Connecticut News & Current Events

The Gun Violence Archive reports there have been 520 mass shootings to this point in 2023, 125 fewer than the total number of mass shootings in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, September 29, 2023

CT advocates celebrate White House gun violence prevention office

Connecticut advocates are keen to see what will come from the recently established White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The new office …

At least six states and dozens of local jurisdictions have introduced legislation to ban the use of ballot tabulators, relying instead on hand counts to determine election results despite tabulators having a higher accuracy rate. (Adobe Stock)

Pressure mounts on CT governor to upgrade election infrastructure

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled the name 'Erlinghauser' as two words instead of one. (11:24 a.m. MDT, Sept. 20…

A Center for Disease Control and Prevention Report finds 45% of women didn't ask questions or share concerns during their maternity care. Reasons included being told by family or friends what they felt was normal, feeling embarrassed, not confident to talk about it, or thinking their doctor would consider them difficult. (Adobe Stock)

CT Takes Action to Improve Maternal Health

Connecticut is taking steps to bolster maternal health. The March of Dimes organization finds maternal health in the state improved through some …

Former President Donald Trump's federal criminal case wouldn't be the first to have TV cameras present. The trials of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and alleged 9/11 co-conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui both were televised. (Adobe Stock)

CT Activist Petitions for Televising Federal Trump Case

A Connecticut activist is petitioning to have Donald Trump's federal trial televised. The change.org petition has garnered more than 17,000 …

In 2019, Connecticut had economy-wide emissions of 39.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, a 13.9% decline since 1990. Emissions hit an all time low in 2020 at 32.7%, but post-pandemic estimates show they're creeping upward again. (Adobe Stock)

CT Groups Head to New York City for Climate March

Community groups across the U.S. are making their way to New York City for the March to End Fossil Fuels - including some from Connecticut. The …

According to a new report, pay differences based on workers' gender, race and ethnicity all contribute to persistent wage inequality in the state. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Economic, Job Growth Lags Behind U.S.

A new report found Connecticut's economic growth is lagging, post-pandemic. The data showed, using the pandemic-induced recession as a baseline…

The Economic Policy Institute found one of the biggest vacancies in the teacher workforce is in special education, at 45%. (Adobe Stock)

CT Education Group Considers Remedies for Ongoing Teacher Shortage

As kids return to school, Connecticut's teacher shortage will seriously impact the new school year. The state's Department of Education finds …

Connecticut libraries are protected by a statute covering library records and confidentiality. Some librarians in the state feel this helps protect people's privacy and enables reading without the threat of intrusion. (Adobe Stock)

CT Libraries Help Kids Prepare for Back-to-School

As kids prepare to go back to school, Connecticut libraries say they're ready to help their eager minds learn. In addition to vast catalogs of books …

While Hydrilla was first discovered in the Connecticut River in 2016, the invasive plant species has been in Connecticut since the late 1980s. (Adobe Stock)

CT Groups Work to Eliminate Invasive Aquatic Species

Connecticut legislators and environmentalists are taking action against an invasive species in the Connecticut River. Hydrilla was first identified …

The Economic Policy Institute's Family Budget Calculator estimates a two-parent, two-child household in some parts of Connecticut must earn between $87,140 and $113,511 to cover all costs relating to childcare, food, housing, taxes and transportation. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT's Former Prison Population Needs Workforce Re-Entry Help

A new report found the state of Connecticut needs to do more for its recently released prison population. The Connecticut Voices for Children report …

AARP Connecticut has funded 29 projects through the Livable Community Grant Program, with 2022 seeing the most projects funded since its creation in 2018. (Adobe Stock)

AARP CT Opens RFP for Livable Communities Grant Program

AARP Connecticut has released its request for proposals and application for the Livable Spaces grant program. In its sixth year, the program provides …

The United Way of Connecticut found 89% of 988 callers in crisis reported their feelings of crisis declined during a call. In the state, fewer than 1% of callers required active rescue from emergency responders, while the national average is 2%. (Adobe Stock)

A Year of 988: CT Mental Health Advocates Cite Benefits

A little more than a year ago, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline adopted the shorter number 988. Since then, mental-health advocates in …

Rising temperatures and heat waves are having severe effects on incarcerated people's physical and mental health. A Prison Policy Initiative report found suicides increased by 23% in the three days following days of extreme heat. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Extreme Heat Lethal to U.S. Prison Population

A recent report found extreme heat can be lethal for incarcerated people. Connecticut and other Northeastern states experienced a 21% increase in …

As climate change worsens, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported every year from 2013 through 2021 was the warmest year on record. 2021 was the 45th year in a row with global temperatures above the 20th-century average. (Adobe Stock)

CT Provides Heat Safety for Seniors

As summer reaches its peak, Connecticut is working to keep seniors safe from intensifying heat. Although summer can be fun, the rising temperatures …

A Connecticut Voices for Children report found 39% of renters in the state who were not current on rent payments felt they would be evicted in the next two months. The rate was higher for Black and Latino renters, at 54% and 56% respectively. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Needs Long-Term Solutions to Eviction Crisis

A new report outlines long-term solutions for what it calls Connecticut's eviction crisis. The Connecticut Fair Housing Coalition found there were 21…

A report from the Rand Corporation finds raising the age limit for immigrants on HUSKY, the state's Medicaid program to 26 would have only cost the state 1% ($15 million) of its Medicaid budget. (Adobe Stock)

CT Group Submits Resolution for Immigrant Health Equity

A Connecticut group submitted a resolution to Hartford's City Council seeking to create more health equity at the city's hospitals and clinics…

Since continuous Medicaid renewals were terminated, more than 1.6 million people have been disenrolled from Medicaid so far, according to data from 28 states and the District of Columbia. (Adobe Stock)

CT Works on Post-Pandemic Medicaid Redeterminations

Like other states, Connecticut is in the middle of a yearlong process of re-determining people's eligibility for Medicaid. When the Covid-19 public …

A 2023 Gallup poll found adults younger than 30 and those earning less than $24,000 per year suffer higher levels of daily loneliness. (Adobe Stock)

CT Group Aims to Address Growing Trend of Loneliness

A Connecticut group is working to reduce the growing trend of loneliness. The Connecticut Collaborative to End Loneliness, a part of For All Ages…

In Connecticut, 128,000 family caregivers provide 201 million hours of unpaid care to people affected by Alzheimer's disease, estimated to be worth $4.2 billion. (Adobe Stock)

CT Group Aims to Expand Access to Alzheimer’s Treatment

During Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, experts are seeking better access to Alzheimer's treatment drugs. In Connecticut, 80,000 people age 65 …

Although Connecticut's rankings in most health-related areas declined in the latest Kids Count Data Book, the state saw minor improvement in the number of children with health insurance. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Children Need Health, Education Investments

Investments in education and health are needed to bolster Connecticut's children, a new annual report found. In the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids …

As part of Connecticut's Plan on Aging, more funding has been allocated to bolster senior center programs. This is to help provide services for the state's growing older population, which is set to increase by 57% by 2040. (Adobe Stock)

'We Welcome Everyone': CT Senior Centers Rebound Post-Pandemic

As Connecticut and the rest of the U.S. leave the COVID-19 pandemic behind, senior centers are welcoming back participants they have not seen in a …

Almost all departments in Connecticut schools saw shortages in 2022, following a long-standing national trend. A 2022 American Federation of Teachers report found before the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 300,000 teachers were leaving the profession each year. (Adobe Stock)

CT Teacher Shortage Worsens As School Year Ends

As the school year ends, Connecticut's teacher shortage seems to have only worsened. In March, school districts across the state reported having 2,60…

A 2023 AARP report finds Connecticut's 420,000 unpaid family caregivers in Connecticut provided care valued at $7.2 billion in 2021. Nationally, these caregivers provided over $600 billion in care during the same period. (Adobe Stock)

CT Unpaid Family Caregivers Working In Strained Conditions

The ongoing healthcare workforce shortage in Connecticut and across the U.S. is straining unpaid family caregivers. A 2023 AARP report finds they …

In 2022, the EPA found three widely used neonicotinoid insecticides harm roughly three-fourths of all endangered plants and animals, along with all 39 species of amphibian protected by the Endangered Species Act. (Adobe Stock)

CT General Assembly Bills Address Pesticide Use

Connecticut's General Assembly is considering legislation which would end the use of certain types of pesticides in the state. Senate Bill 962 and …

Connecticut voters will be asked to add an amendment about no-excuse absentee voting in November 2024. This is when any voter can request a mail-in ballot, rather than have to submit an application to receive a ballot. (Adobe Stock)

CT House Passes Early Voting Plan, Senate Takes Up Bill

Connecticut's House of Representatives has passed a bill implementing an early-voting plan. Elements of the plan include requiring the Secretary of …

According to the National Cancer Institute, some documented cancer health disparities include higher incidence of an aggressive strain of breast cancer in African American women, higher rates of kidney cancer among American Indian or Alaska Natives, and higher rates of liver cancer among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. (Adobe Stock)

CT Needs to Address Health, Cancer Care Inequities

As Connecticut addresses health equity, additional work needs to be done, experts warn. From 2016 to 2022, one third of the state's residents did not …

To implement the changes caregivers are seeking, the State of Connecticut will need an additional $390 million in Medicaid funding for this budget to cover care for the elderly and people with disabilities in long-term care settings and their homes. Currently, federal funding covers 56% of Connecticut's Medicaid expenditures. (Adobe Stock)

CT Caregivers Call on State Leaders for Better Working Conditions

Caregivers in Connecticut are calling on state officials for better conditions and higher pay. They're seeking a $25 an hour minimum wage, paid …

A 2023 Gallup-Lumina Foundation Poll found 36% of Black bachelor-degree students have other responsibilities, such as being a caregiver or working at a full-time job, compared with 18% of other students. (Adobe Stock)

Report Shows Decline in Black Students Enrolling in CT

Black student enrollment in college is declining, according to a recent report. The Lumina Foundation's Level Up report found more than 300,000 Black …

A Connecticut Hospital Association report finds hospitals incurred $1.6 billion in losses during the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

CT, US Hospitals Face Significant Financial Losses

Hospitals in Connecticut and across the nation faced significant financial losses in 2022. A Connecticut Hospital Association report found that …

Across the United States, child populations have declined from 74.2 million to 73.1 million between 2010 and 2020, according to a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This contrasts with the child population between 2000 and 2010, which increased by 1.9 million. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Child Population Continues to Decline

A recent report finds Connecticut's child population declined over the last decade. According to a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation…

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 25% of lawfully present immigrants and almost half (46%) of undocumented immigrants were uninsured in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Affordable Care Act Access Expanded to DACA Recipients

The Biden administration is expanding access to health coverage under the Affordable Care Act to include young people in the Deferred Action for Child…

Among Black Connecticut residents, 46% get too little sleep, compared with 35% of Hispanic residents and 29% of white residents. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Connecticut Residents Not Getting Enough Sleep

Along with the rest of the U.S., Connecticut residents are not getting enough sleep. Connecticut ranked 24th in insufficient sleep, according to the …

A new report finds the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has created a 50% increase in economic growth per capita for the 12 states in it. However, experts worry it isn't as effective in helping communities living with the effects of power plant emissions. (Adobe Stock)

Report: RGGI Could Do More than Reduce Emissions

A new report aims to make the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative more effective. The Acadia Center's report finds since the RGGI's creation in 2009…

In 2022, Connecticut became the 47th state to allow early voting when the Early Voting Amendment. But, voter rights advocates feel more needs to be done to guarantee people's rights to vote. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates Calling for Passage of CT Voting Rights Act

Connecticut advocates are calling on the General Assembly to pass the state's Voting Rights Act. The bill would enshrine the protections of the …

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, 68% of extremely low-income renter households in Connecticut are severely cost burdened, meaning they spend more than half their monthly income on housing. (Adobe Stock)

CT Councilwoman Redoubles Focus on Housing, Public Safety

One Connecticut elected official is eager to begin addressing issues in focus at the National League of Cities' Congressional City Conference…

According to a report from Connecticut Voices for Children, Connecticut households are more likely to face housing-cost burdens than households across the United States as a whole. Data on evictions shows the high cost of rent relative to income is directly linked to the eviction filing rate in Connecticut towns. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Policy Options to Alleviate CT’s Eviction Crisis

A recent report examines Connecticut's eviction crisis and addresses some solutions to it. The report from Connecticut Voices for Children finds 39% …

A report from the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation found children and young adults will be disproportionately affected by the loss of pandemic-era Medicaid coverage protections. About 4.6 million of those who could lose coverage are Latino. (Adobe Stock)

CT Hispanic Population Faces Risk of Medicaid Coverage Loss

When the pandemic ends this spring, Medicaid's "continuous coverage" requirement will end with it. In Connecticut, the state will start checking …

As part of a new bill up for consideration by the Connecticut General Assembly, landlords would have to provide tenants with 90 days' notice before implementing a rent increase. (Adobe Stock)

CT General Assembly Considers Legislation to Aid Renters

Connecticut's General Assembly is considering legislation to establish fair and equitable housing opportunities. Senate Bill 4 aims to establish a …

According to a report from the Better Business Bureau of Connecticut, a total of 53 reports of employment scams from companies claiming to have headquarters in Connecticut came through on the BBB Scam Tracker. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Consumers Lost $234K to Scams in 2022

A new report finds Connecticut consumers lost over 230-thousand dollars to scams in 2022. According to the Better Business Bureau of Connecticut…

According to data from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, ridership on CT transit took a sharp dive at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and remained low for some time, but as of summer 2022, ridership levels are returning to pre-pandemic levels. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates Calling for CT Transit to Remain Fare Free

Transit advocates are calling on Connecticut's General Assembly to keep the state's public transit system free. In April 2022, Gov. Ned Lamont …

According to 2019 data from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, of the 11 million people incarcerated yearly, about 15% have been homeless. Conversely, around 48,000 people going into homeless shelters each year come, nearly directly, from prisons or jails. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Public-Housing Policies Exclude People with Criminal Records

A new report calls for public housing authorities to change certain policies to prevent excluding people with criminal records. The Prison Policy …

According to analysis by the American Health Care Association, job growth for nursing-home employees slowed in 2022. It says if that pace remains, nursing homes won't return to pre-pandemic staffing levels until 2027. (Adobe Stock)

CT General Assembly Considers Nursing-Home Reforms

Connecticut's General Assembly is considering legislation to establish sweeping nursing-home reforms. Senate Bill 989 would establish minimum …

Connecticut's Education Cost Sharing Formula estimates it costs $11,525 to educate one public-school students. The goal of the ECS is to spread more than $2 billion across the state to fund education programs. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed Bill Would Speed CT Education Funding Plan

A bill in the Connecticut General Assembly could change how the state funds public education. The bill is designed to speed up fully funding the …

In Scotland, proposed legislation would seek to pardon the more than 3,800 people accused of witchcraft, with around 2,500 executed between 1563 and 1736. (Adobe Stock)

Legislation Seeks to Exonerate CT Witch Trial Victims

Proposed legislation would exonerate all people tried and convicted during the Connecticut Witch Trials more than 300 years ago. Between 1647 and 1697…

A bill in the Connecticut General Assembly calls for a $50 million investment into homeless and housing programs in the state, with more than $37 million to help chronically underfunded homeless response nonprofits. (Adobe Stock)

CT Legislation Would Fund Programs Addressing Homelessness

Proposed legislation aims to fund numerous programs helping Connecticut's homeless population. The bill would invest $50 million in the state's …

According to the U.S. Environmental Information Administration, Connecticut's 13 hydroelectric facilities generate around 120 megawatts of electricity. (Adobe Stock)

Connecticut Weighs Pros and Cons of Hydropower

While Connecticut elected officials want to import hydroelectric power from Canada, one group said the option would not be as environmentally …

According to research from the American Federation of Teachers, there were 55,000 fewer registered nurses employed in the U.S. in 2021 than in 2020. This was the first decrease in five years. (Adobe Stock)

CT Groups, Unions Call for Public-Health Reforms

Health-care professionals and advocates in Connecticut have said it will take sweeping reforms to bolster the state's flailing public health system…

The American Teachers Act of 2022, filed in the U.S. House of Representatives in December, would make $60,000 the minimum salary for public school teachers. But it's sitting in a House committee. (Adobe Stock)

CT Educators Want Prompt Action to End Teacher Shortage

Connecticut, along with most of the United States, faces a teacher shortage. The shortage has caused class sizes to increase and teachers to …

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