WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has accepted an invitation from Sen. Chris Murphy to come to Connecticut and take a first-hand look at the damage to homes that have crumbling foundations made of tainted concrete.
Politics
Stories about CT politicians, elections, state legislation, the state’s congressional delegation and the impact of federal legislation on Connecticut.
Posted inPolitics
Shannon Kula, a Democrat, declares for Esty’s seat
Shannon Kula, a former U.S. Senate aide, on Wednesday became the third Democrat, all women, to announce a run for the open 5th District Congressional seat, making a late entrance that will require her to petition for a place in the August primary. She faces a deadline of June 12 to gather signatures from two percent of registered Democrats in the district.
Posted inMoney
Among Connecticut cities and towns, the wealthiest are the big spenders
While Connecticut’s distressed cities often are perceived as having bloated budgets, the wealthy suburbs easily outspend their urban neighbors on a per capita basis, sometimes by margins nearing two-to-one. Second in a series.
Posted inPolitics
Arulampalam quits as Democrats debate diversity
Arunan Arulampalam ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination for state treasurer Tuesday with a concession and a challenge: He declined to risk a potentially racially divisive primary, but challenged Democrats to look at diversity with a broader lens than a tradition of nominating only African-Americans for treasurer.
Posted inPolitics
Can Ms. Hayes go to Washington?
Jahana Hayes thinks what Washington, D.C. needs is a schoolteacher — one of the nation’s top teachers, in fact. And though the 2016 national hadn’t expected to get into politics, here she is, running for Congress.
Posted inMoney
Already deep in debt, Connecticut struggles with extremes of wealth and income
The growing gap between Connecticut’s richest and poorest citizens, which already outstrips that in most other states, has widened dramatically since the last recession. First in a series.
Posted inNews, Politics
What Facebook’s new political ad system misses
Facebook’s long-awaited change in how it handles political advertisements is only a first step toward addressing a problem intrinsic to a social network built on the viral sharing of user posts.
Posted inNews, Politics
White House objects to three-subs-a-year plan
WASHINGTON – The White House’s Office of Management and Budget has objected to a provision in a massive defense bill approved by the House Thursday that would press the Navy to procure two additional Virginia-class subs in 2022 and 2023. The White House said those additional subs, manufactured by Electric Boat, exceeds President Donald Trump’s request for 10 subs, not 12, in the Navy’s next contract with EB.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Connecticut on front line of key fights with Pruitt’s EPA
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rejected Connecticut’s petition to force a power plant in York County, Pa. to cut down on smog pollutants that the state claims heavily contribute to its unhealthy air. But the state hopes to have other wins, and is at the forefront of the resistance to the agency’s proposed rollback of protections on air and water.
Posted inPolitics
In this neighborhood, at least, no one says no to Joe Ganim
On a brick sidewalk along Park Street in Hartford, Henry Jemison was railing about the stupidity of corrupt politicians, potentially an awkward encounter for Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim. But no, Jemison was talking about Eddie A. Perez, who never went to prison. And not Ganim, who did. Now, Ganim was asking Henry Jemison to help him run for governor,to give him one of 15,458 signatures he needs to get on the ballot.
Posted inPolitics
Connecticut’s lieutenant governor primaries confront gender, generation and race
The office is derided as the spare part of government, a job with few duties other than being available should the boss fall ill or worse. But primaries for lieutenant governor in Connecticut are asking Democrats and Republicans to think about their openness and appeal to millennials and minorities in a decidedly unsettled election cycle.
Posted inPolitics
Sports betting may be coming to Connecticut — and your iPhone
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy often says America was better off when legal gambling was limited to Las Vegas, but he sounded Wednesday like a man who has accepted that sports betting is coming to Connecticut at casinos, possibly some form of state-authorized betting parlors and, most likely, even on smart phones.
Posted inMoney
Himes splits with CT Dems on Dodd-Frank changes
WASHINGTON – Rep. Jim Himes split from other Connecticut Democrats Wednesday in supporting a bill that pares down several restrictions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank bill, a law imposed on U.S. banks and other institutions after the global financial crisis.
Posted inPolitics
Manny Sanchez won’t wage Democratic primary in CT-5
Manny Sanchez, the third-place finisher at the Democratic convention in the 5th Congressional District, said Wednesday he will not pursue the nomination for the open seat in a primary with Mary Glassman and Jahana Hayes.
Posted inMoney
IRS to crack down on Connecticut tax workaround
WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department said Wednesday they intend to issue regulations to rein in an attempt by Connecticut and other states to get around a new limitation on the deductibility of state and local taxes.