“I want to commend the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their diligence in the investigation and the speed in which they’ve taken action. Law enforcement is in many ways the first and last line of defense for our taxpayers, and when an announcement like this happens, we should all be grateful for their […]
May 2012
FBI arrests Chris Donovan’s congressional fundraiser
The finance director for House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan’s congressional campaign was arrested Wednesday by FBI agents and charged with illegally concealing the source of two $10,000 contributions for his campaign, authorities said Thursday. Donovan fired the fundraiser, Robert Braddock Jr., and his campaign manager, Josh Nassi, and hired Tom Swan of the Connecticut Citizen […]
New Haven center funding: Bad precedent or community support?
Republican legislators opposed to state-funded improvements to a New Haven community center that houses a Communist newspaper conceded Thursday that Connecticut likely has funded many community projects with some degree of political ties over the years. Sen. Andrew W. Roraback of Goshen and Rep. Sean J. Williams of Watertown insisted the $300,000 earmarked for the […]
McMahon says she was unaware of WWE’s libel threat
West Hartford — Linda McMahon was on message Wednesday, briskly talking about business, jobs and the economy. But her old company, World Wrestling Entertainment, intruded with the persistence of a colorful relative. With a litigation threat against a newspaper columnist who likened its programming to pornography, the company her husband still controls succeeded where her […]
Finding the right mix to observe teachers
Bridgeport science teacher Christine O’Neil yearns for more feedback on how to become a better teacher, but her principal rarely has the time to observe her more than twice a year. Bridgeport science teacher Christine O’Neil talks observations with the state’s consultant for teacher evaluations “I would love to have a dozen pop-in visits each […]
Leader to address ‘dysfunction’ on energy committee
At least four major components of the omnibus energy bill that never made it to the floor of either chamber of the General Assembly in the just-completed annual legislative session are likely to make their way into the special session in two weeks. While the move is expected to rectify some key issues — in […]
Former allies on Mass. health reform split on cost controls
If Massachusetts is any guide, finding agreement on how to provide health insurance to more people could be far easier than consensus on how to make it affordable, according to The Boston Globe. Reporter Chelsea Conaboy details disagreements among business and consumer groups that previously came together to support the state’s 2006 health reform law, […]
A federal boost for Connecticut’s education reforms
When it came time for U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to decide where he would make the announcement on which states landed an exemption to the federal No Child Left Behind requirements, he said Connecticut was the obvious choice. “Connecticut is absolutely a winner,” Duncan told a beaming Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in a crowded function room […]
Is Connecticut getting the federal dollars it deserves?
An openly skeptical legislative panel, the Program Review and Investigations Committee, launched an inquiry Tuesday into whether Connecticut gets its fair share of federal funding. The committee also approved new studies into the state’s Medicaid program, as well as the availability of substance abuse treatment for youth covered by private insurance. The studies, which will […]
State wins waiver to No Child Left Behind law
Connecticut has won its bid for a waiver to the federal No Child Left Behind requirements, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced in a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon on his way to the state Capitol to meet with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Connecticut joins 18 other states that have also received a waiver […]
State to hear today on No Child Left Behind waiver
Connecticut will find out today whether the Malloy administration’s bid for a waiver from the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law has been granted. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will host a conference call on the waivers this afternoon, but Duncan also is scheduled to appear at the state Capitol with Gov. […]
On the front lines of change in the risky world of DCF
The call for help came from an emergency room nurse. Her patient, the mother of a young son, tried to commit suicide while the boy was home. “She was worried about the kid,” Nana-Kyi Johnson, a social worker assigned to the Department of Children and Families’ 24-hour hotline, said of the nurse. Nana-Kyi Johnson, a […]
Roberti proposes a dozen debates in 10 weeks
Democratic congressional candidate Dan Roberti pitched 12 debates in a radio appearance today on WNPR. And that’s a dozen debates before the Democratic primary on Aug. 14, not the general election in November. Roberti is competing with state House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan and former state Rep. Elizabeth Esty for the Democratic nomination for the […]
Proposed changes to psychiatric manual could impact addiction diagnosis
What’s in a name? That’s a question that experts are wrestling with as they prepare to revise the diagnostic manual that spells out the criteria for addiction and other substance-use problems. The catalyst for this discussion is a set of proposed changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the reference guide upon which […]
Teacher evaluations: Coming to a school near you?
The State Department of Education announced Tuesday which districts have applied to become a pilot district to launch the state’s new pilot teacher evaluation system for the coming school year. Thirty-five districts have applied, and the state department will announce Friday which districts will have the pilots. The districts include Portland, Cromwell, New Hartford, Suffield, […]