U.S. Senate candidates who more people “liked” on Facebook or “followed” on Twitter were most likely to win their races, Jennifer Schlesinger reports at ABC, and money didn’t necessarily translate into social media popularity. Of 118 Senate races tracked by Facebook, the candidate with the most “likes” won 77, or 71 percent. Candidates with the […]

WASHINGTON–Proponents of an alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter are mounting an 11th hour lobbying effort to win fresh funding for the project, even as lawmakers in the lame-duck Congress prepare an austere budget. Lobbyists for General Electric are working with top lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee and other key panels to […]

Dan Malloy’s election as governor was a double victory for the Working Families Party: Its cross endorsement was crucial to his narrow win, and Malloy unequivocally supports its top issue, a bill requiring private employers to offer paid sick days. But the drive to make Connecticut the first state to mandate paid sick time also […]

Thanksgiving won’t be too celebratory for Michael Sohn, who stole more than $252,000 in campaign money from his long-time boss, Chris Shays, the former congressman from Connecticut’s 4th District. Sohn is set to start serving his 37-month prison sentence on Nov. 30. And yesterday, the Federal Election Commission unveiled a decision ordering him to repay […]

When a new patient asked whether she used electronic medical records, Dr. Kathleen LaVorgna mentally prepared herself to offer a list of reasons why not. But before LaVorgna, a Norwalk general surgeon in solo practice, could explain that the cost seemed prohibitive, the woman expressed relief. Dr. Kathleen LaVorgna “That’s great!” she told LaVorgna. The […]

WASHINGTON–At first glance, the stars seem to be aligned for proponents of repealing the 17-year-old ban on gays serving openly in the military. The Senate’s Democratic leader has promised to bring it up for another vote when Congress returns from its Thanksgiving break. Sen. Joseph Lieberman says he’s got the 60 votes necessary to overcome […]

By signing her name at 11:08 a.m. today, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz certified the victory of Dannel P. Malloy in Connecticut’s closest gubernatorial election in 56 years. The certification of all election results is a routine function most years, but the closeness of the race for governor and the drama of a late […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell challenged the legislature Wednesday to adopt $38 million in cuts to this fiscal year’s budget to maintain the emergency winter heating assistance program at last year’s level — and to alleviate a $33 million shortfall legislators created by gambling on extra federal aid. Writing to leaders of the Appropriations Committee, Rell […]

The state enforcement action that led to nearly $269,000 in penalties against CVS began over a year ago with routine inspections at 10 of the chain’s stores. It ended with a consent order against 138 pharmacies found to have improperly dumped wastewater into sewers or septic systems. The violations involve all but two of the […]

Most Americans think incoming Congressmen who campaigned against federal health care reform should turn down government-provided coverage once they’re in office, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey. That opinion was strongest among Republicans, 58 percent of whom said reform critics should decline the coverage. The poll was done a week after a Republican […]

WASHINGTON–The University of Connecticut spent $340,000 to lobby federal officials so far this year, an effort that’s helped the school snag more than $10 million in earmarks to fund key projects. But all that money may get zeroed out by the lame-duck Congress. That’s because lawmakers are likely to ditch their pending appropriations bills–which now […]

It’s the budgetary day of reckoning that state officials have avoided for nearly two decades. But when Gov.-elect Dan Malloy attempts to convert state financing to generally accepted accounting principles starting next year, it’s likely to mean more than paying for over $1 billion in papered-over problems from the past. For a legislature that initially […]

As if the massive deficit forecast for next year wasn’t enough, fiscal analysts issued a new warning on the state budget Tuesday, saying projected spending in 2011-2012 is on pace to exceed the constitutional cap by more than $1.1 billion. Though the economic downturn that has gripped the state since early 2008 has restricted spending […]

With a written demand by Gov. M. Jodi Rell for their resignations, about 100 state employees have been reminded they serve at the discretion of the governor, a post that changes hands on Jan. 5. Rell’s chief of staff got one. So did her press staff, commissioners, deputies, secretaries and assistants. The demand came by […]

Has the holiday spirit of cooperation and gratitude taken hold when it comes to the tax cut debate in Washington? Certainly not. But the White House is talking about Christmas shopping as a way to prod lawmakers to come together on this contentious issue. “As we get into the Christmas shopping season especially, there’s a […]