Connecticut chief justice defeat becomes election year issue

The Connecticut Senate's rejection Tuesday of Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's State Supreme Court chief justice nominee, mostly along partisan lines, set off political reverberations in a state where an open governor's seat and control of the General Assembly are at stake in November. State Democrats and various candidates pounced on the 19-16 vote opposing the confirmation of Associate Justice Andrew McDonald as the high court's top justice, linking Connecticut Republicans with President Donald Trump and Washington Republicans.

Democrats: Nominee’s “lifestyle” played role in tie vote

Democratic legislative leaders say they believe the sexual orientation of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's choice for Connecticut's next chief justice may have cost him support among some Judiciary Committee members during a 13-hour confirmation hearing. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said Tuesday Republican committee members "should be ashamed of themselves" for how they acted during Monday's hearing that ended with a tie vote, putting the nomination in jeopardy.

CHIP funding could run out as soon as this month in some states

Some states could run out of funding for their Children's Health Insurance Program as early as this month, despite recently approved spending by Congress that was expected to keep the program running through the end of March, federal health officials said Friday. All states should have sufficient funding at least through Jan. 19 thanks to Congress' $2.85 billion infusion last month, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Tax plan bad for Connecticut, for the debt, and for the middle-class

Connecticut's U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy must do more than stand united with fellow Democrats in seeking to block a tax reform bill that would be bad for Connecticut and for many middle-income taxpayers, while exploding the national debt. They and their fellow members of the loyal opposition must offer alternative tax relief ideas that are more fiscally responsible.

Democratic senators propose military-style weapons ban

Sen. Chris Murphy, center, speaks during a news conference about gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 3, 2017. Sen. Chris Murphy, center, speaks during a news conference about gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 3, 2017.

Bigelow Teas To Two Roads: CT’s Best Brands In The Spotlight At Capitol

A number of familiar - and delicious - brands were in the spotlight this week for the "Discover CT" event in D.C., where local Connecticut businesses showcased their products in the Capitol. Some of the brands in attendance were from Fairfield County, dishing up tastes or spreading their wares for a welcoming crowd.

Arpaio pardon draws opposition in Connecticut

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy likened the decision to former President Richard Nixon's "Saturday Night Massacre," when he fired two U.S. attorneys general before a third agreed to fire the special prosecutor investigating Watergate. "Nixon had his 'Saturday Night Massacre,' and tonight should go down in history as President Trump's 'Friday Night Massacre,'" Malloy said.

Trump coming to Connecticut to keynote Coast Guard graduation

President Donald Trump talks about the Veterans Choice Program Extension and Improvement Act before signing it, Wednesday, April 19, 2017, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. President Donald Trump talks about the Veterans Choice Program Extension and Improvement Act before signing it, Wednesday, April 19, 2017, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington.

Blumenthal announces Wi-Fi upgrades at Connecticut VA locations

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal announced Monday morning that contracts have been requested from vendors to provide every room at VA hospitals in Connecticut with Wi-Fi access, after a News 8 exclusive report in 2016. At a news conference Monday, Blumenthal said that every veteran staying at a VA facility should feel connected to the world around them.

How to Pick a Better Ed. Secretary Than Betsy DeVos

Eight years ago, in this very newspaper, I warned against the appointment of Arne Duncan as President Barack Obama's first education secretary . He sailed through a Democratic-controlled Senate confirmation despite a track record in Chicago's public schools of advancing a corporate-driven agenda to marketize public schools, alongside test-and-punish policies that fractured the most struggling of communities-a harbinger of things to come.

Connecticut Caravan Arrives for Women’s March on Washington

Hundreds of charter buses filled the parking lots at RFK Stadium by 8:30 a.m. Saturday as thousands of people from across the country descended on the city for the Women's March on Washington. On the morning after President Donald Trump was inaugurated, a procession of women and men made their way to a nearby Metro station to take the train to the start of the march.

Paid family leave debate continues in Connecticut

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, right, gestures as state Sen. Len Suzio, R- Meriden, left, speaks with Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., D-Branford, center, looking on, during opening session at the state Capitol on Jan. 4. less Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, right, gestures as state Sen. Len Suzio, R- Meriden, left, speaks with Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., D-Branford, center, looking on, during opening session at ... more Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano, R-North Haven, greets Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, right, during the opening session at the state Capitol.

Third casino shaping up as a tough sell

To continue reading up to 10 premium articles, you must register , or sign up and take advantage of this exclusive offer: Len Fasano, in an interview this week with The Day's Editorial Board, looked like the big Republican cat that swallowed the Democratic canary, still getting comfortable with his new title, Republican President Pro Tempore. Indeed, Fasano seems to relish the new respect demanded by Republicans in the General Assembly, after an election that brought them as close to parity with Democrats as they've been in a generation.

CT: DOT Asks for Patience on Walk Bridge Replacement

The Connecticut Department of Transportation acknowledged Tuesday that its impact report for the Walk Bridge replacement project lacks detail about how to ease the construction pains. But detailed mitigation plans for boaters, motorists, businesses, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and other stakeholders will be put forward as the project moves from the preliminary design to the permitting stage, DOT officials told the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission during a special meeting at City Hall.

Top Trump aide brushes off furor over Trump’s phone call with…

Kellyanne Conway, a top adviser and former campaign manager to President-elect Donald Trump, appeared to brush off the hand-wringing over Trump's unprecedented phone call with Taiwan's president on Friday. The phone call was seen as a troubling break from longstanding policy , since no US president or president-elect has engaged in such direct contact with Taiwan in nearly 40 years.

Big voter turnout expected on Nov. 8

Secretary of State Denise Merrill said Wednesday that election officials are bracing for high voter turnout next week as residents go to the polls to elect a new president and resolve congressional and state races. "This is going to be a big volume of voters," Merrill said during a news conference on Tuesday's voting.