Nearly 20 years after the Connecticut Supreme Court ordered the state to eliminate the inequities caused from the isolation of black and Hispanic students in the capital city, the latest data show that the majority of Hartford’s children still attend segregated schools.
New data: Majority of Hartford schools still segregated
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Connecticut getting $54 million in ‘disaster resilience’ money
Bridgeport and the new administration of Mayor Joe Ganim appear to be the biggest beneficiaries of $54.2 million in federal funds awarded Thursday to Connecticut to help Fairfield and New Haven counties better prepare for coastal flooding and climate change.
Posted inPolitics
CT mayors network, seek money and meet the Obamas in D.C.
WASHINGTON — Connecticut’s mayors made their annual pilgrimage to Washington this week, looking for money, connections and ideas. The three-day conference, cut short for many by the prospect of a historic blizzard expected to hit Washington tomorrow, is a rare chance to meet President Obama, and much of his cabinet.
Posted inNews
Failure to deport Norwich murder suspect under review
Federal authorities have opened an inquiry into the failure of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport a Haitian man who was later charged with the murder of Casey Chadwick of Norwich, members of the Connecticut congressional delegation said Thursday.
Posted inHealth
With 10 days left, ConnectiCare leads exchange sign-ups
ConnectiCare continues to lead the market among customers of Connecticut’s health insurance exchange, with 52 percent of the nearly 109,000 people signed up so far for 2016 coverage.
Posted inEducation
CSCU, union still at odds with arbitration deadline near
With a March 1 arbitration deadline looming and negotiations still tense, the professors union of the state’s largest public college system remains concerned about proposals that could threaten to eliminate tenure and move faculty to different universities.
Posted inHealth
CT insurance exchange to tighten sign-up rule
Connecticut’s health insurance exchange plans to get tougher on those seeking to sign up for private insurance coverage outside the open enrollment period, following concerns that people signing up midyear have been driving up costs for insurers.
Posted inEducation, Justice
Closing CT’s juvenile jail: Opportunities and obstacles ahead
With Connecticut’s controversial jail for young offenders slated to close within two-and-a-half years, state leaders have begun to contemplate what an alternative juvenile justice system should encompass.
Posted inPolitics
House GOP’s Noujaim says he is not running in 2016
Rep. Selim G. Noujaim, R-Waterbury, told a business group Thursday morning he is not seeking re-election this fall, giving Democrats hopes of picking up one of the GOP’s urban seats in a presidential election year.
Posted inCT Viewpoints, Talking Transportation
Don’t blame trucks for Connecticut traffic congestion
Driving to Hartford the other day (no, you cannot really get there by train) I saw a beautiful sight: hundreds of trucks! Yet, motorists hate trucks and mistakenly blame them for traffic congestion and accidents that cause hours of delays. Readers of this column know I’m a “rail guy” and would love to see freight trains replace trucks, but that ain’t gonna happen anytime soon. But as motorists we should not blame truckers for traffic woes of our own creation.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Safe Child Act: Making health, safety of CT children the priority
The Safe Child Act which is a bill that would require custody courts to make the health and safety of children the first priority. It would mandate what the courts have been slow to do — integrate evidence-based approaches, multi-disciplinary practices and trauma-informed responses. I have had the privilege of meeting with some state legislators who care dearly about children and I expect will soon introduce the Safe Child Act. It is time that custody courts stop practices that pressure victims to cooperate with their abusers and instead force abusers to stop their abuse if they want a relationship with their children. It is time for the courts to integrate important research into their practices. It is time to reform outdated practices from the 1970s.
Posted inHealth
Workplace depression under-recognized, expensive, treatable
Depression can take a big toll on workplaces, but too often, it remains hidden and unaddressed, according to mental health and employment experts.
Posted inPolitics
Blumenthal, Murphy help block Syrian refugee bill
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked a bill that has split the Connecticut delegation and would have required additional scrutiny for Syrian and Iraqi refugees, slowing their entry into the United States. “Our enemy is ISIL – not refugees,” Blumenthal said in a statement
Posted inTransportation
With slight subsidy, direct flights resume between BDL, LAX
Connecticut is waiving landing fees and helping with promotion in return for American Airlines resuming daily non-stop service between Bradley International Airport and Los Angeles, beginning June 2. Based on an average landing fee of $676, the subsidy will cost about $238,000 annually.
Posted inPolitics
Newtown father lonely voice as Senate panel blasts Obama gun moves
WASHINGTON – Mark Barden ,who lost his 7-year-old son Daniel in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, was outnumbered but undaunted Wednesday at a Senate hearing on President Obama’s recent moves to tighten gun laws. “I am before you today as an informed, proud American. These modest proposals will go a long way toward not only saving lives, but also improving quality of life,” he said. “And I am before you today as a grieving father who knows firsthand the cost of inaction.”