Sunday, 6 September 2026

America’s 911 system is dangerously out of date

Mandy Oaklander | September 06, 2026

You might assume that calling 911 automatically gives responders the location information they need to help you; the technology certainly exists to do so. But our 911 emergency response system has not been updated for our digital age, putting all of us in danger, writes Rebecca Neusteter, executive director of the Health Lab at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy who wrote a forthcoming book on the subject.

"That inaction should be unacceptable to every American," she writes in a new essay for TIME. "Upgrading 911 technology should be a national priority."

TODAY’S TOPICS

Our 911 system is obsolete
We want to hear from you!
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SUNDAY READ

America’s 911 system is dangerously out of date

By Rebecca Neusteter

amenic181—Getty Images

“911, what is your emergency?”

For the millions of Americans who have dialed 911, these are the familiar and comforting words we hear upon placing the call. It is the question that guides us through a moment of chaos or crisis, the linchpin to saving lives and protecting health.

But in recent years, an increasing number of 911 callers have heard something a little different:

“911, where is your emergency?”

It is very nearly the same question, but the slight change underscores vast differences in people’s experiences seeking help in an emergency. In an era when parents can monitor their children’s movements in real time, and ride-share drivers know the precise corner to stop, many Americans may be surprised to learn a sobering truth: the 911 professionals who answer the phone are often unable to automatically pinpoint a caller’s precise location, and cannot always rely on callers themselves to provide it.

Read the full essay here.

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WHAT WE’RE READING

What sends people to the ER during extreme heat? Seth Borenstein at the Associated Press looks at the surprising health problems that spike.
What is “old people smell”? The scent seems to come down to a substance made by the breakdown of oils in aging skin, Jillian Pretzel writes for the Guardian.
Angela Haupt at TIME shares the 9 worst things to say to someone getting divorced—and what to say instead.

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Saturday, 5 September 2026

We need a cure for AI health hype

Mandy Oaklander | September 05, 2026

Proponents of artificial intelligence have recently been boasting about AI's ability to cure most diseases in a matter of years. But they're forgetting about the many chronic diseases and deaths that are caused by decisions we humans make.

In a new piece for TIME, Arianna Huffington writes about how human nature limits AI’s curative potential.

TODAY’S TOPICS

Don’t count on AI to cure everything
Got a question for us?
The sharp drop in overdose deaths

SATURDAY READ

We need a cure for AI health hype

By Arianna Huffington

Pakin Songmor—Getty Images

“I think it will actually be possible to cure most human disease in ~5-10 years, as crazy as it may sound to ordinary people and frankly to biologists as well (I used to be one!).”

This is what Dario Amodei, the co-founder of Anthropic recently posted on X.

Truth be told, this is not an uncommon take among AI leaders. On 60 Minutes last year, Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind, declared that “we can cure all disease with the help of Al… maybe within the next decade or so, I don’t see why not.”

Actually, there’s a big reason why not: human nature. An estimated 80% of chronic diseases and premature deaths are not driven by our genes, but by the way we live: what we eat, how much we move, how we sleep, how we manage stress and stay socially connected. It’s true AI can accelerate drug discovery and personalize nudges for our daily behaviors, but it can’t “cure all disease” while ignoring human nature, free will, and how we live.

Read the full essay here.

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