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More cities, counties start to remove fluoride from public drinking water

(NEW YORK) -- More cities and counties across the U.S. are moving to ban fluoride in public drinking water after Utah became the first state in the country to do so.

The Miami-Dade County commissioners voted 8-2 on Tuesday to stop adding fluoride to the public water supply.

Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, who sponsored the legislation, referred to fluoride as a "neurotoxin" and that studies show it "should not be in the water."

Florida surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo has previously recommended removing fluoride from public water supplies, citing potential harms, according to local ABC News affiliate WPLG.

In a statement last year, Ladapo claimed that "more research is necessary to address safety and efficacy concerns regarding community water fluoridation."

Opponents, including Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava, argue fluoride is safe and essential for dental health.

"Miami-Dade County has been adding fluoride to the water for 60 years. It has been constantly verified, scientifically and medically, that it is safe. We know that it provides protection for dental care and prevents cavities. We use a very, very low level, well within the guidelines," she said before the meeting, according to WPLG.

The measure also calls for the mayor "to create and implement a countywide public service campaign focused on dental hygiene and alternate sources of fluoride available in dental health products."

The county has 30 days to halt fluoride use. It's unclear whether or not the mayor will veto the legislation.

Local reports indicate that a town in Virginia has also voted unanimously to bar adding fluoride to its town water supply.

Meanwhile, an Ohio state representative has also proposed a bill prohibiting adding fluoride to public water systems.

Fluoride is a mineral that naturally occurs in water sources such as lakes and rivers, and is even naturally present in some foods and beverages, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).

It is added to some dental products, such as toothpaste, to help prevent cavities.

High-quality studies show fluoride prevents cavities and repairs damage to teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth. Fluoride makes tooth enamel stronger and rebuilds weakened tooth enamel, the ADA says.

Fluoride also replaces minerals lost from teeth due to acid breakdown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, influential skeptics, such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have long raised doubts about the benefits of fluoride.

In an interview with NPR in November 2024, Kennedy doubled down on his promise of persuading local governments to remove fluoride from their water supplies.

He has claimed that fluoride in drinking water affects children's neurological development and that other countries that have removed fluoride from their water supplies have not seen an increase in cavities.

A large review paper published in January 2025 suggested a link between fluoride and lower IQ in children, but much of the underlying data was pulled from other countries, where fluoride exposure is far higher than levels used in drinking water in the U.S.

Some health professionals have also expressed concerns about excessive fluoride intake and potential toxicity.

Many doctors and dental associations, however, argue that fluoride in water is still a crucial, low-risk/high-reward public health tool, especially for children and adults who may not be able to practice regular dental hygiene.

The association calls community water fluoridation "the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay."

"Studies prove water fluoridation continues to be effective in reducing dental decay by at least 25% in children and adults, even in the era of widespread availability of fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste," the ADA states on its website. "So, by simply drinking fluoridated water, you are doing something good for your oral health."

ABC News' Sony Salzman and Jason Volack contributed to this report.

Filming for ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ to begin in July

Filming for the next Hunger Games film, Sunrise on the Reaping, is set to begin in July.

Francis Lawrence, who has directed each Hunger Games film since Catching Fire in 2012, will be returning to direct the upcoming project.

Lawrence, who attended CinemaCon on Tuesday, spoke to attendees about the new film and said that they're working on casting.

"We're very excited," he said. "We've been working on this draft for a year. We start shooting in July."

Additionally, a promotional clip for the film was shared on Instagram. It features Woody Harrelson's character, Haymitch Abernathy, saying at the end, "I think the games are going to be different."

Sunrise on the Reaping is based on author Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name. The book was released in March 2025 and "revisits the world of Panem twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games," according to a press release from Scholastic.

The novel begins on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. It follows a young Haymitch, whose name is called to participate in the games, according to a synopsis.

In a statement shared in the Scholastic press release, Collins said, "With Sunrise on the Reaping, I was inspired by David Hume's idea of implicit submission and, in his words, 'the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.' The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question 'Real or not real?' seems more pressing to me every day."

Sunrise on the Reaping will arrive in theaters Nov. 20, 2026.

Christian Menefee threatens lawsuit if Abbott delays Texas District 18 election

HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee announced on Monday that he will file a lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott if he fails to set an election date for Texas’ 18th Congressional District. Menefee called the governor out during a press conference, urging the governor to set the special election for June to fill the congressional seat left vacated after the late Houston mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner’s death. Per Texas law, Abbott has the sole authority to call a special election. He has done this in the past, most recently when the seat was left vacant after the death of late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee last July. “The governor knows this, and in fact, in the four instances where a seat has become vacant since he’s become governor, he’s gotten to it straight away, sometimes in 16 days, sometimes in 18 days, and once in four days,” Menefee said. “He knows how important it is that people have representation in Congress.”

‘The Simpsons,’ ‘Family Guy,’ ‘Bob’s Burgers’ and ‘American Dad!’ renewed for four seasons

Everything's coming up Milhouse!

Fox has ordered unprecedented four-season renewals for four of its animated TV shows. The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers and American Dad! have all been renewed for four additional seasons.

All four shows will continue their runs on Fox through the 2028-29 TV broadcast cycle and come from 20th Television Animation.

American Dad! returns to the network for four new seasons after an 11-year break. Created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, the show premiered in 2005 and was part of Fox's programming through 2014.

The Simpsons has been renewed for seasons 37 through 40, extending its run as the longest-running scripted primetime series in the history of TV.

“This new deal celebrates the eternal popularity of these iconic comedies, as well as the enduring, prolific relationship we continue to enjoy with our friends at 20th Television Animation and the brilliant creators — that goes double for Seth [MacFarlane] this time around — and incredible voices behind these contemporary classics,” Michael Thorn, the president of Fox Television Network, said in a statement.

Marci Proietto, head of 20th Television Animation, called the renewals historic and truly monumental for these iconic animated series.

"We are so proud that these legendary shows will continue for hundreds of more episodes, allowing new and longstanding fans to watch, rewatch and experience more of The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad and Bob’s Burgers for years to come,” Proietto said.

Disney is the parent company of 20th Television Animation and ABC News.

Major North Texas healthcare provider dropped from Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance

DALLAS – WFAA reports that one of the biggest healthcare providers in North Texas is no longer in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas’ network, officials said. Contracts between Southwestern Health Resources – which includes Texas Health Resources and UT Southwestern – and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas expired April 1, according to a statement from the insurance company. North Texas-based Southwestern Health Resources has 31 hospitals, more than 7,000 providers and 650 outpatient facilities and clinics. Blue Cross Blue Shield officials in a statement said the company has “worked closely with SWHR to negotiate new contracts,” but an agreement to “protect the interests of our members and customers” hasn’t been reached yet.

Southwestern Health Resources officials in a statement said Blue Cross Blue Shield “remained unwilling to accept Southwestern Health Resources’ requests for equitable reimbursement to cover the rising costs of providing quality care.” “Our goal is to minimize any disruption to patient care and help guide patients affected by this transition to in-network providers,” the statement said. Starting Tuesday, April 1, Southwestern Health Resources hospitals, doctors and facilities were no longer in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. The impacted Blue Cross plans include: ParPlan, Blue Choice PPO, Blue Essentials, Blue Advantage HMO, Medicaid, Blue Cross Medicare Advantage (PPO), and Blue Cross Medicare Advantage (HMO). Patients with MyBlue Health coverage will remain in-network for Southwestern doctors and hospitals, according to Blue Cross.

Texas moves closer to banning chips, soda and candy from food stamp program

AUSTIN – The Houston Chronicle reports tat food stamp recipients could soon be barred from using their benefits to buy chips, sodas and other types of junk food under a bill that passed the Texas Senate. “This bill isn’t about limiting personal choice,” State Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston said. “But taxpayer dollars should not subsidize unhealthy eating habits that contribute to preventable health conditions and place additional strain on Texas’ health care system.” Middleton said the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is supposed to provide nutritious food that is essential to the health and well-being of Americans. Yet, he said about 20% of SNAP benefits are being spent on things like cookies, candy, chips and soda.

“They don’t just lack nutritional value, they are bad for you,” Middleton said during a debate over the bill late Monday. The bill passed 22-8 in the Texas Senate on Monday night and now goes to the Texas House. If it passes without any changes there, it would go to Gov. Greg Abbott who can let it become law. State Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, said he supports the goal but worries Middleton’s bill will put more burdens on retailers that accept SNAP benefits and potentially lead to more dropping out of the program. Miles said while everyone may want to have healthy food, there are people in urban and rural areas who don’t have access to the type Middleton wants them to eat. He said food deserts that already exist in poor urban areas could grow because of Senate Bill 379. “There are some unintended consequences to this bill that we may not be thinking of,” said Miles, who voted against the measure. “Something to eat is better than nothing to eat.” State Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, voted in favor of the bill but also pushed back, saying if the Legislature is really concerned about Texans getting proper nutrition, it should double the value of food stamps for things like fresh produce so benefits could buy more of the health products and give retailers incentive to stock more of it.

Texas is giving out $5B in loans to build natural gas power plants. Some companies say no thanks.

HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that for years, Texas politicians have fretted: What will it take for companies to build more natural gas power plants for the state’s strained power grid? As it turns out, for a growing number of developers, even the Texas government handing out taxpayer-backed loans is not sufficient. Four companies have pulled their projects from consideration from the $5 billion Texas Energy Fund, citing various financial and logistical challenges. Another project was denied loans last fall after one company listed on the application accused the other sponsoring company of fraud. In total, nearly a third of new project capacity advanced to the fund’s due diligence review process has left the program.

State lawmakers created the Texas Energy Fund in 2023 and set aside the bulk of the money to give companies low-interest loans towards building new gas-fired generation for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas power grid. The fund was advertised to voters, who approved the program as a constitutional amendment, as a way to bolster the grid after the February 2021 winter freeze caused statewide outages and killed hundreds. Then, last year, ERCOT forecasted an unprecedented increase in electricity demand in the near future as the state’s population and economy grow. Policymakers became even more adamant that Texas needs much more gas-fired power generation for use when wind or solar power isn’t available, even though natural gas is a fossil fuel contributing to climate change. At first, the Texas Energy Fund seemed popular. So many companies applied for loans that state lawmakers — at the urging of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — are considering appropriating another $5 billion to the program in the ongoing legislative session, so that it totals $10 billion.

Girlfriend of murdered Green Beret speaks out after his wife charged

(NEW YORK) -- The killing of Clint Bonnell, a retired Green Beret whose remains were found in a North Carolina lake earlier this year, left his loved ones reeling. Now, his wife has been charged with his murder.

"We as a community have been devastated," Kelli Edwards, Bonnell's girlfriend, told ABC News. "How do you comprehend something like this? There's really no comprehension."

She added, "Whatever's happened to him he didn't deserve -- no one deserves any of that -- but he was just a really beautiful human being."

Bonnell was in his second semester of physician's assistant school at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and was the president of the cohort, Edwards said.

"This is a Green Beret who was a patriot to the Corps, who served for our country, who helped his fellow teammates with all their injuries, who deployed on teams, who went all around the world and he comes home and retires in three weeks and this is what happens? This is not okay," Edwards said.

Edwards said Bonnell told her he was already going through the process of getting a divorce. Bonnell said he and his wife had been living separately for a couple of years and he had met with divorce attorneys, she said.

"After trying to make a marriage work for a long time, he decided it was best to cut cords and move on. And so when I met him, he was already at that stage," Edwards said.

She added, "He was very intelligent, highly intelligent. But I think he really tried to see the best in everybody he was around. You have that personality which is a really great trait to have and sometimes it can be a flaw."

Police said a wellbeing check on Bonnell was called in by an employee at the Methodist University on Jan. 28 after Bonnell did not attend class. When deputies arrived to the home, they spoke to his wife, Shana Cloud, who said she had not seen Bonnell since the day before, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff's office.

Bonnell's vehicle, school bag and other items were found in the residence, police said. A second wellbeing check was requested later in the evening by a friend of Bonnell, according to the sheriff's office.

He was ultimately declared a missing person. Police executed multiple search warrants before human remains were found in a lake on Feb. 25.

Several weeks later, the remains were identified as belonging to Bonnell.

His wife has now been charged with first degree murder and felony concealing an unnatural death.

Cloud, a former traveling nurse who worked for the Virginia Department of Corrections, remains in custody without bond. Her attorney maintains her innocence, according to ABC station WTVD in Durham, North Carolina.

"Ms. Cloud looks forward to her day in court," her defense said.

In court, prosecutors alleged Cloud was seen on video near the location where Bonnell's remains were found, according to WTVD.

"Mr. Bonnell told his girlfriend that he had let the defendant know about the divorce and his plans the night before," said Cumberland County District Attorney William West in court Monday. "We believe he was killed the following morning."

Bonnell was shot multiple times, prosecutors say. A search of the couple's home uncovered bullet holes in his book bag and laptop, according to WTVD.

Edwards said she started noticing some uncomfortable patterns and things happening in Bonnell's life as their relationship got more serious.

"He didn't really talk much about his wife in the beginning. I just knew more about his daughter, how much he loved his daughter and all the things that you know she'd brought to his life," she said.

Edwards said she saw Bonnell the Monday he went missing and said you could tell he had a lot on his mind.

"The last text was that he was going to bed and good night basically. And that was it. And the next morning I texted an early morning text and there was no delivery," she said.

Edwards said she called in a welfare check when she wasn't hearing back from Bonnell the next day.

"I knew that something was wrong because we were in communication a lot during the day -- mostly text messaging because he was in school -- and I didn't hear from him on the 28th of January," Edwards said.

Edwards said she wants people to remember Bonnell as an amazing human who left an impact on many people.

"He was a very, just a jovial, happy human and he was really looking forward to his next part of his life, closing a chapter, coming out of the Army after 20 years, being in PA school -- he was looking forward to the next chapter," Edwards said.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said, "Our hearts go out to the Bonnell family, the Special Forces community, and the Methodist University Physician’s Assistant Program during this difficult time."

No additional details will be released in the case "out of respect" for Bonnell and the integrity of the investigation, the sheriff's department said.

Cher pays tribute to ‘brilliant’ former beau Val Kilmer

Cher has taken to social media to pay tribute to her former boyfriend, Batman Forever star Val Kilmer, who died Tuesday at the age of 65.

“VALUS Will miss u,” she wrote on social platform X. “U Were Funny,crazy,pain in the a**,” noting he was “BRILLIANT as Mark Twain,” a role he played in the one-man play Mark Twain: Citizen Twain.

Cher also called Kilmer a great friend, sharing that her kids loved him, and wrote that he was “BRAVE” during his “sickness,” likely referring to his battle with throat cancer.

Cher and Kilmer dated in the '80s and remained friends after they broke up. According to People, Kilmer revealed in his memoir that he stayed at Cher’s guest house following his cancer diagnosis.

Tyler traffic signals down, drive accordingly

UPDATE: An Oncor representative said that as of 1:35 p.m., all power has been restored.

Traffic Alert: Tyler traffic signals down, drive accordingly – The City of Tyler informs KTBB that because of a power outage, multiple traffic signals are without power, including many along Broadway. The Traffic Operations Department is sending out generators, but, some intersections may be without power. Continue reading Tyler traffic signals down, drive accordingly

Tyler traffic signals down due to transformer failure

UPDATE: An Oncor representative said that as of 1:35 p.m., all power has been restored.

TYLER – The City of Tyler informs KTBB that because of a power outage, multiple traffic signals are without power, including many along Broadway. The Traffic Operations Department is sending out generators, but, some intersections may be without power. Travelers should regard any “dark” traffic signal as a four-way stop. With each vehicle stopping completely before proceeding through the intersection. Oncor expects power to be restored as soon as possible.

McMahon hijacks House Democrats’ presser after closed-door meeting outside Department of Education

(WASHINGTON) -- Education Secretary Linda McMahon interrupted a press conference by House Democrats outside the Department of Education to give an impromptu statement after they met in a closed-door meeting earlier Wednesday.

With about a minute's notice, the secretary's team told some attendees that McMahon would be making a statement.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., was speaking at the podium as the secretary appeared at the press conference.

"We are extraordinarily grateful that the secretary gave us the space to have these conversations, but with all due respect, madam, I think my biggest concern is that the states will not be able to protect the programs and services that you would like to devolve with them," she said before ceding the microphone, noting that the mood during the meeting was "collegial."

Then, the secretary stepped to the podium in front of the group of Democratic lawmakers, who had met with her in her office for about an hour.

"I just want to express my gratitude to all of these folks who came today so we can have an open discussion about what I believe is one of the most important things that we can have a discussion on or action on in our country, and that is the education of our young people," McMahon said upon taking the podium.

"This is not a partisan issue. This is about the children of America and its next generation after that, and if we want to have our leaders and if we want to have that next group of engineers and doctors and lawyers and plumbers and electricians and HV/AC operators, then we need to focus on how they can best have their education," she added.

"And I believe, and I know the president believes as well, the best education is that that is closest to the child where teachers and parents, local superintendents, working together and local school boards to develop the curriculum for those students is the best way that it can happen," she said.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., who spearheaded the effort to meet with McMahon, and several reporters peppered the secretary with questions.

"When are you going to shut down the department?" Takano asked.

"We had our discussion," McMahon replied.

She declined to answer any further questions before exiting the presser.

Takano and a coalition of lawmakers had requested the meeting after the secretary was sworn into office last month.

"She came down here to upstage the news press availability, trying to give the impression that she's trying a different approach -- that she's actually meeting with members of Congress," Takano told ABC News after the event.

Later Wednesday, McMahon posted on X about the meeting.

"This morning, I hosted a meeting with House Democrats to hear their concerns," she said. "Our collective goal should be to support students, not the broken bureaucracy."

The meeting comes after weeks of confusion in Washington as the Department of Education slashed nearly half its workforce and lawmakers have been demanding answers from the Trump administration.

Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., Don Beyer, D-Va., and Greg Casar, D-Texas, also attended the meeting..

Chaos ensued outside the agency the last time Democrats tried to meet with department officials as Takano and around two dozen lawmakers were rejected access inside the building.

This time they met with McMahon amid the administration's attempt to dismantle and spearhead the historic overhaul of the department as directed by President Donald Trump.

The members said McMahon took the right step in meeting with them and that she assured them she would work with Congress to move statutory functions to other agencies and follow federal law. However, Wilson said McMahon indicated she is following the president's directive in moving the student loan portfolio for more than 40 million people to the Small Business Administration.

McMahon also told the Democratic lawmakers in the meeting that there will be additional workforce cuts at the department, Takano said.

Meanwhile, the meeting seemed to leave many with unanswered questions, and after McMahon left the podium, Stanbury said the secretary has no plans that she shared with them.

Casar, the Congressional Progressive Caucus chairman, said he grew frustrated and even more alarmed during the meeting because he suggested McMahon's mission will gut public schools.

"What she tried to say, in the nicest of terms, is that she wants to get rid of the guardrails and protections for all of our kids and instead say, No, we can have it set up so that states can give money to the private schools that we like and take away money from the public schools that we may not like," Casar said.

Wilson, a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, passionately defended public education.

"For the Department of Education to be dismantled, it is going to bring a shock to this nation," said Wilson, a former principal and lifelong educator. "Schools are the bedrock of this nation. When schools are working, our country is, too."

Rep. Pettersen says it was ‘difficult’ decision to bring infant son to House floor to fight for proxy voting

(WASHINGTON) -- Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen, who on Tuesday held her newborn son during a speech on the House floor in support of a bipartisan effort to allow proxy voting for new lawmaker parents, said the decision to bring her 9-week-old was "difficult," but illustrated the need to pass the petition.

"We have the ability in 2025 to make sure that our voices and our constituents' voices are represented here, even when we have a medical reason for not being able to be here in person," Pettersen, holding her son Sam, said in an interview on ABC News Live on Wednesday. "You know, this is the way things were done hundreds of years ago, I think that we can accommodate for the new workplace challenges here in Congress to make sure more women and in young families can be represented here now."

On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers came together over proxy voting for new parents. Nine Republicans joined Democrats to tank a procedural rule that would have blocked a petition to allow new mothers and fathers to vote by proxy.

With her newborn in her arms, the Colorado Democrat on Tuesday spoke in support of a resolution that would allow new parents -- both mothers and fathers -- the ability to vote by proxy up to 12 weeks after the birth of a child. In her speech -- during which Sam cooed, squealed and squeaked -- Pettersen pleaded for bipartisan cooperation on a measure that she said addressed life events such as parenthood for lawmakers.

"It was a very difficult decision to fly across the country with Sam, and it's just a decision that nobody should have to make," said Pettersen, who added that returning to Washington to work after her son was born prematurely put her in an "impossible" situation where she had to both care for a vulnerable newborn and do her job.

Pettersen is only the 13th member of the House to have given birth while serving in Congress. Fellow new mom, Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna -- who had a child in August 2023 -- introduced the petition.

The House voted to torpedo the procedural rule that would have blocked Luna's proxy vote measure -- throwing the House into disarray and paralyzing the chamber. The vote also called into question Speaker Mike Johnson's ability to control Republicans' razor-thin majority.

House Republican leaders, including Johnson, had said they would take the unprecedented step to block Luna's petition

After the vote, Johnson said because it failed, "we can't have any further action on the floor this week."

Johnson has said proxy voting is unconstitutional and is the start of a slippery slope that could lead to more and more members voting remotely.

Asked by ABC New Live Anchor Diane Macedo about her response to Johnson's argument, Pettersen said "my message to Speaker Johnson is just let us vote."

"If we have narrow reasons why people can have their votes represented here if they can't be here in person, that's something that we should be able to vote on," she said on ABC News Live.

Pettersen had stronger words for Johnson after the rule vote, telling ABC News' Jay O'Brien that her message to the speaker was "don't f--- with moms."

It's not the first time Pettersen has brought her son along to a House vote. In February, she brought her son to vote in the House budget blueprint.

ABC News' Lauren Peller, Jay O'Brien, John Parkinson and Arthur Jones II contributed to this report.

Unanimous Supreme Court upholds FDA block of flavored vapes

(WASHINGTON) -- A unanimous Supreme Court on Wednesday backed the Food and Drug Administration's refusal to authorize the sale of kid-friendly flavored e-cigarettes and vapes, including the flavors "Killer Kustard Blueberry," "Rainbow Road," and "Pineapple Express."

Justice Samuel Alito, in his opinion for the court, rejected the manufacturers' claims that the agency had acted arbitrarily and capriciously in violation of federal law by changing the requirements for product approval in the middle of the process.

"In the end, we cannot say that the FDA improperly changed its position with respect to scientific evidence, comparative efficacy, or device type," Alito wrote. He returned the case to a lower court for further review.

The ruling effectively holds the line on the government's decision to severely limit the number of flavored tobacco products legally available in the U.S. market out of concerns over the impact on children.

Kid-friendly flavors, such as fruit, candy, mint, menthol and desserts -- which are largely not approved by the FDA and are currently sold on store shelves illegally -- have been fueling an explosion in retail sales of e-cigarettes.

While vaping among youth is declining, more than 1.6 million children use the products, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 90% of them consume illicit flavored brands.

"Today's ruling is a major victory for the health of America's kids and efforts to protect them from the flavored e-cigarettes that have fueled a youth nicotine addiction crisis," said Yolanda Richardson, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an advocacy group. She noted the FDA has denied over 26 million flavored e-cigarette product applications so far.

"While the FDA has authorized the sale of only 34 e-cigarette products, manufacturers continue to flood the market with thousands of illegal, unauthorized products," Richardson said in a statement. "To end this crisis, the FDA must deny marketing applications for flavored e-cigarettes and step up enforcement efforts to clear the market of illegal products. Today's ruling should spur the FDA to act quickly to do so."

The companies -- White Lion Investments LLC and Vapetasia LLC -- did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on the Supreme Court's ruling.

Since 2009, federal law requires sellers of new nicotine products to provide regulators with scientific evidence to show that the products would promote public health, but the statute does not spell out specifically what evidence is necessary and sufficient. The FDA's guidance on how to meet that requirement was at the center of the case.

While the first Trump administration had taken a hard line against the marketing and sale sweet and candy flavored vapes, President Donald Trump said during the campaign that he wants to "save" flavored vapes. It's not clear how the FDA, newly under his control, may modify regulations around flavored vapes or alter the approval process.

Despite their loss in the case, vape manufacturers are able to reapply for approval with the FDA in a new application and attempt to show how benefits of the product to public health would outweigh the dangers to teens.

"In light of the statutory text and the well-documented and serious risks flavored e-cigarette products pose to youth, it should have come as no surprise that applicants would need to submit rigorous scientific evidence showing that the benefits of their products would outweigh those risks," Justice Sonia Sotomayor concluded in a short concurring opinion in the case.

Gunshots and property damage reported by Gladewater residents

GLADEWATER – The Gladewater Police Department is seeking information after residents reported gunshots and damage to their properties on Tuesday night.

According to our news partner, KETK, around 10:50 p.m. officers responded to a report of gunfire in the 200 block of W. Gay Avenue and spoke with residents who heard gunshots and found damage to their homes.

Officials said there was no reported injuries but they found multiple shell casing on the walkway near the intersection of W. Gay Avenue and Canfield Street and “apparent bullet holes” in a fence running parallel to the walkway.

After officers searched the area and talked to residents, officials said the incident appears to be connected to an earlier disturbance involving a vehicle matching the description provided by witnesses. Continue reading Gunshots and property damage reported by Gladewater residents