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Data breach at Chesapeake business
Hampton Roads Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina News, Weather, Traffic and Sports.
Hampton Beach businesses want free trash pickup; residents say it’s time to pay
Should businesses pay for trash collection at Hampton Beach? A packed hearing showed a division between residents and business owners.
Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe appears in political PSA on political differences
KRCG offers coverage of news, sports, weather and local events in the Columbia and Jefferson City, Missouri area, including the communities of New Bloomfield, Shaw, Boonville, Ashland, Hallsville, Sturgeon, Centralia, Mexico, Auxvasse, Fulton, California, Tipton, Eldon, Wardsville, Westphalia and Sedalia, Missouri.
The Creative Arts Economy: A Local Business Beat Hiding Plain Sight
Long before TimeLine Theatre opened the doors to its new home in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood earlier this year, PJ Powers and Mica Cole had a vision for something much more than a state-of-the-art show venue. For Powers, the theatre’s co-founder and Cole, executive director, the goal was to transform a shuttered warehouse into a living...Read More
Carrie Ann Inaba curses live on“ Dancing With the Stars ”while praising underdog’s salsa
The judge couldn’t hold in her enthusiasm for this athlete’s agile salsa to “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.
New iPhone spyware can steal passwords and photos
P7 DarkSword iPhone spyware can steal saved passwords, photos, Apple Notes and cryptocurrency wallet data by checking for commands every 15 seconds.
Morocco health alert issued due to diphtheria: US Embassy
In the North African country of Morocco, the country’s Ministry of Health reported a small diphtheria outbreak with clusters in multiple regions in Morocco in late September. Moroccan health teams are tracing contacts and providing preventive treatment and vaccines. This has prompted the US Embassy to issue a health alert for U.S. citizens in Morocco. Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection. It spreads primarily from person to person through coughs and sneezes (respiratory droplets). Most Americans were vaccinated as children and have received Td or TdaP boosters as adults. The risk to U.S. citizens in Morocco remains low. U.S. Citizens may contact their local doctors if they would like immunizations. Embassy officials advise citizens to watch out for the following symptoms: Sore throat or hoarse voice, mild fever, a thick gray or white coating in the throat or nose, swollen neck and trouble swallowing or breathing. If you or a family member has trouble breathing or swallowing, please contact your local doctor. They also advise on the following actions concerning vaccines: Check your vaccination records and your family members’ records. Get a booster if you need one. Adults need a diphtheria booster (Td or Tdap) every 10 years. Make sure your children are up to date on their routine vaccines. Outbreak News Today is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
13News Now
13News Now (WVEC) is made up of storytellers, innovators, content creators, and idea generators. We stand for passion. Passion for our people, passion in our product, and above all- passion in our community. We value honesty, accuracy, and solutions. We serve as the local ABC affiliate for Hampton Roads. We strive for interaction with our audience and are constantly working on our presentation so that you have the best experience when consuming our products. Whether on air, online, or on the go- we are everywhere you go. Digitally we lead the market by more than a million actions over our nearest competitor. Join the conversation with us, help us tell the Stories of Now. About our parent company TEGNA- TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) is an innovative media company that serves the greater good of our communities. With 46 television stations in 38 markets, TEGNA delivers relevant content and information to consumers across platforms.
Pfizer makes ‘business decision’ to end phase 2 trial of autoimmune drug as program’s future uncertain
Pfizer has called time on a phase 2 trial of its CXCR5 antibody in an autoimmune blood disorder, with the company tight-lipped on whether this marks the end of the road for the asset. The Big Pharma had been evaluating the therapy, dubbed PF-06835375, in a phase 2 study of 61 patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) that kicked off in 2022, according to the federal trials register. However, Pfizer confirmed to Fierce on Monday that this study had been terminated “due to a business decision.” “The decision to terminate the trial was not based on any safety concerns,” a spokesperson pointed out. At time of publication, PF-06835375 remained listed on Pfizer’s website for both ITP and lupus. A phase 1 study in lupus wrapped up in 2022, according to the trials database. ITP is an autoimmune disorder characterized by a low platelet count. Novartis was at one point evaluating its B-cell-depleting antibody ianalumab—recently approved as Fabhalta to treat immunoglobulin A nephropathy—as a potential treatment ITP. But the therapy struggled to demonstrate a benefit in the clinic for this indication. When contacted by Fierce, Pfizer wouldn’t confirm whether all work on PF-06835375 has been halted, and whether the company has any other plans to explore C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CXCR5) as a mechanism. CXCR5 is found in blood cancers such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma chemokine receptor. However, there is little expression in normal tissue, which has led some drug developers to explore its potential. Vincerx Pharma had at one point been planning to take an anti-CXCR5 ADC into the clinic to treat B-cell malignancies, but that ambition was scrapped due to cash constraints. Where Big Pharma is placing its bets is one of the hot topics being discussed at Fierce Biotech's high-impact event in London next month. Find out more information and register by clicking on the banner below: [ ](https://qtxasset.com/quartz/qcloud5/media/image/where_big_pharma_is_placing_its_bets.png?VersionId=B8JrRbJ.pFUSK1pJgjeWHLGm_18RdLAy)
Walking, Yoga, or Zumba? Which Exercises Help Relieve Menopause Mood Symptoms
A new review suggests that regular physical activity may help reduce depressive symptoms and improve quality of life during menopause.
NH Medical: Male breast cancer is rare, but men should recog...
Male breast cancer accounts for less than 1% of all breast cancer cases. A Dartmouth Health breast cancer surgeon says awareness can help men recognize symptoms...
NASA Langley shows off new airborne science lab as first mission nears
NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton offered a look Thursday at the agency's newest airborne science lab as the first mission was about three months away.
From PMS to Menopause: Two new clinical studies strengthen the science behind one saffron extract
PMS and menopause represent distinct stages of a woman’s life, with different hormonal patterns and symptoms. Yet both are characterised by significant hormonal fluctuations that can influence interconnected biological pathways involved in emotional well-being, sleep, stress response and overall quality of life
Alsobrooks calls for crypto regulations as industry money flows into Maryland politics
Senator Angela Alsobrooks says the crypto industry needs federal regulation. So does the industry, which has spent millions in Maryland politics this year. What exactly do they want?
Scientists discover why some people still can’t taste food after COVID-19
Scientists have uncovered a possible explanation for why some people struggle to taste food more than a year after recovering from COVID-19. By examining taste buds from patients with lingering symptoms, researchers discovered molecular abnormalities that weaken the signals responsible for detecting sweet, bitter, and savory flavors.
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.
Great Lakes Sports & Entertainment Network to air Pistons-Raptors game Friday
The Detroit Pistons are taking on the Toronto Raptors for a preseason game, and there’s a new way to watch.
Boosting children's mental health
Signs and symptoms of when you should consult your pediatrician or a mental health counselor.
The Surface Laptop Ultra delivers on most of Microsoft's promises
Microsoft promises one machine for dev, AI, and gaming, and mostly gets there.
Berrien County Health Department warns parents, teens about kratom risks
The Berrien County Health Department is launching a campaign warning parents and teens about the risks of kratom. According to the health department, kratom contains a chemical called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, that acts like an opioid and can cause severe withdrawal symptoms.
Norwich City 0-1 Southampton
Norwich City and Southampton supporters give BBC Sport their thoughts on Saints' 1-0 Championship win at Carrow Road.
Hugging Face’s New AI Biology Model Lets You Chat With DNA
The new open-source model speaks the language of DNA and can help researchers understand the effects of any changes on gene activity and health.
Toronto Raptors season preview: Opening schedule, win projection and what to know for 2026-27
The best reason to care about Nvidia’s RTX Spark: ‘everything’ will run on Arm
Nvidia’s new laptops will run all your apps and games, the company claims.
Plague is stoppable. The next health threat may not be.
The word plague is scary. Centuries ago, the Black Death killed tens of millions of people and changed the course of history. Plague still kills people around the world, and the word still evokes catastrophe. New fears of plague surfaced on October 2, when a lab worker in Irkutsk, Russia, died of pneumonia. Reports suggested that she may have contracted plague through a laboratory exposure. Understandably, people were alarmed. On October 7, the World Health Organization called for the Russian Federation to be transparent about what it knew. WHO issued an update on October 10. Russian authorities told WHO that testing did not identify plague and that investigations found no laboratory release. WHO said confidence in its risk assessment remained limited and that further clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory information was needed. The cause of the woman’s illness remains unknown, and WHO says a laboratory-associated exposure cannot be excluded. As I explained in a recent interview, this incident is very unlikely to lead to a pandemic. Plague is still active, including in the U.S., which sees a handful of cases each year. But it is a disease we can prevent and treat. Plague doesn’t spread readily, and it responds to antibiotics. The standard response—isolate the patient, trace contacts, and administer antibiotics and monitor for symptoms among contacts for seven days—works. We have even planned for antibiotic-resistant plague. At CDC, we developed a playbook for antibiotic-resistant plague and ran exercises on how to find and stop it. CDC guidance anticipates engineered resistance and recommends two different classes of antibiotics if there’s reason to suspect it. There is no evidence that resistance—or even confirmed plague—is involved in this incident. We have thought through how to address plague, but we’re not ready for the next major health threat that emerges from a lab or from animal spillover to humans. What should concern people is how little stands between the world and the next pathogen to get loose. Since peak COVID, epidemic preparedness has fallen off the political agenda, but the risk is greater than ever. More labs handle dangerous pathogens with more ways to make those pathogens deadlier, and more people live and work in close contact with animals. There are actions we can take now: We need better lab safety in every country. The number of labs that work with dangerous pathogens has increased worldwide over two decades, but there’s no enforceable international standard and no inspection regime; the Biological Weapons Convention, fifty years on, still has no verification mechanism. Labs that study dangerous germs need strong safety systems, training, and oversight. We need to reduce spillover events. Three in four emerging human infections start in animals, and there’s a lot we can do to reduce spillover risk, but the world is doing very little of it. Live-animal markets are one place to act. For instance, closing live-bird markets helped control H7N9 influenza in China. Reducing opportunities for people to encounter infected animals can prevent infections before they become outbreaks. In The Formula for Better Health, which is now out in paperback along with the hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook versions, I argue that labs do too many risky experiments with too many dangerous pathogens in too many institutions, and that every experiment should first answer one basic question: Is the likely benefit greater than the risk? Spillover risk can also be reduced: In the book, I discuss how Brazil cut its deforestation rate by 70% from 2004 to 2012 while increasing agricultural production and reducing risky contact between people and forest animals. We need faster detection and response. Delay costs lives. Strong surveillance, good labs, and trained responders can turn a single case into a small cluster of infections instead of an epidemic. Resolve to Save Lives has worked for nearly a decade to help countries find and stop outbreaks faster. The 7-1-7 target, which Resolve to Save Lives developed with partners in Uganda and elsewhere, provides a clear standard: detect within 7 days, notify within 1 day and complete all essential early response actions within 7 days. In Uganda’s Kasese district, for example, a review of a measles outbreak using 7-1-7 identified shortages of accessible funds, fuel, and vehicles that delayed the response. District leaders established funds they could access quickly. When, a few months later, the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever appeared, the district detected it in three days, notified authorities in one, and mounted an effective response in two. Only one case was confirmed, and the patient survived. Because funds were available before the emergency, authorities were prepared and able to act. This kind of preparation can’t wait until the next crisis begins. Plague is an old disease we that know how to stop. The next threat may be harder to recognize, harder to treat, and easier to spread. Safer labs, less risk of spillover, and faster outbreak detection and response need sustained investment now, while we still have time to prevent the next emergency. Share
Selma Blair no longer uses alcohol to cope with MS symptoms
Selma Blair revealed that she used alcohol when she was younger to cope with MS symptoms during an episode of 'The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show,' filmed before the actor was arrested Oct. 11.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, make your health a priority....
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, make your health a priority. Regular mammograms can help detect breast cancer early, even before symptoms appear. Talk to your healthcare provider to schedule...
‘GTA 6’ Leaker Won’t Release Game Build After Players Crash His Cryptocoin
The 'GTA 6' leaker, Cyberleek, is taking his ball and going home after his cryptocoin crashes, and misses a milestone that would have released the game build.
A bitter Michigan Senate race rattles Jewish and Muslim voters already on edge over the war in Gaza
Michigan’s closely contested Senate race has become deeply personal for some voters | WWJ Newsradio 950
Fighting off microbial invasions drains plants' iron stores, but one protein helps restore balance
Energy production in our cells, oxygen traveling in our blood and immune cells fighting infection all depend on iron, an essential mineral that enters the food chain when plants absorb it from soil. But ...
STEAM dreams: Children discover science, creativity and hands-on fun as iMAGINE Festival fills Uptown Greenwood
Giant bubbles floated through the air, robots whirred to life and children became scientists, engineers and artists for a day Saturday as the iMAGINE STEAM Festival took over a large
ARK Invest Bets One Business Can Lift Tesla Stock to $4,400
ARK Invest’s open-source model values Tesla at about $4,400 per share in 2031, with robotaxis at 80% of enterprise value.
Eating blueberries every day may have a surprising effect on your mood
Eating blueberries every day could have surprising effects on mood, according to a small study that found greater reductions in depressive symptoms among older adults who consumed the fruit for three months. Researchers also detected changes in gut microbial enzymes, suggesting a possible gut-brain connection, although the mood benefits were not statistically significant compared with a placebo.
As Solana opens a splashy China office, the crypto world asks how?
Solana’s fancy new Shanghai office has amazed some in the crypto industry, given such businesses are strictly banned in China.
Virginia home prices climb despite rising inventory
The number of homes for sale climbed across Northern and Central Virginia and Hampton Roads in September, while inventory rose.
Redditor runs FurMark on NVIDIA RTX Spark laptop at a store, nearly gets kicked out
A Redditor installed FurMark on an ASUS ProArt P16 RTX Spark display laptop in France. The 1080p benchmark ran before the user was nearly kicked out of the store.
What is Glycidol methacolayte? Breaking down the health risks from Toledo chemical leak
Residents in northern Toledo are reporting varying health symptoms as a result of an active chemical leak in the area. But what's the actual exposure risk?
New UI clinic pilots exercise treatments to improve health of cancer patients, survivors
Cancer patients and survivors are working with a new UI exercise oncology clinic to help with symptoms and health.
Taking charge of brain health before symptoms appear
Experts say being proactive about brain health is just as important as routine medical checkups.
Nurse’s cancer journey underscores value of routine screenin...
Routine screening led to a Stage 0 breast cancer diagnosis for nurse Lauren Stevens, who had no symptoms or known risk factors. Her experience highlights the ro...
The Raptor that Didn’t Return Home: Norman Powell
It’s February 1, 2026, one week before the newly implemented formula of the 2026 All-Star Game takes place. 12-minute quarters, four games in one night, and three teams: USA Stars, USA Stripes, and Team World. The rosters became official that same day, and debates among individuals and analysts began. However, one All-Star stood out above …
Polygon CEO Sees Coinme Deal as Entry to Payments Business Led by Visa, Stripe
Polygon Labs (CRYPTO: $POL) expects its regulated payments business to turn profitable in 2027, according to CEO Ma...
Christina Applegate’s Health Journey, From Early MS Symptoms to Learning She was Misdiagnosed
After years of treatment, hospitalizations and pain, the actor says her misdiagnosis isn’t welcome news.
Business Notes: Spanberger appoints Hampton Roads leaders to advisory council; $1.6M raised for St. Jude’s
View the latest business milestones and professional accolades in Hampton Roads.
Belton approves finance incentives for Uptown Entertainment District, home to B&B Theatre
A major entertainment district in the heart of Belton will move forward after the city council approved two financing tools, including $250 million in Chapter 100 bonds, in a 7-2 vote Tuesday night.
Fruit and sugary drinks stood out in a three-year study of teenage mental health
A three-year study of 6,537 Australian adolescents found that higher fruit consumption was associated with a lower risk of elevated depression and anxiety symptoms, while greater sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with increased risk. Vegetable consumption showed no significant association with either outcome, and the observational findings cannot establish cause and effect.
Nvidia’s RTX Spark PCs Aren’t a Revolution, but They May Change Laptops Forever
Get ready for the MacBook Pro-ification of PCs. The real test will be how they perform with all the emulation and AI running inside.
Googlebook review: Android on a laptop is still Android
Android laptops are here, but Google has a lot of work ahead to make them good.
Maqui Berry: Health Benefits, Nutrition, and Uses
Maqui berries contain anthocyanins and other polyphenols studied for their antioxidant activity and effects on inflammation, glucose regulation, and eye health. Human trials suggest possible benefits for postprandial blood glucose and dry-eye symptoms, but evidence for healthy aging and long-term safety remains limited.
Trump and crypto firm sued for profiting from foreign government
Donald Trump and World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture he co-founded with his sons, were sued by a shareholder in a rival crypto firm over claims the president illegally profited
TST Images: Oilers defeat Kings, 4-1, at Crypto Arena
LOS ANGELES -- The Edmonton Oilers beat the Kings, 4-1, on October 13th, 2026 at Crpto.
Trump to tout crackdown on overseas crypto scams
By Courtney Rozen WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will highlight his administration’s efforts on Wednesday to crack down on foreign criminal networks that lure Americans into
I've lived with Microsoft's $6,000 Surface Laptop Ultra, and it's so close to being the best MacBook Pro alternative you can buy
Microsoft's top of the line Windows 11 PC is finally here, and it's giving the MacBook Pro a real good run for its money.
Turning to AI for Health Answers May Signal Anxiety or Depression in Young Adults
A national survey of nearly 100,000 college students revealed that young adults using generative AI for health questions have roughly 50% greater odds of screening positive for anxiety and depression. While conversational bots offer quick, cost-free answers, repeated symptom searches often fuel rumination loops, underscoring the need for digital health literacy and accessible medical care.
Leading Cancer Researcher, 47, Dies of the Disease She Was Trying to Cure. This Was Her 1st Symptom
Dr. Rachna Shroff was diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier this year.
Shop from Black-owned businesses at this free festival
Celebrate #BlackJoyUnfiltered at Daptoberfest with 150+ Black-owned vendors Oct. 24 at Warren Central High School.
ODU, CHKD Harness AI and Geospatial Data to Understand Childhood Asthma Disparities
In some communities throughout Hampton Roads and Western Tidewater, children are hospitalized for asthma at nearly twice the rate of children statewide. Old Dominion University and Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters researchers want to understand why — and whether artificial intelligence and geospatial analysis can help reveal patterns that traditional approaches may miss.
AP Business Students
Westhampton Beach High School students spoke about their experience in the new AP Business with Personal Finance course.
I thought I was dying but it was health anxiety - here's how to recognise the signs
Hollie Sharman shares her experience of health anxiety and a doctor advises on how to manage symptoms.
Nvidia's RTX Spark Event in San Francisco Attracts Long Lines, But Few Buyers
Dozens lined up to check out the first RTX Spark laptops on launch day, but actual purchases were few and far between, with curious Nvidia fans citing the machines' high cost.
Nvidia is no longer a PC gaming company. Get used to it
The disappearance of the GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card shouldn't come as a surprise, because PC game fans are no longer Nvidia's audience—AI companies are.
Jenna Ortega details her most intense and specific OCD symptoms
Jenna Ortega is opening up about the repetitive actions that she performs as part of her struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder.
Hackers Exploit Plex2Shell Flaws to Install Crypto Miners and Linux Proxy Backdoor
Attackers exploit four Plex Media Server flaws chained as Plex2Shell to deploy XMRig miners and reverse proxy software after PoC release.
Tracking Military Health Through the Millennium Cohort Study
Why it matters * Long-term evidence strengthens military health and readiness * Research turns service members' experiences into better care * Findings have informed policy, prevention and screeningNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 20, 2026 / For more than three decades, has helped federal military leaders turn health questions into evidence that improves care and readiness. The Millennium Cohort Study shows that work in action, helping agencies better understand health challenges and
How to boost a child’s mental health
Experts say warning signs include changes in mood, behavior or physical symptoms.
GTA 6 leaker announces end of leaks, cancels full game release
The anonymous GTA 6 leaker has abandoned its $30 million cryptocurrency demand. Cyberleek claims it has access to the game's ending and could still release story spoilers.
Overcoming Stage Fright: LSU Health Center hosts workshop for people with performance anxiety
Anxiety is something many people struggle with, whether it’s social or a specific phobia. However, some students may struggle with performance anxiety, commonly known as “stage fright.” Performance anxiety is beyond normal nerves and can show in many ways, triggering a fight-or-flight response with symptoms like sweating, nausea, shaky hands, or even irregular breathing. “Let’s...
Dell releases new 16-inch laptop globally with 1,600-nit OLED display and up to 128 GB RAM
Dell is now selling its latest 16-inch laptop globally. Featuring 18-core or 20-core Nvidia RTX Spark N1X chipsets, the XPS 16 Creator Edition also offers up to 128 GB of RAM, a 120 Hz VRR OLED display and a 99 Wh battery.
Meet Mori, a Cute Robot Mushroom That Doesn’t Really Say (or Do) Anything
Step one in convincing people to live with robots with cameras on their faces? Disguise them as cute home decor.
Health spending on Southampton taxis surges by 75%
It comes as the department looks to review spending for off-island hospital treatment.
GLP-1 Drugs and Mental Health: Effects on Depression and Anxiety
GLP-1 receptor agonists affect pathways involved in mood, appetite, and reward, prompting research into their potential benefits for depression, substance use disorders, and binge eating. Psychiatric treatment benefits remain unproven, while conflicting observational findings and reassuring trial evidence require careful interpretation.
The first thing I did on my new Windows PC was run this PowerShell command
This PowerShell script does a few things your PC manufacturer or Microsoft doesn't want to be done!
Windows 11 Is Finally Becoming the OS It Should Have Been From the Start
Microsoft is completely redesigning parts of its OS so it doesn't hog all the resources of lower-end PCs with 8GB of RAM.
We tried the new Googlebook OS - What can it do and what not?
The new Googlebook models featuring Google's new operating system for laptops have been on the market since last week. We take a closer look at Googlebook OS and explain what it can do and where it (still) has limitations.
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.
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