WASHINGTON — Of $16 billion in special federal disaster funds released for recovery projects in states damaged by Hurricane Sandy, Connecticut has been awarded only about 1 percent. It’s an amount some local officials say is not enough to help rebuild.
Feds give Connecticut relatively little for recovery from Sandy
Posted inNews
CT lawmakers lean on Harry Reid to schedule Schwartz VA vote
WASHINGTON – Members of the state’s congressional delegation on Thursday told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid they are tired of tapping their feet waiting for a confirmation vote for Linda Schwartz, the head of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, who has been nominated by President Obama for a top VA job in Washington.
Posted inPolitics
Sniffing a fight, Bysiewicz opts against state Senate race
Facing the prospect of a nomination fight, former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz abruptly ended a public exploration of an unusual political comeback Thursday, announcing she will not pursue the Democratic nomination for state Senate in a district where she doesn’t live.
Posted inHealth
IRS, Hartford police conducting criminal investigation on Access Health data breach
The Internal Revenue Service and Hartford police are conducting a criminal investigation of the data breach involving information on clients of Connecticut’s health insurance exchange. But an exchange official said Thursday that the cause was most likely a mistake by a call center worker.
Posted inMoney
CT jobless rate unchanged despite gains in May
Despite 5,800 jobs added to the Connecticut economy in May, the state’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.9 percent, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Connecticut legislators in 13th year without a raise
While nearly a fifth of the nation’s state legislatures increased their salaries last year, Connecticut’s General Assembly members are in the midst of their 13th year without a pay hike.
Posted inEducation
Education’s Revolving Door
In some of the nation’s most troubled schools, new teachers are leaving their jobs at alarming rates — disrupting classrooms and sparking a debate on how to keep the best young teachers on the job.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Op-Ed: Twain’s novel speaks of democracy and technology today
Steve Thornton Today, June 19, marks a significant incident in Connecticut history. Yet no one celebrates it. (No, I don’t mean Juneteenth, which is the African American community’s commemoration of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.) June 19, 1879 was the day Hank Morgan got hit with a crowbar by a worker known as Hercules, a powerful blow […]
Posted inNews
Op-Ed: Twain’s novel speaks of democracy and technology today
Steve Thornton Today, June 19, marks a significant incident in Connecticut history. Yet no one celebrates it. (No, I don’t mean Juneteenth, which is the African American community’s commemoration of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.) June 19, 1879 was the day Hank Morgan got hit with a crowbar by a worker known as Hercules, a powerful blow […]
Posted inPolitics
Boughton quits race, calls for GOP to unite behind Foley
Struggling to qualify for public financing, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton ended his campaign for governor Wednesday with a call for Republicans to unite behind the convention-endorsed candidate, Tom Foley.
Posted inMoney
CT restores thousands of hours of expired comp time for parole officers
The state restored about 5,800 hours of compensatory time that should have expired to parole officers under an agreement reached with the workers’ union in 2013.
Posted inPolitics
SEEC grants Malloy campaign funds, rejects complaint
On separate votes Wednesday, the State Elections Enforcement Commission dismissed allegations of illegal fundraising and campaigning by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and approved a $6.5 million public financing grant for the re-election campaign of Malloy and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman.
Posted inPolitics
Bysiewicz looking at houses in Bristol, seat in Senate
Former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz said Wednesday that her potential run for the state Senate in a district where she doesn’t live is a matter of serendipity: a political vacancy arising in Bristol as she and her husband were hunting there for an antique home.
Posted inEducation, Politics
Common Core an issue in Wilson, Kennedy race for Senate
The national debate over Common Core has come to the race for the open 12th State Senate seat, with Republican candidate Bruce H. Wilson, Jr. calling for the state to reconsider its plan to require all school districts to adopt new academic standards along with new standardized tests.
Posted inHealth
‘Observation status:’ The term hospital patients should know
Patients, take note: Starting Oct. 1, those who spend more than 24 hours in the hospital could receive notice that they’ve been placed on something known as “observation status.” It’s a technical term, but one that could mean the difference between having their recovery paid for or ending up with a hefty bill.