We've had a long week on the set of Biography channel's Celebrity Ghost Stories, where we filmed an episode in which we have lead roles. As the story has not yet been announced, we can't say the premise of the episode or give information on our characters just yet, but we can promise you one thing: it's gonna be horrifying! Keep checking in here and on IMDb for updates, and look out for the episode this summer or early fall!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eight Questions We'd Love to Ask The Boston Marathon Bombers
By Cailin and Hannah Loesch
As you no doubt have heard, tragedy struck last Monday when 19 year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev placed a bomb near the finish line at the annual Boston Marathon, while his brother, 26 year old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, placed a backpack containing another explosive on the ground just down the street. Just seconds later, the bombs exploded and the brothers became household names for committing the devastating act of terrorism, which took the lives of three innocent people and injured hundreds more.
Since that day, the two of us have been glued to the news: watching TV reports, reading newspaper articles...even refreshing our twitter feeds as often as we can - on a desperately curious hunt for information and updates about the investigation. And as journalists, we have endless questions that we would ask the Boston bombers if given the chance to speak with them. Here's our top 8.
1) Why did you do it? Did an event or person from your past cause you to want to do it?
We just can't help but wonder why a teen, who has their whole life ahead of them, (or anybody for that matter) would commit such a crime. He must have known it would be a decision that would completely ruin his life forever, yet he went ahead and did it anyway. Did he not think about how many people such a traumatizing act would affect? Or did he simply not care? It's hard for us to wrap our heads around!
2) Why at the Boston Marathon, of all places? Was there a reason behind the date you chose to do it on?
This would be an interesting bit of information to learn from the suspects. Is there a significance to the location of the attack? Was the Boston Marathon an event in which the brothers previously attended? Did they target eight-year-old Martin Richards, 27-year-old Krystle Campbell, and grad student Lingzi Lu? And if so, how did they know that these three would be there at the marathon? Without knowing the full story from the brothers, it's nearly impossible to say.
3) Was the bombing planned for long beforehand, or did you just wake up on the morning of the marathon and decide to attack that day?
It's baffling to consider the possibility that the brothers had this planned for days, months, maybe even years before they actually followed through.
4) Was anybody else involved in the attack besides you and your brother?
Think about it. What if there are other terrorists that were involved with the attack, still on the loose? Maybe the brothers have other siblings or friends that helped with the attack, that remain completely innocent. Maybe they'll be caught and punished tomorrow. Maybe they'll never even be questioned about it, and carry out the rest of their lives having to live with the fact that they were guilty of taking part in the Boston Marathon bombing.
Or maybe the brothers did it all themselves. It's crazy to think that we may never know.
5) Did anybody else know about your plans to attack before it happened?
We know from reading and watching the news that many of the brothers' classmates claim they were the nicest kids around. But are they telling the truth? There must be someone out there who looked at them and saw that something wasn't right. After all, these boys bombed innocent people that were running for a good cause... there is no way that they were all good all the time. Someone must have predicted this, and we bet he's out there right now thinking, "I saw this coming."
Maybe if we find the right person, we can learn more about the brothers, and draw conclusions about their intentions as a result.
6) If you could go back and make it so you never set those bombs down at the marathon that day, would you?
We just wonder if the bombers regret what they did to those poor people. And we're not talking about the regret that they must have felt when they realized they ruined their own lives, but true feelings of remorse for taking the lives of three people who had never done anything at all to them. Do they feel guilty....at all?
7) What were you doing the night before the attack?
Did Dzhokhar eat dinner with his family on Sunday night? Did Tamerlan wake up that morning and brush his teeth and hair before he headed off to bomb the marathon?
They woke up that morning just like they would any other day. For some reason the thought of that is just really eerie to us.
8) What was going through your mind when you were sitting on that boat?
Was Dzhokhar aware of the media frenzy that was happening all around him? Did he know he was going to be caught, or did he honestly think he could escape? Was he contemplating the extent of his punishment? Were his eyes closed or open as he sat, just waiting to be caught by the police? What could he hear? Did he know that they knew exactly where we was hiding?
It's all just a big mystery!
Sometimes, when faced with such tragedy, we are left with no choice but to see the positive side. Though the events at the Boston Marathon finish line that day are tragic and horrible beyond belief, the love and support for each other the residents of Boston are showing is really an amazing thing.
Isn't that why they call us the United States of America?
Keep Boston in your thoughts.
Hannah and Cailin Loesch
Catch our reports here, and on www.TeenKidsNews.com!
(1/20/13)- 2012 Alex's Lemonade Stand Lemon Ball
You know what they say: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Alex Scott wasn’t yet one year old when she was first diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare but deadly form of childhood cancer. Though it was the beginning of what would be a long battle for Alex, it was also the start of the inspiring story of a little girl who wanted nothing more than to help others like her.
At just four years old, Alex was in the hospital recovering from her latest round of chemotherapy when she went to her parents, Jay and Liz Scott, with an idea that would later change the lives of cancer patients everywhere.
Why not open a lemonade stand to raise money for childhood cancer research?
It wasn’t much later that Alex held her very first lemonade stand in her backyard, which raised $2,000 for the cause, and lots of newfound hope.
It was that June weekend in Connecticut that Alex’s Lemonade Stand, now a multi-million dollar foundation, was born.
Today, Alex’s Lemonade Stand has raised more than $60 million for childhood cancer research, which has funded more than 275 projects at 73 institutions- and this is just the beginning!
Now THAT is a reason to celebrate!
On Saturday, January 12th, the 2013 Lemon Ball, and annual event held by the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation in celebration of Alex Scott’s life, was held in Philadelphia. Nearly 900 people attended the sold out event that raised over $825,000 for childhood cancer research.
According to alexslemonade.org, the official website of the
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, the event was “a beautiful celebratory evening
consisting of poignant and emotional speeches” given by honorees Jeff Benjamin, Jeff Michaud and Marc
Vetri (winners of the Alex Scott Crystal Cup); The Smith Family (Stand Hosts of
the Year); and Paige & Mark Walsh (Volunteers of the Year) as well as Liz
and Jay Scott, Alex’s parents.
Liz and Jay Scott presented awards to Paige and Mark Walsh (left) of Leawood, Kansas, who are pictured here with their kids Lily, Donovan, Mac, and Charlie.
Though
we could not make it to the event, we heard it was an incredibly inspiring and
uplifting night celebrating the amazing life of Alex Scott!
Watch childhood cancer heroes Tony Salerno and Cole Fitzgerald as they
pre-empt the Fund a Cure portion of the event!
To learn more about the ALSF, or how you can help fund childhood cancer research, visit alexslemonade.org
(1/1/13)- HAPPY NEW YEAR!
First of all, we hope everyone had a great year. We know we did- and are looking forward to an even better 2013!
Music is a big part of a lot of people's lives, and 2012 was definitely a great year for it.
From new music from the most well known performers in the world, to debut albums from talented up and coming musicians, this past year brought something for everyone.
According to the critics at Billboard, here is the top 10 songs of 2012: (click to view video)
1) Climax- Usher
2) Call Me Maybe- Carly Rae Jepsen
3) Mercy- G.O.O.D. Music
4) Some Nights- fun.
5) Adorn- Miguel
6) Begin Again- Taylor Swift
7) Somebody That I Used To Know- Gotye feat. Kimbra
8) Thinkin Bout You- Frank Ocean
9) Everything is Embarrassing- Sky Ferreira
10) What Makes You Beautiful-One Direction
We asked our twitter friends what their favorite song of the year was. Here's what they said:
@JadeRuggirello - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift
@WeLoveYouLala - Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran (ONE of her faves) ;)
@AlisonDanielle1 - I Knew You Were Trouble/ Come Back, Be Here by Taylor Swift
@angiebabyxx13 - Come Back, Be Here by Taylor Swift
@Taithleach - Hit the Ground Runnin' by Haley Reinhart
@tylershepard223 - Chock Outline by 3 Days Grace
@itsjasminexo - Try by Pink
@lillypoter2 - Windows Down by Big Time Rush
@JessMuncey - Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran
@lizzi_2904 - Any song from Lauren Alaina
@haleyobsession - Hit the Ground Runnin' by Haley Reinhart/ All Too Well by Taylor Swift
@HEReinhartFans - Free by Haley Reinhart/ Some Nights by fun.
@RafizalRahman - We Are Young by fun.
@ChrisK419 - Undone by Haley Reinhart
@AmandaVincent17 - Every R5/ Camp Rock 1&2 song
@AlisonSheaxx - Set This World on Fire by the Janoskians
@KenzisHair - Ho Hey by The Lumineers
@HaleyJonayMusic - Bad For Me by Megan and Liz
Oh, and if you're curious... here's our top five list! (In no particular order- we couldn't possibly decide if we did that!)
1) Home- Phillip Phillips
2) Starlight- Taylor Swift
3) Hit The Ground Runnin'- Haley Reinhart
4) The A Team- Ed Sheeran
5)Live While We're Young- One Direction
That's it for now- have a GREAT new year, and thank you so much for watching and reading!
Cailin and Hannah Loesch
(12/31)- We
survived the Mayan Apocalypse!
Now what?
Tomorrow is the first day
of 2013, and we’re all still here.
Though the true media
explosion surrounding the 2012 Mayan Apocalypse didn’t begin until a few years
ago, the true start of the phenomenon was many years before. The first
prediction of the 2012 Doomsday was noted in May 2003, when the story of a
Sumerian planet that was supposedly headed toward Earth was recorded for the
first time. It was also in 2003 that people began to buzz about the Mayan
calendar, which mysteriously ended in 2012. Though NASA insisted that there
were absolutely no scientific threats and that the whole marvel was simply an
internet hoax, people in all parts of the world continued to speculate the
possibility that we were all headed for doom on December 21st2012.
Not surprisingly, there was
a diverse range of reactions to the unfulfilled doomsday when the sun began to
set that evening, with no unusual disturbances.
“I kind of had my doubts
that the end of the world would really be heralded in by a bunch of
cable/satellite TV specials and movies,” Christopher E. Hill, editor of the
Survival and Prosperity blog (www.survivalandprosperity.com) told us.
“As a matter of fact, I've
been telling readers of my blog since May 2011 that whenever I hear
"doomsday" predictions, I think of what the Bible says about the end
of the world. From the New Testament, First Book of Thessalonians, chapter 5,
verse 2: ‘For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a
thief in the night.’”
“Still, all that December
21, 2012, stuff on TV and on the big screen was kind of spooky- and I'm a grown
man!” joked Mr. Hill.
However, for some believers
of the 2012 Mayan Apocalypse, the continuation of the world was nothing to joke
about. In fact, for them, the result was quite traumatic.
"It appears that
believers in the Mayan calendar apocalypse range from troubled individuals to
groups following charismatic leaders," Stephen Kent, a University of
Alberta sociologist, told LiveScience. Consequently, the fallout could be very
complicated" (HuffingtonPost.com).
And surprisingly, 2012 will
not be the last of Doomsday predictions. Already, there is talk of the world
ending in May 2013, among other dates-- including 2015, 2020, and 2021.
“Survival Doc”, who was
made famous from his video blogs and appearances on TLC, told us exclusively:
“There is still plenty to worry about, but [I don’t believe] there’s a specific
date nor even year”.
I guess we’ll just have to
wait and see what happens, won’t we?
‘Til next time!
Cailin and Hannah Loesch
The Didja Know Show
Reported by Hannah
On the bitter cold morning of March 10th, 2013, my sister and I stood on the curb in front of our New York City hotel.
"You two look nice, where are you going?" a strong, friendly voice called out. Startled, I scanned the sidewalk until my eyes focused on a tall doorman with a nice suit and a warm smile. I looked at my sister, who explained to the man that we were heading to a movie premiere to cover the red carpet as reporters. He seemed almost as excited as we were. Bent on his knees to our level, the doorman looked into our eyes.
"You go have fun with Nicolas Cage, and when you get back you have to tell me all about it, okay?" He smiled again and gave us each a pat on the back, then stood back up and headed back inside the hotel. We hopped in the cab and started the drive over to the theatre.
It was only a matter of minutes later that the cab came to a halt and we stepped onto the street in front of the theatre. Already, I could tell it was going to be a crazy day.
The first thing that caught my eye was the red carpet. It took up a whole lane of the street, and the sides were lined with movie posters.
There was a tall wall that blocked the carpet off from the people driving on the right lane of the street. People were already waiting with their cameras, hoping to get a glimpse of the actors.
A man told us where to go for press check-in. The red carpet didn't start for almost another hour. Despite our huge furry bear coats, my sister and I were FREEZING! We sat inside a phone booth because it was a few degrees warmer.
There were a lot of press there now. Cailin and I were just kind of sitting there on a bar in the phone booth for awhile, microphones in hand, talking and going over our questions. We were really nervous. We tried to forget about the fact that we would be face to face with Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds in less than an hour.
Soon, it was time to go find our spot on the carpet. Even though The Croods was our first movie premiere, I was pretty familiar with how things like this worked. Basically, when the press get there they have to walk around until they find the name of the news outlet they're representing's sign on the carpet. Then you set up the camera and test the microphones and go over your questions one more time before the arrivals start making their way down the carpet.
This time was no different. By now, I was too cold to be nervous- I just felt numb, like a Popsicle. It was hard to walk because it felt like my feet were freezing. But then again, I didn't really need, or want to!
The things we do to get you guys these interviews. ;)
The next thing I knew, we had interviewed the entire cast of the movie.
Each time an interview ended, I remember just sitting there like "Okay, WHAT just happened." One of the strangest parts for me were those moments where I would look down the carpet and suddenly become aware of the fact that Nicolas Cage, or Ryan Reynolds, or Emma Stone was walking toward us for an interview. Then you stand there and say hi, have a conversation, and after a while say "Thanks for the interview!"
And then they walk away and leave you standing there like...
What in the world just happened. It's so hard to put into words, but even just hearing their voices and seeing their faces in person after watching them in movies for years...it's almost surreal!
Anyways, by now it was time to go into the theatre and watch the movie for the first time. The weirdest part was turning around in the middle of the movie and seeing Nicolas Cage just sitting there, with 3D glasses on, watching the movie behind us. Every now and then, I would almost get completely lost in the story on the screen and forget where I was, but it never fully happened. There was always the thought in the back of my mind that reminded me of just how crazy of a situation I was in. So surreal.
After the premiere ended, we were once again emptied into the sea of people that is New York City. My sister and I were hungry and tired, and got hot dogs on our walk back to the hotel. With our hot dogs in hand, we were greeted at the entrance by a familiar face: the doorman!
Immediately, he kneeled down and asked us to tell him everything. We spilled the whole story, looking through pictures on Cailin's phone and gushing about the excitement of the day.
"Congratulations, you two..I am glad for you," the man said.
Filled with happiness, we climbed into the car and began our long drive.
Exhausted from a long, exciting day, my sister and I fell asleep almost instantly and slept the whole way home. Movie premieres...those things are TIRING!
It was definitely a new experience, and an incredible one! I really hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure and check out the interviews!
Until next time,
Hannah
Hannah's blog about covering the blue carpet at the VH1 Do Something Awards (via teenkidsnews.com)
TKN Behind-the-Scenes
Reporter, Hannah, shares what it was like to interview celebrities on the Red (Blue) carpet at the 2012 VH1 Do Something Awards.
Over the summer, we had the incredible opportunity to travel to California to cover the 2012 VH1 Do Something Awards.
On the red (or should we say blue?) carpet, we met all kinds of people- some of which we have watched on TV for years!
That’s my favorite part about being a teen reporter- having the opportunities to meet people we have been fans of for so long, and getting to know them not as a TV star, but as a person.
We’ll take you through some of our favorite moments from the blue carpet!
When we were getting ready for the awards, we were beyond excited when we heard our favorite up-and-coming boy band, IM5, was going to be on the carpet that afternoon. Not only are the boys so nice and funny, but they’re extremely talented and are definitely a group to look out for. We see really big things for them in the future (watch out, One Direction!)
Next up: If you know us at all, you know that America’s Got Talent is one of our favorite shows (we watched every episode with our friends over the summer)! The hilarious host, Nick Cannon, was being rushed into the theatre and was told not to do interviews, but was nice enough to stop and do a quick one for us! It was so unexpected, I got nervous and forgot to introduce him at the beginning of the interview, but we were able to pull it together and ask a few questions. He was awesome, and acted just like he does when he hosts America’s Got Talent!
Now, if you watched our She’s the First report from back in May, you saw us interview Haley Reinhart at the Girls Who Rock event in New York. Well, much to our surprise (and excitement!), Haley walked the carpet at the Do Something Awards, and we were able to catch up with her about what she’s been up to since the release of her debut album, Listen Up! By the way, when we told her we listened to her album the whole way to the event, we really weren’t kidding (ask our mom, she’ll tell you)! Oh My! She was sweet as ever!
Another highlight of the day: the winner for the prettiest, sparkliest dress of the day definitely goes to Disney’s Shake It Up! Star Caroline Sunshine. But besides that, she really has the sweetest personality, and of course is an amazing actress and dancer.
Last but not least, Carlon Jeffery from Disney’s A.N.T. Farm is what my sister and I like to call a “legend”. He is just as funny off-screen as he is on, and he comes up with completely hilarious jokes without even thinking, it seems. He even came up with a rap on the spot after the interview and performed it on the carpet. Oh, and he gave us wristbands that had his name and twitter account on them, and we are not kidding when we say we wore them for over a week afterwards!
Of course, the red carpet and interviews are always fun to do, but it’s important to not lose sight of what the event is all about. The Do Something Awards is an annual awards show that honors young people 25 and under who make a difference in the world, and celebrities who dedicate their time to charity work. The most amazing part is that every person we asked on the carpet had charities that they support, and we could really tell each and every one of them cared about their causes. That, friends, is what it’s all about!
Make sure you check out www.DoSomething.org to learn how you too can “Do Something”.
ANYONE can make a difference!
(10/29)- We're tracking Hurricane Sandy from the East Coast!
Stay tuned to our YouTube Channel for updates on Hurricane Sandy!
This past Saturday night was a very special one for us.
On the evening of October 13th, 2012, the two of us arrived on the blue carpet in New York City for Comedy Central’s A Night of Too Many Stars,microphones in hand and eyes on the lookout for the perfect Teen Kids News interview. Like any other red carpet event, there were celebrities as far as the eye could see, posing for dozens of photographers all at one time. Tina Fey, Katy Perry, Jerry Seinfeld, Matthew Broderick, and Carly Rae Jepsen were just a few of some of the biggest names in Hollywood to attend. But the real reason for the event had so much more meaning than Hollywood celebrities.
What makes "Night of Too Many Stars" so important is that it benefits a variety of autism programs across the country in support of the overabundance of individuals with autism that so desperately need quality services. After doing some research, we learned that autism is a complex brain disorder that affects an estimated 1 in 88 children worldwide. It causes the brain to develop differently, and often causes those affected to have trouble making sense of the world. Since it is a condition that affects so many people’s lives and those close to them, it only makes sense to us that we all get educated about autism and do whatever we can tohelp. On the blue carpet, we spoke to“Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Rae Jepsen about touring with Justin Bieber on the Believe tour, and about her new album “Kiss”! Stay tuned for our report on autism, along with our video coverage of A Night of Too Many Stars, which we are working on now. In the meantime, make sure to check out autismspeaks.org to learn more about autism and how you can help.
Catch the show, which will feature Jon Stewart hosting an evening filled with live performances, sketches and short films from a roster of comedy and celebrity all-stars on Comedy Central this coming Sunday, October 21, 2012, at 8/7c.
Til next time!
Hannah and Cailin
The Didja Know Show/Teen Kids News
