WASHINGTON – Even as he’s stopped short of embracing the deal, Sen. Chris Murphy has become an ally in President Obama’s efforts to shore up Democratic support for a proposed Iran trade pact that’s become a punching bag for Republicans.
Murphy argues for giving Iran deal — and diplomacy — a chance
Posted inHealth
What does the Anthem-Cigna deal mean for consumers?
Experts say potential benefits of consolidation include economies of scale that can lead to reduced costs, while potential drawbacks include reduced competition that could have the opposite effect on prices.
Posted inMoney
State panel to host teleconferences with tax specialists
The committee studying Connecticut’s tax system will host a series of telephone conference meetings next week, and members of the public interested in listening to those briefings can do so at the headquarters of the state Office of Policy and Management.
Posted inCT Viewpoints, Talking Transportation
The secrets of E-ZPass
Today you can travel toll roads from Maine to Illinois to Virginia and use the same E-ZPass. And Connecticut drivers… get ready, as everyone admits that tolls are in our future. But even law-abiding E-ZPass holders should know that Big Brother may be watching them, miles from any toll lane. The NYC Dept of Transportation uses hundreds of E-ZPass readers in Manhattan, it says, to monitor the flow of traffic. Your E-ZPass could even let authorities determine if you were speeding as you pass between readers, though the NY Thruway insists that’s not in the plans and wouldn’t stand up in court. The choice is yours: pay cash, wait in long lines and remain anonymous… or get an E-ZPass, enjoy the discounts and speedy trips but leave a record of your travels.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Bill to speed drug approvals sitting in Senate’s waiting room
WASHINGTON –It was hailed as a rare bipartisan victory when it was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, but legislation that would boost the fortunes of Connecticut’s pharmaceutical industry — and perhaps speed a cure for Lyme disease — faces an uncertain fate.
Posted inNews
Hartford mayor, police chief, help Obama sell policing initiative
WASHINGTON – Mayor Pedro Segarra and Hartford Police Chief James Rovella were among dozens of officials invited to the White House Thursday to help President Obama promote a policing initiative aimed at preventing the types of police shootings that touched off riots in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore.
Posted inPolitics
CT Democrats to find new name for annual fundraising dinner
The Connecticut Democratic Party will find a new name this fall for its big annual fundraiser, and it no longer will include the names of former presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson – who owned slaves.
Posted inEducation
Lawmakers split on DCF commissioner’s performance
Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano called Thursday for the resignation of Commissioner Joette Katz, but Malloy and Rep. Diana Urban, co-chair of the legislative committee which oversees the Department of Children and Families, defended her.
Posted inNews
Top public defender says juvenile jails report ‘shocks the conscience’
Connecticut’s chief public defender says an investigation by the state’s child advocate into how youth are treated at the state’s jails for young offenders “shocks the conscience,” and condemned an “apparent disregard for the safety of these children.”
Posted inHealth
Feds Push States To Negotiate Lower Obamacare Rates
The Obama administration is urging state insurance regulators to take a closer look at rate requests before granting them, and used one Connecticut company’s recent rate proposal to bolster its case.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
CJTS is no place for traumatized kids
The Office of the Child Advocate’s report on the Connecticut Juvenile Training School reveals conditions requiring decisive action to keep youth safe. It is encouraging that the Department of Children and Families recently released its own report on CJTS acknowledging problems with the facility. Both reports leave me convinced that many of the youth at CJTS simply do not belong there.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Partisan debate heats up as state’s credit card nears its limit
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy drew criticism this year when he warned Wall Street investors he would boost state government’s effective credit card limit by 40 percent this year. But if the State Bond Commission approves all of the financing Malloy has proposed for next week’s meeting, the governor will have used up 95 percent of his self-imposed credit limit – with five months still to go in the calendar year.
Posted inPolitics
How much did CT residents give to each presidential candidate?
Last week, the Mirror reported on Federal Election Commission filings showing contributions by Connecticut residents to presidential campaigns during the second quarter. Our colleagues from TrendCT have parsed the data and created an interactive dashboard where you can explore it.
Posted inHealth
Survey: 36% of CT Obamacare customers haven’t used their insurance
More than 100,000 people bought private health plans through the state’s health insurance exchange for this year, but a survey of customers found that more than one in three haven’t used their coverage and more than one in four don’t have a primary care physician.
Posted inEducation
Watchdog: ‘Unlawful’ restraints, other failures in juvenile jails
The Office of the Child Advocate says in a new report that conditions at the state’s locked facilities for young juvenile offenders “place many youth at risk of physical and emotional harm.”