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I’m Seventy. Try to Keep Up

Seventy There it is. Just sitting there. A number that tends to land somewhere between “good for you” and “are you feeling alright?” And before you answer that, let me tell you I am more than alright. I am thriving. Loudly. Definitely with dancing. And with just enough attitude to make a few people slightly uncomfortable, which I have decided is a sign of a life extremely well lived. But first, let me tell you about the plan. ⁂ The Plan Was Magnificent. It Lasted Eleven Minutes The plan was to retire gracefully. Ease into a slower pace. Read more. Maybe garden. Drink better wine. Finally, work through all those documentaries piling up in my queue with the quiet confidence of someone who had absolutely earned the right to nothing. Here is what actually happened. The documentaries stayed in the queue, and the garden did not get planted. I did, however, read one book. Just one. But it turned out to be exactly the right one. David Brooks wrote The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life, and I picked it up the way you pick up something that does not look urgent, only to find you cannot put it down. Brooks argues that we spend the first part of our lives climbing what he calls the first mountain: the career, the credentials, the identity, the whole elaborate structure of proving ourselves. And then something happens. You reach the top, or you fall off, or the mountain turns out to be considerably smaller than it looked from the bottom. Either way, you end up in a valley, slightly winded, wondering what comes next. And that, Brooks says, is where real life begins. The second mountain. The one you climb not for yourself but for something greater. The one where the question shifts from “what do I want?” to “what does the world need from me?” I read that while sitting in my living room and thought: that is the whole story, right there. There is a phrase I use throughout this blog: try to keep up. I say it because seventy feels faster and fuller than I ever expected, and because it is an invitation, not a taunt. You still have tread on your tires. I mean that warmly. Try to keep up. ⁂ The Valley Was Not Optional My valley arrived without warning or invitation: I lost my job unexpectedly. No graceful wind-down. No farewell luncheon with a tasteful card, no parade! Just the particular silence that follows the end of something you had not quite finished. Nobody glides gracefully from mountain one to mountain two, no matter how it looks on social media. What nobody tells you about retirement, voluntary or otherwise, is that stopping is quite difficult. Not the logistics. The identity. You spend thirty years answering the question “What do you do?” and then one day no one asks anymore. We carefully plan the money. We almost never plan for the morning when your calendar is empty, your inbox is quiet, and no one expects you anywhere. That morning is its own kind of reckoning. Brooks calls this the valley experience, and he is right that it is unavoidable. It is where you shed the old self so a new one can emerge. There are no shortcuts. I tried several. But then I hired a coach. Not just any coach. A thought leadership coach, which sounds very impressive but turns out to involve a great deal of uncomfortable self-reflection and at least one conversation in which the coach tells you to write a blog. “Do your research,” he said. “Find your niche. Share what you know. And honestly, you should probably write a book.” (Thank you, Peter!) I nodded. I smiled. I thanked him warmly. Then I went home, sat down, and had a completely private, entirely dignified meltdown that I will describe only as spirited. Action absorbs anxiety, so once the spirited moment passed, I got to work. Try to keep up. ⁂ The Second Mountain Has a Name. It Is Retire with Equity I started writing. Article after article, something unexpected happened: I found my voice. It turns out my voice is part educator, part agitator, and part hilarious, where kitchen-table logic meets a spreadsheet. I began calling her Aunt Equity, and she has been absolutely delightful company ever since. A word on naming your alter ego after a financial product: no one recommends it. No self-help book has a chapter that says ‘step three, create a persona rooted in home equity solutions and give her a sassy name.’ And yet Aunt Equity arrived fully formed, with opinions, a logo, and an inexplicable amount of charisma. She is part brand, part character, and entirely my fault. I am keeping her. For Brooks, the second mountain is a calling, not a career move. For me, it is a community. The Canadian retirement community. The people who built this country, paid into it, raised children in it, and are now quietly panicking about whether they have enough to keep going. That community. They are my people, and this is my mountain and I have built my company, Retire with Equity to support it. And I will be honest: this mountain is considerably steeper and way more fun. Try to keep up. ⁂ What Is Your Second Mountain? Here is where this stops being about me and starts being about you. The second mountain is not one thing. It is not a prescription. It is not reserved for people who write blogs, build platforms, or have particularly spirited meltdowns. It is waiting for you, wherever you are, whatever you are carrying, whether you are fifty or seventy or somewhere in between and still not entirely sure you are allowed to want something new. The second mountain looks different for everyone, and that is entirely the point. Also, a feature, not a bug. For some people, it is family. Really showing up for grandchildren in ways that a demanding career never allowed. Being present, not just present-ish. Taking the grandkids to school on Tuesdays because Tuesday is your day now and the best day of the week. Becoming the person in the family who holds things together, not because you have to, but because you finally have the time and the wisdom to do it right. For others, it is community. A neighbourhood organization, a cause that has been pulling at you for years, or a faith community that needs exactly the skills you spent a career building. Brooks tells the story of a woman who was moving out of a rough Chicago neighbourhood, looked out the window, saw little girls playing with broken bottles in an empty lot, turned to her husband, and said: we are not leaving. She ended up running a major community organization. She did not set out to build a movement. She just decided not to look away. And then there are the callings that have been patiently waiting in the back of a drawer since approximately 1987. This is my personal favourite category because it is full of people who surprise themselves completely. Andrea, whom I see every week at the gym, spent her late fifties doing something most people her age were emphatically not doing: she went to law school. In London, England. A yearning carried for decades, quietly set aside while she built a career and raised a family. Then one day she stopped being polite about it and went. She is one of the most alive people I know. David discovered painting. Not dabbling. Painting. He picked up a brush at a class a friend dragged him to, and something clicked open that had apparently been waiting for that exact moment. He paints almost every day now, and the look on his face when he talks about it is that of someone who found something he did not know he had lost. If you are sitting there thinking you have left it too long, or that your moment has passed, that is a you problem, and I say that with complete affection. The door is still open. Walk through it. Brooks calls it the place where your deep gladness meets a deep hunger in the world. I think of it as the morning when you wake up and you are not just filling time. You are fulfilling a purpose. Try to keep up. ⁂ What Actually Works (And What Dottie Has to Do With It) I have a ten-pound dog named Dottie. She is the canine embodiment of purposeful living and, frankly, an unsolicited life coach. Full speed, tail up, no apologies. I take notes. The retirements that work, the ones people describe as genuinely meaningful rather than merely solvent, share a few things in common. They move. Consistently, enjoyably, sustainably. The body is not a liability to be managed in retirement. It is an asset, and it responds remarkably well to being treated like one. For me, part of that meant I needed a break from drinking, and the origin story is not glamorous: I woke up one morning and could not remember how the movie I watched the night before ended. That was the moment. What began as a one-month experiment quietly became almost two years. I sleep better, think more clearly, and no longer find myself wide awake at 2 am doing mental arithmetic about nothing. I feel sharper and more energized at seventy than I did a decade ago. The fifties, it turns out, were not the peak. They were the warm-up act. And for the record, I still cannot remember how that movie ended some mornings. Some things are beyond even sobriety. Physical vitality expands your options. Financial clarity reduces your dread. Purpose gives both of those things a reason to matter. Tend to all three. Not perfectly. Just intentionally. Dottie, for what it is worth, nails all three before anyone else in the house has had coffee. If she is the bar, she is not wrong to set it there. Try to keep up. ⁂ A Confession. Then a Celebration Almost five years into this accidental, exhilarating, occasionally terrifying reinvention, I still do not have it entirely figured out. The documentaries remain unwatched. I still cannot tell you how they end. What I do have is this: evidence, personal and otherwise, that the second mountain is real and better. Not easier. Better. Because when you are climbing toward something that matters beyond your own resume, the climb itself changes. The effort feels different. The setbacks feel survivable. And the view, when you get there, means something. You do not need to have it figured out before you start. You just need to take a step. Then another. Then hire a coach, have your spirited moment, and remember: action absorbs anxiety. Say the number out loud, whatever it is. Forty, fifty, sixty, seventy. Say it. Then decide what it means, because that part is entirely up to you. The first mountain shows you what you are capable of. The second one shows you who you actually are. If you have not read David Brooks’ The Second Mountain, put it at the top of the list. The documentaries can wait. I have confirmed this from personal experience. The Friday night of my birthday week, there was an epic dance party at a local brewery, organized by my wife Bonnie, the woman I met on a dance floor thirty-three years ago and have been dancing with ever since. Bonnie deserves more than a shout-out here. She deserves a medal, a monument, and honestly, serious consideration for sainthood. For over three decades, she has lived with my schemes, my pivots, and my absolute certainty that each new thing is the thing. She has never once wavered. Bonnie is the reason any of this works, and the reason that dance floor was full of people who love me. I am, by any objective measure, an extremely lucky person. I am also aware that she will read this, so I want to be clear: yes, I mean every word, and no, this does not get me out of whatever I am currently scheming. The glow of that party remains, and I know I have truly arrived because there was even a party crasher. I named her Mona. Mona could not resist the pull of that much joy and some absolutely kickin’ eighties music. The story of Mona, the early thirties party crasher, is being reserved for another time, but know this: if your birthday celebration attracts a stranger named Mona, you are doing seventy exactly right. The second mountain, it turns out, has a very good playlist. And if you are worried you are not quite ready for it, or that the moment may have passed, I want to leave you with this: you still have tread on your tires. So does everyone in this community. And if you cannot keep up, at least come dance. You might surprise yourself. Just ask Mona. I am seventy. I am on my second mountain. Come find yours. Try to keep up. ⁂ Sue Don't Retire...Re-Wire! My Book is Now Available for Pre-Order I hope you will consider pre-ordering a copy of Your Retirement Reset for you, a friend or loved one. It's available September 8, 2026 - You can now order on the ECW Press site here. And if you love supporting Canadian booksellers, please also check with your local independent bookstore. Most can easily order it for you.

Julian Ku Discusses China-Taiwan Tensions in The New York Times

Hofstra Law Professor Julian Ku offers insight into rising geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan in a recent New York Times feature. The article, “Inside the Secret Mission to Fly Taiwan’s President to Africa,” examined how several countries reportedly denied airspace access for Lai’s aircraft amid pressure from Beijing. A scholar of international law and U.S. foreign relations law, Professor Ku framed the episode as part of a broader strategic effort by China to constrain Taiwan through legal and regulatory means rather than direct confrontation.

Memorial Day: A Time to Remember, Reflect, and Honor

Every year, millions of Americans gather for backyard barbecues, parades, family gatherings, and the unofficial start of summer. But at its heart, Memorial Day is something far deeper - a national day of remembrance dedicated to the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Originally known as “Decoration Day,” the holiday emerged after the American Civil War, when communities began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags. Over time, the observance expanded to honour all U.S. military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday in 1971 and is observed annually on the last Monday in May. Today, Americans commemorate the day in many ways. Traditional ceremonies include visits to cemeteries and memorials, moments of silence, flag placements on graves, military flyovers, and community parades. The National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time encourages citizens across the country to pause and reflect on the cost of freedom and the lives lost defending it. While celebrations and long weekends have become part of the modern Memorial Day experience, historians and veterans’ advocates often remind people that the holiday’s true significance lies in remembrance, gratitude, and national reflection. It remains one of the most meaningful civic observances in the United States — a day that connects generations through sacrifice, service, and shared history. Story Angles Journalists May Explore The historical origins of Memorial Day after the Civil War How Memorial Day differs from Veterans Day The evolution of military remembrance traditions in America Why symbols like poppies, flags, and wreaths matter The role of cemeteries, monuments, and memorial sites in preserving national memory How younger generations are reshaping the meaning of patriotic observances Journalists covering Memorial Day, military history, civic traditions, remembrance culture, or the evolving meaning of patriotism may wish to connect with experts in American history, military studies, sociology, or cultural traditions surrounding national remembrance days. Covering or have questions? Our experts are here to help: To see all of our experts - simply visit www.expertfile.com

Warming Waters, Wandering Sharks: Why Blacktip Sharks Are Moving North

As ocean temperatures continue to rise, researchers are seeing major changes in the migration patterns of blacktip sharks, and that could mean more encounters between sharks and humans along North America’s east coast. A recent CNN feature highlighted groundbreaking research led by Stephen Kajiura of Florida Atlantic University, whose team is tracking blacktip sharks using GPS tags and onboard cameras to better understand how warming waters are reshaping marine ecosystems. According to Kajiura, average winter water temperatures have risen by roughly 1°C over the past decade, causing blacktip sharks to shorten their traditional southern migration and remain farther north for longer periods. That shift is increasing shark activity near heavily populated beaches, including Florida’s New Smyrna Beach — often referred to as the “shark bite capital of the world” — and even farther north into areas like Long Island, where shark encounters have historically been rare. Stephen Kajiura is a Professor of Biological Sciences at FAU. He studies the sensory biology and behavior of sharks and their relatives as well as their seasonal migrations in southeast Florida. View his profile The research is helping scientists better predict when and where sharks are likely to gather near shorelines. Kajiura notes that blacktip sharks often hunt in the same shallow waters used by surfers and swimmers, where reflective movement from hands or feet can sometimes resemble bait fish. While shark bites remain uncommon, understanding migration behavior is becoming increasingly important for public safety, beach management, and climate research. Journalists covering climate change, marine biology, shark migration, or beach safety can connect with Stephen Kajiura to discuss how warming oceans are changing shark behavior and what coastal communities should expect in the years ahead.

How Worried Should We Be About Hantavirus?

An outbreak of an uncommon but not unheard-of illness is responsible for the deaths of at least three people who were on an international cruise ship. With the rest of the passengers and crew under observation in their home countries — including 18 Americans who went to a quarantine facility at the University of Nebraska — how worried do we need to be about hantavirus? Dr. David Banach, UConn Health infectious diseases physician and hospital epidemiologist, joins Dr. Anthony Alessi to explain what we’re dealing with, the public health implications, and how, unlike COVID, the medical community at least has some history with this virus. You can check out the podcast here: It doesn’t spread in the same way that COVID does, in the sense that there’s no established sort of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic spread. — Dr. David Banach Dr. Banach explains that hantavirus is a rare but serious virus carried primarily by rodents and spread through exposure to rodent waste or contaminated environments. While most cases are isolated, clusters can occasionally occur. The discussion compares hantavirus to COVID-19, with Dr. Banach emphasizing that hantavirus spreads much less easily between humans and is therefore less likely to become a global pandemic. However, it can cause severe cardiopulmonary illness with a significantly higher mortality rate than COVID. There is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, meaning care is largely supportive for patients who become critically ill. Dr. Banach also addresses public anxiety and misinformation surrounding the outbreak, encouraging people to rely on trusted organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for accurate information. He notes that public health officials continue to closely monitor the situation, but at this stage the overall risk to the general public remains low. Interested in learning more? Simply click on Dr. Banach's icon to arrange a time to talk today.

Canada’s Retirement Problem Is Not “Boomer Luxury Communism”

A recent Washington Post column by Pulitzer Prize-winner George F. Will caught my attention. A prominent American conservative warns about a demographic apocalypse. Normal Monday. His argument: an aging population and a politically powerful senior cohort are driving unsustainable government spending, leaving younger generations to foot the bill. He even has a name for it: “Boomer Luxury Communism.” (Does George Will need a Snickers bar?) It made me wonder: are the same forces reshaping retirement here in Canada? I’ve heard the generational accusations. Boomers took the good pensions. Boomers drove up housing. Boomers left the mess. Boomers won’t move and sell me their house. But here’s the thing. Boomers don’t have a case of “Pierre don’t care.” Most of them are quietly terrified. After 25 years in financial services and a decade sitting across kitchen tables from Canadians over 55, I think the story is a lot more complicated than that. According to Statistics Canada data, nearly one in five Canadians (19.5%) is now aged 65 or older, representing more than eight million people nationwide, signalling significant growth in the demographic. Retirement itself has also changed dramatically. Fewer Canadians have access to defined benefit pensions. Costs are rising, from groceries to housing to healthcare. And most people want to remain in their homes as they age. The result is straightforward: retirement is lasting longer, costing more, and relying more heavily on individuals than ever before. That much we share with the United States.  But the Canadian reality is more complicated. Canada’s Seniors Are Not Living the Way Many People Assume Where the comparison begins to break down is in how we interpret what’s happening. The idea that Canadian seniors are broadly living comfortably at the expense of younger generations simply doesn’t match what I see in practice. In fact, many older Canadians are experiencing something quite different: Financial uncertainty. Despite having significant assets.  On paper, many retirees look secure. They may own their home outright. They may have some savings and receive income from programs like CPP and OAS. But much of that wealth is tied up in housing. Families led by someone aged 65 or older now have a median net worth exceeding $1.1 million, the highest of any age group. (Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Financial Security) Yet the same data also reveals something important: The value of the principal residence for many seniors far exceeds their retirement savings. Many Canadians are increasingly finding themselves asset-rich on paper but cash-flow constrained in practice. The Rise of FORO: Fear of Running Out When you look more closely at the financial picture for many retirees, income streams are often modest and heavily exposed to inflationary pressures. Longevity adds another layer of uncertainty: A Canadian reaching age 65 today can expect to live another 20 years on average. Longevity is, of course, a triumph of modern society, although financially speaking, it has a way of extending the spreadsheet. Which leads to a question I hear repeatedly around the kitchen table: “Will I have enough money to retire?” This concern is so common that I’ve written extensively about it as FORO: "Fear of Running Out." It shows up in everyday decisions. Let’s call balls and strikes: FORO is real, and left unchecked, FORO thinking gets calcified into a permanent crouch. It’s cautious, it’s understandable — and it can quietly cost you your retirement. Worse than an ill-timed "reply all" to a company-wide email. • People delay travel • They hesitate to help their family. • They postpone home repairs • They underspend, even when they may not need to. I’ve met people who won’t replace a 20-year-old furnace because they’re saving money for an emergency. The furnace failing IS the emergency. This is not reckless consumption.  It’s cautious financial restraint. A recent Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Retirement survey found that nearly half of Canadians approaching retirement worry about outliving their savings. Other research from Fidelity Canada shows that many retirees spend less than they comfortably could because they fear future financial shocks or healthcare costs. This anxiety matters because retirement is not just a math problem. It is also a confidence problem. This Isn’t Boomer Excess. It’s a System That Shifted What’s happening in Canada is not primarily a story of overconsumption by retirees. It is the result of a long-term structural shift. Canadians are living longer than ever. In fact, the number of Canadians over age 85 - already one of the country’s fastest-growing demographic groups, is projected to nearly triple over the next 25 years. (Source: National Institute on Aging) Over the past several decades, pensions have disappeared. Employers steadily moved away from guaranteed pensions while individuals assumed far greater responsibility for funding their own retirement years. Defined benefit pension coverage has declined significantly in the private sector, particularly among younger workers, leaving more Canadians to manage retirement risk on their own. The CD Howe Institute has written extensively on this topic, calling for pension reform. At the same time, housing became the country’s dominant store of wealth.  For many Canadians, rising home values created the impression of growing financial security. But the current housing environment is far more complicated.  Now, real estate markets have become less liquid. Some regions are now seeing much softer housing prices after years of extraordinary growth. Cue the song, "Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end." The result is a retirement system increasingly dependent on housing wealth, whether policymakers openly acknowledge it or not. Government is beginning to feel the financial pinch as well. A recent report from the C.D. Howe Institute estimated that demographic aging alone could create more than $2 trillion in long-term fiscal pressure for provincial governments, driven largely by healthcare and age-related spending. In the mid-1970s, there were nearly seven working-age Canadians for every retiree (Source: Statistics Canada). Today, that ratio has fallen to closer to three-to-one.  It's a profound demographic shift that is placing growing pressure on labour markets, healthcare systems, and public finances. As retirements accelerate, fewer younger workers are available to replace them, reshaping the country’s economic and fiscal balance. Even high levels of immigration are unlikely to fully offset Canada’s aging challenge over the long term. These pressures are real. But the Canadian story is still more complicated than the increasingly combative generational narratives emerging in the United States. Retirement Became a DIY Project Over time, we slowly moved away from a system that delivered predictable retirement income. Now we ask individuals to assemble their own retirement strategy from scratch. Choose your own adventure: except the stakes are your retirement, and there’s no going back to page one. That shift created flexibility but also risk. And today, that risk is showing up as uncertainty. And while it's tempting to frame this as a generational issue, the more meaningful divide in Canada increasingly looks like this: • homeowners versus non-homeowners • those with pensions versus those without • those with access to advice versus those navigating alone Looking at the issue through this lens helps us better understand how we arrived at this point, and why it should serve as a wake-up call for consumers, policymakers, and the financial industry. Still not convinced?  Look at this data from the Statistics Canada Net Worth Report: Near-retirement households with both a workplace pension and homeownership had a median net worth exceeding $1.4 million. Remove those two structural advantages, however, and the financial picture changes dramatically: renters without pensions had a median wealth of less than $12,000. Let me stop and let this one land. Pause, breathe, and read on. The wealth gap, when you look at homeownership and pensions, is staggering. It reveals how profoundly retirement security in Canada is shaped not only by age but also by structural access to housing and pension systems. Two Canadians of the same age can now face entirely different retirement realities depending on just a few foundational variables. That’s not a generational conflict. It’s a serious design problem — a bug, not a feature. The Accumulation Paradox Here is another gap that rarely gets discussed. Canada has done a reasonably good job of helping people accumulate assets.  BUT We have done a much poorer job helping them convert those assets into sustainable income. This is especially true when it comes to housing. Research from the National Institute on Ageing and CMHC consistently shows that the overwhelming majority of older Canadians want to age in place rather than downsize or move into institutional care.  But Canada’s retirement system increasingly depends on housing wealth, even as many retirees remain reluctant to use it strategically. For many Canadians, home equity is their single largest financial resource. Yet, culturally and psychologically, it is often treated as something to preserve rather than deploy. The result is what I call the Asset Accumulation Paradox: People can be asset-rich and cash-flow constrained at the same time, a perfect example of 2 things being true at the same time. That disconnect sits at the heart of much of the retirement anxiety we see today. Where Canada Stands Compared to the United States In some important ways, Canada is better positioned than the United States.  The Canada Pension Plan is actuarially reviewed and designed to remain sustainable over the long term. (Source: Office of the Chief Actuary). And according to International Monetary Fund data, Canada’s public debt burden also remains materially lower than that of the United States as a share of GDP. But that does not mean we can afford complacency. Because beneath the surface, there is a growing gap between what Canadians have and what they feel confident using. If we want to improve retirement outcomes, we need to focus less on assigning blame and more on improving design. That means better tools, better guidance, and more open conversations, especially about how to turn assets into income. The warnings coming out of the United States are worth paying attention to.  But Canada’s challenge is different. The risk is not that seniors are taking too much.It’s that too many Canadians are living with uncertainty despite having more options than they realize. The challenge now is not simply helping Canadians accumulate wealth. It is helping them use that wealth with greater confidence, flexibility, and security. So, let’s call this what it is. George Will is not entirely wrong. The numbers are real, the fiscal pressure is real, and yes, someone is going to have to deal with it. But the story he’s telling is a blunt instrument in a situation that requires a scalpel. Canada’s retirement challenge isn’t Boomer Luxury Communism. It’s more like Boomer Luxury Paralysis: sitting on a million-dollar asset, terrified to touch it, underspending in the present to guard against a future that may never arrive. FORO doesn’t discriminate by generation. It just quietly rearranges your life until you’re postponing the trip, skipping the furnace repair, and waiting for permission to enjoy the retirement you actually saved for. The good news? The options are better than most people think. The conversation isn’t about giving anything up. It’s about using what you already have. Sue Don't Retire...ReWire! My Book is Now Available for Pre-Order I hope you will consider pre-ordering a copy of Your Retirement Reset for you, a friend or loved one. It's available September 8, 2026 - You can now order on the ECW Press site here. And if you love supporting Canadian booksellers, please also check with your local independent bookstore. Most can easily order it for you.

ExpertSpotlight - Ebola: What It Is, How It Spreads, and Whether the Public Should Be Concerned

Few diseases in modern history have generated the level of fear associated with Ebola. With graphic symptoms, high mortality rates, and images of overwhelmed treatment centres etched into public memory, Ebola became synonymous with the dangers of global outbreaks long before COVID-19 reshaped how the world thinks about pandemics. But what exactly is Ebola? Where did it come from? How dangerous is it today? And should the public still be worried? A Deadly Virus with a Modern Legacy Ebola virus disease was first identified in 1976 during simultaneous outbreaks in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. The virus was named after the nearby Ebola River, and from the beginning it proved exceptionally dangerous, capable of causing severe hemorrhagic fever with fatality rates that have ranged from 25 to 90 percent depending on the outbreak and available medical care. For decades, Ebola outbreaks were typically isolated to remote regions of Central and West Africa. That changed dramatically in 2014 when the largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history spread through Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, infecting more than 28,000 people and killing over 11,000. The crisis exposed major weaknesses in global health preparedness and demonstrated how quickly infectious diseases can overwhelm healthcare systems and destabilize economies and communities. The outbreak also fundamentally changed international public health policy. Governments, hospitals, and health organizations around the world began investing more heavily in infectious disease surveillance, emergency response planning, quarantine procedures, and vaccine development. What Ebola Actually Does to the Body Ebola begins much like many common viral illnesses, which can make early detection difficult. Initial symptoms often include: Sudden fever Severe fatigue Muscle pain Headache Sore throat As the disease progresses, patients may develop: Vomiting and diarrhea Rash Liver and kidney impairment Internal and external bleeding Multi-organ failure The virus attacks the immune system and damages blood vessels and organs, often leading to shock and death in severe cases. Patients who survive can still face long-term complications including joint pain, neurological problems, eye disorders, and ongoing fatigue months or even years later. How Ebola Spreads -  And How It Does Not One of the most important public health facts about Ebola is that it does not spread through the air like influenza or COVID-19. Transmission occurs through direct contact with: Blood or bodily fluids of infected individuals Contaminated needles or medical equipment Infected animals Surfaces contaminated with infectious fluids This means Ebola is highly contagious in healthcare settings and among close family caregivers without proper protective equipment, but far less transmissible in casual public settings than many people assume. Funeral practices involving direct contact with deceased individuals have also historically contributed to outbreaks in some regions, making culturally sensitive public health education critically important during containment efforts. Treatments and Vaccines Have Changed the Outlook For years, Ebola was viewed almost as a death sentence. That perception has begun to change. Major advances in medicine and outbreak response have significantly improved survival rates, including: Rapid testing and surveillance systems Specialized isolation units Improved supportive care and hydration Monoclonal antibody treatments Effective vaccines for certain Ebola strains The development of the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine represented a major breakthrough and has helped contain several recent outbreaks before they expanded into international crises. Global health organizations are now far better equipped to identify and isolate cases quickly compared to the early years of Ebola response. Should the Public Be Worried? Ebola remains a serious and deadly disease, but experts generally emphasize that widespread public panic is not warranted. Most outbreaks remain geographically limited and are aggressively monitored by national governments, the World Health Organization, and international health agencies. Countries with advanced healthcare systems also have far stronger infection prevention and containment capabilities than existed during earlier outbreaks. Still, Ebola continues to command attention because it highlights how interconnected global health has become. International travel, fragile healthcare systems, political instability, climate pressures, and human interaction with wildlife all increase the risk of future outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases. In many ways, Ebola serves as both a warning and a lesson: deadly viruses can emerge unexpectedly, but rapid science, coordinated public health measures, and global cooperation can dramatically reduce their impact. The world’s experience with Ebola helped shape many of the outbreak response systems now used to confront emerging diseases today, and public health experts continue to view it as one of the clearest examples of why pandemic preparedness remains essential. Connect with an expert:

LI’s Rising Costs and Housing Market Pose Challenges

Lawrence Levy, associate vice president and executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies, talked to Newsday and News 12 Long Island about the region’s economic challenges and housing market. For an article on the high cost of living, Levy explained that Long Island’s many layers of government, including 124 school districts, and residents’ expectations of quality services — from police protection and garbage pickup to senior programs — drive high property taxes. “In other areas of the country, statewide broad-based taxes pay for a lot of services that we rely on the property tax to pay for, such as public education,” he said, adding that about two-thirds of a Long Islander’s tax bill goes to fund public schools.