(upbeat music) - welcome to teen kids news. i'm veronique. let's begin with our top story for this week. (upbeat music) bullying is not a new problem for us teens, but as amelia reports, there is a new way to help us deal with it. - comic book superheroes like superman or spider-man are always saving the world from supervillains, so it might not be surprising that comic books may also help us fight more everyday issues like self-esteem and bullying, and when it comes to comic books, nancy silberkleit is an expert. she's one of the heads of archie comics. hi. - hi, and zam, wham, wow, teen kids news.

- and zam, wham, wow to you, nancy. you know, archie, jughead, betty and veronica, they've been around for a long time, haven't they? - they have been around for 75 years. - well, what makes them so popular with generation after generations of kids? - well, archie, betty and veronica, they remain relevant, and i feel that our readers are right in their space in school. - okay, interesting. besides being the co-ceo of archie comics, you were also a teacher. is that what gave you the idea to use comics to deal with issues like bullying? - absolutely. i feel comic books is a very powerful tool to communicate information, and if you think about the format of comic books, it's a lot of graphics, so it gives the opportunity for the reader to expand the story. and once they expand the story, i feel that they can internalize information in a way that they understand.

- now, these comic books that you're talking about, these are not archie comic books, these are a totally separate set of comic books that you've created? - this is a comic book out of a foundation i created called rise above social issues, and while archie has many story lines that deal with complicated issues, i wanted to go a bit further and be very specific and address the issue of bullying. my first comic book out of rise above social issues is called rise above, that deals with the cruel behaviors that one can see, especially in our schools, and we categorize it as bullying. - nancy, what are some of the points you try and get across with this comic book? - well, bullying doesn't just address the bully, there are the bystanders who witness this, who know about, who hear about it, and the story line

points out how the bystander plays a very important point, and they have choices. they can defend the situation. they can defend the person. they can get help, or they can rally support. i feel this is a great opportunity for the bystander who knows between right and wrong to up their act in compassion. they can be the changemakers in stopping this unacceptable behavior, which is very cruel and hurtful. - were you bullied as a kid? - yes, i was bullied as a kid, and even later on, i have experienced bullying. so, you know, cruel behavior pops up at different times in one's life, and one has to learn how to deal with it, because it's very difficult to deal with that person that

has that malevolent behavior. so i feel the comic book rise above allows and gives insight to someone who may be, unfortunately, bullied, and it gives the person who's being targeted some other thoughts on how they can get through such a tough time in their life. - interesting. you've done comics on other teen issues as well, for example, gun violence. - yes, i came out with another story called see something, say something that does address gun violence. it encourages people who read it, if you see something or you suspect something, before something terrible happens, report it. - gun violence is such a serious subject. can it really be handled in a comic book? - absolutely. it's a very sensitive subject. i think we have heard what can we do

about this situation. we're seeing guns going out into the street just killing random people. how do we discuss that, and who would have ever thought that a teacher would have to address such a difficult topic? so, bringing in the story see something, say something is a very gentle story line, but it provides a platform to open up discussion and hear ideas of what we can do and also allow a forum for many of us that are very concerned about it and have probably a lot of anxiety. - what's been the reaction from teens to your comic books? - well, i am proud to say that i see all sorts of my readers, from the girls to the boys, from third graders to high school students, with their nose buried deep in reading it. when something is being read, i say thumbs up. rise above social issues is doing a good job.

- so i guess these are comic books that teachers won't mind if we bring to class. thank you for speaking with us, nancy. - well, thank you for having me, and it was a pleasure. - clearly, by drawing attention to important issues like gun violence and bullying, these comic books can help us better deal with them. for tenn kids news, i'm amelia. - perhaps no other state combines so much history with so much future. i'll tell you about it in flag facts when teen kids news continues. - [announcer] closed captioning is brought to you by

- it's time for make the grade. here's christin. - as faithful viewers of teen kids news, you know that over the past months, i've been giving tips on how to find a part-time job or internship. well, finding the job or internship is only the first step. getting it is the next challenge. usually, the biggest hurdle is (perilous music) the interview! okay, no need to panic. here's a few simple things to keep in mind. dress neatly. even if you're looking for work mucking out stables, you wanna make a good first impression. don't be late. leave earlier than you need to just in case something unexpected holds you up, like your bike gets a flat tire. shake hands firmly. that goes for girls as well. whether you're listening or speaking, be sure to keep good eye contact. looking a person directly in the eyes shows you're paying attention and that you have self-confidence.

do some research. learn what you can about the company so you can talk intelligently about why you want to work there. if you don't show you were interested enough to check out the company, even if only online, don't expect them to show much interest in you. and lastly, know how much time you can commit, meaning the number of hours a week you're available. it's best if you decide on this before your interview. if you keep these tips in mind, rather than being the most dreaded part of getting a job, the interview can be the opportunity for you to shine. i'm christin here to help you make the grade. - every state has one, but most of us don't know why they look the way they do. here's eric with flag facts. (upbeat drum music) - [eric] it's home to the oldest european settlement in north america, st. augustine. it's where our rockets boldly launch

into the final frontier, and if you prefer to boldly go a bit closer to earth, it's the nation's top destination for amusement parks. - florida. - florida. - florida. - like many state flags, florida features the state seal in the center. it used to be over a white background, but around 1900, the governor asked for the red cross to be added. he thought the mostly white flag suggested surrender. florida's flag honors the original residents, the seminole indians. it also celebrates the abundant sunshine, shoreline and greenery. not pictured here is the spanish influence on the state. - of course everyone knows that christopher columbus came to the new world with the support of queen isabella and the spanish, but what many people don't know is that ponce de leon came with him. he traveled to the new world in 1493, and he returned 20 years later in search of the fountain of youth. - he didn't find the fountain of youth, but ponce de leon did give the spanish colony its name, la florida, in honor of his country's

feast of the flowers. and here's the story behind another famous name. a sports drink was invented at the university of florida, so it was named in honor of the school's athletes, the gators. that's why it's called gatorade. with flag facts, i'm eric. (stately music) (slide whistle blowing) (glass smashing) - this is an actual law in alabama. you're not allowed to drive a car while blindfolded. gotta admit, that makes sense. i wonder how many blindfolded drivers they arrest in alabama every year. (upbeat music) - i'l tell you how this position could help you do better on tests. teen kids news will be right back.

- few of us love taking tests, but some of us actually dread test-taking so much, our stress causes us to do less well than we should. helping to overcome that test anxiety is the subject of today's yoga and you report.

here's emily. (peaceful music) - so brenda, how can yoga help me overcome the stress i face before taking a big test? - when you have stress from a test, test anxiety, you can lose your concentration and your focus, so to overcome that, you can do a pose such as this. step forward and then roll the shoulders back, open the chest, open those arms up, take a deep breath and exhale. and bring those hands back together. another thing that happens when you have test anxiety is you feel ungrounded, so another great pose to do is downward facing dog. we come down onto the mat, hands forward, walk those feet back a little bit.

this builds strength as well as calms the mind because it's an inversion, so it's a very calming effect 'cause the heart is above the head. then we can come on down. - so this was downward dog, and what was the first one called? - it's a variation of the warrior one position. - all right, very nice. well, i feel really good, and i'm definitely ready to tackle those tests. thank you so much, brenda. - you're welcome. - with yoga and you, i'm emily. (bat striking) (crowd cheering) (gentle music) (bat striking) - there are only three major league baseball teams without a mascot: the new york yankees, the los angeles angels of anaheim and the los angeles dodgers. the yankees actually used to have a mascot. his name was dandy, and he was a bird that had a mustache, and the angels also used to have two bear mascots in the 1990s

named scoop and clutch. i'm matt for teen kids news. - here's another tip on getting more battery life out of your smartphone. close apps that you're not using. for most phones, it's as easy as tapping and swiping. while most apps only draw a tiny amount of power, a bunch of open apps can really add up. so remember, when not in use, zap the app. - this important message is brought to you by the national road safety foundation. they want you to keep your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road and your mind on driving. (dramatic music) - [girl] abby, i'm so glad you finally decided to come ice skating with us. - i've never been ice skating before. i'm gonna fall. - people fall all the time. - i'm gonna make an idiot out of myself. - you'll be fine. - you'll be fine. - we won't laugh at you. - we won't make fun of you. - hey guys, who else should i invite? should we invite paige? do you think she'll go? - taylor. - kyle and taylor, if you invite both of them. - i need gloves. - okay, i'll text maddie. i'll text maddie. - [girl] text her and tell her. abby, i'm so glad you finally decided to go ice skating with us.

- [boy] i'm really excited. - abby, watch out! (tires screeching) (cars crashing) (siren whaling) (upbeat music)

- this report is brought to you by target. tis the season to be jolly, and few things make us more jolly then thoughts of presents, and as the saying goes, it's better to give than to receive. to help you fill in your gift list for family and friends, teen kids news is dedicating part of our program today to giving you some great gift ideas, and maybe you'll find some items you'd like to receive as well. to start us off, lifestyle expert justine santaniello joins us. welcome to teen kids news.

- thank you for having me. - for those of us with very young brothers and sisters, what do you suggest? - you know actually, toys and games for everyone in the family are a huge trend this year, and that's why i've partnered with target. they have an amazing selection of items, including more than 1,800 new or exclusive items that are all available at an amazing value. so let's start with those little ones on your list. target has this wide selection of stem toys and games that helps them learn while they play, like this fisher price think & learn code-a-pillar that encourages preschoolers to arrange the segments in endless combinations. it's actually one of target's top toys this year. target also happens to have an amazing selection of licensed toys that are perfect for the toddlers on your list, like their our generation dolls, which come in more hair, eye and skin tones than ever. target even has the exclusive our generation ice cream truck to pair with your doll choice.

- wow, sounds great! so what are this year's gift trends for tweens and teens? - shopping for tweens and teens can be tricky, but what tween wouldn't love this tie fighter drone to add to their star wars collection? and for the pokemon fans, be sure to check out the pokemon sun and moon games for nintendo 3ds. they may even look up long enough from catching pokemon to actually say thank you, and for the teens, active play continues to be a big trend. you wanna cut down on that screen time and get them out and moving with this jetson v6 hoverboard that's available only at target. - i remember hearing that hoverboards used to have safety issues, is that still a concern? - that's a really good question. thank you for asking that. you know, the jetson v6 hoverboard passed all the government safety tests, but you should always make sure to follow the safety guidelines and instructions for use. like riding a skateboard or bicycle, the proper safety gear is very important. - okay, so let's not forget the biggest kids in the family, the adults. what do you recommend?

- well, i love the idea of picking up games the whole family can play together, and you know, what's old is new again. we're seeing this more than ever in target's game selection. they've even added 50 exclusive games to their assortment, like the classics clue and sorry, and be sure to give the popular oregon trail card game a try. i love that one. - those are all really great ideas 'cause i love board games. where can we go for more info? - you guys could go to target.com for everything that we've covered today and so much more and to find out about all of the great savings options. - these are some great suggestions, justine. if any of santa's elves call in sick this holiday season, i'll be happy to put in a good word for you. - (laughing) thank you so much. i appreciate that. - and we'll have more great ideas for holiday gifts when teen kids news continues. we'll be right back.

this report is brought to you by high-impact television. welcome back to teen kids news. we're continuing our special coverage of one of my very favorite subjects, holiday gifts. guess you can call this our version of public service. for gifts for the techies on your list, tech expert marc saltzman has some really cool ideas. - there's no shortage of great gadgets and games just in time for the 2016 holiday season. let's start off with roku, a family of devices that turns your regular tv into a smart tv. beginning at just $29 for the roku express, this gives you high-definition video playback, all the channels you know and love like netflix and youtube and more than 3,500 others and a lot more. easy to use, by the way. then on the high-end, you've got the 4k-ready roku ultra, so this is $129, lots of bells and whistles, support for 4k televisions like the one behind me, hdr support or high-dynamic range for better brightness and contrast. it's got a remote finder, a headphone jack

for private listening and a lot more. all right, speaking of tvs, this is the sony 65-inch z9d 4k hdr television. of course, four-times the resolution of hd, high dynamic range support and sony's own technology called backlight master drive for even better brightness and darker blacks. it's super-thin design, smart tv platform build in, stunning, $5,499 from sony. all right, you're gonna be busy over the holidays. how great would it be to automate and control all of your smart home devices wherever life takes you? well you can do that with the samsung smartthings home monitoring kit. you get a bunch of things in the box. you get the hub, which is sort of the brains of this expandable set of sensors and smart plugs, and then it works with your smart thermostats and your led lighting, your video cameras and a lot more, supported by hundreds of devices and expandable, as i mentioned. $249 for that and controllable really easily, by the way, with a free ios or android app. amazing stuff from samsung. all right, let's get our game on. the playstation 4 bundle with uncharted 4 is

on sale for $299. this gives you that new playstation 4, which is thinner and lighter, more energy efficient and of course, uncharted 4: a thief's end, a great game from 2016. that is, again, $299 on sale. then there's the playstation 4 pro for $399. this gives you support for 4k tvs, and it's got a one terabyte hard drive for more storage. that's $399. both of those playstation 4s support hdr or high dynamic range with an update and playstation vr for video gaming. great stuff. speaking of video gaming, let's end off on two great games, skylanders imaginators is for kids and kids at heart. like its predecessors, activision's latest game fuses action figures with a video game. you place the character on the portal, it comes alive on the tv. imaginators lets kids use their imagination because now, for the first time, you get to create your own skylanders, so the way it looks, the way it talks, its catch phrases, and most importantly, its powers. finally, konami's pro evolution soccer 2017 is one of the highest rated sports games of the year. their catchphrase is control reality,

and you can see why, near photo-realistic graphics, fluid controls and intense game play. konami partnered with some of the best soccer teams and leagues in the world. you get all the stadiums and players that you want, right down to the jerseys and the logos and the chants and so on, single player and multi-player game play. so much fun. it's $59 for playstation 4 and xbox one and $39 for older consoles and windows pcs, and that's pes 2017. as you can see, no shortage of great gadgets and games just in time for the holiday season. from the north pole and for teen kids news, i'm marc saltzman. thanks for watching and happy holidays. (upbeat music) - that wraps up our show, but we'll have more teen kids news for you next week, so make sure you tune in.

- [announcer] write to us at info@teenkidsnews.com.

alex: coming next, a unique treatment for an injured turtle. doctors create a fiberglass cast to save this critter. and helping an elk in trouble. this is "animal rescue."