WASHINGTON (AP) ' A federal judge said Tuesday that he knows of no U.S. Supreme Court precedent to justify the Pentagons censuring of a sitting U.S. senator who joined a videotaped plea for troops to resist unlawful orders from the Trump administration.

Sen. Mark Kelly had a front-row seat in a courtroom as his attorneys urged U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to block the Pentagon from punishing the Arizona Democrat, a retired U.S. Navy pilot. Leon didnt immediately rule from the bench on Kellys claims that Pentagon officials violated his First Amendment free speech rights.

But the judge appeared to be skeptical of key arguments that a government attorney made in defense of Kellys Jan. 5 censure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

'Youre asking me to do something the Supreme Court has never done,' the judge told Justice Department attorney John Bailey. 'Isnt that a bit of a stretch?'

Bailey argued that Congress decided that retired military service members are subject to the same Uniform Code of Military Justice that applies to active-duty troops.

'Retirees are part of the armed forces,' Bailey said. 'They are not separated from the services.'

Benjamin Mizer, one of Kellys lawyers, said they arent aware of any ruling to support the notion that military retirees have 'diminished speech rights.' And he argued that the First Amendment clearly protects Kellys speech in this case.

'And any other approach would be to make new law,' Mizer added.

Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, said the Pentagons actions against Kelly could have a chilling effect on 'many, many other retirees who wish to voice their opinion.'

The judge said he hopes to issue a ruling by next Wednesday. Kelly shook hands with two government attorneys after the hearing.

In November, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers appeared on a video in which they urged troops to uphold the Constitution and not to follow unlawful military directives from the Trump administration.

Republican President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition 'punishable by DEATH' in a social media post days later. Hegseth said Kellys censure was 'a necessary process step' to proceedings that could result in a demotion from the senators retired rank of captain and subsequent reduction in retirement pay.

The 90-second video was first posted on a social media account belonging to Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan also appeared in the video. All of the participants are veterans of the armed services or intelligence communities.

The Pentagon began investigating Kelly in late November, citing a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other punishment.

Hegseth has said Kelly was the only one of the six lawmakers to be investigated because he is the only one who formally retired from the military and still falls under the Pentagons jurisdiction.

HONG KONG (AP) ' China will ban hidden door handles on cars, commonly used on Teslas electric vehicles and many other EV models, starting next year.

All car doors must include a mechanical release function for handles, except for the tailgate, according to details released by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Monday.

Officials said the policy aims to address safety concerns after fatal EV accidents where electronic doors reportedly failed to operate and trapped passengers inside vehicles.

The new requirement will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. For car models that were already approved, carmakers will have until Jan. 1, 2029, to make design changes to match the regulations.

Vehicles including Teslas Model Y and Model 3, BMWs iX3, and other models by many Chinese brands feature retractable car door handles that could be subject to the new rules.

Chris Liu, a Shanghai-based senior analyst at technology research and advisory group Omdia, said the global impact of Chinas new rules could be substantial and other jurisdictions may follow suit on retractable door handles. Carmakers will be facing potentially costly redesigns or retrofits.

'China is the first major automotive market to explicitly ban electrical pop-out and press-to-release hidden door handles,' he said. 'While other regions have flagged safety concerns, China is the first to formalize this into a national safety standard.'

Its likely that regulators in Europe and elsewhere will reference or align with Chinas approach, Liu said. The new requirements would impact premium EVs more as retractable door handles 'are treated as a design and aerodynamic statement,' he added.

A draft of the proposed rules was published by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in September for public comment.

Last year, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into cases where Teslas electronic door handles reportedly failed to work.

Senate Bill 627, known as the No Secret Police Act, can be enforced through the court system, creating a civil penalty for officers who violate the law, the bill’s authors say.

In other words: Just sue the violators.

'People can file these suits against ICE officers even if the LA police chief decides he doesnt want to bother to enforce the law,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco who co-authored the bill. “The video and photographic evidence of these enforcement actions that Californians have been collecting for months will allow them to do just that.'

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department both indicated last week the agencies will not enforce the ban on law enforcement wearing masks, with McDonnell referring to risks that could arise with two armed law enforcement agencies becoming involved in a confrontation.

'Its disappointing that LAPD doesnt want to enforce California law to protect our communities in the face of this assault,' Wiener said, referring to the masked federal immigration officers descending on local communities. 'Luckily, the No Secret Police Act was crafted to hold ICE accountable without the need for local law enforcement to get involved.”

Individuals, groups, city attorneys and district attorneys all can file suits against any agencies, officers or agents who mask up after Jan. 1, according to the law.

The civil penalty starts at $10,000.

The law also requires any law enforcement agencies operating in California to have a publicly posted mask policy by July 1.

The constitutionality of the law, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2025, is being challenged in court, with the U.S. Department of Justice arguing immigration agents should be able to mask for their safety, including avoiding doxxing, and that the law violates the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, which says states cant control operations of the federal government.

'A police chief does not get to pick and choose which laws will be enforced and which will go ignored. This stance squarely contradicts the chiefs own claim at the same press conference that public safety is the governments foremost responsibility and, without it, everything else fails,' state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a co-author of the bill, said.

The Pasadena Democrat also criticized the LAPDs non-enforcement of the law.

'Public safety does not exist when immigration raids with masked agents directly destabilize communities and erode trust. Statements like this create a broader ripple effect that undermine consistent enforcement of our laws and feed into the current federal administrations arbitrary behaviors,' she said. 'I expect more from a leader who has a distinguished public service career and who has taken an oath to uphold all our laws and protect the rights and safety of millions of diverse Angelenos.'

PURCHASE, NY (AP) ' PepsiCo is cutting prices on Lays, Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos chips this year to win back customers exasperated by years of price hikes.

'For some consumers, low- and middle-income consumers, the biggest friction they have today in our category… is affordability,' PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said Tuesday during a conference call with investors. 'So we have been testing multiple ways to give them affordability.'

PepsiCo has leaned on price increases as the cost of packaging, ingredients and transportation rose. In the fourth quarter, PepsiCo hiked prices by 4.5% globally. Prices for PepsiCo beverages rose 7% in North America, while prices for the companys snacks ticked up 1%.

That has pumped up revenue, including in the most recent quarter. PepsiCo said its net revenue rose 5.6% to $29.3 billion in the October-December period. That was higher than the $28.9 billion Wall Street was expecting, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

But the price hikes have also weakened demand, and consumers have begun swapping out brands they are familiar with for cheaper versions or cutting back altogether.

Volumes for PepsiCo snacks like Doritos and Cheetos fell 1% in the most recent quarter. North American beverage volumes dropped 4%. Globally, PepsiCo said beverage volumes rose 1% while food volumes fell 2%.

Laguarta said PepsiCo began testing price cuts in some markets in the second half of last year and found that they helped boost sales.

'Volume return is pretty good, and thats what the category needs,' Laguarta said.

PepsiCo said in December that it planned to cut prices and trim nearly 20% of its product offerings as part of a deal with activist investor Elliott Investment Management.

Elliott, which took a $4 billion stake in PepsiCo in September, has been prodding the companys board to make changes, saying PepsiCo was being hurt by slowing growth and lower profits in its North American food and beverage business.

In addition to price cuts, PepsiCo plans to accelerate the introduction of new offerings with simpler and healthier ingredients, including Gatorade Lower Sugar and Simply NKD Cheetos and Doritos, which contain no artificial flavors or colors. Lays potato chips will soon introduce versions made with avocado oil and olive oil.

Laguarta said younger households, in particular, love PepsiCos products but wont shop the category unless the company offers versions without artificial ingredients.

PepsiCo is also responding to growing demand for functional ingredients like protein and fiber. Among its new products are Doritos Protein and Pepsi Prebiotic, which it said sold out within 30 hours after its introduction on Black Friday. PepsiCo said the soda will soon be available across the U.S.

Adjusted for one-time items, PepsiCo earned $2.26 per share in the fourth quarter. That was also higher than analysts expected. Net income attributable to the company of $2.54 billion, or $1.85 per share, is up from $1.52 billion, or $1.11 per share, during the same period last year.

Shares rose 2.5% in morning trading Tuesday.

Thinking of death was almost cliché in weather like this, but it was also unavoidable. In the span of a few months, Id lost my beloved uncle, two high school friends, and a horse. Though my rational brain understood that death comes for us all, the bare reality of my recent experiences had caught me off guard.

Id been to memorials and church funerals, but I wanted to see what it would be like to talk about death without the structure of religion or ritual. What if we talked about it the way we talk about the weather? What if we acknowledged it was just one more natural process?

The upstairs lecture room at the Philosophical Research Society, a Los Feliz institution dedicated to multicultural wisdom and learning, is made snug by built-in bookcases and Oriental rugs. Its a room where, when my kids were much younger, I used to practice mindfulness meditation. But on this day, I joined 17 people ' ranging in age from their early 20s to early 70s ' to talk about death.

Some, like me, had dressed for the rain in wellies and slickers, others dressed for comfort in soft sweaters. Two women, who took the seats flanking me, favored thigh-high boots, faux fur and leopard print. Elizabeth Gill Lui, the moderator, wore a sweatshirt with the word 'thankful' written across the front.

Its easier to explain Death Café by telling you what it isnt. It is not a grief workshop. It is not therapy. There is no agenda.

Founded in the UK in 2011 by Jon Underwood and his mother, the psychotherapist Sue Barsky Reid, a Death Café is defined simply as a place where people gather to eat cake, drink tea ' and discuss death. There is no topic off limits. Folks might chat about green burials, right-to-die laws, guilt, legacy, fear and disappointment. Sometimes people cry. Often, people laugh. They are a source of mutual support and a circle of comfort. Its not planned. It just happens.

The first meeting took place in Underwoods East London home. After a year of subsequent gatherings in cafes, cemeteries, a yurt and the Royal Festival Hall, Underwood and Reid created a guide for others who might want to start a café of their own.

Inspired by the work of Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz, the main objective of the Death Café is to increase awareness of death and help make the most of our (finite) lives. The importance of this idea is underscored by the fact that, in 2017, at the age of 44, Jon Underwood died. His mother and sister, Jools Barsky, have carried on in his absence, and this community engagement project has spread to 93-plus countries where more than 20,000 meetings to date have taken place in libraries, pubs, banquet halls, church basements and other community spaces. An active calendar on the Death Café website (deathcafe.com) makes it possible to locate a group online or in person on almost any day of the week.

Elizabeth Gill Lui started this Los Angeles group more than three years ago. A photographer, author and educator, whose photographic collages and architectural collaborations appear in numerous museum and private collections, she often projected the warm yet brisk demeanor of an elementary school teacher. 'At the Death Café,' said Lui, 'we dont waste time.'

With an aim toward establishing connection between participants, and creating a strong tether to reality, Lui makes it a practice to use what might seem like harsh language. 'Theres no ‘passing away,' she said.

Saying and hearing 'they died' helps promote what she calls 'death literacy.' Its hard to get comfortable with the idea of death if we lack the vocabulary to speak about it. 'We are clearing the path,' she said, 'to make it not uncomfortable.'

Lui considers the twice-monthly conversations part of her ongoing artistic practice.

'By the end, we have a cohesive ball of thoughts,' she said when I spoke to her after the café get-together. 'I love that Im not creating objects anymore.'

After three-plus hours of conversation, my story was just one thread running through that 'ball of thoughts.' In a rambling and wide-ranging discussion, our group had touched on the death of friends, lovers and pets. Wed talked about caregiving for aging parents, but wed also talked about the end of relationships, and the uncertainty of moving into a new home. There were two psychology grad students looking to deepen their studies. One person was about to lose a kidney, and another was working on an opera about adolescent grief. We talked about the performative nature of mourning and our worries about getting it right.

'I tried to do my best deathbed scene by reading Blake to my father,' one person said. 'But then, an alarm went off, and he got cranky and …'

We all joined his rueful laugh. Though most of us had never met, we were in this together.

A Death Café moderator needs to have a sense of time and order, but they must also be a good listener. Throughout our time together, Lui, like the best teachers, was able to home in, with precision, on the smallest kernel of an idea.

'Im trying to see what people are really grappling with,' she said. 'I might ask a question to get them to go deeper into a line of thought ' to expand on what I feel is their blind spot.'

Id been the eleventh person to speak and, instead of speaking about my most recent experiences with death, I found myself automatically returning to the story of my fathers death from early onset Alzheimers. Hes been gone for over two decades, and yet, I often speak and write about our time together. He was so young. I was so young. His death created a rupture in my life, but its been many years, and Ive begun to question the story Im telling and my need to tell it.

When I mentioned this to Lui, she nodded with recognition. 'People attach themselves to grief,' she said. 'And then it becomes an identity thats hard to abandon because you associate it with love.'

The Death Café is a safe space to examine our narratives of loss, find deeper meaning, and, perhaps, begin to write new stories.

'Its an opportunity,' Lui said, 'to really rethink how you engage in the world.'

When I stepped out of the meeting, the rain had let up, and the sky was tinged violet. Orange leaves lay in rough order on the sidewalk. A motorcycle roared along the street. In the distance, a siren wailed. Id had some cake and some tea. I had talked about death. Sugar and caffeine ran like an electrical current through my body. I was alive and on my way home.

RESOURCES

If youd like to learn more about attending or starting a Death Café, you can find a calendar, instructions, and numerous articles and blog posts at deathcafe.com

Elizabeth Lui Gill has read more than 200 books about death, grief and mourning. A few from her list: 'What Are You Going Through?' by Sigrid Nunez; 'How We Live is How We Die,' Pema Chodron; 'Faith, Hope and Carnage,' Nick Cave; 'The Wild Edge of Sorrow,' Frances Weller; 'In My Time of Dying,' Sebastian Yunger; and 'Being Mortal,' Atul Gawande.

For more information about death and dying, explore the following websites:

• National Alliance for Care at Home provides lots of information for those in all stages of caregiving and preparation for advanced aging.
• Coda Alliance offers many tools for having constructive, compassionate end-of-life conversations.
• Order of the Good Death is an organization striving to 'make death a part of your life.' The site offers information about end-of-life planning and funeral and burial options as well as resources to navigate anxiety and fear around the topic of death.

Dr. Omer Liran, a psychiatrist who is developing and studying AI and VR technologies for mental health at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, said theyre working on validating several different applications.

One study is looking at software using a virtual avatar that provides mental health support. It works with a Meta Quest VR headset or Apple Vision Pro.

Liran said it works like a health coach, answering questions about nutrition, exercise and sleep hygiene. It also leads people through breathing exercises and meditations. '[It is designed] to give helpful advice without falling into the trap of being sycophants that a lot of other AI systems have fallen into,' he added.

Theyve added many guardrails, including another AI that was specifically trained to flag things like excessive flattery. The second AI negotiates with the first AI before green-lighting a response for the user.

Liran said theyre also looking for red flags, including the system telling patients to hurt themselves. Though he said hes never seen the system do that, there are papers about other AI systems doing things like that.

'So were trying to be very careful,' he added.

A psychologist helps them validate AI responses through the process. Liran cautions that, regardless of what might be advertised, no AI system today can offer reliable therapy or an accurate mental health diagnosis without having a human expert for verification.

'I think its very important that there is always a human in the loop when it comes to these technologies,' he said.

Another study involves virtual reality and AI software that interacts with the electronic health record system at Cedars-Sinai. The software collects and reviews the patient data, and creates individualized profiles. The patient can then receive meditations in virtual reality customized to their specific profile.

Liran said they can hyper-target the kind of meditation or hypnotherapy that would most likely benefit the individual, and added that the responses from patients so far have been 'very, very positive.'

We didnt know many things at the outset, but we did know he was no longer able to live alone, and we had few options because of the immediacy of his needs.

Through my journey with my father-in-law in the last years of his life and seeing how he ended up with his daughter making all his decisions, I learned a great deal about my own attitudes toward seeking regular medical care. Its not that I believe I am too strong and independent to ever need care. Its that I am afraid they will discover something about me that will shatter my whole existence.

Behind the lies

My father-in-laws high IQ made it easy for him to cover up what was happening to him. He created an elaborate set of excuses as to why he wasnt suffering from Alzheimers, but just having a little brain fog. And because he was a doctor, still articulate, and because he was very intelligent, all his friends believed him.

But my wife had started to catch signs of cognitive decline over the phone ' little slips here and there ' so during one conversation she asked what doctors did to check for brain health. Being a psychologist, he described all the same tests the Mayo Clinic recommends: 'Perform tasks that measure your cognitive skills. The tasks help to evaluate your memory, abstract thinking, problem-solving, language usage and related skills.'

He indicated that his doctor told him he had no concerns. His symptoms, my father-in-law explained, came from mold in the attic after a roof leak. 'But its cleared now,' he said. 'Ill bounce back.'

My wife ended the call relieved that he was getting help and thinking all was fine in her world.

But he hadnt actually gone to the doctor. It was just a ruse to make his daughter feel better.

It took time for us to understand that he had never discussed his symptoms with any medical professional. Instead, he had turned to a charlatan who promised to 'retrain' his brain through games, supplements, and theories that would have made him roll his eyes back when he was practicing. The regimen cost thousands of dollars, wasnt covered by insurance, and he couldnt even follow the schedule even if it had worked.

Meanwhile, his actual primary-care doctor knew nothing ' nothing about the decline, nothing about the quack treatments, nothing about the crisis unfolding.

The person your family depends on

When I was a single father, my two daughters depended on me in many ways. One of those ways was to be the source of stability in their lives. I knew it would cause them anxiety if they thought something bad was going to happen to me. I could see it in their eyes even if I rolled an ankle. They relied on me, and for me to look like all was well meant they didnt have to worry about what would happen to them, that I would never be suddenly incapacitated or gone. I needed to make them feel that things would be OK, that I would always be there.

This drive doesnt go away because the kids become adults. Its in us the way our heartbeat is in us. Its been part of society since modern humans evolved 200,000 years ago. Our life expectancy has increased by decades, but men like me still carry the drive to be the protective father well past what our life expectancy would have been in previous eras.

Seeing what happened to my father-in-law made me realize that, yes, family still needs us ' but family also needs us to be honest about our health and address early symptoms when they crop up. This will provide more comfort than having them learn you are in the later stages of illness when the worst is about to happen.

Independence and work ethic

My father-in-law had told his story so convincingly. He simply had mold in the attic, and it was just a matter of time until he was back to normal. Everyone believed he was going to specialists at the hospital on the military base.

No one dreamed he had actually been conned.

While my father-in-law was wasting thousands of dollars on quack treatments, meanwhile his primary care doctor had been kept so far out of the loop that he was unwilling to help us fill in the physical examination paperwork when we needed to admit my father-in-law to the Alzheimers care facility.

But even as I felt frustrated at the situation, part of me understood all too well why he did what he did. Men are taught from an early age that our value comes from our usefulness: Fixing problems, supporting families, staying strong. Losing independence feels like stepping off a cliff. For some men, going to the doctor can feel like taking the first step toward losing a drivers license, a job, a home, or the image of ourselves weve carried for decades.

And if we cant be the dependable one anymore … who are we?

Its easier to believe in puzzles, crystal bracelets, diet tweaks, and rituals that let us feel in control. It is powerful theater, and keeps a person feeling he is the captain of his soul. A talisman is easier to hold than fear.

The journey with my father-in-law made me think about being diagnosed with something incurable like Alzheimers. One day, my father-in-law was in the world, a man with friends, active in his church, goes sea kayaking and teaches kids and the elderly how to ski; how could he face becoming a man who could barely get on a ski lift by himself?

When illness threatens that identity, denial becomes a shield. A colleague of my wifes was recently diagnosed with very early Alzheimers. He began treatment but refuses to retire, even though hes eligible. His work and his identity are wrapped up into one thing. Without it, he fears becoming adrift in a version of himself he wont recognize. After all, as men we often introduce ourselves by what we do as the way of saying who we are.

What Im learning is that facing up to illness offers its own opportunities. Its a time to consider what you want to do before you are unable to. This is your chance to make your own decisions about where to live out your life, how to get the medical help you need, discuss health care directives, and funeral/estate arrangements. None of it is easy, but it is even harder to leave those choices all to your family.

The person you were will change regardless of whether you accept the situation. The chance for true self-determination will be lost if you wait too long to be in the discussions of how to care for you through the decline.

Write a new ending

My father-in-law had done everything right for his brain health: stayed physically active through kayaking and skiing, stayed mentally active by reading and learning even after retiring, and stayed socially active with friends and church. Everything, that is, except the big one: Going to see his primary care doctor with his concerns instead of brushing them off.

That cuts to something deeper in all of us men: We are infamous for never going to see the doctor.

When someone says fear is the reason men dont go to health checkups, it sounds superficial and condescending. Its more of a dread, like youre tied to the railroad tracks with the Amtrak rolling at you. But if we dont know whats coming down the tracks, then we dont have to worry about it. We think a hard diagnosis will tell us the end of our story way before were ready to hear it.

Health advice is rational, but it occurs to me that the forces that keep us from seeking care are not. You cant logic your way around dread. You need a story, a narrative thats strong enough to challenge the one denial tells. And as a writer and writing teacher, I have learned the power of story to change peoples lives, to shift ways of seeing the world.

In trauma psychology, clinicians like Judith Herman and Jonathan Shay, famed for their research with military veterans and PTSD, describe how storytelling helps people process what their brains cant otherwise hold. But in the case of a health issue, the story we need to tell is a cautionary tale, one that connects our fear to our responsibilities.

Not: 'Im fine. I dont need the doctor.'

But: 'I love people who depend on me. They deserve my honesty and my planning.'

Early detection gives families more time. It protects finances. It lets a man participate in decisions about how he wants to live and how he wants to die. It gives him agency, not takes it away.

The realization my father-in-laws experience brought me is this: When we hide our symptoms, when we avoid the doctor, when we pretend were fine, we arent protecting the people we love. Were guaranteeing that the day they learn the truth will be one of the worst days of their lives.

I realize its not a diagnosis that could shatter me. Its not getting it early enough to prepare for whats to come. Independence comes from going to the doctor on my terms and being able to make decisions about how it will impact my life and, importantly, help me mitigate the pain and trouble it causes my loved ones. It is thanks to my father-in-law that I will approach doctors visits with a new responsibility for my wife and daughters.

This is what all men should consider. Who knows, maybe the story begins with a negative diagnosis, and you are ready now to embrace life with a new attitude free from denial.

I had, in fact, started to investigate the topic because I wanted to better understand Mom, but also because my kids, now in their early 20s, had hit the age I remembered as the most lonely in my life.

Like nearly 50 percent of her peers over age 75, Mom lives alone. My home is two states away, and although we talk frequently, and I visit as often as I can, she still spends a lot of time with only her cat for company.

Mom made the choice to live on her own years ago, and for a long time, it felt like the right one. She had a core group of good friends who liked to hike and talk about birds and plants. She had a part-time job and a big summer garden. When she moved out of the mountains and into 'town,' she cut her commute, upped her accessibility to medical services, and eliminated the need to clean a woodstove, but the trade-offs included the easy connections of neighborhood pals and the seasonal tasks of tending to the land.

'I think taking care of stuff grounds me,' she told me recently. 'I often write dust on my list. I can get so involved dusting and just looking at all the things I love.'

Moms love of dusting got me thinking about how identifying reliable comforts might help us navigate periods of our lives when all else seems mysterious and frightening. It also got me thinking about how much change my mother had endured over the last five years.

'Uncertainty breeds loneliness in a fairly predictable emotional progression,' writes Jeremy Nobel, MD, in 'Project UnLonely: Healing our Crisis of Disconnection.' We are all living in a time of unanswered questions, so its no surprise that the 2023 Meta-Gallup survey of 140 countries found that nearly one in four people worldwide consider themselves lonely.

Because Mom finds it boring to eat alone, she sometimes doesnt eat at all. Without anyone in the house to bounce things off of, she gets caught up in her worries. There are days when a dripping faucet swells in her mind until it seems to possess all the force of a tidal wave. The lack of a stamp will leave a bill payment unsent.

'I give up easily when things are difficult,' she says. 'Its hard when its just me.'

According to many studies, loneliness is associated with an uptick in chronic disease, depression and other health issues. Just as it is good to lower blood pressure or increase physical exercise, it is healthy to be 'unlonely.'

But how to begin?

Nobel advises taking time to recognize the kind of loneliness you feel. He names three distinct categories: psychological loneliness, societal loneliness, and existential loneliness.

Simply speaking, the three types boil down to: I dont have a person. I dont have a place. Who am I?

Knowing what is at the root of loneliness can help us choose the right way to address it. The sensation of being a meaningless speck in a sea of oblivion (existential loneliness) might not be fully addressed by joining a card game at your local community center, but for those with psychological loneliness, that card game might be the exact right solution for bringing more people into your life. Naming things ' whether dependable pleasures or types of loneliness ' is a grounding activity. It can also help us to understand what is missing and begin to make plans to fill in the blank spaces.

By 2030, an estimated 10 million Californians will be over the age of 60 ' one-quarter of the state population. Anticipating this shift, the states Master Plan for Aging, rolled out in 2020, is a 10-year blueprint outlining goals for services, housing, employment and other resources that will need to change or grow with our evolving communities.

As part of this project, and with the goal of reducing loneliness in older adults and helping all generations thrive, the California Commission on Aging has partnered with the social-health platform, Eldera.

Developed by Dana Griffin in 2020, the platform pairs vetted adults, aged 60 and up, with young people from all over the world, for conversation and company. Inspired by her own deeply rewarding friendship with an older woman mentor, Griffin sought a way to make it easier to create intergenerational connections. What she has dubbed a 'human use for technology' provides volunteers with training and a brief background check before pairing them in a face-to-face online chat with a young person. Eldera uses an AI Chaperone to ensure that conversations are safe and meaningful. Its a strategy that makes the best use of technology and the vast resource of human knowledge and experience.

'Helping the next generation was the pull for me,' said Robert Vilker, an Eldera volunteer living in Laguna Niguel. After hearing an interview with Dana Griffin, he was sold on the program. 'Her enthusiasm really came through,' he said. 'And I liked her vision.'

Vilker logs onto the platform once a week to speak with a 12-year-old boy currently living in South Korea. 'We do our best,' Vilker says. 'Hes kind of a shy guy.' The two share a love of baseball and both cheer for the Dodgers. For Vilker, who still works part-time as a civil engineer, the role of mentor has always been a source of enjoyment, but he knows Eldera isnt for everyone.

'I have some buddies in their 80s who are intimidated by the idea,' he says. Though its as easy as clicking on a link, he recognizes that some people feel uncomfortable moving out of their own peer group. With multiple grandkids nearby, Vilker would seem to have his hands full, but he plans to get more involved with Eldera in his retirement. 'I want to surround myself with younger people as much as I can,' he said, 'as long as I can.'

Doug Tow has always volunteered. 'Im addressing nothing more than a need to help someone else out,' he said. Hes taught classes in business and finance, tutored elementary school students and has been meeting with his Eldera mentee for five years. 'Its a rare connection,' he said.

Partnered during the pandemic when Tows student was living in South Carolina, theyve continued to chat weekly despite the fact that the student, now 16, has moved with his parents to South Korea. The two share a love of cats and basketball. Tow, a long-distance hiker, has shared videos of the Pacific Crest Trail.

'Weve played Yahtzee,' he said, 'But not chess anymore because I always get clobbered.'

Over the years, Tow has visited his student and his student and family have made a trip to California. 'I think they already know that Id do anything for them,' he said.

Married for 51 years with grown kids and a 16-year-old grandson, Tow said loneliness did not play a part in his need to volunteer. For him, its more about feeling connected to the world, which, like his long-distance hiking, may be how hes found purpose and side-stepped existential loneliness.

'You can talk to someone and make a real difference in a young persons life,' he said. 'You dont need any skills. Just an open heart. Thats all.'

Prolonged feelings of exclusion, bias and rejection or the longing for a true friend or partner ' factors in psychological and societal loneliness ' may make it difficult to keep an open heart because chronic loneliness creates a constant stress loop. 'Our systems stay revved up for flight or flight,' Nobel writes. He cites studies showing that 'lonely people show less empathy and a reduced ability to ‘read other peoples intentions.'

Hoping to raise awareness of loneliness and promote tools for intervention and prevention, Nobel founded Project Unlonely. Focusing on older adults, college students, and those in at-risk or marginalized communities, the project offers online and in-person programs for organizations and individuals. Promoting creativity as a way to reduce the fight or flight response, the Unlonely Project sponsors a yearly film competition and hosts the Creativity Hub, an online guide to projects and activities that can be completed alone or together.

Nobel ' whose mantra is 'Be curious. Make something. Have conversations.' ' finds value in creative expression because it doesnt ask an individual to examine why they are lonely, or demand they make immediate habit changes, rather a creative act connects them with an inner, more playful self.

'The mere act of engaging with art,' he writes, 'stimulates their social brain activity, making them feel more inclined to share themselves with others.'

Ive seen the value of art making first-hand. Last spring, my mom took a watercolor class at her local senior center. She enjoyed the company of her fellow artists, and her enthusiasm spread to an at-home painting practice. She texted numerous photos of her work and we had a bunch of enjoyable conversations about perspective and technique.

Where, previously, she had ruminated on problems with the house or issues with her health, she talked more about the difficulties of creating believable water or realistic leaves. I was reminded how much Id enjoyed making my own little paintings in those lonely days of my early 20s. The next time I visit Mom, well paint together and, inspired by the work of Dana Griffin and the Eldera volunteers, Ill make sure she understands how to log onto Zoom so we can continue our adventures online.

RESOURCES

Jeremy Noble, MD, defines loneliness as a 'natural biological signal, like hunger or thirst.' There are as many ways to address our loneliness as there are to fill our bellies. Here are a few suggestions:

Eldera is enrolling adults 60 and older for one-hour, weekly sessions;

The Unlonely Project;

Oasis offers in-person classes in San Diego and online classes for retirees;

The Friendship Line, a 24/7 emotional support helpline for older adults, caregivers and adults with disabilities;

Learn more about Californias Master Plan on Aging at mpa.aging.ca.gov.

'Ive fallen, and I cant get up!' she cries out plaintively, only to be reassured by the dispatcher that help is on the way.

It didnt take long for that line to become a catchphrase, and at the same time a source of fun. It was repeatedly referenced in era sitcoms and movies. It was printed on T-shirts and other merchandise. These days its a meme, and is even trademarked by LifeAlert, a LifeCall competitor, after LifeCall went out of business in the early 1990s.

But behind all the mockery, theres a serious issue, one that hasnt been resolved in the almost 40 years since the line was first spoken: Falls are one of the top reasons people over 65 die.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, falls killed more than 38,000 seniors in 2021, making it the leading cause of death from injuries in that group that year. Emergency rooms also reported almost 3 million visits from seniors to treat falls.

And that number is only going to increase, considering the huge Baby Boom generation is now mostly old enough to be in the risk zone, a trend referred to as the 'Silver Tsunami.'

But, SoCal medical professionals say, seniors shouldnt resign themselves to falls being inevitable.

'Its never too late to take care of yourself,' says Dr. John Leong, a geriatrician at Kaiser Permanente in San Bernardino County.

Why are people aged 65 and up so prone to bad injuries from falls?

'Starting in our 30s and 40s, muscle mass goes down,' Leong says. '(About) 1 percent each year after the age of 30. Then it gets faster, almost 2 percent in some cases, after the age of 50.'

Losing muscle mass, particularly in your legs, can lead to weakness, which can lead to losing your balance, which puts you at risk of falling, Leong says.

Weak muscles also weaken our bones, Leong adds, and this combination of weak muscles on weak bones is a condition called osteosarcopenia. That is not to be confused with osteopenia, which refers to the thinning of our bones as we age. Nor is it osteoporosis, when our bones get so thin they crumble. But all three conditions can make injuries from a fall permanently debilitating or fatal.

But wait, theres more! Vision and hearing loss as you age also increase your fall risk, says Dr. David R. Lee, a geriatrician at UCLA Health and assistant professor at the Geffen School of Medicine.

'Vision is a really important factor. Oftentimes, you dont see something on the ground, and trip and fall,' Lee says.

Glasses help, but most people develop presbyopia in their 40s and 50s. The condition, the gradual loss of your eyes ability to focus on nearby objects, affects near vision, which means you often have to wear different sets of glasses for distance and reading. Bifocals are a solution, but using them can make the ground or a set of stairs blurry if youre looking through the wrong part of the lens.

Then, theres hearing loss.

'Hearing can be a really big factor,' Lee says. 'We oftentimes take for granted that hearing helps us hear the world in more than 2D. It gives us situational awareness.'

And hearing isnt the only thing our ears do. The inner part of our ears helps us maintain our balance. We have little crystals in our inner ears called otoconia that regulate that function. But as we age, those crystals can shift, and that can cause vertigo, or dizzy spells. And dizziness can cause falls.

But the natural consequences of aging arent the biggest contributors to our fall risk. The drugs we take for everything from hypertension to depression to allergies to chronic pain management are the culprits.

'Theres a number of medications that can cause you to fall, Lee says. 'Sometimes its the combination.'

The term doctors use to describe those medication combinations is polypharmacy.

'Polypharmacy is one of the biggest causes of falls,' says Leong. '(It can lead to a) 21 percent higher risk of falls, and in some studies up to 75 percent.'

And unfortunately, far too many people taking these meds may not realize they are the cause of their falls. Nor do they think to question their doctors about side effects or dosages.

'A lot of people take their doctors word as gospel,' says Kathleen Breda, a nurse practitioner and associate director of Orthopedic Clinical Programs at Cedars-Sinai. 'And the key is, a lot of doctors only have so much time when they visit you.'

That precious time, she adds, is usually spent on the primary reason for the appointment, such as managing your illness, and so any concerns about falls caused by meds may remain unaddressed.

Lee agrees.

'Often in primary care, we sometimes forget to ask, Have you fallen in the last six months or the last year, and did you sustain an injury? And often, people dont remember,' Lee says. 'Sometimes falls are not the number one priority in that visit. But I think its a really important discussion to have.'

Communicating with your doctor, and advocating for yourself, is key, agrees Leong.

'Its something to be mindful about,' he says.

Understanding the main causes of falls is only the first step, our three experts agree.

You also have to do something about it.

Weak muscles can be rebuilt with exercise, and stronger muscles can help maintain bone health.

'Motion is lotion,' Breda says.

But some motions are better than others. Running, the experts agree, is too hard on your joints as you get older. Contact sports are not a good idea because of injuries. The simplest way to exercise, Lee says, is often to just take a walk.

And what about water exercise? Arent swimming and aqua aerobics easy on the joints and good for cardio?

They are, yes, but its not enough, Lee and Breda agree. And Breda goes further.

'Walking doesnt do it, swimming doesnt do it, she says.

In order to build bone, Breda says, you have to incorporate weights into your exercise routine. And no, that doesnt mean youre expected to bench press your own weight anytime soon, or ever. Taking it slow is the best way.

'Weightlifting needs to be built up to,' Breda says, adding that finding a personal trainer to help you design a suitable exercise program is very helpful.

And people with chronic joint conditions, such as arthritis or Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, which make them prone to injuries from weightlifting, shouldnt despair. They can ask a doctor to refer them to a physical therapist, who is trained to help with special needs.

'Dont discount physical therapy,' says Kyle Newbry, a physical therapist at UCLA Health. 'Theres a lot that physical therapy can do.'

For example, Newbry says, if you have vertigo from your ear crystals shifting, a physical therapist can show you head movements that can make the crystals move back to their proper place. It can take as few as two sessions to resolve the issue.

Newbry and Lee both helped create the falls prevention program at UCLA Health. The programs mission is to figure out why a patient may be falling, whether its from weak muscles and bones, poor hearing and vision, drug side-effects, cognitive decline or other medical issues.

Physical therapy is usually a key part of treatment, Lee and Newbry say, and patients either get an exercise program they can do at home, or go to a physical therapy facility. The program can be as simple as doing exercises in your favorite sturdy chair, preferably one with arms, Lee says.

'Its the chair rise,' Lee says. 'Go from sitting to standing 10 times, three times a day.'

Leong at Kaiser recommends the Otago Exercise Program, which was designed in New Zealand, and involves using a chair in multiple exercises.

But more mobile patients, all the experts say, should consider trying Tai Chi, which is great for balance. That said, Newbry cautions that Tai Chi alone is not enough. You also have to do weight and cardio exercises.

Any other tips?

Dont be afraid to use assistive devices, whether its a cane, hearing aids, or a walker. Not wanting to look old to others is no comfort when youre in bed recovering from a broken hip.

As for hearing aids, dont forget to use them! 'Theres a lot of evidence that links our memory to our hearing,' Lee says. 'Memory gets worse from hearing loss.'

Consider wearing monofocals instead of bi or trifocals when going outside, Lee says. It will make seeing ground obstacles easier.

Do your exercises faithfully. Non-compliance is the biggest obstacle to improvement, Newbry says. If your medical insurance doesnt cover physical therapy or fall prevention clinics, ask your local community senior center if they have programs. There are also lots of options online.

Drink plenty of water, all the experts say. Take Vitamin D and calcium supplements if recommended by your doctor. Eat lots of protein, particularly if youre female, says Breda. For that matter, try to eat more, even if aging has lowered your appetite. And preferably, eat healthy, not overly processed food. Dehydration and low blood sugar can make you dizzy, and make you fall.

At home, get rid of throw rugs or other tripping hazards. Tuck away loose electrical cords. Install a nightlight in the bathroom. Nighttime can be particularly fraught for falls, Leong says.

Dont just talk to your doctor about medication side-effects, be proactive about diagnostic tests, such as bone density scans. Most adults, Breda says, have some osteopenia. There are websites that can tell you your risk of breaking a bone, including one called FRAX, Breda adds. And while women have the most risk of getting osteoporosis, men get it too, Lee says.

Developing osteoporosis is not a given if you have osteopenia, all the experts say. There are drugs that can help. Those drugs, along with diet and exercise, can improve your chances of not getting it.

Have a support system if you live alone. A good neighbor, close friend, relatives, and even a system like LifeAlert can be a lifesaver. (Hopefully you wont need to use that immortal line!)

But unfortunately, at the end of the day, there is no way to guarantee youll never, ever fall. Lee says one in three older adults will suffer a fall at some point in their lives.

Says Breda, 'Be gentle with yourself. Theres only so much you can do.'

But taking care of yourself in the meantime, our experts agree, is the best way to give yourself the best odds of not letting it be your downfall.

It is a heavy, thick silence, and it feels almost startling. I am floating in a sensory deprivation tank at Pause Studio in Long Beach, suspended in 10 inches of water saturated with 1,200 pounds of Epsom salt, encased in a pitch-black fiberglass womb.

Then, my pre-selected audio track kicks in. When I chose 'Aura Cleanse,' I was expecting a gentle, Enya-esque whisper to lull me into relaxation. What I got was a wall of sound ' a series of resonant 'Oms' at a volume so powerful that the acoustic reverberations physically propel my body across the water. Like a slow-motion bumper car, I drift from one end of the pod to the other, bouncing off the walls while the universe chants at me.

It was a slightly comedic start to my journey into stillness. But once the track faded and the silence set in again, something surprising happened. In the void of that tank, my shoulders dropped away from my ears. The mental browser tabs in my brain finally closed.

I wasnt burning calories. I wasnt hitting a personal best. I was doing absolutely nothing. And according to a growing wave of experts and entrepreneurs across the region, this might be the most productive workout of my life.

The great SoCal shift

For decades, Southern California has been the global exporter of body culture. From the dominance of CrossFit to pre-dawn bootcamps, the regional fitness ethos has long been defined by intensity. The badge of honor was how much you could sweat, how hard you could push, and how sore you were the next day.

But in 2026, a shift is underway, moving toward longevity. Fewer people are bragging about their max deadlift and more are discussing their heart rate variability and the regulation of their nervous system. The new goal isnt just to look fit; it is to function at an optimal level for as long as possible.

Dr. Trevor Gillum, professor of kinesiology and program director of Exercise Science at California Baptist University in Riverside, observes that Southern California is in a unique position to lead this charge. He points to a combination of socioeconomic factors and a culture that encourages wellness enthusiasts to leave no stone unturned.

Physiology of burnout

'The risks of consistently pushing the body to exhaustion without adequate recovery are well-documented,' says Gillum.

According to Gillum, the 'no pain, no gain' mentality that pervades the New Years rush often leads to overtraining syndrome, a physiological state in which the bodys neuroendocrine system becomes disrupted, resulting in mood changes, illness and, ironically, diminished results.

'Most folks make their hard days too easy and their easy days too hard,' Dr. Gillum explains. 'If were not careful, were going to predispose ourselves to this overtraining phenomenon. And when that happens, it leads to frustration because it feels like were working hard, but not seeing the results.'

He cites the '10% Rule' as a guideline often ignored by enthusiastic weekend warriors.

'If a runners long run is 14 miles, theyd be wise to only increase that by about a mile and a half,' he says. 'But if he goes from 14 to 18, then theres pretty good epidemiologic data to suggest that that is in itself a large factor in the increased risk of injury.'

This is where active recovery comes in. It isnt just a break from the work; it is the work.

'The recovery becomes just as important, some would argue even more important, than the actual work we do,' he says. 'Because thats when the muscles actually grow. Thats when the system actually adapts.'

High-tech healing

If Gillum outlines the biological problem, studios like Pause are the modern, data-driven solution. Founded by Jeff Ono and John Klein, former executives from the high-intensity world of Equinox and The Sports Club/LA, the studio was born from a personal need to decompress.

'Jeff went to a float studio because he was so stressed in his corporate life, and he found so much relief that he wanted to replicate that for his customers ' and thats really what birthed Pause,' says Katherine Yahiel, owner of the Long Beach location.

Alongside the float tanks, they offer cryotherapy, infrared saunas, and compression therapy. Yahiel calls it preventative care, viewing recovery as the necessary third leg of the wellness stool alongside diet and movement.

'Wellness is marketed to us as things that are skin deep, like a facial,' Yahiel says. 'But how, on a cellular level, are you focusing on your wellness? You can only push your body so far before its going to give out.'

For Yahiel, that cellular focus often involves IV vitamin therapy. She is particularly passionate about their magnesium drips ' a mineral she notes almost all Americans are deficient in ' and NAD+, a coenzyme central to the longevity conversation.

'NAD is the number one indicator of longevity on a cellular level,' Yahiel explains, noting that she uses it personally to combat the sleep deprivation of having a one-year-old. 'We produce less as we age … [and] it can make an incredible impact on how a client feels.'

One of the most popular modalities, however, is contrast therapy ' cycling between a hot sauna and a 39-degree cold plunge. While the physical benefits of flushing inflammation may be a draw, Yahiel argues the mental benefits are equally potent.

'You set a goal, you set an intention, and you push your body through something challenging,' Yahiel says of the freezing plunge. 'Do you know what that does for the brain? The dopamine and serotonin that comes from getting to the other side of that … its a high.'

But Gillum offers a crucial caveat for those looking to jump into the ice bath trend: Timing is everything.

'Ice baths and cold plunges immediately post-exercise, especially resistance training, actually inhibited the gains that folks were trying to make,' he warns. 'If were not careful, we can almost rob Peter to pay Paul.'

The consensus? Save the cold plunge for your rest day.

The sanctuary

At Laguna Beach Yoga, the approach to active recovery is less about biohacking and more about vibration and community.

Owner Katie Bond offers sound baths, restorative yoga, and reiki ' classes designed specifically to down-regulate the nervous system.

'We are moving faster than ever … our brains are overstimulated with technology,' Bond says. 'These classes are really like a healing balm to the soul, or like an antidote to the fast-paced life we live.'

During a sound bath, participants lie on mats while the vibrations of crystal bowls wash over them. Bond notes that this isnt just about relaxation; it is about frequency. 'The research is showing that our bodies are made of water and vibration, and that the frequency in sound healing can truly bring about healing in the cellular system,' she explains.

Its also one of the places where falling asleep in class isnt just permitted; its encouraged. Bond describes this zone as drifting into the 'secret wave.'

'Some people will fall asleep … theyre present, but theyre not fully awake,' Bond says. 'And during that, the body really repairs and resets itself. Its almost like doing transcendental meditation … sound has that same rejuvenating effect.'

But there is another element the float tank cannot provide: human connection. In a post-pandemic world, Bond sees a craving for the communal aspect of healing.

'People are wanting community and connection. Theyre wanting eye contact. Theyre wanting face-to-face, genuine conversation,' Bond says. 'People in Southern California really see it and respect it as an essential part of someones well-being.'

Mobility in motion

Active recovery isnt always about lying still, however.

For years, I have been a member of Club Pilates, a concept born in San Diego in 2007 before exploding globally. It serves as the perfect bridge between the high-intensity grind and the total reset of a float tank or sound bath. Unlike a bootcamp class, where the goal is often to survive the hour, Pilates focuses on eccentric movement ' strengthening the muscle while it lengthens.

In their signature 'restore' classes, the focus shifts almost entirely from burning fat to myofascial release. Using the reformer alongside TriggerPoint foam rollers, the class functions almost like a self-guided massage.

In a reformer flow class, you are stabilizing your joints and breathing intentionally. It is active in the truest sense, flushing out the stiffness of a sedentary work week without adding to the bodys stress load. It is the physical embodiment of the longevity mindset: building a body that lasts, rather than one that just looks good for a season.

The new luxury

Stepping out of the float tank ' my aura presumably cleansed and my mind quieter ' it became clear: strength isnt measured by how much you can endure anymore, but by how well you can recover.

Admittedly, this shift comes with a price tag. While drop-in studio classes typically range from $30 to $45, high-tech treatments like float tanks and IV therapy can run from $75 to more than $200 per session. Yet, despite the cost, the studios remain full.

Whether its the silence of sensory deprivation, the vibrations of a sound bath, or the scientific periodization of training, we are redefining what it means to be fit.

As Bond describes it, 'You cant sprint forever. At some point youre going to have to stop, or youre going to burn out.'

In a world that is constantly connected and overstimulated, the ultimate luxury isnt working harder. Its having the discipline to press pause.