WASHINGTON – The nation’s capital is living up to its reputation as a city of contradictions as it cheers Pope Francis’s gently accented words of hope and reconciliation amid a backdrop of a looming crisis – the increasingly likely shutdown of the federal government.
Liking his message, Malloy joins crowds in D.C. to welcome Pope Francis
Posted inCT Viewpoints
No support here for Malloy’s transit lock-box idea
This is in response to Paul Hughes’ Sept. 22 article in the Waterbury Republican-American about Gov. Dannel Malloy’s request for public support backing a state constitutional amendment creating a lock box on transportation funds. The article quotes Malloy as saying “What’s important now is that the legislature enact a constitutional lock box so that as we move forward in funding that people understand that any dollar that is collected for transportation will be spent on transportation. Nothing else.” Gov. Malloy should think before he speaks, as I find his comment laughable for several reasons.
Posted inPolitics
Feds tell states to stop processing food stamp benefits
WASHINGTON – The state’s 423,000 food stamp recipients could soon be early victims of Washington’s budget crisis. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has instructed the Connecticut Department of Social Services and similar agencies in all of the states to not dispense any October benefits to food stamp recipients “until further notice.” Some $60 million in food aid could hang in the balance, one Connecticut official said.
Posted inPolitics
Tale of two mayors: Finch to sue; Segarra goes gently
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra ruled out an independent campaign Tuesday and endorsed Luke Bronin, winner of last week’s Democratic primary. Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, finding himself knocked off the ballot, vowed to fight on in court.
Posted inEducation, Health
Report: CT has made progress on child trauma, but gaps persist
Connecticut has made dramatic advances in providing help for children exposed to trauma, in some cases, emerging as a national leader in addressing a problem that research has linked to significant mental and physical health consequences. But more work is needed, according to a report released Tuesday.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Blumenthal, others grill Aetna, Anthem chiefs about mergers
WASHINGTON – Skeptical members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday questioned Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini and Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish about their plans to merge with other large insurers, citing concerns about the consolidation’s impact on consumers.
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
GOP calls for bipartisan talks, labor concessions, to reverse hospital cuts
Minority Republicans in the state legislature called Tuesday for bipartisan negotiations to reverse last week’s $190 million cut to hospitals. And House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, also called for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to approach state employee unions for concessions.
Posted inHealth
Premiums grow modestly for employer insurance coverage, but deductibles grow faster
The cost of employer-sponsored insurance premiums grew by 4 percent this year, continuing a trend of relatively modest growth, but the share of medical costs patients pay when they get care continued to rise far faster, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust.
Posted inEducation, Justice
Few disciplined over restraints, seclusion in juvenile jails
There were only two cases during the 12-month period ending June 30 in which the Department of Children and Families moved to discipline staff for improperly restraining a youth at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School for boys or the neighboring Pueblo Unit for girls.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Malloy vows to up the pressure for transportation ‘lockbox’
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy urged the public Monday to join him in pressuring the General Assembly to support a constitutional amendment to safeguard budget revenues earmarked for transportation.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Patients key to improving care at Connecticut hospitals
Connecticut hospitals, in collaboration with patient advocates and quality experts, are looking to patients to provide critical insight into how to improve healthcare. Empowering patients, providing better care, and eliminating harm are the goals of the Connecticut Hospital Association and its member hospitals, the Connecticut Center for Patient Safety, Qualidigm, and the Connecticut Partnership for Patient Safety. Together, our organizations are focusing on partnering with patients and gaining their perspective.
Posted inEvents
Two weeks until The Mirror’s ‘Small State, Big Debate: Race’ event
Two weeks remain until The Connecticut Mirror’s annual event, “Small State, Big Debate: Race” on Oct. 6 at Fairfield University. The full event will feature New York Times columnist Charles Blow as the keynote speaker and also includes sessions on criminal justice with discussions on the governor’s “second-chance society” and policy research.
Posted inPolitics
SNAFU knocks Finch off ballot in Bridgeport mayoral race
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch’s plan to continue as a minor party candidate after losing last week’s Democratic primary to former Mayor Joseph P. Ganim has come undone, a spokesman for the secretary of the state’s office said Monday.
Posted inPolitics
Malloy to greet Pope Francis at White House
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, the Jesuit-educated governor of the nation’s fourth-most Catholic state, will attend a White House event Wednesday marking the formal start of the visit to the U.S. by the first Jesuit pontiff, Pope Francis.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Municipal groups: Cuts in aid by another name hurt just as much
A troubling new trend in state budgets, according to municipal lobbying groups, involves cuts to town grants accompanied by a promise to offset those cuts with cost-saving initiatives. But those initiatives, municipal leaders say, haven’t been delivered.