The fastest-growing demographic worldwide is the senior population. People are living longer and more are staying healthy as they age. Yet age-related illnesses like dementia, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes are realities for some senior citizens and their families. With this growing population has arisen an area of law that is dedicated to protecting and empowering older adults. This is Elder Law. Through advanced planning, older adults can prepare for these illnesses, which can leave them both physically and mentally incapacitated. Elder law provides tools that can allow older adults and their families to make financial decisions, prepare for incapacity, make medical decisions, and protect their home and other assets. In this important episode, Doug (yeah, he's back!) and Robin discuss the needs of older adults and how to protect their interests.

The Covid-19 pandemic has a new star on the scene: the mask. In the midst of fear and isolation during the lockdown as well as people wondering who the virus will target next, scientists, policymakers, and ordinary people are looking for solutions to the COVID pandemic. The mask is being touted by many as an easy way to stop the spread of the illness. Many countries have made wearing the mask mandatory in stores, restaurants, and other indoor venues. For this reason, some people believe that the requirement to wear a mask infringes on their individual rights. Americans and Europeans share many ideas and values but they sharply diverge on the government's power to mandate masks.

COVID-19 has been called the "Great Equalizer." This statement has certainly been proven untrue between individuals and among the different economic, racial, and ethnic segments of society. But it is also untrue on a global scale. Different countries have approached and handled the coronavirus in different ways, with very differing results. In this dynamic episode, the Espresso Talk Today team compares the development of the coronavirus in European countries and the United States.

The Covid-19 pandemic. Police Violence. White supremacy and terror. Dehumanizing behavior. Systemic racism. Everywhere. Every day. African Americans and other people of color face constant threats not only to their physical safety but also to their mental health. This leads to high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses that also make African Americans vulnerable to chronic disorders like heart disease, obesity, asthma, and diabetes. And it reduces the life expectancy and quality of life for many African Americans. Add poverty, lack of health care, inadequate housing, and reduced access to good nutrition and clean water to this deadly cocktail and there is another "pandemic" rooted in racism.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month--and the timing is perfect. Stress levels are running very high as the nation deals with the Covid-19 lockdown as well as the easing of lockdown restrictions. But other factors also contribute to high stress and anxiety levels in the African American community. Structural racism, dehumanizing events, police violence, economic uncertainty, poverty, and bias in health care, education, and housing are factors that affect African Americans on the mental, physical, and even spiritual levels.

Pulitzer Prize winner, Bob Dylan once said, "The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it." The same can apply to people after reading a good poem; they are forever changed. In this unique episode, Robin and Ben read and discuss two of their favorite poems.

People read different kinds of modern or classic fiction. Others read modern or historical nonfiction, essays, or articles. However, there is one type of fiction that is often overlooked yet has been on the literary scene for more than a thousand years: Folktales. Often relegated to simple children's stories, folktales are an ancient form of entertainment. Most folktales are written with human characters. Others are part of the oral tradition with animals taking the lead as human protagonists.

Is COVID-19 the "Great Equalizer"? A more accurate description is that COVID-19 is the "Great Revealer." This lethal virus is revealing inequality and injustice at every level of American society. African Americans are hugely and disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, causing more illness and more death than in any other community.

COVID-19 has been called "the Great Equalizer" because of its lethal attacks on people of all races, genders, and economic backgrounds. Yet African Americans are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, causing more illness and more death. This "great equalizer" characterization is not only inaccurate but is, in fact, increasing the danger to African Americans. Doug and Robin discuss an article, "What the COVID-19 Pandemic Means for Black Americans," by Dr. Uche Blackstock.