Artemis II crew talks to ABC News from space: Their journey so far and what’s ahead

CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover speak with ABC News from the Orion spacecraft as it heads to the moon, April 2, 2026. (NASA)

(NEW YORK) — The Artemis II mission launched on Wednesday, taking four astronauts on a historic, 10-day mission around the moon and giving them views of a lifetime along the way.

A day after lift-off, ABC News’ Gio Benitez spoke with astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen from their Orion spacecraft about the journey so far, and what they are anticipating for the days ahead.

“I don’t know what we all expected to see … but you could see the entire globe, from pole to pole,” Commander Wiseman said of the crew’s view of Earth from space Thursday.

“You could see Africa, Europe, and if you looked really close, you could see the northern lights. It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks,” he added.

This mission marks the first time humans have flown beyond low-Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission that landed on the moon in 1972.

The crew is going on a 685,000-mile journey around the moon, also known as a lunar fly-by.

The launch on Wednesday was seen around the world, as the crew successfully lifted off at 6:35 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Hansen, mission specialist and part of the Canadian Space Agency, said that even though they were all expecting it, when the rocket boosters actually lit up and they left the launch pad, “there’s just a moment of disbelief.”

“The fact that we launched — it just totally takes you by surprise, even though you’re expecting it, at least for me anyway, and just had a huge smile across my face,” he said.

Koch, a mission specialist who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at 328 days, addressed the toilet issue onboard the spacecraft, which was reported after launch.

‘”I’m proud to call myself the space plumber,” Koch said. “I like to say that it is probably the most important piece of equipment on board.”

Crew members said at the time that the Orion capsule’s toilet, dubbed the Universal Waste Management System, had a blinking fault light while they tested it, but it had been resolved since.

“So we were all breathing a sigh of relief when it turned out to be just fine,” Koch said.

Glover, the mission pilot who will make history as the first person of color to go to the moon, said from high Earth orbit, the divisions of Earth are far out of view.

“Trust us, you look amazing, you look beautiful,” he said of Earth. “You also look like one thing. Homo sapiens is all of us, no matter where you’re from or what you look like. We’re all one people.”

“We call amazing things that humans do ‘moonshots’ for a reason, because this brought us together and showed us what we can do when we not just put our differences aside, when we bring our differences together and use all the strengths to accomplish something great,” Glover said.

Before speaking with ABC News on Thursday, the Artemis II crew successfully completed a critical milestone in the mission, the translunar injection burn that boosted the Orion spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit onto a trajectory toward the moon.

During a press conference after the maneuver, Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator at NASA, said that the critical translunar injection burn was “flawless.”

“From this point forward, the laws of orbital mechanics are going to carry our crew to the moon, around the far side and back to Earth,” Glaze said.

April 3, 2026April 3, 2026

Business Local news

Mortgage rates hit highest level since September as Iran war rattles financial markets

A ”For Sale” sign is outside a residential home in Oro Valley, Ariz., Dec.12, 2025. (Michael Yanow/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Mortgage rates have climbed to their highest level since September as fallout from the Iran war ripples through financial markets, Freddie Mac data on Thursday showed.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped to 6.46%, continuing a weeks-long surge since the war began on Feb. 28, during which time mortgage rates have increased nearly half a percentage point.

Mortgage rates remain slightly lower than this time a year ago, when the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage stood at 6.64%.

The recent spike in borrowing costs risks further strain on U.S. households as they weather elevated gasoline prices.

The rise in mortgage rates owes to a jump in U.S. Treasury yields as investors fear a bout of inflation in response to the Middle East conflict.

High bond yields make borrowing more expensive for average Americans, since 10-year Treasury rates influence the rates offered for a variety of loans, including mortgages and credit cards.

Since bonds pay a given investor a fixed amount each year, the specter of inflation risks higher consumer prices that would eat away at those annual payouts. In turn, bonds often become less attractive in response to economic turmoil. When demand falls, bond yields rise.

The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond, meaning the amount paid to a bondholder annually, stands at about 4.31%, about 0.35 percentage points higher than pre-war levels.

“Mortgage rates have risen as bond market yields have sought to price in the risk of higher inflation in the future,” Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate, previously told ABC News.

Last week, bond yields soared close to levels reached in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs in April 2025, when the 10-year Treasury yield peaked at around 4.5%.

Bond yields eased in recent days as Trump signaled a possible off-ramp from the war with Iran.

April 2, 2026April 3, 2026

Business Local news

Dow soars over 950 points after Trump suggests US may end Iran war without reopening Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media onboard Air Force One on March 29, 2026. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared more than 950 points on Tuesday after President Donald Trump appeared to suggest the U.S. may end the Iran war without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on social media, Trump indicated that the task of reopening the strait may fall to other countries, urging them to “go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.”

The Dow jumped 970 points, or 2.1%, by early afternoon, while the S&P 500 climbed 2.4%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq increased 3.4%.

Since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28, Trump has voiced mixed messages about the expected duration of the war. On several occasions, markets have climbed after traders interpreted comments from Trump as a potential off-ramp from the Middle East conflict.

The war prompted Iranian closure of the strait, a maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of the global oil supply. A potential U.S. exit from the war without ensuring that the strait is open could leave uncertain the path to a resumption of normal tanker traffic and a resulting remedy for the current global oil shortage.

Global oil prices surged more than 5% on Tuesday, exceeding $118 a barrel, just shy of its highest price since 2022.

Gas prices in the United States topped $4 per gallon on average Tuesday, underscoring the link between rising oil prices and strained consumers.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

March 31, 2026April 1, 2026

Business Local news

Gas prices top $4 a gallon as Iran war triggers global oil shock

Cargo vessel, Ali 25, in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz on March 22, 2026 in northern Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

(NEW YORK) — Gas prices in the United States topped $4 per gallon on average Tuesday, crossing the milestone for the first time in nearly four years, just weeks after the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran set off a global oil shock and spiked fuel costs.

Prices at the pump have soared more than 30% since the war began on Feb. 28., AAA data showed. Fuel costs last exceeded $4 a gallon in August 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Middle East conflict prompted Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of global oil supply. The risk of a prolonged oil shortage triggered a surge in crude prices.

The U.S. is a net exporter of petroleum, meaning the country produces more oil than it consumes. But since oil prices are set on a global market, U.S. prices move in response to swings in worldwide supply and demand.

Global oil prices hovered around $104 a barrel on Tuesday, which amounted to a nearly 50% price leap from pre-war levels.

Crude oil is the main ingredient in auto fuel, accounting for more than half of the price paid at the pump, according to the federal U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), earlier this week said the current oil crisis had surpassed the combined effect of worldwide energy shocks in the 1970s.

The global economy faces a “major, major threat,” Birol said at an event in Canberra, Australia, noting that no country would be “immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues to go in this direction.”

Member nations of the IEA announced two weeks ago that they plan to release 400 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserve, marking the largest oil release in the 32-nation group’s history.

The Trump administration is set to carry out the second-largest-ever delivery from the nation’s emergency reserve, which will make up nearly half of the IEA’s planned release. Trump also eased sanctions on Russian oil and suspended a key regulation of domestic oil transport. The president has also sought to restore tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

March 31, 2026March 31, 2026

Local news Politics

‘No Kings’ protesters set to rally in cities and towns across the country Saturday

Demonstrators gather in Commons Park for the ‘No Kings!’ rally and march on October 18, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. (Photo by Christopher Mark Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — “No Kings” protesters are expected to take to the streets in more than 3,000 cities and towns across the country Saturday to again call out President Donald Trump and his controversial polices, with organizers saying this one could be the biggest so far.

The “No Kings” protests are the latest since October and organizers said they are looking to send a message addressing what they call “the constant chaos of the Trump administration” since then.

From the use of federal troops for immigration enforcement, to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis, to Trump’s war with Iran, members of the National No Kings Coalition said Americans are looking to raise their voices in protest.

“The people coming out will be asked to show up on an ongoing basis for ICE watch, for mutual aid, for support of immigrant communities, for advocacy against this illegal and catastrophic war, for voter registration and all the work of building power locally,” Leah Greenberg, Co-Director of Indivisible, one of the coalition’s groups, said in a statement Thursday.

The organizers, from groups that include the ACLU, National Action Network and the United Federation of Teachers, said that they have over 3,200 events planned across cities and are expecting it to be bigger than the October event, which they say drew more than 7 million protesters.

Saturday marks the third “No Kings” demonstration since Trump returned office.

They have called for protesters to be peaceful just like last time, when there were no disturbances or reports of violence.

In New York City, the rally will begin in Columbus Circle, near Trump International Luxury Hotel, and march down over 20 blocks, according to protesters. It will include a who’s who of celebrities, including actor Robert de Niro.

In Minneapolis, which saw tens of thousands of protesters hit the streets in January and February following the Good and Pretti killings, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Bruce Springsteen are scheduled to speak at the event there, according to “No Kings” organizers.

The White House and other allies have not commented on this weekend’s events, but in the past they and some Republicans argued he protests were “hate America” rallies.

Trump himself dismissed the protests in October telling reporters, “I’m not a king,” prior to the rallies.

Afterward, the president re-posted an AI-generated video on his social media platform showing him piloting a fighter jet, appearing to dumping excrement on protesters.

The White House did not comment on the video. House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, came to Trump’s defense.

“The president uses social media to make the point. You can argue he’s probably the most effective person who’s ever used social media for that,” Johnson told reporters on Oct. 20. “He is using satire to make a point. He is not calling for the murder of his political opponents.”

March 28, 2026March 30, 2026

Local news World news

Where things stand 1 month into the war with Iran

Smoke rises after an explosion in the industrial zone, caused by debris after interception of a drone by air defence, according to the Fujairah media office on March 05, 2026, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched massive strikes on Iran in an operation targeting military and government sites that President Donald Trump has said could last as little as four weeks.

One month later, both countries remain engaged in a war that has impacted the wider Gulf region, killing thousands of people, as the Pentagon is preparing to surge thousands of troops to the Middle East, according to U.S. officials.

As the U.S. enters its fifth week of the conflict, here’s a look at how we got here, where things stand and where they may go from here.

Negotiations break down
Operation Epic Fury began months after the U.S. and Israel carried out strikes on nuclear weapons facilities in Iran, with Trump declaring at that time that the regime’s nuclear capabilities had been “obliterated.”‘

In the weeks leading up to the Feb. 28 strikes, the U.S. tried to negotiate with the Iranian regime to reach a nuclear deal, with Trump saying he was weighing whether to strike. A day before launching Operation Epic Fury against Iran, Trump said he was “not happy” with the negotiations.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran in the initial strikes, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei later chosen to succeed him.

Trump said at the start of the “major combat operations,” which occurred without Congressional approval, that they were to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” and he called on the Iranian people to depose the regime.

In the weeks since, more than 1,440 civilians, including at least 217 children, have died from U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran as of March 23, according to a report from several human rights groups. Iranian officials have blamed the U.S. for a missile strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed nearly 170 people. The Trump administration has said it is investigating the incident.

Regional allies attacked
Iran retaliated against the strikes with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations, primarily targeting U.S. interests in the region.

Thirteen American servicemembers have been killed since the war began, including seven from retaliatory strikes in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and six from an aircraft crash in Iraq. Over 300 troops have also been injured, a U.S. official said Friday.

Iran has also launched a series of retaliatory strikes against the energy infrastructure in several Gulf states after Israel hit its largest gas field — in what one Qatari official called a “dangerous escalation.”

Experts say the strikes and the threat of further attacks risk throwing global energy markets into a state of protracted chaos.

Amid the conflict, Israel has also intensified its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and expanded its ground operations in the south of the country. More than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands more injured in Lebanon amid this escalation, according to Lebanese officials.

In response to the U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime passage for the oil and shipping trades, threatening an energy crisis.

Iran has attacked several oil tankers since the war began in late February, halting nearly all shipping traffic. The supply shock has sent the price of oil surging.

Trump has threatened to attack Iran’s power plants if it doesn’t fully reopen the strait, since extending the deadline to do so to April 6.

US’ expansive aims
Trump’s stated goals in Iran have shifted and expanded in the weeks since the conflict began, from talks of regime change and peace throughout the Middle East to, more recently, reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Among other key aims, the U.S. military has said Iran’s navy and ballistic missile stocks and production capabilities have been degraded by airstrikes.

Making sure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon has been another major goal of Trump’s. Iran’s intent to build a nuclear weapon, according to Trump, was a central justification for the war.

Trump has suggested that Americans could go in to seize Iran’s enriched uranium. Experts previously told ABC News that a large American force on the ground would likely be needed to take the nuclear material but would carry a lot of risk.

During a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance emphasized the importance of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and warned that there are “further military options” possible.

Where things go from here
The White House has said “productive” negotiations have been ongoing between the U.S. and Iran, while officials in Tehran have publicly denied that any talks have taken place.

The U.S. has presented Iran with a 15-point framework for a peace deal via Pakistan, according to White House special envoy Steve Witkoff. As of Friday, the U.S. has not received a response from Iran, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Sources previously told ABC News the plan addressed Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs as well as maritime routes.

The negotiations come as the U.S. is preparing to surge as many as 5,000 troops to the Middle East, according to two U.S. officials, and the Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in supplemental funding for the war. The funding request has been met with bipartisan skepticism from some lawmakers.

Rubio on Friday declined to answer questions from reporters on whether the U.S. planned to deploy ground troops in Iran. Though he said the U.S. can achieve its goals without putting boots on the ground.

Trump, who has said he believed the war could last up to four weeks, and at other times four to six weeks, said this week that the operation is “ahead of schedule” and should end soon. Rubio told reporters Friday that the operation could end in a “matter of weeks, not months.”

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday they need “a few more weeks” to fully degrade Iranian military capabilities, such as missile-launchers, a senior Israeli security official told ABC News.

March 28, 2026March 30, 2026

Business Local news

Dow closes down nearly 800 points as Iran war hits one-month mark

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), March 27, 2026, in New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Stocks closed significantly lower on Friday as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran showed little sign of an imminent resolution that would end one of the worst global oil shocks in decades.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 790 points, or 1.7%, while the S&P 500 fell 1.6%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 2.1%.

The session on Friday marked the end of a woeful week for the major stock indexes. The Dow declined 1% this week, while the S&P 500 fell 2%. The Nasdaq decreased 3%.

Late Thursday, President Donald Trump postponed U.S. attacks on power plants in Iran in an apparent effort to avoid escalation of the Middle East conflict.

In a post on social media on Thursday, Trump said he was “pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction” until April 6.

In the event of such an attack, Iran has said it would carry out strikes against energy infrastructure in neighboring countries, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency state media.

Wall Street appeared to find little solace in the reprieve from large-scale tit-for-tat attacks on infrastructure.

Iran continues to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for oil delivery. The strait facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of the global supply of crude oil and natural gas.

Global oil prices stood at about $113 a barrel on Friday, marking a staggering 61% rise since war with Iran began a month ago.

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), earlier this week said the current oil crisis had surpassed the combined effect of worldwide energy shocks in the 1970s.

U.S. Treasury yields climbed on Thursday, suggesting concern about economic instability and inflation stemming from the Iran war.

The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond, or the amount paid to a bondholder annually, stands at about 4.45%, marking a nearly half-percentage point jump from a month earlier.

On Friday, bond yields soared close to levels reached in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs last April, when the 10-year Treasury yield peaked at around 4.5%.

Since bonds pay a given investor a fixed amount each year, the specter of inflation risks higher prices that would eat away at those annual payouts.

In turn, bonds often become less attractive in response to economic turmoil. When demand falls, bond yields rise.

March 27, 2026March 28, 2026

Local news Politics

Trump denies he’s ‘desperate’ to make deal with Iran, insists Tehran is ‘begging’ for one

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, March 26, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Thursday insisted Iran is “begging to make a deal” to end the war amid seemingly tenuous indirect talks between the U.S. and Tehran.

“I mean, I read a story today that I’m desperate to make a deal. I’m not,” the president said during a meeting of his Cabinet at the White House.

“I’m the opposite of desperate, I don’t care … In fact, we have other targets we want to hit before we leave. We’re hitting them on a daily basis,” Trump added.

Trump also revealed the “very big present” from Iran he said earlier this week was a sign talks were progressing: 10 oil tankers were allowed safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

“I say they’re lousy fighters, but they’re great negotiators,” he said of the Iranians.

“And they are begging to work out a deal,” Trump said. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to do that. I don’t know if we’re willing to do that.”

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed during Thursday’s meeting that the U.S. presented Iran with a 15-point framework for a peace deal by way of Pakistan.

Witkoff did not provide any specifics on what is in the proposal, though sources previously told ABC News it addressed Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs as well as maritime routes.

“I can say this, we will see where things lead and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point with no good alternatives for them other than more death and destruction,” Witkoff said. “We have strong signs that this is a possibility, and if a deal happens, it will be great for the country of Iran, for the entire region and the world at large.”

Iran responded to the plan through intermediaries overnight, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, which quoted an informed source. Reuters reported that according to a senior Iranian official, Iran’s initial response to the U.S. proposal was that it was “one-sided and unfair.”

The administration now ramping up pressure on Iran to agree to a diplomatic off-ramp.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned on Wednesday: “President Trump does not bluff, and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not miscalculate again.”

President Trump earlier Thursday told Iran to “get serious, before it is too late.”

The first indication of new talks came from President Trump on Monday, as he announced he was postponing major attacks he’d threatened on Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days — until Friday — due to what he said were “very strong talks.”

Trump was asked Thursday about the status of that deadline, and whether it would be pushed back.

“I don’t know yet. I don’t know,” Trump said. He later added, “And we have a lot of time. You know what? It’s a day. In Trump time, a day, you know what it is, that’s an eternity.”

Hours later, Trump posted on social media that he was pushing the deadline to April 6.

“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time. Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” his post read.

Involved in negotiations are Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to Trump.

Vance, during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, emphasized the importance of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and warned that there are “further military options” possible.

The U.S. is continuing to send thousands more U.S. troops to the Middle East, and the Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in supplemental funding as the conflict continues.

With the conflict in its fourth week, President Trump on Thursday continued to repeat the four-to-six-week timeline he estimated at the onset of the conflict and said the operation is “ahead of schedule.”

Trump said the war will “end soon” and once again referred to it as an “excursion” and a “little detour.”

Trump and his top officials have changed their rhetoric over the course of the conflict, first calling it a “war” but more recently calling it a “military operation.”

Trump acknowledged that inconsistency in remarks at the annual National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dinner on Wednesday night. He said the change was because of concerns that Congress has not authorized military action.

“I won’t use the word war, because they say if you use the word war, that’s maybe not a good thing to do. They don’t like the word war because you’re supposed to get approval. So, I’ll use the word military operation, which is really what it is,” the president said.

March 26, 2026March 27, 2026

Health Local news

Smoking rate among US adults drops to record low as vape use rises: CDC

Signage outside the Center for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Megan Varner/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Cigarette smoking among U.S. adults continues to fall to record low levels as e-cigarette use rises, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published early Thursday.

Nearly 10% of adults in the U.S. smoked cigarettes in 2024, the report found. This is down from about 11% in 2023, CDC data shows.

Rates of cigarette use have dramatically fallen since a landmark 1964 Surgeon General report warned about the dangers of cigarette smoking and linked it to lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and other serious diseases.

The 1964 report also found a 70% higher mortality rate among smokers and helped launch a nationwide anti-smoking campaign.

At the time, more than 42% of adult Americans were smokers, according to the Surgeon General.

“Decreased cigarette use is certainly in line with decades of trends and really hard work on the part of public health and education folks to get the word out about how awful cigarettes are and how deadly they are,” Dr. Maria Rahmandar, medical director of the substance use & prevention program in the division of adolescent and young adult medicine at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, told ABC News.

“However, with decreased cigarette use, that means that big tobacco companies are losing money, and so they’re always looking for new ways to capture customers and hook new people on powerfully addictive … nicotine,” she added.

The new CDC report found those living in rural areas were more likely to smoke more than city dwellers. More than 15% of those in non-metropolitan areas smoked cigarettes compared to those living in cities, the report noted.

Meanwhile, the report found that 7% of American adults used e-cigarettes, or vapes, in 2024.

This is a slight uptick from 6.5% of adults reporting e-cigarette use in 2023 and nearly double from the 3.7% of adults who reported using e-cigarettes in 2020, CDC data shows.

“I think we had a shot [at] the first tobacco‑free generation prior to e‑cigarettes coming onto the market. Unfortunately, it’s kind of derailed that progress,” Thomas Carr, director of national policy at the American Lung Association, told ABC News.

The report found that vaping patterns were similar to cigarettes by metro areas, where 6.1% reported using e-cigarettes compared to 9.2% in rural areas.

Previous CDC data found that men; those who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual; and those who report serious psychological distress are more likely to report current e-cigarette use.

The CDC has also previously found that some adults use e-cigarettes to try to quit smoking cigarettes. The health agency notes the Food and Drug Administration has not approved any e-cigarette to help people quit smoking.

Rahmandar said e-cigarettes have been marketed as a way for people to get off cigarettes, which she noted can help. But she cautioned that there are still many unknowns about e-cigarette harms.

“Cigarettes are terrible, and it is possible that e‑cigarettes are safer — not safe — safer than cigarettes,” she said. “So could it be better for somebody to switch that in a harm reduction philosophy? Yes, however, we still don’t know long term effects of e‑cigarettes, either … We know that there are immediate effects. There certainly are harmful chemicals, carcinogens, toxins, heavy metals, respiratory irritants and other things inside of there that certainly can cause immediate harm.”

By age, those between age 45 and 64 were most likely to be smokers followed by those between ages 25 and 44.

Among vapers, those between ages 18 and 24 had the highest prevalence of e-cigarette use followed by those between ages 25 and 44.

Previous CDC data has shown that the majority of young adults who use e-cigarettes have never smoked cigarettes.

“I think this is … the JUUL generation,” Carr said, referencing what was the most popular e-cigarette in the U.S. “From 2017 to 2019, they got teens to get hooked on JUUL, and they’re now adults, and unfortunately, they haven’t been able to quit using e-cigarettes.”

Tiffany Le, MD, is a pediatrics resident at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

ABC News’ Liz Neporent contributed to this report.

March 26, 2026March 27, 2026

Local news

Pine Products to get another chance

The USDA has approved a $7.56 million loan guarantee to a company in Mississippi to restart the idle Pine Products…

March 26, 2026March 26, 2026

Category: Local news