Washington – In a major defeat for House Speaker John Boehnor, a new farm bill was killed Thursday by a coalition of Democrats concerned about food stamp cuts and Republicans concerned about farm subsidies. All five members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation voted against the bill, which was rejected 234-195. It was a rare victory for […]
House farm bill killed over food stamp cuts
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State’s unemployment rate remains stable for fourth consecutive month
The state’s unemployment rate remained at 8 percent for the fourth consecutive month in May despite modest job gains, the Department of Labor reported Thursday, citing mixed signals about the future of Connecticut’s job market. And the state’s largest health insurance company announced plans Thursday to add jobs in south central Connecticut later this summer. […]
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Connecticut insurers to rebate $5.6 million to customers under Obamacare rule
More than 47,000 Connecticut residents will get rebates from their health insurance companies this summer because the federal health reform law deems the premiums they paid too high.
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Interactive: A look at hospital charges in Connecticut
Consumers in May got to see what hospitals across the country charged for some of the most commonly performed inpatient medical procedures. “Up until now there hasn’t been a one-stop shop to compare hospitals in the state, across multiple procedures,” said Victoria Veltri, Connecticut’s healthcare advocate. “It was a big move nationally, never mind for […]
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New GOP legislator says voter anger fueled his win
Special elections are almost always about local issues and personalities, but newly elected Rep. Sam Belsito, R-Tolland, said Wednesday his landslide victory last week had nothing to do with him or his opponent. “This election was not about the local candidates – was not, absolutely not,” Belsito said after taking the oath of office in […]
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Should ‘race’ be replaced with ‘socioeconomic factors’ in Sheff case?
Under a racial desegregation order, a popular magnet school near Damaris DeLeon’s home in Hartford draws many of its students from outside of the city but remains a distant dream for her 6-year-old son. Magnet schools are at the center of the desegregation effort, but as they reach deep into the suburban towns to find […]
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Malloy signs campaign finance law that loosens restrictions
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed legislation Wednesday that will allow the state parties to make unlimited expenditures on Connecticut legislative races next year and permit a degree of coordination between political candidates and Super PACs that may later make independent expenditures on their behalf.
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Rail safety hearing focuses on Metro–North practices
Washington –- A top federal transportation safety official said Wednesday that a damaged rail joint that Metro- North ignored could have contributed to the May 17 derailment near Bridgeport, but she stopped short of attributing blame or giving an official cause of the crash . Citing an inspection report written by Metro-North workers two days before […]
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First 2014 poll shows Malloy trailing Foley by 3 points
Quinnipiac University’s first poll of the 2014 gubernatorial race shows Gov. Dannel P. Malloy slightly trailing Republican Tom Foley, the man he beat three years ago in Connecticut’s closest gubernatorial contest in a half-century. Malloy, a Democrat still dogged by the weak economy that greeted his inauguration in January 2011, trails 43 percent to 40 […]
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Cafero to announce decision on race for governor by June 30
House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, said Wednesday he will announce whether he is running for governor by June 30. Cafero, who said in January he would decide by the end of spring, said he still is talking to family members about his decision. “I owe it to them to have those private […]
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Joint Strike Fighter passes new review
Thanks to the Pentagon’s support, the embattled F-35 program passed a tough test Wednesday as a key Senate appropriations committee reviewed the aircraft’s worth. Top military officers told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense Wednesday that there is no alternative to the fighter plane. Over budget and behind schedule, the F-35, or Joint Strike Fighter, […]
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Malloy stands by his energy policy — and his energy commissioner
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy gave a vote of confidence Tuesday to his commissioner of energy and environmental protection, Daniel C. Esty, unexpectedly joining him at a press briefing to promote the administration’s environmental record during the contentious 2013 legislative session. Esty, a noted author and industry consultant who took a two-year leave of absence from […]
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Biden says White House won’t quit on gun control
Washington –- Gun control remains stalemated in Congress, but Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday he’s optimistic a bill that would expand background checks of gun buyers will become law. “The president and I — our team — have not given up,” Biden said during an event at the White House. The Senate in April […]
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Feds pitch broad payment options for Obamacare customers
Federal health officials have proposed that all health plans selling insurance on the new online marketplaces must allow for easy payment options for households without bank accounts or credit cards.
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CTLatino News: Latino legislators back victim privacy law
When State Rep. Angel Arce’s father, Angel Arce Torres, was struck and killed during a hit-and-run in Hartford back in 2008, Arce and his family had no choice but to relive the horrific scene over and over again. The disturbing incident, captured on videotape, barraged them not only on television, but around the Internet on […]