The bacterial organism behind a newly identified tick-borne illness found halfway across the world showed up in Durland Fish’s lab in Connecticut a decade ago. At the time, it seemed like a mistake. Fish’s lab was studying Lyme disease transmission using ticks and mice, exposing ticks to mice that had been infected, and to others […]
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Lieberman hails one gay-rights milestone, hedges on next battle
Sen. Joseph Lieberman and a half-dozen other lawmakers celebrated the official repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” today and promised to help discharged service members re-enlist if they want to. Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, said the end of DADT, which mandated the discharge of any openly homosexual member of the U.S. armed forces, was a […]
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Lieberman’s new book
Sen. Joseph Lieberman has a new book out-“The Gift of Rest,” an aptly titled tome for a longtime politician on the eve of his retirement from the Senate. But Lieberman’s book isn’t about stopping work, except for one day of the week. It’s a 230-page description and celebration of the Sabbath, even ending with a […]
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Himes’ aide happy to be back in DC after stint in New York special
Many House Democrats are wringing their hands, trying to figure out what went wrong in last Tuesday’s special congressional election in New York, where a little-known GOP candidate swept to victory in a heavily Democratic district. But while others are reading the tea leaves, Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th, will get the inside scoop. That’s because […]
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CL&P ready to defend its response to Tropical Storm Irene
Facing a legislative inquiry after the state’s worst power outage, Connecticut’s largest electric utility intends to defend its performance today by telling legislators that it restored power to more customers and in less time after Tropical Storm Irene than in any previous blackout. Jeffrey D. Butler, the president and chief operating officer of Connecticut Light […]
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Utilities get good marks for Irene prep, mixed reviews on response
Municipal officials gave Connecticut’s utility companies high marks for their communication efforts leading up to and during Tropical Storm Irene during a state legislative hearing Monday, though post-storm efforts drew mixed reviews. And while the top executives for Connecticut Light & Power Co. and United Illuminating called for lawmakers to grant them expanded authority to […]
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McMahon to announce Tuesday, saying she is ‘job creator,’ not a politician
Linda McMahon kicks off her second try for the U.S. Senate at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Coil Pro Machinery, a company in Southington that designs and builds coil processing machines. Despite her second try in two cycles for statewide office, McMahon will say she is not a politician. McMahon intends to immediately conduct a series […]
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State medical society, physician group may offer health insurance
Aiming to provide another insurance option for state residents, the Connecticut State Medical Society and its network of physician practices have created a nonprofit organization that they hope will be able to offer health insurance to individuals and small businesses as part of federal health reform. Under the reform law, each state by 2014 will […]
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Want to reach your kids? Don’t call, text
Nearly a third of all Americans prefer getting text messages to talking on the telephone, a new report says–a number that soars to well over half among the most prodgious text users, primarily young adults. The new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project finds 83% of American adults own cell […]
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From different perspectives, two legislators react to debt plan
President Barack Obama today laid out a proposal to achieve $3 trillion in debt-reduction over the next decade, with a mix of tax reform, spending cuts, and entitlement program savings. The White House wants the congressional “super committee” to take up this proposals as part of its debt-reduction mandate, spelled out in this summer’s agreement […]
Posted inHealth
Disaster benefits available for low-income residents’ losses
Low-income state residents who incurred expenses from Tropical Storm Irene could be eligible for federal aid through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the state Department of Social Services. Applications for the aid will be available beginning Wednesday at all 12 DSS field offices. The application period will continue each weekday through Tuesday, […]
Posted inHealth, Money
What Obama’s debt-reduction plan would mean for key federal health programs
In his plan to trim the federal deficit, President Barack Obama Monday proposed $320 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, largely by changing how the federal government pays health providers, slashing payments to drug companies, and dramatically changing the way it splits the costs of Medicaid with the states, according to a fact sheet […]
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Medical society gets new president, honors doctor for free care network
The Connecticut State Medical Society swore in its new president Saturday and honored a New Haven cardiologist who helped found a program to coordinate donated care for uninsured patients. Dr. Michael M. Krinsky, a neurologist who practices in the Hartford area, became the medical society’s 173rd president. Krinsky previously served as president of the Hartford […]
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Democrats preferred over McMahon in early Senate poll
Republican Linda McMahon is much better known than her three main rivals in next year’s U.S. Senate race, but most of those who know enough to form an opinion say it’s a negative one, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. And while McMahon is widely favored over former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays among […]
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Nearly all state employees choose controversial wellness plan
Ninety-six percent of the employees covered by the state health care plan have enrolled in a new wellness plan that was the subject of controversy surrounding a union concession package earlier this year. State Comptroller Kevin Lembo announced Friday that more than 50,000 state employees enrolled in the Health Enhancement Program, which begins Oct. 1. […]