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Reform politician says smart glasses helping him make speeches in Wales' parliament
Jason O'Connell sparked debate when he started wearing the glasses, which have an autocue feature.
Senedd member says smart glasses help with speeches in the Senedd
Jason O'Connell sparked debate when he started wearing the glasses, which have an autocue feature.
Business in Edmonds' Westgate Village 'heavily damaged' by early Saturday morning fire
South County firefighters extinguished a fire that heavily damaged an Edmonds business Saturday morning and stopped the fire from spreading to other businesses. Around 5:45 a.m., firefighters responded after a […]
Vinyl record junkies find a lot to love at Utica's Record Riots
Kirkland was one of hundreds of vinyl record enthusiasts to brave the chilly temperatures Saturday morning, Oct. 17, to attend the Record Riots traveling convention at the Deerfield Fire Station. Based in New Jersey, Record Riots is one of the largest network of vinyl shows in the country, with pop-ups stretching from Utica to Ohio to Virginia. The Utica Record Riot typically takes place three times a year.
Newsom offers mental health support for USS Abraham Lincoln sailors
Sailors and Marines who recently returned from an extended deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln were offered mental health services Saturday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Seattle hazmat crews respond to CO2 leak at Ballard business
Seattle firefighters are working to secure a carbon dioxide leak after an alarm activated in a commercial building in Ballard Saturday morning.The Seattle Fire
Fire damages Gyro Makers and nearby nail salon in Edmonds’ Westgate Village
A fire damaged a restaurant and an adjacent business Saturday morning in Edmonds’ Westgate neighborhood, South County Fire said.Firefighters responded at about
Baptist Health Hamburg hosts Breast Cancer Awareness Walk
A sea of pink could be seen outside Baptist Health Hamburg on Saturday morning, as the hospital held its third annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk.
Intel "Razor Lake-AX" to Pack 700 TOPS of AI Compute
Intel's senior vice president, Cho Min-sung, announced at the Semiconductors Powering Humanoids summit in South Korea that the next-generation "Razor Lake-AX" platform will be a computing powerhouse, featuring 700 TOPS of AI compute on die. This means that at INT8/FP8 precision, "Razor Lake-AX"...
AI Meets the Mind: How Health Data Science Is Rewiring Neuroscience and Psychology
Artificial intelligence is quietly transforming two of the most intimate fields of medicine: neuroscience and psychology. A new editorial published in Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience by Lei Lu of King's College London, Zhiqiang Huo of Queen Mary University of London,
ASUS returns to Intel graphics cards after five years with Arc Pro B70 32GB
ASUS has introduced its first Intel graphics card since the DG1 in 2021. The new Arc Pro B70 features 32GB of GDDR6 memory and targets professional AI workloads.
iOS’s New Handoff Feature Will Cost $10 on Verizon
It will cost twice as much to use the new feature on Verizon as on T-Mobile.
Kenya’s Ebola cases rise to 7, including health workers who cared for the first patient
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three Kenyan health workers have tested positive for Ebola after caring for the country's first confirmed case, the Health Ministry said Saturday.
Kenya’s Ebola cases rise to 7, including health workers who cared for the first patient
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three Kenyan health workers have tested positive for Ebola after caring for the country's first confirmed case, the Health Ministry said Saturday. Another person linked to the fi...
Supporting quantitative skills in biomedical science with smart worksheets: intentions, impact and barriers to engagement
Every year, hundreds of thousands of students arrive at university with one shared weakness: the maths hiding inside their science. In biomedical science, where pipetting volumes, dilution factors, calibration curves and statistical spread underpin nearly every practical
Salt crystals could hold clues to life beneath Enceladus's ice
The ocean beneath Saturn's moon Enceladus lies under kilometers of ice, but some of its contents do reach the surface. Jets near the south pole spray out water vapor and icy particles, offering a way ...
Smash Bros. Pro Barred From Event Following Bed Bug Concern
Announcing a hiatus, Melee pro Jason ‘Mew2King’ Zimmerman says he regrets posting the now viral photos and would have stepped back if he believed the community was at risk
GBIF at 25: The Open Data Machine Behind Global Biodiversity Science
Twenty-five years ago, a handful of governments bet that the fastest route to saving life on Earth ran through something unglamorous: standardized, freely shared data about where species live. That bet became the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, or GBIF, an
Kenya confirms four new Ebola cases, bringing total number to seven
Oct 17 () - Kenya confirmed four new cases of the Ebola Bundibugyo virus on Saturday, including three health workers who treated the country's first patient, bringing the total number of confirmed ca...
Trump’s decision to waive Russian sanctions outrages Congress, but no quick counter seen
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to waive sanctions on Russia days before they were to take effect drew outrage Saturday from members
Health Act Rally in Rochester
New Yorkers will rally on October 17 in a coordinated day of action calling on the State Legislature to pass the New York Health Act and guarantee healthcare for every New Yorker. Across hundreds of miles, New Yorkers will stand together on the same day, under the same banner, with one unified message for Albany: New York is facing a healthcare crisis.
Ukiah father and business owner detained 19 months ago for undocumented status • The Mendocino Voice
Married to a US citizen, he survives by his art and helping others.
Political cartoons for October 17
Saturday’s political cartoons include masking mandate, the press secretary, and more
Nationwide No Kings protests push for historic early voting results
Millions of Americans are expected to gather in big cities and small towns and vote early on Saturday, Oct. 17, in a continuation of the popular No Kings protests.
Heat reduces photosynthesis in California redwoods
California redwoods reduce photosynthesis at high temperatures, which may affect their long-term survival and forests’ capacity to store atmospheric carbon.
$17 Million Golfer Withdraws From DP World India Championship After Health Scare
The 2026 DP World India Championship has brought several of golf’s leading international players to Delhi Golf Club. The October 15–18 event features a $4 million prize fund and a challenging course that has tested competitors throughout the opening rounds.Min Woo Lee arrived in India for his tournament debut, hoping to compete against a strong […] The post $17 Million Golfer Withdraws From DP World India Championship After Health Scare appeared first on HEAVY.
How Light Rewrites Skin Biology: New Research Moves Beyond Sunburn Science
A new editorial in Frontiers in Photobiology argues that skin's response to light extends far beyond sunburn and DNA damage, encompassing inflammasome-driven inflammation, visible-light pigmentation, and photochemical therapies.
Businesses targeted in burglary spree in Dundalk, Rosedale
Baltimore City police and Baltimore County officers began investigating multiple commercial crimes in the Dundalk area early Saturday.
Morning Break: Saints prepare to face Giants, Chris Olave returns to practice
A collection of headlines and news about the Saints and the NFL for Saturday, October 17
Rally to pass the New York Health Act
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Dozens of community members are expected to gather on Saturday morning to call on the State Legislature to pass the New York Health Act. New Yorkers will stand together wit…
AMC Movie Trivia App Launch At AMC Stock Has Changed Its Investment Story
AMC Entertainment Holdings has launched AMC Movie Trivia Game Show, a free mobile trivia app created with Hoyt Games and puzzle designer David L. Hoyt, featuring daily movie themed puzzles and AMC Stubs integration. The app shifts part of AMC Entertainment Holdings' customer interaction into mobile gaming and extends the loyalty program into everyday engagement beyond theater visits. The next point of consideration is how AMC Entertainment Holdings' investment narrative might be influenced...
NASA’s Webb reveals the wild weather of a mysterious world 20 light-years away
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that a turbulent world 20 light-years away has a surprisingly orderly weather system, with three recurring atmospheric states driven by temperature changes and shifting clouds. The breakthrough gives scientists a powerful new tool for uncovering weather patterns on distant worlds and understanding the conditions that shape their atmospheres.
California redwoods are struggling in the heat — and it's not clear how much damage is being done
When temperatures rise, California redwoods slow down their rate of photosynthesis, a discovery that could have implications for the long-term survival of the iconic species.
Saturday Sports: Brewers advance, Guardians lead in MLB; WNBA finals tip off
NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Howard Bryant talk MLB playoffs and the WNBA Finals tip off.
Ultimate Netflix Quiz: Can you guess the hit show from a cropped screenshot?
Test your TV knowledge with this quiz featuring cropped screenshots from 10 hit Netflix shows and see how many you can identify.
Alabama vs. Tennessee: How to watch today's NCAA college football game, where to stream and more
How to watch the Alabama vs. Tennessee game this Saturday.
Weekend reads: Computer science conferences impose caps; Lancet strikes to continue; Is this the ‘mathocalypse’?
If your week flew by — we know ours did — catch up here with what you might have missed. The week at Retraction Watch featured: A company named Springer that isn’t the publisher is offering authors…
Rabies reports are rising in California. Experts can’t explain why
Rabies reports are up across the U.S., including in one greater Bay Area county where human exposures to rabid animals have tripled, prompting a local advisory to stay away from sick creatures.
New York Jets Flight Connections 10/17/26
Happy Saturday, Jets fans! The Jets received a bit of good news on Friday as Omar Cooper will return to the lineup for the first time since Week 1. The Jets will continue to be without starters Adonai Mitchell, Breece Hall, and Dylan Parham for the New England game, but at least injuries are moving […]
Notre Dame vs. BYU: How to watch tonight's NCAA college football game, where to stream and more
How to watch the Notre Dame vs. BYU game this Saturday.
Ohio State vs. Indiana: How to watch today's NCAA college football game, where to stream and more
How to watch the Ohio State vs. Indiana game this Saturday.
MSU vs. Northwestern. How to watch Big Ten football game
The MSU Spartans host Northwestern at noon Saturday, Oct. 17. Fans are in for sunny, yet cold, weather.
Bundesliga Heavyweights Collide: Bayern And Leipzig Unleash Their Attacking Stars
Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig are preparing for Saturday's Bundesliga showdown at the Allianz Arena, with the predicted lineups offering an early indication of how both teams could approach one of the biggest fixtures of the weekend.
Stuart’s Opera House to present Yasmin Williams with The Dream Quartet
NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Stuart’s Opera House welcomes Yasmin Williams with The Dream Quartet to Nelsonville, Ohio on Saturday, April 10, 2027, at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now starting
NC's history shows why political factions are natural
Political factions are natural, but history shows we can still work together despite our deep differences.
Brenda Lucas: Community news for Saturday, Oct. 17
Click for community news in the Huntington, West Virginia, and Tri-State area.
Today's 5️⃣ top stories: Tebas-Florentino war, Bellingham until 2031
Saturday, October 17 is here, bringing a day packed with football and news. So let's run through the five stories you can't miss to start your day...The Tebas–Florentino Pérez feud is heating up���...
Business Briefs for Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026
This week's digest of area business announcements, milestones and news.
Hurricanes @ Jets: Preview and Game Thread
The Carolina Hurricanes (6-1-1) begin their annual “State Fair road trip” with a match against the Winnipeg Jets (4-1-2) on Saturday afternoon. The Canes have won six games in a row and have looked good doing it. Sebastian Aho with 13 points (6G 7A), Andrei Svechnikov 11 points (6G 5A), and Mark Jankowski are each […]
FEATURE: Scientists edge closer to making world of "Ghost in the Shell" a reality
Becoming invisible and uploading human consciousness may sound like something out of the world of the famed cyberpunk anime and manga series "Ghost in the Shell," but two Japanese scientists are working to turn such science fiction concepts into reality.
LSU Tigers Face Mississippi State Without Star QB
LSU hosts Mississippi State on Saturday as star QB Kamario Taylor sits out with injury. Get the latest stats, weather, and key matchups before the game.
Guardians-Rays Game 4 of ALCS Postponed Due to Rain
The Cleveland Guardians Game 4 matchup has been postponed and moved to Saturday due to rain.
Arts & Entertainment Calendar
Ghost Walk: Farmville Community Arts Council’s annual Ghost Walk will be held today and Thursday-Saturday. Tours will leave from the Paramount Theater, 3723 N. Main St., Farmville, every 10 minutes
A scoping review of bias in large AI models for medicine and healthcare
Communications Health - A scoping review of bias in large AI models for medicine and healthcare
Verizon Will Charge $10 a Month for iPhone Handoff
Verizon plans to charge customers $10 per month for the iPhone Handoff feature that Apple added in iOS 27. iPhone Handoff allows one phone number to be shared across two separate iPhones. Pricing was included in Verizon's iPhone Duo announcement today, with the carrier confirming iPhone Handoff will work with the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro models.
Dreaming Big, Building Better: Hugg & Hall Reaches A Major Milestone
Hugg & Hall Equipment Co. celebrates 70 years in business, highlighting its Arkansas roots, family leadership, growth and innovation in construction equipment.
Downtown Portland businesses weigh safety and signs of progress after deadly shooting
Downtown Portland business owners react after police fatally shot a man on SW Broadway. Merchants describe chaos, shifting street behavior, and cautious optimism as crime data shows assaults up, homicides down.
Final plans for Trump’s arch appear to abandon his ‘military complex’ idea
Newly posted documents make no mention of drones, snipers or other military features announced by the president. A White House official disputed that plans had changed.
Mission 43 is hosting a Military Business Market to support local veterans
This Saturday, the public is invited out to the Military Business Market at the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse to shop local while supporting veterans and active duty service members.
Hello82 Founder on Inaugural K-pop Festival 82World Featuring ATEEZ
The two-day, fan-focused festival arrives in Los Angeles this weekend, headlined by the chart-topping boy group ATEEZ.
Prisco's Family Market celebrating 100 years of business in Aurora
Prisco's Family Market in Aurora is marking a major milestone, celebrating 100 years in business after surviving challenges ranging from the Great Depression and World War II to natural disasters and the pandemic.
Gaston’s science department launches rock collecting project
By Caylie Moore, Features Editor Since the beginning of the school year, Gaston High School students have been working on a pen pal project — but don’t underestimate the point of this assignment, Features Editor Caylie Moore cautions. This project is no ordinary exchange of simple letters, nor unnecessary busywork for a drawn-out English class, […]
Player Availability Report: #SKCvRSL
Player Availability Report is SportingKC.com’s look at the latest status updates around the team ahead of upcoming matches and is presented by Saint Luke’s. All details listed are from the league’s official Player Status Report that is submitted the day prior to the match. Sporting Kansas City returns home this
Performers’ Circle features Larry Guenther and Friends
The Performers’ Circle will feature Larry Guenther and Friends at 7 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 27, at Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. in Davis. Larry and Friends will bring original
Davis Community Guitar Orchestra presents fall concert
The Davis Community Guitar Orchestra invites music lovers of all ages to an afternoon performance on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Davis Community Church, 412
Why Red Bull Got Into the Ski Business—And Teamed Up with an Austrian Racing Legend to Do It
Red Bull teamed up with an Austrian racing legend to manufacture skis, and it’s the mashup we’ve all been waiting for
North Carolina could play a key role in this year's midterm elections
Midterm election results in North Carolina could significantly influence the state and shape the national political landscape, says John Dinan, a Wake Forest University professor of political science. Dinan explains what North Carolinians will see on the ballot, the importance of key candidate contests and the potential ripple effects on the state and federal levels.…
Annapolis boat shows bring big sales to City Dock businesses
This year’s boat shows are the first fall shows since the City Dock project started in November. One restaurant said last Saturday was its “busiest day in history.”
'The Wiz' Eases on Down the Road to Eisenhower Auditorium
The hit Broadway musical “The Wiz” will bring its reimagining of “The Wizard of Oz” to Penn State next week, featuring performers from “American Idol” and
6th annual Mental Health Awareness Walk in North Charleston Sat.
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – On Solid Grounds, a local nonprofit counseling practice, will host its 6th annual Mental Health Awareness Walk on Saturday, October 17, at Park Circle in North…
Winona Health holding memorial ceremony for infant loss
The ceremony will take place on Saturday, Oct. 17.
The Jeremy Wilson Foundation helps local musicians navigate healthcare and medical crisis
Oregon’s Jeremy Wilson Foundation is stepping up for musicians in medical crisis with grants and health navigation; free Oct 22 Portland event on big 2027 OHP changes.
Music scene heats up for fall
Late October performances include events at the Mondavi Center, a chamber music concert off campus featuring a rising star on the piano, and a pair of unusual concerts sponsored by
Hackathon Welcomes STC Cybersecurity Students
For South Texas College Cybersecurity student Athena Vallejo, presenting to high school students at one of the college’s signature events is an opportunity to show them a future they can build for themselves.
TULSA HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO HOST 10TH ANNUAL NORTH TULSA COMMUNITY BABY SHOWER SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24
Tulsa, Okla. — [Oct. 16, 2026] — The Tulsa Health Department (THD) will host its 10th annual North Tulsa Community Baby Shower on Saturday, October 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free come-and-go event will be held at the YMCA Gym at TCC Northeast Campus, located at 3727 E. Apache St. Parking for […]
Indigenous Biz Con explores a renaissance in Tribal business, technology and entertainment
Indigenous Biz Con returned for its fifth year Oct. 11-13, bringing Indigenous leaders, entrepreneurs and community members to Milwaukee to explore a potential economic renaissance for Indian Country. The annual conference, held at Potawatomi Casino, featured discussions on the current state and
Indigenous Biz Con explores a renaissance in Tribal business, technology and entertainment
Indigenous Biz Con returned for its fifth year Oct. 11-13, bringing Indigenous leaders, entrepreneurs and community members to Milwaukee to explore a potential economic renaissance for Indian Country. The annual conference, held at Potawatomi Casino, featured discussions on the current state and
Milwaukee leaders spotlight community-centered health care
A new documentary explores community-led efforts to close health care gaps. Its screening and a community conversation are on Saturday, Oct. 17, at No Studios.
Saturday Science Gets Spooky: 100-Plus Hands-On Experiences Return to Alexandria
Alexandria's free Spooky Mad Science Expo returns Saturday with hands-on STEM activities, costumes and more than 100 interactive experiences.
Building the Business Beat from the Ground Up
With the U.S. economy facing the most complex and fast-changing environment in recent history, the business beat has never been more vital in newsrooms tasked with distilling a constellation of forces for local communities. Costly tariff policies, labor crises tied to immigration enforcement, and breaks in the global supply chain are testing both local businesses...Read More
Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini Price Increases 'Much More Striking' Than New Features
Daring Fireball's John Gruber shared his first impressions of the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2 this week, and he concluded that the price increases the devices received are "much more striking" than any of the new features introduced. Prior to receiving price increases in late June, the previous Apple TV 4K started at $129 in the U.S., while the previous HomePod mini was priced at $99.
Buccaneers Reveal Baker Mayfield’s Status vs. Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles confirmed on Friday that quarterback Baker Mayfield will be out for Sunday’s game […]
Pokémon TCG Pocket Is Finally Fixing One Of Its Most Frustrating Features
Alongside slowing its release cadence, trading and immersive cards are also getting improvements
The Next Pandemic Might Already Be Taking Shape at the Edge of the World’s Vanishing Forests
Outbreaks cluster where people, livestock, and damaged ecosystems collide, a new Nature study finds.
Kristi Noem quietly moves to her third job in Trump administration
(CNN) — Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has quietly moved into a new role at the State Department after her special envoy status expired last month.
Reaching peak fall color: The science of autumn's transformation
Ever wonder how every year nature transforms green leaves into a stunning array of colors?
Indiana football hosts Ohio State: 3 Things to watch for
Indiana football is set to play its biggest home game in program history Saturday. Here’s what to watch for.
Red Bull New York Debuts New, Lower Prices on Fan Favorites at Sports Illustrated Stadium
Matchday just got better. Red Bull New York are always looking for ways to improve the experience at Sports Illustrated Stadium, and fan input is a big part of that. The latest step: lower prices on six fan-favorites, starting with the Saturday, October 17 match vs. Toronto FC. Crispy Fries
Uniting Hearts Music Festival combines entertainment with community service on October 17
The Uniting Hearts Music Festival returns for its seventh annual event on Saturday, October 17th.
Nature Rx Day Highlights Nature's Impact on Mental Health
Free webinar and day-long live events on November 4.
HomePod is about to get free upgrade with these new features
There’s no new full-size HomePod launching yet, but Apple has confirmed three features coming to the existing HomePod 2 soon.
Texas Upstream Employment Down in September
Citing the latest Current Employment Statistics (CES) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) highlighted new employment figures for the Texas oil and natural gas industry. According to TIPRO, employment in the Texas upstream sector decreased by 500 jobs between August and September 2026
Business taking action for nature at CBD COP17
At the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19-30 October, IUCN will show how business can use science, data and technology to scale up its contribution to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Title revealed for “The Mummy” sequel featuring the onscreen reunion of Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz
The franchise’s fourth installment is a direct sequel to 1999’s “The Mummy” and 2001 sequel, “The Mummy Returns.”
Newcastle United v Aston Villa Live TV and these global channel listings
Around the world, here are the channels you can watch Newcastle United v Aston Villa Live TV. The global TV listings are featured below for local (to you) coverage on Saturday (5.
Veteran Western Swing Band Plays Bethlehem Oct. 24
BETHLEHEM, N.H. — The Colonial Theatre welcomes legendary Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel to the stage on Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m. for an evening of American
ASUS ProArt P16 "RTX Spark" Laptop Review - NVIDIA's First Full PC Platform Brings Powerful AI & Gaming Capabilities
NVIDIA RTX Spark launches with ASUS ProArt P16, featuring N1X SoC, 6144 CUDA cores, & up to 128 GB memory for impressive gaming and AI.
Can AI solve our mental health access problem?
Last week I asked you what worries you most about AI in health. It was close, but your top answer was “AI giving bad health advice.” Last week’s poll results: You’re in good company. This concern was top of mind at a conference I joined at Stanford last week, where researchers, clinicians, and people who build AI systems spent a day debating trust and safety in health AI. Stepping back, I’m also hearing your emerging concerns about AI’s impact on our well-being generally. I see this as a matter of public health, and we’ll take it in pieces as we learn together. Today we’ll focus on AI chatbots used for therapy for mental health. Early this month, Governor Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 903, California’s most ambitious attempt to regulate AI use for mental health. It’s at the center of active debate, and raises the questions patients, family members, citizens, and voters will face as AI moves deeper into health care. Let’s work through it. What is “AI-based therapy”? It’s really two things: purpose-built mental health apps designed to deliver structured support, and general chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini that people increasingly use for emotional support—even if they weren’t built for it. Spoiler alert: I don’t know whether the shift toward AI therapy is good or bad. The evidence isn’t there yet. But I do know it’s already happening, and I have some ideas about how we can roll it out with safety in mind. The therapy dilemma, in a nutshell Mental health challenges are common, and strain health and well-being across populations. Therapy (interactive dialogue with a trained, empathetic practitioner) helps many people heal. The demand for licensed therapists far exceeds the supply in California, and AI-based therapy can narrow that gap. AI-based therapy remains novel, unproven, and not well tested. Right off the bat, we can see we’re dealing with trade-offs here. Since the main driver of demand for therapy from a robot is lack of access to therapy from a human, we’ll start there. It’s too hard to find and afford a human therapist California is short roughly 55,000 licensed, non-prescribing therapists and counselors, about 40% of what we need. Psychiatrists, who rely on talk therapy as a complement to prescribed medications, are even more scarce. Eight counties have none, and density ranges from 1.7 per 100,000 residents in San Benito County, to 68.1 in Marin County. My wife is a psychiatrist in Marin, and even here access is tight. If it’s hard in the best-supplied county, imagine rural Sierra County, or the San Joaquin Valley. In 2024, more than half of Californians who tried to make a mental health appointment struggled to find a provider who took their insurance, compared with 14% for physical health care. When Senate staff posed as “secret shopper” patients and called 120 mental health providers in Medicare Advantage networks, they landed an appointment less than once for every five tries. Insurers pay behavioral health clinicians about 22% less than medical and surgical clinicians for comparable office visits. On top of that, billing denials and prior authorizations hit hardest at the solo and small practices common in mental health. Psychiatrists opt out of Medicare at the highest rate of any specialty. In many places, a cash practice for therapy fills quickly with patients paying $250 or more an hour, with no insurance paperwork at all. Families who can pay cash find providers more easily. Those who rely on insurance, including Medi-Cal enrollees, older adults, rural residents, and non-English speakers, compete for what’s left. So we can’t pretend the human system works, and we can’t blame people for turning to AI for support when they’re in distress. AI is filling the gap It’s estimated that roughly a quarter of AI users use it for mental health support. If you have internet, it’s available 24/7, it’s cheap, and it speaks your language. Uninsured adults are about twice as likely as insured adults to do it (30% vs. 14%). It feels anonymous in ways that may enable people to ask things they’re unsure or embarrassed about. The largely hidden, personal use makes it hard to study whether it’s actually helping people with their mental health issues, but researchers are trying. Does AI therapy work? A 2026 analysis of nearly 40 randomized trials found chatbots showed a real but small reduction in depression symptoms. But most of these trials were compared to an alternative of no therapy, not a human therapist. So the benefit of AI therapy is probably real, but modest, and mostly untested against the alternative of human contact. We need more studies. Serious concerns OpenAI’s own estimate is that more than a million ChatGPT users each week show signs of suicidal planning or intent. These are high stakes encounters, and AI doesn’t always get it right. That’s partly because a chatbot can sound like a therapist, but it has no license, no duty of care, and it’s not clear who to hold accountable when it gets things wrong. AI is also designed to help users in whatever task they’re seeking to accomplish. People may feel like they’re getting therapy, but they’re mainly getting a convincing conversation. It’s easy for an AI companion to wander into gray areas, like playing along with “creative writing” that may be about the user’s own suicidal intent. Courts are driving safety conversations A wave of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of families claiming that chatbots pushed people they loved toward self-harm, including teens who died by suicide. The first settlements came this year. OpenAI is headquartered in San Francisco, and dozens of cases alleging that ChatGPT drove users to suicide or self-harm are now before a San Francisco judge. Character.ai has filed for bankruptcy after several states brought lawsuits accusing the chatbot of pushing dangerous content to kids. But the technology seems to be improving. Last month, an independent evaluation found that newer AI models “almost never endorse suicide.” That’s progress, but our societal appetite for even one preventable death is very low. So how do we move forward? Finding a middle ground Earlier this month the governor vetoed Senate Bill 903, a bill designed to place guardrails on the use of AI for therapy. The bill would have prohibited any AI-based platform from being advertised as psychotherapy, and would have required a licensed professional to review and approve each encounter where AI was used to support therapeutic decisions. Newsom called it overly broad, since even routine screening questions would have needed clinician sign-off. Knowing we’re already short on mental health providers, requiring human review of AI encounters may not relieve our access problems. Still, the answer isn’t no oversight. Here’s one feasible short term solution. Rather than reviewing each encounter, a licensed clinician can design the guardrails: what counts as a crisis, what triggers an immediate handoff to a human, and what gets sampled for audit each month. The AI runs inside that structure. Conversations get checked, failures get reported, and a real clinician owns the framework. Medicine already has models to learn from. The FDA process for rolling out newly approved medications is an example. After a product reaches patients, we keep watching for adverse events. Patient-facing AI needs the same “digital pharmacovigilance”: systematic tracking of harms, near misses, and the types of groups that get hurt and why. It’s also critical that users know that they can reach a human if they’re in crisis. Most chatbots now include messages like these: Bottom line The rush to use unproven AI tools for mental health support is mostly a workaround, a sign of a health system people can’t get into. We need better access to proven care from licensed clinicians. That takes reimbursement that makes accepting insurance viable, and a bigger workforce. But, built and tested well, AI could be part of the answer. It could be the 2 a.m. check-in when no one else is awake, or a way for patients to practice skills their therapist taught them. It could be the first step to get someone the right level of care, and take paperwork off clinicians’ plates so they spend more time with patients. None of this is simple. The SB 903 veto doesn’t end the debate, and the legislature will be back. In the meantime, those of us using these tools need to stay informed, ask hard questions, and hold the companies building them accountable. I’ll try to do my part, and we’ll keep learning together. Love,Matt P.S. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988- you’ll reach a real person— or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7. Dr. Matt Willis is the author of Your Local Epidemiologist in California. A California native, he’s served as a primary care physician, CDC epidemiologist, and public health officer for Marin County, where he guided the pandemic response. He lives in Marin with his family and their dogs, Teddy and Ramona. Thank you Cynthia He, MD, PhD, and Parnika Saxena, MD, for their guidance in preparing this article. Cynthia works in an outpatient mental health clinic, treating patients who have Medi-Cal or, sometimes, no insurance. Parnika works in an inpatient psychiatric unit, treating patients with public or private insurance or self-pay ability. All opinions are their own and do not represent their employers.