Heartbreaking: Jeremy Richman, whose daughter Avielle was killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting, found dead at the town hall in Newton. Police said it appears he committed suicide.
The first photo is the identification card the Nazis issued to my father. The second photo is my Covid vaccination card. Please contact me if you want to discuss the difference between these two documents.
After his daughter's murder in 2012, Richman, a neuro-pharmacologist, and his wife, Jennifer Hensel, created a foundation dedicated to preventing violence and building compassion through brain health research, community engagement and education.
Sigh…
Once again sharing the ID card the Nazis issued to my dad after they invaded Holland, as I do every time one of those polls comes out that shows a disturbingly high percentage of Americans believe the Holocaust didn’t happen - or it’s horrors were exaggerated.
A single sign-carrying activist stands at the main entrance to the University of Hartford, where Sen. Chris Murphy is holding a summit on gun-violence prevention. POTUS will address the group later this afternoon
Some ✨personal news✨I’ll be leaving The Courant later this month. I’m excited to join Route Fifty, where I’ll be covering cities and state legislatures nationally, with a focus on the fallout from the Covid crisis.
Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill will ask Gov. Ned Lamont to use his emergency powers to eliminate restrictive language in state law and allow more people to request an absentee ballot for the state’s April 28 primary.
Democratic Jahana Hayes says Republican congressional candidate Robert Hyde's messages to Lev Parnas are "deeply disturbing. I cannot believe this is coming from my own district. This does not represent who we are and is definitely not reflective of CT-05"
Former UConn great and Miami Heat assistant coach Caron Butler is at the Connecticut Capitol today to advocate for an end to solitary confinement. He’s wearing a patch depicting Angela Davis on his suit coat.
My offer still stands if anyone wants to discuss how my dad’s ID card from the Nazis (stamped with a J) differs from private businesses requiring their patrons to show proof of vaccination. DMs are open if you want to chat
In GUILFORD: it looks like the fusion slate of Democrats and unaffiliated candidates handily beat the Republicans running on an anti-critical race theory slate amid extremely high turnout. Story posting soon.
In honor of my colleague Josh Kovner, who died today, I'm going to highlight some of his finest work. I'll start with this beautiful story about an 11-year-old boy with autism:
Personal news: Today is my last day at Route Fifty. Next week, I'll join the stellar campaigns and election team at Roll Call. Covering House and Senate races is truly a dream job and I can't wait to get started.
The largely female workforce that bathes, feeds, cares for and treats nursing home patients is also bearing a terrible price in this pandemic. One of them, Angeline Bernadel, an LPN studying to be an RN, lost her life this month.
Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff at debate watch party in Manchester NH with other Pete Buttigieg supporters. “I firmly believe he’s the only candidate who can beat Donald Trump.”
WeHa really upping its “I voted” Election Day sticker game. These honor Maria Clemencia Colon Sanchez, the first Latin elected to the Connecticut legislature and Anna Louise James, one of the first Black women to register to vote in Old Saybrook.
THREAD: Today is a very sad day at The Hartford Courant: Six amazing journalists are leaving (five of them are taking buyouts.) And while I am so happy for them personally as they move on to new adventures, their departures will leave a major gap.
Sen. Chris Murphy greets for four young adults who survived school shootings at his gun violence prevention summit. "There is no anti-gun violence movement that wins without young people,'' he said.
I’m out on unpaid furlough this week so I won’t be writing stories about some of the roughly 3,400 people in Connecticut who have died in the pandemic.
The great
@markmirko
on his final day at The Hartford Courant. He was the paper’s last remaining staff photographer. The Courant once had a large and incredibly talented photo staff, but Mark was the last one. And now he’s gone too…(photo by
@jessleavenworth
)
THREAD: Connecticut lawmakers are discussing a bill that aims to improve public access to municipal beaches. House Bill 5254 would bar towns that receive state road aid from charging out-of-towners more to park at the beach.
Just did a quick search of “Ned Lamont” and “defund the police.” The only stories I could find were the ones where he said he DOESN’T support defunding the police.
Gov Lamont supported defunding police, resulting in crime at all time highs. Cities were the last to get essential ppe. Businesses like Peoples are fleeing; taking jobs with them. It’s time for a substantive urban agenda rather than more false rhetoric.
The most remarkable things about this rally was its organic, almost spontaneous, nature: it wasn’t organized by an established group and no politicians spoke (or attended as far as I could tell.) Most people learned about it just hours before, from text or Facebook post.
In Connecticut, former Republican state Rep. Bill Aman, who says he’s never voted for a Democrat in his life, will vote for Joe Biden this year. “I cannot be part of the party of Trump,” he said in a Facebook post.
@RepsForBiden
Here’s the work card issued to my father by the Nazis at the Westerbork transit camp in Holland. He was 15 at the time. (Apologies if anyone’s feelings are hurt by this photo.)
For all the talk about the Trump wing take-over of the Connecticut GOP in Fairfield County, Republicans did not appear to have a great night: A rising conservative star-Rep. Kimberly Fiorello-lost and Democrats flipped a legislative seat in Greenwich that the party has never held
Best moment of the entire day: Rep. Rosa DeLauro complimenting the preschoolers on their fashion choices. “I love your unicorn shirt,” she told one little girl.
Huge year for Connecticut’s state university system: first Southern Connecticut State University gets its first Rhodes Scholar; now a graduate of Central Connecticut State University is on the short list for US Education secretary.
Asma Rahimyar, the daughter of Afghan refugees studying politics and international studies, is the first Rhodes scholar from Southern Connecticut State University.
BREAKING: A former staff member for U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty says she was punched, screamed at and threatened with death by the congresswoman’s then chief of staff, who after being fired in 2016 went on to work for Sandy Hook Promise until this week.
The 3 candidates running in the New Haven-centric 3rd Congressional District are asked whether they prefer a lobster roll or pizza from one of Wooster Square's famed pizzerias. Green Party candidate
@justin4all2
kills his chances by confessing he prefers Chicago-style deep dish
Great
@karavoght
piece on Chris Christie's dream of breaking Donald Trump's hold on the GOP. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t stand a chance. “I’m glad he’s making the run,”
@BillKristol
says. “I hope he endorses Biden after Trump wins the nomination.”
Connecticut gained a net 57,000 new residents last year, the largest increase in nearly two decades. And it's interesting to see the states that are most responsible for those gains, led by New York, which accounted for about 63% of all new arrivals.
Woah--In Connecticut, Democrats defeat Rep. Kimberly Fiorello, a Republican from Greenwich who is against vaccine requirements and supports tougher abortion laws and "parental rights," Her loss suggests not everyone in lower Fairfield county is comfortable with the MAGA agenda.
This is big: Massachusetts, one of the states hardest hit by coronavirus, announces the full reopening of schools, contra large districts like Fairfax VA that are going with only two days/week.
Some artifacts to consider on International Holocaust Remembrance Day: my father’s ID card and his work card from the Westerbork transit camp. He was 15 at the time.
Rep. Themis Klarides, the top Republican in the Connecticut House, said Republican party Chairman J.R. Romano can no longer effectively lead following disclosures that he failed to act in response to allegions of abuse against the party's nominee for Congress in the 2nd District.
Trump endorses Leora Levy in the Connecticut Republican primary for US Senate. His lengthy statement spends time slamming Richard Blumenthal-the current occupant of the seat-and Levy’s Republican rival, Themis Klarides.
Not gonna lie: seeing all these tweets from journalists about how overjoyed they are to return to their offices is kind of heartbreaking for those of us whose employers permanently shut our newsrooms during the pandemic.
Word that the Alden deal to buy Tribune might fall apart is the first *potentially* positive news The Hartford Courant has had in years....perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel after all...
On a day when officials warned of mass protests with the potential for violence, the West Hartford Whole Foods is open for business. No plywood covering the windows as there was during the peaceful BLM rally in June.
#WeHaStrong
Investigative reporting takes time, money and know-how. You know what doesn't take any of those thing? Tossing out unsubstantiated allegations on Twitter...
This chief resident at Yale-New Haven describes an extremely challenging situation at the hospital. She ends her harrowing thread with a plea: “Do something
@GovNedLamont
”
INBOX: U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal will join Stew Leonard’s to pardon two turkeys from a farm in Guilford named after Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
Bob Stefanowski: “President Biden is the rightly elected president of the the United States.” He says the Jan 6 attack was a horrible event and anyone who played a role, including former President Trump, must be held accountable.
I've tweeted this a million times, but I'm going to keep tweeting it because it's true.
The coast-to-coast hollowing out of America's local newsrooms is a massive civic emergency.
It's a five-alarm fire raging in our public square.
And so much damage has already been done.
Masks will be mandatory in all schools in West Hartford in September. From the superintendent: “This is not optional. If a child refuses, parents will be called to pick them up. Please not matter how strongly you feel about this, do not put your child in this position.”
UConn will launch a pilot program for test-optional admissions over the next 3 cycles. This is big: have any other state flagships gone test-optional, even on a temporary basis?
I don’t recall a victory lap...I do remember him commending Connecticut residents when the infection rates fell in July and August but also warning people that we weren’t out of the woods yet...
Finally,
@jonlender
: What to say? While the announcement that he's leaving will bring huge joy and sighs of relief to corrupt public officials and other grifters, it's devastating to the cause of accountability journalism in Connecticut.
Big night for Sen. Chris Murphy: Ben Florsheim, who worked as an aide to the Democratic senator for the past 5 years, won a 4-way primary for mayor of Middletown.
There's been such understandable focus on Sun Belt spike that the extraordinary subsidence in NE has been overlooked.
NYC has not had >50 daily hospital admissions in 4 weeks.
North Jersey has fallen from ~5000 hospital census to <400.
MA has dropped from ~200 deaths/day to ~20