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Richard Blumenthal

Route 34 Across Stevenson Dam In Monroe Reopens To Traffic After Flood Damage Repairs Route 34 Across Stevenson Dam In Monroe Reopens To Traffic After Flood Damage Repairs
Route 34 Across Stevenson Dam In Monroe Reopens To Traffic After Flood Damage Repairs Part of a busy roadway carrying traffic across a dam in Connecticut has been reopened after being damaged by severe flooding, officials announced.  Route 34 in the Fairfield County town of Monroe and New Haven County town of Oxford between Route 111 and Coppermine Road has been reopened after suffering damage from flooding on Sunday, Aug. 18, the Connecticut Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday, Aug. 27.  The stretch of road carries traffic over the Stevenson Dam on Lake Zoar.  Although traffic can now cross the dam, Route 34 remains closed between Coppermine Ro…
Longtime CT Senator, Former VP Candidate From Stamford Joe Lieberman Dies At Age 82 Longtime CT Senator, Former VP Candidate From Stamford Joe Lieberman Dies At Age 82
Longtime CT Senator, Former VP Candidate From Stamford Joe Lieberman Dies At Age 82 Joe Lieberman, who represented Connecticut in the US Senate for more than two decades and ran alongside Al Gore during his historically unsuccessful bid for the White House in 2000, has died at the age of 82. The Democrat-turned-Independent died Wednesday, March 27, in New York after suffering complications from a fall, according to NBC News. "Senator Lieberman’s love of God, his family, and America endured throughout his life of service in the public interest," the outlet quoted his family as saying. News of his death sparked a flood of tributes from across the political spectrum. A…
Richard Blumenthal Earns Third Term In Senate, Easily Defeats Trump-Backed Leora Levy Richard Blumenthal Earns Third Term In Senate, Easily Defeats Trump-Backed Leora Levy
Richard Blumenthal Earns Third Term In Senate, Easily Defeats Trump-Backed Leora Levy This story has been updated. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal has been elected to a third term in the US Senate, according to multiple projections. The 76-year-old Democrat is leading his Republican opponent, Leora Levy, by 14 percentage points, 57 to 43 percent, as of early Wednesday morning, Nov. 9 with 95 percent of the vote counted. On the campaign trail, the two-term senator and former Connecticut attorney general went after Levy for being endorsed by former President Donald Trump, and for reportedly telling Trump that she would always have his back. “If you always have President …
Trump-Endorsed Leora Levy, 1 Of 3 GOP Senate Primary Contenders, Vows To 'Beat Back Blumenthal' Trump-Endorsed Leora Levy, 1 Of 3 GOP Senate Primary Contenders, Vows To 'Beat Back Blumenthal'
Trump-Endorsed Leora Levy, 1 Of 3 GOP Senate Primary Contenders, Vows To 'Beat Back Blumenthal' Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Leora Levy, a Republican candidate who is running for US Senate in Connecticut and has vowed to "beat back" Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Levy is running against Themis Klarides and Peter Lumaj in the Republican primary election, which is set for Tuesday, Aug. 9. Trump gave his endorsement on Thursday, Aug. 4. If elected, Levy said she would "beat back" Blumenthal, a Democrat who first assumed office in 2011. Trump has clashed with Blumenthal numerous times over the years, as detailed in a 2019 report from Politico. "Thank you President T…
Shots Fired During Little League Game Sparks Outrage From Community In Fairfield County Shots Fired During Little League Game Sparks Outrage From Community In Fairfield County
Shots Fired During Little League Game Sparks Outrage From Community In Fairfield County This story has been updated. State and local government officials are working to stem the number of shootings taking place in Fairfield County after shots were fired during a Little League game. The incident took place Saturday, May 15, during an East End game at Newfield Park in Bridgeport, said Scott Appleby, director of Emergency Management. The shots startled those playing and attending the game and sent players running for cover. By Sunday, May 16, parents and worried residents were rallying at the park to put an end to such violence in the city. They were joined by Gov. Ned Lamont…
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For CT Commissioner Named By Biden To Be Education Secretary Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For CT Commissioner Named By Biden To Be Education Secretary
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For CT Commissioner Named By Biden To Be Education Secretary Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona appeared before the Senate’s education committee on Wednesday, Feb. 3 for a confirmation hearing after being nominated to serve as the United States' Education Secretary by President Joe Biden. Cardona, a lifelong Meriden resident, was announced as a choice to join Biden’s Cabinet as Education Secretary in late December. If nominated, the 45-year-old Cardona will be tasked with overseeing one of Biden’s key goals for his first 100 days by re-opening the majority of the nation’s elementary and middle schools for in-person learning. Before d…
Victim ID'd In Fatal VA Hospital Steam-Pipe Explosion Victim ID'd In Fatal VA Hospital Steam-Pipe Explosion
Victim ID'd In Fatal VA Hospital Steam-Pipe Explosion One of the two men who died in a fatal steam pipe explosion at the West Haven VA Hospital has been identified. Friends, family, and coworkers said they are mourning the loss of Eul T. Sims, Jr., of Milford. He was 60 when he died. Sims was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He retired after serving 21 years in the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the SeaBees, according to his obituary. Sims is survived by his wife Cynthia Petrie, his children, and grandchildren. People who knew Sims said he was kind and supportive of the staff and patients at the VA. Sims was the type of…
Isaias: Eversource, UI Reject Demands For Reimbursements For Food, Medicine After Outages Isaias: Eversource, UI Reject Demands For Reimbursements For Food, Medicine After Outages
Isaias: Eversource, UI Reject Demands For Reimbursements For Food, Medicine After Outages Despite calls to reimburse customers for costs incurred due to power outages after Tropical Storm Isaias barreled through the region, Eversource and United Illuminating are showing resistance to complying. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Gov. Ned Lamont both demanded the company reimburse customers, Eversource has thus far been reluctant to provide relief, despite utility companies in neighboring states reimbursing for prescription medication and food that spoiled during the storm cleanup. "Eversource and UI need to do the right thing as ConEd has done in New York and reimbur…
'I'm Going To Hold Eversource's Feet To The Fire,' Says Lamont Who Tours Danbury, Westport 'I'm Going To Hold Eversource's Feet To The Fire,' Says Lamont Who Tours Danbury, Westport
'I'm Going To Hold Eversource's Feet To The Fire,' Says Lamont Who Tours Danbury, Westport Lawmakers in Connecticut are threatening to bring the heat on Eversource its slow response to Tropical Storm Isaias. As of 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, 69,166 of Eversource’s 1,281,332 Connecticut customers were still reporting outages six days after the storm struck. UI was still responding to 492 reported outages that were affecting 1,429 of the customer’s 337,496 customers. 
“We have a serious situation developing at the Glen Apartments on Memorial Drive,” Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said. “Still no power. Many residents there are elderly and/or disabled. So far Eversource has not respo…
Rally Held For Hotel Worker Attacked by NY Couple; Suspects To Face Bigotry Charges Rally Held For Hotel Worker Attacked by NY Couple; Suspects To Face Bigotry Charges
Rally Held For Hotel Worker Attacked by NY Couple; Suspects To Face Bigotry Charges A Connecticut community came together to support a hotel worker injured during an allegedly racially-motivated attack as a New York couple is due to face charges of bigotry and assault this week. Dozens of people congregated Sunday, July 26, in Stonington for a rally in support of Crystal Caldwell, 59, a Groton woman that video surveillance shows was viciously attacked while working at the Quality Inn in Mystic. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), attended the rally. “State leaders are saying black lives matter and we want justice for Crystal Caldwell,” Blumenthal told the crowd. He …
First Case Of Coronavirus Confirmed In Connecticut First Case Of Coronavirus Confirmed In Connecticut
First Case Of Coronavirus Confirmed In Connecticut Click here for an updated story: Hospital Worker Who Lives In Westchester Is Connecticut's First Confirmed COVID-19 Case A Fairfield County hospital worker who lives in Westchester County is the first case of the novel coronavirus confirmed in Connecticut. "Tonight we learned that an employee from Danbury Hospital and Norwalk Hospital, who is a resident of New York State, has tested positive for coronavirus," Gov. Ned Lamont said at a press conference in Danbury on Friday night, March 6. Connecticut health authorities said they believe the woman became inf…
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Around The Towns: CT Senators Bash Iran Attack, State Transit Hearing, Plan To Merge Colleges Around The Towns: CT Senators Bash Iran Attack, State Transit Hearing, Plan To Merge Colleges
Around The Towns: CT Senators Bash Iran Attack, State Transit Hearing, Plan To Merge Colleges On national television and at a Hartford news conference,  Connecticut’s two U.S. senators expressed concerns about the fallout from killing Iran’s top general, questioning whether President Donald Trump and his administration have a plan to protect Americans from reprisals. Sen. Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said previous Democratic and Republican administrations also had opportunities to kill Gen. Qassem Soleimani but chose not to because his death might make him a martyr and make him more dangerous to the U.S. “My guess is that the assassination o…
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CT Congressmen Rip Trump's Turkey Ceasefire CT Congressmen Rip Trump's Turkey Ceasefire
CT Congressmen Rip Trump's Turkey Ceasefire President Trump declared Thursday's ceasefire at the Turkish-Syrian border was "an incredible outcome." But the Republican's assessment was immediately shot down by congressional Democrats from Connecticut. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal tweeted: "The President got rolled, & so did our national integrity. It is yet another betrayal to our Kurdish partners & a boon to our adversaries, Russia & Iran. "This illusory solution is a catastrophic, roundabout way for President Trump to give President Erdogan exactly what he wanted: a Kurdish withdrawal, & free reign over northern Syr…
Bridgeport Family Struggles To Get Body Of Mother Back Home Following Death In Caribbean Bridgeport Family Struggles To Get Body Of Mother Back Home Following Death In Caribbean
Bridgeport Family Struggles To Get Body Of Mother Back Home Following Death In Caribbean The family of a Bridgeport woman who died while on vacation in the  Caribbean is asking for help in raising funds to bring her home for burial. Librea Scott, 42, died unexpectedly on Friday, Sept. 6, while in Jamaica, said her daughter Monique Roy, 28, on a GoFundMe page. Since her death, the family has had a difficult time getting her remains back to Connecticut, she said. Roy flew to Jamaica on Monday, Sept. 30, and said she is doing her best to make arrangements to bring her home. "I have been met with adversity at every step of this process it’s crazy but there is no system in pl…
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U.S. Senators Blumenthal, Murphy Support Impeachment Hearings Against President Trump U.S. Senators Blumenthal, Murphy Support Impeachment Hearings Against President Trump
U.S. Senators Blumenthal, Murphy Support Impeachment Hearings Against President Trump This article has been updated. U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy have called for an impeachment inquiry against President Trump. "I am calling today for a House Select Committee to investigate and move forward with impeachment proceedings against the President. I reached this decision with sadness, but also anger, after the President has repeatedly broken laws and betrayed his oath of office," Blumenthal said on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Earlier, Murphy warned that the United States is on the verge of turning into a "Banana Republic." Murphy's full statement can be read by cl…
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U.S. Sen. Murphy Calls For Investigation Of Trump Interference In Ukraine, Biden Campaign U.S. Sen. Murphy Calls For Investigation Of Trump Interference In Ukraine, Biden Campaign
U.S. Sen. Murphy Calls For Investigation Of Trump Interference In Ukraine, Biden Campaign U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy has joined a growing chorus of congressmen in calling for an investigation of President Trump's alleged attempt to get Ukraine government officials involved in probing a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. Speaking to CNN, among other national media outlets on Friday, Sept. 20, Murphy expressed his concerns about the threatened loss of U.S. defense aid to Ukraine if that country declined to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut's other U.S. Senate Democrat, sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and has previously calle…
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Gun Control Campaign Money Reigns In Connecticut Gun Control Campaign Money Reigns In Connecticut
Gun Control Campaign Money Reigns In Connecticut Federal candidates in Connecticut are among those benefiting nationwide from an increase in campaign spending by gun control advocates. The Nutmeg State has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation. While the National Rifle Association spending has fallen by nearly 70 percent nationwide since the 2014 midterm elections, groups supporting gun control spent nearly $12 million on the last congressional campaigns, the most they have spent in an election cycle since at least 2010. The NRA spent nearly $692,000 on Republican congressional candidates and less than $20,000 on Democrats r…
Blumenthal Gets Court Win In Lawsuit On Trump Gifts From Foreign Nations Blumenthal Gets Court Win In Lawsuit On Trump Gifts From Foreign Nations
Blumenthal Gets Court Win In Lawsuit On Trump Gifts From Foreign Nations President Donald Trump’s administration took another hit this week, as a judge ruled in favor of Sen. Richard Blumenthal and other lawmakers who allege that his businesses are in violation of federal mandates. A U.S. District Court judge ruled against the president’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit this week that claims his businesses are in violation of the Constitution’s ban on gifts or payments from foreign governments. The lawsuit was brought by the Connecticut Senator and 200 other members of the Senate and House of Representatives. The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s businesses are in violat…
Get Your Spoons, Tastebuds Ready: Sample Delicious Recipes At Ridgefield Chili Festival Get Your Spoons, Tastebuds Ready: Sample Delicious Recipes At Ridgefield Chili Festival
Get Your Spoons, Tastebuds Ready: Sample Delicious Recipes At Ridgefield Chili Festival Want to chill out with some chili this weekend? Grab your tickets for the 2019 Ridgefield Chili Festival, scheduled for Sunday, March 31 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ridgefield Recreation Center (195 Danbury Road). This event is a fundraiser for the Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee and allows guests of all ages to sample several varieties of chili crafted by both professional chefs and local amateurs. Joining the event will be US Senator Richard Blumenthal, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz and State Senator Will Haskell, who will listen to concerns, provide feedback and share insights on th…
Sandy Hook Foundation, Community 'Devastated' By Suicide Of Co-Founder, Father Of Victim Sandy Hook Foundation, Community 'Devastated' By Suicide Of Co-Founder, Father Of Victim
Sandy Hook Foundation, Community 'Devastated' By Suicide Of Co-Founder, Father Of Victim Hours after the apparent suicide of Jeremy Richman, 49, of Newtown, the father of Avielle Richman, a first-grader killed in the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012, the foundation he helped created said it is "devastated" by his death. "Our hearts are shattered and our hearts are struggling to comprehend," the Avielle Foundation said in a statement. Richman was found early Monday, March 25, at his office located in Edmond Town Hall after police responded to a report of an apparent suicide, police said. A suicide note was left, but not divulged. Following his first-grade daughter’s death, Richm…
Blumenthal Among 137 Members Of Congress Donating Paychecks During Shutdown Blumenthal Among 137 Members Of Congress Donating Paychecks During Shutdown
Blumenthal Among 137 Members Of Congress Donating Paychecks During Shutdown With the country mired in the longest government shutdown in American history, dozens of members of Congress have vowed to refuse their paychecks or donate their earnings in a show of solidarity with federal employees who have been without pay for weeks. The Connecticut State Department of Labor estimated that there are several thousand federal employees in the state, all of whom have been without a paycheck since the shutdown began on Dec. 22 as politicians haggle about immigration reform. In total, an estimated 800,000 federal workers have been without work for weeks. Congress has passed …
Blumenthal Says He Helped Kavanaugh Yale Classmate Contact FBI As Trump Blasts Senator Blumenthal Says He Helped Kavanaugh Yale Classmate Contact FBI As Trump Blasts Senator
Blumenthal Says He Helped Kavanaugh Yale Classmate Contact FBI As Trump Blasts Senator As President Trump mocked U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal at a Tennessee rally on Monday night, the Connecticut senator revealed he tried to help a Yale classmate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh send potentially incriminating emails to the FBI. The emails reportedly show that Kavanaugh's legal team tried to discredit the story of sex assault victim Deborah Ramirez, according to multiple media reports. Ramirez accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a college party.  Kerry Berchem, a corporate attorney from Fairfield attended Yale with Kavanaugh and Ramirez.  According to NBC…
Obama Endorses Lamont, Several Local Dems Obama Endorses Lamont, Several Local Dems
Obama Endorses Lamont, Several Local Dems Former President Barack Obama endorsed Ned Lamont’s candidacy for governor on Monday, Oct. 1 while offering his support for many Democrats running for the Connecticut House and Senate.  In Lamont's endorsement, Obama cited a moment of courage from a dozen years ago.  At the time, Obama backed incumbent Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s, urging Connecticut Democrats not to defeat Lieberman for Lamont because the senator supported the war in Iraq.  “When Ned Lamont stood up to his own party and opposed the war in Iraq more than a decade ago, he showed the courage to do what was right,” Obama said in a…
CT Senators React To Ford-Kavanaugh Testimony CT Senators React To Ford-Kavanaugh Testimony
CT Senators React To Ford-Kavanaugh Testimony This story has been updated. Connecticut's elected Democrats on Thursday said testimony by Christine Blasey Ford against U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh was credible and potentially fatal to his confirmation by the U.S. Senate.  U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who sits on the 21-member Senate Judiciary Committee, said he thinks more witnesses should be called. The committee is comprised of 11 male Republicans and 10 Democrats -- including four women. Shortly before the Senate committee voted, 11-10,  in favor of advancing Kavanaugh's confirmation to a full Senate floor vot…
Metro-North Must Give Timeline For Train Control, Blumenthal Says Metro-North Must Give Timeline For Train Control, Blumenthal Says
Metro-North Must Give Timeline For Train Control, Blumenthal Says U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, wrote to Metro-North Railroad on Monday, April 23 after Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi reportedly announced two months of “slippage” in the railroad’s timeline to fully implement federally-mandated positive train control.  Blumenthal wrote Rinaldi in response to Metro-North’s reply to an original inquiry about the railroad’s PTC implementation timeline. Metro-North’s reply did not adequately illuminate a path towards full implementation, the Connecticut senator said. “Adding to my …
Self-Driving Vehicles 'Have Long Way To Go' After Fatality, Blumenthal Says Self-Driving Vehicles 'Have Long Way To Go' After Fatality, Blumenthal Says
Self-Driving Vehicles 'Have Long Way To Go' After Fatality, Blumenthal Says In the wake of a fatal crash involving a self-driving Uber car in Arizona, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is calling on Congress to take steps to ensure autonomous vehicle technology can be implemented safely. Uber and other companies have been testing driverless cars for years in Arizona in an effort to move the technology forward. Over the weekend, one of those vehicles operated by Uber - with an emergency backup driver behind the wheel - struck and killed a woman on a street in Tempe, Ariz. Testing on the vehicles has since been suspended. In response to the fatal incident,…
Blumenthal Seeks Stronger Fight Against Fatal Opioid Epidemic Blumenthal Seeks Stronger Fight Against Fatal Opioid Epidemic
Blumenthal Seeks Stronger Fight Against Fatal Opioid Epidemic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, urged the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee to allocate robust federal funding to fight the opioid epidemic in Connecticut, which now ranks 11th among the national drug overdose mortality rate.  On average, nearly three Connecticut residents die each day from drug overdoses, resulting in a record-setting 1,000 overdose deaths in 2017. The recently-passed Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 authorizes $6 billion over two years to address the opioid crisis. Senate appropriators are currently reviewing requests for…
CT Congressional Delegation Opposes Trump's Offshore Drilling Plan CT Congressional Delegation Opposes Trump's Offshore Drilling Plan
CT Congressional Delegation Opposes Trump's Offshore Drilling Plan U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), and U.S. Reps. John Larson (CT-1), Joe Courtney (CT-2), Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Jim Himes (CT-4), and Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) wrote Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Wednesday, Feb. 21, expressing opposition to the proposed expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling that could devastate Connecticut’s economy and environment.  Zinke announced in January that the Trump Administration would expand offshore oil and gas leasing to encompass about 90 percent of the United States’ coastal waters.  The congressional letter was submitted as …
New Fairfield Dad Deported To Guatemala After Request To Stay Denied New Fairfield Dad Deported To Guatemala After Request To Stay Denied
New Fairfield Dad Deported To Guatemala After Request To Stay Denied A father from New Fairfield was deported to Guatemala on Wednesday, Jan. 31 after federal immigration officials denied his request to stay in the United States, according to multiple news reports. Joel Colindres illegally came to the U.S. from Guatemala in 2004 and has been living and working here since, according to this report by Connecticut News12. He reportedly was granted an emergency stay of deportation last summer,. Family attorney Erin O'Neil-Baker said Colindres boarded a plane Wednesday to Guatemala. O'Neil-Baker told News12 that Colindres has always cooperated with Immigration an…
Senators Fight To Save Tax Break For Newman's Own Foundation In Westport Senators Fight To Save Tax Break For Newman's Own Foundation In Westport
Senators Fight To Save Tax Break For Newman's Own Foundation In Westport WESTPORT, Conn. — Over the past 25 years, Newman's Own Foundation in Westport has donated $512 million to charities. But a provision in ongoing federal budget negotiations could force the nonprofit founded by actor Paul Newman to close its doors due to a disastrous tax. U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) have written to Senate leaders for help for the nonprofit. When Paul Newman died in 2008, ownership of the actor’s eponymous food company, Newman’s Own, was turned over to the nonprofit foundation. It donates 100 percent of its profits after taxes to charity.  Because…
Rally Planned To Support New Fairfield Dad Facing Second Deportation Order Rally Planned To Support New Fairfield Dad Facing Second Deportation Order
Rally Planned To Support New Fairfield Dad Facing Second Deportation Order NEW FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Supporters are rallying to help a New Fairfield father of two who is facing a second order to return to his native Guatemala.   A peaceful rally is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at the Hartford federal building, 450 Main St. in hopes of getting a stay of deportation for Joel Colindres. Colindres, 33, fled death threats in Guatemala in 2004 and is now marked for deportation back to that Central American country on Jan. 31. This is the second time he has faced deportation in the past five months. He was ordered to leave the country last summer but was granted a last-min…