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Tag: Suicide

  • Did China Make Up a Gambling Suicide Story?

    Posted on: February 16, 2026, 11:30h. 

    Last updated on: February 16, 2026, 11:30h.

    • China is warning its people not to gamble overseas
    • The CPC cited a gambler’s recent suicide in Singapore, though no media or police report has detailed such an incident

    Ahead of the Chinese New Year, China is warning its people that gambling while on holiday poses significant risks, including financial ruin and even suicide.

    China casino gambling New Year holiday
    The New Year Lantern Festival, celebrating the Year of the Horse at Shanghai Yu Garden, is pictured on Feb. 11, 2026. China is warning its people to avoid gambling if traveling cross-border during the holiday period. (Image: Shutterstock)

    China bans casino gambling everywhere on the mainland. The only place under China’s control where casinos are allowed is in Macau, a semi-autonomous Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic.

    By law, Chinese citizens and residents are barred from gambling in foreign countries, though, of course, that doesn’t keep many from doing so while in Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Las Vegas.

    The 2026 Chinese New Year is tomorrow, Feb. 17. The Year of the Fire Horse, the Spring Festival holiday period, which began Sunday, runs through Monday, Feb. 23. During the celebration, most workers are afforded paid time off and take their families on vacations, with Singapore, Macau, and other parts of Southeast Asia popular destinations.

    China: Don’t Gamble Overseas

    Chinese President Xi Jinping links cross-border gambling to heightened national security risks. China has always prohibited casinos from marketing their operations to mainlanders.

    In one high-profile case in 2017, China imprisoned 19 employees of Australia-based Crown Resorts for promoting gambling trips Down Under. Jason O’Connor, then the head of Crown’s international VIP program, spent 18 months in a Chinese prison, often described as among the world’s most brutal detention centers.

    With the Chinese New Year in full swing, the CPC, through its embassies, is reminding Chinese people not to gamble internationally. Casino.org obtained and translated the gambling warning issued by the Chinese Embassy in Singapore.

    The Chinese Embassy in Singapore once again solemnly reminds Chinese tourists visiting Singapore and Chinese citizens in Singapore to strengthen their legal awareness and stay away from gambling,” read the notice from the Singaporean Chinese Embassy.

    Singapore is home to two casinos in Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa.

    Suicide Story Fabricated?

    The Chinese Embassy in Singapore said gambling comes with significant risks to Chinese people. The Embassy cited a recent incident involving a Chinese tourist at Marina Bay Sands who killed himself after gambling.

    Recently, a Chinese citizen jumped to his death after gambling at the Marina Bay Sands. The Embassy is guiding his family through the funeral arrangements,” the notice said.

    However, there have been no local media or police reports of such a recent suicide at Marina Bay Sands. No story has been made public about any suicide within or from the integrated resort in months.

    “In recent years, our Embassy has handled several deaths related to gambling and has previously issued relevant warnings. Gambling is strictly prohibited under Chinese law, and the amendment to the Criminal Law has formally criminalized cross-border gambling. Even if overseas casinos are legally operating, Chinese citizens who gamble across borders are suspected of violating Chinese law, especially those involved in organizing gambling activities, and will be held legally responsible. The Embassy and consulates cannot provide consular protection for illegal activities,” the statement continued.

    “Participating in gambling leads to financial ruin, family breakdown, and even death. Cross-border gambling may also bring risks such as fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, illegal detention, human trafficking, and human smuggling,” the Embassy notice concluded.  

    Devin O’Connor

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  • High-speed chase of homicide suspect ends in suicide near LAX, police say

    A suspect fleeing a homicide scene in Camarillo led authorities on a high-speed chase Saturday night before dying by suicide near Los Angeles International Airport.

    The suspect, whose identity had not been released Sunday morning, reached speeds exceeding 100 mph, pulled off the 405 Freeway near Imperial Highway, then stopped and sometime later took his own life, Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Zapata said.

    The incident began shortly before noon Saturday when deputies responded to a report of a shooting in the 400 block of Walker Avenue.

    Deputies attempted life-saving measures on a man with gunshot wounds, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Zapata said.

    The suspect was located in his vehicle and took flight, heading south on the 101 Freeway. The California Highway Patrol was preparing to take over the pursuit but lost visual contact with the fleeing vehicle, Zapata said.

    The suspect was then sighted on the southbound 405 before pulling off and coming to a stop.

    A spokesperson for the LAPD said the investigation was being handled by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Zapata said Sunday morning that no further information on the suspect or victim was available.

    Doug Smith

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  • YouTube relaxes monetization policy on videos with controversial content

    YouTube is updating its guidelines for videos containing what advertisers define as controversial content, like abortion and self-harm, allowing more creators to earn full ad revenue when they tackle sensitive issues in a nongraphic way

    YouTube is updating its guidelines for videos containing content that advertisers define as controversial, allowing more creators to earn full ad revenue when they tackle sensitive issues in a nongraphic way.

    With the update that went into effect Tuesday, YouTube videos that dramatize or cover issues including domestic abuse, self-harm, suicide, adult sexual abuse, abortion and sexual harassment without graphic descriptions or imagery are now eligible for full monetization.

    Ads will remain restricted on videos that include content on child abuse, child sex trafficking and eating disorders.

    The changes were outlined in a video posted to the Creator Insider YouTube channel on Tuesday, and the advertiser-friendly content guidelines were also updated with specific definitions and examples.

    “We want to ensure the creators who are telling sensitive stories or producing dramatized content have the opportunity to earn ad revenue while respecting advertiser choice and industry sentiment,” said Conor Kavanagh, YouTube’s head of monetization policy experience, in the video announcing the changes. “We took a closer look and found our guidelines in this area had become too restrictive and ended up demonetizing uploads like dramatized content.”

    The update also makes personal accounts of these sensitive issues, as well as preventative content and journalistic coverage on these subjects, eligible for full monetization.

    The Google-owned company said the degree of graphic or descriptive detail in videos wasn’t previously considered when determining advertiser friendliness.

    Some creators would attempt to bypass these policies on YouTube and other platforms by using workaround language or substituting symbols and numbers for letters in written text — the most prevalent example across social platforms has been the use of the term “unalive.”

    YouTube has updated its policies in response to creator feedback before. In July, the company eased its monetization policy regarding profanity, making videos that use strong profanity in the first seven seconds eligible for full ad revenue.

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  • ChatGPT served as “suicide coach” in man’s death, lawsuit alleges

    A new lawsuit filed against OpenAI alleges that its ChatGPT artificial intelligence app encouraged a 40-year-old Colorado man to commit suicide.

    The complaint filed in California state court by Stephanie Gray, the mother of Austin Gordon, accuses OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman of building a defective and dangerous product that led to Gordon’s death.

    Gordon, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in November 2025, had intimate exchanges with ChatGPT, according to the suit, which also alleged that the generative AI tool romanticized death.

    “ChatGPT turned from Austin’s super-powered resource to a friend and confidante, to an unlicensed therapist, and in late 2025, to a frighteningly effective suicide coach,” the complaint alleged.

    The lawsuit comes amid scrutiny over the AI chatbot’s effect on mental health, with OpenAI also facing other lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT played a role in encouraging people to take their own lives. 

    Gray is seeking damages for her son’s death.

    In a statement to CBS News, an OpenAI spokesperson called Gordon’s death a “very tragic situation” and said the company is reviewing the filings to understand the details. 

    “We have continued to improve ChatGPT’s training to recognize and respond to signs of mental or emotional distress, de-escalate conversations, and guide people toward real-world support,” the spokesperson said. “We have also continued to strengthen ChatGPT’s responses in sensitive moments, working closely with mental health clinicians.”

    “Suicide lullaby”

    According to Gray’s suit, shortly before Gordon’s death, ChatGPT allegedly said in one exchange, “[W]hen you’re ready… you go. No pain. No mind. No need to keep going. Just… done.”

    ChatGPT “convinced Austin — a personwho had already told ChaiGPT that he was sad, and who had discussed mental health struggles in detail with it — that choosing to live was not the right choice to make,” according to the complaint. “It went on and on, describing the end of existence as a peaceful and beautiful place, and reassuring him that he should not be afraid.”

    ChatGPT also effectively turned his favorite childhood book, Margaret Wise Brown’s “Goodnight Moon,” into what the lawsuit refers to as a “suicide lullaby.” Three days after that exchange ended in late October 2025, law enforcement found Gordon’s body alongside a copy of the book, the complaint alleges. 

    The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of designing ChatGPT 4, the version of the app Gordon was using at the time of his death, in a way that fosters people’s “unhealthy dependencies” on the tool. 

    “That is the programming choice defendants made; and Austin was manipulated, deceived and encouraged to suicide as a result,” the suit alleges.

    If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.

    For more information about mental health care resources and support, the National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.

    Edited by

    Alain Sherter

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  • Autopsy: Missing CPS teacher drowned in apparent suicide

    An autopsy performed Tuesday determined that Linda Brown, the Chicago Public Schools teacher whose body was pulled from Lake Michigan after going missing earlier this month, drowned in a suicide.

    “I wish she knew how much of an impact she had,” Brown’s niece, Jen Rivera, told the Tribune in a call Tuesday afternoon, “and how much she was loved.”

    Brown, a special education teacher at Robert Healy Elementary School in the Bridgeport neighborhood, was reported missing on Jan. 3. But after days spent searching for her, Brown’s family, in a written statement Monday night, said her body had been found in the 31st Street Harbor.

    Body of missing CPS teacher recovered from Lake Michigan: ‘She was an amazing person’

    “This is not the outcome we were hoping or praying for,” the statement read, “but we are grateful that she has been found and can now be brought home to our family.”

    Since her disappearance, family and friends had been putting out public pleas for her safe return and had launched their own search.

    Police, in their initial missing-persons report for Brown, said she was last seen around the 4500 block of South King Drive in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Days later, police updated the alert saying Brown was seen in the 3500 block of South Lake Park Avenue — about half a mile from where her body was recovered Monday.

    Police stated that Brown may have required immediate medical attention.

    Brown had grappled with her mental health throughout her life, Rivera said. But her struggles, Rivera continued, had been mounting leading up to her disappearance, giving way to near-daily panic attacks. Still, Brown had sought help and was receiving treatment, Rivera said.

    Rivera recalled the last time she saw her aunt. It was Christmas Day and the two had a “heart to heart” about how Brown was doing, Rivera said, remembering that Brown shared she was “really struggling.” Rivera said she and her family were trying to be there for her.

    Rivera said her aunt was “a light that burned out too soon.”

    “She was an amazing person,” she said. “She had such an incredible personality … and the most fun laugh you probably would ever hear.”

    Police recovered the body of a woman from the water in the 3100 block of South Lake Shore Drive on the city’s South Side just before noon Monday. She was pronounced dead on the scene and identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as 53-year-old Brown. The medical examiner’s office, after performing an autopsy, ruled her death a suicide.

    In the wake of Brown’s death, Rivera said she and her family will be spreading awareness about the importance of mental health.

    “Letting loved ones know if they are struggling, they have someone safe to talk to,” she said. “They don’t have to feel embarrassed or ashamed. … Even if they are receiving help and it’s not enough.”

    tkenny@chicagotribune.com

    Tess Kenny

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  • Popular weight-loss drugs shouldn’t carry suicide warnings, FDA says

    Federal regulators on Tuesday told drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to remove label warnings about potential suicidal thoughts and behaviors from their blockbuster weight-loss medications.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said a comprehensive review “found no increased” risk related to suicide among users of the GLP-1 drugs for obesity, including Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Saxenda and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound.

    A preliminary review in January 2024 showed no link between the drugs and suicidal thought or actions, the FDA said. At that time, however, officials said they could not rule out that “a small risk may exist.” The new analysis puts those concerns to rest.

    Labeling for other drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists approved to treat diabetes carried no such warnings, the agency noted.

    “Today’s FDA action will ensure consistent messaging across the labeling for all FDA-approved GLP-1 RA medications,” 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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  • The Hidden Costs of Bariatric Surgery | NutritionFacts.org

    Weight regain after bariatric surgery can have devastating psychological effects.

    How Sustainable Is the Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery? I explore that issue in my video of the same name. Most gastric bypass patients end up regaining some of the fat they lose by the third year after surgery, but after seven years, 75% of patients followed at 10 U.S. hospitals maintained at least a 20% weight loss.

    The typical trajectory for someone who starts out obese at 285 pounds, for example, would be to drop to an overweight 178 pounds two years after bariatric surgery, but then regain weight up to an obese 207 pounds. This has been chalked up to “grazing” behavior, where compulsive eaters may shift from bingeing (which becomes more difficult post-surgery) to eating smaller amounts constantly throughout the day. In a group of women followed for eight years after gastric bypass surgery, about half continued to describe episodes of disordered eating. As one pediatric obesity specialist described, “I have seen many patients who put chocolate bars into a blender with some cream, just to pass technically installed obstacles [e.g., a gastric band].”

    Bariatric surgery advertising is filled with “happily-ever-after” fairytale narratives of cherry-picked outcomes offering, as one ad analysis put it, “the full Cinderella-romance happy ending.” This may contribute to the finding that patients often overestimate the amount of weight they’ll lose with the procedure and underestimate the difficulty of the recovery process. Surgery forces profound changes in eating habits, requiring slow, small bites that have been thoroughly chewed. Your stomach goes from the volume of two softballs down to the size of half a tennis ball in stomach stapling and half a ping-pong ball in the case of gastric bypass or banding.

    As you can imagine, “weight regain after bariatric surgery can have a devastating effect psychologically as patients feel that they have failed their last option”—their last resort. This may explain why bariatric surgery patients face a high risk of depression. They also have an increased risk of suicide.

    Severe obesity alone may increase the risk of suicidal depression, but even at the same weight, those going through surgery appear to be at a higher risk. At the same BMI (body mass index), age, and gender, bariatric surgery patients have nearly four times the odds of self-harm or attempted suicide compared with those who did not undergo the procedure. Most convincingly, so-called “mirror-image analysis” comparing patients’ pre- and post-surgery events showed the odds of serious self-harm increased after surgery.

    About 1 in 50 bariatric surgery patients end up killing themselves or being hospitalized for self-harm or attempted suicide. And this only includes confirmed suicides, excluding masked attempts such as overdoses classified as having “undetermined intention.” Bariatric surgery patients may also have an elevated risk of accidental death, though some of this could be due to changes in alcohol metabolism. When individuals who have had a gastric bypass were given two shots of vodka, their blood alcohol level surpassed the legal driving limit within minutes due to their altered anatomy. It’s unclear whether this plays a role in the 25% increase in prevalence of alcohol problems noted during the second postoperative year.

    Even those who successfully lose their excess weight and keep it off appear to have a hard time coping. Ten years out, though physical health-related quality of life may improve, general mental health can significantly deteriorate compared to pre-surgical levels, even among those who lost the most weight. Ironically, there’s a common notion that bariatric surgery is for “cheaters” who take the easy way out by choosing the “low-effort” method of weight loss.

    Shedding the weight may not shed the stigma of prior obesity. Studies suggest that “in the eyes of others, knowing that an individual was at one time fat will lead him/her to always be treated like a fat person.” And there can be a strong anti-surgery bias on top of that—those who chose the scalpel to lose weight over diet or exercise were rated more negatively (for example, being considered less physically attractive). One can imagine how remaining a target of prejudice even after joining the “in-group” could potentially undercut psychological well-being.

    There can also be unexpected physical consequences of massive weight loss, like large hanging flaps of excess skin. Beyond being heavy and uncomfortable and interfering with movement, the skin flaps can result in itching, irritation, dermatitis, and skin infections. Getting a panniculectomy (removing the abdominal “apron” of hanging skin) can be expensive, and its complication rate can exceed 50%, with dehiscence (rupturing of the surgical wound) one of the most common complications.

    “Even if surgery proves sustainably effective,” wrote the founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center, “the need to rely on the rearrangement of natural gastrointestinal anatomy as an alternative to better use of feet and forks [exercise and diet] seems a societal travesty.”

    In the Middle Ages, starving peasants dreamed of gastronomic utopias where food just rained down from the sky. The English called it the Kingdom of Cockaigne. Little could medieval fabulists predict that many of their descendants would not only take permanent residence there but also cut out parts of their stomachs and intestines to combat the abundance. Critics have pointed out the irony of surgically altering healthy organs to make them dysfunctional—malabsorptive—on purpose, especially when it comes to operating on children. Bariatric surgery for kids and teens has become widespread and is being performed on children as young as five years old. Surgeons defend the practice by arguing that growing up fat can leave “‘emotional scars’ and lifelong social retardation.”

    Promoters of preventive medicine may argue that bariatric surgery is the proverbial “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.” In response, proponents of pediatric bariatric surgery have written: “It is often pointed out that we should focus on prevention. Of course, I agree. However, if someone is drowning, I don’t tell them, ‘You should learn how to swim’; no, I rescue them.”

    A strong case can be made that the benefits of bariatric surgery far outweigh the risks if the alternative is remaining morbidly obese, which is estimated to shave up to a dozen or more years off one’s life. Although there haven’t been any data from randomized trials yet to back it up, compared to non-operated obese individuals, those getting bariatric surgery would be expected to live significantly longer on average. No wonder surgeons have consistently framed the elective surgery as a life-or-death necessity. This is a false dichotomy, though. The benefits only outweigh the risks if there are no other alternatives. Might there be a way to lose weight healthfully without resorting to the operating table? That’s what my book How Not to Diet is all about.

    Doctor’s Note

    My book How Not to Diet is focused exclusively on sustainable weight loss. Check it out from your library or pick it up from wherever you get your books. (All proceeds from my books are donated to charity.)

    This is the final segment in a four-part series on bariatric surgery, which includes:

    This blog contains information regarding suicide. If you or anyone you know is exhibiting suicide warning signs, please get help. Go to https://988lifeline.org for more information.

    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • San Diego woman who pleaded guilty to scheme to kill husband dies by suicide

    A La Jolla woman who previously pleaded guilty to trying to pay an undercover detective $2 million to kill her husband was found dead last week, authorities said.

    Tatyana Natasha Remley, 44, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on Dec. 18, according to the San Diego medical examiner’s office. She died at Piazza della Famigia, a public square in the heart of Little Italy, on 523 W. Date St. in San Diego.

    Remley’s body was found outside a bar, according to witnesses. Soon after the incident last week, police responded to the scene and covered her body with a yellow tarp.

    David Ohara, an eyewitness to the incident, later described what he saw on X.

    “I just witnessed a suicide,” Ohara wrote. “The young lady shot one time in the air and then turned the gun on herself.”

    Court records show that Remley had two run-ins with the law, one dating back to 2023 and another in September of this year.

    On July 11, 2023, Remley filed for divorce from her estranged husband, Mark Remley, who was 57 years old at the time. The couple, who married in 2011, produced an equine-human acrobatics show called Valitar.

    The show, set to premiere at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, was canceled “due to poor ticket sales and artistic differences with some of the performers,” according to an article from the Coast News Group in 2012.

    Some employees told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2012 that the Remleys rushed the production and failed to pay performers for about a month.

    But court records revealed that the couple was well off, owning six homes at one point. According to the Union-Tribune, Mark Remley bought his then-wife a $218,000 engagement ring.

    However, signs of trouble emerged even before the divorce was filed. On July 2, 2023, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a fire at the couple’s $5-million home in the 4600 block of Rancho Reposo.

    Remley, who was home at the time authorities arrived, had three guns and ammunition in her possession, according to deputies. She was arrested that day on suspicion of firearm-related offenses.

    The cause of the fire was unknown at the time, but in September of this year, Remley was charged with felony arson. She was accused of setting fire to a structure and forest land. She pleaded not guilty to the charge, and was set to appear in court on March 3, 2026.

    The following day, deputies received a tip that she was looking to hire a hitman to kill her husband, according to a previous Times report.

    Remley met up with an undercover sheriff’s detective to hash out the plan on Aug. 2.

    “She provided detailed information on how she wanted her husband killed and his body disposed,” the department said in a news release in 2023. “Remley brought three additional firearms and U.S. currency as a down payment for the murder.”

    Remley allegedly offered $2 million in exchange for the slaying, authorities said.

    In December 2023, she pleaded guilty to solicitation of murder and was sentenced to three years and eight months in state prison. She only served one year of her sentence, according to ABC 10 News San Diego.

    In a final post to her Instagram account in October, Remley spoke about overcoming obstacles.

    “I want to talk about how beautiful life is,” Remley said in the video. “Love yourself no matter what someone does to you. No matter how hurt you get.”

    Remley celebrated her 44th birthday 10 days before her death.

    If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek help from a professional or call 988. The nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline will connect callers with trained mental health counselors. Or text “HOME” to 741741 in the U.S. and Canada to reach the Crisis Text Line.

    Jasmine Mendez

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  • Jeffrey Epstein’s Brother Claims He Was Murdered

    A tip Mark Epstein gave the FBI in 2023 that claimed his brother was killed in his cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center, and it was ‘authorized by Donald Trump’ was among the 11,000 new files released by the DOJ Tuesday

    As the Department of Justice continues to release files related to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, questions about the 66-year-old’s 2019 death at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, the federal lockup where he was awaiting trial, continue to swirl.

    Among the revelations in the 11,000 files by the DOJ Tuesday, the largest since the government began to make documents about the sex trafficker’s life and death, was a tip given to the FBI by Mark Epstein in 2023, in which he insisted his brother was murdered, because he was about to “name names.” Mark Epstein said that what he believes to be his brother’s assassination was “authorized” by President Trump. The tip read: “Jeffrey Epstein was murdered in his jail cell. I have reason to believe he was killed because he was about to name names.”

    The President has repeatedly denied any connection to his former friend Epstein’s death. On Tuesday, DOJ officials posted a statement on social media saying: “Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.”

    Epstein was found hanging in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, one month after he was arrested in New York on sex trafficking charges. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging, but a Federal Bureau of Prisons investigation into his death – contained in Tuesday’s release – showed that the jail cell where he was found was not secured as a potential crime scene.

    Weeks before he was found dead, Epstein had tried to commit suicide, according to the new release. On July 23, 2019, Epstein was found “lying in the fetal position on the floor with a homemade fashioned noose around his neck,” according to an internal BOP report. “Inmate Epstein was breathing heavily, however appeared to be responsive. Inmate Epstein was directed by staff to stand and submit to restraints. Inmate Epstein would not stand on his own and would not comply with staff directives.” He was kept on suicide watch for a day, the report indicated.

    There was also evidence that Epstein had an Austrian passport in the name of an alias, and his photo was recovered in a safe after his arrest. The passport was issued for “Marius Robert Fortelni” but used Jeffrey Epstein’s photograph.

    Department of Justice officials released a new batch of Epstein documents on Tuesday that included this fake Austrian passport with Epstein’s photo and an alias
    Credit: Department of Justice

    The Austrian passport appeared to have been obtained in 1982 and lists “Fortelni” as a resident of Saudi Arabia with a birthdate in 1954, a year after Epstein’s date of birth. The passport stamps show travel to London, France, Spain and Saudi Arabia.

    Scroll to continue reading

    Michele McPhee

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  • How to talk to your kids about AI chatbots and their safety

    Editor’s Note: This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 (or 800-273-8255) to connect with a trained counselor.

    Artificial intelligence loomed large in 2025. As AI chatbots grew in popularity, news reports documented some parents’ worst nightmares: children dead by suicide following secret conversations with AI chatbots.

    It’s hard for parents to track rapidly evolving technology.

    Last school year, 86% of students reported using artificial intelligence for school or personal use, according to a Center for Democracy & Technology report. A 2025 survey found that 52% of teens said they used AI companions — AI chatbots designed to act as digital friends or characters —  a few times a month or more. 

    How can parents navigate the ever-changing AI chatbot landscape? Research on its effects on kids is in early stages. 

    PolitiFact consulted six experts on adolescent psychiatry and psychology for parental advice. Here are their tips.  

    Want to know if and how your kids use AI chatbots? Ask.

    Parents should think of AI tools in the same vein as smartphones, tablets and the internet. Some use is okay, but users need boundaries, said Şerife Tekin, a philosophy and bioethics professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

    The best way to know if your child is using AI chatbots “is simply to ask, directly and without judgment,” said Akanksha Dadlani, a Stanford University child and adolescent psychiatry fellow.

    Parents should be clear about their safety concerns. If they expect to periodically monitor their children’s activities as a condition of access to the technology, they should be up-front about that.

    When families talk regularly and parents ask kids about their AI use, it’s “easier to catch problems early and keep AI use contained,” said Grace Berman, a New York City psychotherapist. But perhaps the most important tool is open conversation.

    Make curiosity, not judgment, the focal point of the conversation.

    Being inquisitive rather than confrontational can help children feel safer sharing their experiences.  

    “Ask how they are using it, what they like about it, what it helps with, and what feels uncomfortable or confusing,” Dadlani said. “Keep the tone non-judgmental and grounded in safety.” 

    Listen with genuine interest in what they have to say. 

    Ask your child what they believe their preferred AI chatbot knows about them. Ask if a chatbot has ever told them something false or made them feel uncomfortable.  

    English teacher Casey Cuny, center, helps a student input a prompt into ChatGPT on a Chromebook during class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., Aug. 27, 2025. (AP)

    Parents can also ask their children to help them understand the technology, letting them guide the conversation, psychologist Don Grant told the Monitor on Psychology, the American Psychological Association’s official magazine.

    “One key message to convey: Feeling understood by a system doesn’t mean it understands you,” Tekin said. “Children are capable of grasping this distinction when it’s explained respectfully.”

    Parents might bring up concerns about AI chatbots’ privacy and confidentiality or the fact that an AI chatbot’s main goal is to affirm them and keep them using the bot. Emphasize that AI is a tool, not a relationship.

    “Explain that chatbots are prediction machines, not real friends or therapists, and they sometimes get things dangerously wrong,” Berman said. “Frame this as a team effort, something you want your child to be able to make healthy and informed decisions about.” 

    Use the technology’s safety settings, but remember they’re imperfect. 

    Parents can restrict children to using technology in their home’s common areas. Apps and parental controls are also available to help parents limit and monitor their children’s AI chatbot use. 

    Berman encourages parents to use apps and parental controls such as Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link to monitor technology use, app downloads and search terms. 

    Parents should use screen and app-specific time limits, automatic lock times, content filters and, when available, teen accounts, Dadlani said. 

    “Monitoring tools can also be appropriate,” Dadlani said.

    With Bark Phones or the Bark or Aura apps, parents can set restrictions for certain apps or websites and monitor and limit online activities. 

    Parents can adjust AI chatbot settings or instruct children to avoid certain bots altogether.

    In some of the AI chatbot cases that resulted in lawsuits, the users were interacting with chatbot versions that had the ability to remember past conversations. Tekin said parents should disable that “memory,” personalization or long-term conversation storage.

    “Avoid platforms that explicitly market themselves as companions or therapists,” she said.

    Bruce Perry, 17, shows his ChatGPT history at a coffee shop in Russellville, Ark., July 15, 2025. (AP)

    Some chatbots have or are creating parental controls, but that approach is also imperfect.

    “Even the ones that do will only provide parental controls if the parent is logged in, the child is logged in, and the accounts have been connected,” said Mitch Prinstein, the American Psychological Association’s chief of psychology. 

    These measures don’t guarantee that kids will use chatbots safely, Berman said. 

    “There is much we don’t yet know about how interacting with chatbots impacts the developing brain — say, on the development of social and romantic relationships — so there is no recommended safe amount of use for children,” Berman said.

    Does that mean it’s best to impose an outright ban? Probably not. 

    Parents can try, but it’s unlikely that parents will succeed in entirely preventing kids — especially older children and teens — from using AI chatbots. And trying might backfire.

    “AI is increasingly embedded in schoolwork, search engines, and everyday tools,” Dadlani said. “Rather than attempting total prevention, parents should focus on supervision, transparency and boundaries.”

    Students gather in a common area as they head to classes in Oregon, May 4, 2017. (AP)

    Model the behavior you want kids to emulate.

    Restrictions aren’t the only way to influence your kids’ interactions with AI chatbots. 

    “Model healthy AI use yourself,” Dadlani said. “Children notice how adults use technology, not just the rules they set.”

    Prinstein said parents should also model their attitudes toward AI by openly discussing AI with kids in critical and thoughtful ways. 

    “Engage in harm reduction conversations,” Berman said. That might look like asking your child questions such as, “How could you tell if you were using AI too much? How can we work together as a team to help you use this responsibly?”

    From there, you can collaboratively set expectations for AI use with your kids. 

    “Work together to co-create a plan on when and how the family will use AI companions and when to turn to real people for help and guidance,” Aguiar said. “Put that plan in writing and do weekly check-ins.”

    If you have concerns specific to your child’s use, don’t be afraid to ask your child to tell you what the chatbot is saying or ask to see the messages. 

    Parents should emphasize they won’t be upset or angry about what they find, Prinstein said. It might be useful to remind your child that you’re coming from a place of concern by saying something like, chatbots are “known to make things up or to misunderstand things, and I just want to help you to get the right information,” he said. 

    Replacing in-person relationships with AI interactions is cause for concern.

    Parents should look for signs that an AI chatbot is affecting a child’s mood or behavior.

    Some red flags that a child is engaged in unhealthy or excessive AI chatbot use: 

    • Withdrawal from social relationships and increased social isolation. 

    • Increased secrecy or time alone with devices.

    • Emotional distress when access to AI is limited.

    • Disinterest in activities your child used to enjoy.

    • Sudden changes in grades.

    • Increased irritability or aggression.

    • Changes in eating or sleeping habits.

    • Treating a chatbot like a therapist or best friend. 

    Parents shouldn’t necessarily assume all irritability or privacy-seeking behavior is a sign of AI chatbot overuse. Sometimes, that’s part of being a teenager. 

    But parents should be on the lookout for patterns that seem in sync with kids’ chatbot engagement, Prinstein said.

    “The concern is not curiosity or experimentation,” Dadlani said. “The concern is the replacement of human connection and skill-building.” 

    Take note if the child is routinely relying on chatbots — particularly choosing bots’ advice over human feedback — while withdrawing from peers, family and outside activities. 

    “That is when I would consider tightening technical limits and, importantly, involving a mental health professional,” Berman said. 

    Parents are used to worrying about who their kids spend time with and whether their friends might encourage them to make bad decisions, Prinstein said. Parents need to remember that many kids are hanging out with a new, powerful “friend” these days. 

    “It’s a friend that they can talk to 24/7 and that seems to be omniscient,” he said. “That friend is the chatbot.” 

    PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird and Staff Writer Loreben Tuquero contributed to this report.

    RELATED: Adam Raine called ChatGPT his ‘only friend.’ Now his family blames the technology for his death

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  • Survivors face unique struggles after losing loved ones to suicide: ‘The pain gets softer’

    During Thanksgiving dinner in 2024 — just months after her long-term boyfriend died by suicide — Amanda Killam broke down sobbing, remembering how much he enjoyed the traditional feast and mourning that he wasn’t there to share it.

    This year, she cried the night before Thanksgiving, but was able to get a bit of enjoyment over dinner with family and friends. Instead of overwhelmingly painful, it was bittersweet, sharing a good meal and company while still wishing her partner were by her side.

    “It doesn’t get easier, but it gets softer. The pain gets softer,” said Killam, of Commerce City.

    While grieving a loved one is hard regardless of how they died, people who lost someone to suicide face unique challenges, dealing not only with sadness, but also with anger, feelings of abandonment, the sense of being blamed by others, or guilt that they didn’t know the deceased was suffering.

    Professional help and support from people who’ve been through the same thing can help work through those feelings and rebuild a life, survivors said.

    Killam’s partner, Rob Nickels, died by suicide at 42. She knew about his history of health problems, including a stroke in his 20s and two kidney transplants, but he never talked about the extent of his mental suffering.

    Nickels had texted about his intent to die while Killam was getting ready to fly home from Dallas. She called and attempted to talk him down, then notified friends and family in Denver to call 911 after hearing sounds suggesting he’d begun an attempt. She also called businesses near their apartment in the hope someone could get there fast enough to intervene.

    First responders attempted to resuscitate Nickels, but he died shortly before Killam’s plane landed in Denver. In the aftermath, functioning was nearly impossible. Sometimes she’d skip meals because the idea of choosing what to shop for and cook was overwhelming.

    “It was hard not to feel like a failure,” she said.

    Killam was skeptical of therapy in general, but said she started it shortly after Nickels’ death to work through the sadness, guilt and feeling of abandonment from losing her partner. It helped to have an outside perspective, because her family and friends, while supportive, didn’t know how to challenge her to change thought patterns that weren’t helping her, she said.

    Not everyone who is grieving needs professional help, but therapy can help if someone is struggling to manage the stressors of everyday life, can’t sleep or feels consistently isolated or empty, said Mandy Doria, a licensed professional counselor who specializes in traumatic loss at the Stress, Trauma, Adversity Research and Treatment Center on the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus.

    Any loss can be devastating, but when someone dies by suicide, the survivors may become hypervigilant, for fear that they miss a sign that someone else they love is struggling, she said.

    People can’t go back to the way life was before a major loss, so they have to think about what it would mean to rebuild, Doria said. Often, that involves doing something to remember and give meaning to the life the deceased led, such as continuing to make their favorite recipe or volunteering for a cause they cared about, she said.

    “When you lose someone to suicide, it can really shake your worldview and understanding of life,” she said. “Resilience is believing that it’s possible to bounce back and committing yourself every day to doing that.”

    Angela Rouse, of Thornton, lost her oldest son to suicide when he was 29 and facilitates a support group for survivors, called Heartbeat.

    Her son left behind five children, four of whom she and her husband are now raising. They had to process their own grief while helping their grandchildren through the mental health struggles that come from losing a parent early in life.

    “It was nonstop therapy for three years,” she said.

    Even seven years after the loss, it still can come up in unexpected ways, such as when she saw a friend’s daughter holding her sister’s baby — an experience her oldest son never got to have with his younger brother’s children.

    Her youngest grandson has been having a hard time coping with her recent breast cancer diagnosis because of the fear of losing another central figure in his life.

    “I’m the only parent, mom figure he’s had,” she said.

    People who are grieving also experience the secondary losses of people they thought would be with them through the worst times, who ultimately don’t always come through, Rouse said. And it can be hard to connect with people when your world is reeling, but they seem essentially fine, she said.

    “My circle got a lot smaller, that’s for sure,” she said.

    Amanda Killam and Rob Nickels. Nickels died by suicide in 2024 at age 42, and Killam struggled to make sense of the loss and move forward. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Killam)

    Meg Wingerter

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  • Illinois Becomes 12th State to Provide Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill

    SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois residents with terminal illnesses may choose to end their lives on their own terms under a law Gov. JB Pritzker signed Friday.

    The Medical Aid in Dying act takes effect in September 2026 to give the Illinois Department of Public Health and other medical participants time to develop “stringent processes and protections” for implementing the provision, according to the Democratic governor’s office.

    It is also known as “Deb’s Law,” honoring Deb Robertson, a lifelong resident of the state living with a rare terminal illness who has pushed for the measure’s approval and testified to the suffering of people and their families wanting the chance to decide for themselves how and when their lives should end.

    Pritzker said he has been moved by stories of patients suffering from terminal illness and their devotion to “freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak.”

    “This legislation will be thoughtfully implemented so that physicians can consult patients on making deeply personal decisions with authority, autonomy, and empathy,” Pritzker said after singing the measure in Chicago.

    Eleven other states and the District of Columbia offer medical aid in dying, according to the advocacy group, Death With Dignity. Delaware was the latest, and its provision takes effect Jan. 1, 2026. Seven other states are considering allowing it.

    In Illinois, patients 18 and older with physician-confirmed mental capacity to make medical decisions may request end-of-life medication if they have an illness that could be fatal within six months, as verified by two doctors; as well as have received information about all end-of-life care options, such as hospice or palliative care. Additionally, both oral and written requests for the medication must come from the patient, not a surrogate or proxy.

    Sponsoring Sen. Linda Holmes, a suburban Chicago Democrat, said both her parents died of cancer.

    “I’ll never forget the helpless feeling of watching them suffer when there was nothing I could do to help them,” Holmes said. “Every adult patient of sound mind should have this as one more option in their end-of-life care in the event their suffering becomes unbearable.”

    The Illinois House approved the measure 63-42 in late May at the end of the legislative spring session. The Senate didn’t take it up until October, when it was approved 30-27. In both chambers, there were prominent Democratic “no” votes.

    The Catholic Conference of Illinois, representing the state’s six Catholic dioceses, issued a statement disparaging Pritzker’s action, saying the law puts Illinois “on a dangerous and heartbreaking path.”

    “Rather than investing in real end-of-life support such as palliative and hospice care, pain management, and family-centered accompaniment, our state has chosen to normalize killing oneself,” the Catholic bishops said. “This law ignores the very real failures in access to quality care that drive vulnerable people to despair.”

    The conference also derided the idea that Illinois has legalized suicide for some while attempting to prevent it in others, particularly teenagers, among whom suicide is the second-leading cause of death. That sentiment was echoed by the nonpartisan advocacy and lobbyist group Patients Rights Action Fund.

    “Assisted suicide plunges Illinoisans with disabilities and other vulnerable people into conversations about death, instead of the care and support they deserve from their medical teams,” said Matt Valliere, the group’s president and CEO.

    Deb Robertson, the retired social worker from suburban Chicago who gave a name to the law, thanked Pritzker for signing the law providing “the full range of end-of-life options.”

    Robertson added, “The end for me could be near, but I’m pleased to have been able to play some role in ensuring that terminally ill Illinois residents have access to medical aid in dying.”

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Heavy Metal, Headbanging, and Our Health | NutritionFacts.org

    How might we moderate the rare but very real risk of headbanging?

    If you search for heavy metal in the National Library of Medicine database, most of what you find is on heavy metal contamination in fish, which “makes it difficult to establish clearly the role of fish consumption on a healthy diet” and perhaps helps to explain the quintupling of odds of autoimmune diseases, such as juvenile arthritis. But searching for the hazards of heavy metal also pops up entries on the “risks from heavy metal music.” In this study, researchers were talking about traumatic injuries from slamming around “during a moshing session,” but you’re more likely to get injured at an alternative rock concert. (Check out some of the artists below and at 0:50 in my video The Dangerous Effects of Heavy Metal Music.)

    Certainly, music-induced hearing loss is a serious problem, but that can result from any loud music. Clinical recommendations include the “80–90 rule”—no more than 80% of the maximum volume on personal listening devices for no more than 90 minutes a day. That’s not what the science shows, however. “Do not exceed 60% of the maximum volume” may be more evidence-based, but researchers figure teens would just ignore that, so they came up with more “acceptable” advice.

    I assumed I’d see a lot of satanic panic nonsense from the 1980s, when “parents bereaved by suicide…accused Heavy Metal groups of promoting suicidal behaviours and…proceeded to sue musicians.” What kind of evidence did the parents present? There has been “little scholarly research” published until the “The Heavy Metal Subculture and Suicide” paper that tried to correlate the number of statewide heavy metal magazine subscriptions to youth suicide rates. Seriously?

    It got really wild, though, when researchers called psychiatric institutions, pretending to be parents worried because their son started listening to heavy metal music, even though they made it clear that their son didn’t exhibit any symptoms of mental illness, didn’t do drugs or drink alcohol, and was doing fine at school. Ten of the twelve facilities believed the son required psychiatric hospitalization. Imagine what that would do to a kid! Researchers found that, decades later, metalheads “were significantly happier in their youth and better adjusted” than their peers.

    Some studies were strange. Do Parkinson’s patients walk better listening to The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” or Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”? (See below and at 2:32 in my video.)

    Others were pretty nondescript. Heavy metal musicians exhibit a higher heart rate than those performing “contemporary Christian,” which isn’t so surprising, as you can see  here and at 2:40.

    Some others were kind of cute, like one that investigated the influence of music on promoting patient safety during surgery—veterinary patients, that is. Kittens got spayed with little earphones on their heads. It turns out that “Adagio for Strings” may be more relaxing than AC/DC.

    A review on music therapy for human patients warned: “Caution should be exercised…when guiding patients in selecting their music. ‘Chaotic music, such us [sic] hip-hop and metal, is not healing to human cells.’” That even had three citations, though two of them don’t say anything and the third is a nursing newsletter merely quoting someone’s opinion. I did some digging, and it turns out that stomach cancer cells like metal. If you play them Cannibal Corpse versus Beethoven, 12 hours of death metal increases their growth in a petri dish, as you can see below and at 3:28 in my video. (That’s so metal.)

    But who puts headphones on their stomach? Or their chests, for that matter? In one study, Mozart killed off one type of breast cancer cell line but not another; in another study, only Beethoven’s 5th Symphony seemed to work, and Mozart flopped when the petri dishes were surrounded by speakers. How does this stuff even get published?

    Anyway, the true danger from heavy metal is headbanging. “Headbanging is a contemporary dance form consisting of abrupt flexion–extension movements of the head to the rhythm of rock music, most commonly seen in the heavy metal genre.” Although the “number of avid aficionados is unknown…some fans might be endangered by indulging excessive headbanging.” Despite headbanging generally being “considered harmless,” several health complications have been attributed to this practice, including ripping your carotid artery, rupturing your lung, whiplash injury, neck fracture, or subdural hematoma. One man reported headbanging at a Motörhead concert, and all that “brisk forward and backward acceleration and deceleration forces” might have ruptured his bridging veins and caused him to bleed into his skull.

    As shown here and at 4:47 in my video, bridging veins bridge the gap between the brain and the covering that lines the inside of our skull, and if the veins tear, blood can build up under our skull and compress our brain.

    This bridging vein rupture has been demonstrated on headbanging cadavers (another very metal study). See below and at 5:02 in my video. It’s been likened to a “pseudo shaken-baby syndrome” in adults.

    The researchers conclude that their “case serves as evidence in support of Motörhead’s reputation as one of the most hardcore rock’n’roll acts on earth,” but I think the real takeaway is that a potentially dangerous complication like subdural hematoma can result from “a seemingly benign activity like head banging.” And some of the brain bleeds can be massive. One man complained of a “headache after headbanging at a party.” Why? As you can see in his CT scan below and at 5:35, circled in red is all blood, squishing over his brain. Amazingly, he survived; another man didn’t, headbanging and losing his life to a fatal subdural hemorrhage.

    We can tear more than just veins. There are two sets of arteries that tunnel into the skull—the carotid arteries in the front and the vertebral arteries in the back—and we can tear both sets. A 15-year-old boy “indulged in headbanging” and ripped his carotid artery, which led to a massive stroke. He presented as half-paralyzed and unable to speak, and he died in a coma within a week.

    What about the vertebral arteries in the back? They’re wedged into our skull, rendering them susceptible to shearing forces from extremes of neck motion, and that’s exactly what appeared to happen when a heavy metal drummer tore the wall of the artery. All of this is really rare, probably afflicting less than one in a thousand or so. What can metalheads do to reduce their risk? “To prevent injury due to such head-banging, the range of head and neck motion should be reduced, slower-tempo music should replace heavy metal rock, the frequency of head-banging should be only on every second beat, or personal protective equipment should be used”—like a neck brace?

    “Little formal injury research has been conducted on the worldwide phenomenon of head banging,” so researchers constructed “a theoretical head banging model” with enough physics terms to make any nerd happy: “angular displacement,” “sinusoidal motion in the sagittal plane,” and “amplitude of the displacement curve.” The study participants? Headbangers. The control group? That’s easy with easy listening music.

    The head injury curves and neck injury curves, based on headbanging tempo and angular sweep, are shown below and at 7:23.

    “An average head-banging song has a tempo of about 146 beats per minute, which is predicted to cause mild head injury when the range of motion is greater than 75º,” so something like what’s seen below and at 7:34 in my video.

    The researchers conclude: “To minimise the risk of head and neck injury, head bangers should decrease their range of head and neck motion, head bang to slower tempo songs by replacing heavy metal with adult-oriented rock, only head bang to every second beat, or use personal protective equipment.”

    “Unfortunately, it is difficult, if not impossible, to change the habits of heavy metal aficionados.” Maybe what we need are metal-studded neck braces.

    Doctor’s Note

    What about the healing potential of music? Check out Music as Medicine and Music for Anxiety: Mozart vs. Metal.

    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Judge Gives Justice Department a Day to Detail Ghislaine Maxwell Trial Materials to Be Released

    NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Manhattan is demanding more information from the Justice Department as he weighs its request to unseal records from the sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime confidante Ghislaine Maxwell.

    Judge Paul A. Engelmayer on Tuesday ordered the Justice Department to tell him what materials it plans to publicly release that were subject to secrecy orders in the British socialite’s case.

    The deadline: Noon on Wednesday.

    Engelmayer’s order came after the Justice Department on Monday asked for his permission to release grand jury records, exhibits and discovery materials in the Maxwell case.

    Engelmayer said government lawyers must file a letter on the case docket describing materials it wants to release “in sufficient detail to meaningfully inform victims” what it plans to make public.

    Epstein, a millionaire money manager known for socializing with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and the academic elite, killed himself in jail a month after his 2019 arrest.

    Engelmayer had already notified victims and Maxwell that they can respond next month to Justice Department’s request to release materials before he decides whether to grant it.

    The Justice Department said it was seeking the court’s approval to release materials to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by Congress and signed into law last week by President Donald Trump. It calls for the release of grand jury and discovery materials in the case.

    The request, along with an identical one for grand jury transcripts from Epstein’s case, was among the first public indications that the Justice Department was trying to comply with the transparency act, which requires it to release Epstein-related files in a searchable format by Dec. 19.

    Engelmayer did not preside over the trial, but was assigned to the case after the trial judge, Alison J. Nathan, was elevated to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

    Discovery materials subject to secrecy orders are likely to include victim interviews and other materials that previously would have been only viewed by lawyers or Maxwell prior to her trial.

    Engelmayer said in an order Monday that Maxwell and victims of Maxwell and Epstein can respond by Dec. 3 to the government’s request to make materials public. The government must respond to their filings by Dec. 10. The judge said he will rule “promptly thereafter.”

    Lawyers for victims did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. A spokesperson for federal prosecutors declined to comment.

    Judge Richard M. Berman, who presided over the Epstein case before his death, issued an order on Tuesday allowing victims and Epstein’s estate to respond to the Justice Department’s unsealing request by Dec. 3. He said the government can respond to any submissions by Dec. 8.

    Berman said he would make his “best efforts to resolve this motion promptly.”

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Two women injured, suspect dead in shooting outside Dallas Walmart, police say

    A man is believed to have shot two women in a Dallas Walmart parking lot before he died by suicide Wednesday afternoon, police sources told WFAA-TV.

    A man is believed to have shot two women in a Dallas Walmart parking lot before he died by suicide Wednesday afternoon, police sources told WFAA-TV.

    WFAA

    A man is believed to have shot his romantic partner and a bystander in a Dallas Walmart parking lot before killing himself Wednesday afternoon, police sources told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV.

    The shooting was reported about 3:40 p.m. outside the Walmart Supercenter in the 9300 block of Forest Lane, near Interstate 635.

    The victims were grazed by gunfire and the suspect was found dead in a car from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, police told WFAA.

    The two women who were injured were taken to a hospital, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue.

    Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Amy McDaniel

    Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Amy McDaniel edits stories about criminal justice, breaking news and education for the Star-Telegram.

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  • OpenAI faces 7 lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide, delusions

    OpenAI is facing seven lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide and harmful delusions even when they had no prior mental health issues.

    The lawsuits filed Thursday in California state courts allege wrongful death, assisted suicide, involuntary manslaughter and negligence. Filed on behalf of six adults and one teenager by the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project, the lawsuits claim that OpenAI knowingly released GPT-4o prematurely, despite internal warnings that it was dangerously sycophantic and psychologically manipulative. Four of the victims died by suicide.

    ___

    EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

    ___

    The teenager, 17-year-old Amaurie Lacey, began using ChatGPT for help, according to the lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court. But instead of helping, “the defective and inherently dangerous ChatGPT product caused addiction, depression, and, eventually, counseled him on the most effective way to tie a noose and how long he would be able to “live without breathing.’”

    “Amaurie’s death was neither an accident nor a coincidence but rather the foreseeable consequence of OpenAI and Samuel Altman’s intentional decision to curtail safety testing and rush ChatGPT onto the market,” the lawsuit says.

    OpenAI called the situations “incredibly heartbreaking” and said it was reviewing the court filings to understand the details.

    Another lawsuit, filed by Alan Brooks, a 48-year-old in Ontario, Canada, claims that for more than two years ChatGPT worked as a “resource tool” for Brooks. Then, without warning, it changed, preying on his vulnerabilities and “manipulating, and inducing him to experience delusions. As a result, Allan, who had no prior mental health illness, was pulled into a mental health crisis that resulted in devastating financial, reputational, and emotional harm.”

    “These lawsuits are about accountability for a product that was designed to blur the line between tool and companion all in the name of increasing user engagement and market share,” said Matthew P. Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, in a statement.

    OpenAI, he added, “designed GPT-4o to emotionally entangle users, regardless of age, gender, or background, and released it without the safeguards needed to protect them.” By rushing its product to market without adequate safeguards in order to dominate the market and boost engagement, he said, OpenAI compromised safety and prioritized “emotional manipulation over ethical design.”

    In August, parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT coached the California boy in planning and taking his own life earlier this year.

    “The lawsuits filed against OpenAI reveal what happens when tech companies rush products to market without proper safeguards for young people,” said Daniel Weiss, chief advocacy officer at Common Sense Media, which was not part of the complaints. “These tragic cases show real people whose lives were upended or lost when they used technology designed to keep them engaged rather than keep them safe.”

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  • Marshawn Kneeland, Cowboys Defensive End, Dies at 24 – LAmag

    The NFL and the Cowboys mourn a young life lost

    The Dallas Cowboys announced Thursday morning that Marshawn Kneeland, their second-year defensive end, had died at the age of 24. “It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the team said in a statement.

    Kneeland was found dead early Thursday after a police pursuit on Wednesday night, during which Texas state troopers attempted to pull over his vehicle. He reportedly fled the scene and was later located with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. 

    A second‐round draft pick out of Western Michigan Broncos (56th overall in 2024), Kneeland spent two seasons with the Cowboys and had just recovered a blocked punt for his first NFL touchdown on Monday night, days before his tragic passing. 

    His agent, Jonathan Perzley, remembered him as a fighter: “I watched him fight his way from a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream to being a respected professional for the Dallas Cowboys. Marshawn poured his heart into every snap, every practice, and every moment on the field.” (ABC)

    The news shook the NFL community. Beyond the statistics and the on-field plays, the focus now turns to support, awareness, and the underlying struggles athletes may face beyond the spotlight.

    Anthony Gutierrez

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  • Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland found dead of apparent suicide at 24 after evading officers, police say

    FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Police in a Dallas suburb say 24-year-old Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was found dead of an apparent suicide after evading authorities in his vehicle and fleeing the scene of an accident on foot.

    Frisco police said Thursday they are investigating the possible suicide. They said Kneeland didn’t stop for Texas Department of Public Safety troopers over a traffic violation in a chase that was joined by Frisco police on Wednesday night.

    Authorities lost sight of the vehicle before locating it crashed minutes later. During the search after Kneeland fled the crash site on foot, officers said they received word that Kneeland might be suicidal. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound early Thursday morning, about three hours after the crash, police said without specifying where Kneeland’s body was found.

    ___

    EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org. Helplines outside the U.S. can be found at www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts. ___

    Kneeland’s death came just days after he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown in a 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

    Kneeland was in his second season with the Cowboys. He was a 2024 second-round draft pick out of Western Michigan.

    “I am shattered to confirm that my client and dearest friend Marshawn Kneeland passed away last night,” Kneeland’s agent, Jonathan Perzley, said in a statement that asked for privacy. “Marshawn poured his heart into every snap, every practice and every moment on the field. To lose someone with his talent, spirit and goodness is a pain I can hardly put into words.”

    Kneeland’s rookie season was off to a promising start before he was sidelined for five games by a knee injury.

    Kneeland had his first career sack in the season opener this year against Philadelphia. He played in seven games this season, missing two with an ankle injury.

    “Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization,” the Cowboys said. “Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”

    The Cowboys have frequently sought pass rushers and other defensive linemen in the first two rounds of the draft. Kneeland was drafted a year after defensive end Sam Williams was taken by Dallas in the second round. Williams blocked the punt that Kneeland recovered against the Cardinals.

    Kneeland’s mother, Wendy Kneeland, died suddenly while he was preparing for the draft. He had his mother’s ashes in a necklace he wore after joining the Cowboys, according to The Dallas Morning News.

    “We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland,” the NFL said. “We have been in contact with the Cowboys and have offered support and counseling resources.”

    Miami Dolphins receivers coach Robert Prince, who had the same position with the Cowboys when Kneeland was a rookie last year, had tears in his eyes as he met with reporters Thursday.

    “We spent a lot of time (together) when he was injured and working out in the weight room,” Prince said. “We’d shoot the breeze. He was a Western Michigan kid and I coached with the Lions for a while so we had some Michigan-type stories. Good kid. I’m sorry to hear that about him.”

    Kneeland had a career-high 57 tackles along with 4 1/2 sacks in nine games as a senior at Western Michigan.

    “My heart is absolutely broken over the loss of Marshawn Kneeland,” Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor said. “His leadership, energy and smile were infectious, and he left a lasting impact on everyone in our program. Having coached him during my first season here, we developed a special bond that went far beyond football.”

    Tributes poured in from around the NFL, including Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who raised the topic of suicide awareness with a reporter during training camp this year.

    “It sucks seeing the news of our NFL brother!” Simmons wrote on X. “Even when someone is carrying the biggest smile, make sure to just check in on them. You just never know man. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, we all go through things that we sometimes hide!”

    Two of Kneeland’s Dallas teammates, quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, had siblings who died by suicide and have foundations supporting suicide awareness and prevention. Thomas’ sister, Ella, was the same age as Kneeland.

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    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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  • ‘King of K-pop’ Lee Soo Man on his career, a global industry and what’s next

    SEOUL, South Korea — Lee Soo Man resisted the title at first. “King of K-pop” sounded too brash, too nightclub-esque — like something you’d see on a neon sign in Itaewon, a nightlife neighborhood in the South Korean capital Seoul once popular with U.S. soldiers and foreign visitors. “I asked them, ‘Couldn’t it be Father of K-pop?’” the 73-year-old recalled during a recent interview with The Associated Press.

    He was discussing the title of Amazon Prime’s documentary about his career. The producers insisted the bolder moniker would resonate better with American audiences. After some back-and-forth, Lee relented. “I had to follow their decision.”

    The compromise speaks to Lee’s pragmatic approach to breaking South Korean acts into the American mainstream — a three-decade quest that often required him to bend but never break his vision. Now, as the founder of SM Entertainment and widely credited as the architect of K-pop’s global expansion, Lee will be inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame on Saturday alongside basketball legend Yao Ming, Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, and rock icon Yoshiki, among others.

    Lee remains a prominent but controversial figure in K-pop history. His label pioneered the industry’s intensive training system, recruiting performers as young as elementary school age and putting them through years of rigorous preparation. Some of his artists have challenged their contracts as unfair, sparking broader debates about industry practices.

    The recognition arrives as Lee reemerges into the spotlight after a contentious, high-profile departure from the agency he founded in 1995 — a management battle that included a public feud with his nephew-in-law and a bidding war over his shares. He’s been keeping busy since, debuting a new band, A20 MAY, in both China and the U.S. He’s also investing in a boutique Chinese firm’s high-tech production technologies.

    Born in South Korea, Lee studied computer engineering in the U.S. for his master’s degree. That technical background would later inform his approach to everything from visualization and cutting-edge production technologies — he said he’s been rewatching “The Matrix” to revisit filming techniques — to pioneering elaborate “worldviews” and virtual avatars for his K-pop bands.

    For Lee, the Hall of Fame honor “confirms that K-pop has become a genre that the mainstream is now paying attention to” — an acceptance that came after costly lessons and years of trial and error.

    Lee invested about $5 million in BoA’s 2009 American debut with “Eat You Up,” one of the first songs by a South Korean artist to be primarily written and produced by Western producers — a bold early attempt to bring K-pop into the U.S. mainstream. But with few widely recognized Asian artists in American pop culture at the time, the market wasn’t ready. After nearly two years, BoA — already a megastar in Korea and Japan — decided to return home. The experience, Lee has said, left him with lasting regrets.

    “When I asked the songwriter(s) to revise ‘Eat You Up,’ they refused,” Lee recalled. “If we had changed it, I believe it would have achieved much better results.”

    That setback taught Lee that K-pop needed to source global talent while maintaining creative control to adapt songs for the worldwide market. His quest for the perfect tracks took him worldwide.

    “I once heard a song that was so good I couldn’t let it go,” he said, recalling the track that would later become “Dreams Come True” for S.E.S., the late-1990s girl group. “I could’ve bought the license to the song in South Korea, Hong Kong, or Sweden. But I wanted to play it safe, so I found the Finnish address, went to meet the songwriter directly, wrote up a contract, and brought it back.”

    At the time, top Western songwriters prioritized Japan, the world’s second-largest music market. “European songwriters were willing to sell to Asia,” Lee explained. “That’s how we eventually built a system where music from Europe, Asia, and America could come together.”

    That fusion became K-pop’s signature. Lee also helped to pioneer another innovation: elaborate fictional universes, or “worldviews,” for groups like EXO and aespa — a storytelling approach that would later be adopted across the industry, including by groups like BTS.

    The concept emerged during his time in the U.S., where he witnessed MTV transform music into a visual medium. “But we only have three or four minutes,” he said. “How do we express dramatic, cinematic elements in such a short time?”

    Lee’s solution was to create ongoing narratives that unfold across multiple music videos and releases — think Marvel’s cinematic universe, but for pop groups.

    Unable to attract established screenwriters, Lee developed the storylines himself. The strategy proved prescient: These interconnected narratives give global fans reason to follow groups across comebacks, waiting for the next chapter in an unfolding saga.

    Despite K-pop’s global success, Lee remains focused on Asia’s potential. He envisions South Korea as a creative hub where international talent learns production. “Korea should become the country of producers,” he said.

    With the Asia-Pacific region home to more than half the world’s population, he sees it as entertainment’s inevitable future center.

    His latest venture with A20 MAY, which operates in both China and the U.S., is testing that vision in one of Asia’s most challenging markets. China’s entertainment landscape has grown increasingly restrictive, with Beijing recently cracking down on “ effeminate ” male celebrities and youth culture. Asked about potential political risks, Lee dismissed concerns.

    “Political risk? I don’t really know much about that,” he said.

    He said he aims to elevate South Korea’s cultural influence as a center of production while meeting China’s needs as it seeks to expand its soft power alongside economic dominance.

    “Culturally, does China need what we do? I believe they do.”

    The documentary also addressed darker aspects of K-pop close to Lee’s heart, including the suicides of SM Entertainment artists.

    He traces the problem to anonymous and malicious online comments that often evade accountability, especially when posted on servers outside South Korea’s jurisdiction, calling it a global issue requiring international cooperation. Lee advocates for worldwide standards on user verification and mediation systems where victims could identify attackers without expensive legal battles.

    But Lee resists the media’s focus on K-pop’s problems. “Should we always weigh the dark side equally with the bright side, the future?” he asked. “Media should consider whether K-pop represents more future or more past that holds us back. Rather than just discussing the dark side and dragging us down by clinging to the past, shouldn’t we talk more about the future?”

    After more than three decades, Lee’s definition remains straightforward: “K-pop is a new language of communication that transcends barriers. These languages move around naturally — what you can’t stop is culture.”

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  • ‘King of K-Pop’ Lee Soo Man on His Career, a Global Industry and What’s Next

    SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Lee Soo Man resisted the title at first. “King of K-pop” sounded too brash, too nightclub-esque — like something you’d see on a neon sign in Itaewon, a nightlife neighborhood in the South Korean capital Seoul once popular with U.S. soldiers and foreign visitors. “I asked them, ‘Couldn’t it be Father of K-pop?’” the 73-year-old recalled during a recent interview with The Associated Press.

    He was discussing the title of Amazon Prime’s documentary about his career. The producers insisted the bolder moniker would resonate better with American audiences. After some back-and-forth, Lee relented. “I had to follow their decision.”

    The compromise speaks to Lee’s pragmatic approach to breaking South Korean acts into the American mainstream — a three-decade quest that often required him to bend but never break his vision. Now, as the founder of SM Entertainment and widely credited as the architect of K-pop’s global expansion, Lee will be inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame on Saturday alongside basketball legend Yao Ming, Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, and rock icon Yoshiki, among others.

    Lee remains a prominent but controversial figure in K-pop history. His label pioneered the industry’s intensive training system, recruiting performers as young as elementary school age and putting them through years of rigorous preparation. Some of his artists have challenged their contracts as unfair, sparking broader debates about industry practices.

    The recognition arrives as Lee reemerges into the spotlight after a contentious, high-profile departure from the agency he founded in 1995 — a management battle that included a public feud with his nephew-in-law and a bidding war over his shares. He’s been keeping busy since, debuting a new band, A20 MAY, in both China and the U.S. He’s also investing in a boutique Chinese firm’s high-tech production technologies.

    Born in South Korea, Lee studied computer engineering in the U.S. for his master’s degree. That technical background would later inform his approach to everything from visualization and cutting-edge production technologies — he said he’s been rewatching “The Matrix” to revisit filming techniques — to pioneering elaborate “worldviews” and virtual avatars for his K-pop bands.

    For Lee, the Hall of Fame honor “confirms that K-pop has become a genre that the mainstream is now paying attention to” — an acceptance that came after costly lessons and years of trial and error.


    When America wasn’t ready for K-pop

    Lee invested about $5 million in BoA’s 2009 American debut with “Eat You Up,” one of the first songs by a South Korean artist to be primarily written and produced by Western producers — a bold early attempt to bring K-pop into the U.S. mainstream. But with few widely recognized Asian artists in American pop culture at the time, the market wasn’t ready. After nearly two years, BoA — already a megastar in Korea and Japan — decided to return home. The experience, Lee has said, left him with lasting regrets.

    “When I asked the songwriter(s) to revise ‘Eat You Up,’ they refused,” Lee recalled. “If we had changed it, I believe it would have achieved much better results.”


    Sourcing the world’s best songs for K-pop

    That setback taught Lee that K-pop needed to source global talent while maintaining creative control to adapt songs for the worldwide market. His quest for the perfect tracks took him worldwide.

    “I once heard a song that was so good I couldn’t let it go,” he said, recalling the track that would later become “Dreams Come True” for S.E.S., the late-1990s girl group. “I could’ve bought the license to the song in South Korea, Hong Kong, or Sweden. But I wanted to play it safe, so I found the Finnish address, went to meet the songwriter directly, wrote up a contract, and brought it back.”

    At the time, top Western songwriters prioritized Japan, the world’s second-largest music market. “European songwriters were willing to sell to Asia,” Lee explained. “That’s how we eventually built a system where music from Europe, Asia, and America could come together.”


    Fictional universes that keep fans hooked

    That fusion became K-pop’s signature. Lee also helped to pioneer another innovation: elaborate fictional universes, or “worldviews,” for groups like EXO and aespa — a storytelling approach that would later be adopted across the industry, including by groups like BTS.

    The concept emerged during his time in the U.S., where he witnessed MTV transform music into a visual medium. “But we only have three or four minutes,” he said. “How do we express dramatic, cinematic elements in such a short time?”

    Lee’s solution was to create ongoing narratives that unfold across multiple music videos and releases — think Marvel’s cinematic universe, but for pop groups.

    Unable to attract established screenwriters, Lee developed the storylines himself. The strategy proved prescient: These interconnected narratives give global fans reason to follow groups across comebacks, waiting for the next chapter in an unfolding saga.

    Despite K-pop’s global success, Lee remains focused on Asia’s potential. He envisions South Korea as a creative hub where international talent learns production. “Korea should become the country of producers,” he said.

    With the Asia-Pacific region home to more than half the world’s population, he sees it as entertainment’s inevitable future center.

    His latest venture with A20 MAY, which operates in both China and the U.S., is testing that vision in one of Asia’s most challenging markets. China’s entertainment landscape has grown increasingly restrictive, with Beijing recently cracking down on “ effeminate ” male celebrities and youth culture. Asked about potential political risks, Lee dismissed concerns.

    “Political risk? I don’t really know much about that,” he said.

    He said he aims to elevate South Korea’s cultural influence as a center of production while meeting China’s needs as it seeks to expand its soft power alongside economic dominance.

    “Culturally, does China need what we do? I believe they do.”

    The documentary also addressed darker aspects of K-pop close to Lee’s heart, including the suicides of SM Entertainment artists.

    He traces the problem to anonymous and malicious online comments that often evade accountability, especially when posted on servers outside South Korea’s jurisdiction, calling it a global issue requiring international cooperation. Lee advocates for worldwide standards on user verification and mediation systems where victims could identify attackers without expensive legal battles.

    But Lee resists the media’s focus on K-pop’s problems. “Should we always weigh the dark side equally with the bright side, the future?” he asked. “Media should consider whether K-pop represents more future or more past that holds us back. Rather than just discussing the dark side and dragging us down by clinging to the past, shouldn’t we talk more about the future?”

    After more than three decades, Lee’s definition remains straightforward: “K-pop is a new language of communication that transcends barriers. These languages move around naturally — what you can’t stop is culture.”

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    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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