(NEW YORK) -- Warming waters are attracting more swimmers and sharks alike to the Eastern seaboard -- creating the perfect recipe for an increase of shark sightings along the coasts in the coming months, some shark experts told ABC News.

Scientists at the New England Aquarium in Boston urged the public to be vigilant and report shark sightings after the first white shark of the season was confirmed off Massachusetts on Sunday.

A dead grey seal with a visible wound found on Lucy Vincent Beach in Chilmark, Martha's Vineyard, was consistent with the bite of a white shark, John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist in the Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, said in a statement.

"This is just the beginning of white shark season in New England, and it serves as a good reminder to be mindful of the presence of these sharks in inshore waters," Chisholm said. "Their numbers will continue to increase throughout the summer with peak activity occurring in the fall."

A juvenile white shark was also seen off the coasts of New York and New Jersey last week. The female shark, named Nori, pinged a shark-tracking system. Scientists with the Global Shark Tracker program have been monitoring her movements as she makes her way up the East Coast.

Nori is the first tagged white shark to begin this season's northward migration, according to the nonprofit OCEARCH.

"It's very normal for us to see more sharks off the East Coast, especially as you move north in the summer compared to the winter, partially because they're more likely to be there and partially because someone's more likely to be watching," Catherine Macdonald, director of the University of Miami's Shark Research and Conservation Program, told ABC News.

Why there are more shark sightings in the summer months

The moment a swimmer sets foot in the ocean, they are in close proximity to a shark -- even if they're not necessarily in sight, according to marine biologists who spoke with ABC News.

At least 30 species of sharks are starting to make their northward seasonal migration up the Eastern seaboard after overwintering in southern waters, Joel Fodrie, director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told ABC News.

As the waters begin to warm, they're on the move to new areas to set up their strategies for hunting, Fodrie said.

Those recreating on the coastlines can expect to see different species of sharks, depending on where they are.

Of the sharks considered aggressive or a potential threat to humans, white sharks are commonly seen in the Northeast during the summer months -- especially around Cape Cod -- because their preferred prey, the grey seal, tends to congregate there, Bradley Wetherbee, a professor of marine biology and ecology at the University of Rhode Island, told ABC News.

Tiger sharks bask in the warm Florida waters year-round, Mahmood Shivji, a shark biologist at the Save the Seas Foundation Shark Research Center at Nova Southeastern University, told ABC News.

Bull sharks are common in the Gulf and feed on large fish -- often confusing humans for prey in those interactions, Wetherbee said.

A large presence of fish, mackerel or seals -- all prey for sharks -- could indicate that one is nearby, looking to feed. The presence of dolphins could also mean a shark is around, because the larger marine animals tend to feed on the same prey, Frodrie said.

There are also simply more opportunities to see sharks, the experts said.

Protections in the Atlantic have allowed shark populations to rebound in the waters off the U.S., while globally they are still being killed at high rates due to overfishing, Shivji said.

The existence of drones and advanced cameras -- as well as social media -- are making the presence of sharks more known than ever before, Frodrie added.

Swimmers should be vigilant, but don't necessarily need to worry, experts say

An increase in shark presence in the north and mid-Atlantic is normal and isn't anything to worry about, Macdonald said.

With the exceptions of the bolder species, sharks are scared of people and fairly easy to spook, Frodrie said.

"There's more than 540 species of shark on the planet, and the vast majority of them rarely come into contact with people but wouldn't be a threat to them even if they did," Macdonald said.

Over the last 400 million years, sharks have evolved to detect things and sense their environment using their jaws, Wetherbee said. When they bite people, they are likely testing whether they are prey.

"No one wants to have a negative encounter, but it's kind of a primordial fear," Wetherbee said.

Sharks are a keystone species, and their presence can be a marker of a healing ecosystem, Macdonald said. They play a "huge role" in shaping the structure and function of ecosystems by moving nutrients around landscapes and helping control prey populations, she added.

"Marine ecosystems look really different in the absence of sharks, often in ways that we don't want, so we don't always appreciate them when we see them," Macdonald said.

The public can report shark sightings through the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app, which provides information and push notifications on shark movements in the aim to help people and sharks coexist.

Sharks are not the biggest danger humans face at the beach

Shark bites on humans -- especially fatal attacks -- are rare, the data shows.

In 2025, there were 65 confirmed unprovoked shark bites on humans and 29 provoked bites -- meaning the human initiated the interaction in some way, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File.

On average, fewer than 10 people worldwide are killed by unprovoked shark attacks each year, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. In 2025, there were 12 confirmed shark-related fatalities, nine of which were labeled as unprovoked.

Getting bitten by a shark is rare in itself, but victims of shark attacks have a 1 in 3.7 million chance of being killed by a shark.

All four shark experts ABC News spoke with pointed to rip currents as being the real danger swimmers face at the beach.

In the U.S. alone, there are more than 100 deaths annually that are attributed to rip currents, according to a scientific review of data provided to the United States Lifesaving Association.

"Supervision of kids in the ocean, awareness of rip currents and risks of drowning -- all of that is a much greater risk to swim or safety than sharks will ever be," Macdonald said.

Compared to the number of drownings at beaches, the odds of getting bitten by a shark are extremely low, the experts said.

"The numbers are so small, but it doesn't do any good to tell people that, because if you're out there, if you're one of the ones that gets bitten ... I'm sure it's quite an ordeal," Wetherbee said.

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(SEATTLE) -- A man has been arrested in the murder of a 19-year-old transgender University of Washington student, Seattle police announced on Thursday.

Police did not name the suspect, but said the 31-year-old man surrendered to the Bellevue Police Department on Wednesday and has been booked into the King County Jail for investigation of murder.

The 19-year-old female victim was found stabbed to death in a laundry room in a housing building on campus Sunday night, police said.

Authorities immediately launched a manhunt, and on Wednesday, police released photos of a suspect.

UW President Robert J. Jones said in a statement on Thursday, "I hope the arrest brings some sense of relief to our community. But this arrest does not lessen the profound shock and grief that the victim’s loved ones and our campus are still experiencing or bring back a beloved, promising and talented member of our university."

"Much is still unknown about what caused this tragedy, and while this development is important, we will be looking closely at the circumstances in which this event occurred as part of our continued efforts to keep our campus community safe," Jones said. "... The University remains committed to offering resources for those who need support, including our LGBTQIA+ community, during this difficult time."

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“Young farmers are navigating tight margins, rising costs and a lot of uncertainty, but they’re also finding opportunity in it,” said Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson. “We also see young farmers finding opportunity amid the challenges through diversification of new products, land uses and consumer interest. Our Grow Your Future Award embodies Farm Bureau’s commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and helping farmers diversify their operations, providing vital resources to help them thrive while positively impacting our rural communities.”

Applications are due Sept. 1 at iowafarmbureau.com/growyourfuture. Finalists will be selected by a panel of judges before advancing to a public vote Dec. 7–13. The three businesses that receive the most votes will compete in a live pitch-off at the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Conference on Jan. 23, 2027, where the grand prize winner will be announced.

In addition to the $10,000 grand prize, second- and third-place finalists will receive $5,000 and $2,500.

“The Grow Your Future Award was so much more amazing than I ever expected,” said Natalie Paino, the 2026 Grow Your Future Award winner who built Hightail, a creamery inside a 45-foot shipping container where she milks cows and produces ice cream and cheese curds. “The whole experience pushed me to do something outside my comfort zone, and the support I received along the way from my community, fellow finalists and Iowa Farm Bureau members and staff was truly overwhelming. The prize money was just the cherry on top and will be used as I furnish my retail storefront.”

The Grow Your Future Award is part of Iowa Farm Bureau’s broader effort to support rural entrepreneurship. Through these programs, the organization has helped mentor nearly 4,000 business owners and generate more than $150 million in economic impact across the state.

While the bill passed narrowly on a vote of 218 to 203, it did have strong bipartisan support. Feenstra said he is confident that the bill will make it out of the Senate and over to the President’s desk.

Over the past few years, consumers have been able to enjoy E15 year-round due to the issuance of summertime waivers. However, since there is generally a battle to get that waiver issued each year, ethanol producers have been forced to remain cautious with their production levels or else risk having a supply with no ability to sell it. If this legislation can be signed into law, Feenstra said ethanol producers will finally have some much-needed certainty.

The farm economy is the backbone of our state, and Feenstra said there are still plenty of things to do, like lowering fertilizer costs, in order to help out Iowa farmers.

For more information, visit feenstra.house.gov.

While this week was a standout week for the soybean sales, Breisch said they still need to see more consistent sales to meet the USDA’s goals.

Breisch added that flash sales started to pick up last week, which in turn contributed to this week’s strong overall sales.

The team at Allendale can be reached by calling 800-262-7538, or you can visit allendale-inc.com.

Jodie Comer is the first link in The Chain.

The actress is set to star in the upcoming HBO series The Chain from creator Damon Lindelof. Comer will play Rachel in the limited series, which is based on the bestselling book by Adrian McKinty.

Comer's casting was announced in an Instagram post on Thursday.

"Meet Rachel," the caption reads. "Jodie Comer stars in #TheChain, the new Damon Lindelof limited series based off the book by Adrian McKinty."

McKinty's 2019 book follows a suburban mom, named Rachel, who has to consider the unthinkable when her daughter is kidnapped. While details on the show are being kept under wraps, a press release from HBO says Lindelof is "expanding the mythology of McKinty’s award-winning thriller."

HBO ordered The Chain back in January. At the time it was announced, Lindelof said, “From the moment I heard the wild and original premise of Adrian’s book, I was shocked, surprised and angry I hadn’t thought of it myself."

He continued, "I’ve always wanted to try to adapt a great thriller and this one has all the dark, weird, exhilarating touches that fire up my imagination."

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Ripley star Johnny Flynn has been cast to play Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Paul Simon in the new movie The Road Home, according to Deadline.

The film, directed by Bill Condon, is centered around trumpeter Hugh Masekela, played by South African actor Thabo Rametsi, who toured with Simon in support of his 1986 Grammy Award-winning album, Graceland.

The film will also star Cynthia Erivo as vocalist Miriam "Mama Africa" Makeba, who was married to Masekela in the '60s and also toured with Simon, and Guy Pearce, who plays anti-apartheid advocate Archbishop Trevor Huddleston. Huddleston called for a boycott of Simon, claiming he violated the United Nations cultural boycott of the country by partially recording the album in Johannesburg.

“For me, there are very few stories that could come closer to home than this. I was born in Johannesburg and moved to London in 1985 – just before the album Graceland was released,” says Flynn, also known for his work in Emma and Lovesick. “The music of South Africa – and especially that of Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba IS the sound of my childhood. And Graceland was the most played cassette in our car growing up.”

He adds, “It’s such an honour to be invited to tell this story with artists that I admire so much. It’s the story of hope and the power of music.”

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(MAUI, Hawaii) -- A tourist on vacation in Maui has been arrested and charged for allegedly throwing a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, has been charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal's head, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii.

Lytvynchuk was filmed walking along the shoreline in the Lahaina area of Maui on May 5, tracking the movements of a Hawaiian monk seal, known as Lani, as she pushed a floating log close to the shoreline, according to prosecutors.

Lytvynchuk then picked up a large rock and threw it directly at Lani's head, prosecutors said. The rock narrowly missed Lani's nose, causing her to rear up out of the water, according to prosecutors.

Witnesses told investigators the rock was "the size of a coconut," according to court documents.

Another witness told investigators the seal "clearly seemed hurt," but Lytvynchuk did not check on the welfare of the animal before walking away, according to court documents.

Witnesses confronted Lytvynchuk, informing him they had contacted law enforcement. Lytvynchuk allegedly responded that he was "rich enough to pay the fines," before walking away, prosecutors said.

Witnesses reported that Lani remained "largely immobile for an extended period of time after the incident," causing concern over her welfare, according to prosecutors.

"The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii's special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity. We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular endangered Hawaiian monk seals, like Lani," U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said in a statement.

If sentenced, Lytvynchuk could face up to one year in prison for each charge and supervised release, prosecutors said.

Lytvynchuk was arrested on Wednesday and is currently in custody. He is scheduled to appear for an initial hearing on Thursday.

Court records do not list an attorney for Lytvynchuk.

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(WASHINGTON) -- One of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s top public affairs spokespeople resigned from his post over the FDA's fruit-flavored e-cigarettes authorization and its potential impact on minors, according to a resignation letter to President Donald Trump reviewed by ABC News.

In the letter, Richard Danker, the former assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, accuses senior agency officials in Kennedy's immediate office of approving e-cigarette flavors that would allegedly expose children to "nicotine addiction, lung damage, and a higher risk of cancer."

Danker also said the vape authorization "undermines" the department's recent guidance document related to youth risks of flavored nicotine, according to the letter.

He thanked Trump for the "honor of a lifetime" to serve in both presidential administrations. Danker's work portfolio includes economic regulatory roles, including a senior advisor position at the Department of Treasury during the first Trump administration. Danker hadn't worked in healthcare prior to his time at HHS.

The Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again movement has touted its focus on combatting chronic disease and improving children’s health. In a statement to ABC News, an HHS spokesperson said Kennedy is advancing the MAHA agenda to confront the chronic disease epidemic head-on.

"Political appointees are here to execute that mission with urgency, discipline, and focus," according to the spokesperson.

"Individuals who lose sight of the mission and the responsibility they were entrusted with are free to move on from the agency. HHS remains fully committed to delivering results for the American people," the spokesperson said.

Danker provided ABC News with a copy of the resignation letter, but did not provide further comment.

The White House did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.

The news comes as former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary left office after clashing with the White House over pressure from Trump to authorize the flavored vapes, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The issue has raised concerns with Makary, pediatrician groups and advocacy organizations about the potential impact on minors, ABC News reported.

The FDA approved four new devices made by Glas, including classic menthol, fresh menthol, gold, and sapphire pods. "Gold" is mango-flavored and "sapphire" is blueberry-flavored.

While the FDA said on its website last week that it continues to prioritize the removal of illicit vapes — including those that target minors — the approval of a flavored vape represents a significant shift for the agency.

Makary told ABC News' Linsey Davis in July, "There is not an approved vaping product in the United States that has one of these cutie-fruity flavors."

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(LEBANON, Pa.) -- A Pennsylvania man who allegedly had a "hit list" and threatened to shoot Democratic state legislators in online posts has been charged with making terroristic threats, court records show.

Adam Berryhill, 42, of Lebanon, allegedly made "politically violent posts" on his X account that included a "hit list," according to Pennsylvania State Police.

"The posts also included a picture of a firearm and made mention of a 'Memorial Day Operation,'" state police said in an incident report.

Between April 7 and April 22, Berryhill allegedly posted "hit lists" and claimed to "'start shooting' multiple elected officials" in posts on X, according to the criminal complaint.

The 20 victims in the case identified by police in the report are all Democratic members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, including House Speaker Joanna McClinton.

The investigation began on April 28, when a state trooper tasked with conducting regular safety and security checks on McClinton "was alerted to several concerning social media posts" involving her and other state legislators made by an X account named "Pennsylvania Militia," according to the complaint.

One post on April 7 stated, "I'll approach every legal avenue and when they all fail I start shootings," and then listed the names of 18 elected officials, according to the complaint.

Five days later, the account posted, "Can't wait for the Memorial Day operation," according to the complaint.

"Oh you like posting hit lists? Here's mine b------," the account posted on April 22, listing four officials referred to as "gun grabbing communists," according to the complaint.

"Conservatives need to stop b------- and whining on this platform. The solution I have is war," the account posted on April 24, according to the complaint. "Learn the law and know when it's your God given right to kill your authorities."  

That post also referenced Cody Balmer, who committed an arson attack at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's main residence in Harrisburg last year, according to the complaint.

An earlier post, on March 23, included what is believed to be an original photograph of a gun, "showing [Berryhill's] possible access to a firearm as a means to carry out the threats," the complaint stated.

Investigators linked the X account to Berryhill through email records and IP address data, according to the complaint. He was arrested on May 6 and charged with terroristic threats, authorities said.

"The statements made by Berryhill were not isolated or vague, but specific, targeted, and directed toward identifiable public officials, including Joanna McClinton and numerous members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly," the complaint stated. "These communications included references to 'hit lists,' explicit threats of future shootings, and mention of a planned 'Memorial Day operation,' indicating premeditation and a potential timeline."

Berryhill is being held on $250,000 bail. He waived his preliminary hearing, scheduled for Thursday, and his arraignment has been scheduled for June 11.

The Lebanon County Public Defender's Office said his attorney is not making any statements at this time.

Gov. Shapiro said he has spoken with McClinton and Senate Leader Jay Costa about the threats against members of the state legislature.

"I told them that while these threats of political violence seek to intimidate and silence, my Administration will continue to do everything in our power to keep them safe and ensure their members can continue to make their voices heard as the people's elected representatives," Shapiro said in a statement Wednesday.

The leaders of the state legislature condemned the threats.

"These threats are extremely disturbing, not just to the members identified, but to all public figures who are contending with an increasingly hostile environment," the leaders -- McClinton, Costa, Majority Leader Matt Bradford and Republican Leader Jesse Topper -- said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

"We condemn any threat against any of our colleagues who are faithfully serving their communities and pledge to support mental health care, intervention, and law enforcement funding that make our state safer," the statement said.

The governor said that Pennsylvania State Police have implemented a new process to notify state legislators "immediately and directly of any and all threats of violence against them."

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