Tracy Mumford

Several people who have paid for these kinds of tests tell the Times they were drawn to them after struggling with illnesses their doctors were unable to diagnose or resolve.

Some medical professionals, however, worry that the companies are subjecting patients to costly tests they don't need.

which could result in false positives and lead to unnecessary follow-ups or anxiety.

And while many of the at-home tests these companies are offering are the same ones people might get at a doctor's office, some are going beyond that.

Some companies are rushing to offer tests for autism, claiming they can predict a child's risk of developing it using a strand of hair or a mother's blood.

While academic research labs across the country are working to find biological markers that could predict that, critics of the tests say they are not reliable enough to be offered commercially.

They say the results could mislead parents who are already inundated with incorrect or unverified information about the neurodevelopmental disorder.

And finally, in just a few weeks, the Winter Olympics will kick off in northern Italy.

And in the last few days, the American figure skating lineup has been finalized.

One of the skaters that made the men's team is 24-year-old Maxim Namov.

It'll be his first time competing in the Olympics.

And for the skating community, his qualifying was an emotional moment.

After competing this weekend, he held up a picture of his parents, who were famed Russian skaters and later became coaches in the U.S.

Last January, they were on the American Airlines flight that collided with a military helicopter near D.C., killing everyone on board.

Like many of the victims, they were coming home from a skating camp.

Since the crash, Namov has been coaching some of the young skaters that his parents used to teach.

He said he could imagine his dad telling him to keep fighting to Milan and not give up.

And he said, quote, that's exactly what I plan on doing.

Those are the headlines.

I'm Tracy Mumford.