New Haven — Robert Braddock Jr., the chief fundraiser for former House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan’s ill-fated congressional campaign, was sentenced to 38 months in prison and fined $7,500 Tuesday for conspiring to trade Donovan’s influence for $27,500 in illegal campaign contributions. U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton said the sentence she imposed on Braddock, […]
Fundraiser sentenced to 38 months in prison in case that derailed congressional campaign
Posted inNews
With exploratory committee, Boucher joins GOP gubernatorial contenders
Naugatuck – State Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, opened an exploratory campaign for governor Tuesday in the struggling industrial town where she arrived as a 5-year-old immigrant from Italy nearly six decades ago. Boucher, 63, a state legislator for 17 years, representing some of the state’s wealthiest communities, announced her exploratory candidacy in a gazebo on […]
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Medical marijuana regulations win approval despite concerns about federal law
A divided legislative panel on Tuesday approved regulations to govern the state’s medical marijuana program, a set of rules that drew praise for its comprehensive nature, as well as concerns from legislators worried about conflicts with federal law. The vote clears the way for the state to begin seeking applications from those hoping to produce […]
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Connecticut courts wary of budget cuts
Washington — Earlier this month, dozens of federal judges, including Judge Alvin W. Thompson, who sits on the U.S. District Court in Connecticut, wrote to congressional leaders to say that a 5 percent budget cut “forces us to slash operations to the bone.” The budget cut, a result of sequestration — automatic federal spending cuts imposed […]
Posted inPolitics
Murphy urges cool heads over Syria
Washington — Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., may agree with President Obama on many things, but not on Syria. On Tuesday, Murphy said in a statement that he opposed Obama’s consideration of the use of force against the government of Bashar al-Assad, who is accused of using chemical weapons against opponents in the country’s civil war. Murphy […]
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Malloy taps West Hartford lawyer to head state’s right-to-know panel
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy named West Hartford attorney Owen P. Eagan on Tuesday to serve as chairman of the state’s Freedom of Information Commission. “The Freedom of Information Commission has a critical mission, to ensure that the public is informed about government operations and that they have access to public records,” Malloy said. “Owen has […]
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Supreme Court overturns award that was issue in Blumenthal’s 2010 campaign
The Connecticut Supreme Court Monday dismissed a small company’s $18.3 million defamation claim against the state that became an issue in the U.S Senate campaign of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in 2010. Conservatives said the case, which pitted the state against a small computer supply company accused of fraud, was an example of Blumenthal’s willingness […]
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State’s energy efficiency plan comes with higher customer fees
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s release of the state’s first long-term energy efficiency strategy is receiving widespread praise from environmental groups. And that’s even with proposed increases to ratepayer fees to fund it.
Posted inEducation
Must the state provide every Hartford student a seat in an integrated school?
As a court-ordered deadline approaches for state officials to outline how they will desegregate Hartford’s public schools, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy drew a line in the sand on what he is willing to agree to. Thirty-seven percent of Hartford students attended integrated schools last school year –- 4 percentage points shy of the 41 percent […]
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Malloy’s job growth claim proves overblown
Despite his claim to the contrary this week, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is not the only chief executive to hold office in recent history while Connecticut has grown jobs. In fact, it doesn’t even take much leafing through the history books to find someone whose tenure included more job growth. Gov. John G. Rowland, who […]
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Amid criticism for involvement in higher ed, Malloy ‘pleads guilty to being very involved’
Facing criticism that he is too involved in the governance at the state’s largest public college system, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said his level of oversight is warranted. “I am going to push performance and I think as governor I have a right to expect that institutions that are spending this much public money measure […]
Posted inHealth, Politics
Half of members on panel considering medical marijuana regulations voted against legislation
Of the 14-members on the legislative panel set to vote Tuesday on Connecticut’s medical marijuana regulations, seven members voted against the bill legalizing marijuana’s use. So will these legislators who voted against the bill be able to put aside their opposition and approve the regulations to avoid a stalemate? Gov. Dannel P. Malloy hopes so, […]
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UConn scientist working on a new way to repair knees
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin had already earned a PhD in biomedical engineering when he started a fellowship in sports medicine, a job that got him involved in fixing lots of torn knee ligaments known as ACLs. “It just seemed to me that there might be a better way to be able to approach this,” said […]
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UConn enrollment at Storrs hits all-time high — and will be going higher
Enrollment at the University of Connecticut has surged. With classes set to begin Monday in Storrs, the freshman class is 21 percent larger than last year’s. To accommodate the 3,756 incoming freshman, university officials have opted to house dozens of students at the hotel on campus, complete with maid service and access to the pool. […]
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GOP leader: Is Keno coming or was it a mirage to balance the state budget?
Though Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s staff is negotiating with Connecticut’s Indian tribes about adding Keno games statewide, one of the legislature’s top Republicans doubts the administration has any intention of launching the controversial game. House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero, R-Norwalk, said Keno — which six out of 10 voters opposed in a June poll […]