From November to June, 89 refugees arrived in Connecticut from South Africa and none from other countries, a marked change from past years.
Sasha Allen
Sasha is a data reporting fellow with The Connecticut Mirror. She graduated from the University of Maryland in May with a degree in journalism and a minor in creative writing. For the past year Sasha was working part time for the Herald-Mail, a newspaper based in Western Maryland. She was also a reporter and copy editor for Capital News Service, the university’s wire service where she covered the state legislature, the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, school board elections, youth mental health and climate change. Earlier in her college career, Sasha also interned at the Baltimore Magazine and wrote for numerous student publications including the Diamondback, the university’s independent, student-run newspaper.
Posted inMoney
Bronin, Larson rake in money for primary. Who’s donating to them?
Wealthy individual donors and political action committees are shaping the four-way Democratic primary for CT’s 1st Congressional District.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Powerful July 4th storms may have broken CT record for largest hail
Hailstorms in Connecticut have become more frequent and widespread over the past 30 years — as have multi-day strings of hot days.
Posted inCharting Connecticut
What are the most popular baby names in Connecticut?
The most popular 2025 baby names in Connecticut — Charlotte and Noah — were among the most popular in the nation.
Posted inEducation
Parents are filing more complaints about special education in CT
Experts say more complaints could point to better familiarity with special education law, and some say parents’ use of AI could play a role.
Posted inImmigration
Hartford immigration court is issuing more removal orders
Hartford’s immigration court has hit a record removal rate in 2026, with judges sending an unprecedented number of people out of the country.
Posted inCharting Connecticut
Wildfires in CT are smaller than in years past, but threats remain
While more regulations and urbanization have brought down the risk of wildfires, increased tree damage and loss in CT compounds the threat.
Posted inPolitics
Amount of public testimony on bills is growing, but who’s writing it?
More than 43,800 pieces of written testimony were submitted during the 2026 legislative session, nearly a 250% increase compared to 2016.
Posted inCharting Connecticut
CT women having fewer babies means school enrollment falling too
Women in Connecticut are having fewer babies, and school enrollment numbers across the state are falling along with the fertility rate.
Posted inCharting Connecticut
CT’s legislative session in numbers: How many bills passed?
This session, 218 bills passed the House and Senate. They dealt with topics from bottle redemption fraud to accountability of ICE agents.
Posted inCharting Connecticut
More CT residents using 988 hotline; deaths by suicide fell in 2025
Before the number changed, CT had 1,500 and 2,500 calls to the suicide hotline per month. CT now gets 4,000 to 5,000 calls in most months.
Posted inGovernment, Politics
‘Glock switch’ bill is driving up gun sales in CT, dealers say
A proposed ban on the sale of ‘convertible pistols,’ HB5043 is driving up sales, but some gun dealers say a ban is the wrong idea.
Posted inCharting Connecticut
Enrollment in SNAP food assistance program has dropped in CT
The number of Connecticut residents on SNAP has fallen by more than 32,500 people since July 2025, a 9% decrease.
Posted inCharting Connecticut
Northeast region leads U.S. in inflation, boosted by energy, housing
Consumer prices rose 3.6% year-over-year in the Northeast region, higher than the national year-over-year inflation rate of 3.3%.
Posted inCharting Connecticut
Slowly but steadily, CT libraries are recovering from COVID
More than 1 million residents are registered to borrow from CT public libraries — a number that grew last year for the first time in 5 years.