The nation’s record-low teen birth rate stems from robust declines in nearly every state, but most dramatically in several Mountain States and among Hispanics, according to a new government report.

All states but West Virginia and North Dakota showed significant drops over five years. But the Mountain States of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Utah saw rates fall by 30 percent or more.

In 22 states, teen Hispanic birth rates plunged at least 40 percent, which was described as “just amazing,” by the report’s lead author, Brady Hamilton of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What’s driving the declines? No one can say for sure. Experts believe the explanation is complicated and probably varies a bit from state to state. The national figure has been falling since 1991, aside from a brief interruption in 2006 and 2007.

The CDC report released Thursday is based on birth certificates for 2007 through 2011. Last year, the CDC announced the overall improvement in teen births: a record low of 31 births per 1,000 teens ages 15 to 19. That compares to 42 births per 1,000 five years earlier.

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There is more than enough stress, more than enough drama, when a mother-to-be is about to give birth under normal circumstances. But add a tornado, and the medical team really had to deliver.

“I was five centimeters already and having contractions,” recalled Shayla Taylor.

Taylor was in labor on the second floor of the Moore Medical Center. She wasn’t worried about a tornado until the nurses charged in.

“I was kind of just like, ‘Oh crap,’” Taylor said about what she thought at the time. “I pull out my phone and pull up the weather app. It says it’s coming down 4th Street in Moore, which is the street that the hospital is on.”

Her husband, Jerome, and their 4-year-old son, Shaiden, were sent downstairs. Nurses rushed Taylor to a place without windows — the operating room.

“They went and took towels out the warmer and stacked them up on top of me. They hunkered down around my bed. I found the nearest hand to me and I grabbed it and we were all just in there praying. And I turned my head sideways and closed my eyes.”

The next things she saw were I-35 and the Warren Theater. “There was no wall there anymore.”

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In the battle against cancer, one video game is taking the deadly disease head-on. And some young patients are the winners.

“Re-Mission 2″ is a collection of online minigames designed to get teen and young-adult cancer patients involved in understanding more about their conditions and how the body benefits from sometimes unpleasant treatments.

Researchers at HopeLab, a nonprofit organization searching for products that positively impact health behavior, were emboldened by the success of their original 2006 title, “Re-Mission,” and were looking for a better way to help patients.

“Research on the original ‘Re-Mission’ showed that it impacted biology and behavior, primarily by energizing positive motivation circuits in the human brain and giving players a sense of power and control over cancer,” said Dr. Steve Cole, a vice president at HopeLab and professor of medicine at UCLA. “That gave us a whole new recipe for engineering the games in ‘Re-Mission 2′ by harnessing the power of positive motivation circuits in the human brain.”

The Flash-based games in “Re-Mission 2″ mimic what the patients are going through in their therapy, but in a way that gamifies the treatment and involves the patient in “destroying” their cancer.

Weapons in the game include chemotherapy, cancer drugs and cells in the body’s own immune system.

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Ready to let the kids lead the way on vacation?

First lady Michelle Obama suggests that’s one way to get everyone more active on vacation this summer. The first lady told Taking the Kids in an exclusive interview, “The key to getting kids moving is to find something they enjoy, and join in.” For the first family, that includes biking.

Every traveling parent, including the first parents, of course knows that if the kids are happy on vacation, everyone will be happy. But these days, with worries about childhood obesity and fitness, none of us want our kids to spend vacation sitting around eating fries, playing video games or texting, even if that’s what makes them happy.

Neither do we. American travelers recently ranked getting healthier as their top goal this year, according to research from the new Portrait of American Travelers from MMGY Global/Harrison Group.

At the same time, kids surveyed by the U.S. Travel Association said that what they like most on vacation is doing things with their families that they can’t do at home, things they’ll talk about all year. Why not make some of those activities ones that get you all moving, suggests the first lady. “I’d encourage families to pick activities — no matter where you’re visiting — that involve getting active, whether it’s walking, biking or anything else you find fun,” she said.

Michelle Obama has made combating childhood obesity and encouraging families, including her own, to eat healthier and get more active one of her signature White House initiatives by way of her Let’s Move! campaign.

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When 17-year-old valedictorian Chelesa Fearce stands before her Georgia high school graduating class today to give her speech, she will talk about overcoming homelessness and fighting to “get the future that you want.”

Fearce, a senior at Charles Drew High School in Riverdale, Ga., spent most of her high school career living in shelters, the occasional hotel, short-term rented apartments and sometimes the family car — when the family had one — with her mother and three siblings.

“I would just pray,” Fearce told ABCNews.com. “My mom, whenever we’re in that situation, she always finds a way out of it. So I would just tell myself, tomorrow it will not be like this, so take your time, do what you have to do now so that you get the future that you want tomorrow.”

Regardless of where she was living, Fearce found a way to study. She recalled using a cellphone light in shelters to get her homework done.

“I’m so happy that I got through all of this and that I finally have gotten to this point,” she said. “All the studying I’ve done … you don’t know! It was crazy. I was studying science, math, everything. I’m very proud to come this far.”

Her favorite subjects were literature and science, especially chemistry and physics. Fearce wants to be an oncologist when she’s older.

Fearce’s “very proud” mother said that despite the family’s hardships, she always emphasized education for her children.

FULL ARTICLE

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Willow Smith is back at it!

The 12-year-old starlet wowed us with her vocals when she released her debut album back in 2012 titled “Whip My Hair.” She’s now  joined forces with music producer Chaotic to create the music duo “Melodic Chaotic.”

With a edgy new haircut, and a new stage name (Melodic), her upcoming album is expected to bring listeners a sound that is just as innovative as her style.

The group’s first single is expected to drop later this week, and they are planning to release a four track album later this summer.

Keeping it all in the family, Melodic Chaotic’s music will be on the soundtrack for the action packed film, “After Earth” starring both Willow’s father, Will Smith, and brother, Jaden Smith.

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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NBA player, Metta World Peace (formerly known as Ron Artest) attended the premiere of ‘The Hangover III’ with his son, Ron Artest Jr. The two posed on the red carpet looking practically identical!

When asked what his philosophy on fatherhood is, Metta World Peace shared with reporters this thought: “It’s important people know that, first off, you’ve got to treat women with respect. And most of all, boys who just finished college, they’ve got to know that when you’ve got a family you’ve got to be a good dad.”

The athlete has four kids in all.

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty images)

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Cutie alert!

On Tuesday, Mariah Carey shared an overly adorable photo of her 2-year-old daughter Monroe with a newborn puppy. Monroe sported purple pajamas, her pink glasses and a hair bow while smiling at the newborn puppy she held in her tiny hands.

“Ms Monroe and Squeak E Beans baby boy as yet unnamed! I promise I was told she (Squeak E Beans) was spayed! Ugh! But they’re irresistible ps.. Look at dat baybay’s hair! She did it herself. Hi.. She JUST turned 2!” wrote Carey in the caption of the photo.

In another photo shared by Carey, son Moroccan is pictured with a puppy sitting in his lap.

“‘Hi,. I’m Roc Starr .. And you?’ (I know the pic is blurry but c’mon !!!) help name Dempuppies 2 boys 1 girl,” wrote Carey, prompting fans to respond with name suggestions for the puppies.

The little pup is one of three puppies that Carey and husband Nick Cannon’s Jack Russell terrier named “Squeak E Beans” gave birth to. The family has four other dogs named Cha Cha, Jackie Lambchops, JJ, and Jill E. Beans (who appeared in Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” remix with Justin Bieber in 2011).

Twins Monroe and Moroccan turned two on April 30. Their parents also celebrated their 5-year wedding anniversary on the same day. The couple, who renew their vows each year, dressed as Cinderella and Prince Charming (with the twins in gender-appropriate mini-me outfits) for their re-commitment ceremony at Disneyland last month.

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Christina Milian’s daughter, Violet, has done something that very few kids her age have done!

The lucky 3-year-old met with Oprah on the set of ‘The Voice.’

Mom Christina shared the photo with fans on her Instagram page with the caption: “Violet is one lucky girl! Today she met THE LEGENDARY @Oprah! Wow! What an honor! V was totally into her and so was O! Man, my daughter lives a life! Not to mention I had some great moments with her! Thanks for coming by #TheVoice #Oprah! We ❤ you!”

Violet is the only child of Milian with ex husband The Dream. Milian currently serves as co-host of ‘The Voice.’

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It’s only been three months since Amber Rose has given birth and she’s taking no time to get rid of her baby weight! Prior to Amber’s pregnancy, she made cameos in music videos such as Ludacris’ “What Them Girls Like”, Faboulous’ “You Be Killin’ Em”, and her fiance Wiz Kalifa’s “No Sleep”. Her gutsy pixie cut and hourglass figure was her claim to fame, and she’s determined to get it back now after becoming a new mom!

“It’s hard to get off baby weight. It’s a different kind of weight because for nine months you stretch your stomach out and then it’s hard to get that back,” said the model turned mommy. But with the help of personal trainer Jeanette Jenkins, Amber is making her weight loss journey look pretty easy. She’s already lost 30 pounds!

So, what’s the secret? Well, Amber tells reporters that she works out for an hour every day.

Rose admitted that at the time of her pregnancy she was a whopping 202 pounds! But this is no surprise being that Amber claims three-month-old Sebastian is “a little fat boy.” She later added, “He’s a little munchie.”

When asked about having more “little munchies”, Amber’s fiance Wiz Khalifa says they are planning to take their time.

“I want to enjoy him. I want her to have fun not being pregnant for a little bit because that stuff is rough. We’re definitely going to have another baby,” said Khalifa.

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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