The Government Accountability Office has been called on by Congress to have a look at the how well the nation’s energy infrastructure can handle the ramifications of climate change. The Senate Environment and Public Works committee’s Oversight Subcommittee and the Senate Finance Committee requested the work, according to a letter sent to the Nuclear Regulatory […]
Washington
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Money
Former CT DEP chief takes fire for the EPA
Former Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (when it was still called that) chief Gina McCarthy has gotten herself onto a hot seat for the Environmental Protection Agency where she’s hung her hat during the Obama administration as the EPA’s assistant administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation. Politico reports that McCarthy had to answer […]
Posted inNews
White House: Sequester ‘Deeply Destructive’ to Defense
In response to a demand from Congress, President Obama on Friday released a 394-page list of federal programs that would be cut if lawmakers fail to reach a deficit reduction deal and sequestration, or automatic cuts, is enacted. Few government programs would be spared under sequestration, the report said, but the Pentagon budget would take […]
Posted inPolitics
Silver: Risk-averse Romney makes a risky choice
New York Times blogger Nate Silver has his usual interesting, poll-based, statistic-heavy take on Romney’s choice of Paul Ryan. Read here.
Posted inHealth
A new call to study cellphone radiation
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report today, according to Washington Post tech blogger Hayley Tsukayama, that says cellphone exposure limits should be reassessed. The blogger writes, “While the report did not suggest that cellphone use causes cancer, the agency did say that FCC’s current energy exposure limit for mobile phones, established in 1996, […]
Posted inNews
Panetta says no BRAC in 2013
It’s official: there will be no new round base closings next year. Facing massive opposition to another base realignment and closure process, known as BRAC, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta threw in the towel. “It’s now clear obviously there will not be a round of BRAC authorized” in 2013, he said in a speech to the […]
Posted inPolitics
Connecticut Democrats shaken down for campaign cash
Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, pulled the entire Connecticut delegation — except for Rep. Chris Murphy — off the House floor Thursday to ask them for money. The DCCC helps Democratic candidates facing tough races. Incumbent House members all pay dues — calculated on seniority and committee assignments — […]
Posted inNews
House approves GOP tax bill – without Connecticut support
In a largely symbolic vote, the House approved a Republican plan Wednesday to extend all the Bush-era tax cuts for another year. Connecticut’s Democratic House members voted unanimously against the plan, which prevailed on a 256-171 vote. But it received support from 19 other Democrats. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, and other Democrats seized on […]
Posted inPolitics
Shays finally takes to the airwaves
The campaign of former Republican Rep. Chris Shays ran its first television ad Thursday, touting the Senate candidate’s experience. “He’s smart, he knows what he’s doing and he’s done it before,” Shays’ wife Betsi says in the 30-second spot. The ad will run until the primary election on Aug. 14, which will pit Shays against […]
Posted inNews
Lieberman votes reject both Democratic and GOP tax plans
Sen. Joe Lieberman Wednesday rejected both Republican and Democratic tax plans, saying neither one would help balance the budget. The Republican plan failed. But with the support of Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal and 50 other Democrats, the Democratic plan squeaked by on a 51-48 vote. Vice President Joe Biden presided over the Senate, ready to […]
Posted inPolitics
Blumenthal part of new group to boost fuel cells
Lawmakers love to establish caucuses with colleagues who share their passions and there are dozens of caucuses in Congress. They promote everything from bicycles to minor league baseball. The newest caucus is the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Caucus, formed this week by strange bedfellows — Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Lindsay Graham of South […]
Posted inHealth
Two state doctors’ networks named to oversee care, cost for Medicare patients
The federal government has designated two Connecticut doctor networks as “accountable care organizations” responsible for controlling costs and providing more coordinated medical care for Medicare patients. PriMed Inc. of Shelton and MPS ACO Physicians LLC of Middletown were among 89 designated as ACOs nationally Monday by the federal government. These ACOs, part of the Affordable […]
Posted inNews
DeLauro seeks halt to Pentagon purchase of Russian ‘copters
Rep. Rosa DeLauro — and a group of other lawmakers with defense contractors in their districts — have once again asked the Pentagon to stop buying helicopters from Russia to be used in the war in Afghanistan. The Pentagon is buying Mi-17 helicopters from state-owned Rosoboronexport because the Afghan security services are familiar with them. […]
Posted inHealth
DeLauro launches attack on farm bill that would slash food stamps
House Republicans are about to go after a federal program Rep. Rosa DeLauro holds dear and she’s not taking it lightly. DeLauro, D-3rd District, plans to hold a news conference with fellow House liberals Tuesday to condemn a GOP farm bill that would cut the food stamp program by about $1.6 billion a year. Reductions […]
Posted inPolitics
Bysiewicz starts television campaign
Former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz has gotten a jump on her Democratic rival for the Senate, Rep. Chris Murphy, at least when it comes to television advertising. Bysiewicz’s campaign said it will begin to run a 30-second spot called “Proud” in order “to highlight Susan’s record of getting things done.” The ad features […]