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(BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.) — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s longest-serving aide, James Holt, is stepping down from his role at Archewell.

Holt’s departure comes weeks after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the rebrand of the Archewell Foundation to Archewell Philanthropies.

Harry and Meghan’s longtime aide, who originally worked with Harry at Kensington Palace, and moved out to Los Angeles with the couple when they stepped back from their roles as working members of the royal family in 2020, announced his departure from the couple’s foundation in a statement on Monday. 

“Working with Prince Harry and Meghan has been one of the great privileges of my career,” Holt began. 

He went on, “From my first project with Prince Harry eight years ago to improve mental health support for soldiers in the British military, to our recent work helping injured children in Gaza, he has consistently challenged me to think bigger about how we can make a difference.”

Holt added that when he first met Meghan, “I recognized a kindred spirit – someone who finds joy even in difficult moments and connects authentically with people regardless of circumstance.”

“Above everything else, the work we’ve done together to support families affected by online harm will remain the most meaningful of my professional life. These families are extraordinary, and they inspire me every day,” he continued. 

He ended his note saying that after five years in LA, “It’s time for my family to return to London. When I pass the baton to the team leading Archewell Philanthropies in the coming months, I’ll do so with immense pride and optimism for what lies ahead.”

“I’ll miss my colleagues deeply, and I’m grateful to Harry and Meghan for everything they’ve done – for me, and for the countless people we’ve worked to support,” he said. 

In response to Holt’s statement, Harry and Meghan shared a statement of their own and called Holt a “stellar support for us for nearly ten years.”

“His enthusiasm and talent in overseeing our philanthropic endeavours have been extraordinary,” they continued. “As James moves his young family back to the UK, we are proud that he will continue to guide various humanitarian trips for us overseas through Archewell Philanthropies.”

A spokesman to Harry and Meghan clarified that Holt will remain a senior philanthropic advisor to the couple and Archewell Philanthropies and support the couple’s humanitarian overseas trips in 2026. 

Archewell Philanthropies is home to the charitable work of Harry and Meghan. The couple shared why they were switching the name of their foundation in a statement on their website.

“After five beautiful years, the Archewell Foundation is becoming Archewell Philanthropies,” according to the Archewell Philanthropies website. “This charitable entity allows the couple and their children to expand upon their global philanthropic endeavors as a family.”

Harry and Meghan announced their nonprofit venture in April 2020 after completing their final engagements as working members of the royal family and relocating to LA. 

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(NEW YORK) — In a sobering decision, one drunk thief apparently changed his tune and returned two mandolins that he had previously stolen, according to the owner of a New Jersey vintage guitar store.

In a social media post Friday, Lark Street Music said that two previously stolen mandolins – a small, guitar-like instrument in the lute family – had been returned to the store, along with a handwritten note partly in all caps that read, “SORRY, I BEEN DRUNK, MERRY CHRISTMAS You are good man.”

Buzzy Levine, who has owned the store since 1981, told ABC News that he was shocked when the instruments were returned.

“I couldn’t believe it. I said, ‘this is insane.’ This is like, some kind of weird movie that has a happy ending or something,” Levine said.

The store had previously posted surveillance video online depicting the alleged thief stuffing the instruments beneath his parka and leaving the store on Monday, Dec. 22, and asking for help in identifying the culprit.

“How to steal 2 mandolins at the same time! Be on the lookout for this criminal and the Gibson F-12 #A2985 and a Weber Yellowstone #9360302. This thief has a Montenegrin accent,” the post read.

Levine told ABC News that the mandolins were valued at $3,500 and $4,250, respectively.

Levine said in his online post that he saw the alleged thief “surreptitiously” open the store’s front door and return the mandolins in two shopping bags.

“An instant later, I wanted to see who did it, and so I went outside, and I saw the guy sort of trotting down the street. And I took chase, probably not the smartest thing to do, and he was he took off. He was running really fast and kept looking back to see if I was catching up or he was gaining ground, and then he took a turn – and then I lost them,” Levine said, adding that he then called 911.

Christopher Kurschner, captain of investigations for the Teaneck Police Department, told ABC News that they’re investigating the crime but haven’t made arrests. Anyone with information can call the Teaneck Police Department at 201-837-2600.

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(HAMMONTON, N.J.) — The second pilot has died after two helicopters collided midair and crashed in New Jersey on Sunday, authorities announced.

The pilot of the model 280C helicopter, identified as 71-year-old Michael Greenberg, of Sewell, New Jersey, died at the scene, according to the Hammonton Police Department.

The pilot of the model F-28A helicopter, 65-year-old Kenneth L. Kirsch of Carney’s Point, New Jersey, was rushed to a hospital where he died from his injuries, police said.

The crash occurred around 12:25 p.m. Sunday in Hammonton, about 35 miles southeast of Philadelphia, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter “collided in midair” near the Hammonton Municipal Airport.

After colliding, both helicopters plummeted to the ground, landing near the 100 block of Basin Road, according to police. One of the helicopters became “engulfed in flames,” according to the Hammonton Police Department.

Police officers and EMS workers extinguished the flames, authorities said.

Witness Brian Sherr said he was outside of a nearby store when he heard a woman nearby “screaming, ‘Oh my God, oh my God.'” 

“I did hear a metal clank, but there’s a lot of vehicles around, so I didn’t really pay much attention,” Sherr told ABC News.

He said that as he looked up to the sky, he saw one of the helicopters “slowly descending in a rotating motion, almost as if the rudder and the tail had lost control.”

“I thought that was the only one at first, and then I see a second one come down with the same issue behind it,” Sherr said, adding he saw smoke rise after the second helicopter impacted the ground, prompting him to call 911.

Police said the helicopters were seen flying close together before the crash.

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(NEW YORK) — A new winter storm is moving east on Monday, bringing dangerous wind, snow and ice to millions.

Wind gusts up to 45 mph are possible in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.

Gusts up to 65 mph are possible in Cleveland, Ohio, Michigan and parts of Pennsylvania, where high wind warnings are in effect.

A blizzard warning is in effect across parts of Iowa, Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. Heavy snow and wind gusts up to 50 mph are creating whiteout conditions. Minneapolis was under a winter weather advisory Monday morning due to the blowing snow.

Marquette, Michigan, has reported a foot of snowfall, and parts of Minnesota already reported 6 inches as the snow continues to fall Monday morning.

In Northeast, the main danger Monday morning is ice.

An ice storm warning is in effect from New York through much of Vermont, where 4 to 7 tenths of an inch of ice is possible. This amount of ice makes travel extremely dangerous and can down trees and powerlines.

By noon on Monday, the snow will be moving east, impacting Michigan, Ohio, western Pennsylvania and western New York.

Rain will be impacting Boston to Maine on Monday afternoon as the icing continues in upstate New York and Vermont.

By 6 p.m. Monday, the rain will be ending in Boston and the lake effect snow will kick off across northeast Ohio, northeast Pennsylvania and upstate New York.

That lake effect snow machine will continue through much of this week. 

Places like Orchard Park, New York, outside of Buffalo, could see 1 to 3 feet of snow this week, and wind gusts up to 65 mph could create whiteout conditions at times.

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(MONTEREY, Calif) — A body has been discovered near where a swimmer who may have been attacked by a shark went missing last week, officials in California said in an update on Sunday.

The woman’s body was recovered from the ocean south of Davenport Beach, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

Due to the close proximity to the recent shark attack victim in Monterey County, the agency said it is working closely with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and the Pacific Grove Police Department regarding the recovery.

The swimmer — who was identified by officials as 55-year-old Erica Fox — was reported missing just after noon on Dec. 21 at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove in Monterey Bay, according to a joint statement from the Coast Guard and the cities of Pacific Grove and Monterey.

Fox’s father confirmed to ABC’s Santa Cruz affiliate KSBW on Sunday that family members identified the body as Fox, based on the clothing she was wearing.

Fox was wearing a shark deterrent anklet when she disappeared, family members said, according to KSBW.

After her disappearance, two witnesses said the swimmer “may have encountered a shark,” the statement said. One person reported seeing a shark with a body in its mouth before it submerged, a Coast Guard official said.

A decision to suspend the search last week was made following a total of more than 15 hours of search operations covering an area of more than 84 square nautical miles, according to officials.

Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove and McAbee Beach and San Carlos Beach in Monterey were closed through Tuesday, the officials said.

ABC News’ Tristan Maglunog and Amanda Morris contributed to this report.

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(SAN ANTONIO) — A Texas teen who has been missing since early Wednesday was last seen leaving her home that morning, officials in Bexar County said.

An unidentified person believed to be Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19, was seen around 7:00 a.m. searching her vehicle for an unidentified item, video footage from Wednesday shows, according to a statement from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said they believe Olmos left the residence on foot since her vehicle remained there and that the only items she took with her were her car keys and possibly her driver’s license.

Her last known location was the 11000 block of Caspian Spring in northwest Bexar County, the sheriff’s office said.

She was last seen wearing a baby blue and black hoodie, baby blue pajama bottoms and white shoes.

“Camila’s mother stated that Camila normally goes for a morning walk; however, she became concerned when Camila did not return within a reasonable period of time,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at (210)335-6000 or the BCSO Missing Persons Unit via missingpersons@bexar.org.

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(NEW YORK) — Heavy snow fell from southern Connecticut through the Hudson Valley and into parts of upstate New York on Friday as most of Long Island saw anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of snow.

Meanwhile, the New York City area accumulated just short of 3 inches of snow as difficult travel conditions are expected through Saturday morning while crews work to clean up this wintry mess.

The winter storm is beginning to wrap up, but some lingering light snow and wintry mix will stick around through Saturday along the I-95 corridor as an additional inch of snow and a light glaze of ice will be possible across the region.

Meanwhile, low temperatures across the Northeast from Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh to the North and East will be near or below freezing on Saturday night, allowing for refreezing of any slush or snow that’s still on the ground.

Another system will move through the region late Sunday into Monday but will be mostly rain, though some wintry mix will be possible into higher elevations.

This weekend, a storm system will move from across the country and bring more snow to the inner mountain West on Saturday and eventually rain to the east on Sunday.

On Saturday, the Rocky Mountains will get snow from Idaho and Montana through Wyoming and Colorado. On Sunday, some snow may linger in the Colorado Rockies and into northern New Mexico.

Most of these mountain areas will see up to a foot of snow, but some areas could see up to 18 inches.

On Sunday, rain will pick up across the Midwest from Kansas and Missouri through Ohio and Pennsylvania while scattered thunderstorms are possible from Arkansas up to Ohio, with some possibly strong enough to bring gusty winds and maybe an isolated tornado.

This system is expected to continue to move through the East late Sunday through Monday, bringing rain for most and freezing rain for some in northern New England.

Next week is expected to start off wet for the East on Monday and will bring mostly rain to the East Coast, with some snow and wintry mix possible for the Great Lakes.

Most of the country should see dry and quiet weather leading up to New Year’s Eve, with the West seasonably warm and the East seasonably cooler.

After New Year’s, a new weather pattern will stick around for the start of 2026 as warmer temperatures should stick around for most of the West and reach down into parts of the South.

Meanwhile, the Upper Midwest and Northeast will be on the cooler side with an active pattern of quick-moving systems possible.

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(NEW YORK) — A major winter storm is making post-Christmas road travel extremely dangerous in parts of the Northeast, and bringing snow and ice to the New York City area.

The storm is also impacting flights. More than 1,500 flights were canceled on Friday, with New York City’s three airports and the Philadelphia International Airport hit the hardest.

More than 500 flights were canceled on Saturday.

New Jersey and New York were under state of emergencies.

“Please continue to monitor your local forecast, avoid unnecessary travel and if you must travel, take all necessary precautions to ensure you arrive safely,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.

Heavy snow is expected to hit parts of New York, eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, western Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The heaviest snow began moving into the tristate area Friday afternoon and will continue through the night, making travel difficult from Philadelphia to New York City to Albany, New York.

The snow began reaching New York City around 5 p.m. Friday and was expected to continue overnight, ending around 7 a.m. Earlier, New York City was forecast to get about 7 inches of snow — which would have been the most snow in nearly four years.

However, the National Weather Service later revised its forecast saying the mix of precipitation had shifted further northeast, lowering the expected snowfall totals around New York City and northeast New Jersey.

Instead, the New York City area was expected to see between 2 to 5 inches with some spots seeing 6 inches especially to the north. A “glaze of ice” from freezing rain was also expected.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called it a “significant snow event” and said plows would be hitting the streets later Friday night.

Six to 10 inches of snow is possible from upstate New York to Long Island.

Philadelphia can expect 1 to 3 inches of snow along with a glaze of ice, making travel challenging on Friday night.

On Friday morning, the freezing rain moved into Pennsylvania and covered roads across the state with dangerous ice. An ice storm warning is in place in parts of western Pennsylvania, where numerous power outages and downed trees are possible.

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(CALIFORNIA) — Two ski patrollers performing avalanche mitigation work at a California ski resort were injured in an avalanche on Friday, the resort operator said.

The avalanche occurred at Mammoth Mountain at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time, prior to ski area operations. The two patrollers got caught in a slide and were transported to an area hospital, the resort said.

One person sustained serious injuries and was being transported out of the area for further care, while the other was evaluated for possible broken bones, the resort said.

The ski area was closed for the remainder of the day amid high avalanche danger, the resort said.

Mammoth Mountain, which is located in Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountains, has received more than 5 feet of snow since Tuesday, the resort said.

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(NEW CASTLE, Del.) — A state trooper was killed after authorities say a customer at a DMV location in Delaware opened fire on the law enforcement officer from behind while he was sitting at a reception desk.

Cpl. Matthew T. “Ty” Snook, 34, of Hockessin, Delaware, a 10-year veteran of the Delaware State Police, was killed in Tuesday’s shooting, the agency said.

The suspected shooter was fatally shot by a responding police officer, according to Delaware State Police. The suspect was identified by police on Friday as 44-year-old Rahman Rose, of Wilmington.

The suspect approached Snook a short time after entering the Karen L. Johnson Division of Motor Vehicles in New Castle and allegedly shot him from behind with a handgun, according to Delaware State Police.

Snook managed to push a DMV employee out of harm’s way and told the individual to run as the suspect allegedly continued firing at him, according to state police.

Snook was transported to a local hospital, where he died, according to Delaware State Police spokesperson Cpl. Raushan Rich.

“We lost a brother, a son, best friend, a coach, a husband and a father,” Col. William Crotty, Superintendent of Delaware State Police, said at a press briefing Tuesday night. “Our trooper loved his community. He served with honor and integrity, and his life was cut short by senseless violence.”

“His last actions were that of a hero – a hero who saved lives today while sacrificing his own,” he added.

Snook was described as a dependable, professional and committed trooper by state police.

Multiple agencies responded to the shooting, which occurred Tuesday afternoon, police said.

“Rose allowed customers to leave the building and remained inside waiting for responding law enforcement,” Delaware State Police said in a statement. “As officers arrived, Rose fired multiple rounds at law enforcement as they approached the building.”

A New Castle County police officer shot Rose through a window from outside the DMV, according to state police.

The suspect was transported to an area hospital, where he died, according to Rich.

Several people sustained non-gunshot-related injuries, including a second trooper and a 40-year-old woman, according to Rich. A 35-year-old woman was evaluated for shortness of breath and declined transport to a hospital, he said.

“What happened today was an act of pure evil, and if not for the heroism of several troopers and other officers, the consequences could have been so much worse,” Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said at the press briefing.

Snook was working an overtime assignment at the time. He is survived by his wife and their one-year-old daughter, officials said.

“Our DSP family extends its deepest condolences to the Snook family. We are forever grateful to them for sharing ‘Ty’ with us and for the sacrifices they made in support of his service to the citizens of Delaware,” state police said.

Police have not released any details on an alleged motive in the shooting, which remains under investigation.

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