Leola Abraham

There is growing social awareness of the long-term effects of trauma, especially on victims of violent crime. Police officers play a pivotal role in supporting victims of violent crime. Evidence is mounting that a more victim-centered and trauma-informed approach to policing results in benefits to the victims of the crime and can help expedite processing the case. Such an approach can also benefit the officers involved and the community as a whole. It can even lead to a reduction in crime.

A confluence of circumstances is aligning to put more older US residents at risk of suffering and dying from extreme weather. Climate-related extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity just as the number of people most vulnerable to extreme weather is expanding rapidly. This concern is compounded by the fact that those who are 65 years and older tend to concentrate in regions most susceptible to extreme weather.

2017 has been a tough year. We’ve witnessed increased anti-immigration sentiment, a shift toward populism, the rise of far right movements and burgeoning inequality. But we also saw people standing up in solidarity with others for justice and peace. There was extreme weather that we’ve never seen before: wildfires ravaged southern Europe, hurricanes battered the Americas, and droughts spread around the world.