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  • Why Puzzles Are Becoming the New Wellness Ritual for a World Tired of “Wellness Hacks” | Better Living

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    Winter has a way of slowing everything down. The light fades a little earlier, the air bites a little harder, and the quiet nights stretch longer than we remember. For many, it’s a season that can feel heavy.

    We reach for our screens, scroll until our thumbs ache, and promise ourselves that tomorrow we’ll “do better.” We’ll eat more protein, stretch, drink more water, and journal. All of these are wonderfully healthy.

    But what if the antidote to burnout and overwhelm wasn’t another wellness hack at all?

    What if it was something simpler, slower, and far more satisfying?

    Enter: the humble jigsaw puzzle. Once the domain of rainy-day afternoons and grandparents’ card tables, puzzles are now one of the most unexpectedly powerful tools for modern mental wellness.

    The Rise of the Puzzle Ritual

    There’s something quietly radical happening on coffee tables everywhere. Instead of zoning out to yet another series or doom-scrolling through endless feeds, people are piecing together something tangible, bit by bit, color by color, moment by moment.

    And I’m officially obsessed. Why? The benefits for wellness are real.

    • The act of puzzling draws you into what psychologists call a flow state: that immersive focus where time slips away and stress melts.
    • Research shows that activities like puzzles can reduce cortisol, improve short-term memory, and even stimulate both sides of the brain at once, combining creativity and logic in one calming hit.
    • Unlike meditation apps or five-step morning routines, puzzles ask for nothing more than your attention and give back something far more meaningful: a sense of accomplishment and calm you can actually hold in your hands.

    And perhaps that’s why they’re having a moment. In a world obsessed with optimization, puzzles are gloriously analog. They remind us that slow can still be satisfying, and that joy doesn’t need to be downloaded.

    Beyond Beige: The Art Revival of Puzzles

    Of course, not all puzzles are created equal. The days of muted landscapes and generic still-lifes are (thankfully) over.

    A new generation of puzzle brands are redefining what puzzling looks and feels like.

    One standout is Artfelt Puzzles, a queer-owned company turning puzzles into both art and activism. Each design is a collaboration with LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC artists, transforming the puzzle table into a platform for representation, visibility, and joy.

    Founder Sarah Julian explains, “We wanted to make puzzles that make you feel something – joy, rebellion, connection, calm (often all at once) – and meaningful enough to connect you to a bigger story.”

    Artfelt launched with ten designs that are anything but beige — think tropical explosions of color, joyful portraits, and surreal dreamscapes. Each one brings a spark of energy and narrative that’s the perfect antidote to winter’s gray monotony.

    Their collaborations include artists like Bats Langley, whose “Picnic Pets” puzzle is a riot of color and whimsy, and Roochita Chachra, whose fruit-filled piece practically radiates sunshine. It’s art you can touch, piece by piece.

    I Was a Skeptic Now I’m a Superfan: ArtFelt Rekindled My Love for Puzzles

    While I know the benefits of puzzles are real, I honestly didn’t know if I would enjoy doing them again. Let’s just say it’s been a while. And as an adult with a to-do list and a flea-like attention span, I thought I had outgrown them.

    But I stumbled across Artfelt and I loved their mission to uplift artists and offer their art as frameworthy puzzles. So I picked out a few of my favorite prints to see if puzzling could work its magic on me.

    I used to think puzzles were for passing time. Now they’re my new happy place.

    On the night I got my puzzles in the mail (they came quicker than expected), I cleared off my table, grabbed a cup of coffee, and opened The Winter Hare puzzle box first. I immediately started sorting pieces and finding edge pieces. And within a few minutes of snapping those pieces into place, I started to feel less scattered, noticeably calmer, and more centered.

    And truthfully, as adorable as this print was, it wasn’t easy. Having a white edged border meant that the strategy of putting the edge pieces together first wasn’t going to work on this one. Some sections even seemed impossible to do at times. But after snapping the last piece together I felt a true sense of accomplishment. And as the puzzle came together I connected with the image in a way I didn’t think possible.

    And there’s more reasons to love Artfelt puzzles. You can choose from 500 or 1000 pieces for each puzzle design. Some of my other favorites are the dreamy Midnight in the Garden by Laura Watkin and Midnight Owls by Roochita Chachra in joyfully bright colors.

    Their puzzles are Environmentally Friendly made using FSC-certified paper, 100% recycled millboard, and printed with vegan-friendly inks. I found the prints were bold and beautiful.

    Artfelt also partners with LGBTQ and BIPOC artists to create their puzzles who receive a percentage of every puzzle you buy. There’s a print for everyone with more yet to come.

    The puzzles are beautiful and vibrant. And it’s nice to know you’re doing good not only for your own wellness, but you’re also helping the artists behind the puzzles.

    The Science of Slowing Down With Puzzles

    When was the last time you truly lost track of time doing something offline?

    That’s what puzzles offer. They are a form of active rest.

    FACT: Neuroscientists say that repetitive, goal-oriented activities (like sorting pieces or finding edges) can quiet the amygdala. This is the part of the brain responsible for anxiety.

    At the same time, completing small tasks triggers dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter that keeps us motivated and balanced.

    See also

    In short: puzzling is good for your brain chemistry.

    But the benefits go beyond the neurological. For many, puzzles are also emotional resets.

    Tangible, screen-free rituals that give structure to restless evenings. The satisfaction of connecting one tiny piece at a time feels especially grounding in a world that often feels chaotic and fragmented.

    “Puzzles remind us that progress doesn’t always look fast,” says Julian. “Sometimes you just have to sit with the mess, trust the process, and keep finding the next piece.”

    Turning Your Puzzle Time Into a Wellness Ritual

    If you’re new to puzzling, or returning after years away, here’s how to make it your winter wellness ritual:

    1. Set the scene. Choose a cozy spot with good lighting and a flat surface. Light a candle, play your favorite playlist, or pour a glass of something warm. Make it feel intentional.
    2. Start with art that speaks to you. Skip the dull designs. Pick a puzzle that makes you feel something – whether it’s color, humor, or emotion.

    Pro Tip: Artfelt’s collection is full of vibrant, inclusive art that sparks joy at first glance.

    1. Go slow. Forget the timer. This isn’t a race, it’s a process. Let yourself linger, sort, rearrange, and celebrate every “aha” moment.
    2. Make it social. Puzzling can be beautifully communal. Invite a friend over for wine and puzzles, or make it a family night ritual. Shared silence can be surprisingly connective.
    3. Reflect on what you built. When the final piece clicks into place, take a moment.

    You created order from chaos, literally. Frame it, photograph it, or simply sit back and enjoy the stillness.

    Dive into Artfelt’s Quiet Revolution on the Tabletop

    There’s something quietly subversive about finding peace in a puzzle. It resists the noise, the urgency, and the constant 24-hour news cycle that defines modern life.

    Instead, doing a puzzle is creative, mindful, and inclusive. Especially when that puzzle carries a deeper story, like the ones from Artfelt Puzzles.

    As Julian puts it, “We wanted to give people something beautiful to build and something meaningful to be part of.”

    So this winter, when the nights feel long and your brain feels full, resist the urge to scroll. Spread out the pieces instead. Build something vibrant, intentional, and joy-filled.

    Because in a world full of quick fixes, the most radical thing you can do for your wellness might just be to slow down, one piece at a time.

    Better Living uses affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission (for which we are deeply grateful) at no cost to you.

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    Heather

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  • At UN climate conference, some activists and scientists want more talk on reforming agriculture

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    BELEM, Brazil — With a spotlight on the Brazilian Amazon, where agriculture drives a significant chunk of deforestation and planet-warming emissions, many of the activists, scientists and government leaders at United Nations climate talks have a beef. They want more to be done to transform the world’s food system.

    Protesters gathered outside a new space at the talks, the industry-sponsored “Agrizone,” to call for a transition toward a more grassroots food system, even as hundreds of lobbyists for big agriculture companies are attending the talks.

    Though agriculture contributes about a third of Earth-warming emissions worldwide, most of the money dedicated to fighting climate change goes to causes other than agriculture, according to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

    The FAO didn’t offer any single answer as to how that spending should be shifted, or on what foods people should be eating.

    “All the countries are coming together. I don’t think we can impose on them one specific worldview,” said Kaveh Zahedi, director of the organization’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment.

    Research has generally shown that a plant-based diet can be better for health and the planet. But many people in poverty around the world who are hardest hit by climate change depend on animal sources of protein for survival. People in higher-income countries have more options for a healthy diet without meat. But those people still tend to contribute more to climate change with their dietary choices.

    “We have to be very, very aware and conscious of those nuances, those differences that exist,” Zahedi said.

    When world leaders gather every year to try to address climate change, they spend much of their time in a giant, artificial world that typically gets built up just for the conference.

    One corner of COP30, as this year’s conference is known, featured the alternative universe of AgriZone, where visitors could step into a world of immersive videos and exhibits with live plants and food products. Those included a research farm that Brazilian national agricultural research corporation Embrapa built to showcase what they call low-carbon farming methods for raising cattle, and growing crops like corn and soy as well as ways to integrate cover crops like legumes or trees like teak and eucalyptus.

    Ana Euler, executive director of innovation, business and technology transfer at Embrapa, said her industry can offer solutions needed especially in the Global South where climate change is hitting hardest.

    “We need to be part of the discussions in terms of climate funds,” Euler said. “We researchers, we speak loud, but nobody listens.”

    AgriZone was averaging about 2,000 visitors a day during COP30’s two-week run, said Gabriel Faria, an Embrapa spokesman. That included tours for Queen Mary of Denmark, COP President André Corrêa do Lago and other Brazilian state and local officials.

    But while the AgriZone seeks to spread a message of lower-carbon agriculture possibilities, industrial agriculture retains a big influence at the climate talks. The climate-focused news site DeSmog reported that more than 300 industrial agriculture lobbyists are attending COP30.

    On a humid evening at COP30’s opening, a group of activists gathered on the grassy center of a busy roundabout in front of the AgriZone to call for food systems that prioritize good working conditions and sustainability and for industry lobbyists to not be allowed at the talks.

    Those with the most sway are “not the smallholder food producers, … not the peasants, and … definitely not all these people in the Global South that are experiencing the brunt of the crisis,” said Pang Delgra, an activist with the Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development who was among the protesters. “It’s this industrial agriculture and corporate lobbyists that are shifting the narrative inside COPs.”

    As Indigenous people pushed to be heard at a COP that was supposed to be about them, some also called for countries to honor their knowledge of land stewardship.

    “We have to decolonize our thoughts. It’s not just about changing to a different food,” said Sara Omi, from the Embera people of Panama and president of the Coordination of Territorial Leaders of the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests.

    “The agro-industrial systems are not the solution,” she added. “The solution is our own ancestral systems that we maintain as Indigenous peoples.”

    ___

    Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @melinawalling.bsky.social. Follow Joshua A. Bickel on Instagram, Bluesky and X @joshuabickel.

    ___

    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • ‘Rental Family’ spotlights real-life Japanese businesses that offer fill-in relatives and friends

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    TOKYO (AP) — Ryuichi Ichinokawa’s life could be right out of the movie “Rental Family” as the founder nearly two decades ago of the Heart Project business in Japan, which he bills as a surrogate attendance service complete with furnishing of extras and family members.

    He has hired dozens of people to act like reporters with cameras and voice recorders, taking notes and milling with real journalists to fill up an otherwise rather vacant event. He has posed as the boyfriend of a woman who needs to discuss legal paperwork with her former spouse. And he has gone to a hospital as a stand-in husband for a woman getting fertility treatments.

    “I am being of service to people. I hope they will be happy,” said Ichinokawa, a dapper elderly man who asked The Associated Press to not be photographed lest his identity become public.

    “Rental Family,” a moving drama from Searchlight Pictures starring Brendan Fraser, is sure to spark interest in Japan’s real-life industry. The film, which opens in theaters Friday, centers on Phillip, an American actor who is recruited by a Tokyo “rental family” agency in need of a “token white guy.” His recurring jobs range from playing video games with a loner to portraying a little girl’s long absentee father. It isn’t long before Phillip starts to become emotionally invested in what were supposed to be superficial relationships. The film’s Japanese supporting cast also bring to life the intense highs and lows of assuming a role in a stranger’s life.

    In reality, these niche businesses highlight how deeply people in Japan experience loneliness or worry about keeping up appearances. Outsiders may cringe at the idea of paying amateur actors to be fake family members or friends. But users say they find these services comforting and even healing.

    Rental roles can vary and be stressful

    The film’s director, Mitsuyo Miyazaki whose professional name is Hikari, was born in Japan yet knew little about the concept. Once she learned about it, she couldn’t stop thinking about what a unique story it could inspire. So Hikari started researching and found hundreds of companies in Japan that offer rental families or similar services. She spoke with several people in that world.

    “I kind of started tackling those questions, and interviewed them on what are the necessities of the business that needs to happen in Japan. And then that’s how I kind of built stories,” Hikari said.

    Even at a time when people seek company through Artificial Intelligence, she thinks hiring of actors to fill emotional voids will always be in demand.

    “I don’t think they will disappear, honestly, it might just probably expand,” she said.

    In Ichinokawa’s experience, most people who ask for the service have a certain social status to protect. He has organized visits to a bar for a hostess who wants to impress her employer with lots of clientele. Similar to the movie, Ichinokawa has gone to school events with a single mother and her child, acting as a friendly uncle.

    Sometimes Ichinokawa takes extra steps to ensure the facade. If required, he will print fake business cards — which are routinely exchanged at Japanese gatherings.

    Some parts are easy, like being a wedding guest who just sits and eats. But it’s often stressful work. You’re coached to avoid uttering the wrong name or background information. You might have to be prepared to talk about childhood memories you have no clue about. Ichinokawa used to scribble names on his hand. He also pores over notes in advance. If he’s really desperate, he excuses himself to the restroom.

    Payment for getting rented out varies. For Heart Project, the relatively easy roles can make 9,800 yen ($63) for a couple of hours. For the more elaborate parts, the client dishes out 20,000 yen ($130) to 30,000 yen ($190) per person.

    Ichinokawa’s rule is that you only play a role once. To do it more than once is setting yourself up for failure. And he has never failed in his mission, he added proudly.

    “I don’t feel I am acting. I really get angry if that’s what the situation requires,” he said.

    Japan’s loneliness epidemic

    Japan has long grappled with loneliness, high suicide rates and a stigma surrounding mental illness. After a 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the country examined how the disasters were affecting mental health, said Miwa Yasui, a professor at the University of Chicago whose research includes the influence of culture on mental health.

    Today, there are more mental health providers and an understanding of the need for counseling in Japan. During the pandemic, volunteers focused on teen depression started an online Japanese-language chat service.

    Japanese people isolated physically are prone to feeling it internally, said Chikako Ozawa-de Silva, author of “The Anatomy of Loneliness: Suicide, Social Connection and the Search for Relational Meaning in Contemporary Japan.”

    “When people feel they’re not loved, they are not accepted, they’re now seeing they’re not heard. The sense of ‘I don’t matter’ is a form of loneliness,” said Ozawa-de Silva, who is also a professor at Emory University.

    This can lead to “hikikomori,” where people withdraw socially and become shut-ins for months or even years.

    Japanese culture’s collectivist nature also contributes to hiding mental health challenges. Children are taught the principle of “minna no tame ni” or for the sake of everybody, Yasui said. As adults, there is pressure to maintain harmony and make sure the needs of others — work or family — are met.

    “Within Asian cultures, there’s a concept of loss of face,” Yasui said. “If you lose that, that actually has significant implications.”

    In Ozawa-de Silva’s opinion, renting actors for surface-level intimacy is putting a “Band-Aid” on a deeper problem.

    “I’m not against that,” Ozawa-de Silva said. “If people can buy time by renting a family, while pursuing much better long-term solutions, I think the rental family could be a very, very beneficial thing.”

    Rental families and real connections

    While someone with a Western mindset might find renting actors bizarre, many Japanese people find it reassuring. Much of the written feedback Ichinokawa gets expresses relief or appreciation: “Thank you for today. You really interacted with us like a real mother. My boyfriend kept saying, ‘What a great mom.’” From a male client: “Please relay my regards to the person who played the role of my wife and tell her she was a superb wife.”

    The film, which will be released in February in Japan, uses the rental family concept to remind people that human nature’s need for connection is not something you can suppress.

    “When you help somebody and if they feel like you’re being supportive, that makes you feel good,” Hikari said. “And a family member doesn’t have to be alway blood-related.”

    ___ Tang reported from Phoenix.

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  • ‘Few years ago I had pretty much given up on…’: Samantha Ruth Prabhu pens a note as she flaunts back muscles in workout pics

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    Samantha Ruth Prabhu has always prioritized her health, be it physical, mental, or emotional. Now, the actress has proved her resilience once again with new images shared on her social media handle, accompanied by an inspirational note.

    Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s workout pictures

    Sharing the images on social media, Samantha wrote, “Action mode. Beast mode. A few years ago, I had pretty much given up on ever having a strong back. I genuinely thought it just wasn’t in my genes. I’d see other people with great backs and think, ‘Yeah, that’s not going to be me.’ But I was wrong. And honestly, I’m glad I was.”

    The actress added that she was going to show off her transformation because the work and effort it had taken to get there were incredibly intense. She explained that she had kept showing up even on days when she didn’t feel like it, when nothing seemed to be changing, and when quitting would have been easier.

    Samantha emphasized that strength training had become her best friend over the years. Finally, she urged anyone close to giving up not to quit, adding that their future self would be grateful if they kept going.

    See it here:

    Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Raj Nidimoru spotted together

    Recently, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and her rumored beau Raj Nidimoru were spotted together as they arrived at the airport. Earlier, the actress had shared a picture with The Family Man co-creator, creating speculation among fans that she had made her relationship official online. Reportedly, the actress and the director fell in love while working together on the web series Citadel: Honey Bunny.

    Samantha’s work front

    Samantha Ruth Prabhu is next expected to appear in the web series Rakt Brahmand: The Bloody Kingdom. The upcoming show is headlined by Samantha and Aditya Roy Kapur, with Ali Fazal and Wamiqa Gabbi playing pivotal roles.

    Moreover, the Anjaan actress is all set to return to the big screen soon with her new Telugu film Maa Inti Bangaram. Although the project was announced some time ago, Samantha recently confirmed that shooting for the film is currently underway.

    Additionally, there are rumors that she might appear alongside STR in Vetrimaaran’s Arasan, though this has not been confirmed yet.

    ALSO READ: Vilaayath Budha Review: Prithviraj Sukumaran’s film misses the mark despite its promising premise

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  • Mpox cases on the rise in Mecklenburg County

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    Mpox cases have been on the rise in Mecklenburg County, public health officials said Friday. 

    What You Need To Know

    • There were three cases of Mpox in Mecklenburg County in October compared to seven so far this month 

    • Mpox, previously called monkeypox, is most commonly spread through close skin-to-skin contact 

    • Common symptoms include rashes, fever, chills and other flu like symptoms  

    • Vaccinations are available at Mecklenburg County Public Health clinic locations


    There were three cases in October and seven so far this month, according to Mecklenburg County Public Health.

    This comes while Clade I, a more deadly strain of the virus, has been reported in parts of Europe and Africa.

    “While the overall risk from mpox in our community is very low, we encourage those who are at higher risk to take steps to protect their health,” Mecklenburg County’s Health Director Raynard Washington said. “The vaccine remains the best tool we have to prevent mpox and serious complications from the virus.” 

    Mpox, previously called monkeypox, can spread from rodents and primates, like monkeys, to humans, according to the Mayo Clinic. But it is mainly spread person to person through close, skin-to-skin contact with someone who is infected.  

    People at higher risk for contracting the virus are those with weakened immune systems, babies, pregnant women and people who have had eczema.

    Common symptoms include:

    • Rashes
    • Fever
    • Chills
    • Swollen lymph nodes
    • Exhaustion
    • Muscle aches and backache
    • Headache
    • Sore throat
    • Nasal congestion
    • Cough

    Getting vaccinated can help reduce the likelihood of contracting mpox and make symptoms less severe if so.

    Mpox vaccinations are available at Mecklenburg County Public Health clinic locations. People can call 704-336-6500 to make an appointment or walk in any time during business hours. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Caroline King

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  • Looking to give this Thanksgiving? Consider these food banks and organizations

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    According to data collected from the Ohio Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as of January 2025, one in nine Ohio residents rely on SNAP benefits

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    Cody Thompson

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  • CDC website is changed to include false claim about autism and vaccines

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    A page of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website was changed to include a false claim about autism and vaccines. Multiple CDC officials familiar with the situation said the change was made by political appointees inside the Department of Health and Human Services without input from relevant agency staffers. 

    The page about vaccines and autism formerly said that “no links have been found between any vaccine ingredients and Autism spectrum disorder.” The website has now been changed to say, “‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim” — a statement the Autism Science Foundation calls “misinformation” that “actually contradicts the best available science.” The CDC page also falsely claims that studies supporting a link between vaccines and autism have “been ignored by health authorities.”

    Previously, changes have only occurred in consultation with subject matter experts at the agency’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and its National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The CDC sources told CBS News political appointees at HHS devised the change and instructed an employee inside the office of acting CDC Director Jim O’Neil to make it. 

    Autism is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. It presents with a wide range of symptoms that can include delays in language, learning, and social or emotional skills. The National Institutes of Health has committed hundreds of millions of dollars a year to studying the condition and trying to understand how and why it develops.

    The debunked theory that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine causes autism has its roots in a 1998 study that was found to be fraudulent and has been retracted. Since then, “independent researchers across seven countries have conducted more than 40 high-quality studies involving over 5.6 million people,” said American Academy of Pediatrics president Susan Kressly in a statement decrying the website change. 

    “We are at a very dangerous moment for the health of America’s children,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the AAP’s Committee on Infectious Diseases, in a news briefing on Thursday.  

    Research has found no evidence of increased rates of autism among those who are vaccinated compared to those who are not. Vaccines also undergo intensive safety testing. Research shows that genetics play a role in autism diagnoses. The NIH says some possible risk factors for autism include prenatal exposure to pesticides or air pollution, extreme prematurity or low birth weight, certain maternal health conditions, or parents conceiving at an older age.  

    “There is overwhelming evidence that vaccines do not cause autism,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, a former CDC director. “This change to CDC language undermines the agency’s scientific integrity, damaging its credibility on vaccines and other health recommendations. Most concerning, it risks endangering children by driving down vaccination rates and leaving kids vulnerable to preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough.”

    In a statement, HHS communications director Andrew Nixon said, “This is a common-sense update that brings CDC’s website in line with our commitment to transparency and gold standard science.

    “As the updated page explains, the claim that ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not supported by comprehensive evidence, as studies to date have not definitively ruled out potential associations. Some research suggesting possible biologic mechanisms has been ignored or dismissed by public health agencies, and HHS is committed to finding a definitive answer,” Nixon said.

    Leading autism advocacy groups dispute that. 

    The Autism Science Foundation said in a statement it was “appalled” by the change to the CDC’s website, and highlighted the decades of research into the topic. Alison Singer, the co-founder and president of the ASF, said that while researchers “can’t do a scientific study to show that something does not cause something else,” there are a “mountain of studies that we have exonerating vaccines as a cause of autism.”

    “I think the question of whether vaccines causes autism is one that science can answer, and science has answered it,” Singer said in Thursday’s news briefing.

    A subhead saying that “Vaccines do not cause autism” remains on the CDC website with an asterisk next to it. The bottom of the page explains that the header remains in place because of an agreement with Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician who is the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and backed HHS Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his confirmation hearings. Cassidy said Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that he supported Kennedy in part because of “serious commitments” from the Trump administration, but did not specify what those were. 

    “I’m a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases,” Cassidy wrote on social media on Thursday afternoon. “What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker.” 

    Cassidy highlighted recent outbreaks of whooping cough and measles. He also called for more research into “the real causes of autism,” and criticized HHS funding cuts. 

    “Redirecting attention to factors we definitely know DO NOT cause autism denies families the answers they deserve,” Cassidy wrote.

    Other health agency pages with information about autism and vaccines had not been changed as of early Thursday afternoon.

    Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

    CBS News


    Kennedy has previously pushed the discredited claim that routine childhood shots cause autism. President Trump has also falsely suggested vaccines could be to blame for autism rates. Both expressed concern about rising rates of autism diagnoses, which appear to be driven by a variety of factors including increased awareness and changes in how the condition is diagnosed. 

    O’Leary said he feared the website changes would “scare parents and further stigmatize” people with autism. 

    “We have been dealing with these falsehoods for many years. They are not new. We have been promoting the science, and we’re going to continue to do that, as are the other professional societies,” he said. “The problem is now it’s coming from, these falsehoods are coming for our federal government.” 

    Experts have previously raised concerns about Kennedy reviving debunked theories about the cause of autism. In April, Kennedy announced the CDC would conduct a “massive testing and research effort” to find out what causes the disorder, and hired David Geier, a man who repeatedly claimed a link between vaccines and autism, to lead the effort. Kennedy said the work would be completed by September, though other health officials later pushed the timeline. 

    Dr. Fiona Havers, an infectious disease physician and former CDC official, said that the website change showed scientists “who in the past carefully vetted scientific information have been pushed aside.” 

    The “CDC should be a data-driven agency based on science and not ideology, but when you take the scientists out of the process you get rhetoric that can harm families,” said former CDC chief science and medical officer Dr. Debra Houry, who lresigned from the agency earlier this year.

    Edited by

    Nicole Brown Chau and

    Paula Cohen

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  • NJ high court rules shaken baby syndrome testimony unreliable and inadmissible in child abuse cases

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    New Jersey’s highest court ruled Thursday that expert testimony about shaken baby syndrome is scientifically unreliable and inadmissible in two upcoming trials, a decision that comes as the long-held medical diagnoses have come under increased scrutiny.

    The New Jersey Supreme Court determined that a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome, which is also known as abusive head trauma, is not generally accepted within the “biomechanical community” and is therefore not “sufficiently reliable” for admission at the trials.

    The 6-1 ruling deals with the trials of two men facing charges in separate cases, where the young victims showed symptoms that have come to be associated with shaken baby syndrome.

    The justices, using an abbreviation for the syndrome, concluded in their lengthy decision that “there was no test supporting a finding that humans can produce the physical force necessary to cause the symptoms associated with SBS/AHT in a child.”

    But Justice Rachel Wainer Apter, in a strongly worded dissent, said the other justices put more weight on the views of individual biomechanical engineers over the “consensus perspective of every major medical society in the world.”

    That, she said, includes all the medical discipline involved in the diagnosis and treatment of shaken baby syndrome — pediatrics, child abuse pediatrics, neurology, neuroradiology, neurosurgery, radiology, ophthalmology and emergency medicine.

    Wainer Apter also noted that every other U.S. state allows testimony in court on the syndrome and “every other court that has considered the question” has held such evidence as admissible.

    “No case has ever concluded that evidence of SBS/AHT is unreliable,” she wrote. “And no case has ever found its reliability sufficiently questioned to preclude its admission at a civil or criminal trial.”

    According to the Mayo Clinic, the syndrome is a result of forcefully shaking an infant or a toddler, which can damage or destroy a child’s brain cells and cause permanent brain damage or even death. Symptoms include bleeding around the brain, brain swelling and bleeding in the eyes.

    Prosecutors and medical societies say the syndrome is the leading cause of fatal head injuries in children younger than 2 years of age, with more than 1,000 cases reported in the U.S. each year, according to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

    But defense lawyers and some in the medical and scientific communities argue that shaken baby diagnosis is flawed and has led to wrongful convictions, pointing to overturned convictions or dropped charges in California, Ohio, Massachusetts and Michigan.

    The state attorney general’s office declined to comment Thursday, but the public defender’s office hailed the decision as a “landmark” moment, saying it reflected the importance of relying on “reliable, well-supported scientific evidence” in criminal cases.

    “Where the science is uncertain, the stakes are simply too high to permit unsupported expert opinions to decide a person’s guilt or to justify separating children from their parents,” Cody Mason, a managing attorney in the public defender’s office, said in a statement.

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  • Michael Jordan donates $10M to North Carolina medical center in honor of his mother

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    WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan is giving $10 million to a North Carolina regional medical center in honor of his mother.

    The six-time NBA champ and now businessman announced the gift to Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington on Tuesday. With the donation, the medical center will name its neuroscience institute after Deloris Jordan.

    “My mother taught me the importance of compassion and community, and I can’t think of a better way to honor her than by helping to ensure those in need can obtain the most advanced neurological care available,” Jordan said about his donation.

    The money helps support his mother’s work on health and wellness, specifically with making specialists, technology and care more accessible specifically for patients dealing with stroke, spine treatment, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other health issues.

    Deloris Jordan, founder and president of the James R. Jordan Foundation and its international foundation of the same name, has overseen programs in the U.S. and Africa. She said it’s humbling to be a part of bringing high-quality care to more people in North Carolina.

    A dedication ceremony will be held early in 2026 at the Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

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  • As infant botulism cases climb to 31, recalled ByHeart baby formula is still on some store shelves

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    As cases of potentially deadly botulism in babies who drank ByHeart infant formula continue to grow, state officials say they are still finding the recalled product on some store shelves.

    Meanwhile the company reported late Wednesday that laboratory tests confirmed that some samples of formula were contaminated with the type of bacteria that has sickened more than 30 babies in the outbreak.

    Tests by an independent food safety laboratory found Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that produces toxins that can lead to potentially life threatening illness in babies younger than 1, the company said on its website. ByHeart officials said they notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the findings but did not specify how many samples were tested or how many were positive.

    “We are working to investigate the facts, conduct ongoing testing to identify the source, and ensure this does not happen to families again,” ByHeart said on its website.

    The FDA did not immediately respond to questions about the findings.

    The lab results come as investigators in at least three states found ByHeart formula still for sale even after the New York-based company recalled all products nationwide, officials told The Associated Press.

    At least 31 babies in 15 states who drank ByHeart formula have been hospitalized and treated for infantile botulism since August, federal health officials said Wednesday. They range in age from about 2 weeks to about 6 months, with the most recent case reported on Nov. 13.

    No deaths have been reported.

    In Oregon, nine of more than 150 stores checked still had the formula on shelves this week, a state agriculture official said. In Minnesota, investigators conducted 119 checks between Nov. 13 and Nov. 17 and removed recalled products from sale at four sites, an agriculture department official said. An Arizona health official also said they found the product available.

    Businesses and consumers should remain alert, Minnesota officials said in a statement. “No affected product should be sold or consumed,” they wrote.

    Investigators with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conducted inspections at ByHeart manufacturing plants in Allerton, Iowa, and Portland, Oregon. No results from the inspections have been reported.

    California officials previously confirmed the germ that can lead to illness in an open can of ByHeart formula fed to a baby who fell ill.

    Infant botulism, which can cause paralysis and death, is caused by a type of bacteria that forms spores that germinate in a baby’s gut and produce a toxin.

    Symptoms can take up to 30 days to develop and include constipation, poor feeding, a weak cry, drooping eyelids or a flat facial expression. Babies can develop weakness in their limbs and head and may feel “floppy.” They can have trouble swallowing or breathing.

    ByHeart had been manufacturing about 200,000 cans of formula per month. It was sold online or at retail stores such as Target and Walmart. A Walmart spokesperson said the company swiftly issued a restriction that prevented sale of the formula, removed the product from stores and notified consumers who had bought it. Customers can visit any store for a refund of the formula, which sold for about $42 per can.

    Federal and state health officials are concerned that some parents and caregivers may still have ByHeart products in their homes. They are advising consumers to stop using the product — including formula in cans and any single-serve sticks. They also suggest marking it “DO NOT USE” and keeping it for at least a month in case a baby develops symptoms. In that case, the formula would need to be tested.

    The California health department operates the Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program, which tracks cases and distributes treatment for the disease. Officials there have launched a public hotline at 833-398-2022, which is staffed with health officials from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

    The new hotline was created after calls from hundreds of parents and caregivers flooded a different, longstanding hotline for doctors to discuss suspected infant botulism cases, officials said.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Blue Light-Maxxing? Using Your Phone At Night May Not Be So Bad

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    For many years, the advice from scientists and experts to people of all ages has been pretty universal: using your phone before bed will mess with your sleep. 

    But findings from a new study conducted by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and the Université Laval paint a more complicated picture of the modern nighttime habit.

    The self-reported study asked more than 1,000 adults across Canada about their bedtime screen use and sleep health, and found that overall sleep health was similar between those who used screens every night, and those who didn’t use one at all. The worst sleep came from those who used their phones only a few nights a week.

    Whereas previous studies had blamed sleep disruption on the blue light emitted by phones and other LED screens—which some research says limits the body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin—TMU researchers said those findings had not accounted for age, timing, or intensity of exposure.

    Read more: 20 Things You Shouldn’t Do Before Bed

    TMU Professor Colleen Carney, one of the study’s authors and a specialist in sleep and mood disorders, said other studies in the field had used experimental conditions that don’t reflect the average person’s day, and in some cases “stack the deck” to prove blue light is the culprit.

    “It is true that we do have those studies, but in order to get those results, these studies usually pick young adults who are closer to puberty, which is really important, because that makes you light sensitive. And then they keep them in the lab overnight and all through the day, they’re in dim light all day long,” Carney tells TIME.  “I think people have taken findings in this area and applied them much too broadly, and have not paid attention to studies that don’t find it.”

    Carney says the study found that it is equally important what people do on their phone, especially “if you’re engaging in things that make it really difficult to put it down, if you’re engaging in things that are upsetting or alerting on your phone.”

    The study, published in the journal Sleep Health in October, found that over 80% of participants reported using screens at bedtime in the past month, and nearly half reported using screens every night.

    Carney’s study follows a smattering of similar findings in recent years that suggest the blue light may have been unfairly maligned.

    The research has, for years, pointed in one direction: Blue light can disrupt sleep and potentially delay melatonin release, so limiting it is the best way to get a good night’s rest.

    Several studies have found that exposure to short-wavelength blue light reduces melatonin levels, thereby negatively impacting sleep. 

    A 2011 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found a link between blue light exposure and melatonin suppression. Another 2023 study published in Brain Communications measured sleep in adolescent boys and young adult men after reading with a physical book or with a blue-light-emitting phone. The findings supported the idea that melatonin can be suppressed by blue light, but also found that the negative effects could be mitigated if the phone was put away at least one hour before bed. An April 2025 study published in the journal Life underscored that blue light disrupts circadian rhythm and found that red light was a better alternative.

    Other studies found a strong link between phone use and poor sleep quality, but could not determine causation. 

    A 2016 study published in the journal PLOS ONE and covered by TIME found a strong link between phone use before bed and poor sleep, while making no conclusions about causation. The 30-day study measured the screen time of 653 adult participants across the United States.

    “We can’t exclude the possibility that people who just can’t get to sleep for some unrelated reason happen to fill that time by using their smartphone,” one of the study’s authors Dr. Gregory Marcus, told TIME in 2016. 

    In a 2024 National Sleep Foundation expert panel made up of 16 experts in sleep and pediatrics, published a consensus statement saying that screen use in general impairs sleep health in children and adolescents, but primarily due to content. The panel did not reach consensus on whether exposure to blue light from screen use before bed can impair sleep in adults.

    A March 2025 American Cancer Society study of over 122,000 participants found that daily screen use was associated with later bedtimes and about 50 minutes less of sleep each week. 

    Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine doctor in Menlo Park, Calif., calls the study “fascinating, because it goes against a very large established body of research which suggests a clear effect on sleep quality from screen use,” citing the 2025 American Cancer Society study as an example.

    “The authors do acknowledge some interesting findings [including] that causality cannot be clearly determined from this study. And it is possible that good sleepers either use phones or they don’t, while poor sleepers aren’t sure what to do,” Dimitriu tells TIME.

    In Dimitriu’s professional opinion: “Screens are not good for sleep.”

    “I can stay up [for] hours scrolling through news articles, blogs, and social media posts. If I try reading a book, I’m out within 10 minutes. My patients feel the same,” he says. “Screens, besides being bright, are just too interesting.”

    The TMU research is not the first of its kind to suggest that blue light may not be the major factor in sleep disruption.

    Several other studies also indicate that research on blue light and sleep is mixed. A 2022 review in Frontiers in Psychology examined 24 studies to answer this exact question in young adults. One in five of the studies reported decreased sleep quality after blue light exposure, while one in three reported decreased sleep duration. Fifty percent of the studies showed decreased tiredness, consistent with blue light increasing alertness and improving cognitive performance during the daytime.

    “[I]n general, the specific effects of blue light exposure seem still to be a murky field and more investigations are needed before final firm and evidence-based conclusions can be drawn,” the study reads, although the researchers do say that blue light “might also have negative effects such as the decrease in sleep quality and sleep duration, which might worsen an athlete’s physical and cognitive performance and recovery.”

    The researchers at TMU note that younger people may be more vulnerable to the melatonin-suppressing effects of light, and many studies have found that nighttime exposure to light can particularly affect children and adolescents, not the adults that TMU’s study focuses on.

    “There may be reason to be cautious about excessive blue light exposure in the evening for teens as puberty increases light-sensitivity,” Carney said in the paper’s release.  “As we age, we are not as light sensitive and there are age-related effects of the eye that make light less disruptive.”

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    Rebecca Schneid

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  • An autoimmune disease stole this man’s memory. Here’s how he’s learning to cope

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    “My year of unraveling” is how a despairing Christy Morrill described nightmarish months when his immune system hijacked his brain.

    What’s called autoimmune encephalitis attacks the organ that makes us “us,” and it can appear out of the blue.

    Morrill went for a bike ride with friends along the California coast, stopping for lunch, and they noticed nothing wrong. Neither did Morrill until his wife asked how it went — and he’d forgotten. Morrill would get worse before he got better. “Unhinged” and “fighting to see light,” he wrote as delusions set in and holes in his memory grew.

    Of all the ways our immune system can run amok and damage the body instead of protecting it, autoimmune encephalitis is one of the most unfathomable. Seemingly healthy people abruptly spiral with confusion, memory loss, seizures, even psychosis.

    But doctors are getting better at identifying it, thanks to discoveries of a growing list of the rogue antibodies responsible that, if found in blood and spinal fluid, aid diagnosis. Every year new culprit antibodies are being uncovered, said Dr. Sam Horng, a neurologist at Mount Sinai Health System in New York who has cared for patients with multiple forms of this mysterious disease.

    And while treatment today involves general ways to fight the inflammation, two major clinical trials are underway aiming for more targeted therapy.

    Still, it’s tricky. Symptoms can be mistaken for psychiatric or other neurologic disorders, delaying proper treatment.

    “When someone’s having new changes in their mental status, they’re worsening and if there’s sort of like a bizarre quality to it, that’s something that kind of tips our suspicion,” Horng said. “It’s important not to miss a treatable condition.”

    With early diagnosis and care, some patients fully recover. Others like Morrill recover normal daily functioning but grapple with some lasting damage — in his case, lost decades of “autobiographical” memories. This 72-year-old literature major can still spout facts and figures learned long ago, and he makes new memories every day. But even family photos can’t help him recall pivotal moments in his own life.

    “I remember ‘Ulysses’ is published in Paris in 1922 at Sylvia Beach’s bookstore. Why do I remember that, which is of no use to me anymore, and yet I can’t remember my son’s wedding?” Morrill wonders.

    Encephalitis means the brain is inflamed and symptoms can vary from mild to life-threatening. Infections are a common cause, typically requiring treatment of the underlying virus or bacteria. But when that’s ruled out, an autoimmune cause has to be considered, Horng said, especially when symptoms arise suddenly.

    The umbrella term autoimmune encephalitis covers a group of diseases with weird-sounding names based on the antibody fueling it, such as anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

    While they’re not new diseases, that one got a name in 2007 when Dr. Josep Dalmau, then at the University of Pennsylvania, discovered the first culprit antibody, sparking a hunt for more.

    That anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis tends to strike younger women and, one of the bizarre factors, it’s sometimes triggered by an ovarian “dermoid” cyst.

    How? That type of cyst has similarities to some brain tissue, Horng explained. The immune system can develop antibodies recognizing certain proteins from the growth. If those antibodies get into the brain, they can mistakenly target NMDA receptors on healthy brain cells, sparking personality and behavior changes that can include hallucinations.

    Different antibodies create different problems depending if they mostly hit memory and mood areas in the brain, or sensory and movement regions.

    Altogether, “facets of personhood seem to be impaired,” Horng said.

    Therapies include filtering harmful antibodies out of patients’ blood, infusing healthy ones, and high-dose steroids to calm inflammation.

    Those cyst-related antibodies stealthily attacked Kiara Alexander in Charlotte, North Carolina, who’d never heard of the brain illness. She’d brushed off some oddities — a little forgetfulness, zoning out a few minutes — until she found herself in an ambulance because of a seizure.

    Maybe dehydration, the first hospital concluded. At a second hospital after a second seizure, a doctor recognized the possible signs, ordering a spinal tap that found the culprit antibodies.

    As Alexander’s treatment began, other symptoms ramped up. She has little clear memory of the monthlong hospital stay: “They said I would just wake up screaming. What I could remember, it was like a nightmare, like the devil trying to catch me.”

    Later Alexander would ask about her 9-year-old daughter and when she could go home — only to forget the answer and ask again.

    Alexander feels lucky she was diagnosed quickly, and she got the ovarian cyst removed. But it took over a year to fully recover and return to work full time.

    In San Carlos, California, in early 2020, it was taking months to determine what caused Morrill’s sudden memory problem. He remembered facts and spoke eloquently but was losing recall of personal events, a weird combination that prompted Dr. Michael Cohen, a neurologist at Sutter Health, to send him for more specialized testing.

    “It’s very unusual, I mean extremely unusual, to just complain of a problem with autobiographical memory,” Cohen said. “One has to think about unusual disorders.”

    Meanwhile Morrill’s wife, Karen, thought she’d detected subtle seizures — and one finally happened in front of another doctor, helping spur a spinal tap and diagnosis of LGI1-antibody encephalitis.

    It’s a type most common in men over age 50. Those rogue antibodies disrupt how neurons signal each other, and MRI scans showed they’d targeted a key memory center.

    By then Morrill, who’d spent retirement guiding kayak tours, could no longer safely get on the water. He’d quit reading and as his treatments changed, he’d get agitated with scary delusions.

    “I lost total mental capacity and fell apart,” Morrill describes it.

    He used haiku to make sense of the incomprehensible, and months into treatment finally wondered if the “meds coursing through me” really were “dousing the fire. Rays of hope?”

    The nonprofit Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance lists about two dozen antibodies — and counting — known to play a role in these brain illnesses so far.

    Clinical trials, offered at major medical centers around the country, are testing two drugs now used for other autoimmune diseases to see if tamping down antibody production can ease encephalitis.

    More awareness of these rare diseases is critical, said North Carolina’s Alexander, who sought out fellow patients. “That’s a terrible feeling, feeling like you’re alone.”

    As for Morrill, five years later he still grieves decades of lost memories: family gatherings, a year spent studying in Scotland, the travel with his wife.

    But he’s making new memories with grandkids, is back outdoors — and leads an AE Alliance support group, using his haiku to illustrate the journey from his “unraveling” to “the present is what I have, daybreaks and sunsets” to, finally, “I can sustain hope.”

    “I’m reentering some real time of fun, joy,” Morrill said. “I wasn’t shooting for that. I just wanted to be alive.”

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Treasure Island commissioners discuss tackling overgrown lawns, pests

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    TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — Nov. 26 will mark 16 months since Hurricane Helene flooded Pinellas County communities with several feet of storm surge.

    Now, the city of Treasure Island is looking at changing a city ordinance to deal with an issue some say has gotten worse since the storm. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Treasure Island commissioners have discussed changing the city’s lawn-mowing ordinance

    • Changes could include specifying that grass 10 inches or longer is a nuisance, and hiring a new employee to help with the caseload

    • The city’s code compliance supervisor says there are about 200 overgrown lawns in the city

    • Residents and city leaders say this is a public health concern since rats and other pests have taken up residence at some of the problem sites


    At a Tuesday workshop, commissioners discussed the city’s mandatory lawn-mowing program. Treasure Island’s code compliance supervisor said at the meeting that there are about 200 overgrown lawns in the city. It’s an issue that has come to the forefront as homes sit vacant following Helene, with officials and residents saying the properties are creating health and safety issues.

    “Nhora, I don’t even know where this water’s coming from. Here’s the hallway,” Timothy Vanek can be heard saying in a video he sent to his wife during Helene.

    He rode out the storm in their Isle of Palms home. The footage shows water pouring into their home between the baseboard and wall.

    “This is how much water’s outside the front door. The streets have flooded. Probably got three feet of water,” Vanek continued as the video shows the water rising outside a window.

    When the water subsided, repairs began.

    “We all worked very hard to get our homes rebuilt after the storm, after the hurricane,” said Vanek. “It took us seven months. That’s pretty much 14 hours a day for seven months.”

    The Vaneks said they had to deal with another challenge post-hurricane at a property near their home.

    “Pretty bad to where the grass was probably two feet or higher. Then, you have rats. We’ve had rats that come over,” he said. “At first, I thought it was a cat. So, they’re pretty big.”

    “It’s an issue because of safety and health when we’ve got snakes, when we’ve got rats,” Mayor John Doctor said. 

    The city’s code compliance supervisor said he and two other employees have a current workload of 401 cases. Eighty-one of those involve landscaping violations, while 80-100 are landscaping along with additional violations.

    Doctor said a number of the properties are homes bought by investors and developers after Helene who aren’t maintaining them. He told Spectrum News that can create additional issues.

    “Once you see a yard that’s going from six, and all of a sudden to 10 inches … people that are coming by are actually dumping bricks and debris and everything else,” he said.

    The city commission discussed proposed changes to the mowing ordinance. Changes could include specifying that grass 10 inches or longer is considered a nuisance, streamlining case timelines, and hiring a new employee to help carry out the program. There could also be additional costs for owners who don’t maintain their lawns. 

    Vanek said he is in favor of tougher penalties.

    “I understand it’s traumatic for everybody, but it’s been a year now,” he said. “I think it’s time you either gotta bulldoze your house, sell it, or cut the grass, because it affects all of us and our property values.”

    The commission decided it wants to move forward with possibly changing the ordinance. Doctor said it will appear before the board for additional readings before anything is finalized.

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • An autoimmune disease stole this man’s memory. Here’s how he’s learning to cope

    [ad_1]

    “My year of unraveling” is how a despairing Christy Morrill described nightmarish months when his immune system hijacked his brain.

    What’s called autoimmune encephalitis attacks the organ that makes us “us,” and it can appear out of the blue.

    Morrill went for a bike ride with friends along the California coast, stopping for lunch, and they noticed nothing wrong. Neither did Morrill until his wife asked how it went — and he’d forgotten. Morrill would get worse before he got better. “Unhinged” and “fighting to see light,” he wrote as delusions set in and holes in his memory grew.

    Of all the ways our immune system can run amok and damage the body instead of protecting it, autoimmune encephalitis is one of the most unfathomable. Seemingly healthy people abruptly spiral with confusion, memory loss, seizures, even psychosis.

    But doctors are getting better at identifying it, thanks to discoveries of a growing list of the rogue antibodies responsible that, if found in blood and spinal fluid, aid diagnosis. Every year new culprit antibodies are being uncovered, said Dr. Sam Horng, a neurologist at Mount Sinai Health System in New York who has cared for patients with multiple forms of this mysterious disease.

    And while treatment today involves general ways to fight the inflammation, two major clinical trials are underway aiming for more targeted therapy.

    Still, it’s tricky. Symptoms can be mistaken for psychiatric or other neurologic disorders, delaying proper treatment.

    “When someone’s having new changes in their mental status, they’re worsening and if there’s sort of like a bizarre quality to it, that’s something that kind of tips our suspicion,” Horng said. “It’s important not to miss a treatable condition.”

    With early diagnosis and care, some patients fully recover. Others like Morrill recover normal daily functioning but grapple with some lasting damage — in his case, lost decades of “autobiographical” memories. This 72-year-old literature major can still spout facts and figures learned long ago, and he makes new memories every day. But even family photos can’t help him recall pivotal moments in his own life.

    “I remember ‘Ulysses’ is published in Paris in 1922 at Sylvia Beach’s bookstore. Why do I remember that, which is of no use to me anymore, and yet I can’t remember my son’s wedding?” Morrill wonders.

    Encephalitis means the brain is inflamed and symptoms can vary from mild to life-threatening. Infections are a common cause, typically requiring treatment of the underlying virus or bacteria. But when that’s ruled out, an autoimmune cause has to be considered, Horng said, especially when symptoms arise suddenly.

    The umbrella term autoimmune encephalitis covers a group of diseases with weird-sounding names based on the antibody fueling it, such as anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

    While they’re not new diseases, that one got a name in 2007 when Dr. Josep Dalmau, then at the University of Pennsylvania, discovered the first culprit antibody, sparking a hunt for more.

    That anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis tends to strike younger women and, one of the bizarre factors, it’s sometimes triggered by an ovarian “dermoid” cyst.

    How? That type of cyst has similarities to some brain tissue, Horng explained. The immune system can develop antibodies recognizing certain proteins from the growth. If those antibodies get into the brain, they can mistakenly target NMDA receptors on healthy brain cells, sparking personality and behavior changes that can include hallucinations.

    Different antibodies create different problems depending if they mostly hit memory and mood areas in the brain, or sensory and movement regions.

    Altogether, “facets of personhood seem to be impaired,” Horng said.

    Therapies include filtering harmful antibodies out of patients’ blood, infusing healthy ones, and high-dose steroids to calm inflammation.

    Those cyst-related antibodies stealthily attacked Kiara Alexander in Charlotte, North Carolina, who’d never heard of the brain illness. She’d brushed off some oddities — a little forgetfulness, zoning out a few minutes — until she found herself in an ambulance because of a seizure.

    Maybe dehydration, the first hospital concluded. At a second hospital after a second seizure, a doctor recognized the possible signs, ordering a spinal tap that found the culprit antibodies.

    As Alexander’s treatment began, other symptoms ramped up. She has little clear memory of the monthlong hospital stay: “They said I would just wake up screaming. What I could remember, it was like a nightmare, like the devil trying to catch me.”

    Later Alexander would ask about her 9-year-old daughter and when she could go home — only to forget the answer and ask again.

    Alexander feels lucky she was diagnosed quickly, and she got the ovarian cyst removed. But it took over a year to fully recover and return to work full time.

    In San Carlos, California, in early 2020, it was taking months to determine what caused Morrill’s sudden memory problem. He remembered facts and spoke eloquently but was losing recall of personal events, a weird combination that prompted Dr. Michael Cohen, a neurologist at Sutter Health, to send him for more specialized testing.

    “It’s very unusual, I mean extremely unusual, to just complain of a problem with autobiographical memory,” Cohen said. “One has to think about unusual disorders.”

    Meanwhile Morrill’s wife, Karen, thought she’d detected subtle seizures — and one finally happened in front of another doctor, helping spur a spinal tap and diagnosis of LGI1-antibody encephalitis.

    It’s a type most common in men over age 50. Those rogue antibodies disrupt how neurons signal each other, and MRI scans showed they’d targeted a key memory center.

    By then Morrill, who’d spent retirement guiding kayak tours, could no longer safely get on the water. He’d quit reading and as his treatments changed, he’d get agitated with scary delusions.

    “I lost total mental capacity and fell apart,” Morrill describes it.

    He used haiku to make sense of the incomprehensible, and months into treatment finally wondered if the “meds coursing through me” really were “dousing the fire. Rays of hope?”

    The nonprofit Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance lists about two dozen antibodies — and counting — known to play a role in these brain illnesses so far.

    Clinical trials, offered at major medical centers around the country, are testing two drugs now used for other autoimmune diseases to see if tamping down antibody production can ease encephalitis.

    More awareness of these rare diseases is critical, said North Carolina’s Alexander, who sought out fellow patients. “That’s a terrible feeling, feeling like you’re alone.”

    As for Morrill, five years later he still grieves decades of lost memories: family gatherings, a year spent studying in Scotland, the travel with his wife.

    But he’s making new memories with grandkids, is back outdoors — and leads an AE Alliance support group, using his haiku to illustrate the journey from his “unraveling” to “the present is what I have, daybreaks and sunsets” to, finally, “I can sustain hope.”

    “I’m reentering some real time of fun, joy,” Morrill said. “I wasn’t shooting for that. I just wanted to be alive.”

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • After 8-year legal battle, Dracut doctor pleads guilty in landmark opioid case

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    WOBURN — A case that stretched more than eight years reached its conclusion this week, as retired Dracut physician, Dr. Richard Miron, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges tied to the illegal prescribing of opioids that led to a Lowell patient’s death.

    Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office said Miron, 83, became the first doctor in Massachusetts to be convicted on involuntary manslaughter for prescribing opioids — a conviction that stemmed from the 2016 death of 50-year-old Michelle Craib. He also pleaded guilty to defrauding MassHealth and illegally prescribing medication to patients for no legitimate medical purpose.

    Miron was ultimately sentenced in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Monday to what amounts to five years of probation, allowing him to avoid prison time.

    Miron’s attorney, Stephen Weymouth, said on Wednesday that he was prepared and confident to go to trial in a case that has faced a series of delays over the years, but after a conversation with his client earlier this month, the main concern became the possibility of serving time behind bars.

    “From the very beginning he said, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong, and I want to go to trial,’” Weymouth said about Miron. “But then he said he did not want to go to jail.”

    Weymouth pointed out that Miron was facing 47 charges, and any one of them could have resulted in a jail sentence. He said that prosecutors had previously sought four to five years in a plea deal, and the involuntary manslaughter charge carried a maximum of 20 years.

    “Going to trial would have been a mistake because all it would have taken was one guilty hook and he would have gotten a pretty lengthy sentence, and I just couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t take any chances,” Weymouth said. “If he had gone to trial and lost, who knows what would have happened.”

    Miron was indicted by a Middlesex County grand jury in December 2018 following an investigation that began in September 2017 by the AG’s Office, then headed by now-Gov. Maura Healey. Aside from involuntary manslaughter, he was charged with 23 counts of illegally prescribing controlled substances and 23 counts of filing false Medicaid claims.

    From September 2015 to February 2016, the AG’s Office said Miron, a solo practitioner of internal medicine, was the largest provider of high-dose, short-acting oxycodone prescriptions among all MassHealth care providers statewide.

    The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined Craib’s death was caused by acute intoxication from the combined effects of fentanyl, morphine, codeine, and butalbital — all prescribed by Miron. The AG’s Office said Miron was aware that Craib had previously overdosed on opioids he had prescribed, yet he continued to issue large doses to her on multiple occasions leading up to her death.

    Prosecutors also said Miron illegally prescribed opioids to several other at-risk patients for no legitimate medical purpose. The illegal prescriptions Miron issued led pharmacies to unknowingly submit false bills to MassHealth for medication.

    MassHealth terminated Miron from its program in September 2017, and he stopped practicing medicine in November 2018, following an agreement with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.

    In 2023, Miron’s daughter, Linda Miron, penned a 17-page letter to the AG’s Office urging that the case be dropped. She argued that prosecuting her father — who had already relinquished his medical license and lived under pretrial probation since 2018 — was not in the interest of justice.

    “To bring this flawed case to trial does not seem to me to be the best use of the Commonwealth’s resources, and I urge you to drop your prosecution of this case in the interest of justice,” Linda Miron said in the letter. “More broadly, I fear that prosecuting someone who was willing to take on disenfranchised, medically and psychologically complicated patients here in the Commonwealth, when some other physicians refused to take on MassHealth patients, will further discourage other physicians from treating these patients who deserve compassionate care.”

    The case marched on until Monday, when Miron appeared in Middlesex Superior Court before Judge Cathleen Campbell, where it was finally resolved.

    According to the AG’s Office, Miron was sentenced to two and a half years in a house of correction on illegal prescribing, suspended for five years — meaning he will serve the term as probation rather than prison time, unless he violates probation, in which case the sentence could be imposed. He was sentenced to five years of probation on the involuntary manslaughter charge. For Medicaid fraud, Miron was sentenced to six months in a house of correction, suspended for five years.

    As part of his probation, Miron was ordered to pay full restitution to MassHealth and barred from practicing medicine or seeking reinstatement of his license.

    According to Weymouth, Miron was glad to put the case behind him and most of all to avoid prison time. He noted that Miron had already given up his medical career and had no intention of practicing again.

    “I’m glad it’s over,” Weymouth added. “I know he’s glad it’s over.”

    In a press release announcing the case’s conclusion on Tuesday, the AG’s Office said the case reflects their “commitment to addressing the root causes of the opioid crisis and holding companies and individuals accountable for their role in contributing to the nationwide epidemic.”

    Earlier this year, the release states, Campbell helped negotiate a $7.4 billion settlement in principle with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, which is expected to bring up to $105 million to Massachusetts. To date, the office said they have secured more than $1 billion in opioid-related recoveries, with more than $390 million already received. Those funds are being directed to the state’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund and distributed to cities and towns to support prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery efforts.

    The AG’s Office added in the release that valuable assistance with the investigation into Miron’s case was provided by the Lowell Police Department, the State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and MassHealth.

    Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.

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  • Olympic gold-medalist Rowdy Gaines has tips for older swimmers, or if you’re returning to the pool

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    Olympic gold-medalist Rowdy Gaines has swimming tips if you’re an older swimmer, or returning to the pool after years away.

    Gaines won three Olympic gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and is widely known as the “voice of swimming” for his coverage of the Olympics with American network NBC.

    Swimming is an all-around exercise with water providing mild resistance. It’s low-impact, offers a complete workout and is suitable for all ages.

    “Of course I’m biased, but I will stack swimming against any other exercise out there, especially as we age,” Gaines told The Associated Press. “And swimming is one of the few sports you can do forever.”

    Gaines missed out on a shot at winning a handful of medals at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which the United States boycotted. Gaines set 10 world records between 1978 and 1984 and was the heir in American sprinting to Mark Spitz and a predecessor to Michael Phelps.

    Gaines is 66 and said his 90-year-old father, Buddy, is back training for a meet for older swimmers early next year. He said his father has not swum seriously in, perhaps, 70 years.

    Gaines stayed away from advice around strokes, detailed workout plans, and specific training suggestions. His tips are geared for older swimmers and those retuning after a long layoff — perhaps decades.

    Defog your goggles, slip into the pool, grab your kickboard and let’s get motivated.

    Get your technique down

    Take time to work on your technique. Most recreational swimmers use the freestyle stroke, also known as the front crawl. But his advice also applies to breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly.

    With freestyle, Gaines preaches taking long, smooth strokes — not short, choppy ones. And for freestyle swimmers, keep your head in the water and aligned with your body.

    “Water rewards efficiency,” said Gaines, who won his three gold medals in the 100 free and two relays. “It has nothing to do with power. I think a lot of first-timers feel like they have to power their way through the water and that is not true.”

    Be patient

    Build distance and endurance slowly. Maybe a few decades ago you could swim non-stop for 30 minutes. You won’t be able to after a long time away.

    Start with a 200-yard (meter) workout. Swim 25 yards (meters) and rest until your heart rate slows. Do this eight to 10 times “and then get the heck out of the pool,” Gaines said.

    “You don’t want to overdo it to start with and then get frustrated and think you can’t do it,” he said. “You need to increase your total distance little by little.”

    Gaines suggested the goal is a 20-30 minute workout, three times per week. Swimming relies on getting a feel for the water, which requires steadfastness.

    “Three days a week is the sweet spot,” he said. “If you are doing less than three days a week, it’s really tough to develop the consistency you need.”

    Injury prevention

    This is common sense, but take time to warm up. Do this on dry land, perhaps, before hitting the water. Do stretches, work your shoulders, and work on some strength training.

    It’s no secret that some swimmers experience lots of shoulder pain.

    “You have to listen to any pain,” Gaines said. “Pain is a lot different than fatigue or strain. Pain is real. If you are feeling fatigue and strain, that’s good. If you are feeling pain, that’s bad.”

    If something hurts, stop and change your workout.

    If you swim freestyle, Gaines suggested adding in a bit of backstroke to loosen the shoulders and add strength. Breaststroke in also easier on the shoulders. Butterfly, however, is tough on the shoulders.

    Mind set — the mental game

    Gaines emphasized keeping it fun and getting comfortable in the water. Not fighting it.

    “Learn to feel the water,” he said. “The small goal of just feeling the water is much more important than many other things. Swimming is not easy. You are not always going to feel good swimming. But you are going to feel great when you’re done.”

    He also emphasized varying your workout — meaning time, distance and strokes to keep in fun and interesting.

    Hydration and training aids

    Swimmers need to stay hydrated. It’s not generally a problem for recreational swimmers, but swimmers perspire while swimming. The warmer the pool, the more this might be a problem.

    Gaines reminded that pool temperatures vary, but 80 degrees F (27 degrees C) is about right. Warmer temperatures can lead to more dehydration.

    He also suggested training aids such a swim fins, paddles or pull-buoys, which are also another part of adding variety.

    “I really don’t like to swim, but I love the feeling of being done,” Gaines said. (Remember, this revelation is from a decorated Olympic athlete.) “I crave that feeling when I get out of the water. It’s the endorphins. It’s definitely mental for me.”

    Gaines said he swims six days a week, usually between 2,000 and 2,500 yards (meters). He said about 40% is freestyle with three 20% sections of backstroke, breaststroke and kicking.

    “You want to have variety for that recreational swimmer because swimming can be boring,” Gaines said. “However, swimming can almost be meditation, even for that three-day a week, recreational swimmer.”

    ___

    Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on all aspects of wellness, at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well

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  • Fiber is something most people could use more of. But experts advise caution with ‘fibermaxxing’

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    U.S. consumers who have had their fill of finding protein added to everything from cereal to ice cream are about to meet the next big food fad: fiber.

    Americans have been boosting their protein intake for years; even Pop-Tarts and Starbucks are selling protein-enhanced products. But the number of new products promoted with high or added fiber saw a big uptick in the U.S. this year, according to market research firm Mintel. Hundreds of videos on social media celebrate the benefits of dietary fiber and share recipes to help viewers get more of it.

    There’s even a term for trying to meet or exceed the recommended daily fiber intake: fibermaxxing.

    “I think fiber will be the next protein,” PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said during a recent conference call with investors. “Consumers are starting to understand that fiber is the benefit that they need.”

    Boxes of cereal promoting fiber sit on a shelf at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)

    Fiber’s benefits

    Unlike muscle-building protein, fiber isn’t sexy. It’s a carbohydrate found in plants that your body can’t break down. It helps feed gut bacteria and move food through the digestive system.

    “Folks don’t want to talk about it at a dinner party,” said Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietitian nutritionist and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

    There are two main types of fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material that feeds gut bacteria. It’s found in foods like oats, peas, beans, apples and carrots. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and moves food through the digestive system. It’s found in whole wheat flour, popcorn, wheat bran, nuts, green beans and potatoes.

    This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.

    Studies have shown that fiber lowers cholesterol levels, regulates blood sugar and promotes weight loss, since high-fiber foods tend to make eaters feel more full. It may also protect against heart disease, diabetes, diverticulitis and colon cancer, according to the American Heart Association.

    Petitpain said rising use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs could be one reason for the renewed focus on fiber, since GLP-1s naturally slow digestion and fiber can prevent constipation. She said fiber has seen similar spikes in interest when people wanted to alleviate symptoms from high-fat diets like Atkins or keto.

    How much fiber do we need?

    Most people in Western countries could use more fiber because their diets are low in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, said Sander Kersten, director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University.

    Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guidelines, adults should aim for 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories they consume. That’s about 25 grams of fiber for women and 38 grams for men each day. Petitpain said Americans generally only get about two-thirds of that amount.

    For reference, 1 cup of raspberries contains 8 grams of fiber, while a banana contains 3.2 grams, according to the USDA. One-half cup of avocado contains 5 grams of fiber and 1 cup of lima beans contains 13.2 grams. Fiber One, a bran cereal, packs 18 grams of fiber into a 2/3-cup serving.

    Boxes of cereal promoting fiber are for sale at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)

    Boxes of cereal promoting fiber are for sale at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)

    What are good ways to increase fiber?

    Kersten said long-term studies about the benefits of fiber have looked at the consumption of whole foods and not packaged products with added fiber.

    “The way it is consumed as an additive and part of a diet that doesn’t contain a lot of fiber may be different than a naturally fiber-rich diet,” Kersten said. “You can eat a very processed, Western diet and consume foods that are enriched, but we don’t know if it confers the same benefit.”

    Whole foods also help the body in other ways, Petitpain said. An apple contains 4.8 grams of fiber as well as water, vitamins and minerals, for example.

    Here are some recommendations from the Mayo Clinic for adding fiber to your diet:

    — Choose a breakfast cereal with 5 grams or more of fiber a serving. Top it with a sliced banana or berries.

    — Choose breads with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving and try other grains like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and quinoa.

    — When baking, substitute whole-grain flour for white flour. Add wheat bran to muffins and cookies.

    — Try to eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily. If you eat canned fruit, make sure it’s canned in fruit juice and not syrup, and make sure canned vegetables are low in sodium.

    Think twice about fibermaxxing

    There is no defined upper limit for fiber intake, Kersten said. But increasing fiber can cause painful gas and bloating, especially if it’s done quicky.

    Petitpain said people should increase their fiber intake gradually and drink plenty of water.

    “You’re feeding gut bacteria a food, and you can’t break it down. You rely on them, and if you give them second, third and fourth servings, there’s not enough of them to handle the extra load,” Petitpain said.

    Certain populations should also be extra careful about their fiber intake, Petitpain said. People who are sensitive to gluten or allergic to foods like soy, shellfish or psyllium husk should read labels carefully since some foods with added fiber contain those ingredients.

    More broadly, Kersten questions the trend of focusing on one nutrient, whether it’s protein or fiber.

    “We don’t need nutrients, we need foods. Ultimately, what you want to be striving for is a healthy diet, and you should choose foods that are considered to be an important part of a healthy diet,” he said.

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  • What to know about the impacts Medicaid cuts are having on rural health care

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    FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) — The closing of a health center in rural New Hampshire has raised concerns that the projected cuts in Medicaid are already taking a toll.

    Last month, a site of the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Franconia, a town of around 1,000 people, closed for good.

    Ammonoosuc officials and a Democratic senator have blamed Medicaid cuts for the closure of the facility that served 1,400 patients from Franconia, Easton, Lincoln and Sugar Hill. These are all tiny communities around the White Mountains, whose patients typically are older and sicker than in other parts of the state.

    Threats to rural health care

    The closure of the Franconia center reflects the financial struggles facing community health centers and rural health care systems more broadly amid Medicaid cuts and a feared spike in health insurance rates. The government shutdown, which ended last week, was driven by a Democratic demand to extend tax credits, which ensure low- and middle-income people can afford health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, or ACA.

    More than 100 hospitals closed over the past decade, according to the Center For Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, a policy and advocacy group, and more than 700 more hospitals are at risk of closure. A branch of the HealthFirst Family Care Center, a facility in Canaan, New Hampshire also announced it was closing at the end of October due in part to “changes in Medicaid reimbursement and federal funding” for these facilities.

    On average, the federally-funded community health centers like the one in Franconia are losing money, relying heavily on cash reserves, making service changes and sometimes closing locations to stay afloat, NACHC found. Nearly half have less than 90 days’ cash on hand, according to the association. And the future is even more bleak with at least 2 million community health center patients expected to lose Medicaid coverage by 2034 and 2 million more who are newly uninsured turning to the centers for care.

    Hard choices for CEO

    Ed Shanshala, the CEO of Ammonoosuc, said the Medicaid cuts are to blame for the closure of the Franconia center.

    Shanshala runs a network of five health centers in New Hampshire which relies more than $2 million in federal funding — out of a $12 million budget. He faced a $500,000 shortfall due to the cuts and realized closing Franconia would save about half that money. It also was the only facility where they leased space.

    “We’re really left with no choice,” Shanshala said, adding the closure would save $250,000. Finding additional cuts is hard, given that the centers provide services to anyone under 200% of federal poverty levels, he said. And if he cuts additional services, Shanshala fears some patients will end up in a hospital emergency room or “stop engaging in health care period.”

    Patients struggle to adjust

    Susan Bushby, a 70-year-old housekeeper, talked about how much she loved the staff and feared going to a new health center. She wouldn’t know her way around a larger facility and wouldn’t have the same rapport with the people there.

    “I was very disturbed. I was down right angry,” said Bushby, who was brought to tears as she discussed the challenges of starting over at a new health center. “I just really like it there. I don’t know, I’m just really going to miss it. It’s really hard for me to explain, but it’s going to be sad.”

    Marsha Luce, whose family moved from Washington, D.C. area, in 2000, is especially concerned about the impact on her 72-year-old husband, a former volunteer firefighter who has a left ear and part of his jaw removed due to cancer. He also has heart and memory issues.

    She worries about longer waits to see his doctor and the loss of relationships built up over decades in Franconia.

    “It’s going to be hard,” she said. “But it’s a relationship that’s going to be missed. It’s a relationship that you can talk to people and you tell them something and you go, yeah, well, I’ve had cancer. Oh, let’s see. Oh, yeah. There it is in your chart. Do you know what I mean?”

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  • PHOTO ESSAY: A health center’s closure leaves unanswered questions in this New England mountain town

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    FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) — For more than two decades, residents in this tiny tourist town in the shadow of the White Mountains knew they could just drive a few minutes down the road to their community health center for a physical, a Vitamin B-12 shot or to get checked out for a case of the sniffles or high blood pressure.

    But that changed last month, when this site of the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Franconia closed.

    Employees at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services pack up the reception office as the clinic closes for good, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    The Franconia Range of the White Mountains dominates the landscape, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Sugar Hill, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    The Franconia Range of the White Mountains dominates the landscape, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Sugar Hill, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    The nearly 1,400 patients, who are often older and with more health problems than others in New Hampshire, will have to drive farther for their health care — a tricky prospect for some, especially during the winter months. More importantly, they will lose the close-knit bonds they forged with staffers like Diane LaDuke, who greets everyone with a smile from her perch at the front desk.

    Marsha Luce, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, delivers food to a Head Start program, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Littleton, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Marsha Luce, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, delivers food to a Head Start program, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Littleton, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Marsha Luce, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, wears a mask to avoid spreading her cold while volunteering at a local church, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Marsha Luce, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, wears a mask to avoid spreading her cold while volunteering at a local church, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Marsha Luce, left, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services clinic, speaks with a friend while doing volunteer work at a community church food pantry, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Marsha Luce, left, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services clinic, speaks with a friend while doing volunteer work at a community church food pantry, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Marsha, left, and Kirk Luce, both patients at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, prepare dinner, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, at their home in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Marsha, left, and Kirk Luce, both patients at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, prepare dinner, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, at their home in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Town Hall stands behind a pair of colorful maple trees, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Town Hall stands behind a pair of colorful maple trees, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    On the center’s last day, longtime patient Susan Bushby, a 70-year-old housekeeper, stopped by to check her blood pressure — and to get a hug from LaDuke. Bushby had come to rely on LaDuke’s comforting words over the years and admits she is worried about finding the same kind of reception when she goes to one of Ammonoosuc’s other centers.

    Susan Bushby, right, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, and her son, Steven, sit in their home, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Lisbon, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Susan Bushby, right, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, and her son, Steven, sit in their home, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Lisbon, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    “I just really like it there. I don’t know, I’m just really going to miss it. It’s really hard for me to explain, but it’s going to be sad,” Bushby said.

    Susan Bushby, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, lights a cigarette at her home, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Lisbon, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Susan Bushby, a patient at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, lights a cigarette at her home, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Lisbon, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

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    Exhausted from working several weeks straight at a nearby inn, Bushby was talking about the center as she relaxed on her couch at her modest home in Lisbon. She often ends her day with cigarette and a glass of champagne. An avid angler, Bushby’s house was filled with photos and other Native American memorabilia and her dog Smiley was a constant presence.

    A fisherman casts for trout at Pearl Lake, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Lisbon, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    A fisherman casts for trout at Pearl Lake, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Lisbon, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Susan Bushby, a patient at the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, offers an apple to deer passing through her backyard, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Lisbon, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Susan Bushby, a patient at the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, offers an apple to deer passing through her backyard, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Lisbon, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    As she talked about the center closing, Bushby had a basket of apples on the kitchen counter ready for the deer that show up in her backyard almost every day. She joked that the center’s doctor, Dr. Melissa Buddensee, doubles as her therapist at times because she “listens to her where other people don’t.”

    For another patient, Marsha Luce, it’s mostly about ensuring her husband gets the kind of care he had come to rely on over the years. Recovering from cancer that resulted in him losing part of his left ear and jaw, Luce worries about longer waits to see his doctor and the loss of relationships built up over decades in Franconia.

    Susan Bushby is weighed during an appointment at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Susan Bushby is weighed during an appointment at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Receptionist Diane LaDuke, right, shares a laugh with longtime patient Susan Bushby at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Receptionist Diane LaDuke, right, shares a laugh with longtime patient Susan Bushby at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Susan Bushby looks at her medical paperwork after an appointment at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Susan Bushby looks at her medical paperwork after an appointment at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    The family, who moved to Franconia about 25 years ago, live in an old farmhouse that they renovated. Much of Luce’s time is spent caring for her husband, including keeping track of his appointment dates and all the various medications he needs to take. She also is a regular presence in the community, playing mahjong weekly with friends at the library and volunteering with the Head Start program.

    Having to switch to another health center, she said, puts at risk the trust she and her husband have built up over the years at Ammonoosuc.

    An exam table is moved onto a trailer on the final day of operation at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services as the clinic closes for good, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    An exam table is moved onto a trailer on the final day of operation at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services as the clinic closes for good, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Franconia, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    “It’s going to be hard,” said Luce, who was wearing a mask because she had a cold. “It’s a relationship that you can talk to people and you tell them something and you go, yeah, well, I’ve had cancer. Oh, let’s see. Oh, yeah. There it is in your chart. Do you know what I mean?”

    ___

    This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors.

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  • Vaping Is ‘Everywhere’ in Schools—Sparking a Bathroom Surveillance Boom

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    It’s this creeping surveillance that gives some students pause, even those who told The 74 they otherwise support vape detectors in bathrooms. The possibility of unknown capabilities with the sensors is “very scary to me” said Moledina, the Austin teen, who worries about a future where bathrooms come with cameras.

    “Just knowing that there is vape smoke in the bathroom doesn’t really help you because the administrators already know it’s happening, and just by knowing that it’s there isn’t going to help them find out who is doing it,” he said. “So my concern is that, at the end of the day, we’re going to end up having cameras in bathrooms, which is definitely not what we want.”

    Minneapolis educators have used surveillance cameras in conjunction with the sensors to identify students for vaping in the bathrooms, discipline logs show.

    In February, for example, a Roosevelt High School senior was suspended for a day based on accusations they hit a weed vape in the bathroom. Officials reviewed footage from a surveillance camera outside the bathroom and determined the student was “entering and exiting the bathroom during the timeframe that the detector went off.” They were searched, and administrators found “a marijuana vape, an empty glass jar with a weed smell and a baggie with weed shake in it.”

    That same month, educators referred a Camden High School student to a drug and alcohol counselor for “vaping in the single stall bathrooms.”

    “After I reviewed the camera it does show [a] student leaving out that same stall bathroom,” campus officials reported.

    Gutierrez, the 18-year-old from Arizona, said she quit vaping after she was suspended and now copes with depression through positive means like painting. What she didn’t do, however, was quit because she received help at school for the mental health challenges that led her to vape in the first place.

    She stopped vaping while she was suspended, she said, because she was away from her friends and lacked access. She was frightened into further compliance, Gutierrez recalled, by the online lessons depicting vaping as a gross, gooey purple monster that would poison her relationships.

    “Yes I stopped, but it wasn’t a good stop,” she said. “I didn’t get no support. I didn’t get no counseling. I stopped because I was scared.”

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    Mark Keierleber

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