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to Connecticut seizing the moment to invest tourism dollars. Yes, it may seem counter-intuitive to lure travelers during a pandemic, but visitors are arriving anyway from bordering states and within Connecticut, so there is wisdom is guiding them on potential destinations and appropriate protocols. The $1.2 million “So Good to See You, Connecticut,” campaign includes videos from businesses demonstrating efforts to ensure visitors’ safety. The campaign uses existing funding saved while the state’s doors were essentially closed throughout the spring. This investment also holds the potential to boost these attractions and ancillary businesses while creating jobs.

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to Connecticut House Democrats for proposing a long list of initiatives targeting discrimination. Passage of all of these reforms is unrealistic given the countless other challenges on the table during the pending special session, but the 33point plan provides a worthy wish list to chisel away at, from banning police chokeholds to creating an inspector general position to investigate accusations of police misconduct. The list — which could be considerably longer — is also a statement on the General Assembly’s failure to craft such laws in the past.

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to a lack of historical education in too many parts of America and Connecticut. Last week marked the celebration of Juneteenth, a holiday that marks the anniversary of the final end of slavery in this country but one that remains unknown to some because it’s too often not part of school curriculum. Last year, the legislature passed a bill requiring African American and Latino studies to be taught at public schools by 2022, which is an important step. A state Board of Education task force is working on developing new curriculum to meet those requirements, which should help increase understanding and build historical literacy around the state.

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to a continuing decline in hospitalization rates from COVID-19 in Connecticut, as well as in neighboring New York, as the economy continues to reopen. Indoor dining with reduced capacity has restarted in this state, alongside the reopening of nail salons, gym and fitness centers, and hotels last week. Some summer camps are back open this week. But while virus hotspots have continued to pop up around the country, especially in the South and West, the numbers in Connecticut have kept moving in the right direction, as hospitalizations continue to decline.