Gov. Dannel P. Malloy intends by the end of the week to name a panel that will review how the state, municipalities, non-profits and the utilities responded to Tropical Storm Irene. The governor’s review is intended to be broader than examining the performance of the state’s two major power companies, Connecticut Light & Power and […]
Malloy, legislature to review response to Irene
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Watchdog agencies spared as Malloy nails down budget cuts
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration already has secured one-fifth of this year’s savings called for in the union concession deal–and apparently won’t be trying to take any more funding from Connecticut’s three chief watchdog agencies. Office of Policy and Management Secretary Benjamin Barnes reported Tuesday that $135 million was withheld from agencies’ budget allotments for […]
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Charter school founder to be named education commissioner
One of the founders of an acclaimed Connecticut charter school who later led the redevelopment effort in Lower Manhattan after the attacks of 9/11 will be named Connecticut’s next commissioner of education. Gov. Dannel Malloy is expected to appoint Stefan Pryor, now the deputy mayor of Newark, N.J., to succeed Mark McQuillan, who resigned abruptly […]
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Tong trying to leap past Murphy and Bysiewicz to U.S. Senate
William Tong had just finished pitching his candidacy for U.S. Senate, telling the story of growing up as the son of a Chinese cook who arrived in Bloomfield in 1971 with 57 cents and the promise of a job at the Hong Kong Kitchen. His biography connected with the Democratic town committee in Windsor, a […]
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Online hotel brokers could be next in state’s tax crosshairs
State government began this summer trying to force online retailers to collect tax on sales to Connecticut consumers. Next up could be the Internet travel brokers who refer business to Connecticut’s hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. And the stakes are high, given that the state’s occupancy tax just jumped by one-quarter, from 12 to 15 percent. The […]
Posted inHealth
ECHN terminating UnitedHealthcare contract Oct. 15
Eastern Connecticut Health Network, the parent company of Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospitals, announced Tuesday that it will terminate its contract with UnitedHealthcare and Oxford Health Plans as of Oct. 15. At that point, the hospitals would be out of the insurers’ networks, and patients covered by those plans would face out-of-network rates if […]
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Americans support religious freedom, but some uncomfortable with Muslims
Americans overwhelmingly agree that the United States “was founded on the idea of religious freedom for everyone, including religious groups that are unpopular,” a new Brookings report says, but significant numbers view Muslims with some mistrust. Although 88 percent agree that the country stands for religious freedom, 47 percent say Islam and American principals are […]
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If you are wondering what an “inevitability campaign” looks like
William Tong says on our page today that Chris Murphy is running an “inevitability campaign,” portraying himself as the clear choice in a three-way race with Tong and Susan Bysiewicz for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. The Murphy campaign was quick to reinforce that today. Not only did it announce an endorsement by the […]
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Donovan takes another shot at a kickoff
As the labor concession deal teetered back in June, House Speaker Christopher Donovan canceled the formal announcement of his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 5th Congressional District, though he continued campaigning and raising money. Now, with Labor Day gone (and the power back on in the district) Donovan is taking another crack at […]
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With lights back on, next step is getting federal recovery funds
With power to be restored by midnight to all but a few hundred customers in Connecticut, officials said Monday the next phase of recovery from Tropical Storm Irene will be processing applications for the aid that comes with a federal disaster declaration. Federal Emergency Management Administration centers will be open in all eight counties by […]
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Legislators hoping for big ideas in president’s jobs speech
WASHINGTON–Lawmakers in the Connecticut delegation say they don’t want President Barack Obama to launch the jobs debate this week with a small-bore, nibble-around-the-edges proposal. With the August jobs report showing zero growth, unemployment stuck at 9.1 percent, and economists fearing a double-dip recession, Democrats like Rep. John Larson say the moment calls for big and […]
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Poll: Majority see organized labor’s influence declining
Fifty-five percent of Americans think labor unions should have as much or more influence in the future as they do now, but an equal proportion say they don’t expect that will happen, according to a new Gallup poll. The share of people saying they expect organized labor’s influence to decline is up from 46 percent […]
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What Rennie hath wrought?
Kevin Rennie’s had fun tweaking U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, for being on vacation in Italy during Irene’s rude visit to her shoreline district. Weathering the storm at the Hotel Poseidon on the Amalfi Coast did present comic opportunities that were hard to overlook. Now, Rosa’s back, hectoring the utilities, seeking help from the […]
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Anthem proposes 12.9 percent rate increase
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the state’s largest health insurer and a favorite target of advocates for more stringent regulation of rate increases, is seeking to raise premiums by 12.9 percent next year for more than 45,000 individual-market customers, including some whose plans were the subject of a controversial request that got denied last […]