A new legislative task force on puppy mills decided Wednesday it will research and hold public hearings around the state on whether to ban the sale of commercially bred puppies in Connecticut pet shops. During an organizational hearing at the state Capitol, the task force announced it would send a report by January in time […]
Task force looks into banning Connecticut pet shops from selling commercially bred puppies
Posted inNews
Esty asks for congressional hearing on Metro-North disruption
Washington — Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, wasted no time in asking colleagues on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to request a congressional hearing on the Metro-North failure that will keep that commuter train line out of operations for weeks.
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Malloy suspends routine highway work to ease traffic crunch along Metro-North corridor
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy ordered the state Department of Transportation on Thursday to halt all routine road maintenance work in lower Fairfield County to ease traffic congestion. Vehicular traffic was expected to rise sharply after Wednesday’s power failure on the Metro-North rail line knocked out most service between Stamford and New York City for at least three weeks.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Web tool assists with landscaping for shoreline protection
Madison – Heather Crawford was incredulous. “Look at that, they’re irrigating,” she said as sprinklers soaked a perfect green grass lawn on top of a beachside seawall. Water dripped down the side leaving a large and expanding stain on the wall, which had been rebuilt after Tropical Storm Irene destroyed the previous one.
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Most Metro-North rail service to N.Y. suspended for three to four weeks
Wednesday’s power failure on the Metro-North rail line means most Connecticut commuters will need to find alternate transportation to New York City for at least next three weeks, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced. During a late afternoon press conference at the state armory in Hartford, the governor said a relief plan using diesel-powered rail cars […]
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Olsen offers fiery farewell to CT AFL-CIO
Mashantucket – Without a whiff of irony, the longest-serving president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO railed against the status quo Wednesday as he prepared to step down after 25 years, warning of dangers to labor even in this bluest of states. “The status quo is our enemy,” John W. Olsen told labor delegates, his voice booming, […]
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Lembo sees progress, but concerns linger over state budget
State government continues to make steady progress resolving the fiscal crises amassed over years, or even decades, Connecticut’s chief fiscal watchdog reported Wednesday. But Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo also used his annual fiscal review to highlight several concerns — lingering debt, hefty health care costs and modest job and revenue growth — that still threaten Connecticut’s […]
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Influx of new faculty at UConn precedes dramatic growth of student population
The University of Connecticut has boosted the number of full-time faculty and teaching staff by 169 people over the last two school years -– a 15 percent net increase in full-time staff. And this steady influx of new staff at the Storrs and regional campuses isn’t going to end anytime soon. Another 376 faculty members […]
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White House: ACA costs lower than expected; Connecticut among highest
Washington – A report released Wednesday by the White House said the average price of insurance premiums offered in state exchanges will be lower than expected. But, according to the same report, Connecticut’s exchange will offer some of the highest premiums in the nation. Eager to sell Americans on the Affordable Care Act , the Obama […]
Posted inEducation
Enrollment declines again at Connecticut State universities and community colleges
Following years of steady increases, enrollment at the state’s largest public college system is down for the fourth consecutive year. The 4.3 percent decline in enrollment since 2009 at the state’s community colleges and the four Connecticut State Universities translates to nearly 4,200 fewer students.
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As shutdown nears, Senate moves toward budget vote
Washington – Every single member of the U.S. Senate, including Connecticut’s senators, voted Thursday to move forward on a budget bill that would avoid a government shutdown, but also defund the Affordable Care Act. The 100-0 vote allows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule a vote to end debate on the bill and a […]
Posted inHealth
UConn researcher accused of fabricating red wine research dies
Dipak K. Das, a longtime UConn Health Center professor accused last year of fabricating research, died last week, according to an obituary in The Hartford Courant.
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CT legislature blocks wind power regulations for third time
A General Assembly committee rejected wind-turbine regulations for the third time in nine months Tuesday, prompting environmentalists to complain that legislators are blocking home-grown wind power just as the technology is showing signs of producing electricity at competitive prices. “This is really outright obstructionism at this point,” said Chris Phelps, the state director of Environment […]
Posted inHealth
Amid Obamacare marketing push, confusion about Medicare
There’s a major marketing campaign under way for Access Health CT, the new insurance marketplace opening Oct. 1 as part of the federal health reform law. But some officials and others who work with seniors are trying to get out a separate message: If you’re on Medicare, the new marketplace is not for you.
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The new voice of labor in Connecticut is female and gay
Lori Pelletier, new head of Connecticut AFL-CIO Hamden – Lori J. Pelletier appears set to be chosen by acclamation in a casino hotel ballroom Thursday as the new voice and face of labor in Connecticut, becoming the first openly gay woman to lead a state labor federation in the United States. But on Tuesday, Pelletier […]