Connecticut News & Current Events

In 2008, Connecticut passed the Global Warming Solutions Act, which established its climate goals. This means getting greenhouse-gas emissions 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80% below 2001 levels by 2050. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, December 8, 2023

Misinformation slows CT’s new emission standards

Connecticut lawmakers are reluctant to approve new emission standards that would require 90% cleaner emissions from internal-combustion engines and re…

Connecticut is putting $1 million toward funding migrant services for 2024 and 2025. The American Rescue Plan provides $3.25 million for the same purpose. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, December 7, 2023

CT immigrant advocates send letter opposing House border bill

More than 60 Connecticut immigrant advocate groups sent a letter to Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., to safeguard asylum rights. Murphy is the lead …

The Economic Policy Institute found the number of child labor law violations increased from 1,012 in 2015 to 3,876 in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Bill in Congress poses stronger penalties for child labor violations

A bill in Congress with a Connecticut House sponsor aims to reduce child labor in the United States. Called the "Children Harmed in Life-Threatening …

The University of Connecticut is offering a program to prepare students to become licensed professional counselors. It combines a 600-hour internship where students combine clinical work with what they learn in class, as part of a move to develop a better pipeline into the behavioral health system. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT needs to bolster child behavioral health system

A report has found Connecticut could do more to strengthen its youth behavioral health system. Connecticut and the U.S. are facing an increasing …

Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection finds 67% of nitrogen oxide emissions, a key component of smog, came from transportation. (Adobe Stock)

Highway changes could make Hartford a walkable city

A Connecticut Department of Transportation study has outlined plans to make Hartford a walkable city. The Greater Hartford Mobility Study proposes …

School librarians are facing shortages in Connecticut and nationally. Connecticut has faced shortages in multiple subject areas for some time, and the national decline predates the pandemic, with 1,800 librarian positions lost between 2016 and 2019. (Adobe Stock)

CT school librarians celebrate reading during American Education Week

During American Education Week, Connecticut school librarians are highlighting their value in molding young minds. Valerie DiLorenzo, a school …

As of 2023, there are 3,800 staff vacancies in early child care programs. Staffing shortages are preventing programs from enrolling enough kids to break even. Only 32.3% of child care centers reported positive cash flow. (Adobe Stock)

CT child advocates hope to blunt impacts of new education law

Child advocates across Connecticut are imploring Gov. Ned Lamont to increase state funding for subsidized preschool and child care slots. It would …

The greenhouses at Meechoo�k Farm have long rows of white containers where seeds are put in small squares of dirt to grow into bundles. Water is an irrigation system from a 1,100-gallon tank, and bees are brought in to pollinate the plants, making a year-round harvest possible. (Adobe Stock)

Mashantucket Pequot Tribe teaches self-sufficiency through farming

By Jeniece Roman for WSHU Public Radio.Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for Connecticut News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism …

A 2023 point-in-time census found the number of chronically homeless people in Connecticut remained at 117 between 2022 and 2023 but youth homelessness increased by 7.06%. (Adobe Stock)

CT group seeks solutions to homelessness

A Connecticut group is holding several roundtable discussions about ways to end homelessness. The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness is …

Around 74% of adults age 55 and older are susceptible to scams, losing an average of $350 per scam in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

CT man accused of WI ‘grandparents scam’

A Connecticut man has been indicted by a Wisconsin grand jury for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Matthew-Ramos Soto, 26, of Hartford allegedly …

Despite every county being a full access county, 1.8% of Connecticut women do not have a birthing hospital within 30 minutes of where they live, much lower than the national average of 9.7%. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT women, children’s health care lagging

Despite Connecticut doing a lot to bolster child health, a new report found plenty more needs to be done. The state ranked 8th in the latest …

The latest Crime in Connecticut report showed investments for prevention and services for system-involved youth helped bring the crime rate down in 2022. More than $37 million went to prevention and intervention programs along with juvenile review boards. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Crime drops in Connecticut; more work needed

Good news for Connecticut residents: The state saw a 4% overall decrease in crime in 2022. The latest "Crime in Connecticut" annual report shows a 13…

A 2021 study found people are willing to pay almost $20 to $30 to support their community's climate resilience plan. Additionally, when developers own resources, they consider the willingness to pay when setting prices to charge customers. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Climate resilience hubs could bolster CT plans

A new report from Yale University looked at the effectiveness of green resilience hubs in Connecticut communities. The hubs are made up of renewable …

In 2023, Connecticut's General Assembly considered legislation to establish a winter eviction moratorium, making it illegal to evict anyone from December through March. However, the bill failed to come to a vote. (Adobe Stock)

CT group hosts community forum addressing housing

A Connecticut group is holding a community policy forum to discuss housing. The state is facing a severe affordable-housing shortage with soaring …

Connecticut had the third-highest number of Black people incarcerated across the country, behind New Jersey and Wisconsin. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Black adults make up majority of CT prison population

A recent report found Black people make up the majority of Connecticut's prison population. The Prison Policy Initiative brief reported Black people …

As part of a new strategic plan, the Connecticut Health Foundation is looking to address maternal health equity for women of color. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report points to maternal health disparities for women of color across the United States. (Adobe Stock)

A new plan for advancing health equity in Connecticut

A Connecticut group has developed a new plan to bolster health equity in the state. The Connecticut Health Foundation's strategic plan tackles …

Between July 2020 and June 2021, the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence's shelters operated at 156% of capacity. (Adobe Stock)

CT advocates observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a Connecticut group wants to better educate people about the problem. The National Coalition Against …

The United Way of Connecticut's ALICE report found 39% of people in Connecticut live below the threshold of $33,120 per year. In some communities, it could be as high as 68% of households. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT 'unaffordable' for many, despite state intervention

A new analysis found financial hardship is growing in Connecticut. United Way of Connecticut's ALICE Report focuses on those who are Asset Limited…

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)

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…

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