By Kenneth E. Thorpe

Nearly half of American voters have a loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. And Alzheimer’s will touch even more families in the years ahead, as the number of Americans living with the fatal disease nearly doubles by 2050.

Thankfully, scientists are developing new tools to help diagnose and manage Alzheimer’s. Among the most promising are blood tests that could help millions of Americans receive diagnoses earlier — so they can start treatment sooner.

But it’s not enough for these tools to exist. Patients need access to these promising tests as soon as they’re approved. For that to happen, Congress will need to pass legislation ensuring Medicare can cover new screening tests — and cut the red tape that currently risks preventing Alzheimer’s patients from getting the care they need. 

A bipartisan bill, the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act, would do precisely that. The bill offers lawmakers an opportunity to remove a barrier standing between patients and earlier diagnosis, potentially allowing patients to get valuable time back.

Historically, Alzheimer’s was difficult to diagnose. Initial symptoms can be hard to recognize, particularly among older adults experiencing general cognitive decline. Doctors had to rely on a combination of medical history, physical exams, brain scans, and cerebrospinal fluid testing.

As a result, it can take patients over three years after symptoms first emerge to receive an official diagnosis. 

Now, new tools are emerging that could dramatically speed up this timeline. Last year, the FDA cleared the first blood test used to help diagnose Alzheimer’s. The test detects biological markers in the blood associated with the disease, offering an easier and less invasive testing option. In the future, doctors could use similar blood tests as screening tools to identify Alzheimer’s far earlier — long before symptoms worsen.

That kind of earlier diagnosis can make an enormous difference.

For one, it gives families more time to plan and prepare for the financial and caregiving burdens that come with Alzheimer’s. Long-term care services can cost $72,800 to $115,000 annually. Many family members of patients with Alzheimer’s and other dementias become caregivers themselves, collectively providing more than 19 billion hours of unpaid care worth over $446 billion. 

Alzheimer’s damages the connections between brain cells. Once those neurons are lost, they can’t be repaired or regenerated. Alzheimer’s treatments therefore generally focus on preventing damage and slowing the disease’s progression. And after a certain point, patients simply aren’t eligible for treatment anymore. 

Yet for patients to benefit from recent diagnostic advances, Medicare needs to cover them. 

Policymakers shouldn’t stop there, though. As Alzheimer’s science continues to advance, Medicare needs to keep pace by removing unnecessary barriers and ensuring that patients can actually access the new diagnostics and treatments that researchers develop.

We increasingly have the tools to change the trajectory of early-stage Alzheimer’s. But first, we must ensure that patients can access those tools in time. Doing so would create wide ripple effects of positive impact on millions of individuals and families facing this staggering diagnosis. 

Kenneth E. Thorpe, PhD, is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Health Policy at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and the honorary Chair of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. This piece originally ran in DCJournal.com.

43-year-old Aurelia Victoria Grayson held on $75K bail

Being sued for elder abuse by man with same last name

By Allen D. Payton

According to the Antioch Police Department’s CitizenRIMS Arrests list, Aurelia Grayson, age 43, was arrested Thursday afternoon, Oct. 22, 2026, for felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony threatening to commit a crime with intent to terrorize and an outside warrant for a misdemeanor, also for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Grayson is described as Black or African American, five-feet, two-inches tall and 225 pounds. The incident occurred at 12:05 PM in the 2700 block of Hillcrest Avenue, which is the location of the 7-11 store and 76 gas station, and the arrest occurred at 1:00 PM.

Charges include245(a)(1) Pc: Assault with a deadly weapon: not a firearm – Aggravated (F), 422(a) Pc: Threaten crime with intent to terrorize (F), and an Outside Warrant (M). Incident Number:2610220109. Case Number: 26-10250.

For the aggravated assault charges, she faces imprisonment in state prison for two, three or four years, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding $10,000, or by both the fine and imprisonment. The felony threat to commit a crime is punishable by imprisonment in state prison.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Grayson’s middle name is Victoria, she was born on Aug. 23, 1983, and is being held in the West County Detention Facility on $75,000 bail. She’s also charged with 273.6(A) PC, the intentional and knowing violation of a protective order, a misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

According to trellis.law, Grayson is being sued in Alameda County by Victor Grayson for elder abuse. The case was filed on Sept. 8, 2026, and includes a Temporary Restraining Order and a Request for Protective Order for Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse.

Seek public’s help for 54-year-old male, 63-year-old female victims, both possibly homeless

By Lt. Franco Cesar, Antioch Police Department

ANTIOCH, CA — The Antioch Police Department (APD) is seeking assistance from the public following two separate and unrelated hit-and-run collisions involving pedestrians on the evening of Saturday, September 12, 2026. Both victims sustained major injuries and were airlifted to local trauma centers.

Incident Overviews

• E. 18th Street & Phillips Lane (Case #26-8734): At 6:50 PM, APD Dispatch received a report of a pedestrian down. Officers arrived on scene within three minutes and rendered immediate medical aid to a 54-year-old man suffering severe leg injuries. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District personnel assumed care upon arrival, and the victim was airlifted via helicopter to a trauma center. The driver fled the scene. Witnesses describe the suspect vehicle as a dark gray sedan.

When asked for his city of residence Sgt. Rob Green said, “He is from Antioch and possibly a transient.”

According to the department’s CitizenRIMS Crime Map, the call was closed Saturday at 8:56 PM, the Disposition is listed as Report Taken-Felony and the Incident Number is 2609120132.

• 801 Sunset Drive (Case #26-8737): At 9:57 PM, officers responded to a completely separate and unrelated report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. Upon arrival at 10:00 PM, officers provided initial aid to a 63-year-old woman who suffered major injuries to her arms and legs near the Antioch Napa Auto Parts store. She was subsequently transported via helicopter to a trauma center. The suspect vehicle fled prior to law enforcement arrival, and the APD Traffic Unit responded to conduct an on-scene investigation.

According to the CitizenRIMS Crime Map, the call was closed Sunday 9/13/2026 at 11:24 AM, the Disposition is listed as Supplement which means another report was taken, and the Incident Number is 2609120155.

Regarding the other report Green said, “We were told there was possible foul play from a supplemental call and that she is a homeless woman in Antioch. But we have nothing to support the claim foul play was involved. The car came out of nowhere.”

Asked if the second incident is also considered a felony Green said, “Yes, it is.”

Both investigations remain active and ongoing. Anyone who witnessed either incident, has surveillance or dashcam footage from the surrounding areas at these times, or possesses information regarding the fleeing vehicles, is urged to contact Sgt. Green of the Traffic Unit at (925) 779-6864. Anonymous tips may also be submitted to the department.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Two parked vehicles struck

By Lt. Gary Lowther #4032, Antioch Police Field Services Division

On Saturday, August 29, 2026, shortly after 3:30 p.m., Antioch Police Department officers responded to the 5100 block of Arroyo Way for a reported traffic collision involving a vehicle that struck two parked vehicles.

Officers arrived and located the driver and sole occupant, a 66-year-old man, unconscious inside the vehicle. Officers immediately began providing medical aid until Contra Costa County Fire Protection District personnel arrived. The driver was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.

Antioch Police Department Traffic Unit investigators responded to the scene and are investigating the collision. The identity of the man is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441, Traffic Collision Investigator Officer Rollins at (925) 779-6900, ext. 87145, or by email at prollins@antiochca.gov.  

This information was provided by the Antioch Police Department Traffic Unit. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

By City of Antioch

The Antioch Police Sycamore Substation is becoming more than a physical space — it’s becoming a place for connection, support, and community resources.

This past Saturday, CareGiver OneCall launched The Sandwich Circle, a free monthly support group for family caregivers and the first of several community partnerships being hosted at the Substation.

The program marks an important step in the City’s vision to activate the Sycamore Substation as a community hub, connecting residents in the Sycamore corridor with trusted organizations, services, and resources close to home.

We’re excited to see this space continue to grow and serve our community!

The Substation is located in Sycamore Square at 1084 Sycamore Drive near the corner of L Street in Antioch.

By City of Antioch Recreation Department

Escape to the islands without leaving Antioch! Come and enjoy a Luau at the Antioch Water Park.

Get ready for an afternoon of tropical fun. Enjoy a dip in the pool, entertainment, delicious appetizers and great company as we celebrate summer together.

Friday, August 28, 1:00 PM

Antioch Water Park – 4701 Lone Tree Way

Member: $8 | Non-Member: $18

Register early! The first 20 participants to sign up will receive a FREE bucket hat!

Follow this link to reserve your spot today. Activity #13425. Activity detail | City of Antioch Online Recreation Services

Able-bodied must now document 80 hours a month of work, job training or volunteering

By Tyler McCarthy, Outreach Associate and Eve Birge, CEO, White Pony Express

Until this June, if you were 55 to 64 and on CalFresh, you were exempt from the program’s strictest work rules. Not anymore.

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July 2025, adults in that age range who are considered able-bodied and don’t have a child under 14 at home must now document 80 hours a month of work, job training or volunteering — or lose their food assistance after three months. California’s rules changed June 1.

Think about who that catches. Too young for Medicare. Too early for full Social Security without a permanent cut to the check. Often job-hunting in a market that stopped calling back the moment their resume showed 20 years of experience.

Learn about the new rules for other age groups, here.

Nationally, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) enrollment has dropped by four and a half million people since the law passed — about 11 percent. Fewer people getting help is not the same as fewer people needing it, and this is exactly the age group already reporting the most hardship. Food insecurity among adults 50 and older has been climbing for two decades, and it shows up later as worse health, poorer diets and a harder time managing chronic disease. Meanwhile, groceries cost around 30 percent more than they did before the pandemic. More than 4 in 10 older adults now say prices at the store have outrun their budget, according to AARP.

White Pony Express meets them where they already are. Nearly all its 144 partner agencies serve older adults; 18 serve seniors exclusively. Its drivers bring fresh produce, dairy and protein to senior housing and community centers, and set it out like a farmers’ market, not a handout, so people choose what they want and stay to visit, share recipes and build community.

The program coordinator at a food pantry in San Pablo explained it best: “We serve seniors who have a fixed income and use it to pay bills and rent. Food is something they have to find. They survive through this kind of service.”

Since 2013, White Pony Express (WPE) has done this at no cost to its nonprofit recipients and no cost to the people they feed. Help WPE reach more neighbors: volunteer or donate at whiteponyexpress.org.

White Pony Express is a food rescue nonprofit based in Concord, California.

Sources:

1. Until this June, if you were 55 to 64 and on CalFresh, you were exempt from the program’s strictest work rules. Not anymore.
   1. “OBBBA raises the age limit for ABAWD (Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents) work requirements, from 55 to 64.” (Think Global Health, 2026)
2. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July 2025, adults in that age range who are considered able-bodied and don’t have a child under 14 at home must now document 80 hours a month of work, job training or volunteering — or lose their food assistance after three months.
   1. “Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, more adults need to prove they work or volunteer for at least 80 hours a month to access food benefits. These work requirements now apply to veterans, homeless individuals, young adults aging out of foster care, parents with a child between 14 and 17, and people between 55 and 64.” (NPR, 2026)
   2. “People who have to meet the work or community engagement requirement must participate in qualifying activity for up to 20 hours per week, or 80 hours averaged monthly. Qualifying activities include:
3. Paid employment
4. Volunteer work or community service
5. Job training or work programs
6. Education
7. Workfare
8. Combination of any of the above.” (CDSS, 2026)

3. California’s rules changed June 1.
   1. “Starting June 1, 2026, the federal government’s rules on CalFresh work and community engagement requirements are changing in California. This means that some CalFresh recipients between the ages of 18-64 will have to meet work and community engagement requirements to keep their CalFresh benefits.” (CDSS, 2026)
4. Nationally, SNAP enrollment has dropped by four and a half million people since the law passed — about 11 percent.
   1. “We estimate that SNAP participation nationwide fell by more than 4.5 million people (11 percent) between the law’s July 2025 enactment and April 2026, based on the latest month of data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and data from the Georgia Department of Human Services provided in an open records request.” (CBPP, 2026)
5. Food insecurity among adults 50 and older has been climbing for two decades, and it shows up later as worse health, poorer diets and a harder time managing chronic disease.
   1. “Food insecurity among older adults has risen over the past two decades, contributing to poorer diet quality, declining physical health, heightened risk of cognitive impairment, and more challenging chronic disease management.” (Think Global Health, 2026)
6. Meanwhile, groceries cost around 30 percent more than they did before the pandemic.
   1. “The price of food purchased for home use rose 33% from 2019 through June 2026.” (AP News, 2026)
7. More than 4 in 10 older adults now say prices at the store have outrun their budget, according to AARP.
   1. “In a December 2025 AARP survey, more than 4 in 10 adults ages 50-plus said grocery prices now cost more than they can afford, compared with one-third of adults under 50.” (AARP, 2026).

23-year-old held on $1.1 million bail

By Antioch Police Department

The Antioch Police Department has arrested a suspect in connection with the death of 77-year-old Paul Lawson following an assault that occurred in June.

On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, members of the Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau arrested 23-year-old Camari Coleman in the City of Brentwood. Coleman, of Brentwood, (born 9/25/2002) was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility after the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office filed charges of Penal Code section 187(a) – Murder and Penal Code section 368(b)(1) – Elder Abuse Resulting in Death.

The charges stem from an incident on June 9, 2026, when Antioch Police officers responded to a reported battery at an outdoor phone vendor stand outside the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services building at 4545 Delta Fair Boulevard. Investigators determined that Mr. Lawson became involved in a verbal and physical fight with employees at the vendor stand. During the incident, Lawson fell and reported that he was unable to move. Witness statements regarding the circumstances of the fall vary, with some indicating he stumbled over a chair and others reporting he may have been pushed during the fight. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. (See related article)

On the morning of June 13, 2026, Mr. Lawson died while receiving care at the hospital.

The Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau conducted the investigation that led to Coleman’s identification as the suspect. The case was submitted to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on July 16, 2026, and an arrest warrant was subsequently issued.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the six-foot, two-inch tall, 183-pound Coleman is Black and being held on $1.1 million bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for tomorrow, July 22nd in Martinez Superior Court, Dept. 5 at 1:30 p.m.

The investigation remains active. Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Duff at rduff@antiochca.gov.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.