It now appears that the unprecedented forest fires that scorched Canada beginning in June came perilously close to having a devastating impact on the Northeast U.S. power grid. In the last week, officials at the independent system operator that runs the New England grid have revealed that on July 3, four transmission lines from Hydro-Quebec shut down because of raging fires near James Bay in northern Quebec.
Canadian fires cause close call for New England power supply
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Caught in ‘web’: Connecticut veterans say it’s hard to get benefits they’re owed
Daniel Passmore has nine titanium screws in his left foot and six in his right from injuries he sustained when he jumped off an Army vehicle. After three surgeries, the Waterbury veteran he is in so much pain that it is difficult for him to stand to do his job as a machinist. But for […]
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ALEC’s ‘scholarships’ for state legislators under fire as national conference opens
With a Connecticut legislator presiding, the political lightning rod known as ALEC opened its annual conference in Chicago Wednesday, promoting a business agenda and drawing fierce protests from labor and questions about its scholarships for lawmakers. State law allows the seven state House Republicans registered to attend the American Legislative Exchange Council conference to accept […]
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Blumenthal promotes surveillance reform
In a speech at Harvard Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., promoted proposals that would change and limit the operations of a tribunal that approves wiretaps and other surveillance for the FBI and National Security Agency. Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has plunged into a fracas in Congress touched off by revelations by […]
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UConn adopts new policy banning ‘romantic’ relationships between faculty and students
Storrs — Even as the University of Connecticut gears up to investigate charges of sexual misconduct against one of its faculty, the Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a new policy Wednesday banning romantic relationships between teachers and undergraduates. The policy, which university officials insist only strengthens long-existing efforts to discourage inappropriate relationships, also restricts certain […]
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UConn officials plan for future changes in Storrs, Hartford
Storrs — The University of Connecticut Board of Trustees took several steps Wednesday to prepare its main campus and its Hartford area branch for the future. During its regular meeting, the oversight panel: Approved a preliminary evaluation that’s the first step toward meeting the water supply needs at the main Storrs campus for the next […]
Posted inHealth
The Obamacare premiums are in. But what about deductibles and copays?
There’s been a lot of news this week about what it will cost to buy insurance through the new marketplace created by federal health reform. But what will those prices get you?
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Blumenthal brings high-energy style to Senate
Washington – Sen. Richard Blumenthal has signed on to more bills than anyone in the U.S. Senate, records from the library of Congress show. That’s just one indicator of how Blumenthal functions in office. Since the beginning of this Congress in January, Blumenthal has co-sponsored 248 bills. He’s also introduced 49 bills and amendments on […]
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Manufacturing could hold the key to Connecticut’s economic future
Is Connecticut finally on the cusp of a robust economy, or has its modest recovery peaked, with the state about to head for another downturn? Is its future rosy, or is the Nutmeg State headed down a path that mirrors the collapse Detroit began in the 1950s? Though national and international forces will play a […]
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Medicare to punish 24 state hospitals for high readmissions
Twenty-four of Connecticut’s 31 hospitals will face Medicare penalties in the fiscal year starting in October, in the second round of the federal government’s push to reduce the number of patients readmitted within a month of discharge, new data shows. None of the state’s hospitals will lose the maximum amount possible – 2 percent of […]
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Find your Obamacare insurance cost, in 3 (or 5) steps
The rates have been finalized for health insurance plans that will be sold through the new insurance marketplace created by federal health reform. But the actual premiums people pay will vary considerably, based on age, county, the specific plan type, and whether discounts are available. Find out what yours will be here.
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A new voice at Voices for Children
Connecticut Voices for Children reached to New Hampshire to hire a new executive director with ties to Connecticut and Yale University. The New Haven-based research and advocacy group has hired Ellen Shemitz, the former director of the Children’s Alliance of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Association for Justice. She will begin work with Voices […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment
UConn water source decision nears
The Hartford Courant reports that the University of Connecticut plans to chose the Connecticut Water Co. as the source of an additional two million gallons of water per day needed for campus expansion. The plan calls for five miles of pipe from the company’s Tolland reservoir to the Storrs campus. It would be built at no […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Politics
Legislators lobby Malloy administration for Montville renewable energy project
Montville – The line between politics and commerce blurred here Monday as the mayor and state legislators backed NRG Energy’s bid to be chosen by the state for a valuable prize: a long-term contract to provide renewable energy.
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Shellfish bed closures raise climate change questions
In the wake of five reported illnesses, the state agriculture department has shut 22 shellfish beds in Norwalk and Westport and instituted a so far voluntary recall of oysters and clams harvested since July 3. The culprit is Vibrio parahaemolyticus, naturally occurring bacteria that is generally seen more on the west coast. It does, however, […]