Warren Buffet once said “Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing.” Buffet is an investor and business tycoon and likely referring to the risk associated with business ventures; however, this sentiment is true when talking about health knowledge. Business risks are unlikely to kill you, but lacking understanding of matters that affect your health can be fatal.

The killing of George Floyd was unjust and must not be forgotten. George Floyd was unarmed. His unavoidable crime was something he could not control: the color of his skin. We must not let the countless people who have been killed because of their skin color die in vain.

It’s a rare news story nowadays that spawns mirth. But I had to laugh when I read that North Korea, in a fit of pique worthy of a terrible toddler, had blown up one of its buildings where failed peace talks with South Korea recently had taken place. Ka-Boom! Take that—and watch out or we’ll blow up another one of our buildings! Monty Python couldn’t improve on that.

“More Exposure” is the first episode of a four-part series, COVID-19 Reckonings, produced by Purple States  and DataHaven with residents of Connecticut communities hardest hit by the pandemic because of longstanding inequities.

With increased racial tensions spreading across the country, statues of those associated with slavery — Robert E. Lee and other Confederate generals — have been either removed or vandalized. Here in the Northeast, statues of Columbus are suffering the same fate. In Boston, a statue of Columbus was beheaded, while in Middletown and New London and New Haven, his statue was removed. The city of Columbus, Ohio is considering changing its name. Yet the slave merchant who financed Yale University, Elihu Yale, remains unscathed. Why? Because he is the namesake of one of America’s most prestigious and liberal universities.

Being a mental health provider is incredibly rewarding, but it isn’t easy — particularly during a global pandemic and a national anti-racist uprising. As mental health professionals, while we remain committed to supporting our clients in coping with their trauma, grief, and anxiety during this moment, we must also remain committed to ensuring our own wellness. It’s like being on an airplane: in order to fully support our clients, we must secure our own oxygen mask first.

The completion of Connecticut’s State Plan on Aging could not come at a better time.  We have seen first-hand the strengths and weaknesses in how and where our steadily growing aging population is cared for, and more urgently than ever are in the midst of making decisions with both societal and personal ramifications.

As the world awakes to the institutionalized racism in American society and voices are raised to protest a system that criminalizes blackness and perpetuates state sanctioned violence against and murder of Black people, those of us in higher education like to see ourselves promoting diversity and inclusion.  How important and critical is the study of diversity? Do we really value the background and lived experiences of students of color? If the “Policy:  College and Career Success 101” approved by the Board of Regents on June 18 is any measure, the answers to these questions are deeply troubling.

Since its 2010 launch, Instagram, the free photo and video sharing application, has morphed from a superficial personal scrapbook to a remarkably forceful vehicle for social change. While Instagram provided a platform for activists in the past, the way it captured the nation’s attention and focus in this particular moment in time has been unprecedented.

The last several months have exposed the deep-rooted issues that communities of color have faced for generations. Ongoing police brutality and the militarized response to protests and civil unrest have shone a light on the systemic racism and injustice that permeate every layer of our society. At the same time, COVID-19 has disproportionately sickened and killed people of color whose communities are home to polluting facilities and terrible air quality.

It is hard to imagine a good reason for President Trump to hold a rally as planned this week.  So clear are the risks of contracting the novel coronavirus in crowded indoor arenas that the Trump campaign has included a legal notice limiting its liability should anyone who attends become ill.

The state sales tax revenue data for 2020 reflect unexpectedly robust March revenue, and a slightly weaker April than in some recent years. While headlines have focused on the April slump as a sign of the impending fiscal apocalypse, I will try to unpack the March revenue with an eye toward one of its likely sources and why that source may signal continued economic polarization in Connecticut.

As Connecticut gradually reopens and small business owners do all they can to protect the health of their customers and employees by following required safety protocols, there is another big financial threat facing small businesses. Even if the owners comply with every industry-specific provision on social distancing, ingress and egress, wearing face coverings, or putting up Plexiglass barriers, they may still be hit with unjustified lawsuits related to COVID-19 brought by unscrupulous lawyers and willing plaintiffs.