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Newsletters March 25, 2020

No. 486: On mega-moons, linear DNA and innovative immigrant services – and yes, lots of coronavirus stuff

  The unusual: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, and the midpoint of another weird and wild workweek, as the Great Coronavirus Pandemic continues to reshape our world and the regional and global innovation economies scramble to keep up. Please celebrate alone: It’s March 25 out there, the U.N.’s International Day of Solidarity With Missing or Detained Staff Members, which is actually about U.N. employees who made the ultimate sacrifice, but seems oddly redefined today. To…

Voices March 20, 2020

PR and the pandemic: charting a challenging course

By DAVID CHAUVIN // CNN had the results of the Florida Democratic Primary as its top story for maybe 10 minutes – results that would seem to have effectively ended the historic presidential campaign of the once-transcendent Bernie Sanders and solidified Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee. Nary a blip in our public consciousness. And just one of the astonishing changes crystalizing what coronavirus has done to the national conversation. All news is now COVID-19,…

Newsletters March 18, 2020

No. 484: We do the twist, the bump and the IDA shuffle – all from the comfort of home!

  It could be worse: A lot worse, dear readers, as we hunker down, suck it up and otherwise follow sage advice designed to save lives. It’s Wednesday out there, March 18 to be precise, and as everyone readjusts to the new normal, we acknowledge National Supreme Sacrifice Day – and remember there’s plenty of real estate between inconvenience and true sacrifice. Too close for comfort: Another natural for a coast-to-coast lockdown, today is also…

Voices March 6, 2020

Staying healthy and safe as coronavirus, panic spread

By ROBERT GLATTER // As anxiety intensifies, ditch the mad dash for a coronavirus mask, wash your hands regularly and stay home if you get sick. The novel coronavirus is top-of-mind for many New Yorkers, as 13 cases have been confirmed in the state (as of March 5) and the total number of cases in the nation surpassed 100 this week. But while the global outbreak may make you feel overwhelmed and in danger, it’s…

Voices February 28, 2020

Technology will always pace healthcare (and it should)

By TERRY LYNAM // Healthcare has always been at the forefront of technological development; robotics and artificial intelligence are no exception. Science fiction may spur images of sentient robots living seamlessly among us, but the reality is also remarkable, in unexpected ways. At Northwell Health, AI is revolutionizing not only the practice of medicine but also good health far beyond hospital walls, enabling providers to analyze healthcare data through complex algorithms. When coupled with advanced…

Voices February 21, 2020

On corned beef, and corned beef done right

By AMBROSE CLANCY // Old joke: What’s the shortest book on the shelf? Answer: “The Culinary Arts of Ireland.” One page, one recipe – “throw stuff in a pot of water and boil it until every last trace of flavor is eliminated.” It’s an old joke because it doesn’t apply anymore. Ireland has become a modern European nation, and its natural resources of fresh vegetables, lamb, beef and fish are served in wondrous ways, in…

Voices February 14, 2020

Your product isn’t the product, and other PR truths

By DAVID CHAUVIN // Early in über-successful streetwear designer Bobby Hundreds’ (real name Bobby Kim) book “This Is Not a T-Shirt,” there’s a striking passage that sent me thinking about my industry, public relations: We’ll sell you a T-shirt, Bobby writes, but not before we tell you about the artist behind it or his or her message. Our stores are less about sales and profit and more about providing a venue to experience our culture….

Voices February 7, 2020

In rural schools, online help for bottom, top learners

By HARRY AURORA // Rural schools and schools in low socioeconomic areas face a litany of challenges. Transportation, hiring/retaining staff, distance from students’ homes, budget shortfalls – these are all common obstacles, often by virtue of nothing but location. And oftentimes, sadly, students and their families bear the burden of these disadvantages. And frequently, it’s the students on the extremes of the achievement spectrum who are impacted most. Studies show that rural students have considerably…

Voices January 31, 2020

As population ages, geriatrics eyes some young blood

By TERRY LYNAM // By the year 2050, there will be as many people in their eighties as teenagers. People are living longer and living healthier, and it’s amazing. It’s also scary: This phenomenon will fundamentally change the country’s healthcare industry. No matter how healthy our lifestyles, age inevitably takes over. Enter geriatric care, the process of planning and coordinating care for the elderly, with services and professionals dedicated to helping patients maintain independence and…

Voices January 17, 2020

As resolutions crumble, dishing on doomed diets

By AMBROSE CLANCY // How’s that New Year’s diet going? What? You’re back to Danish and bacon for breakfast, chicken nuggets for lunch and beers and pizza-with-extra-cheese (you know, with the gang) for dinner? And who’s the evil person who left black-and-white cookies in the break room? Don’t they know you’ve become a healthy, weight-conscious person? What happened? Simple, according to Mag Selig, writing in Psychology Today: “Diets don’t work!” But you’re not alone in…

Voices January 10, 2020

In 2020, integration is key to brand communication

By DAVID A. CHAUVIN // It’s believed humans have been making annual resolutions for over four millennia, all the way back to the ancient Babylonians making yearly promises to the gods to pay off debts or settle old grudges. I’m fortunate enough to owe no outstanding debts to Marduk or Nergal, currently, though I certainly like to set few new goals each January. Any custom that’s been around that long must have something going for…

Voices January 3, 2020

Online hiring practices, 2020 Census loom large for LI

By ROSALIE DRAGO // Ah, the start of a new year, when people (and companies) consider some major decisions that could improve both prosperity and quality of life (or business). If entire regions could make New Year’s Resolutions, I’d recommend these two workforce development-related commitments for Long Island: develop and deploy an Island-wide strategy that helps employers clear barriers created by online applications (more skills-based hiring, less “degree inflation”), and leverage the networking capabilities of…

Voices December 20, 2019

For struggling students, recovery where credit is due

By HARRY AURORA // Educators are keenly aware that the underachievement of a student isn’t always a true representation of the student’s capabilities. Poor academic performance, sporadic attendance and antisocial behavior aren’t habits that develop overnight, nor is any student wholly responsible for finding him or herself in that situation. Research has indicated that students develop poor academic and social habits at a young age. Therefore, educators have a profound responsibility to identify, understand and…

Voices December 13, 2019

Employers sink or swim as the ‘Silver Tsunami’ rises

By TERRY LYNAM // For years, business owners and anyone who follows the business world have been preparing for Millennials – and soon after, Gen Z – to enter and transform the workforce. But in all the excitement over young people changing the way we work, we’re losing sight of another fundamental shift in workforce demographics. The American workforce is, in fact, getting older. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 25 percent of…

Newsletters December 11, 2019

No. 460: On diversity, robotics and Hoosiers – plus, how to warm your whiskey

  Moving right along: It’s Wednesday already, dear readers, as we speed through this latest busy workweek and plow straight toward the big year-end holidays. The hills are alive: It’s Dec. 11 out there, a.k.a. International Mountain Day, when the U.N. would like you to consider the overexploitation of mountainous regions, home to 15 percent of the human population and one-quarter of Earth’s non-marine lifeforms. Level headed: There aren’t many mountains in Indiana, where Hoosier…