The debate over how to best protect children goes back decades, with advocates on one side arguing that keeping families together whenever possible is better for children. But others push back, saying that approach is applied too broadly and keeps children in dangerous environments.
A toddler dies, and the direction of a child welfare agency is tested
Posted inHealth
100,314 signed up for Obamacare coverage to start 2016
Just over 100,000 people are signed up to receive private insurance coverage as of Jan. 1through Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange. But exchange officials expressed concern that thousands of current customers could lose their coverage or the federal tax credits that discount their premiums.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
You can help reduce food insecurity in Connecticut
The Bartletts are a family of four with two children, aged 8 and 4. Mr. Bartlett recently lost his job and Mrs. Bartlett works part-time for a retailer at just above minimum wage. Even with their limited income and some benefits including help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food-stamps), it is still extremely difficult for them to regularly put nutritious food on the table. With Thanksgiving just behind us, and the rest of the holiday season ahead, food insecure households like the Bartletts will face additional challenges as they continue to struggle to make ends meet and still observe their holiday traditions.
Posted inEducation
Educating students during an expulsion: Tutoring, alternative schools or nothing?
A new lawsuit claims that expelled students are placed in “hostile” alternative education settings where they get little instruction, the work is too easy, and no grades or feedback are provided.
Posted inPolitics
Joe Gresko, councilman and legislative aide, seeks Backer’s seat
Joe Gresko, a legislative aide and recently elected Stratford councilman, will seek the Democratic nomination Tuesday night to succeed his friend, Rep. Terry Backer, D-Stratford, who died last week.
Posted inNews
18 state hospitals penalized for high infection rates
Eighteen Connecticut hospitals will lose 1 percent of their Medicare payments in 2016 as a penalty for comparatively high rates of avoidable infections and other complications, such as pressure sores and post-operative blood clots, according to new federal data.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
It’s time to address inequity in Connecticut’s schools
As Connecticut emerges from this latest budget negotiation, it’s time for us to address a long-standing inequity in our public schools. Thanks to Connecticut’s outdated and unequal system of funding public education, thousands of our highest-need kids are being valued less by the state, given less money simply because of the type of public school they attend. Charter school students are given just 74 cents on the dollar compared to their peers in traditional public schools.
Posted inEducation, Money
State must cut its borrowing to avoid maxing out credit card
Connecticut is on pace to exceed its hard credit card limit by more than $320 million in two years — a projection that will tighten available borrowing for local schools, public colleges and universities, state building renovations and various projects in legislators’ districts.
Posted inHealth
Raul Pino named acting state health commissioner
Dr. Raul Pino, the deputy commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, was named Friday as acting commissioner by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Posted inPolitics
Special election scheduled in Backer’s district
A special election will be held Feb. 2 in the 121st House District of Stratford to choose a successor to Rep. Terry Backer, D-Stratford, who died Monday night, the secretary of the state’s office said Friday.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
EPA’s Gina McCarthy stops by with a Paris postcard
Gina McCarthy, the environmental regulator who worked in New England for Govs. Mitt Romney and M. Jodi Rell before leading the charge for President Obama on climate change, returned to Hartford on Friday for a post-Paris curtain call. She said the deal will create markets for clean energy.
Posted inPolitics
Defense spending, permanent R&D tax break benefit CT firms
A hyper-busy Congress accomplished this week much of what it wasn’t able to do all year.
Posted inPolitics
Murphy to help Clinton’s New Hampshire campaign
WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Murphy is travelling to New Hampshire next week to help sell Hillary Clinton’s gun safety plan in a state with strong gun rights supporters.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
CT hospital mergers, purchases, need strict scrutiny
It is hard to turn on your computer or to check out your evening news without hearing highly paid hospital executives saying that the sky is falling and arguing that they are on the side of consumers. In reviewing the recent filings with state regulators, it appears that this may just be an effort to create a distraction as they go about radically changing the health care landscape in Connecticut. If unchecked it is likely to have a very harmful impact on cost and access.
Posted inEducation
Senate saves Perkins student loan program
WASHINGTON– The nation’s oldest student loan program, which had expired in September, has been temporarily revived by the Senate. The Perkins loan program was available at most of Connecticut’s four-year colleges and has helped thousands of students in the state.