WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Jim Himes is not at the center of the delicate negotiations over a sweeping financial reform bill. But the 4th District Democrat is getting heat over the measure nonetheless, from consumer advocates in Washington and Connecticut who say that Himes and other centrist Democrats are pushing from the sidelines to weaken […]

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal stepped before two television cameras Wednesday to talk about his latest investigation, an inquiry into how much a pharmacy chain charges the state’s Medicaid program for drugs. On Monday, Blumenthal stood at the same battered lectern in his office, where he has held hundreds of press conferences, to announce a multi-state […]

The first state budget that Connecticut’s next governor and legislature must craft has sprung another leak, according to a new consultant’s report analyzing the state’s pension fund. The analysis submitted to the Post Employment Benefits Commission says the state’s original budgeted contribution to the state employee pension savings fund was $86 million short for the […]

WATERBURY — In his campaign against childhood obesity, Dr. David Katz acknowledges that his simple, common-sense prescription is not always easy to follow. “We need to eat less and better stuff and get off our rear ends and be active,” Katz, a nationally-known expert on nutrition and weight management, told a meeting of educators and […]

In 2008, there were over 20,000 incidents of domestic violence that resulted in arrest. This number does not begin to count or capture the stories of the victims whose struggles go unreported. Barely a week goes by without yet another horrific story about domestic violence in our communities. We need to put a stop to […]

Any voter who had glanced at the campaign web sites of Dan Malloy and Ned Lamont would have instantly recognized the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates, who stayed firmly on message during their first one-on-one debate Tuesday. Malloy is the dyslexic child who grew up to become mayor of Stamford, coping with all the issues facing […]

A lack of funding again is plaguing state government’s “Clean Contracting” system, this time hindering an oversight board’s ability to determine when state agencies can hire private-sector workers. Faced with an ongoing disagreement between the Department of Transportation and the union representing about 1,000 state engineers, planners and safety inspectors, the State Contracting Standards Board […]

Thousands of nursing home workers will be asking for wage and benefit increases come March. But their employers are largely funded by the state, and the state is broke. “It’s not likely we will be able to increase spending for nursing homes,” said Rep. John Geragosian, D-New Britain, chairman of the Appropriations Committee. “They are […]

Quick state budget riddle: When is an extra $100 million in surplus dollars not necessarily good news? Answer: When the revenue trends behind it could require Connecticut to pay a matching amount into the employee pension fund. If that bit of fiscal logic seems hard to follow, it’s because it’s based on a new $19.01 […]

The widow of Owen Hart, a wrestler killed in the ring 11 years ago, is suing Linda McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment, claiming that the WWE has violated Hart’s 1996 contract by continuing to use his name and image in videos in which he appears. “They have been profiting from this tragic death,” Martha Hart […]

Standing outside a community health center in Manchester, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy outlined a health care plan that includes expanding the availability of subsidized coverage for children under the state’s HUSKY program. Too many people are “not properly cared for in one of the richest states in the nation,” Malloy said Monday as he […]

The General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Monday to continue taxing real estate sales at an elevated rate first employed as a temporary measure seven years ago, a welcome relief to the state’s towns and cities who stand to benefit. Without action, the 0.25 tax rate would have expired next week, and with it an estimated $25 […]

When viewed through the prism of personal finances, the U.S. Senate contest is a matter of who has more zeros. Democrat Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut’s attorney general, reported combined household assets last year of up to $124 million, including a checking account owned by his wife Cynthia with more than $1 million in it and multimillion-dollar […]

Connecticut has become the first state in the U.S. to take advantage of a provision in the new federal health reform law by adding nearly 45,000 low-income childless adults on Medicaid. Prior to the federal health reform law states had to apply for temporary waivers to receive partial reimbursements for this population not otherwise eligible […]

The General Assembly Monday overrode Gov. M. Jodi Rell on six of the 13 bills she vetoed in the 2010 session, her last regular session before stepping down as governor in January. The bills re-passed affect criminal background checks, sentencing policies, off-track betting, environmental permitting procedures, licensing for social workers, and a Stamford parking garage. […]