Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini has joined a number of corporate leaders distancing themselves from President Donald J. Trump in the wake of the events in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Aetna CEO: ‘I am ashamed’ of Trump’s behavior and comments
Posted inNews
UTC chief quits Trump advisory group as White House disbands it
WASHINGTON — United Technologies CEO Gregory Hayes said he was quitting President Donald Trump’s American Manufacturing Council. “As the events of last week have unfolded here in the U.S., it is clear that we need to collectively stand together and denounce the politics of hate, intolerance and racism,” Hayes said.
Posted inPolitics
Trump remarks roil CT Dems, and GOP colleagues
President Donald Trump’s revival of a declaration that “both sides” were to blame for the deadly violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., has drawn swift rebukes from Connecticut members of Congress — and a growing number of their GOP colleagues.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Bus service to UConn in Storrs long overdue and a wise expense
The new bus service extension to the University of Connecticut is long overdue for UConn students who seek to bridge the gap in transportation options to their campus in Storrs. Right now, it is simply too difficult for people in rural areas of the state to get around without owning a car.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Revenge of the Millennials: We quite like it here
It is so incredibly difficult to accentuate the positive in Connecticut. Doing so is akin to swimming upstream, climbing uphill, and skiing through a revolving door – combined. In fact, when there is positive evidence staring us in the face, our Nutmeg reflexes kick in automatically. We shut our eyes, the better not to see the hopeful signs or indicators of progress.
Posted inPolitics
With re-election in sight, another long walk for Chris Murphy
His name was Henry, and he seemed dubious when an unshaven and sweaty urban hiker named Chris Murphy approached him outside a pawn shop on West Main Street in Meriden, offered his right hand and said, “Hi, I’m your U.S. senator.” Murphy is on his second walk across Connecticut in as many years.
Posted inPolitics
Tweet, Facebook post generate blowback at GOP
President Trump retweeted a cartoon image of a train running over a CNN reporter to his 35.9 million Twitter followers. Kyle Reyes, owner of a self-described “outrageous” Manchester marketing company, questioned in a Facebook video seen 36,000 times if the white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., actually were actors hired by the political left. Both caused problems for the GOP.
Posted inEducation
Three questions CT schools face amid budget uncertainty
Educators have been making cuts and putting off hiring as the school year approaches. Now they are wondering how deep the cuts eventually will be, how they will impact their schools and whether they have any alternatives to them.
Posted inJustice, Politics
CT ‘Dreamers’ march on White House seeking protection from deportation
WASHINGTON – Dozens of immigrant youth from Connecticut and their allies marched on the White House Tuesday hoping to persuade President Trump to continue a program that shields them from deportation. The clock is ticking on the fate of these “Dreamers,” because a group of GOP attorneys general are threatening to sue to stop the program.
Posted inTransportation
In CT’s battle with feds over rail, a new front in Fairfield County
STAMFORD — Fresh off a recent victory in southeastern Connecticut, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and activists have begun organizing opposition to a second federally proposed rail bypass. This time, the fight is in lower Fairfield County.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
State plans to change teacher certification requirements are ‘misguided’
Last week’s CT Mirror reporting concerning the State Department of Education’s plans to once again change the teacher certification regulations to allow more “non-traditional” pathways is both deeply frustrating and sadly misguided. The public indictment of higher education institutions in this article speaks volumes about the “blame game” that the State Department of Education, and particularly the Chairman of the Board of Education, continues to promote towards the very institutions working to provide the high quality, well-trained teachers Connecticut needs.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Senator, military action will not solve the North Korean problem
Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s comments (reported Aug. 10 in the article entitled “Blumenthal: North Korea strike near Guam would put military action on the table”) place too much emphasis on escalating threats. The idea that an exchange of threats or actual violence will resolve any differences with North Korea is at best ill-informed, and at worst, war mongering that only perpetuates our ongoing path of endless wars.
Posted inPolitics
It may not be ripe for a large white supremacist rally, but there’s hate in CT
WASHINGTON – Connecticut may be more fertile ground for rallies protesting white supremacist groups than for demonstrations like the one that turned violent in Charlottesville, Va., but the state is not immune to hate. The Southern Poverty Law Center, says there are several active hate groups in the state.
Posted inEducation, Money
State to continue funding pre-K expansion despite lack of budget
With no state budget in place for the current fiscal year – and the school year quickly approaching – uncertainty had surrounded whether the state would provide the money it promised district leaders when they expanded or opened new preschool classrooms over the last two school years.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
What next for Connecticut education?
Teachers wear many hats. Instructor. Mentor. Advocate. Mystery shopper typically isn’t one of them. But for this teacher and Stratford City Councilwoman, my past life as a mystery shopper has been instructive and complementary endeavor. It taught me a lot about what I believe in today and reinforced vital lessons, like the value of hard work and persistence, and the importance of strong writing and critical thinking skills.