The CT Mirror

CT’s tax receipts continue to rise despite pandemic

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 21:37:52 GMT

State income tax receipts collected since the July 15 filing deadline continue to rise, bolstering Connecticut's rainy day fund.

Steady Habits: Are Connecticut students facing another "lost school year?”

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 09:30:58 GMT

This episode of “Steady Habits” is the second episode in our two-part “Back to School” series. Yesterday, we explored higher education; Today, we turn our attention to primary and secondary education. The start of the school year is now less than a month away, and nobody really knows what it’ll look like. Governor Ned […]

Advocates hope stimulus bill gives U.S. Census Bureau more time to finish its count

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 09:00:21 GMT

While the state as a whole has a good census response rate, Hartford has the worst one in the nation.

All Connecticut students deserve a quality education, regardless of school model

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 08:58:56 GMT

Five months after Gov. Ned Lamont’s Executive Order closing schools, surveys show students, teachers and families split in terms of their expectations and comfort returning to classrooms (surveys from CEA, AFT and SDE). Public health guidelines will rightly impact the manner in which education can be delivered in Connecticut this fall, but that is only […]

The U.S. Senate ‘pause’ to coronavirus relief is a malignant threat to our nation

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 08:58:20 GMT

One of the most dynamic and striking figures in American history, General George S. Patton, was famous for saying "Lead, follow, or get out of the way." Those words, which were uttered 75 years ago at a time of world crisis when he was leading the Third Army through France and Germany, ring true today, albeit during a different kind of crisis — but one that poses a lethal and devastating impact if not addressed decisively.

In Connecticut briefing, Fauci urges a return to classroom

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 23:37:16 GMT

The nation's most trusted coronavirus advisor backs Gov. Lamont in saying classroom instruction should resume, at least to a point.

Lembo: CT’s economic gains could slip away soon without more federal aid

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 19:58:56 GMT

Connecticut’s recent economic gains could soon slip away without more federal aid, Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo says.

Steady Habits: Colleges Bet On "Pods” and Peer Pressure to Contain Covid This Fall

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 09:30:46 GMT

Now that August is here, and reopening plans for colleges and universities seem less abstract, the reality is starting to really set in about what campuses will actually be like in the fall. Restrictions on social contact are to be expected – one of the big draws for many students living on, or near, campus. […]

CT homeowners’ delinquency rates soar to one of nation’s highest during COVID pandemic

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 09:00:58 GMT

About 9.4% of the mortgages held by homeowners in the state were delinquent at the end of June.

COVID-19 re-affirms the need for adolescents to get vaccination rights

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 08:58:53 GMT

Ethan Lindenberger’s decision to become up-to-date with his vaccinations when he turned 18 against his mother’s wishes has become a story representative of teenage rebellion in 21st century America. Gone are the days of attending rock-and-roll concerts or creating a MySpace profile without your parents’ consent. In an age of anti-vaccine movements and the World Health Organization naming vaccine hesitancy and refusal one of the “biggest global health threats,” teenage rebellion means taking charge of one’s own immunization decisions.

Making CT post-secondary education work to build an employable labor force

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 08:58:20 GMT

While two- and four-year degrees have traditionally been touted as a foolproof buffer during recessions, this is no normal recession that we are in. Connecticut’s leaders must scrutinize long-held assumptions about the benefits of degrees versus certificates and sub-baccalaureate programs in job placement, and look toward more creative ways to help workers prepare for Connecticut’s post-COVID economy and our long-term goal of building a happy, stable, and productive workforce.

Will social distancing on college campuses become the new peer pressure?

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 08:58:13 GMT

After a summer of uncertainty, schools across the state will be welcoming students back to campus at the end of August in varying capacities. But something important is missing. The biggest threat to campus safety is one of the primary reasons why students are coming back to school in the first place: they want their social lives back.

Searing heat will make COVID-19 racial disparities worse

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 09:00:34 GMT

A hotter than normal summer is exacerbating the problems created by the pandemic.

How many people in the U.S. are hospitalized with COVID-19? Who knows?

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 09:00:20 GMT

The federal government's change in reporting procedure has created widespread confusion.

Lamont signs police reforms, but tells cops, ‘You’re my heroes’

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 22:57:10 GMT

Gov. Ned Lamont’s ceremonial signing of the police accountability bill opened with flattery of the police who fought its passage.

After a week of complaints, utility regulators temporarily pull plug on Eversource rate hike

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 21:43:33 GMT

PURA: “Intent is to ensure that Eversource is not over-collecting during this period of financial hardship.”

Trump administration defunds CT police in ‘sanctuary’ policy likely to come under Supreme ...

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 09:00:25 GMT

The Supreme Court is likely to decide whether the Justice Department can continue to withhold policing grants from Connecticut.

Passing police reforms was hard. Making them work might be harder.

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Gov. Ned Lamont will sign a police accountability bill as officials consider how to implement a measure so bitterly fought by cops.

Is classroom teaching advisable during COVID-19? Response: Absolutely not.

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 08:58:39 GMT

On July 17, Dr. Sten Vermund, Dean of the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH), published a piece outlining his support for in-person teaching this fall. That day, the CDC reported 72,045 new COVID-19 cases in the United States, bringing the total to 3,630,587. Less than two weeks later, that number rose by 16.3%, crossing the 4 million case mark. Against this backdrop, Vermund's case for in-person teaching is misleading and potentially calamitous.

Absentee ballot boxes make voting easy and fair

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 08:58:16 GMT

The founding document of our country starts with “We The People…” When President Lincoln spoke up in favor of recognizing the rights of citizens of our country, he called our system “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Voting is the way most people participate in our government, from town council to […]