Washington – Saying Brunei’s newly adopted penal code violates the rights of women and minorities, including gay, lesbian and transgendered people, Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District and Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, joined a group of lawmakers Thursday who are insisting the United States drop all trade with that country.
Ana Radelat
Ana has written about politics and policy in Washington, D.C.. for Gannett, Thompson Reuters and UPI. She was a special correspondent for the Miami Herald, and a regular contributor to The New York TImes, Advertising Age and several other publications. She has also worked in broadcast journalism, for CNN and several local NPR stations. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism.
Posted inMoney
Defense slowdown hurts all of Connecticut
WASHINGTON– There’s not one corner of Connecticut that doesn’t benefit from Pentagon spending, but the go-go years for the state’s defense contractors may be over. That’s bad news for what was one of the state’s hottest, growing industries, especially for Connecticut’s smaller defense contractors.
Posted inPolitics
Murphy joins Biden, McCain in trip to Eastern Europe
Sen. Chris Murphy has just returned from a weekend trip to Eastern Europe, where he attended the inauguration of new Ukrainian President Petro O. Poroshenko in Kiev as part of an eight-member U.S. delegation that included Vice President Joe Biden and Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Posted inNews
Obama honors, jokes with Huskies
Washington – A relaxed and jovial President Obama honored the UConn men’s and women’s basketball teams basketball teams Monday at an elegant event in the East Room of the White House that showed the president was on his game.
Posted inNews
Washington Watch, Week of June 8
This week Congress will fight over the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap, and over how to find money to avert at a summertime highway-project funding “cliff” that could slow and even halt road projects in the state.
Posted inNews
Deal on bill to allow vets to see private doctors
Washington – The scandal at the Veterans Affairs Administration has done what little else could do in Congress – bring Democrats and Republicans together on a bill.
Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and John MCain, R-Ariz., announced an agreement late Thursday afternoon that combined elements of three separate bills aimed at reforming the VA, which is under investigation because of allegations that staff had covered up delays in the providing care to veterans and other wrongdoing.
Posted inNews
Blumenthal slams GM report on defects, recalls
WASHINGTON – A General Motors -commissioned report on the company’s slow response to a deadly ignition-switch defect was blasted by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who said it left critical questions unanswered and absolved top officials of responsibility.
Posted inNews
Federal money for Connecticut road projects may dry up
WASHINGTON — Connecticut and most other states rely on the federal government for the lion’s share of their transportation funding. But because Congress can’t agree on how to fund federal road projects, money for the highway trust fund –financed by largely by gasoline taxes — will run out in a few weeks.
Posted inNews
Murphy asks French president to stop selling warships to Russia
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and five other U.S. senators are trying to tell French President François Hollande what to do.
More specifically, Murphy has sent a letter to Hollande asking he halt the delivery of two French-made warships to the Russian Navy that cost about $1.6 billion each.
Posted inNews
Obama to meet with UConn Huskies
Washington – President Obama on Monday will honor the NCAA Champion UConn Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams, the White House announced Friday.
Posted inNews
Blumenthal, McCain press FCC on sports blackout rule
Washington – Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and John McCain, R-Ariz., are pressuring the Federal Communications Commission to finalize regulations that would lift a ban on cable companies that prohibit them from running sporting events that are subject to local broadcast blackouts.
Posted inPolitics
Debicella says he needs $2.5 million to beat Himes
Republican congressional candidate Dan Debicella’s campaign Tuesday asked members of Republican town committees asking them to help them reach a goal of $2.5 million to defeat Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District.
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Politics
Obama climate change policy sparks little controversy in CT
WASHINGTON – While lawmakers from coal-producing states – especially vulnerable Democrats – are wringing their hands over President Obama’s decision to force a decrease in greenhouse gases produced by the nation’s power plants, Connecticut lawmakers are shrugging off the proposal or voicing support.
Posted inPolitics
Partisan battles keeping Schwartz from VA job
WASHINGTON – As deep problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs come to light, Congress continues to stall on key VA administrative nominees, including that of Linda Schwartz of Connecticut, named to be the agency’s assistant secretary of policy and planning.
Posted inNews
Washington Watch, Week of June 1
Senate Democrats will use public outrage at the scandals at the Veterans Affairs Administration — scandals that led to the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki on Friday — to hold another vote on a bill that would expand veterans’ benefits and job training. The legislation was blocked by Republicans in February.