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(Describer) In computer animation, different news scenes in rectangles move fast around a turning globe.

(Describer) In front of a blue background with a triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News. A boy sits at a desk with monitors behind him.

- Hi, I'm Luke, and this is "Teen Kids News." Let's begin with this week's top story.

(Describer) The Teen Kids News logo is on curved screens that form a turning cylinder. Passing around it, title: Top Story.

(upbeat music) There are many ways to take a stand against bullying. Shane introduces us to someone who is not just speaking out, she's singing out. - If you've been bullied, you're not alone. As many as one out of three kids say they've been bullied. You might say that bullying is a bit like ice cream-- it comes in many flavors. There are the verbal forms-- name calling, teasing, spreading lies, and rumors. And just as vanilla is the most common flavor of ice cream, things like name calling and teasing are the most common ways bullies bully. But here are some others. There's physical bullying, like pushing or shoving, hitting or threatening; and then there's the online kind-- using social media, email, or texting to send hurtful messages. No matter what form it takes, bullying is harmful, but it can be licked. And that's a mission singer and songwriter Meredith O'Connor is taking on.

♪ I wanna be a celebrity ♪

♪ If it will make you sad ♪

♪ I'll write a song about you and me ♪

♪ Just to make you mad... ♪

- A successful performer with an international following, she experienced bullying firsthand. Welcome to "Teen Kids News."

(Describer) O'Connor:

- Thank you so much, it's so great to be here. And I'm really excited about this topic, for obvious reasons. - Like so many others, you were bullied in middle school. - Yeah, I remember the experience of being bullied through, you know, ever since age seven, up until my first song got on the radio and went viral. And the many, many years of bullying and all of the different flavors that there are, were very tough for myself esteem. - And you took an unusual approach to battling bullying-- you wrote and performed a song. Tell us about that. - Bullying for me continued because I was afraid to speak up. I feel like once I had fame and fans, I wanted to see if anybody else could have the benefit or help or get better or feel better from a song about what I went through in middle school. So, writing that was sort of the first step I took, and sharing my story was absolutely terrifying. But, I remember that doing it sort of taught me how many other people were going through it. And that bullying is something painful and horrible, but we don't have to go through it, and there are ways we can put a stop to it. - Your song is called "The Game." Let's play a bit of it.

(Describer) In the music video, some kids point and laugh at a girl, who runs through a forest.

♪ Become a leader of America ♪

♪ Own every city on the ground ♪

♪ Don't give up on the way ♪

(Describer) She cries.

♪ If you get pushed down ♪

♪ And when they start to cause you pain ♪

♪ And if someone breaks your heart ♪

♪ Remember that we all were challenged ♪

♪ From the start... ♪

- Wow, that was pretty powerful. What's the reaction been to "The Game"? - The reaction to "The Game" has been really strong and surprising in many ways. I didn't realize that hundreds of thousands of people would see it and message me and write to me, and fans would say, "This changed my life." - In the song, you make a number of important points. One is to not give up when you're, as you say, "pushed down." The other is that kids may do bad things simply to belong, right? - It's something that I feel like I wish I knew when I was a kid. The writing the song, "The Game," as scary as it was to talk about it for the first time, not only taught me that I never deserved to be bullied, but nobody else deserves to be bullied either. As I've learned that it oftentimes it's because the people doing the bullying have the issues, and it's never your fault. And that was sort of the message that I wanted to express in that song. - You've been called an "anti-bullying icon." Besides singing, how else have you reached out? - Oh yeah, well, I spoke on the topic at the UN four times; I've spoken--I've given ten Ted Talks-- TEDx Talks, the one in California; and I've worked with Each Mind Matters, which is an incredible mental health organization. And I've had just the opportunity to speak in universities in London, and Spain, and Greece, and schools and concerts all over the world have been really-- New Zealand, as well. It's really been an incredible experience. - Before you go, what advice do you have for kids who are being bullied? - The most important thing to know is that, just because somebody said something doesn't mean it's true, and that no one deserves to be bullied. So if you are being bullied, and if you are afraid to speak up about it, recognize that there are things, steps you can take to make it stop. And most importantly, being different is okay. A lot of times the kids and fans of mine who have told me they're bullied get bullied because of the things that make them unique and special. So never ever let anyone dull your sparkle. - Good advice, thanks. - Thank you so much. - And this will probably come as no surprise-- the place where bullying is most likely to happen-- school, especially middle school. But here's a surprising statistic-- studies show that when bystanders speak up, most of the time bullying stops in less than ten seconds. Of course, you have to decide if it's safe to speak up, or wiser to find an adult to intervene. Either way, bullies succeed when others fail to take action. For "Teen Kids News," I'm Shane.

(Describer) Luke:

- We still have a lot more to tell you about. "Teen Kids News," will be right back. It seems that just about every month we hear new evidence that exercise is important for us to be healthy. But getting all the exercise we need isn't always easy. As Benjamin reports, there's a program helping to change that.

(Describer) Young people workout in a gym.

[upbeat music]

- (Benjamin) A personal trainer, high-tech fitness equipment-- this might look like a fancy health club in a wealthy neighborhood, but it's not. These kids live in a community where a fitness gym like this would be unaffordable. That's where the program called Sound Body Sound Mind comes in. Run by UCLA Health, this fitness center is available to kids after school.

(Describer) Priscilla Aguinaga:

- I was like, "Oh my God," there's so many things I was curious that I was gonna wanna do first. - (Benjamin) This is one of the 130 centers in four states-- here in California, as well as in Colorado, Florida, and Massachusetts. - We have centers in communities where there are no gyms at all.

(Describer) Matthew Flesock:

There's no opportunity outside of school for students to be physically active. - (Benjamin) The centers not only provide top-of-the-line equipment, there are also expert instructors, giving advice and encouragement to work. - You're already breaking a sweat? - In many communities, budget cuts take away opportunities for after-school exercise. And playing outdoors in some neighborhoods is just not safe. So kids wind up in their homes, sitting around playing video games or watching TV. Too little physical activity causes kids to put on too much weight. In fact, one out of every five American kids is seriously overweight. And those added pounds, add risk for illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.

(Describer) David McCallister:

- And it's extremely troubling, it's unhealthy, it has health consequences that are negative. It's something that we'd like to combat in any way possible. - (Benjamin) The UCLA program teaches kids how to use exercise equipment safely. They also learn how to fit fitness into their daily lives.

(Describer) Flesock:

- I think our goal is that students will feel confident and inspired to live a more active and healthy life. - (Benjamin) Sound Body Sound Mind started with money from a generous donor 20 years ago, and the results are impressive. Students in California are scoring much better on statewide fitness tests.

(Describer) McCallister:

- I think that to encourage children to develop healthy habits, healthy lifestyles, and learn how to be active, I think these are great lessons to have in an early age that can have lifelong positive consequences. - It'll obviously be something that I will do

(Describer) Timothy Hernandez:

throughout my life to keep in physical shape. - (Benjamin) And researchers say this program is helping kids feel mentally fit as well.

(Describer) Aguinaga:

- I think I feel proud because I felt like I gained strength in myself. - (Benjamin) For "Teen Kids News," I'm Benjamin.

(Describer) Luke:

- It's simple-- seat belts save lives. The National Road Safety Foundation wants to make sure you remember that every time you get into a car.

(Describer) In an animation, the logo for the National Road Safety Foundation is drawn, with a road going diagonally across a rectangle, a sign that says “NRSF” and the spaces that aren’t the road colored blue.

[writing material scratching]

[car engine roars]

[car hoots]

(Describer) Also drawn, title: we all need to click it. “Click it” is colored in blue.

[soft upbeat music] [writing material scratching]

(Describer) In another drawing, a woman in a passenger seat doesn't wear a seatbelt, while the male driver does wear one. The car is drawn around them.

(Describer) A couple people sit in the back seat. Everyone smiles, and their shirts are colored in blue.

(Describer) Looking around, the driver notices the passenger's seat belt.

- Oh! - Oh, no!

[soft upbeat music] [seat belt clicks]

(Describer) She puts it on and everyone smiles again.

- Yeah!

[car honking]

(Describer) Titles: 61 percent of teens 16 to 19 killed in crashes were not wearing seat belts. Brought to you by the National Road Safety Foundation.

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- If you want to see the latest NRSF videos and get more info on driving safely, be sure to like, follow and subscribe to the National Road Safety Foundation. "Teen Kids News" will be right back.

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(Describer) Spinning with triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News.

(Describer) Katie:

- As the story goes, around 1,500 years ago, a king in India wanted a game he could play in his palace that would be based on board. So, he asked a mathematician to design it. The mathematician did, and that's supposedly how the game of chess was invented. But wait, there's more-- the king was so pleased, he offered the mathematician anything he wanted as a reward, even the king's daughter in marriage. The math whiz said all he wanted was a grain of rice for the first square on the chess board. Double that in the next square and so on for all 64 squares. The king didn't think the mathematician was so clever after all, and readily agreed. Big mistake. Doubling just one grain of rice 64 times ends up with an incredibly huge number, 18 followed by 18 zeros, to be exact. That comes out to be 210 billion tons, more than all the rice in the world. There are many endings to the story-- one is that rather than paying the debt, the king simply had the mathematician killed. I wonder if there's a grain of truth in that legend. Guess it isn't so smart to try and put a king in check. For "Teen Kids News," I'm Katie.

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(Describer) Parts of a title are drawn in yellow against a brown background. Viewed from further away, Word Wise. Veronique:

- When you want to say something is big, the word "jumbo" is often used. As in a jumbo-sized box of something, or a jumbo jet, or even jumbo shrimp, which is actually an oxymoron, but that's a word for another day. Anyway, dictionary.com defines jumbo as "a very large person, animal, or thing." Jumbo is actually a made-up word. It was created to name a very large African elephant at the London zoo in the late 1800s. It's possible that jumbo comes from the Swahili word, jumbe, which means chief. Jumbo the elephant was a favorite attraction at the London zoo. Sadly, as he got older, he got cranky.

[elephant trumpets]

The famous showman P.T. Barnum bought Jumbo and brought him to America. Barnum advertised Jumbo as "the biggest elephant in the world." The word "jumbo" caught the public's imagination, and we've been using it ever since. With "Word Wise," I'm Veronique.

(Describer) Sol:

- Luck has a way of helping people out of tight spots, or in this case, into one. Our story starts at the Vermilion Heritage Museum in Canada. It's a small museum house in what used to be a school building. One of the museum's most popular exhibits is an old hotel safe. The combination had been lost; even the experts couldn't figure out the numerical sequence. So, visitors were invited to take a crack at it, and over the years, many have tried, but to no avail. That is until Stephen Mills came along. On vacation with his family, he decided to give the dial a spin. He randomly chose the numbers 20, 40, 60. To everyone's amazement, especially Stephen's, that worked. For the first time in 50 years, the iron door creaked open and the safe finally revealed what had so long lay hidden inside. But I'm not going to tell you. Just kidding-- inside they found some useless old office documents from the 1970s. Guess the safe's greatest value was just the challenge of getting it open. For "Teen Kids News," I'm Sol.

(Describer) Luke:

- We've got to take a short break, and then we'll be back with more "Teen Kids News."

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(Describer) Spinning with triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News.

- [announcer] This report is brought to you by ourautoexpert.com.

(Describer) Nik Miles:

- Here are some of the new cars you would've seen at the L.A. International Auto Show this fall. We'll start off with the Mercedes-Benz. This is the new all-terrain; it's a wagon, it's raised, and congratulations to Mercedes-Benz, and their family of E-classes that won the Motor Trend Car of the Year. This vehicle has a V6 engine, three rows, a rear-facing third row, and the Mercedes-Benz luxury performance that you come to expect. Just announced, a brand-new Lincoln Nautilus for 2021. This vehicle now on the inside will have a 13.2 inch screen in the center stack; it'll have the Calm App with a year's subscription; and also you can use your phone instead of a key. Lexus, showing off their brand new LS. The 500 and 500h have been refined for 2021, including a lot of refinements on the interior that give you a more plush and more luxurious look at the vehicle and a refined ride and handling of the 2021s. Toyota also rolling out a Sienna-- their new minivan comes in a hybrid, comes in all-wheel drive. This vehicle is the latest generation of their minivan lifestyle. A lot of people now looking to minivans to transport their whole family, as flying becomes something that maybe you've done in the past. You'll have a vacuum, a refrigerator. It has all the mod cons that you're looking for in family transportation. The all-electric Ford Mach-E has finally arrived at dealerships in the United States. And, although it starts at $43,000, it's still eligible for that $7,500 of federal tax credit. So it'll have up to 300 miles of range, and this vehicle will come in a GT that will have very fast, 0-to-60-mile-an- hour timeframes. All right, check out the 2021 Nissan Kicks. It's geared towards the younger driver with a new exterior styling. It comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It has more USB ports to plug in all your devices, a stylish interior with an eight-inch touch-screen display, and advanced Nissan Safety Shield 360 technology. The 2021 Nissan Armada has a new exterior and simplified interior styling. Safety Shield 360 will be standard inside a 12.3 inch screen, wireless charging, and standard WiFi. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, rear-seat entertainment, and a V8 engine under the hood getting you where you want to go so you can have that perfect family vacation. The QX55 positioned somewhere between the QX50 and QX60. It's a smaller SUV that has a sports-car look with a cooped backend, beautiful Infiniti styling on the inside and out, and of course, with that luxury comes Infiniti performance when you put it on the road. The Jeep has a plug-in electric Wrangler now. It's called the 4xe, that will be 25 miles on a single charge. Also, you can get this vehicle coming to dealerships early next year; excited that you can have adventures in a plug-in hybrid Powertrain. And this is a 702 horsepower truck that has the heart of a monster, the RAM TRX. This vehicle is so enormous it has clearance lights on the hood and the side, an air intake that filters out dust, huge air antique in the grill. In fact, I need help getting inside of it. It has a massive performance on the inside, and you can put it in the dust and do donuts. Big up, thumbs up to RAM for outputting such a huge performance shock that is going to be in my driveway in the future, I can guarantee it. We may not all be able to afford this vehicle. This is the new McLaren Xander, named after the F1 driver. This vehicle, $1 million. That is out of the budget for many people. However, we do have an option of something that is in the budget for many people. My buddy Axel is in the new kids' version of the Xander; this is only $600. Axel, can we hit the start button there, the red one? You got it?

Hit it. [car engine roars]

(Describer) He sits in the toy car.

All right, you put your foot on the gas; can you drive it away? For "Teen Kids News," I'm Nik Miles.

(Describer) He does.

(Describer) A viewer email says, "Enjoyed your show today! Thanks for your positive message! Signed Fife P.

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- It's time for a quick break, and then "Teen Kids News" will be right back.

(Describer) Title: Coming up, Holiday Gift Ideas. Spinning with triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News.

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- [announcer] This report is brought to you by News Media Group. - Hi, I'm Tech Expert, Katie Linendoll, and it's so fun to be joining you on "Teen Kids News." I gotta say I have one of the coolest jobs ever when I get to partner with such awesome technology companies with great gifting ideas for the holiday season. And let me just start with some great gifting ideas, starting with the laptop that is right in front of me. This is the HP Pavilion x360, and you can see it has a stunning display. But it's also got all the specs and power that you need. If yourself or somebody in your family is looking for a new laptop, fantastic for productivity and entertainment. It is compact and lightweight. Also 13 hours of battery life and speed empowered with the latest Intel 10th Generation Processor-- got you covered, HP Pavilion x360. And then a big question I always get is what are the greatest headphones out there? Well, Shure, I have to say as a techie and a musician, is one of the best audio companies out there with decades of studio experience. And they have just introduced their first-ever wireless headphones, Shure AONIC 50-- highly engineered various modes for noise cancellation and also 20 hours of battery life. Check out Shure's AONIC 50. Also for the kids, let's talk about a new theme from LEGO-- LEGO DOTS are so cool because they are kits made for kids ages six and up that are all about designing and assembling their own custom creations. And two more quickly-- GoPro has introduced the GoPro HERO9 black, their latest model, and it has a fantastic front-facing display and larger rear display. Easy to sync with a smartphone app and hyper smooth stabilization. Last but certainly not least, OtterBox cases starting under $40--tons of different options, rough and rugged to slim and stylish. And of course, new cases for iPhone 12 that are made for MagSafe. You can check out all these gadgets and learn a lot more at techgifts.tv.

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(Describer) Luke:

- Well, that wraps up our show for this week, but we'll be back with more "Teen Kids News" next week. See you then.

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(Describer) Titles: Producer: Marilou Yacoub Director/Writer: Alan J. Weiss Camera and Editing: Rick Lavon, David Lauterbach Created by Executive Producers: Albert T. Primo, Alan J. Weiss Copyright Eyewitness Kids News LLC, 2020. Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.