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(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams is classifying social media as a “public health hazard” and an “environmental toxin,” saying young people must be protected from “harm” online.

“Today, Dr. Ashwin Vasan is issuing a Health Commissioner’s Advisory, officially designating social media as a public health hazard in New York City,” Adams announced during his State of the City address Wednesday.

An advisory from the city said mental health for young New Yorkers “has been declining for over a decade.” The advisory said that data from 2021 showed that on weekdays, 77% of New York City high schoolers spent three or more hours per day in front of screens, not including homework.

Adams claimed TikTok, YouTube and Facebook are “fueling a mental health crisis by designing their platforms with addictive and dangerous features.”

“We are the first major American city to take this step and call out the danger of social media like this,” the mayor said. “Just as the surgeon general did with tobacco and guns, we are treating social media like other public health hazards and ensuring that tech companies take responsibility for their products.”

In May 2023, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning that excessive social media use could be a “profound risk” to youth mental health.

The advisory recognized that social media has both positive and negative effects on young people. According to Pew Research, 59% of adolescents reported that social media helps them feel more accepted. But the advisory said ultimately there wasn’t enough “research and clear data” to determine if social media is “safe” for adolescents to use.

“I issued my advisory on social media and youth mental health because the most common question parents ask me is if social media is safe for their kids. While some kids experience benefits from social media, there is not enough evidence to conclude that social media is sufficiently safe,” Murthy told ABC News last year. “Instead, there is more evidence that many kids are harmed by their use of social media.”

“Our children have become unknowing participants in a decades-long experiment,” Murthy said last year. “And while there is more we have to learn about the full impact of social media use on their health and well-being, we know enough now to take action and protect our kids.”

In a response issued at the time of the advisory from Murthy, a representative for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, referred to mental health as a “complex issue” and pointed toward other contributing factors such as limited access to health care, the COVID-19 pandemic and academic pressure.

Representatives for YouTube told ABC News at the time that they have implemented a variety of safeguards for young users, including adding “digital wellbeing features,” removing content that “endangers the emotional wellbeing of minors or promotes suicide and self-harm,” and “exploring ways to further collaborate with researchers.”

A TikTok spokesperson told ABC News that its companies have added user aids to improve youth mental health, such as bedtime reminders and age restrictions. The company also said that it built an application programming interface that includes public data on content and accounts on the platform, which is available to U.S. researchers.

ABC News’ Ivan Pereira, Shannon Caturano and Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The Ohio Senate has voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto against Ohio House Bill 68 in a 23-9 vote. This bill would ban transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care and prevent transgender girls from taking part in girls’ and women’s sports.

The Ohio House voted to override the veto on Jan. 10.

The bill restricts the use of puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgeries for transgender youth. The bill does not restrict the use of this care on non-transgender youth, and specifically includes an exception for intersex youth with ambiguous or abnormal sex characteristics.

A grandfather clause allows transgender people already receiving care to continue doing so.

Physicians have told ABC News that doctors, families and patients often have many long conversations together to consider age-appropriate individualized approaches to care. This often begins with mental health care, they say.

For youth approaching puberty, puberty blockers are a reversible form of gender-affirming care that allows children to pause puberty and explore their gender identity without the growth of permanent sex characteristics (e.g., breasts, genitalia) that may cause further stress, according to physicians interviewed by ABC News.

Hormone therapy for older teens helps align a patient’s physical appearance with their gender identity. Patients are given estrogen or testosterone, and the changes from these medications occur slowly and are partially reversible.

Surgeries on adolescents are rare and only considered on a case-by-case basis, physicians have told ABC News.

DeWine vetoed the bill in December 2023, saying he believed the bill as written would harm transgender youth and impede on families’ ability to make decisions after speaking with those who would be impacted by the legislation.

“The decisions that parents are making are not easy decisions,” DeWine said in the Dec. 29 press conference. “These tough, tough decisions should not be made by the government. They should not be made by the state of Ohio. They should be made by the people who love these kids the most. And that’s the parents, the parents who raised the child, the parents who have seen that child go through agony.”

However, he agreed with several concerns highlighted by the legislature.

He proposed rules to regulate gender-affirming care instead that would be less likely to be challenged in court — including bans on surgeries for minors.

“None of [the families] that I talked to talked about surgery,” said DeWine in a Dec. 29 statement. “That’s not where they were going in the discussion. And I think that’s, frankly, a fallacy that’s out there that, you know, this goes right to surgery. It just doesn’t. All the children’s hospitals say that we don’t do surgeries.”

At least 21 states have implemented restrictions on access to gender-affirming care, many of which have faced legal challenges.

A law banning gender-affirming care for minors in Arkansas was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge and similar laws have been blocked in Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Texas and Montana while lawsuits are considered.

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DeWine also proposed reporting and data collection on those who receive care to better monitor quality of care, as well as implementing restrictions on “pop-up clinics” that serve the transgender community.

“I truly believe that we can address a number of goals in House Bill 68 by administrative rules that will have likely a better chance of surviving judicial review and being adopted,” DeWine said.

Gender-affirming care has been called safe and effective by more than 20 major national medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. The AMA has said this care can be medically necessary to improve the physical and mental health of transgender people.

Transgender youth are more likely to experience anxiety, depressed mood and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts due to discrimination and gender dysphoria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Research shows hormone therapy can improve the mental health of transgender adolescents and teenagers, a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine found.

When asked if he had thoughts on the sports restrictions in the bill, DeWine said he “focused on the part of the bill that I thought affected the most people and the most children by far,” referring to the gender-affirming care portion of the bill.

The bill also would ban transgender girls from participating in sports. It would replace the state’s current transgender sport participation policies, which require a transgender girl to complete a minimum of one year of hormone treatment or demonstrate that she did not possess physical or physiological advantages over genetic females.

For a transgender male to participate in sports, he currently must demonstrate that his muscle mass developed as a result of testosterone treatment and does not exceed muscle mass typical of adolescent genetic males. Hormone levels are then monitored every three to six months.

However, as Rep. Richard D. Brown pointed out during House debate on the bill, the Ohio Constitution states that “no bill shall contain more than one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title.” It is unclear if this will complicate the bill’s path forward.

Physicians who provide any gender-affirming medical care for trans youth in Ohio under this law would be “subject to discipline by the applicable professional licensing board” under this legislation.

ABC News’ Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Thirty-five million Americans are under flood watches as states from Texas to the Northeast face heavy rain and potential flooding.

In the Northeast, flood watches were prompted Wednesday by the combination of rain and warming temperatures melting the snow on the ground. Icy conditions in New England could make roads extremely dangerous during the evening commute.

The heaviest rain on Wednesday is moving through the Gulf Coast and Deep South, including eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Two to 5 inches of rain has already inundated Jackson, Mississippi, with more on the way.

By Wednesday night, the heavy rain will stretch from Houston to New Orleans to Birmingham, Alabama.

Rain totals could reach 8 inches by Wednesday night.

Damaging winds and isolated tornadoes are also possible Wednesday night in Louisiana and Mississippi.

On Thursday, the flood threat will continue for Louisiana and Mississippi and will also move into Alabama and Georgia.

 

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(NEW YORK) — A search is underway for two murder suspects who escaped from jail in Arkansas, officials said.

Noah Roush, 22, and Jatonia Bryant, 23, were discovered missing from the Dub Brassell Adult Detention Center in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on Monday. They are believed to have escaped within 48 hours of being discovered missing, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.

Roush was being detained on probable cause for a residential burglary and theft of property. Roush was also a suspect in a homicide, the sheriff’s office said.

Bryant was being detained on probable cause for capital murder, according to law enforcement.

The sheriff’s office said both individuals should be “considered dangerous” and should only be approached by law enforcement personnel.

“All efforts are being made at this moment to apprehend these suspects. The JCSO is working in cooperation with the Pine Bluff Police Department Vice and Narcotics, Arkansas State Police, And Arkansas Department of Correction to locate these individuals,” the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

 

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(NEW YORK) — After a barrage of icy storms, strong winds and record-breaking freezes, Americans living in southern states are now battling one of weather’s most dangerous side effects — bursting pipes.

Residents in Tennessee and Mississippi were placed under water advisory notices and had limited access to clean, running water.

The city of Memphis was under a five-day water boiling notice while repair crews worked around-the-clock to repair pipes that had burst in the frigid temperatures. The boiling notice was lifted on Tuesday, according to Memphis Light, Gas and Water.

“Four inches of snow in the Northeast, for example, wouldn’t be a hazard, but in the South, we don’t have the same level of operational infrastructure,” according to a spokesperson for Memphis Mayor Paul Young.

Water pipes can start to freeze when the temperature reaches 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If pipes freeze solid, residents lose access to running water completely and the pressure buildup can cause pipes to burst, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Young’s office praised Memphis Light, Gas and Water for working quickly to restore water infrastructure and lift water boiling advisories as quickly and safely as possible.

“The very cold temps caused breaks in pipes in businesses and homes and about 70 water mains. MLGW was able to restore full system pressure within 72 hours and will be lifting the precautionary boil water advisory today,” Young’s spokesperson said.

If water mains and pipes crack or burst, the conditions within the water infrastructure could potentially allow contaminants to enter the distribution system, according to the National Association of Water Companies.

In Jackson, Mississippi, 12,000 customers, largely in the west and south areas of the city, saw low to no water pressure at the height of last week’s freeze, according to Jackson’s public utility service, JXN Water.

“How do you think you’ll feel [if] you didn’t have water?” Jackson resident Jackie Pitchford told ABC affiliate WAPT-TV on Monday after waking up to no water running from her kitchen sink. “You had to use the bathroom. Do you want to take a bath? It’s like living in the woods. Like being homeless, or something,” she said.

Pitchford shared her frustration over needing to buy water amid the freeze and still pay her utility bill at the end of the month.

“It’s been terrible because you have to buy water and you still have a bill to pay,” Pitchford said. “And we are seniors and we can’t afford that on a fixed income.”

Jackson has been hit with a total of 145 water pipe breaks, including 16 new breaks which were reported Tuesday. Of those, 102 breaks have been repaired or are under active repair as crews continue to combat the effects of the icy weather, according to JXN Water.

“The winter weather was challenging for all of us, especially with the combination of pipe breaks because of the cold and significantly higher than usual water use,” Ted Henifin, a manager at JXN Water, told ABC News. “We’re working around the clock to make the system better every day.”

Henifin noted that in addition to icy weather, the city’s increasing demand for water had contributed to the crisis.

“Demand is down significantly from the peak experienced during the freeze but still remains about 4 million gallons per day above our average,” Henifin said of the increased water demand affecting the area’s pipes. “There may still be isolated pressure fluctuations throughout the remainder of the week as storage is not fully recovered.”

While water companies and local authorities are working to repair public access to water, there are steps residents can take to help themselves and their communities at large.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when residents are expecting very cold or freezing temperatures they should:

-Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
-Keep the temperature inside your home warm.
-Allow heated air to reach pipes. For example, open cabinet doors beneath the kitchen and bathroom sinks.
-If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer.
-If you cannot thaw your pipes, or the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
-As an emergency measure, if no other water is available, snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow.

 

 

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(NEW YORK) — An Amish family had their horse and buggy stolen while they shopped at a Michigan Walmart, police say.

The theft took place on Saturday at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the town of Sturgis, Michigan – some 95 miles south of Grand Rapids near the Indiana border – when the Sturgis Department of Public Safety were called to the Walmart on 1500 S. Centerville Road to a report of a stolen Amish buggy and horse from the establishment’s parking lot, authorities said.

“A truck driver, parked in the Walmart lot, had seen a female steal the buggy,” according to a statement from the Sturgis Department of Public Safety. “He gave police a description of the female suspect.”

As it turns out, police had already made contact with the 31-year-old female suspect earlier in the day at the same Walmart, though officials did not elaborate on why they had spoken to her or what the reason behind the contact was.

Police eventually found the stolen horse and buggy later the same evening and were able to find the alleged unnamed suspect at a nearby motel where she was arrested without incident, according to authorities.

The suspect was subsequently lodged at the St. Joseph County Jail on the charges of larceny and larceny of livestock. She is currently pending an arraignment.

The horse was returned to the family, along with their buggy, following the incident and police said the animal was unharmed during the ordeal.

 

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(NEW YORK) — Because of the quick response from an Ashland, Ohio, police officer, a 3-year-old girl has a second chance at life after falling and becoming unresponsive after hitting her head.

The accident happened on Jan. 8 at approximately 9:10 p.m. in the town of Ashland, Ohio – some 65 miles southwest of Cleveland – when dispatchers sent police to a home on Cottage Street to reports of an unresponsive 3-year-old girl who had fallen and hit her head, according to a statement from the Ashland Police Division.

A 23-year-old Ashland police officer, Soren Osicka, along with several other officers, immediately began life-saving efforts on the young girl and requested emergency medical services for backup.

“Without hesitation, Officer Osicka began CPR to provide the essential circulation and oxygen needed to sustain her life. Within seconds, the child began to breathe independently but abruptly stopped breathing again,” said the Ashland Police Division describing the incident. “Officer Osicka continued CPR until the girl began to breathe once more and respond. Officers cared for the child until EMS arrived for transport to a hospital.”

Police took the opportunity to remind people how critical CPR training can be following Officer Osicka’s heroism.

“This incident emphasizes the importance of CPR training,” police said. “The Division will undergo refresher training this year to better prepare officers for such a scenario. We encourage everyone to become certified in CPR, as these lifesaving skills can make a significant difference in emergencies like this one.”

The unnamed 3-year-old child has since recovered and returned home.

Said the Ashland Police Division: “The selfless actions of public safety personnel often go unnoticed. This incident is a shining example of the compassion, poise, and dedication of the officers of the Ashland Police Division. Officer Osicka’s heroic actions remind us of law enforcement’s invaluable role in our communities.”

ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.

 

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(NEW YORK) — Parts of a winter storm that brought historic rainfall to Southern California this week is now moving eastward, bringing even more precipitation to the southern and eastern United States.

Areas of eastern Texas, where flash flood warnings have been issued, already got up to a half of a foot of rainfall on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday. Some schools there had delayed openings on Wednesday morning and some roads were closed north of Houston.

As of early Wednesday, 17 states were under flood watches for heavy rain as well as a combination of heavy rain and melting snow.

Rounds of heavy rain are in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday across the South and even into the Midwest, where all the snow is melting from mild temperatures.

On Wednesday, the heaviest rain will hit from Houston, Texas, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and into Jackson, Mississippi, where some areas could see an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain and flash flooding is expected.

Some thunderstorms could also become severe on Wednesday with damaging winds and even a few tornadoes, especially in southern Louisiana and Mississippi.

By Thursday, the flood threat is forecast to move into Georgia, including Atlanta, where 2 to 3 inches of rain could fall with localized amounts up to 5 inches possible.

Meanwhile, 23 sates from Texas to Washington and east to Pennsylvania were under dense fog alerts for Wednesday morning, with visibility dropping close to zero in some places. Overnight, a ground stop was issued at Texas’ Dallas Fort Worth International Airport due to visibility near zero.

The fog is expected to impact major cities and their airports, including Dallas, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Little Rock, Arkansas; Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; and Detroit, Michigan.

The fog should dissipate in most areas by Wednesday afternoon but is forecast to reform in the evening.

In the Northeast, a mix of snow and ice was falling lightly early Wednesday from northern Pennsylvania to upstate New York into the New England area. Winter weather advisories have been issued from Pennsylvania to Maine for Wednesday morning, though not much snowfall is in the forecast there — possibly an inch or two with a glaze of ice.

Most of the weather alerts are set to expire Wednesday morning, while some — mostly in northern New England — remain in effect until the evening.

Much of the precipitation in the Northeast is expected to transition into just rain by Wednesday evening as temperatures warm well above freezing.

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(NEW YORK) — The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it will investigate after a tire under the front nose of a Delta Boeing 757 fell off one of the wheels and rolled down a nearby embankment.

The incident occurred on Saturday around 11:15 a.m. local time at Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport while Delta Flight 982 was taxiing before takeoff to Bogota, Colombia.

In air traffic control audio included in a report from the FAA, a controller is heard alerting the pilot of the situation, saying, “One of your nose tires just came off; it just rolled off the runway behind you.”

The report also says that the tire landed on the south side of the runway, down an embankment.

Following the incident, passengers and their luggage were returned to the terminal via buses and their departure was delayed. The passengers were put on another aircraft to their destination, according to the FAA report.

No injuries were reported in the incident, the FAA said.

In a statement Tuesday, Delta offered an apology “to our customers for the inconvenience.”

The news of this Boeing incident comes weeks after a mid-cabin door plug fell off during the ascent of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 and days after the FAA recommended flight operators check another model of Boeing airplanes.

On Jan. 5, the door plug fell out of the Alaska Airlines plane after it took off for Ontario, California, from Portland, Oregon. Six crew members and 171 passengers were on board Flight 1282, the airline previously said.

The cabin became depressurized shortly after takeoff, and the pilots asked for an emergency landing, according to the transcript of an air traffic control call from LiveATC.net.

The door was found several days later. The NTSB is investigating the incident.

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(REDWOOD CITY, Calif.) — A man has been arrested after entering a church and threatening one of the employees with a box cutter, according to authorities.

The incident occurred on Monday at approximately 7:31 p.m. when the Redwood City Police Department received a report of a subject threatening an employee with a blade at the Street Life Ministries Church, located about 30 miles south of the city of San Francisco, California.

The suspect took off shortly after the confrontation but the individual who reported it to the police followed the suspect, later identified as 29-year-old Jorge Orozco, until police officers were able to locate him in a nearby neighborhood, according to a statement from the Redwood City Police Department.

It is unclear if Orozco was affiliated with the church, knew anybody there or what his potential motivation was for threatening the employee.

“Once contacted, Orozco was detained without incident and a box cutter was located on his person,” police said following the incident. “He was positively identified by the victim as well as two witnesses.”

Nobody was injured during the assault and Orozco was booked into the San Mateo County Jail for felony assault with a deadly weapon.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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