In a bold move reminiscent of past public health campaigns against tobacco, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is urging Congress to implement warning labels on social media platforms, citing potential adverse health effects. In an op-ed published in The New York Times yesterday, Dr. Murthy drew parallels to the historical impact of warning labels on cigarette packages, which contributed to a significant decline in smoking rates from 42% of US adults in the 1960s to 11.5% by 2021.
The proposal comes amid ongoing research into the potential link between social media use and the mental health crisis affecting children and teenagers. While there is no consensus among experts, some studies suggest negative effects. A 2019 study linked over three hours of daily social media use to increased mental health risks, and a 2022 survey found that 46% of teens felt worse about their bodies due to social media exposure.
However, some experts caution against attributing the decline in teens’ well-being solely to social media. They point to other contributing factors, such as economic hardship, social isolation, racism, school shootings, and the opioid crisis, as noted by The New York Times.
Despite the debate, Dr. Murthy’s stance is clear. He hopes the proposed warning labels will influence teens’ screen time, with recent surveys showing that more than half of US teens spend at least four hours a day on social media. The Surgeon General’s call to action aims to address this widespread issue, encouraging a healthier relationship with technology among young people.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 13-year-old boy is dead, and his 18-year-old brother is recovering in the hospital after they were gunned down in the parking lot of their southwest Houston apartment complex on Sunday evening, according to police.
Lt. J.P. Horelica said the two brothers were walking across the parking lot at the Cortland Med Center apartment complex in the 9100 block of Lakes at 610 Drive around 8:40 p.m.
A car allegedly pulled up to the teenagers before someone jumped out and shot at them. Horelica said the 13-year-old died at the scene, and the 18-year-old was transported to the hospital, where he is expected to survive.
HPD said there’s no indication at this time that the shooting was gang-related, although it is still early in the investigation. It is unclear whether it was a random incident or if the victims were targeted.
According to investigators, the teen boys lived at the apartment complex. Their parents were at the scene but did not witness the incident.
Houston police said the suspects fled in what appeared to be a gray vehicle, possibly a Lexus. One of them was allegedly wearing a blue hoodie.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or speak anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The bodies of a teenage girl and her father were found during a search for two missing swimmers in the San Jacinto River, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Crews were called to the scene of a possible drowning at 1927 Gulf Pump Road in Crosby around 7 p.m. Sunday after a 38-year-old father and his 14-year-old daughter did not resurface from the water.
Overnight, dive teams recovered a body believed to be the 14-year-old girl, according to Gonzalez.
In an update Monday morning, Gonzalez said the body of an adult male, believed to be her father, was also recovered.
HCSO did not immediately release further details about what led up to the drownings.
EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Back in 2015, the film “Inside Out” journeyed beyond the surface to uncover the complex emotions of 11-year-old protagonist, Riley.
Fast forward to the 2024 sequel, “Inside Out 2.” We pick up as Riley turns 13 years old to explore what goes on in the teenage brain.
“New emotions are arriving on the scene. Her worlds about to get expanded, a construction crew has come in to expand headquarters,” shared Mark Nielsen, the “Inside Out 2” producer. “It’s time for her to kind of experience more of what teenagers are going to be going through and to be ready for it.”
ABC7’s Reggie Aqui ventured to the Pixar campus to get the inside scoop on the four-year process behind making the film.
“Anxiety…it all kind of started with her,” said Kelsey Mann, the film’s director. “It’s definitely something that I dealt with and deal with even now. I started in January of 2020, and even then, it was starting to be an issue in teenagers, especially, especially teenage girls, and then the pandemic hit.”
Mann added, “We had already kind of landed on anxiety being kind of the main new emotion, even before the pandemic, but even after we went through it, we just knew as an important story to tell.”
To ensure authenticity in the storytelling, the production team enlisted the help of nine teenagers.
“You may notice that none of us were ever 13 year old girls,” expressed Nielsen. “We thought this would be really helpful to see what teens right now think about the story we’re telling and get their reaction to it, so that we can make it as believable as possible.”
He added, “We picked nine girls from around the country that we met with for a period of three years, and showed them the movie every four months, and got there her notes and their feedback”
Based on the information gathered, new emotions were developed to encompass real life feelings and experiences felt by teens.
“It’s got heart. It’s got humor, but it’s got a real emotional depth that we’re proud of,” described Nielsen. “We want this to be meaningful to people and not just fun and entertaining. But it is fun and entertaining.”
Watch the video above for more information, and catch Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” in theaters June 14, 2024.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Emergency crews in Oregon rescued 28 people Friday after they were stuck for about half an hour dangling upside down high on a ride at a century-old amusement park.
Portland Fire and Rescue said on the social platform X that firefighters worked with engineers at Oaks Park to manually lower the ride, but crews had been preparing to conduct a high-angle ropes rescue if necessary. All riders were being evacuated and medically evaluated, and there were no reports of injuries.
One rider with a pre-existing medical condition was taken to a hospital for further evaluation as a precaution, Oaks Amusement Park said in a statement posted on social media. Medics released all other passengers.
The ride, called AtmosFEAR, operates like a pendulum, with the capacity to swing riders completely upside down.
Chris Ryan and his wife, from nearby Gresham, were at the park for his birthday. He told The Associated Press in a Facebook message that they had just been planning to ride AtmosFEAR when they saw it was stuck and heard people saying, “Oh my God, they are upside down.”
ROCHESTER HILLS, Michigan — Eight people were injured after a shooter opened fire at a splash pad in a Detroit suburb where families gathered to escape the summer heat Saturday, authorities said. Law enforcement tracked a suspect to a home, where the person died by suicide.
At least two of the victims were children, officials said. Authorities initially said they believed as many as 10 people had gunshot wounds from the shooting in Rochester Hills, but that number was lowered later on after they checked with area hospitals.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said a suspect was contained in a home nearby, and law enforcement had it surrounded. Rochester police announced Saturday night that the person took their own life.
The shooting happened just after 5 p.m. at a city park featuring a recreation area with a non-slip surface where people can turn on sprays and fountains of water to play in. Bouchard said it the shooting appeared to be random, with the shooter driving up to the park, walking to the splash pad and firing as many as 28 times, stopping multiple times to reload.
A handgun and three empty magazines were recovered, the sheriff said.
Police cordoned off the scene of the shooting with tape, and dozens of yellow evidence markers lay on on the ground among colorful folding chairs.
In a social media post, authorities said there was still an active crime scene and asked people to avoid the area. Bouchard said it was safe for those sheltering in the park to head home.
It was not immediately clear if other people or weapons were inside the home with the possible suspect, Bouchard said, and law enforcement officials were trying to make contact with him.
The victims were taken to hospitals, and their conditions were not immediately known.
Police heard the 911 call reporting the shooting as it came in, Bouchard said, because the agency uses a service that simultaneously sends emergency calls to first responders. An officer was at the scene within two minutes, he said.
Rochester Hills is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Oxford, where in 2021 a 15-year-old fatally shot four high school students.
Saturday’s shooting came at the end of the first full week of summer vacation for students attending Rochester Community schools.
Bouchard called it “a gut punch” for the county.
“We’ve gone through so many tragedies,” the sheriff said. “You know, we’re not even fully comprehending what happened at Oxford. And, you know, now we have another complete tragedy that we’re dealing with.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on the social platform X that she was heartbroken to learn of the shooting and was in touch with local officials.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A search is underway for a suspect who allegedly shot a food delivery driver while he was on the job on Friday evening, according to the Houston Police Department.
Commander Kenneth Campbell said an Uber Eats driver was making a delivery at an apartment complex in the 16200 block of Imperial Valley Drive around 10 p.m.
Once the driver completed the delivery, the suspect reportedly walked up to him as he approached to get back in the car and shot the man in the chest.
Police said the man’s wife and child were inside the car when the shooting happened.
“The male returned to his car and went further down the street. Our officers actually met the complainant and found him right down the street. They started first aid using a chest seal,” Campbell said.
The victim was transported to the hospital, where his condition is reported to be stable, according to police.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 7-year-old boy has been pronounced dead, and his grandmother is hospitalized after a house fire on Houston’s south side on Saturday afternoon.
Houston firefighters were dispatched to the 3000 block of Friar Point at 3:30 p.m.
At the scene, fire crews reported finding the front of the house completely engulfed in flames, and heard the mother screaming for help.
Officials said a total of six people were in the house, a mother, grandmother, and four kids between the ages of 4 and 9 years old.
The 7-year-old boy reportedly died after succumbing to fire conditions.
The grandmother sustained second degree burns on her arms and legs, but is expected to be OK, officials said.
The rest of the family is said to be uninjured but shaken up from the incident.
Firefighters are still investigating the cause of fire and cause of death for the young boy.
One firefighter partially fell through the roof, but is OK, officials said.
LONDON — Britain put on a display of birthday pageantry Saturday for King Charles III, a military parade that marked the Princess of Wales ‘ first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis early this year.
The annual event was also a show of stability by the monarchy after months in which both the king and Kate, wife of heir to the throne Prince William, have been sidelined by cancer treatment.
Kate announced Friday that she would attend the King’s Birthday Parade after making progress in her treatment. She disclosed in March that she was undergoing chemotherapy for an unspecified form of cancer.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” Kate said in a statement, adding that she faces “a few more months” of treatment.
The 42-year-old princess traveled in horse-drawn carriage from Buckingham Palace down the grand avenue known as the Mall with her children George, 10, Charlotte, 9, and 6-year-old Louis. Bystanders cheered as they caught a glimpse of Kate, dressed in a white dress by designer Jenny Packham and wide-brimmed Philip Treacy hat.
She watched the ceremony with the children from the window of a building overlooking Horse Guards Parade, a ceremonial parade ground in central London. Louis yawned broadly at one point in proceedings but mostly watched intently.
Kate was likely to join other members of the family on a Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast of military aircraft – and delight the crowds below. The princess has not made any public appearances since December.
Kate said in her statement that she is “not out of the woods yet” and officials stress that Saturday’s engagement does not herald a full return to public life.
Huge crowds turn out each June to watch the parade, also known as Trooping the Color, which begins with a procession involving horses, musicians and hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial uniform from Buckingham Palace.
Prince William, in military dress uniform, rode on horseback for the ceremony, in which troops in ceremonial finery parade past the king with their regimental flag, or “color.” The display of precision marching and martial music stems from the days when a regiment’s flag was an essential rallying point in the fog of battle.
Charles, who also is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, traveled in a carriage with Queen Camilla, rather than on horseback as he did last year. The king inspected the troops from a dais on the parade ground, saluting as elite regiments of Foot Guards marched past.
Five regiments take it in turns to parade their color, and this year it was the turn of a company of the Irish Guards, which has Kate as its honorary colonel. The troops in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats were led onto the parade ground by their mascot, an Irish wolfhound named Seamus.
Charles, 75, disclosed his cancer in February, and has recently eased back into public duties. He attended commemorations last week for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe on June 6, 1944.
In one of the many quirks of British royal convention, Saturday is not the king’s real birthday – that’s in November. Like his mother Queen Elizabeth II before him, Charles has an official birthday on the second Saturday in June. The date was chosen because the weather is generally good, though early sunshine on Saturday gave way to a blustery, rainy day in London.
The rain held off for most of the ceremony but began pelting down as the massed troops escorted the royal carriages back to Buckingham Palace, to cheers from soggy but enthusiastic crowds.
Kate Middleton says she is ‘making progress’ amid cancer treatment
Royal fans in raincoats and umbrellas had already gathered along the route several hours before start time, along with a smattering of anti-monarchist protesters chanting “Not my king.”
Spectators were treated to a display of pomp and precision involving 1,400 soldiers, 250 military musicians and more than 200 horses. The equine participants included Trojan, Tennyson, and Vanquish, three of the five military horses who sparked mayhem in April when they bolted and ran loose through central London.
The horses were performing routine exercises near Buckingham Palace on April 24 when they became spooked by noise from a nearby building site and galloped loose through the capital’s streets, crashing into vehicles and causing chaos during the morning rush hour.
The army says the other two horses are recovering well and are also expected to return to duty.
Pat Sajak has officially passed his “Wheel of Fortune” hosting baton to Ryan Seacrest in a new promo for the long-running game show that touts Seacrest’s hosting debut this fall. Sajak signed off as “Wheel of Fortune” host after more than 40 years on June 7.
“I think what you’re going to enjoy most is meeting the players and getting to know the audience at home,” Sajak tells Seacrest in the video. “People love this show. They go and see us every day and spend a half hour with us and watch with the whole family.”
“You’re never going to find a better job, and you’re never going to find a better co-host,” Sajak added in reference to his longtime “Wheel of Fortune” partner Vanna White, who has extended her contract with the game show for two more years.
Sajak ended his 41 season run with “Wheel of Fortune” with a direct-to-camera address at the end of his final episode.
“It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade, and I’ve always felt that the privilege came with a responsibility to keep this daily half-hour a safe place for family, fun, no social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing I hope, just a game,” Sajak said to viewers.
“But gradually it became more than that,” he continued, “a place where kids learned their letters, where people from other countries honed their English skills, where families came together, along with friends and neighbors and entire generations. What an honor to have played even a small part in all that. Thank you for allowing me into your lives.”
Seacrest and White kick off “Wheel of Fortune” Season 42 in the fall.
