Pratt & Whitney officially has a monopoly on one of the largest defense contracts ever-building engines for the Joint Strike Fighter plane. The Department of Defense today officially announced that it had terminated its contract with General Electric and Rolls Royce, which had been collaborating on an alternate engine for the JSF. GE and Rolls […]
Pratt & Whitney’s monopoly on JSF contract is official
Posted inNews
Well, S&P has faith the state will make the right budget choices
If not exactly bullish on Connecticut, Standard & Poor’s at least is predicting that the state’s governor and legislature will resolve its structural budget problems this year. The rating agency today affirmed the state’s AA bonding rating. Here is S&P’s bad news, good news view of the state: “The stable outlook reflects our expectation that […]
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Courtney, Blumenthal rev up rhetoric on gas prices
With gas prices hitting record levels in advance of the summer vacation season, many lawmakers are ratcheting up their rhetoric on the issue. On Friday, Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, took aim at Wall Street speculators who he said have unfairly driven up prices, creating spikes that are not connected to oil supply or other […]
Posted inHealth
Free preventive care isn’t always free
Under the federal health reform law, insurers must pay for the full cost of preventive services, leaving patients with no out-of-pocket costs. But according to Harris Meyer of Kaiser Health News, it’s not always that simple. If a preventive test uncovers a problem that gets dealt with during the same visit–say, a colonoscopy that leads […]
Posted inHealth
Federal health officials to take questions on health disparities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a plan to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities, and federal health officials will take questions about it during a webcast Monday at 1 p.m. Panelists include Dr. Garth Graham, deputy assistant secretary for minority health at HHS, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for […]
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A little confusion helps students learn
The most effective teachers are the ones who can explain complicated subjects so clearly that their students get it the first time, right? Maybe not, Nate Kornell says at Miller-McCune. A “growing mountain of research” suggests that struggling for understanding is a key part of the learning process. In one experiment, researchers got high school […]
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Will wind turbines really create jobs?
If you believe BNE Energy’s industrial wind turbine project in Colebrook will create jobs, read Joel Rinebold’s testimony before the Connecticut Siting Council. Who is Joel Rinebold? He was hired by BNE to prepare an Economic Energy Analysis for their projects in Colebrook and Prospect. Interestingly, Mr. Rinebold is a former executive director of the […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Will wind turbines really create jobs?
If you believe BNE Energy’s industrial wind turbine project in Colebrook will create jobs, read Joel Rinebold’s testimony before the Connecticut Siting Council. Who is Joel Rinebold? He was hired by BNE to prepare an Economic Energy Analysis for their projects in Colebrook and Prospect. Interestingly, Mr. Rinebold is a former executive director of the […]
Posted inNews
SustiNet backers not giving up on public option
Supporters of the proposed SustiNet state-run health plan were meeting Wednesday night when word trickled in that lawmakers had reached an agreement on the proposal. It would not include offering state-run insurance to the public, a key goal of supporters. But it would create a SustiNet cabinet to oversee health reform efforts. A doctor in […]
Posted inNews
First campaign finance reports offer glimpse into Senate race
WASHINGTON–She loaned her campaign nearly $30,000 for a poll. He raked in more than $100,000 in PAC money. She took in a $7,500 donation from a wealthy Philadelphia philanthropist. He got $1,000 from one of the Democrats vying to succeed him. And both devoted campaign cash to advertising–even though Election Day is 1 ½ years […]
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Bill would waive certification for charter school teachers
The test scores of Kendra Salvador’s students suggest she’s doing an excellent job teaching math at her inner-city charter school, but state education officials keep telling her principal she has to go back to college or lose her job. “It just doesn’t make sense,” Jeff House, the principal of Achievement First Middle School, said while […]
Posted inHealth
The start of a medical home boom?
Two large medical groups have become officially recognized patient-centered medical homes, significantly increasing the number of Connecticut health care providers with the designation. The patient-centered medical home concept is becoming increasingly popular in health care. It emphasizes care coordination, with health care providers taking responsibility for all of their patients’ health care needs, including arranging […]
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut’s school funding fix
Connecticut’s public schools face a daunting challenge: How do we deliver a dramatic improvement in achievement without an increase in spending? With each passing day, we read about entrepreneurs and engineers from the far reaches of the world who are realizing the innovations that will shape our lives for the next hundred years. Will our […]
Posted inEducation
Connecticut’s school funding fix
Connecticut’s public schools face a daunting challenge: How do we deliver a dramatic improvement in achievement without an increase in spending? With each passing day, we read about entrepreneurs and engineers from the far reaches of the world who are realizing the innovations that will shape our lives for the next hundred years. Will our […]
Posted inNews
A victory for a rookie governor running against the tide
A new political reality at the state Capitol was affirmed Thursday as the legislature’s money committees endorsed tax and spending plans outlined two months ago by the rookie governor who barely squeaked into office, Dannel P. Malloy. With surprisingly few defections, Democratic majorities on the Appropriations and Finance committees approved and sent to the floor […]