Researchers at the University of Connecticut have recently learned how to create grass that is immune from many weather conditions. UConn scientists are also determined to show that feeding chickens cinnamon and oregano helps curb the persistence of salmonella. What they haven’t found is an increase in research dollars, as funding for research is on the decline […]
UConn heads for funding cliff for research
Posted inUncategorized
PCSW: Malloy fails to deliver on pledge to fill half his senior jobs with women
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has named women to 34.4 percent of high-level posts in his administration, falling short of a campaign pledge to fill half the top jobs with women, according to the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. The numbers are similar to the administration of his predecessor, Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Lawmakers’ environmental scorecard drops
According to the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, the state’s legislators are slipping as environmental watchdogs. But curiously absent among the 12 votes the CTLCV used to make that assessment – the huge energy bill that created the new Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and set in motion dozens of programs designed to revamp […]
Posted inPolitics
Bernier invitation declares him the GOP frontrunner in 5th CD
In an invitation to a Washington fundraiser sent by a veterans’ political group, Justin Bernier is proclaimed to the be the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the crowded 5th Congressional District. “Justin Bernier is the frontrunner for the ‘open seat’ in CD5 — Connecticut’s most Republican district. Bernier has outraised all GOP competitors in […]
Posted inHealth
See who wants what from the super committee
With the Congressional super committee’s much-awaited recommendations for trimming the federal deficit due next week, Kaiser Health News has compiled a guide to what health care interest groups are asking for and what they’re telling committee members. Read it here.
Posted inNews
Blumenthal discusses ‘Pathways Back to Work’ bill
NEW HAVEN — U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal Monday announced his Pathways Back to Work Act — one that seeks to address unemployment by borrowing pieces of President Obama’s larger jobs bill. “The major task ahead is making sure that we fill jobs that exist and create new ones so we can put Connecticut back to […]
Posted inNews
New commissioner looks for schools that are succeeding
MERIDEN – When unionized teachers in Meriden’s public schools needed more time to examine student test data, they voluntarily added extra classroom time to their schedules to make room for regular weekly data review meetings. That simple solution, the result of informal talks between the union president and school superintendent, was cited Monday by the […]
Posted inNews
Education panel considers competitive funding grants
The best way to turn around the state’s low-performing public schools may be to use money to reward reform, according to top state officials, including the new education commissioner. The officials point at President Obama’s playbook — and his Race to the Top grants — as their model. “One of the things that the federal […]
Posted inNews
Solar power offers little hedge against grid problems
Rebecca Waldo remembers the frantic phone calls from her and her husband’s many Waldo Renewable Electric solar customers after Tropical Storm Irene blacked out much of the state: “What can I do? What can I do?” For most, the answer was suffer without power like everyone else. Irene and the freak October snowstorm each were […]
Posted inNews
Taxman wants flexibility as staff shrinks, work grows
If a tax return mailed into the state is a day late, should there be a penalty? If tax forms are filed with mistakes, should state government first pursue those that have the most funding at stake? The state auditors and the Department of Revenue Services bumped heads recently over questions like that as the […]
Posted inNews
Winner of mayoral election, O’Brien resigns House seat
Rep. Tim O’Brien, D-New Britain, has resigned from the House, effective Tuesday.O’Brien, a state legislator for eight years, was elected mayor of New Britain last week, succeeding Republican Tim Stewart, who did not run. “I look forward to building on my work in the state legislature to create a bright future for the people of […]
Posted inNews
Exchange board lacks true consumer representation
As has been covered in detail by the Mirror (“As exchange board begins work, advocates still seeking change,” Nov. 3, 2011), consumer advocates are concerned that there is not a voting member on the board developing the state’s health insurance exchange who represents consumers. Many members of the board dispute that, claiming that they represent […]
Posted inNews
Business and politics blend at the car show
Commerce, politics and a brief nod to veterans came together at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford on Friday, where a three-day auto show began at a moment normally associated with the signing of the armistice that ended World War I. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, somber uniformed […]
Posted inNews
‘Loot Camp’ tries to give at-risk students financial smarts
NEW HAVEN–Lynn Smith showed a slide with three names: Larry King, Ulysses S. Grant, MC Hammer. “What do they have in common?” she asked a small classroom of 10 at-risk students at the New Haven Family Alliance Center. “They all went bankrupt.” What followed was an immediate burst of excitement, some giggles, a few disparaging […]
Posted inNews
Power outage compounds seasonal demand at food pantries
Pre-Thanksgiving pleas for donations from food banks and pantries are a familiar part of the season, but organizers say the rare October snow storm causing massive power outages will compound the demand this year, and some may struggle to fill empty shelves. Gloria McAdam serves as president of Foodshare, a Connecticut food distribution bank that […]