Our focus on the issue of COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes and care facilities across Connecticut starts with a national expert from AARP talking about how that organization is pursuing legislation to better support and protect residents of those facilities.

Then we'll take a very personal look at a tragic COVID-19 nursing home experience that affected State Rep Michelle Cook of Torrington, and how her experience helped initiate a sweeping investigation into why so many seniors were being infected by and dying from it.

We'll follow touching base with Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County to learn how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the outlook of area high school seniors and their future educational or career plans.

Finally, we'll remind you about an important event coming up at the Burroughs Community Center July 9 - and how a regional nonprofit called Save a Suit is aiming to help veterans who may be more food insecure because of the virus health emergency.

We're opening today with the Yankee Institute, which just launched a new comprehensive database of every public labor contract in the state, and how it can help you and your elected leaders better understand how they impact our communities and economy.

Then we're going to have an energized conversation with the new CEO of one of the state's oldest human services agencies, the Children's Center of Hamden. We'll learn how this new, vibrant agency leader is thinking outside the box, while helping established staff, students, and clients stay safe while benefiting from all the Center's services.

And we'll close on another critical subject involving our kids and the state's workforce - as we welcome a representative from Connecticut's Office of Early Childhood, talking about a brand new partnership with the Women's Business Development Council - laser focusing on protecting, enhancing, and sustaining our fragile network of childcare centers.

Summer's here and kids should be having a blast, but there are hundreds of kids involved with the Boys & Girls Village Foster and Therapeutic Foster care programs who are looking for a caring family to help them feel at home again. So stay tuned, learn more and see if you can get involved.

Then we're going to talk about data - who uses it, why, and how data can be accessed and applied to improve your academic project, nonprofit, community agency, journalism initiative and more - as we welcome and discuss how you can be part of the Connecticut Data Collaborative.

And if you're a veteran or somebody who cares about a vet who was  refused support services because of a non-qualifying discharge, we're going to connect them for help from the New Haven based National Veterans Council for Legal Redress.