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The boy, 14, spent months talking to an artificial character on Character.AI before becoming depressed. His mother blames the company, saying the tech shouldn’t be accessible to minors. Character AI, a Menlo Park, California-based startup, describes itself as having a mission to “empower everyone globally with personalized AI.” Its system offers users the chance to […]

The Food and Drug Administration announced a Class II recall for more than 7,000 bottles of an antidepressant due to a chemical. The recall was initiated earlier this month on Oct. 10. Duloxetine, reportedly known under brands like Cymbalta, is used to treat mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, among other conditions, according to […]

Four agricultural workers in Washington state have tested positive for bird flu, in the first human cases of H5N1 virus to be reported in the state. The four were “working with infected poultry at a commercial egg farm in Franklin County,” the Washington State Department of Health announced Sunday. “The individuals experienced mild symptoms and […]

McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been linked to a multistate E. coli outbreak that has killed at least one person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, around 50 people have been reported infected, with 27 infections occurring in Nebraska and nine in Colorado, according to the CDC. Officials estimate that the […]

Surgery schedules around the country may be washed out for several more weeks while a crucial IV and sterile fluids factory remains shut down for hurricane-related damage. People often plan non-emergency surgeries in the fall and early-winter months when their insurance coverage will pick up more of the bill, but they may have to wait […]

Florida health officials are reporting an increase in cases of Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria that can lead to flesh-eating infections, following recent hurricanes. In an update Friday, data from the Florida Department of Health showed several counties are experiencing a spike in cases. The department said on its website that Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Pasco, […]

Strokes are the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, and the leading cause of disability — but up to 80% of them are preventable. That’s according to the American Stroke Association (ASA), which on Monday published its updated guidelines for stroke prevention in the journal Stroke. This was the first update since its […]

Eli Lilly said on Monday it sued three medical spas and online vendors for selling products claiming to contain tirzepatide, the main ingredient in its popular weight-loss medicine Zepbound, including in the form of dissolvable tablets. The new lawsuits, which name Pivotal Peptides, MangoRx and Genesis Lifestyle Medicine of Nevada, are the first related to […]

Are tacos and burritos sandwiches? A judge in Indiana thinks so. The ruling stems from a legal battle that started in 2022, when Martin Quintana, a developer, unveiled plans to open his restaurant, “The Famous Taco Mexican Grill,” on a strip mall in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Allen County Planning Commission rejected his bid to […]

NYC’s new rule on takeout utensils begins; Eateries, stores must start using garbage containers on Tuesday It’s a new era for restaurants in New York City. Two new rules take effect this week that will impact your takeout and delivery experience, among other things. Picking up food now comes with a new responsibility for the […]