(NEW YORK) — Linda Yaccarino said she is stepping down from her role as CEO of X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk.
Yaccarino, who previously served as an advertising executive at NBCUniversal, took the helm of X two years ago.
In post on X announcing her departure, Yaccarino thanked Musk for the opportunity.
“When [Musk] and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company. I’m immensely grateful to him for entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App,” Yaccarino said.
Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, who runs Tesla and Space X, named Yaccarino as CEO in May 2023, just months after Musk acquired X in a $44 billion deal.
At the time, Musk transitioned to a role as the company’s executive chairman and chief technology officer, but he appeared to continue closely tracking activities on the platform, where he boasts 222 million followers.
At the outset of her tenure, Yaccarino faced an advertiser boycott against X over concerns about hate speech and other content on the platform.
In July 2023, Musk said advertising revenue had plummeted 50% since he’d acquired X less than a year earlier.
In a post on Wednesday, Yaccarino described challenges navigated during the early part of her time atop the company.
“We started with the critical early work necessary to prioritize the safety of our users—especially children, and to restore advertiser confidence,” Yaccarino said. “This team has worked relentlessly from groundbreaking innovations like Community Notes, and, soon, X Money to bringing the most iconic voices and content to the platform.”
Before her role at X, Yaccarino oversaw an international team of about 2,000 employees, according to the NBCUniversal website.
Yaccarino worked at NBCUniversal for nearly 12 years, rising through the executive ranks to become chairman of global advertising and partnerships in 2020.
Before NBCUniversal, Yaccarino served as an advertising executive at Turner Broadcasting Company for almost 20 years.
When Yaccarino joined X, the move came months after Musk pledged to step down as the head of the company as soon as he found someone “foolish enough to take the job.”
Yaccarino, who often posts on X multiple times per day, said on Wednesday that she plans to continue using the platform.
“I’ll be cheering you all on as you continue to change the world,” Yaccarino said, addressing her former colleagues. “As always, I’ll see you on 𝕏.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(UNION, Maine) — A woman who was found dead after she went paddleboarding on a lake in Maine was murdered, officials said Monday, and police are still searching for her killer.
Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 48, was found dead at Crawford Pond in Union on Thursday after police were contacted to say she had gone missing, Maine State Police said.
An autopsy was then conducted, which determined her death was a homicide, police said.
While the Office of the Chef Medical Examiner in Augusta determined the manner of death was a homicide, police said they would not be releasing the cause of death.
“All possible leads” and “every investigative avenue” are being pursued to solve Stewart’s killing, according to the Maine State Police.
Some of those angles include a thorough perimeter check of the area, canvassing the neighborhood for all surveillance and security camera footage that might help, an official familiar with the investigation told ABC News.
Anyone who may have seen Stewart paddleboarding on July 2 between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. near 100 Acre Island on Crawford Pond is asked to contact the Maine State Police at 207-624-7076.
Union is located near Maine’s Atlantic coast, about 30 miles from the capital of Augusta.
The investigation into the murder remains active and ongoing, police said.
“As always, members of the public are encouraged to remain aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior to law enforcement. Additional information will be released when it becomes appropriate to do so based on the progress of the investigation,” Maine State Police said in a statement Monday.
Stewart’s sister, Kim Ware, described her as the “strongest person I know” who would “give you the shirt off her back.” Ware said Stewart was a marine biologist, the “world’s best bartender sternman, lobersterman and boat captain” and was currently working as a contractor.
“Anyone blessed to be in her presence was in awe of her, her strength, courage, character, her energy and light. Truly an amazing woman. Now we have to rally and give her justice!” Ware said.
Sarah Vokey, Stewart’s close friend, said she had an “all-encompassing smile” even though her life “was not an easy one.”
“One of the hardest things I have ever written was the text that I sent to my son, ‘Sunshine was murdered,'” Vokey said in a statement.
(WASHINGTON) — Dr. Kevin O’Connor, former President Joe Biden’s physician, didn’t answer questions when he briefly appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday for a closed-door, transcribed interview.
O’Connor was subpoenaed by Committee Chairman James Comer as part of a Republican-led investigation into Biden’s mental fitness and use of a presidential autopen while in office.
O’Connor’s lawyer, David Schertler, said in a statement that the doctor “asserted the physician-patient privilege, as well as his right under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in declining to answer questions from the staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding his service as Physician to the President during the Biden Administration.”
Comer also said the doctor continuously pleaded the Fifth Amendment — a right to refuse to answer questions where someone might incriminate themself.
“This is unprecedented. And I think this adds more fuel to the fire that there was a cover up,” the congressman said.
O’Connor didn’t take any questions from reporters when he arrived and left the Rayburn House Office Building on Wednesday morning.
Doctors have a legal obligation to not talk about things like patient interactions, diagnosis, and treatments. Sharing this information can lead to civil and criminal penalties, according to the Department of Health & Human Services.
The House Oversight Committee has requested interviews with several of Biden’s former White House aides in light of a reports questioning his mental fitness in his final year in office and alleged efforts by those around him to conceal it — allegations Biden has vehemently denied.
Neera Tanden, who served as the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under Biden, sat for testimony in late June. When asked after by reporters if there was an effort to disguise Biden’s condition, Tanden replied: “Absolutely not.”
Comer said on Wednesday the GOP probe will continue.
“We have several other witnesses that are going to come in for transcribed interviews,” he said.
The White House waived executive privilege for O’Connor ahead of his appearance. The House Oversight Committee previously requested O’Connor and aides sit for interviews while Biden was president, but Biden blocked the request.
Biden rejected reports of cognitive decline during an appearance on ABC’s “The View” in early May, before his office announced his cancer diagnosis.
“They are wrong. There’s nothing to sustain that,” Biden said at the time.
Former first lady Jill Biden, in the same interview, pushed back forcefully to accusations she shielded Biden from allies and the public.
“I did not create a cocoon around him. I mean, you saw him in the Oval Office. You saw him making speeches. He wasn’t hiding somewhere,” she said.
Since then, former president Biden has spoken at some events, including at the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual conference in San Diego last week, where he reflected on his leadership and career.
ABC News’ Eric Strauss contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Measles cases in the United States have reached their highest number in more than 30 years, according to new federal data published Wednesday.
There have been 1,288 confirmed measles cases across 38 states nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By comparison, the U.S. recorded 285 cases all of last year, CDC data showed.
This marks the highest number of cases since 1992. The previous high occurred in 2019 when the U.S. reported 1,274 cases.
The states with confirmed cases include: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
Among the nationally confirmed cases, the CDC said 92% are among people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
Meanwhile, 4% of cases are among those who have received just one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and 4% of cases are among those who received the required two doses, according to the CDC.
According to the CDC, there have been at least 27 outbreaks this year, accounting for 88% of confirmed cases. By comparison, 16 outbreaks were recorded in 2024.
Texas experienced a large outbreak this year, with 753 cases reported since January. The rate of spread has slowed in recent weeks, with few cases reported.
At least two school-aged children have died. Both were unvaccinated and had no known underlying conditions, according to Texas health officials.
A third measles death was recorded in New Mexico among an unvaccinated adult who tested positive after dying, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Dr. Kevin O’Connor, former President Joe Biden’s physician, appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday for a closed-door, transcribed interview.
O’Connor was subpoenaed by Committee Chairman James Comer as part of a Republican-led investigation into Biden’s mental fitness and use of a presidential autopen while in office.
O’Connor didn’t take any questions from reporters when he arrived and left the Rayburn House Office Building on Wednesday morning.
Ahead of the meeting, Comer said the committee has “a lot of questions” for the doctor.
“Dr. O’Connor’s reports were glowing with how healthy the president was. I think the president — the state of the president’s health is the transparency that we all expect. The president of the United States is the most powerful person in the world. The American people have a right to know the health condition of the president, both fiscal and mental,” Comer said.
The House Oversight Committee has requested interviews with several of Biden’s former White House aides in light of a reports questioning his mental fitness in his final year in office and alleged efforts by those around him to cover it up.
Neera Tanden, who served as the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under Biden, sat for testimony in late June. When asked after by reporters if there was an effort to disguise Biden’s condition, Tanden replied: “Absolutely not.”
The committee intended to get answers from O’Connor about his medical assessments of Biden.
“The Committee continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding your assessment in February 2024 that former President Biden was ‘a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency,'” Comer wrote in his letter to O’Connor in May.
The White House waived executive privilege for O’Connor ahead of his appearance. The House Oversight Committee previously requested O’Connor and aides sit for interviews while Biden was president, but Biden blocked the request.
Biden rejected reports of cognitive decline during an appearance on ABC’s “The View” in early May, before his office announced his cancer diagnosis.
“They are wrong. There’s nothing to sustain that,” Biden said at the time.
Former first lady Jill Biden, in the same interview, pushed back forcefully to accusations she shielded Biden from allies and the public.
“I did not create a cocoon around him. I mean, you saw him in the Oval Office. You saw him making speeches. He wasn’t hiding somewhere,” she said.
Since then, former president Biden has spoken at some events, including at the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual conference in San Diego last week, where he reflected on his leadership and career.
(WASHINGTON) — Officials have increased the reward for information leading to the person who fatally shot a 21-year-old congressional intern in Washington, D.C., last month.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts, was killed on June 30 at approximately 10:28 p.m. after getting caught in gunfire in northwest Washington, D.C., police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department said on Tuesday that a reward of $40,000 is available for anyone who is able to provide information that leads to the “arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.” Police were offering a previous award of $25,000, but increased it an additional $15,000 “thanks to a contribution from our partners at the FBI Washington Field Office,” officials said.
Investigators said they recovered the suspect vehicle last week and stated that while the shooting was targeted, Tarpinian-Jachym was not among the intended victims.
In total, three people were wounded in the shooting: Tarpinian-Jachym, who was found unconscious; a woman, who was in stable condition as of last week; and a 16-year-old male who police believe was involved with the group that opened fire, police said. As of last week, the teenager remained in the hospital.
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters last week, “We do have some good video footage, and I say good video footage that’s a little grainy, so we’re bringing in the FBI to kind of help enhance the video resolution so we can see a little bit better.”
Police are also working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on ballistics analysis.
Last week, Smith described the shooting as “a tragedy,” and “something that we don’t ever want to happen in our city.”
Tarpinian-Jachym, who had been serving as an intern for Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas since June, was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he was majoring in finance with a minor in political science.
Officials said anyone with information regarding the incident should call police at 202-727-9099 or text the police department’s line at 50411.
(NEW YORK) — Just two days before devastating floods claimed at least 27 lives at Camp Mystic, the Texas Department of State Health Services signed off on the youth camp’s emergency plans, according to records obtained by ABC News.
An inspection report dated July 2 indicates that state inspectors noted the camp had emergency plans “in case of a disaster” in place and that staff and volunteers were briefed on the plans during training sessions and volunteer briefings.
Lara Anton, a spokesperson for DSHS, told ABC News in a statement that camps are required to develop their own emergency plans, which are then assessed by the state for adherence to the Texas Administrative Code.
“Camps are responsible for developing their own emergency plan,” Anton said. “The plans should include disaster, serious accident, epidemic, or fatality. Disaster would include flooding, tornado, etc. The inspector checked that they had plans posted for those elements in every building and that they had trained staff and volunteers on what to do.”
The details of Camp Mystic’s emergency plans were not included in the records released by the state. DSHS released the July 2 inspection report along with five years of reports of the youth camp.
The inspection report, which showed the youth camp complied with various regulations, concluded “there is no deficiency/violation cited or noted within the scope of this inspection/visit.”
The youth camp had 557 campers and 108 staffers between its Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations at the time of the inspection.
A 5-story residential building in Solomyanskyi district which was heavily damaged by a Russian airstrike on July 4, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine. /Serhii Masin/Anadolu via Getty Images
(LONDON) — Russia launched its largest drone attack of the war on Ukraine overnight into Wednesday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with 741 aerial attack vehicles used in the bombardment.
Ukraine’s air force said in a post to Telegram that Russia launched 728 drones — a mix of attack drones and decoys — and 13 missiles into the country overnight, with the northwestern Volyn region and its city of Lutsk the main targets.
The air force said 711 of the drones were shot down or otherwise neutralized, with seven missiles also intercepted. Impacts were recorded in at least four locations, the air force said.
Zelenskyy said the “massive” attack represented “the highest number of aerial targets in a single day.” The president framed the assault as another signal from Moscow that President Vladimir Putin is not invested in U.S.-led efforts to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
Damage was reported in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions, Zelenskyy said.
“This is a telling attack,” Zelenskyy continued. “It comes precisely at a time when so many efforts have been made to achieve peace, to establish a ceasefire, and yet only Russia continues to rebuff them all.”
“This is yet another proof of the need for sanctions — biting sanctions against oil, which has been fueling Moscow’s war machine with money for over three years of the war,” he wrote. “Secondary sanctions on those who buy this oil and thereby sponsor killings.”
“Our partners know how to apply pressure in a way that will force Russia to think about ending the war, not launching new strikes,” Zelenskyy said. “Everyone who wants peace must act.”
In Poland — which borders Ukraine to its west — the Armed Forces Operational Command said in a post to X that the Russian strikes prompted Polish and allied aircraft to be scrambled.
“Duty fighter pairs have been scrambled and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness,” the command wrote in a post to X.
Two hours later, the command issued a new statement noting that the forces had been stood down “due to the reduced threat of Russian missile strikes.”
Russia’s massed drone and missile attack targeted “the infrastructure of military airfields,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a post to Telegram, claiming that “all designated targets were hit.”
Ukraine continued its own cross-border attacks into Russia overnight, with the Defense Ministry in Moscow saying in a post to Telegram that its forces downed 86 Ukrainian drones overnight. Four drones were intercepted over the Moscow region, the ministry said.
Artem Korenyako, the press secretary for Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, said in a post to Telegram that flight restrictions were temporarily put in place at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow.
The latest Russian barrage comes amid escalating aerial cross-border attacks by Moscow. June saw a new monthly record for the number of long-range drones and missiles launched into Ukraine — 5,438 drones and 239 missiles — according to figures published by the Ukrainian air force.
Despite the trend toward larger and more frequent strikes, President Donald Trump’s administration last week confirmed it had frozen the shipment of some air defense and precision guided weapons that were on track to be sent to Ukraine, citing concerns about U.S. stockpiles.
Among the munitions held up were interceptor missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot surface-to-air systems, which have proven invaluable in Kyiv’s defense against Russian drones and — in particular — ballistic missiles.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters he did not know who ordered the freeze. “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” the president responded when asked who was responsible.
One U.S. official told ABC News that officials are analyzing which weapons should be sent to Ukraine by using a stoplight chart — designating specific systems with red, yellow or green status. Red status suggests that U.S. supply of a particular munition is dangerously low, the official said.
Zelenskyy said Tuesday he had instructed his defense officials to “intensify all contacts with the American side” on the issue of continued military aid.
“This primarily concerns air defense, as well as all other elements of supplies from America,” the president said in a post to social media. “This is critical aid, on which the saving of lives of our people and the defense of Ukrainian cities and villages depend,” he said.
“I expect results from these contacts in the near future, and in particular, we are preparing meeting formats for our teams — both military and political — this week,” Zelenskyy said.
ABC News’ Anne Flaherty, Luis Martinez, Hannah Demissie, Will Gretsky and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
(RUIDOSO, N.M.) — A man and two children were killed in a record-breaking flash flood that swept through a village in New Mexico on Tuesday, local officials said.
The three were “swept downstream by the unprecedented floodwaters that struck” the Village of Ruidoso, village officials said in a statement.
Officials said a man in his 40s or 50s was killed, along with a 4-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy.
“Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy,” Mayor Lynn Crawford said in a statement.
More than 50 others were rescued by emergency crews, the village said.
The Rio Ruidoso rose “to a record-breaking 20 feet — five feet higher than the previous record,” officials said.
“The flash flooding occurred Tuesday afternoon when heavy monsoonal rains fell on burn scar areas from last year’s South Fork and Salt fires, creating dangerous conditions that led to rapid water rise throughout the village,” the village said.
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque saidearly data placed the river’s crest at 20.24 feet on Tuesday afternoon, which would break the record of 15.86 feet that was set on July 20, 2024.
The highest measured rainfall was 3.29 inches on the southwest side of the South Fork burn scar. But generally speaking between 1.5 and 3.5 inches of rain fell on the burn scar and up to 1.5 inches fell in the village of Ruidoso.
The threat for rain and flooding is not over in the area.
A flood watch is in effect over this specific area — Ruidoso and Capitan — for Wednesday afternoon because there is a chance for 1-inch per hour rainfall rates with isolated downpours possible in the region. Another round of rain is possible in the evening as well. If another downpour happens, flash flooding can begin rapidly just like Tuesday.
There have been multiple flash flooding events in the same region since the South Fork Fire in June 2024 burned more than 17,000 acres. Prior to Tuesday’s event, Ruidoso suffered serious flash flooding as recently as June 26.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(Texas) — Central Texas is continuing to recover from devastating rains and “catastrophic” flooding that damaged homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people, many of whom were children.
Victims and first responders may suffer physical injuries from natural disasters, such as floods, but psychologists and disaster experts say such events can also exact a heavy mental health toll – and the resources to address that cost may not always be available.
“We don’t talk about mental health in general enough and mental health services, in general, are under-resourced. So, when it comes to disasters, we’re already strapped for resources,” Reggie Ferreira, a professor at Tulane University’s School of Social Work and director of the university’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy, told ABC News.
“I would definitely say, especially for decision makers, to prioritize mental health because, at the end of the day, you can have wonderful community-based programs,” he continued. “But if your community’s mental health is not taken care of first, these infrastructure programs don’t mean a lot in the long run.”
Mental health impact of natural disasters
A 2013 review of mental health responses to community disasters, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, stated that one-third or more of individuals severely exposed to a natural disaster can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other disorders.
Another 2023 meta-analysis found a connection between natural disasters and a deterioration of mental health. implying an increase in mental illness soon after extreme weather events.
Ferreira said every individual is unique, and so everyone may have a different response to a natural disaster, but there are common signs of trauma to look out for.
“Fear, disbelief, numbness, guilt as well,” he said. “You know, ‘Why am I experiencing this?’ Or, if someone has passed away, there’s a [survivor’s] guilt element that comes in. Longer term, there’s definite symptoms that [arise] such as depression, anxiety; post-traumatic stress disorder can come about.”
He continued, “There might just be a trigger that comes about, a particular smell or seeing an image or just recalling a particular event that happened with them during a disaster. This … results in cascading effects for people.”
Ferreira said some of those affected may turn to substance abuse as a result of the trauma, or experience conflict in relationships.
Climate scientists have said that climate change is likely to make extreme weather events, similar to those experienced in Texas, occur more frequently and with more intensity . This means “there will definitely be an increase in mental health symptoms as it relates to our changing climate,” according to Ferreira.
If you need help, Ferreira said it’s important to be aware of hotlines that are available, such as the American Red Cross’ Disaster Distress Helpline. It’s also helpful for people in an affected community to provide social support, if they can.
“If you were not impacted directly by the disaster, it’s important if you can get someone a meal or replace some of their daily tasks for them,” Ferreira said. “That social support in the long run really does have an impact on mental health outcomes.”
Effects on children
Natural disasters, like the floods in Texas, also can take a mental and emotional toll on children.
Marni Elyse Axelrad, clinic chief of the psychology division and a pediatric psychologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, said there are two groups of children to be concerned about: those who were severely affected and lived through the event, and those experiencing it via the news, on social media, or who know someone affected by the event.
For the children who were directly affected, “in the short term, we worry about seeing things like increased irritability and anger, loss of interest in things children were previously interested in, more or less sleep, changes in appetite, physical complaints and exacerbations of previous difficulties,” Axelrad told ABC News.
In the long term, the affects could lead to anxiety, depression, disruptive behavior and symptoms of PTSD, Axelrad said.
Children who were not directly affected can experience similar symptoms, Axelrad said, but noted that they can be lessened to varying degrees by reducing the child’s exposure to coverage of the natural disaster.
Axelrad said that there’s no right way or wrong way for a child to respond in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster. However, it’s important to reestablish familiar routines for children as soon as possible. It’s also important for parents and other adults to validate a child’s feelings, as well as to spend extra time with them and to set a good example of coping skills through their own behavior. It also important to validate the feelings of children who were not directly affected by the natural disaster, she added.
“Making sure that we’re not invalidating a child’s feelings, [that] we’re not saying, ‘Stop crying, you weren’t a part of this. You’re so lucky that it wasn’t you,'” Axelrad said. “Those aren’t very helpful things to say. Rather, saying, ‘I also saw those images and they were really scary. I hear that you’re scared, and I want to reassure you about your safety’ is very important.”
“I think that sometimes we try really hard to minimize the negative feelings in our children and these negative feelings are normal and to be expected,” Axelrad added.
