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Mystery dinner in Whitesboro to benefit cancer patients
The Joseph Michael Chubbuck Foundation will host a Harry Potter-inspired mystery dinner Oct. 23 at Hart's Hill Inn to benefit cancer patients in financial need.
The Mills-Pingree machine crushed small business in Maine. Hannah Pingree will finish the job.
To protect us against more bureaucratic overreach by Augusta, we need Bobby Charles as our next governor.
Thunder’s Preseason Finale Revealed Their First Real Test
Houston’s barrage exposed cracks in Oklahoma City’s defensive communication, forcing a new-look supporting cast to master complex rotations before the games actually count toward the standings.
Science Applications International (SAIC) Could Be 12% Overvalued On CFO And Leadership Changes
Science Applications International (SAIC) is reshaping its senior leadership after appointing Kenneth B. Crews as incoming Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, while existing CFO Prabu Natarajan transitions to lead the Civilian Business Group. The leadership reshuffle lands at a time when Science Applications International’s share price has climbed 15.2% over the past 90 days and 31.47% year to date, while the 1-year total shareholder return of 38.29% points to momentum that...
House Speaker Mike Johnson draws on faith as he fights to hold the Republican majority
Ever the optimist, Speaker Mike Johnson said he believes Republicans will hold on to their U.S. House majority, defying a surge of Democratic momentum in the final stretch of the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.
NVIDIA says RTX 5090 is not discontinued, but good luck finding one for $1,999
The RTX 5090 is still in production, according to NVIDIA. However, the company has not explained how it intends to improve availability as retail prices remain far above MSRP.
Do political ads have to disclose who paid for them? What to know
Political ads filling Wisconsin mailboxes, airwaves and screens often must disclose who paid for them, but the name alone may not tell you much. How can you find out who is really behind the message?
NVIDIA Denies RTX 5090 Discontinuation Rumors, Admits Supply Is Tight
NVIDIA has finally responded to reports that the GeForce RTX 5090 is being discontinued. Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of NVIDIA's personal computing business, told Taiwanese media after the RTX Spark launch party in Taipei on October 16 that the rumors aren't true, as reported by 4Gamers...
One of My Top Three Shows of 2026 Was Just Renewed—Finally
I watch TV for a living, so I see a lot of great television shows. But one of my favorite three shows of the year wasn't renewed for a new season—until this week. Here, why I'm so excited 'Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed' is getting a season two on Apple TV.
25+ Of The Best Discounted Games We Could Find From The Xbox Store Sales
Bargains for up to 90% off!
The 10 best final girls in horror movie history, ranked
From Sidney Prescott in ‘Scream’ to Selena in ‘28 Days Later,’ these final girls did more than survive — they fought back and became horror legends. Here are our 10 favorites, ranked.
Major One UI update expected in 2027
Samsung introduced a major improvement to its smartphone and tablet experience with the launch of One UI in 2018, and the company has continued to refine it eve
Ben Affleck has no regrets over box office bomb ‘Surviving Christmas’ for this reason
Ben Affleck explained why working with the late James Gandolfini changed his perspective on ‘Surviving Christmas.’
Sonay Kartal: British star digs deep to beat Jelena Ostapenko and secure a spot in her first-ever WTA 1000 final
Sonay Kartal defeats Jelena Ostapenko to reach her first-ever WTA 1000 final; You can watch the WTA Wuhan Open final - live on Sky Sports on Sunday from 11.30am
House Speaker Mike Johnson draws on faith as he fights to hold the Republican majority
Speaker Mike Johnson says he believes Republicans will hold on to their House majority on Election Day and defy a surge of Democratic momentum in the final stretch of the midterm campaign.
Global survey links financial hardship to lower trust in science
Poor access to health care, limited local influence over research priorities and an unequal distribution of scientific benefits are undermining public confidence in science, experts warn, following the ...
Microplastics and water create free radicals, new study finds
When water comes into contact with plastic surfaces, a key chemical reaction does take place, new research indicates.
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.
ASUS Finally Builds An Intel Arc Graphics Card After Two Generations On The Sidelines, And It’s The Full 32 GB Big Battlemage Arc Pro B70
ASUS is releasing its first Intel Arc graphics card, which is powered by the Big Battlemage GPU, and aims at the lucrative AI segment.
Final Two Chronicle Player Previews: Caleb Foster And Pat Ngongba
If Foster and Ngongba stay healthy, Duke is in a great position.
Poldark’s resilience helped me turn round my business
Staffing issues, financial woes, equipment failure and a thousand other things made it seem as if being the boss of a dental practice wasn’t for me, but TV’s burly hero inspired me to push on
Political scientist: 'The darkest moment' in the war in Ukraine
Geopolitical expert Klemens Fischer believes Ukraine finds itself in a desperate situation following President Donald Trump's decision to halt the new US sanctions package intended for Russia. "This i...
‘Marva to a T:’ Craft prepares for final show at WYO Theater
The upcoming Fall Premiere production, “Anything Goes” will be Marva Craft’s last before she retires from directing the WYO Theater stage.
Islanders Gameday: Back to Toronto
The Islanders are back in Toronto for the second and final time in this young season, The Leafs are coming off a loss where they benched their first-overall pick Gavin McKenna, for reasons Justin Bourne is not feeling. Kirill Marchenko had a hat trick playing with John Tavares, who left the game with an injury […]
Big assertions, sharp exchanges, little clarity define DOJ election battle with California
In the last week, Justice Department and California elections officials have been locked in a contentious standoff over alleged election fraud.
Where to find the best Halloween displays and treats in Knoxville
The ghosts and goblins are out! Here are neighborhoods in Knoxville to visit for a few thrills and treats on or even before Halloween night.
Two weeks from Election Day, Texas Republicans start finger-pointing ahead of potential losses
Deep divisions within the party afflict Texas Republicans as they move into the midterms.
U.S. campaign finance watchdog is sitting out the midterms. Here’s what that means.
The Federal Election Commission has been unable to advise campaigns or investigate alleged violations.
'It's not ... nuclear science.' Center Grove is dangerous when playing at its best
Center Grove has fought inconsistency but Trojans are dangerous when playing their best. On Center Grove's rally to beat Bloomington South.
Use This Emergency Brake On Climate Change And Air Pollution, Experts Urge Finance Ministers
They are urging climate negotiators at the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Antalya, COP 31, to create a formal roadmap to tackle air pollution and
Does Debt Refinancing Change The Bull Case For Live Nation Entertainment (LYV)?
Live Nation Entertainment has issued US$730 million of 7.125% senior notes and €600 million of 6.125% senior notes, both due 2032, with guarantees from key restricted subsidiaries and plans to redeem its 6.500% senior secured notes due 2027. The refinancing reshapes Live Nation Entertainment's debt profile by swapping secured 2027 obligations for longer dated unsecured bonds, which can influence interest costs, covenant flexibility, and how much cash stays available for venue investment and...
Three takeaways from Spurs' 126-97 preseason rout of Sacramento
Dylan Harper scored 19 as the Spurs routed the Kings 126-97, finalized their starting lineup and emerged healthy ahead of Tuesday's season opener.
Young Entrepreneurs Get Their Earliest Business Experiences in Northeast Ohio Schools
Forget the hypothetical business plan. At schools across Northeast Ohio, students are making products, finding customers and learning what it costs to be wrong.
Alanis Morissette, Rita Moreno among Valkyries Finals performers
The Golden State Valkyries have assembled a Bay Area-heavy entertainment lineup for their first two WNBA Finals games at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Healthcare costs top survey of Americans’ biggest economic concerns, followed by gasoline, food, utilities
The cost of healthcare is the top economic issue for voters, according to a recent national survey, as politicians in Arkansas and across the U.S. prepare to make their final pitches ahead of the November midterm elections.
Mavericks Overwhelmed By Hawks As Defensive Problems Persist
Dallas struggles to contain Atlanta's offense in its preseason finale as Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg return, leaving Dusty May with concerns before opening night.
Michigan Proposal 2 aims to limit corporate money in politics
Michigan voters will decide in November whether to overhaul the state’s campaign finance laws through a citizen-led ballot initiative that would ban utility companies and certain government contractors from donating to state candidates.
Caleb Wilson Flashes in Bulls' Preseason Finale Versus Timberwolves
Chicago took care of a short-handed Minnesota team to wrap up preseason play.
Valkyries set tremendous entertainment offerings for Finals Games 1 and 2
Alanis Morissette, Goapele, Rita Moreno, Too $hort, Larry June, LaRussell set for Golden State Valkyries Finals games in San Francisco.
GTA VI not yet gold: Rockstar explains the final push before launch
Grand Theft Auto VI has yet to go gold ahead of its scheduled November 19, 2026 launch, with Rockstar developers telling Bloomberg that final fixes and refinements remain underway. The report examines how the game’s complex, interconnected systems have shaped development, though ongoing work does not itself signal another delay.
Wagner, Penda Exit With Injuries in Magic's Win Over Heat
The Orlando Magic finished their preseason on a strong note, but it did not happen without Franz Wagner and Noah Penda getting hurt.
Lakers’ Bronny James Draws Harsh Verdict Ahead of Nuggets Finale
Lakers guard Bronny James faces harsh criticism from a Lakers insider ahead of the Nuggets finale ahead of preseason finale. The post Lakers’ Bronny James Draws Harsh Verdict Ahead of Nuggets Finale appeared first on HEAVY.
Three Cardinals Named Gold Glove Award Finalists
Once again, the St. Louis Cardinals were one of baseball’s better defensive teams. St. Louis tied with Toronto for second in fielding run value (46), finished third in outs above average (38), and fifth in Fangraphs’ defensive value metric (22.0). Although the Cardinals had several above-average defenders, a few standouts in the field did much …
Scientists discover how deep sleep builds muscle, burns fat, and boosts the brain
Scientists have discovered a surprising two-way relationship between sleep and growth hormone, revealing how the brain carefully balances physical recovery with wakefulness. The findings could help explain why poor sleep harms metabolism and brain health, potentially opening the door to new treatments for sleep and neurological disorders.
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.
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.
Briefing Recap | What the midterms could change about U.S. health care
An election lookahead at what’s at stake for health policy
Financial advisor advises to review health plans before cutting costs
Open enrollment is underway, and one financial advisor says there are specific places to cut costs and places not to.
Physicists froze a 'necklace' of atoms — and witnessed a quantum phenomenon predicted 100 years ago
Atoms confined to a single line can bind into clusters called Bethe strings. A new experiment points to a mix of many such clusters, though the evidence is still indirect.
Candy, breakfast and sushi: 5 North Central Austin business updates
Read about business updates in North Central Austin, including Urban Egg, Tarrant Roofing, Komé, Lammes Candies and OutYouth.
Amanda Gnecco receives CFO salary increase at Alliance Entertainment
Alliance Entertainment increased Chief Financial Officer Amanda Gnecco’s annual base salary to $350,000, effective October 1, 2026, and prorated her 2027 target bonus.Original SEC Filing: ALLIANCE ENTERTAINMENT HOLDING CORP [ AENT ] - 8-K - Oct. 16, 2026This is an AI-powered summary. It may contain…
WP Intelligence Briefing | What the midterms could change about U.S. health care
An election lookahead at what’s at stake for health policy
Trump's team is in chaos as midterms enter final stretch
A White House that has enjoyed relative stability over the past two years has returned to a state of disarray that characterized much of Trump's early political career.
Who Is Alive and Who Is Dead at the End of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4's Campaign? Infinity Ward Explains Captain Price's Fate
Who is alive and who is dead at the end of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4's campaign? Infinity Ward explains Captain Price's fate.
In 'Bucks County, USA,' a community torn apart by politics tries to heal
The five-part docuseries on PBS, co-directed by Robert May and Barry Levinson, aims to find common ground between community members in a purple county in Pennsylvania.
How healthy are your feet?
Many of us take our feet for granted — until they hurt! In Good Shape finds out how to keep our feet healthy and strong, and what happens when they're pushed to the limit on a 100-kilometer hike.
Billy Joel can't drive or perform following brain disorder diagnosis
Billy Joel shared health updates following his 2025 brain disorder diagnosis, stating that he has to take “a series of tests” before being able to tour and drive again.
Why Apple is finally making its own smart home devices
The Home Collection might not be for you
Great bake: Cheyenne entrepreneur finds sweet success after a cupcake business reboot
CHEYENNE, Wyo. –– Munching on product is usually frowned upon in most food service environments. For Brian Harris, sampling the food is actually
Katie Zacharia is out after 5 days as White House press secretary
Zacharia had gotten off to a bumpy start with her first and final press briefing, followed by an onslaught of headlines about whether she had misrepresented herself as a lawyer.
Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary after just 5 days on the job
Zacharia had come under scrutiny after a shaky first news briefing and the revelation that she represented herself as a lawyer but did not pass her bar exam after law school.
New RPG From Final Fantasy, Persona Vets Borrows From The Past To Ask How We Can Save The Future
Eternal Anima finds surprising strategic depth in letting you foresee your opponent's next move
Scientists find 'gemstones' in atmosphere of bizarre, scorching-hot 'marshmallow' exoplanet
"Planets are temperamental, their atmospheres complex and chaotic."
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 […]
Science Museum of Virginia Opens “Rescue” Exhibit
Watch Virginia This Morning each weekday from 9 to 10 a.m. Find the show on Facebook and Instagram at @VirginiaThisMorning.
Trump says he told Katie Zacharia he'd reconsider White House job
Katie Zacharia made her White House press briefing debut on Tuesday and quickly came under intense scrutiny over her legal credentials.
Katie Zacharia, Trump’s New Press Secretary, Is Ousted After 5 Days
Ms. Zacharia was shadowed by questions about how she had presented her legal career and handled her first press briefing.
Microplastics Have Been Linked With Myriad Human Health Problems. Scientists May Have Finally Figured Out How They Harm the Body
Lab experiments suggest that tiny bits of plastic can react with water inside us to produce highly reactive molecules. They can lead to damaging oxidative stress and inflammation
Microplastics Have Been Linked With Myriad Human Health Problems. Scientists May Have Finally Figured Out How They Harm the Body
Lab experiments suggest that tiny bits of plastic can react with water inside us to produce highly reactive molecules. They can lead to damaging oxidative stress and inflammation
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.
Does Being Circumcised Make Sex Better or Worse? Here’s What Science Says.
A study found small differences in sexual satisfaction and erectile function, but researchers say the results aren't definitive.
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.
Hometown’s Best: Vote for your favorite Southwest Virginia live music, entertainment, or sports venue finalist in 2026
The search is on for Southwest Virginia’s favorite live music, entertainment, or sports venue, and the finalists for this year’s Hometown’s Best have officially been announced.
Hometown’s Best: Vote for your favorite place to watch sports in Southwest Virginia
The search is on for Southwest Virginia’s favorite place to watch sports, and the finalists for this year’s Hometown’s Best have officially been announced.
Double-Digit Health Insurance Rate Increases Finalized for 2027
Health insurance rates in New Jersey’s individual market, which includes Get Covered New Jersey, will increase by an average of 19.8% for 2027, according
Hometown’s Best: Vote for your favorite Southwest Virginia pet care business finalist in 2026
The search is on for Southwest Virginia’s favorite locally owned pet care business, and the finalists for this year’s Hometown’s Best have officially been announced.
Sell Rating Could Be A Turning Point For Sphere Entertainment Stock (SPHR)
Argus recently cut its view on Sphere Entertainment to a SELL rating, citing weaker scores on management quality, growth potential, and valuation, while assigning only medium marks to financial strength and the industry backdrop. The downgrade highlights a key tension in Sphere Entertainment’s story: an experience-heavy, capital-intensive model that faces questions about execution discipline and long-run profitability. This raises the question of how Sphere Entertainment's investment...
Ducks Wire staff predicts Oregon Ducks vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Ducks Wire staff predicts Oregon vs. Nebraska, including final score picks, players of the game, and key matchup predictions.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Shrink Their Hollywood Business as Layoffs Hit Archewell Productions
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly been quietly cutting staff at Archewell Productions. “They cut staff over the last 12 to 18 months,” an insider told Page Six on Thursday, October 15. Th...
Long Beach student advances to national science competition finals
Long Beach student Hanna Heitefuss is the only New Yorker among 30 finalists in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, earning national recognition for her research on saltwater intrusion and its effects on plants and aquatic life.
“Musk” distributor Bleecker Street acquired by Outerlight Entertainment
Outerlight Entertainment, previously First Look Entertainment, has acquired indie studio Bleecker Street Media, fresh from its release of Alex Gibney’s new documentary, Musk, on Friday (October 16). Financial terms of ...
LaMelo Ball Gives Timberwolves New Way to Use Rudy Gobert
The Minnesota Timberwolves have already seen how quickly a physical defense can disrupt actions built around Rudy Gobert's screens. Against Detroit, that pressure kept Minnesota from finding the offensive rhythm it had established against New York. LaMelo Ball Gives Timberwolves New Way to Use Rudy Gobert For a team with major ambitions, the problem extends …
How“ Street Fighter”’s surprising ending sets up a sequel — and introduces an iconic final boss
The new video game adaptation comes across as a clear part one of a two-part series.
AtScale Finds Semantic Layer Boosts AI Accuracy on Enterprise Data by Up to 2.4x
A more powerful AI model isn’t necessarily the answer to unreliable business analytics. New research from AtScale found that leading AI models answered fewer than 40% of business questions correctly when querying databases directly. But when AtScale added its semantic layer, accuracy improved by 1.7x to 2.4x across all seven models tested. In one test, […]
Your Financial Health on Another View
Practical Advice on Managing Your Money During Stressful Financial Times
Breece Hall, Adonai Mitchell out for Week 6
New York Jets RB Breece Hall (quadriceps) and WR Adonai Mitchell (finger) have been ruled out for Week 6 against the New England Patriots.
IU Kelley School of Business Expert Weights in on Prediction Markets and Midterm Elections
As prediction markets play a growing role in election forecasting and increasingly compete with traditional polling, Russell Rhoads, clinical associate professor of finance at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, is available to provide expert analysis and commentary. Rhoads can help audiences understand how prediction markets work, what market odds actually signal about election outcomes, and why investors, analysts, and political observers are payin
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!
Is the Prince estate finally listening to fan complaints?
MINNEAPOLIS — Is the Prince estate finally listening to complaints from hardcore fans? On Oct. 9, the estate and NPG Records released the “Calabama EP” as a follow-up to the
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.
Nebraska-Oregon Preview: Why the Huskers Must Win Early
Oregon’s quarterback uncertainty and vulnerable early-down defense give Nebraska a path to bowl eligibility and a defining win under Matt Rhule.
Truist CEO shakes up bank's consumer, small business leadership
New Truist Financial CEO Mike Lyons revamped the Charlotte-based bank’s consumer and small business leadership and jettisoned one of the key digital initiatives of his predecessor CEO.
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.
Next Week on XBOX: New Games for October 19 to 23
Next Week on XBOX: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Final Fantasy Resonance, We Were Here Tomorrow, and more coming soon!
The Definitive Futuristic Mechanical Watch Debuts Its Ultimate Version
Ressence unveils the Type 10 DN, the brand's first watch to combine an in-house movement with an oil-filled dial.
THE BUSINESS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AS GOLDMAN SACHS CEO DAVID SOLOMON TAKES THE HELM
Washington, D.C., Oct. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Business Council today announced that Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon will become its next leader, succeeding Brian Cornell, Executive Chair of Target Corporation. In this role, Solomon will chair one of the nation’s most distinguished business organizations, bringing together the world’s foremost CEOs to confront emerging challenges, advance innovation, and help define the future of global leadership. Cornell has led The Busin
Healey and Minogue made their final pitches to voters in a tense debate. Here are 4 takeaways.
The two clashed over housing costs, public accountability, abortion access, immigration enforcement, and energy policy.