-8 summit and to meet with the pope.

sarah palin is offering more information about her surprise resignation as alaska's governor. her last day in office will be july 26th and she claims that her plans are uncertain. >> i do not know what the future holds. i want to work right now for people who are going to work in office or out of office for the right things. those principles that built up america. millions of fans tuned in to the public memorial service held in honor of michael jackson on tuesday. and a few thousand lucky fans won free tickets to attend the historic event in los angeles. ♪ stevie wonder. mariah carey. ♪ i'll be there jennifer hudson. those were just some of the

a-list celebs who performed and spoke in remembrance of the controversial superstar. for teen kids news, i'm lara. want to help our nation conserve energy? cut out junk food. scientists say it takes 500 gallons of oil to process, package and transport the stuff for the typical american every year. all that for a lot of empty calories. jessica? >> good point lauren, thank you. there are many other ways we can help protect our environment, starting with what covers two-thirds of our planet. felipe is here to tell us more. felipe? >> reporter: jessica, we're all affected by the oceans of the world. even if we live far away from the sea. and each of us can learn how our actions can turn the tide to the good.

tom campbell is a wildlife photographer and filmmaker who has a lot of experience with the sea. he was a diver for the u.s. marines and even for the police in california. but photography has always been tom's first passion. >> well actually, started as a young kid taking photographs as a hobby and continued to do that throughout my career. and so as time went on, i honed those skills to a point where i made a fairly decent living as a photographer. >> reporter: tom now uses his photo skills for the save our seas foundation. it's an organization dedicated to protecting marine life. >> and over the period of the last 45 years, i've seen a tremendous change, a really tremendous change. and it's not something that you can read about and appreciate so much as when you see it. and having been there and seen it, i really am more concerned about what's happening now in the world's oceans.

>> reporter: for example, the very serious danger of over-fishing our oceans. >> what is happening is with the use of long lines that can be as long as a hundred miles long, drift nets, which can be a 100 miles long, and they trap everything that swims into them. every hook catches a fish, almost. and marine life can no longer contend with that. they cannot keep up. and so what's happened is we're depleting our oceans of the most important resource that we have. >> reporter: sharks are especially at risk. they may seem scary in movies, but they're vital links in the food chain. >> sharks are the number one apex predators. they take the sick, the old, and the non-functional marine life out of the ocean. they cull the ocean. and that's one of the best things about them. and if you take that factor out,

imagine all the fish when they get sick or diseased, instead of being cleaned up to where they're not touche they're left to die in the ocean. and sharks take care of that. >> reporter: and tom assures us sharks aren't as dangerous as we think. >> the fact is, sharks don't really bite people in comparison to what happens around the rest of the world. sharks do not eat people. we are not on their list. we don't even taste good to them. >> reporter: there are other threats to the oceans, including oil drilling and pollution, that require our attention. >> you know, each and every person can make a difference if they just want to. and if they do something. so, even if it's as little a thing like not throwing something in the gutter, that ends up going down into the water column, and into the ocean. >> reporter: it's our generation's turn to make a difference. it's up to us to help protect the planet. to learn more, go to teenkidsnews.com and click on the link to the save our seas website.

may juan. >> thanks felipe. here's one more bit of news about the ocean. a new study shows pollution is causing a change in the way sound moves through the water. the sound waves go farther and deeper, making it noisier for the creatures living in the sea. so now we can add noise pollution to the list of problems mankind is creating. just ahead, we'll see how news can make news. >> we'll take you on a tour of washington, d.c.'s exciting new "newseum." see you in sixty.

you're doing something right now. that's an important part of our democracy. watching the news. now there's a museum you can visit to appreciate it even more. annie takes us on a tour. >> reporter: 35,000 newspaper front pages, real life pieces of recent history. the first announcement of the death of a president, the thrilling news that a world war was over. dramatic stories that reporters and photographers risked their lives to tell.

you can find all this and more at the newseum. >> this spectacular new attraction in washington d.c. explores one of our most important freedoms -- the freedom of the press guaranteed by the first amendment of the constitution. >> the first amendment guarantees you can say what you want. you can publish what you want, including ideas that are not popular. and if you don't have the ability to let that person or that idea get out, you never have access to it, so you never have change, you won't have change, you won't grow as a society. >> reporter: the newseum celebrates the freedom of the press in a big way. with seven levels of galleries and fifteen theaters. including one that takes you to a new dimension. >> it's a 3d movie with

theatrical effects that are added in. there's wind, your seat moves, and there are some other things i won't tell you about because i don't want to spoil the surprise. >> reporter: at the touch of a screen, you can access 500 hundred years of news gathering. see prize winning photographs that capture a story in an instant. or check out cartoons that prove freedom of expression can be funny. >> we're the most interactive museum in the world, we believe. there's interactivity all over the place. >> reporter: one of those places lets you be the reporter. you not only get to be on camera, but through the magic of tv you can report from the capitol, the white house, a sports stadium, or my personal favorite -- the weather set. i forecast a record snowfall. school's closed for the week! the newseum goes beyond showing how the news is gathered and delivered. it also examines particular stories that hit the headlines

and touched our hearts. can you please tell bus the 9/11 gallery? >> sure. the centerpiece for that gallery is the top 36 feet of the broadcast antennae that stood atop the world trade center, and we've also got a collection of newspapers from the day after 9/11 from around the world to show how that story was played. we've also got a theater there that shows a film about, basically, the first 48 hours covering that story and what that was like. and a very moving story about bill biggert, who was a photographer who was killed that day as he was rushing toward the north tower to collect more photographs. >> reporter: how can kids who cannot come to washington be involved in the newseum online? >> well, they can go to our website at newseum.org, and we have a lot of virtual tours of the newseum there.

>> reporter: as the newseum reminds us, news is history in the making. and journalists write the first draft. i'm annie for "teen kids news."

once upon a time, little league baseball was something girls could only watch. erika reports on the anniversary of a breakthrough that changed all of that. >> reporter: devin is like many other young teens. she goes to school, does her homework, spends time with her dog, and plays little league baseball. >> devin is one of our best players. she leads by example. always here, hits the ball hard, isn't afraid to run, isn't afraid to tag somebody out. the kids, they just love having her around.

>> reporter: that devin is around to be on the team is due to one very special person. it was 35 years ago that a young girl's dream to join baseball helped pave the way for millions of other girls to play the sport. maria pepe was just 12 years old when she was accepted onto her hoboken, new jersey team. >> i really tried hard at the tryouts, so when i was told i made the team, i was pretty excited. >> reporter: unfortunately, the excitement didn't last long. little league rules at the time prohibited girls from playing. and when other teams found out that hoboken had a girl player, they challenged her coach. >> my coach was strong. he wanted me to play, and he was trying to argue with the other coaches and say, you know, "let her play, she's just a girl, but she likes it, she's as good as the boys, and i'm not taking her off the field." >> reporter: but maria's visibility as a player was too great. >> i was a pitcher. so naturally, i got a lot of attention, 'cause you can't hide in the outfield.

they issued a letter to my town and sort of threatened that, if they didn't take me off the field, they were going to lose the charter. >> reporter: for the sake of her fellow players, maria turned in her mitt. but she was devastated. and her parents felt her pain. >> my father knew that i loved playing ball. he would always come and watch me play. i think they felt that i was their daughter and felt i should have the opportunity to play like all the other kids. >> then a group known as the national organization of women heard about maria's plight. with her family's permission they challenged the little league rule through the legal system. the courts issued the following decision. the institution of little league is as american as hot dog and apple pie. there's no reason why that part of americana should be withheld from girls. maria had won her case. years later, devin was given a school assignment.

her teacher told her to write an essay about someone she would nominate as woman of the century. although they had never met, she chose maria pepe. when we found out about that at "teen kids news," we thought it would be great if the two players could meet. so we arranged a surprise visit at one of devin's games. we let devin think maria was a member of our staff. what would you say to maria pepe if she were here right now? >> i would thank her -- >> reporter: wait, just tell her yourself! >> thank you! >> you're so welcome, you're so welcome. i'm excited that you're here, and you're playing, and you're enjoying the game. >> reporter: the court ruling in maria's case took two years to resolve. ironically, by then, she was too old to play. for all her efforts, maria pepe only got to play in three little league games. but she sees it this way -- >> it's sort of like an honor

for me, it's like i wanted to play ball. and i think at the end of the day, i get to play forever through all these girls. >> reporter: the former president and ceo of little league baseball, stephen keener said, not too long ago -- >> many people take an entire lifetime to make an impact on the world. maria pepe did that as a 12-year-old. every girl who aspires to play a sport owes her a debt of gratitude. for "teen kids news," i'm erika. teen artists and writers win awards, when "teen kids news" continues.

walk through any school. chances are you'll see trophies on display for outstanding athletes. but there's one group of achievers who are often overlooked when it comes to recognition. kristen tells us about a program that works to change that. >> reporter: in this building behind me are some very creative people.

the winners of this year's scholastic art and writing awards. for each of the past 85 years, the scholastic art and writing awards program has sponsored an annual search. their goal is to find america's most talented young artists and writers. >> the alliance for young artists and writers, the @m non-profit organization that runs the scholastic art and writing awards, receives over 100,000 submissions of artwork and writing from teenagers from across the country each year. >> reporter: almost 35% of the entries receive regional award recognition. but only 1% of entries receive national acclaim. >> national award recipients comprise a pool of about a thousand students, and of those students, 12 receive our top award. and the exhibition we're standing in right now is an exhibition celebrating the 12 top artists and writers in our country. they've gone from 100,000 submissions down to 12.

and that's what makes them, really special. >> reporter: many of the competition's past winners have gone on to become very successful artists. for example, artist andy warhol, actor and director robert redford, and fashion photographer richard avedon. winners receive prize money and scholarships. they also get the opportunity to exhibit their work in a new york city gallery, like this one we're in, called white columns. >> white columns has been dedicated to supporting art and artists at the very beginnings of their career. what's really great is that this exhibition and the whole scholastic program just reveals the depth and breadth of creativity produced by young artists across the united states. >> reporter: this is one of your pieces, tell us a little bit about it. >> this is one of my short stories called "hometown harmonics." and it is a narrative about a girl who lives in a small southern town, and it's about four pages long, and it's just kind of a discussion of her opinions on her hot summers

there. >> my work is about being an african-american teenager. over the years, i've had some kind of strange encounters with race relations, and i've tried, through art, to kind of explore that some more. >> reporter: while their art is on display, the twelve portfolio gold award winners are also honored, during an evening celebration held at carnegie hall. we see incredible talent coming from every state in the united states. and what that results in is young people from every walk of life competing against each other, but also receiving recognition alongside one another. >> reporter: so get out your paintbrushes and pens. maybe next year, we'll be seeing your work exhibited here. for "teen kids news," i'm kristen. >> you can find out more about this annual event by checking the link on our website, teenkidsnews.com. 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... 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.

sometimes it's the little things we can do that make a big difference. that's where "make a child smile" comes in.x www.makeachildsmile.org is a website that lists the addresses of dozens of kids battling serious illnesses. all you have to do is pick up a card at a local store and write one of these kids some encouraging words. it should only take about 10 minutes of your time, but it could make a world of difference to a sick kid. it's called the "red list." an international conservation group's list of species that might be dying out. the list comes out every ten years, and this time it's a shocker. at least 25%, one in four, species of mammal are at risk of extinction. the biggest threat is that the animals are losing places to live because of the actions of one particular kind of mammal -- humans. a performer whose music is climbing the charts is using her fame to inspire her fans. siena tells us how.

♪ >> reporter: recognize that song? that's the hit that launched a buying frenzy. the singer/songwriter's real name is alison sudol. her music has been to the top of the charts and on soundtracks for movies and tv. her musical influences are a little bit out of the ordinary. >> when i was growing up, i listened to a lot of classic jazz and a lot of motown and soul, beatles and basically everything my parents listened to, i listened to. because i love the innocence and the sweetness of music from other eras. >> reporter: we caught up with a fine frenzy on tour. and when she took a break from rehearsing, we just had to ask

about her unusual name. >> it comes from shakespeare, "a midsummer night's dream." he's talking about the lunatic, the lover, and the poet, and they're all alike in their different madnesses. i am incredibly inspired by literature. >> reporter: and she wants to share her love of reading with her fans. when they come to her concerts, she invites them to join her book club. >> throughout the whole tour, we've been giving out bookmarks for the book club. it's basically just a way of opening up a place for people that can talk about books they like and make reading a little less overwhelming. >> reporter: just like her musical influences, a fine frenzy's book selections are all over the map. from jane austen to modern titles like "harry potter." >> i think when you read you can live so many more lives than just your own.@+i ♪

>> reporter: and she could be changing a lot of lives by getting her fans to read books. for "teen kids news," i'm siena. that's a wrap for this edition of "teen kids news." >> thanks for watching, and have www.vitac.com

announcer: every child needs good nutrition and physical activity. atta boy, pinocch. visit mypyramid.gov to learn more.