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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Vice President Kamala Harris became the leading Democratic nominee on Sunday.</li><li>In the past, the former California prosecutor presented herself as a center-left politician.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-wants-to-unite-democratic-party-defeat-trump-biden-2024-7">Vice President Kamala Harris</a> became the leading contender for the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden, in a stunning reversal, announced on Sunday his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-dropping-out-presidential-race-2024-7">withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race</a> four months before the election.Presenting herself as a center-left politician, Harris previously ran successful campaigns in California, winning statewide races for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, the state attorney general, and the US Senate.During the 2020 election, Harris became a potential frontrunner for the Democratic nomination and was seen as a relative moderate next to Biden. Her bid, however, was unsuccessful, as some critics pointed out her inability to present a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://time.com/5691643/kamala-harris-2020/">clear ideological vision</a>.Still, the former prosecutor-turned-vice president has been able to draw in moderates and progressives alike with her stances on abortion, climate, and the economy.Here's where she stands on major issues:<h2 id="2565119f-fcaa-4c3c-aa61-c65f6ee32929">Abortion</h2>Harris has supported abortion rights since her time in the Senate.She previously voted against a bill that would ban abortions <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/KamalaHarris/status/915288344300572673">after 20 weeks of pregnancy</a> and criticized Justice Brett Kavanaugh for his position on abortion during his confirmation hearing in 2018.As vice president, Harris has repeatedly highlighted the significance of abortion rights, becoming a leading voice on the issue for the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-trump-biden-abortion-rights-roe-arizona-ruling-2024-4">Biden administration</a> in the wake of the Supreme Court's landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.According to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/politics/kamala-harris-planned-parenthood-minnesota/index.html">CNN</a>, Harris made what was believed to be the first official visit to an abortion clinic by a sitting president or vice president.<h2 id="0218bb7b-ca8c-4f15-8e4d-f8aca3777a0a">Climate</h2>Harris previously supported policies to combat climate change, including plans to transition the US to 100% renewable energy and a carbon tax.In July 2023, Harris helped the Biden administration introduce a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/05/what-they-are-saying-biden-harris-administration-announces-historic-20-billion-in-awards-to-expand-access-to-clean-energy-and-climate-solutions-and-lower-energy-costs-for-communities-across-the-nati/">$20 billion</a> plan to fund climate and clean energy projects throughout the US.<h2 id="5ff4ae95-b330-4b13-9777-c03e02a84a42">Criminal justice</h2>As a district attorney and attorney general, Harris took several <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-defends-her-record-as-prosecutor-law-enforcement-2019-1">controversial actions</a> that progressives criticized but has shifted her stances over time. She even ran left of Biden on several issues related to criminal justice reform in 2020, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/07/21/kamala-harris-criminal-justice-record">The Marshall Project</a>.Harris cosponsored the 2018 Marijuana Justice Act, which would no longer classify cannabis as a controlled substance. She previously opposed the legalization of recreational marijuana before changing her stance in 2018.During her 2020 campaign, Harris presented a plan to reduce the prison population for women and children and put an end to solitary confinement.She also said that she would support a federal standard on use-of-force for police departments and proposed establishing a federal board that could review police shootings, according to The Marshall Project.<h2 id="e31c752f-a387-479a-bec2-89ef1f9f83b2">Economy</h2>Harris is expected to tout some of the headway the Biden administration has made with economic policies, including Biden's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-throws-support-behind-1-trillion-infrastructure-deal-with-gop-2021-6">Infrastructure Deal</a> and the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-passes-inflation-reduction-act-sending-it-to-biden-2022-8">Inflation Reduction Act</a>, which included a cap on insulin costs.In April, Harris announced a nationwide "Economic Opportunity Tour" to promote the administration's progress in investments toward small businesses, inflation, and student loan forgiveness.Previously, Harris introduced policies to support the middle class, such as a $3,000 refundable tax credit for those making $50,000 or less a year and a $6,000 credit to couples making $100,000 or less.She's also pushed for higher corporate taxes and criticized former President Donald Trump's tax cuts.<h2 id="11a25746-7ddd-496c-8261-ab0db8d03f21">Healthcare</h2>During her first presidential run, Harris' rivals drilled her over her shifting stances on healthcare. In 2019, Harris made waves when she became the first major potential Democratic presidential hopeful to team up with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont on a "Medicare for All" plan.As a presidential candidate, Harris waffled on whether she would allow private insurance plans to continue. She raised her hand during a primary debate to indicate she would end such plans, only to say later that she had misunderstood the question.Harris ultimately rolled out her own "Medicare for All" proposal, which Sanders' campaign attacked for moving too slow (her plan called for a 10-year transition period) and Biden's advisors hammered for being too progressive, as HuffPost wrote about recently.In another difference from Biden, Harris has supported strong drug pricing controls, including tying US prices to what drugs cost in other wealthy nations, per Stat News.<h2 id="3f28a34f-e4a1-408d-a986-78ee8547fa2e">Immigration</h2>Immigration is another area where Harris has shifted her policy stances over time.As a San Francisco DA, she supported a city policy that turned over young immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they were arrested or accused of committing a felony.Later on, a Harris campaign spokesperson told CNN that the "policy could have been applied more fairly."Harris said she wanted to potentially overhaul ICE, criticized Trump's border wall as a "medieval vanity project," and backed the bipartisan border security deal that would have closed the border if a threshold of 5,000 migrants a week was reached. Senate Republicans shot down the legislation in May.As vice president, Harris was tasked with handling the root causes of migration to the US from Central America. In a move which angered some congressional Democrats, Harris warned migrants not to travel to the US border."Do not come. Do not come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our borders," Harris said during a 2021 news conference alongside then-Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei.Republicans have already tried to inflate Harris' responsibilities, deeming her a "border czar." Polling has shown that Trump holds a major advantage on immigration, illustrating why the GOP wants to saddle Harris with the issue.<h2 id="67fc8e31-4c76-4345-8390-8bb3ce76e25b">Israel-Gaza</h2>During her 2020 run, Harris was a strong supporter of the US's relationship with Israel, once calling it an "unbreakable" bond, and assured that she would do "everything in my power" to maintain Israel's right to self-defense.Following the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-is-there-fighting-in-israel-and-what-caused-the-conflict-2023-10">Hamas invasion of Israel</a>, Harris said that "the threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated" but also later called for an "immediate cease-fire" in Gaza in March.She also reiterated the Biden administration's call against Israel's invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza.In December 2023, Harris said that she supports a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/12/02/remarks-by-vice-president-harris-on-the-conflict-between-israel-and-hamas/#:~:text=And%20Israelis%20and%20Palestinians%20must,are%20committed%20to%20that%20goal.">two-state solution</a>.<h2 id="13fb96f7-3053-4bc4-816e-b7fa15bfe420">LGBTQ+ rights</h2>Harris supported the legalization of same-sex marriage and did not defend California's prohibition of gay marriage during her time as attorney general.However, Harris sought to deny gender-affirmation surgery to a trans prisoner, arguing that it was not "immediately necessary."As San Francisco DA, she established a hate crimes unit to investigate crimes against LGBTQ+ youth.Harris re-affirmed her support for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/08/fact-sheetbiden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-protect-lgbtqi-communities/">LGBTQ+ rights</a> as vice president but has not provided specific policies.

Here's where Kamala Harris stands on the issues, from the economy to healthcare

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Soula app has an AI chatbot, Dua, that aids mothers with postpartum depression support.</li><li>AI chatbots like Dua aim to reduce healthcare burdens and improve mental health access.</li></ul>Caring for a month-old newborn and two-year-old son felt overwhelming for LeRonika Francis.During her first postpartum period, Francis said she experienced a heavy wave of depression while dealing with a baby with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/parenting/why-is-my-newborn-crying">colic</a>. She ultimately sought the help of a counselor. It was not until her most recent pregnancy that she also started to use an AI chatbot on the fem-tech app Soula, which she said helped with reducing depressive symptoms and reassuring her about her mental health."It tells me: 'Welcome back, LeRonika. Your reactions are natural,'" said Francis, who is based in New Iberia, Louisiana.The AI chatbot called "Dua" also sent her some videos that she could watch about self-hugging, a practice that could reduce stress levels."I feel like Dua is there more than anything. It really showed me: OK, this is what you could do. Make sure you make time for yourself, too, because that's important as well," said Francis.Soula was co-founded by Natallia Miranchuk and Andrei Kulik, who conceptualized a 24/7 AI doula that could close the gap in mental health support for mothers during pregnancy and postpartum periods. Rather than replacing medical providers, apps such as Soula aim to increase broader access to maternal healthcare. Healthcare providers said that these apps could also help reduce the burden on the healthcare system, where wait times can be long and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-nurses-strike-labor-union-staffing-shortage-covid-2023-1">workers face burnout</a>.Business Insider spoke with OB/GYN doctors and doulas, who largely welcomed the rise in AI chatbots because they can make information more accessible to patients.According to data obtained from Sensor Tower, Soula now has more than 35,000 downloads. The startup has fundraised over $750,000 and is backed by investors such as Andrey Mikhaylyuk, the former vice president of product at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unicorn-pitch-deck-flo-health-raises-200-million-series-c-2024-7">Flo Health</a>, a period tracking app.Miranchuk told BI that her experiences as a single mother of two and her work as a former maternity photographer inspired her to develop a supportive app for women. Initially conceptualized as a hub to connect doulas worldwide to those in need, the generative AI boom shifted the startup's focus to integrating a chatbot that could serve more populations."Women are shy to ask questions, even in the community, because they have the feeling that maybe 'as a mom, I should have known that, but I don't.' And she doesn't know where to go," Miranchuk said.The ease of customizing ChatGPT has spurred a wave of new AI-based chatbots like Soula. According to Sensor Tower, the companion apps <a target="_blank" href="http://Character.ai">Character.ai</a>, Talkie, and Paradot have more than 73 million collective downloads, soaring more than 130% between 2023 and 2024. AI therapy apps such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wysa-mental-health-startup-raises-fresh-vc-funding-expand-coverage-2021-5">Wysa</a> and Woebot received over 1 million downloads, the data said.Corenia Smith, director of the Birth Justice Collaborative in Minnesota, said that while popularizing tools like chatbots can help broaden healthcare access, it is important to avoid a "one size fits all" and ensure that AI can reflect the communities it serves."There are cultural practices that exist and have existed for thousands of years that people still use," Smith said. "A human could talk about all their experience and what they've seen and give referrals. When you reach that limitation with an AI, it has to have the ability to hand over care or make a referral in a way where people don't feel dropped."<h2 id="245c9b56-b4a4-4a1a-abbc-5f6bbf950f49">The role of a doula</h2>The AI chatbot Dua aims to function like a doula, providing mothers with information about the pregnancy experience during a time of transition.Doulas are trained professionals who can provide non-medical, continuous physical, emotional, and information support for women before, during, and after childbirth, helping to <a target="_blank" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10292163/">reduce</a> mental health-related morbidity for the mother and reduce infant mortality rates.Access to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/reproductive-health/what-is-a-doula">doulas</a> can be costly. While there's Medicaid coverage for doulas in several states, not all private health insurance plans cover these expenses. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266613821003120">Long wait times and socioeconomic inequality</a> also contribute to increased levels of stress and lack of healthcare usage among mothers and pregnant people."Traditionally, it's been something that's been available only to folks with a lot of money and a lot of resources. The people that benefit the most from doula care are those that might not trust the healthcare system," said Dr. Devon Rupley, an attending physician and OB/GYN specialist at NYC Health. "That tends to be people of color who've had previously negative experiences with racism and bias that can really harm their experience in the healthcare system generally."Rupley added that using an AI healthcare app to address basic questions can allow patients to spend higher-quality time with doctors by asking high-level questions and discussing their healthcare issues.<div type="image" title="Dua, an AI chatbot, talks to the user with texts." height="3000" width="4000" msid="114502558" hostid="261" sizebytes="72158"></div><h2 id="7b015d0f-002f-4d99-8f8d-2ae73851d6bc">How to design an empathetic AI chatbot</h2>Soula enlisted real-life doulas to help train its chatbot and strike the right tone."We can't create it to be as personable as talking to a real-life person, but we can try to create that as much as possible," said Lexi Pacheco, a doula from Arizona who worked to help refine the dialogue in Soula's chatbot Dua. For $22 per hour, she helped improve the chatbot by using it "hand-in-hand" during her pregnancies, adding in her expertise.While asking questions on Google could yield more informational responses, Pacheco said mothers would want something that provided "more of that reassurance that Google wouldn't."For Armani Grant, a Soula user who became pregnant at 18, Google felt overwhelming. The chatbot allowed her to ask questions that she wouldn't feel comfortable asking her mother. Pacheco said many women she's worked with reported similar experiences."They might even feel incompetent to ask the question, which no woman should ever feel, but with my history of working with people, they definitely tend to revert to: I'm sorry, I'm asking this question for some reason, and that might just be because of the societal pressure that more medicalized doctors have put on people that they don't give the time and day to us," Pacheco said.The app isn't meant to completely replace a doula. Moreover, retention rates of AI healthcare chatbots can be low, said Johannes Eichstaedt, a computational social scientist and assistant professor of psychology at Stanford University. The high dropout rates for healthcare apps are "an elephant in the room," he said.At the same time, Pacheco said AI bots can help "calm nerves" and fill the gaps when patients feel they are "bothering" their healthcare providers."AI isn't like a healthcare provider to give you guidance, but it's supposed to be there to give you a little bit more comfort," Pacheco said.

The AI app Soula seeks to improve healthcare access for pregnant women

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I was a native New Yorker and thrived on the city's energy.</li><li>When I moved to London with my husband just almost two years ago it was a major culture shock.</li></ul>Growing up in the vibrant borough of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/queens-global-food-tour-new-york-most-diverse-borough-2023-11">Queens</a>, the relentless rhythm of the 7 train, the aromas of Indian cuisine, and the crowds at the MET stadium in Flushing were my normal.I thrived on the city's boundless energy. But in February 2023, I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-surprises-moving-to-london-according-to-american-2024-10">moved to London</a> with my British husband to start a new chapter.His career required him to return to his homeland, and I was excited to live abroad in a city I had long romanticized after watching movies like "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/living-in-notting-hill-london-reality-compared-to-expectation-photos-2022-6">Notting Hill</a>" and "The Holiday."Leaving behind the fast-paced lifestyle in New York has been exhilarating, but the transition was a challenge.<h2 id="2afd2595-3c66-4ae8-a427-3f0eb50c094a">The job hunt was a culture shock for me</h2>As a New York-qualified attorney, I was used to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shocker-wall-streeters-are-juicing-to-be-better-at-their-jobs-2012-2">competitive job hunt</a> involving dozens of applications, multiple interviews, and aggressive salary negotiations.In London, the process is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-uk-nigeria-job-market-competitive-rejections-2024-7">more formal and patient</a>.<div type="image" title="Pooja Shah in red dress with husband against a snowy background" height="500" width="666" msid="115301511" hostid="261" sizebytes="21494"></div>I had to get used to sitting tight and waiting to hear back, sometimes for weeks, instead of following up or receiving a response within days.I also had to complete many more tests and assignments during my London-based job search compared to interviews back home.<h2 id="8e58ec17-e87f-4869-a41d-212ee60d8468">The job termination policies here aren't my cup of tea</h2>In New York, I was an at-will employee, meaning my employer could <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-laid-off-rehired-quit-no-longer-respect-culture-changed-2024-11">terminate me at their discretion</a>. Or, I could leave with a two-week notice period.This meant that, in my profession, I could laterally move to other roles immediately or take a brief <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-six-figure-job-solo-travel-career-break-no-regret-2024-10">vacation between jobs</a> without disrupting my career trajectory.In the UK, notice periods are a minimum of three months, which I found really frustrating.I'm <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-build-an-education-program-that-helps-retain-employees-2022-11">not looking to change roles</a>, but I worry that I will be overlooked for potential future jobs due to the lengthy notice period and a more laborious handover transition.<h2 id="4997bb13-d122-46c2-be94-b2eed27546ce">But London's work-life balance has been a huge relief</h2><div type="image" title="Pooja Shah with husband in red Indian wedding attire" height="3840" width="4976" msid="115301512" hostid="261" sizebytes="1571084"></div>My salary has been pretty comparable across both cities. But the attitude toward work is significantly different.In New York, I worked around the clock and sometimes on weekends. I'd log back online in the evenings after happy hours or social outings. I even had my phone during my wedding and honeymoon.At the beginning of my career, I was excited by this because I was constantly learning, but soon enough, I <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burnout-work-boss-left-office-on-stretcher-2024-4">felt burnout</a> and couldn't sustain being available all the time.In London, there is a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-work-life-balance-advice-boss-lessons-job-2024-1">clear work-life balance</a>. I have not been contacted by an employer outside work hours, while on vacation, or on sick days.It's been a welcome relief from my days in New York when I always felt obligated to keep my work phone on.<h2 id="5dd76f89-4839-438a-b656-9830925b4d67">The cultural differences made finding friends a challenge</h2>When I was living in New York, I felt like people were more sociable and open to getting to know each other. It was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-friends-at-work-2024-10">easy for me to connect</a> with someone I met at a bar or the library.However, my experience with the British is that they are more reserved and have a dryer sense of humor, which I don't always understand.There are also cultural references in TV, film, or politics, which I can't relate to because I didn't grow up here.<h2 id="929954d2-088b-4243-ba33-cb38e36f492a">But my new social circle has given me a whole new perspective</h2>Over time, my social circle has solidified, and I appreciate how different it is from back home.Given London's proximity to the Middle East and Asia, my new friends come from diverse backgrounds and offer unique perspectives on geopolitical and cultural issues that aren't talked about in my NYC friend circle.These friendships have exposed me to different mentalities, cities that are now on my bucket list, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/famous-foods-meals-to-eat-in-life-2019-8">new culinary dishes</a>.<h2 id="2e24a655-0204-447b-af95-6ae37bfeed84">I've had an amazing experience with the UK's healthcare system</h2><div type="image" title="Pooja Shah with husband and sunset in background" height="1152" width="1536" msid="115301509" hostid="261" sizebytes="94628"></div>The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/british-healthcare-as-an-american-2017-3">UK's National Health Service (NHS)</a> has provided a more straightforward, universal healthcare experience than the private insurance I had through my employer in the US.I no longer worry about sky-high medical bills or filing insurance claims. Sure, there can be longer wait times for certain procedures, such as routine dental cleaning or eye exams, but the peace of mind of knowing I'm covered is invaluable.Earlier this month, my husband and I welcomed our firstborn child. Initially, I was worried about navigating an unfamiliar health system.Then, I learned about a hotline service through the NHS that any parent can use as often as they want <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-i-wish-i-knew-about-pregnancy-before-getting-pregnant-2022-10">during pregnancy</a>. The team of compassionate midwives I spoke to over the phone offered guidance and reassurance throughout my pregnancy, free of charge.After my son's birth, community health visitors and midwives visited our home, ensuring that both my newborn and I were coping well with the postpartum period.My son, who was born preterm, was closely monitored, and I was offered breastfeeding assistance. We also had the option to go to local drop-in clinics as often as we liked to improve latching, meet other parents, and attend music therapy sessions.Moving to a new country in your 30s is never an easy transition, but overall, I prefer life in London over New York City because of the slightly more relaxed lifestyle, reliable healthcare system, and work-life boundaries.Though I miss my family and friends in New York City, London is now home for the foreseeable future.

I moved from New York City to London. The job hunt was a culture shock but it was worth it for the healthcare and work-life balance.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Good morning! Tired of having to check your email when you're supposed to be off the clock? A growing number of countries are implementing laws that make those <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ban-after-hours-work-calls-emails-could-bring-trouble-peace-2024-11">late-night emails from your boss illegal</a>.In today's big story, OpenAI's next big AI model <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-orion-model-scaling-law-silicon-valley-chatgpt-2024-11">isn't showing massive improvement over previous versions</a>, and it could be a sign of a new era.What's on deck:<ul><li>Markets: Prediction markets were one of the big winners of the election. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/polymarket-kalshi-trump-victory-future-prediction-markets-2024-11">So now what</a>?</li><li>Tech: The key role YouTube played <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-donald-trump-podcasts-joe-rogan2024-11">in helping Trump get elected</a>.</li><li>Business: These companies <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-raising-prices-trump-tariffs-inflation-goods-getting-more-expensive-2024-11">have signaled they might increase prices</a> because of Trump's trade plans.</li></ul>But first, not so fast.If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today">sign up here.</a><h3 id="7fa5f018-5b05-4a37-a8dc-d3f89138bcb3">The big story</h3><h2 id="5fd547b9-ec52-41fc-8e08-4f4b27dd8097">Big leaps to baby steps</h2><div type="image" title="Image of Sam Altman" height="1355" width="1920" msid="115221991" hostid="261" sizebytes="24236"></div>The fastest-growing sector of tech is facing a serious speed bump.OpenAI's next artificial intelligence model, Orion, reportedly isn't showing the massive leap in improvement previous versions have enjoyed. That's leading to bigger questions about how quickly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-orion-model-scaling-law-silicon-valley-chatgpt-2024-11">we can expect future generative-AI models to keep getting better</a>, writes Business Insider's Hasan Chowdhury and Beatrice Nolan.Some OpenAI employees who have used and tested Orion told The Information its improvements are only moderate and smaller than what users saw going from GPT-3 to GPT-4.It's an astounding revelation when you consider the stakes. OpenAI is considered the leading AI company, and we're learning that its most important new product may not be that much better than something it released about 20 months ago — a lifetime in the AI industry.It also undermines a core assumption about the future of generative AI: If you add more data and computing power, you get smarter and more powerful AI models. This "scaling law" is the consensus view now, yet OpenAI is reportedly struggling with it.Top AI players have eye-popping valuations based on the promise that AI models will keep getting smarter and better with time. If that growth trajectory slows, it could lead to difficult questions, particularly from investors bankrolling the hundreds of billions of dollars companies are pouring into these projects.<div type="image" title="An eye in the center while abstract swirls, numbers and chat bubbles surround it" height="1080" width="2160" msid="115221987" hostid="261" sizebytes="520698"></div>So what's holding AI models back from making another big jump?AI models are already burning through text, with one estimate predicting they'll run out of material by 2028. Companies are trying to circumvent the issue with synthetic data, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-synthetic-data-industry-debate-over-fake-2024-8">but that might not be a viable solution</a>.Using more computing also comes with limitations and has the added hurdle of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-data-centers-delays-costs-power-labor-shortages-aws-ai-2024-10">needing significant power</a>. The biggest companies in the world are struggling to find cost-efficient energy sources for the massive data centers they're building as part of their AI strategy.There was always an expectation that things might slow down a bit. In July, one OpenAI customer told BI he thought the newest iteration <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-gpt5-gpt4-expectations-ai-2024-7">would be like going from undergrad to a PhD program</a>, as opposed to the jump from GPT-3 to GPT-4, which was like "grade school to undergrad."More resources can help address those issues to a degree, but the improvements still might not mirror what we saw in the early days of generative AI. If that's the case, investors might be unwilling to open their wallets for something they view as having diminishing returns.Even if they shell out the cash, companies will likely price their products accordingly to recoup those investments. That's a tricky proposition, as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/for-ai-models-good-enough-is-good-enough-2024-5">"good enough" is fine for plenty of users</a>.<h3 id="77f31a4c-8462-4e3d-a71f-838cb79493fb">News brief</h3><h2 id="1fcd294b-3f53-425f-9f20-4093e8623b59">Top headlines</h2><ul><li>New York Times tech workers are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-new-york-times-tech-workers-ending-their-labor-strike-2024-11">ending their strike</a>.</li><li>Anthony Scaramucci tells BI Trump's economic plans could cause a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-crash-risk-outlook-trump-deportation-tariff-anthony-scaramucci-2024-11">1920s-style stock-market crash</a>.</li><li>Bitcoin hits fresh record near $85,000 as investors keep <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/bitcoin-record-price-outlook-crypto-trump-election-digital-assets-altcoins-2024-11">cheering 'crypto president' Trump</a>.</li><li>The winners of Wall Street bonus season this year: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-bonus-season-alan-johnson-associates-report-underwriters-2024-11">the underwriters</a>.</li></ul><h2 id="8120060b-ae66-48dc-b149-f0489a30ffa2">3 things in markets</h2><div type="image" title="Dice with the faces of Trump, Musk, RFK, and Zelensky" height="1500" width="2000" msid="115221989" hostid="261" sizebytes="103426"></div><ol><li>Betting markets are taking their victory lap and already thinking about what's next. Besides Donald Trump — and maybe Elon Musk — betting markets were arguably one of the biggest winners on election night, having predicted a resounding Trump victory. Insiders spoke to BI about how the betting markets' success <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/polymarket-kalshi-trump-victory-future-prediction-markets-2024-11">could impact traditional polls and the media</a>.</li><li>Morgan Stanley teams up with Carta on the eve of an IPO boom. Carta, which helps startups and investors track company ownership, will refer clients looking to go public to Morgan Stanley. Jed Finn, the bank's wealth boss, explained how the partnership will benefit both sides <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/morgan-stanley-partners-with-carta-startup-ipos-wealth-2024-11">in an exclusive interview with BI</a>.</li><li>Putting a number on the impact of Trump's potential tax cuts. Goldman Sachs said the S&amp;P 500 earnings could rise more than 20% over the next two years <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/trump-tax-cuts-tariffs-stock-market-sp500-inflation-china-trade-war-2024-11">if Trump cuts corporate taxes like he said he would</a>. The president-elect's blanket tariff proposal could have the opposite effect, but Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel said Trump's so focused on appealing to investors <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/trump-policies-tax-cuts-inflation-government-debt-deficit-jeremy-siegel-2024-11">he might soften his economic agenda to suit them better</a>.</li></ol><h2 id="f4b54806-7f81-450c-ba32-92560d4fae9b">3 things in tech</h2><div type="image" title="Distorted Youtube logo with election imagery." height="900" width="1200" msid="115221994" hostid="261" sizebytes="215788"></div><ol><li>This election, social media killed the TV star. Donald Trump spent a lot of time on the campaign trail with podcasters like Joe Rogan, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-donald-trump-podcasts-joe-rogan2024-11">who have huge YouTube followings</a> and benefit from the platform's content-recommendation algorithm. Now, the Trump administration might turn away from TV and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-donald-trump-elon-musk-2024-11">embrace new media even further</a>, given the president-elect's bromance with X owner Elon Musk.</li><li>A $3 billion healthcare startup just cut some physical therapists as it turns to AI. Sword Health, which provides virtual care for problems like muscle and joint pain, laid off more than a dozen of its clinical workforce in October, three former employees told BI. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/3-billion-sword-health-cuts-physical-therapists-2024-11">The cuts came as the startup ramps up its AI platform to treat patients</a>.</li><li>Trump's trade plan could make things muy difícil for Elon Musk. Tesla's planned $10 billion gigafactory in Mexico will hit a major roadblock if Trump pursues the massive tax he's discussed putting on vehicles imported from Mexico. Musk isn't alone — analysts warned <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariffs-threaten-elon-musk-tesla-mexico-factory-limbo-2024-11">tariffs on imported cars from Mexico would seriously hurt US automakers</a>.</li></ol><h2 id="9260fa45-d397-4b3c-b4f8-4bb193976216">3 things in business</h2><div type="image" title="Photo illustration of a lightbulb with the globe painted on it" height="960" width="1920" msid="115221992" hostid="261" sizebytes="26616"></div><ol><li>Trailblazing for a sustainable future. Solving the climate crisis will take innovation and action across industries like energy, transportation, agriculture, and finance. BI identified <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-action-15-global-leaders-innovating-climate-solutions-2024-11">15 entrepreneurs, policymakers, organizers, and academics</a> around the globe confronting the crisis head-on.</li><li>Expect the price of these goods to go up if Trump enacts his trade plan. Three executives have already warned they plan to raise prices if the president-elect implements the aggressive tariff proposal he campaigned on. "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-raising-prices-trump-tariffs-inflation-goods-getting-more-expensive-2024-11">It's going to be very, very difficult to keep products affordable for Americans</a>," one CEO said.</li><li>Key players in Trump administration 2.0. From the wily campaign strategist who will be the first female presidential chief of staff to the ex-ICE director tapped to be "border czar," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-white-house-staff-cabinet-picks-list-2024-11">these are the people shaping key policies</a> for the next 4 years.</li></ol><h2 id="9f5d80ac-3466-429f-a50a-2ffbb70c65ff">What's happening today</h2><ul><li>New York judge Juan Merchan rules on claims of presidential immunity in Donald Trump's hush-money case. Trump's defense has argued that the prosecution should not have been allowed to use some evidence in the case.</li><li>Jack Teixeira, the national guardsmen who pled guilty to leaking sensitive military documents on Ukraine online, is sentenced in Massachusetts court.</li><li>Home Depot and other companies report earnings.</li></ul>The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York. Milan Sehmbi, fellow, in London.

OpenAI reportedly facing issues with its new AI model is a red flag for the entire industry

Ashlee Wisdom left a toxic workplace environment after developing chronic hives.At the time, Wisdom was also getting her master's in public health at New York University, where she was learning about how social and political factors can affect specific groups' health.These experiences led her to build Health In Her HUE, a digital health platform that connects women of color to medical providers committed to serving their health needs."I had my own experience of seeing how racism impacts your health, and I saw all of this innovation happening in healthcare, but I didn't see anyone at that time building anything that addressed the specific pain points that Black women and women of color tend to have when they are navigating the healthcare system," Wisdom told Business Insider.Health In Her HUE is part of a surge in femtech, or technology companies that aim to support women's health and wellness. A report published last year by a consulting company called FemHealth Insights found that the sector was rapidly growing, with over 60% of femtech companies founded from 2017 to 2022.Historically, women's healthcare has been impaired by challenges like bias and a lack of specialized providers. But femtech offers a new way forward — one where connecting with a doctor doesn't require an in-person appointment and female founders are creating digital spaces that mirror the care they want to receive.<h2>Connectivity to close the women's health gap</h2>Increased access to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5g-advanced-standalone-6g-qualcomm-huawei-mwc-2024-3">high-speed internet</a>, the expansion of telemedicine, and demand for women-centric healthcare are some factors behind the recent support for femtech platforms and apps."In 2020, because we were left with no alternative, there was a massive increase in online services, which created a culture shift for providers and clients," said Smisha Agarwal, the executive director of the Center for Global Digital Health Innovation at Johns Hopkins University.As a result, the US healthcare sector became less resistant to remote tools like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teledermatology-future-of-skincare-musely-ceo-jack-jia-2024-6">telehealth</a> and medical apps, and patients realized they enjoyed the relative privacy of talking with a provider in their home rather than at a clinic. "These tools can change the power dynamic in a clinical relationship," Agarwal said.Health In Her HUE says nearly 14,000 women have accounts and use the website to access medical information tailored specifically to women of color; virtual peer-support groups; and medical professionals who deliver healthcare in a way that meets patients' social, cultural, and linguistic needs.Black women often confront <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/women-crossing-state-lines-give-birth-black-maternal-mortality-crisis-2023-9">greater difficulties</a> in accessing affordable and quality healthcare, are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8020496/">disproportionately burdened</a> by chronic conditions, and are more likely to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-doctors-and-community-groups-are-promoting-health-equity-2023-11">experience discrimination</a> in medical settings. "I wanted to build a platform that helps Black women, and women of color more broadly, navigate healthcare and a system that is too often precarious for us," Wisdom said.<div type="image" title="A headshot of Ashlee Wisdom on a tan background." height="810" width="1080" msid="113135183" hostid="261" sizebytes="46492"></div>Through the platform, users can look up providers by the insurance they take, their specialties, and their ZIP code, and then meet with them in person or virtually, depending on the provider.In the beginning, Wisdom reached out to providers who seemed aligned with her mission and asked if they would participate in the project. Now providers looking to join can make an account, and once they commit to the company's health-equity pledge, they're added to the directory.Wisdom said one Health In Her HUE user who felt that other doctors had ignored her symptoms got a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome after meeting with a Health In Her HUE provider. Another told Wisdom that she drove three hours to meet with a gastroenterologist she found in the directory; she felt that "if a Black GI doctor saw her, they would take her symptoms more seriously," Wisdom said.For years, healthcare systems weren't <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/women-health-gap-davos-2023/">designed for women</a>, and there are still gaps in research and treatments for women's health issues. A study published in the Journal of Women's Health in 2021 found that funding from the US National Institutes of Health was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jwh.2020.8682">more likely to go toward conditions</a> that primarily affect men and less likely to go toward conditions that disproportionately affect women, like migraines and endometriosis.With this reality in mind, Joanna Strober cofounded Midi Health, a website designed to help people experiencing menopause and perimenopause access specialists. Described as a virtual care clinic, Midi Health allows people to make telehealth appointments with licensed nurse practitioners and doctors specializing in women's midlife health. Strober told BI she started the company after encountering barriers to finding menopause care."I also realized that the only way to scale this and give access to all women was to do it virtually," Strober said. "It's about connecting women to excellent care regardless of where they live."During a virtual appointment, patients can discuss perimenopause and menopause symptoms like hot flashes and brain fog. Interventions can range from lifestyle coaching to prescription medication, and Midi providers can refer patients to in-person treatments when needed. Some insurance plans cover care if the providers are in-network with PPO plans. Strober is focused on scaling insurance coverage so more women can use Midi.Strober said that as of August, about 100,000 women had used Midi in 2024. Most are between 40 and 50, and the average age is 46."It's growing really fast, and women are coming to us in increasing numbers for more issues than we originally expected," Strober said. She added that while Midi isn't intended to be a primary-care clinic, users' interest in speaking with providers about more than hormonal health demonstrates that "there are just not enough providers who are trained in women-centered care."Strober attributed an increased desire for digital platforms like Midi to improvements in telehealth technology and to women's demands for better care. The relative ease of virtual appointments is also a benefit.<h2>Investing in solutions</h2>A report by Silicon Valley Bank published last year said <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.svb.com/trends-insights/reports/womens-health-report/">venture-capital funding for women's health companies</a> had surged by 314% since 2018.But Strober believes that the industry has just taken off and that founders must convince investors that more money can be made. Midi Health is on its way toward doing that; the company closed a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/midi-health-raising-series-b-menopause-2024-1">$60 million Series B round</a> in April.Agarwal said that as more companies enter the healthcare industry, they'll need to consider patient needs beyond health, such as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-hospitals-dont-have-policies-for-new-ai-tech-survey-2024-2">privacy</a>. She argued that minimizing data collection and communicating about data use are imperative."Digital solutions do not replace in-person services, but they are a brilliant addition to in-person care," Agarwal added.Wisdom acknowledged that virtual care isn't a cure-all and told BI that while Health In Her HUE's main goal is connecting women of color to culturally responsive clinicians, she hopes for a future where all providers offer that level of care."We don't want Black patients always to feel like they need to be seen by a Black healthcare provider," Wisdom said. "They should feel comfortable and confident knowing that any provider they engage with can provide them with high-quality care."But for now, Wisdom said, virtual care can be a path toward accessibility. Health In Her HUE raised <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/08/health-in-her-hue-closes-3-million-seed-round/">$3 million in a seed round</a> in January, and Wisdom and her team are hopeful about features they can build to create a space where users know they're getting accurate information from medical providers who understand their experiences. Wisdom and her team plan to create an app and possibly partner with a telehealth company to offer virtual appointments."It feels good to build a solution that's useful for my community," Wisdom said. "I'm glad my energy is being used for a mission that deeply resonates with me."

Women face bias and disparities in healthcare. Digital tools could help meet their needs.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some Americans move to Canada in search of less polarized politics and reduced risk of gun violence.</li><li>Two people who moved said they faced long waiting lists for healthcare and still-high housing costs.</li></ul>Born in the South, Mahlena-Rae Johnson moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school. She eventually found a partner and a community of people who made California feel like home.Johnson, a 42-year-old Black woman, said she felt a turning point when <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election. She said she felt it laid bare profound political and ideological divisions within the nation, which resulted in a growing intolerance toward non-cisgendered Americans.In 2018, she and her partner <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-canada-from-us-differences-pros-cons-guns-drugs-2023-12">relocated to Canada</a>, seeking what they perceived to be a more politically progressive and secure environment to raise their children."I watched videos of people who moved to Canada, and one man who had moved years ago said that he liked living in a place where he knew his country wasn't constantly at war," Johnson told Business Insider. "It is overall a place where I feel safer with my family."According to Google Trends, searches for "moving to Canada" tend to spike following polarizing events, such as the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">presidential debate</a> between President Joe Biden and former president Trump on June 27. After that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happened-biden-trump-debate-takeaways-2024-6">disastrous debate</a>, Biden stepped aside, making way for Vice President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> to eventually become the Democratic nominee.Similar spikes have been observed during <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2016-11-01%202016-11-30&amp;geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">the 2016 presidential election,</a> the bitter <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2020-09-01%202020-10-31&amp;geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">debate between Trump and Biden</a> during the 2020 presidential election, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2022-06-01%202022-07-01&amp;geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade</a> in 2022. Searches for "moving to Canada" had already started to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%201-m&amp;geo=US&amp;q=move%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">increase during the month</a> leading up to Election Day 2024, per Google Trends."Usually when there's an election cycle, or when people don't like who is elected, Americans in particular want to move to Canada," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.visaplace.com/">VisaPlace</a> CEO Michael Niren, an immigration lawyer with more than 25 years of experience in Canadian migration, told BI.A smaller number of Americans actually follow through on their internet dreams and make the move. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/f7e5498e-0ad8-4417-85c9-9b8aff9b9eda">immigration data from the Canadian government</a>, 93,095 Americans were granted permanent residency between 2015 and the end of the third quarter of 2024. The number of Americans granted permanent residence has increased almost every year. In 2015, 7,655 people got it; in 2023, 10,640 people did. 2021 saw the largest number: 11,955.Two Americans who recently moved to Canada told BI they did so to escape polarized and divisive politics, escape inadequate healthcare, and feel safer in their communities.While they said their overall quality of life had improved, they found the grass wasn't greener in every arena: There can be long waitlists for medical care, and it's very expensive to buy a home.<h2 id="8b3f63f9-a520-43d6-a1bc-b0b4a1463883">One mover said Canada's schools were better, but its free healthcare was still flawed</h2>Johnson, who primarily wanted to escape American politics, said she discovered some advantages of Canada's schooling system once her children enrolled.In LA, she said, "many of the schools are in trailers instead of actual buildings," but in Canada, "children can go to school and not worry about having a place that is safe or not being in an actual building."Johnson said she and her family had also enjoyed Canada's universal, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/canada">publicly funded healthcare system</a>, under which citizens and permanent residents get most medically necessary care and medications for free or at a very low cost.She added that there were some frustrations, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/waiting-your-turn-wait-times-for-health-care-in-canada-2022">lengthy waiting periods</a> for medical care. "During the pandemic, doctors couldn't see patients as regularly and non-emergency procedures were postponed, so there's a backlog," she said.Niren, who has lived in both the US and Canada, voiced similar concerns. He said his own mother, who needs a hip replacement, was on a waitlist for 18 months."There are people who have to fly to other countries — including the United States — to get cancer treatment because it takes too long," he said. "In the US, you can get a specialist appointment in two days."Niren also said Canadians paid elevated taxes to support such a comprehensive healthcare system."People call it free healthcare — it's not free," he said. "It's very expensive because you're paying through the taxes."<h2 id="8af511bd-4cef-4447-96f8-e2383dcbf3f4">An American found relief from the US's violence and opioid crises in Canada</h2>Chris Ouellet, 40, left Portland, Oregon, for Victoria, British Columbia, in 2020. It wasn't his first-choice destination, he said, but he ended up finding the peace and safety he was looking for.He and his partner had planned to move to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-moving-to-new-zealand-california-nature-quality-of-life-2023-8">Wellington, New Zealand</a>, but were unable to because of pandemic border lockdowns. A lot of the characteristics Ouellet was looking for in New Zealand, he said, he found in British Columbia."We love the Pacific Northwest, and Canada is not far up the road," Ouellet told BI. "It's very similar weather, and they have a lot of the things that we wanted and what we were looking for in New Zealand, which was a lower cost of education, socialized healthcare, and politics that weren't so incredibly polarizing."Ouellet, who works for the provincial government at the Ministry of Health in British Columbia, spoke glowingly of Portland but did point out the "pretty bad" violence and opioid crises he witnessed in the US overall. Before Portland, he and his partner lived in Chicago. The violence they would read about or see on their daily commutes prompted them to move west and eventually out of the country altogether, he said.He hasn't had the same worries in Canada."In British Columbia, the regulations for being able to own a gun are extremely tight," he said. "When you're out in public, and you hear a noise, no one runs, no one checks over their shoulder, no one thinks that it could possibly be gun violence."He added that there was still an opioid crisis in British Columbia, but it wasn't as striking as it is in Portland. Ouellet said that in the three years he'd lived in British Columbia, he'd seen one syringe on the ground, compared with Portland, where he saw dozens a day.Ouellet said he had no regrets about moving to British Columbia, but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canada-housing-crisis-bubble-imploding-real-estate-prices-rent-decline-2023-11">Canada's housing crisis</a> have so far sidelined his dreams of homeownership."The house that we had in Portland was three bedrooms, 2 ½ baths. It was about 1,800 square feet, and we bought it for $265,000. You can't find a place for that price here," he said. "Most condos are around $500,000 to $900,000. Single-family homes are almost a million."As Niren said, "Canada is one of the greatest countries in the world, but it's no utopia."This story was originally published on December 5, 2023, and was updated on November 5, 2024.Are you an American who moved to Canada? We want to hear from you. Reach out to the reporters, Alcynna Lloyd at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:alloyd@businessinsider.com">alloyd@businessinsider.com</a> and Jordan Pandy at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jpandy@businessinsider.com">jpandy@businessinsider.com</a>, with your story.

Some Americans think moving to Canada will solve all their problems. But Canada has its own issues.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Medical care costs, as well as day care and preschool prices, have climbed a lot since 2000.</li><li>Healthcare and childcare will likely continue to be pricey, affecting people's savings and income.</li></ul>Any American who's taking care of young kids or older parents knows that childcare and healthcare are too expensive. And even while <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-consumer-price-index-in-july-fed-interest-rates-2024-8">inflation</a> more broadly cools, it's unlikely that the care industry is going to get more affordable anytime soon.Bryan Jamele, Care.com's head of government affairs and public policy, told Business Insider that US childcare costs "have been skyrocketing, and they're depleting the household incomes of families."A <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=a5547ac3f05e29175b4905007fd96bc3350a8e4da3423881286d18917d091262&amp;postID=66be575c7d61a86c18699e4b&amp;postSlug=healthcare-childcare-expensive-costs-wage-growth-employment-ai-risks-2024-8&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.care.com%2Fc%2Fhow-much-does-child-care-cost%2F">report</a> from Care.com said 35% of respondents in a 2023 survey of US adults said they dipped into their savings for care. Jamele pointed out how <a target="_blank" href="https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2024/may-2024-childcare-crisis-state-work-america.html">childcare prices have surged more than inflation</a> over the last several decades.Healthcare is also expensive and has seen prices climb faster than overall inflation."We know that our members make trade-off decisions if healthcare costs are too high," Pat Geraghty, CEO of insurance company GuideWell, told BI. "So, some of the very basic needs in their life may get traded out because healthcare expenses are too high, which is why the focus needs to be on how to make healthcare affordable."It's hard to picture healthcare and childcare costs dramatically coming down anytime soon because so much of care work is labor-intensive. People are needed to care for children at day care centers, aging family members at assisted living and similar places, or patients at hospitals, and it's unlikely those tasks will be automated and handed over to robots or AI anytime soon.The high care costs affect the people shelling out their money for these services and the workers who hope for higher pay. "We cannot raise wages because we cannot charge families more," Allyx Schiavone, the executive director of the Friends Center for Children, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/providers-struggle-to-keep-funding-rising-childcare-costs-2023-9">previously told BI</a>.<h2 id="bc3b4457-4dd0-4353-ac13-8dfbdc0f6c4d">Why childcare and healthcare costs have surged and could continue to be pricey</h2>Childcare and healthcare costs have soared since the turn of the century, while televisions and wireless phone services have plunged."Since 2000, the cost of TVs, the cost of toys, the cost of cellphone service, the cost of software — those have all fallen a lot either because of automation, in the case of manufacturing TVs and toys, or because of scalability because of these natural monopolies and these very high fixed costs but tiny marginal costs," Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told BI. "So, you have a lot of technologies like software and cellphone service that scale and allow companies to charge less and less over time."Meanwhile, Pollak said, "the cost of services that cannot be automated" and scaled have been labor intensive and have seen prices skyrocket. That would include some costs related to healthcare and childcare. Pollak said, "Hospital services, medical care, childcare — the cost of all those have grown dramatically."Pollak said artificial intelligence will probably lessen the costs for tech and other services but likely won't be the case for healthcare and childcare. Still, there are ways AI can help lessen care costs. Geraghty pointed out, for instance, AI tools in radiology detecting disease earlier.Childcare and healthcare have also seen <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-shortage-schools-nurses-daycare-costs-inflation-rate-retail-workers-2023-10">labor shortages</a>, and while <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-helping-health-insurers-doctors-with-administrative-tasks-2023-9">AI and automation could be helpful in these sectors</a>, there likely still will be demand for new workers. For instance, childcare providers are typically required to have a minimum ratio of caregiving staff to children under their supervision. Some healthcare jobs could be at risk from AI, but as the population ages, healthcare will need people in care and other jobs.It's not just about whether things can be done with the help of automation that's affecting costs."We see things happening in the healthcare sector like private equity coming in and buying physician offices," Geraghty said. "When they do that, they want a return, and their desire to get a return pushes the cost of healthcare up."Additionally, Pollak said the widening of remote work outside healthcare and childcare could mean the costs for these two types of care increase. "In order to compete, those on-site employers in day care services and hospitals need to pay workers more to veer them away from jobs that are more flexible," Pollak said.The problem is how to do exactly that while also being able to pay operating costs. Jamele said it's expensive to run childcare centers, including to have a certain number of people working and trying to offer competitive pay. "I've heard anecdotally as well that a lot of these childcare workers are leaving," he said. "Other jobs in retail are paying more in some cases in some states."<h2 id="556cb6bd-eaeb-4e72-acfe-162e0c2ca5a0">Wages and prices</h2>"Inflationary pressure on wages over the past two (2) years has driven the cost of healthcare and childcare higher," Scott Hamilton, Gallagher's global chairman of human resources and compensation consulting, said in a written statement. "These increased costs are both being passed on through increases in health insurance premiums to employers as well as higher prices of daycare and after-school care for employees."Even in just a year, childcare costs have increased on average. Care.com's <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=a5547ac3f05e29175b4905007fd96bc3350a8e4da3423881286d18917d091262&amp;postID=66be575c7d61a86c18699e4b&amp;postSlug=healthcare-childcare-expensive-costs-wage-growth-employment-ai-risks-2024-8&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.care.com%2Fc%2Fhow-much-does-child-care-cost%2F">2024 Cost of Care Report</a> shows that average day care costs have surged for an infant — from $284 a week in 2022 to $321 in 2023.Workers in the childcare services sector are seeing higher earnings than the same month a year prior, just like workers in healthcare. These two sectors have seen wage growth outpace inflation. While the consumer price index rose 3.0% year over year in June, average hourly earnings rose 5.2% for the childcare services sector and 3.6% for the healthcare sector.Despite that robust wage growth in childcare, average hourly earnings for this sector are low compared to the overall figure for private employees — $20.87 an hour for childcare services in June compared to $34.99 for total private employees. The healthcare sector's average in June was $37.57.Jamele said the US childcare system should be reimagined, including modernizing and enhancing tax programs for families so that the programs "meet the economic realities of families in 2024.""We also need to take a hard look at supporting the caregiving workforce as well and addressing some of those issues on that end of the spectrum, if you will, because they really are the foundational crack in the childcare delivery system," Jamele said. "If you don't have the workers or enough of the workers and they're not professionalized in such a way to meet that demand, then you can change childcare policy all you want, but you're going to still have a major deficit if you don't have the workers to employ that."

Why healthcare and childcare likely aren't going to get cheaper anytime soon

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kamala Harris criticized Donald Trump on abortion during the presidential debate Tuesday.</li><li>She looked directly at Trump during an impassioned response about the consequences of abortion bans.</li></ul>Vice President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris ">Kamala Harris</a> hammered former President Donald Trump on abortion during the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-donald-trump-presidential-debate-takeaways-2024-9">presidential debate on Tuesday</a>, invoking real-world consequences of abortion bans.Trump noted his success in appointing Supreme Court justices that ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade, arguing that "everyone" wanted it and that the issue should be left up to the states. (In the summer of 2022, a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/07/06/majority-of-public-disapproves-of-supreme-courts-decision-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/">Pew Research survey</a> found that 57% of adults disapproved of the SCOTUS decision.)Harris responded by saying more than 20 states have since passed "Trump abortion bans," including some that do not have exceptions for rape or incest, calling the bans "immoral."During the exchange, the vice president looked directly at Trump with a powerful response that included specific examples of how state-level abortion bans have impacted reproductive rights."You want to talk about this is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">suffering from a miscarriage being denied care</a> in an emergency room because the healthcare providers are afraid they might go to jail, and she's bleeding out in a car in a parking lot? She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that," Harris said.Harris said that as president, she would sign legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into law. Trump, for his part, declined to say whether he would sign a national abortion ban."I think the American people believe that certain freedoms, in particular the freedom to make decisions about one's own body, should not be made by the government," Harris added.Her impassioned response is likely to resonate with many Americans, as 63% believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/public-opinion-on-abortion/">Pew Research Center</a> polling.Abortion is also a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/abortion-rights-decisive-issue-democrats-politics-desk-rcna147615">winning issue for Democrats </a>and has been important for turnout in states where abortion referendums have been on the ballot. President Joe Biden, notably, botched his answer on abortion during his debate with Trump before he dropped out of the race.Trump, in 2016, turned out evangelical voters by running on an anti-abortion platform, and his selections of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court only solidified his already strong standing among conservatives — especially after they voted to overturn Roe in 2022.But Trump in 2020 faltered among swaths of suburban voters, notably those in many onetime GOP strongholds in states like Arizona and Georgia. While most Republicans that year stuck with Trump, independents and a small bloc of more moderate Republicans helped Biden find success in the Sun Belt.Harris has been a powerful voice in advocating for reproductive rights, and it's an issue that, in poll after poll, is the one that voters trust her most on — a dynamic that could cause electoral hiccups for Trump in November.

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