Washington — Americans may be divided about the Affordable Care Act, but most did not want the federal government to be shut down in an attempt to block implementation of Obamacare, a new Quinnipiac poll shows.
Quinnipiac poll: Americans blame GOP for shutdown
Posted inNews
CT’s reaction: Dems shout, GOP shrugs
The debate over the looming federal government shutdown Monday was one-sided in Connecticut as Democrats aggressively tried to brand Republicans as irresponsible, while the GOP had no coordinated response. U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy each held press events reinforcing the message and strategy of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, who opposed making […]
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Connecticut’s poor most likely to feel shutdown impact first
Washington – Connecticut’s poorest and neediest citizens are likely to feel the sting of a federal government shutdown before most of the rest of the state’s population. Connecticut receives more than $1 billion each year for federal nutrition programs (from food stamps to school breakfasts), more than $2.5 billion from Washington to run Medicaid, the […]
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Prolonged federal shutdown could damage Connecticut’s fragile economic recovery
As the federal government stood at the brink of a shutdown, state and business leaders were most wary Monday of a prolonged stoppage. Though many of the 9,000 federal employees residing in Connecticut could be furloughed shortly after the new fiscal year begins Tuesday, a potential lag in billions in federal dollars earmarked for the […]
Posted inHealth
Pitching Obamacare in Hartford, home of 34,000 uninsured
With about 3.4 percent of the state’s population, Hartford is home to close to 10 percent of Connecticut’s uninsured.
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Money
Malloy wants to end Metro-North’s use of single power lines
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Monday called for an investigation into whether the Metro-North rail line should ever rely on one power line to service the trains responsible for transporting thousands of commuters. “Since we now know what a catastrophic event looks like based on what’s happened in New York, I don’t want to see that happen anywhere else on the line and certainly don’t want to see it happen in Connecticut,” Malloy told reporters during a Monday morning press conference at the State Armory in Hartford.
Posted inPolitics
Congress moves closer to shutdown
Washington — Congress moved closer toward a government shutdown Saturday as House Republicans planned to vote on a temporary spending bill that would postpone implementation of the Affordable Care Act for a year, something neither the Senate nor the White House will accept. In the latest chapter of the partisan standoff, the Republican-led House rejected a […]
Posted inHealth
Senate strips budget resolution of Obamacare provision
Senate Democrats on Friday voted for a temporary spending bill that would fund the federal government until mid-December.
Posted inNews
Climate change report blames humans — a conversation with Gary Yohe
Friday’s release of the latest international assessment of climate change has more firmly than ever placed its cause at the feet of humans. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment stated: “Human influence on the climate system is clear. “Human influence has been detected in warming of the atmosphere and the ocean, in changes […]
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Bond panel OK’s financing for Bridgeport development
The State Bond Commission approved $31 million in financing Friday to allow leading sporting goods retailer to locate in the long-planned commercial development on Steel Point in Bridgeport. And though the commission unanimously approved the financing for Bass Pro Shops, that endorsement came amidst an ongoing partisan debate over Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s handling of […]
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Connecticut prison population starts to drop after summertime spike
An unexpected spike in the state’s prison population this summer has leveled off, and the population seems to have returned to its overall five-year decline. The number inmates in Connecticut prisons rose steadily every month since April, but dropped slightly for the first time in September and now stands at 17,134, Michael P. Lawlor, Gov. […]
Posted inMoney, Politics
Connecticut bets on keno, maybe more slots
The Connecticut Lottery took a step Thursday toward bringing keno to bars, restaurants and other outlets next year, while legislators in Hartford began a study of the feasibility of introducing video slots to pari-mutuel facilities in Bridgeport, New Haven and Windsor Locks.
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UConn board to vote on student fee increase for new recreation center
The University of Connecticut’s governing board is expected to vote in November to further raise the cost of attending the state’s flagship university in order to pay for a new recreation center. Students are already slated to pay $1,112 more by 2016 than they are paying this year to cover the cost of hiring dozens […]
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Computer snags, other problems may dog health exchanges
Washington – Less than a week before the opening of state insurance exchanges nationwide, no one is sure how this key element of the Affordable Care Act is going to roll out. The Obama administration is hoping for a seamless debut. But even Obamacare’s biggest boosters predict there will be problems, though there’s debate as […]
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Lawmakers press Northeast Utilities to address rumors of job cuts
More than a dozen state legislators are pressing New England’s largest utility to detail immediately any plans to reduce staff as part of an ongoing merger. House Majority Leader Joseph Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, also insisted that Northeast Utilities respond to rumors that some information technology work would be outsourced to other countries. But NU responded Thursday […]