. coming up, the heat is on, the science behind summer heat, and ways you can stay cool then around the globe, we'll take you to greece, a country rich in history, food, and breathtaking scenery also, catch a wave this surfer is eyeing gold as surfing makes its debut at the olympic games this summer. plus, these boots were made for walking. this penguin has a new spring in his step thanks to his new kicks, we'll introduce you to him. the girl is giving back to her community and sharing her

message of hope with others. >> it makes me really happy to see what i'm doing is actually making a difference. we'll introduce you to one of north america's most endangered animals, the florida panther. this is "nbc nightly news kids edition". become back to "nightly news kids edition," i'm super excited summer is finally here we've got a terrific lineup. penguins, and catching up with a surfer that will be competing in the olympics this summer in team usa. have you ever wondered why you sometimes get a brain freeze after eating ice cream our pal dr. john torres will be here to explain. we want to begin with one of the top stories in the headlines this woo and that's the weather and summer heat. parts of the country are facing record heat, and also drought

conditions but just what does that mean our friend dylan dryer explains. across the country, things have started to sizzle temperatures are shattering record highs for parts of the west coast, it was the hottest june on record for millions of people as temperatures soar, we start to see more extreme climate events frequent heat waves and extreme droughts, all due to climate change what exactly is a drought? you're probably thinking dry, hot, no water. a drought is a shortage of precipitation such as rain or snow over a period of time you know those big h's and l's we put all over the weather maps, the "h" stands for high pressure and it means lots of sunshine and dry conditions. but unfortunately out west that high has been locked in place for far too long, and that means way too much sunshine and dry conditions, and not nearly enoughtheir crops.

your fruits and vegetables can get more expensive and rivers and lakes may dry up. throughout the country we've already seen heat waves. theytypically happen in the summertime a heat wave is a period of abnormally hot weather lasting more than two days, the actual definition of a heat wave, though, depends where you live on the east coast, a heat wave is three days or more at 90 degrees or higher usually paired with something we call humidity, a measure of moisture in the air. all this extreme heat can impact our infrastructure, from cracking roads to straining our electrical grids for those of you on the east coast you mayask why does the heat sometimes feel so uncomfortable? when your body tries to sweat when it's humid it's so much moisture in the air in a you body can't easily evaporate that sweat. that's why it feels hot and sticky for those of you out west it may feel hot and dry your body is ct constantly

evaporating but that leads to a on. >> dehydration is when your body overheats. and doesn't get enough fluid you can increase how much fluid you get or how much water you drink not just by drinking water in a bottle, but you can also choose fruit that has a lot of water in it, for example watermelon as well as different vegetables that can have a lot of water in them. >> to stay safe this summer dr. azar says it's important to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen. >> stay hydrated dress lightly, lightly and one color, cool off as much as you can, jump into the sprinkler or the pool. >> your pets can get just as dehydrated as you can. make sure they have lots of water and bring them inside when it's hot. >> all right, dylan, thanks very much well, with summer officially here many families are planning

summer vacations and looking forward to doing some things they didn't get a chance to do last summer because of the pandemic well, we know you guys have questions, so why don't we get straight to them, joining us now is our pal dr. john torres, and dr. john, our first question is a timely one, here it is. >> hi, i'm abilene and this is my brother, we have a question about ice cream. why sometimes when you eat a whole lot of ice cream do you get a big old ice cream headache >> i'm getting a little bit of a headache, i've got to tell you, doc. >> we've all been there before even in the medical community. we like to make things complicated. it has medical terms, cold stimulus headache, or -- it basically means that it is affecting your brain through your mouth what happens is on the roof of your mouth, when you look at the roof of your mouth if that area starts getting cold because you have a popsicle and

you have it in your mouth. you have some ice cream that you have up against the roof of your mouth and it's making it cold, or even more so, a smoothie because the straw goes right to that area, if that roof of your mouth gets cold very quickly that can cause the headache to move into your brain area and that can cause you to have that big headache it feels like it's right between your eyes and it can take a while to go away but there's some things you ca do to help out number one, eat your ice cream slowly, lester, don't rush your ice cream. >> oops. >> if you do get a headache, take the ice cream out right away rub your tongue against the roof of your mouth. that sometimes helps if you have warm water, go ahead and drink your warm water, that will help. >> i'm going to have to run this experiment for a couple of hours, i think, just to -- to validate everything you said dr. john torres, as always -- >> i'm going to join you. >> all right, my friend. take care, as always. >> you bet. what do you say we now turn

to our around the globe series and take you to a country rich in history, good food, beautiful scenery, and the place where olympic dreams began here's our friend sarah harman >> reporter: it's one of the southernmost countries in europe, with the longest coastline in the mediterranean opa, welcome to greece we recently visited, and wanted to share what we learned with you. >> i really want to know how many greek islands there are. >> greece has thousands of islands, most of them don't have any people living on them. we're here on one of the most famous these whitewashed buildings and blue domes draw thousands and thousands of visitors each month. >> why are their -- in greece. >> reporter: a lot of them are on the greek islands, blue and white are the national colors of yeast, also the colors of their flag someone started making buildings

in those colors and it became really popular greece's capital is athens, close to mountains and scenes. >> one of the best things about athens is that in two hours you can drive to go skiing, and you can swim at the beach. >> reporter: there's also a lot of really old ruins in athens, like the parthenon this is one of the oldest buildings in the world how old is it? >> 2,500 years b.c. >> reporter: that's over 4,000 years old. greece is famous for its ancient civilization they invented democracy, philosophy, and geometry they also invented the olympics. and still play some of the original games today, the ancient greek olympics were held to honor the greek gods. >> what relation did the line gent greeks have. >> that religion had a pantheon of gods, lots of different gods,

athena was the guardian of athens, the goddess of wisdom and you had zeus, the king of the gods with his thunder bolts, af aphrodite, the goddess of love and ares, the got of war. >> reporter: greece is also renowned for its food and we went to an expert to learn about some of greece's most famous dishes. >> we are starting today with a greek salad and some dip what makes it a greek salad is your three ingredients, your olives, your feta cheese and your oregano greek food is possibly one of the best foods to eat. we cook for family, togetherness, and makes just everything delicious >> reporter: a lesson from one of the world's oldest civilizations that we can still enjoy today. >> sarah, thanks so much i had a chance to visit greece for the olympics back in 2004 i have vowed to return beautiful place. time now for our pop quiz. where we put you to the test, in

honor of the upcoming july 4th holiday we've got an independence day question for you. where was the declaration of independence signed? "a," washington, d.c., "b," new york city, or "c," philadelphia. the answer coming up after the break. just ahead, surf's up, we'll hear from this american surfer who is eyeing gold at the olympics. we'll introduce you to this penguin who has new custom fitted boots to help him walk. we'll take a look at one of north america's most endangered animals, the florida panther. and inspiring kids, the girl from north carolina, on a mission to help those in need. >> i knew how it felt to not have food or not be able to go run and get food right away. to form a shield that's proven to keep killing bacteria for 24 hours... ...touch after touch.

microban 24. rinsing the dishes before they go in the dishwasher? well, new cascade platinum has 50% more cleaning power, so you don't have to. its food-seeking enzymes break down food into particles so small they can flow right down the drain. plus, it's powerful enough for the quick-wash cycle. new cascade platinum with 50% more cleaning power! what makes febreze air effects different? while cheaper aerosols rely on artificial propellants... febreze uses a 100% natural propellant. check it out! pressure created by what's in your air makes the bottle spray. which means freshness everyone will love.

for the power of a deep clean in minutes try mr. clean clean freak unlike bleach sprays, clean freak be break down tough messes in seconds so, it's perfect for stovetops, tough bathroom soap scum, and even stainless steel. mr. clean clean freak - being vocal about injustice might mean you'll have to go against social norms. - family traditions. - and friends. - speaking up for what's right may be uncomfortable now. - but it will lead to a better future for everyone.

your favorite characters from illumination■s the secret life of pets are coming to life and off the leash at universal studios hollywood. [gidget] look at all the puppies! join max, duke, gidget and snowball on a journey through the streets of new york city. come unleash your inner pet now open at universal studios hollywood. well, it looks like that's your cue to leave.

welcome back let's get the answer now to our pop quiz the question, where was the declaration of independence signed "a," washington, d.c., "b," new york city, or "c," philadelphia. the answer is "c," philadelphia. did you know on july 4th, 1776 congress officially adopted the declaration of independence, and as a result the date is celebrated as independence day but nearly a month would go by before the actual signing of the document took place. in philadelphia on august 2nd, now to our countdown to the olympics, surfing will make its debut as an olympic sport this summer in tokyo. our pal jackson daly had a chance to catch up with caroline

marks who was eyeing gold for team usa ♪ >> hey, caroline, thank you for doing this with me when did you start surfing and what got you into it >> my first wave was when i was really young, when i was like 3 years old but i stopped for a while and i got back into surfing when i was 9 years old because i wanted to impress my older brothers and i really wanted them to think i was cool. then i started surfing and the rest is kind of history. >> what is it like growing up with a big family that all love to surf, like i'm sure that's had a huge impact? >> absolutely, it's awesome. like i said, i wouldn't even be really surfing if it wasn't for my older brothers. they're like my best friends one of the best things in the world to me is surfing with my brothers. >> i'm so psyched right now. >> how excited are you to represent your country in the olympics >> it's pretty surreal, to be

honest right now it feels like it's really real, which is crazy. we have the year off and they postponed it again another year. so it's pretty incredible and surreal and it's happening and the fact that i get to be the first one to ever do it. >> i don't know what you to say. >> what's your routine >> i wake up every morning, surf a couple hours, do a workout midday i try to surf about four hours a day. obviously that's more or less depending how the waves are. pretty much a lot of surfing and i'm kind of always doing something, you know, hanging out with my family and friends so yeah. >> what's a message you would give to kids that like were like you and started doing something at a young age >> shoot for the stars, you only live one life. i think go for it, enjoy it, you know, surfing, to me, is so, so

fun, and it's i generally wake up every day and i crave to do it find what makes you happy and give it your all. >> thanks for your time. bring ho, i appreciate it. >> jackson daly, thanks much, great to have you on the show. and caroline, can't wait to see you compete this summer. let's switch gears and head to st. louis where one penguin has an extra spring in his step thanks to some new custom fitted shoes. joining us from the st. louis zoo is dr. jimmy johnson, great to have you here, tell us a little bit about enrique i understand he's an older guy. >> thanks for coming and v visiting us here share our story about enrique, he's an older member, in his older age, similar to people, his bones and joints get a little wear and

tear and we noticed he started to have signs of arthritis which is when they start to get sore so we worked him up and he had a doctor's visit we did an exam and took x-rays and found out he needed a little bit of attention we tried a variety of different treatments for his feet and we thought we need to think outside the box for something more long term we came up with an idea to give him boots for extra cushion. >> these are essentially new kicks, new boots. >> indeed, yes, he's got some new kicks and everybody knows that penguins tepically don't wear shoes. >> how did he adjust to them did he immediately get the idea these are helping? >> well, we had the idea and it all seemed good in theory. we had the boots cuset and at first he kind of took a couple big steps and then he just started walking around like

normal, like nothing happened. >> and he's okay swimming as well >> absolutely. so the boots are actually made of wet suit material that is the same material that scuba divers wear in the ocean. so the boots are fully functional on land and in the water. so he just hops in the water, and he can swim around with them. >> well, they are so fun to watch. and it's fun to see enrique, tell him hello for us. dr. jimmy johnson, thanks for stopping by. >> thanks for visiting us. let's head to florida now where one of the most endangered animals in north america lives, the florida panther. our friend kerry sanders is out looking for those panthers in an area they are known to prowl ♪ >> reporter: lester, we're in the florida outback, the pastureland where there's more than just cattle, there's a big cat, it's called the florida panther, and it almost went

extinct. but now, some good news. elusive, endangered, yet today making a comeback. the majestic florida panther when your grandparents were kids there were fewer than 30 panthers left roaming florida. national geographic says they were within a whisker of going extinct. what would it matter if they had gone extinct >> the panther is part of ecosystem here, it's part of native florida, part of natural florida. >> reporter: after cross breeding panthers with their close cousins western state mountain lions it's estimated today there may be as many as 200 florida panthers but spotting one as happened to a tourist with a cell phone in hand is as rare as winning the lottery. florida panthers are large, tan cats they have a crooked tail and a

unique patch of fur on their back florida panthers are typically about six to seven feet long the males grow bigger than the females. did you know florida panthers cannot roar? experts say they purr, hiss, snarl, growl, and yowl to communicate. florida panthers spend most of their time hidden in areas like this, which is why it would take national geographic photographer carl morton jr. five years to capture photographs like these so where are we? >> we're at corkscrew swamp in the florida everglades >> reporter: karlton begins hi swamp buggy but soon he's on foot with help, karlton sets a camera trap that automatically takes pictures when something breaks the infrared beam like a huckry panther at night hunting for food with her cubs. >> the picture from national gee dprafic magazine was from right

here and that took two years of camera trapping in this spot to get that moment. >> reporter: karlton's photos remind us wild animals need areas to roam. but when a housingdevelopment pops up it can cut the panther off from the wilderness on either side. the solution is called a wildlife corridor. just as is the case with us humans one of the greatest danger to panthers is crossing the road, it's why along the known routes they travel they built high fences to channel them so as is the case here they'll go under the highway i walked past that camera trap under the bridge it photographed me and it also took pictures of panthers taking the safe route sometimes they're vast pasturelands where cattle graze. >> why do you care about keeping this corridor for a panther? >> we care about the wildlife on our ranches, the bears, the panthers, it's about conserving

the land for everything. >> reporter: and that's where karlton says you come in kids can't vote, but what can they do? >> get outside and experience these places. paddle a river, hike a trail. >> get out there with a camera phone or just your eyes and may believe you'll spot something rare if all goes as biologists hope by the time today's kids are adults spotting a florida panther in the wild won't be uncommon lester >> kerry, thanks so much. finally, in our inspiring kids series, a girl from north carolina is giving back to her community, helping those who were homeless, a mission that's personal for her 14-year-old zaniyah stenson is lending a helping hand. >> i put toiletry items in there, snacks, nonperishable foods. i put a book of encouragement in there so they know never to give

up. >> with the help of donations the rising ninth grader distributes these go bags of food and essential items to the homeless gnat charlotte, north carolina area. >> it's an organization i started when i was 9 years old i have made over 800 plus go go bags to the women and children's shelter downtown, and to the people in the street i also make them for this hotel by my church where they invited some homeless people to live there. >> zaniyah got the idea a few years ago when she went to the supermarket. >> i saw this lady and her children standing outside, and they didn't have any food, you know, and i was really confused why they were standing outside of a food store asking for food and i asked, she said that they were homeless and i wanted to give them something so we gave them $5. and her and her children were really excited that they could go get some food. >> zaniyah said it was that

encounter that made her want to give back to her community especially since feeding the homeless is something that's very personal to her. >> when i waslittle i lived in the homeless shelter with my biological grandmother, so i knew how it felt to not have food or not be able to go run and get food right away. and i love to see the people, their faces, i love them seeing how happy they are and i love how surprised they get when they see all the items in there and the variety of things, and it just makes me really happy to see what i'm doing is actually making a difference in the world. >> joining us now is zaniyah stenson, thank you for joining us, it's great to have you here. >> thank you for inviting me. >> so i love what you're doing tell me why this is so important to you. >> making my go go bags is really important to me because when i was little i live

biological grandmother before my now forever family adopted me. and i knew how it felt to not have any food or not be able to just run and go get some food and i wanted to make a difference and stop how other people feel so that's why i make my go go bags so other people don't have to feel that way, and they can eat, they have a snack, or just something that they can snack on real quick. >> what's your message to other kids >> to other kids i am -- i want y'all to never give up, and if you want to help out in the community, you can it does not matter how young you are, how old you are and i am just so grateful that i can help out and be able to help out, and it just makes me the happiest person to be able to help. >> well, we are grateful you chose to share your story with us, zanias is tinson, it's a

pleasure to talk with you, continued success in what you're doing. thank you. >> thank you. >> that's going to do it for us. parents, just a reminder if your child has a question about any topic in the news email a video to us at "nightly news kids," and you can also follow us on instagram @nightlykids and catch a new episode every thursday on nbc news.com and youtube thanks for watching, everyone, and remember, take care of yourself and each other.

featuring fresh artisan bread, layered with tender seasoned steak, sautéed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and smothered with melty american cheese. the new cheese steak melt, now at togo's. how far would you go for a togo?

it's time for sleep number's lowest prices of the season on the sleep number 360 smart bed. it's the most comfortable, body-sensing, automatically-responding, energy-building, dually-adjustable, dad-powering, wellness-boosting, foot-warming, temperature-balancing, recovery-assisting, effortlessly life-changing proven quality night sleep we've ever made. don't miss our weekend special. save up to $1,000 on sleep number 360 smart beds. plus, free premium delivery when you add a base. ends monday.

good morning. it is saturday, june 26th. a live look outside, cloudy skies as we begin this final weekend of june. thank you for starting it with us i'm kira klapper. vianey arana joins us this morning with your microclimate forecast. we were apart for 15 months and we still match. accidentally. >> yeah. without planning it. we match the set, too. it is going to be, you know, sunny eventually. but first we'll see a little cloud cover, which we're waking up to that now, seeing