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Some hope to see lawmakers create AI framework for education
Could Senate Republicans prevent Senate Democrats from achieving a veto-proof majority in the upper chamber this election?
Cookies, liquor and mocking Nazis fuel final stretch in fiery Texas House race
Katy Padilla Stout's Texas Democratic campaign reported over $4,300 in cookies, beer and wine, and Mexican restaurant spending per FEC records.
OPINON: A vote for progress over politics
As the father of four young children the Talbot County Public School system, I am a strong supporter of public schools. I’d love to see all schools succeed, because at
Part of G10 garage demolished as 865 Neyland entertainment district progresses
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A large portion of the University of Tennessee’s G10 parking garage is now demolished as construction continues to make way for the new 865 Neyland entertainment district.…
Inside Texas Politics: Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa talks Texas governor's race
Trump rallies with top Republicans in critical battleground state of Georgia
Donald Trump flew to Georgia to campaign with Republican candidates for the Senate and governor. Senate candidate Mike Collins faces Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson is taking
Manny Rutinel smashes Colorado House race fundraising record in 8th CD
Democratic congressional candidate Manny Rutinel raised more than $4.2 million in the most recent quarter in his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in Colorado’s most competitive U.S. House race, hauling in more than twice as much as Evans and setting a new state record. Across the board, the state’s Democratic nominees outraised […]
Former classmate accuses James Talarico of putting political ambition over truth
Fox News host Will Cain discusses accusations from James Talarico’s former classmate Mike Garcia about the Democratic Texas Senate candidate's honesty on 'The Will Cain Show.'
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.
Political insiders break down N.Y. gubernatorial debate
Republican Bruce Blakeman and incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul faced off in their only debate of the election cycle right here on Spectrum News 1.
Above Media: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
SipRadius: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
ATSC: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
Wave Central: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
Vindral: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
Steampunk Media, LTD: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
Sony Corporation: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
Telecast Fiber Systems: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
Disney Research Studios: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
Brahma AI (Metaphysic): 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
Grass Valley & CBS Sports: 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards
Frontier, fuboTV, E.W. Scripps, Sphere Entertainment, and AMC Entertainment Stocks Trade Down, What You Need To Know
A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after The LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index fell 5.3 points from September to 45.2 in October 2026, the lowest reading since October 2011. According to LSEG, the survey was taken from Sept. 25 through Oct. 1. The monthly drop was the second-largest on record, behind only April 2020. The index is now below its May 2020 pandemic low of 45.4 and is 7.7 points under its level of a year ago.That kind of break in confidence hits the companies
Democrats say Trump increased investments in drugmakers that were given Medicare exemptions
The report from congressional Democrats found that Trump’s pharmaceutical stock holdings grew from a maximum reported value of $1.7 million in 2024 to as much as $56.2 million at the end of 2025.
Apple blames ‘extraordinary’ demand as foldable iPhones sell out
Deliveries of the $2,000 Duo slip to 2027 within hours of going on sale
Democratic Senate candidates swamp GOP rivals in fundraising: From the Politics Desk
Plus, tensions boil over on the debate stage.
Barbara Bush's latest political move backs James Talarico's U.S. Senate bid
Barbara Bush gave $2,500 to Lone Star Rising PAC, which supports Democrat James Talarico in his U.S. Senate race against Republican Ken Paxton.
Cook Political Report moves 11 House races towards Democrats as Trump continues campaigning
The non-partisan Cook Political Report moves nearly a dozen races toward Democrats with less than three weeks before the election. NBC’s Monica Alba and Garrett Haake report on President Trump's campaign trip to Georgia and Cook Political Report’s Erin Covey joins to discuss the rating shifts.
Suspicious powder sent to Rep. Ritchie Torres’ Bronx office in latest mail scare targeting New York Democratic pols
An envelope containing a suspicious substance prompted a hazardous materials response at U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres' Bronx district office Friday afternoon,
WATCH: Maine Health Care Professionals Slam Collins’ Health Care Record
This week, Maine health care professionals gathered to slam Susan Collins for failing to protect Mainers’ health care. Dr. Nirav Shah and Maine State Nurses Association Co-President Erin Oberson called out Collins for advancing Trump’s Medicaid cuts and voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has eviscerated America’s public health system.
Patriots WR talks difference between Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel
Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas revealed the key difference between the Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel eras.
Gov. Hochul calls inquiry into Rich Schaffer and Suffolk Dems 'political hit job'
At three Suffolk Democrats were questioned by the FBI.
Opinion | Is Politics Still Local in New England?
Maine’s Susan Collins and New Hampshire’s John E. Sununu hope to buck a likely Democratic trend.
Anime Gambling Horror Game Ditches Free Steam Demo Over Fears Of Getting Ripped Off By AI
Drunken Goddess Reflux will have a closed beta instead
Talarico raises record $64M in Texas Senate race against Paxton
Democrat James Talarico scored record-breaking numbers in Q3, widening his fundraising lead in the Texas U.S. Senate race against Republican Ken Paxton.
Live & Local: Where to find upcoming local music, open mics and live entertainment
Rafters
Board of Regents: Candidates talk issues ahead of Nov. 3 election
Name: Edie Hooton Office Sought: Colorado Board of Regents, District2 Party: Democrat How should the Board navigate curriculum debates that have become politically polarized? Curriculum decisions must be anchored in the principle of “shared governance,” as defined in Regent Laws. The responsibility for academic excellence lies with the faculty and subject matter experts, as they […]
Democrats are up in the polls. They’re sick to their stomachs.
Polls show Democrats with a clear path to controlling the House and maybe the Senate. But they have burned before.
Political analyst talks about upcoming 2nd Congressional District debate and race
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Friday night, KRQE News 13 will host candidates for the hotly contested 2nd Congressional District in New Mexico in a live debate at 5 p.m. Democratic Incumbent Gabe Vasque…
Roger Marshall praises Trump's tariff policies after Kansas executive says they hurt his business
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, locked in tight campaign with Democrat Adam Hamilton, throws full support behind President Donald Trump's tariff war.
"It's a Business Trip" | DeMeco Ryans Ahead of Texans vs. Jaguars
Ryans meets with the media in London ahead of Texans vs. Jaguars and explains how the team responded after travel issues delayed the trip overseas.
Georgia's Senate and governor races test Trump's political influence
Trump plays a significant role in Georgia's races, with Democrats working to tie their GOP opponents to Trump’s unpopular policies on the economy and war with Iran.
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.
We have reached a new threshold in genAI gloom, with a game dev cancelling a demo for fear of copycats ripping them off before release
The creators of Drunken Goddess Reflux have cancelled a demo for fear of genAI copycats making a clone before they release the game.
Riverside has a donkey dilemma. Can science offer clues for coexistence?
For students at UC Riverside, the start of fall semester means picking up their class syllabus, catching up with friends and snapping selfies with the adorable wild donkeys that roam
Cook Political Report moves 11 more House races toward Democrats
The election prognosticator says more races are becoming competitive in traditional GOP strongholds because of voter frustration with the economy.
Apple's New CEO Just Demonstrated How to Stay Classy While Insulting the Competition
John Ternus described other folding phones as feeling 'kind of cheap and crappy.'
PSV Secure Shuryjano Cornecion’s Future With New Contract Until 2031
Fresh off an impressive first-team debut, the teenage midfielder commits his long-term future to the Eredivisie giants as Peter Bosz looks to integrate the academy graduate permanently.
Moore, Crosby spar over economy and growth at Congressional District 2 debate
Rep. Blake Moore and Democratic challenger Peter Crosby discussed where they stand on Utah's economy, tariffs, and housing affordability during Congressional District 2 debate
Scientists Kept Finding The Same Mysterious DNA In Their Samples. The Marine Microbe It Belongs To Has The Smallest Genome Ever Identified
This tiny marine organism may demonstrate just how little genetic material a cell needs to survive.
Trump wants the midterms to be all about him. Based on Democrats' ads, they are happy to oblige
Many of the Democrats' ads accuse Republican opponents of siding with the president over voters, particularly on issues like tariffs and the Iran war, which they blame for jacking up costs.
Garlin Gilchrist: Media Q&A at Detroit business luncheon
Michigan Democratic Secretary of State candidate Garlin Gilchrist joined the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Luncheon on Friday, Oct. 16, and took questions from the media before the event.
Exclusive-US Strikes One-Year Deal to Fund Maternal and Newborn Health Donations in Poorest Countries
By Ammu Kannampilly, Jennifer Rigby and Victoire Mukenge NAIROBI/LONDON/NYANGEZI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The US government has struck a deal to continue supplying some of the world's poorest nations with free life-saving medication and equipment for mothers, infants and ...
Major independent political analyst moves Jared Moskowitz-Scott Singer congressional race to ‘lean Democratic’
“Democrats (are) in a decent position to hold this seat.” A major political handicapper, The Cook Political Report, moves South Florida’s 25th Congressional District contest to “lean Democratic.”
Health Department to hold flu clinic at Westford Academy
Westford residents have the opportunity to receive free flu vaccinations at a community clinic hosted by the Westford Health Department.
Chris Murray challenges Palumbo with affordability, health care focus
Democrat Chris Murray has placed affordability, health care and environmental protection at the center of his campaign as he tries to unseat incumbent Republican state Sen. Anthony Palumbo. Mr. Murray — an attorney who was elected chairman of the Suffolk County Community College Board of Trustees in 2019 and has also chaired the Citizens Campaign...
Registration is open for high school winter sports
Registration is now officially open for high school winter sports for the City School District of Albany! Any student in grades 9-12 who is interested in trying out for boys' basketball, girls' basketball, bowling, cheerleading, boys' indoor track, girls' indoor track, spirit team, boys' swimming and diving, boys' wrestling and girls' wrestling is invited to register via Final Forms. Important: please note that registration for winter sports ends on Friday, Nov. 13. Practices and tryouts for winter sports begin on Monday, Nov. 16. FINAL FORMS Each season, the following must be done prior to the first day of tryouts and practices: A parent or guardian must initiate the registration process for their student-athlete in Final Forms, filling out the required forms such as Interval Sports Health History and the Athletic Consent Form. The student-athlete must sign and complete their required forms. A reminder that all students who would like to play an interscholastic sport need to have a current physical conducted within a year on file. PHYSICALS A physical conducted within the last 12 months is mandatory for any student interested in trying out for an athletic team and must be uploaded into the Final Forms platform. Families are encouraged to get a completed physical from their child's physician. If you are unable to get a physical from your child's physician, you can schedule a free physical with Whitney Young's school-based health center by calling (518) 573-2556. Additionally, the district physician will also be available to facilitate sports physicals at Albany High in room 4253 on the following dates: Thursday, Nov. 12 from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sports physicals on Nov. 12 and 13 are free and no appointment is necessary. ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Please note that students must have a good attendance record and be in good standing academically to be eligible to participate in an athletic team. Eligibility is determined based on quarterly grades, and interim progress reports will serve as an important academic checkpoint for all student‑athletes. For additional details about academic eligibility, please see our Athletic Code of Conduct. For our winter teams, academic eligibility to start the season will be based on final first-quarter grades. The first marking period ends Nov. 13. Albany High offers free tutoring facilitated by Albany High teachers Monday-Thursday from 3:30-5 p.m. for students who need extra help with their academics. See this flyer for additional details. IMPORTANT DATES Seniors, please mark your calendars for Senior Media Day for winter sports, which will take place on Monday, Nov. 30. All student-athletes playing winter sports will also participate in our winter sports picture days, which will take place Tuesday, Dec. 15–Thursday, Dec. 18. Specific dates and times for each team will be shared once rosters are finalized. OPEN GYM SESSIONS Student-athletes are encouraged to check out our open gym sessions as they prepare for upcoming sports seasons. We’re looking forward to a rewarding winter sports season this year! If you have any questions, please contact the Athletic Department at (518) 475-6310. Go Falcons!
Talarico compares his campaign to David and Goliath after GOP invests over $158M against him
The Democrat faces more than $158 million in outside spending by Republican leadership and the world's richest man, Elon Musk.
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.
Albania: Protesting students demand political change and resignation of longtime Prime Minister Edi Rama
Empty lecture halls, burning buildings and demands for change: Albanian students are spearheading a protest movement that has become the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Edi Rama in years.
Democrats eyeing the presidency can’t stop talking about this issue
The attention from prominent Democrats reflects a spreading belief inside the party that a winning 2028 agenda must tackle Americans’ deep worries
Cook Political Report shifts 11 House seats away from GOP
Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, shifted 11 more House seats toward Democrats this week, many in red states as the midterms inch closer. Cook has moved dozens of House sea…
Detroit Lions Trade Target Gaining Steam as Deadline Approaches
Detroit Lions trade speculation surrounding Zyon McCollum is growing. A new assessment reveals what Tampa Bay might demand before November 10.
Davids Urges Federal Action as Kansas Small Businesses Squeezed Out of Tariff Refunds While Large Corporations Cash In
Today, Representative Sharice Davids demanded immediate action to ensure Kansas small businesses receive the tariff refunds they are owed. Following this year’s Supreme Court ruling overturning the president’s reckless tariffs, the federal government began processing billions of dollars in refunds.
M.A. Silva adds two wine industry veterans to sales team
The Santa Rosa cork and glass packaging supplier creates a business development position and hires an account manager with 28 years of experience.
Fierce Healthcare Regulatory Recap: HHS presses medical groups on gender-affirming care for minors; CMS distributes RHTP funding to 5 states
Stay up to date on the latest across Washington, D.C. with this weekly brief. Read below for news from Oct. 12 to Oct. 16. | The latest news from CMS and HHS this week: HHS demands info on ‘sex-rejecting procedures’ for minors, CMS releases more RHTP funds and more.
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
Democrats hope a rematch can dislodge Trump loyalist Perry in Pennsylvania
Few Republican members of Congress in swing districts may be more closely linked to President Donald Trump than Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
Democrats hope a rematch can dislodge Trump loyalist Perry in Pennsylvania
Few Republican members of Congress in swing districts may be more closely linked to President Donald Trump than Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
HOMETOWN HEALTH: Epilepsy leading to greater risk of developing dementia before 65, study shows
Researchers said the overall risk of dementia is still low, and more study is needed to understand the link.
Trump increased investments in drugmakers that benefited from Medicare exemptions, Democrats say
WASHINGTON (AP) — Investments in pharmaceutical companies made on behalf of President Donald Trump increased significantly after he returned to the White House last year, with his portfolio adding mil...
Ultra-Processed Foods and the Aging Brain: What Does the Science Say?
Eating more ultra-processed foods has been linked to increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease, as well as other non-brain health effects, including diabetes and cancer. But why do these foods affect our brain health?
This Is the No. 1 Risk Factor for Dementia That You Can Actually Prevent, According to a Geriatrician
In TODAY.com’s Expert Tip of the Day, a geriatrician reveals the top modifiable risk factor for dementia during mid-life, and how to address it.
Big Tech and Big Business are spending millions to block progressives on the California ballot
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. With less than three weeks until Election Day, outside groups are pouring millions of dollars into two types of state legislative races: purple districts featuring a Democrat and a Republican, and safely Democratic districts featuring Democrats of different ideological stripes. Political action committees […]
Republicans are spending millions to oust a Democrat who won by 187 votes. Should he worry?
Adam Gray won California’s closest House race by 187 votes in 2024. Now, Republicans are spending millions trying to reclaim the Central Valley seat.
Big Tech and Big Business are spending millions to block progressives on the California ballot
Groups funded by Meta, Google, and cryptocurrency billionaires have spent millions trying to sway voters, especially in races with two Democrats on the ballot
Big Dom, Elon Musk and George Santos. The Pa. campaign cameos are getting weird.| PA 2026 Newsletter
The rematch between Scott Perry and Janelle Stelson heats up in Harrisburg. Philly Dems celebrate Bob Brady's 40 years with Big Dom and Joe Biden.
Commentary: Demystifying mental health inpatient stays
I am one of the 68 million Americans living with a mental illness and one of the over 10 million Americans who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Living with these diseases and seeking treatment is highly stigmatized — and newly precarious under the policies of the current federal administration. The best way to break stigma […]
She Was Fired by Hegseth. Now She’s Campaigning for Congress.
Could Charleston send a Democrat to Congress?
Key takeaways from the final, fiery debate between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson
The debate featured lots of talk about Donald Trump, disparate views on the state of American democracy and a moment when Jackson told Collins to "shut up."
Miller-Meeks, Bohannan Congress rematch unfolds amid rocky Iowa economy
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Christina Bohannan face a third showdown in Iowa's 1st District. Can a changed political climate alter the result?
Can this Democrat crack the code for universal healthcare?
Amanda Janoo is running for governor of Vermont. Her health reform proposal has a twist.
Can this Democrat crack the code for universal healthcare?
Amanda Janoo is running for governor of Vermont. Her health reform proposal has a twist.
The Democrat Who Knows What A Blue Wave Feels Like
“I think there’s a chance this is going to be the first election of the post-Trump era,” Perriello told HuffPost.
How Big Business Lost Its Big Bet on Trump
The captains of industry that many assumed would keep the president in check all turned out to be paper tigers. Democrats, take note.
Medicare for All vs. moderate Democrats
Most Democrats in competitive races are moderates who aren't big fans of a single-payer system.
Geothermal finds rare political sweet spot amid AI boom
The bipartisan appeal, combined with surging electricity demand from AI, is helping fuel investment in the niche energy source.
Citizen Science Groups Grapple With the Rise of A.I. Slop
Facing a flood of A.I. slop, groups bent on democratizing science create new checks and balances.
$137 Million in A.I.-Generated Ads Flood the Midterms
Republicans have used A.I.-generated content more often than Democrats, ranging from subtle enhancements to convincing deepfakes.
Gov. Josh Shapiro launches a federal PAC — the strongest signal yet he’s eyeing a 2028 run
Shapiro’s New Path PAC will allow him to fundraise and contribute directly to the Pennsylvania Democratic congressional candidates whom he’s supporting in the midterms, his campaign said.
‘Far too close for comfort’: An under-the-radar Senate race embodies Democrats’ midterm worries
An open Senate seat in Minnesota.
Fish, Oil and Corruption: 6 Takeaways From Alaska’s Senate Debate
The Republican incumbent, Dan Sullivan, and his Democratic challenger, Mary Peltola, veered from serious discussion of high prices and economic challenges to blistering personal attacks.
Exclusive Brethren church denies claims of coordinated political campaign in Australia
Parliamentary inquiry demanded the global leader of the sect and his son attend to answer questions.
Lawmakers Demand Menhaden Cuts Before Chesapeake Bay Science Is Complete, Ignoring Already Struggling Workers
Menhaden Fisheries Coalition warns proposed restrictions could threaten hundreds of jobs held by rural Virginia's largely minority, unionized menhaden workforce
New Business Licenses: 10.16.26
Chesterfield reports physical therapy, emergency readiness consulting, a music academy and more. (BizSense Pro required)
Hill, Jones agree on tariffs, disagree elsewhere in spirited debate
U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, and his Democratic opponent, Chris Jones, both don’t support President Trump’s tariff policies, but they disagreed about many other issues in a spirited but...
Benson, James clash over health care, Trump, Lansing record in final Michigan governor debate
Jocelyn Benson and John James made their cases to become Michigan’s next governor in their second and final debate, sparring over health care costs, President Donald Trump, and the record of Democrats in Lansing.
A closer look: More Democrats mention gas prices in political ads
Political contributor and KQED politics reporter Guy Marzorati examined how Democrats are using gas prices to win back the House.
'Oh, shut up!': Democrat snaps at Collins after heckler drives Maine Senate debate off the rails
A protester yelling about AI data centers sparked a fiery clash between Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson.