no imageHow to ‘build back better’ health habits after the pandemic year
The U.S. is in far different shape today than it was a year ago, and many Americans are, too.... (Read more)
6 / 6 / 2021
Opinion archive
Letters to the Editor, Opinion columns, Editorials
Showing 6/6/2021 to 2/7/2021
no imageno imageThe next pandemic is already happening – targeted disease surveillance can help prevent it
As more and more people around the world are getting vaccinated, one can almost hear the collective sigh of... (Read more)
6 / 3 / 2021
no imageSome coastal areas are more prone to devastating hurricanes – a meteorologist explains why
Every coastline in the North Atlantic is vulnerable to tropical storms, but some areas are more susceptible to... (Read more)
5 / 30 / 2021
Six tips for socializing after you’ve been vaccinated
Now that I’m fully vaccinated against COVID-19, I’ve started socializing again. While from the outside I’m sure these interactions seem pleasant... (Read more)
5 / 28 / 2021
no imageDo you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day? An exercise scientist explains why your kidneys say ‘no’
The warmer weather and longer days have inspired reminders to “stay hydrated” and drink eight glasses of water –... (Read more)
5 / 26 / 2021
no imageUS approves its first big offshore wind farm, near Martha’s Vineyard – it’s a breakthrough for the industry
The United States’ offshore wind industry is tiny, with just seven wind turbines operating off Rhode Island and Virginia.... (Read more)
5 / 22 / 2021
no imageThe Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and the SolarWinds hack were all but inevitable – why national cyber defense is a ‘wicked’ problem
Takeaways: There are no easy solutions to shoring up U.S. national cyber defenses. Software supply chains and private... (Read more)
5 / 15 / 2021
no imageCan schools require COVID-19 vaccines for students now that Pfizer’s shot is authorized for kids 12 and up?
With the first COVID-19 vaccine now authorized for adolescents, ages 12 and up, a big question looms: Will students... (Read more)
5 / 12 / 2021
no imageIt’s Norwalk Restaurant Week
One of my favorite things about Norwalk is the many, diverse restaurants we have. Our city knows good food.... (Read more)
5 / 4 / 2021
no imageHow many Tyrannosaurus rex walked the Earth?
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea During 2.4 million years of... (Read more)
5 / 1 / 2021
no imageBiden gives Congress his vision to ‘win the 21st century’ – scholars react
President Joe Biden spoke to Congress April 28, 2021, with a historic duo flanking him: two women, one of... (Read more)
4 / 29 / 2021
no imageThe other George Floyd story: How media freedom led to conviction in his killer’s trial
When 17-year-old Darnella Frazier started recording video of Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin murdering George Floyd, she initiated a... (Read more)
4 / 26 / 2021
no imageWhy this trial was different: Experts react to guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin
Scholars analyze the guilty verdicts handed down to former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the 2020 murder of... (Read more)
4 / 21 / 2021
no imageChauvin verdict shows police officers everywhere that there are consequences for actions
Today’s guilty verdict confirms what we have known for nearly a year: Derek Chauvin’s actions were criminal and he... (Read more)
4 / 20 / 2021
no imageInfrastructure? Or jobs? Controversy over name of Biden proposal highlights long tradition in politics
President Joe Biden caught flak this month when he released his infrastructure plan and named it the American Jobs... (Read more)
4 / 19 / 2021
no imageSea level rise is killing trees along the Atlantic coast, creating ‘ghost forests’ that are visible from space
Trekking out to my research sites near North Carolina’s Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, I slog through knee-deep water... (Read more)
4 / 17 / 2021
no imageLong live the monarchy! British royals tend to survive a full three decades longer than their subjects
In the U.K. it is customary to receive a personalized message from the queen on your 100th birthday –... (Read more)
4 / 17 / 2021
no imageAre mass shootings an American epidemic?
The U.S. has suffered yet another mass shooting, with a deadly attack in a FedEx facility in Indianapolis.... (Read more)
4 / 16 / 2021
Norwalk BET’s ‘0%’ funding for NPS will create a fiscally irresponsible ‘cliff’
We are greatly concerned by the recommendation last night to hold the Norwalk Public Schools budget to a zero... (Read more)
4 / 7 / 2021
Could a catastrophic blackout like the one in Texas happen in Connecticut?
Residents of Texas are still reeling after two winter storms and freezing temperatures swept through the state. These storms... (Read more)
3 / 27 / 2021
I denounce these heinous acts
The senseless murders of eight innocent people in Georgia last week were tragic. I offer my deepest condolences to... (Read more)
3 / 24 / 2021
Connecticut must go big to rescue small business and safeguard rainy day fund
Alex Knopp was Norwalk’s Mayor from 2001 to 2005 and a Norwalk State Representative from 1987 to 2001. He’s... (Read more)
3 / 21 / 2021
Covering all the biases
There has been a lot of loose talk lately about bias in the media. I’m a proud member of... (Read more)
3 / 21 / 2021
no imageHow effective is the first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine?
As the COVID-19 vaccines reach more people across the country, some people have asked: Could we delay the second... (Read more)
3 / 20 / 2021
no imageLeaving the Norwalk Board of Education, after making significant progress
It has been an honor to serve on the Norwalk Board of Education and celebrate and support the success... (Read more)
3 / 11 / 2021
no imageApproved city budget will require tough choices for NPS
This week, the Common Council voted 10-5 to approve a budget cap for the 2021-22 city-wide budget that was... (Read more)
2 / 25 / 2021
no imageNPS responds to Common Council statements
The Board of Education and Norwalk Public Schools would like to address incorrect information that was presented at Thursday’s... (Read more)
2 / 20 / 2021
no imageCity should fund our 4.6% operating budget increase request
In January, the Board of Education approved the Superintendent’s 2021-22 Operating Budget request. At the time the Board was... (Read more)
2 / 14 / 2021
no imageNorwalk CFO draws wrong conclusions from dive into NPS data
The Board of Education Executive Team and the Superintendent of Schools wish to provide context and clarity on several... (Read more)
2 / 10 / 2021
no imageWhy COVID-19 won’t kill cities
Editor’s note: For those of you who live in cities, ask yourself: What it is about your urban lifestyle... (Read more)
2 / 7 / 2021