In the News
Three local theaters that recently received a total of $238,000 from the federal government’s Small Business Administration’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grant have been able to reopen, staging a Beach Boys tribute concert and paying operating expenses.
Little Theatre of Manchester received $123,000, CAST Children’s Theatre in Manchester received $60,000, and Opera House Players in Enfield received $55,000.
Two Connecticut universities have committed to helping people fleeing the chaos in Afghanistan.
In a letter to President Joe Biden sent Thursday, leaders of Goodwin University in East Hartford and the University of Bridgeport offered Afghan refugees assistance with language skills and access to work and career programs.
The University of Bridgeport also agreed to allow refugees to temporarily stay in a 140-bed dormitory that is not currently occupied by students.
David Downey, President & CEO of the International Downtown Association, wrote the following op-ed that appeared in Roll Call:
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear some things will never be the same — from the ways we socialize with one another to the way we shop to how and even where we work. The traditional workplace was already evolving before the pandemic, cities were changing, and technological advancements had enabled the widespread use of videoconferencing and streamlined collaboration.
Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, wrote the following op-ed in The Hill:
This year, Social Security’s birthday, Aug. 14, comes at an exciting time. Congress is on the verge of greatly expanding our economic security through its upcoming reconciliation bill.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic emptied out cities and counties from Maine to California, America’s office environment was being redefined as employers increasingly offered telework opportunities.
The West Hartford Fire Department will be able to accelerate its training of fire officers thanks to a grant of more than $350,000 from the Department of Homeland Security’s Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program (AFG) announced last week by the office of U.S. Rep. John Larson.
Majority Democrats in Congress looking to bridge the wealth gap in the U.S. are considering a proposal that would let workers profit from Wall Street’s impressive gains.
The SHARE Plan Act proposed by Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, would give an incentive to companies to distribute more stock to middle- and low-wage workers by allowing shareholders to claim long-term capital gains treatment on stock sales. Shareholders would otherwise pay at higher ordinary income tax rates.
BRISTOL – Congressman John Larson of Connecticut’s first district reminded others that with the passing of the federal eviction moratorium that there are still options for state residents to tackle their rental issues.
Larson said he is cosponsoring legislation to reinstate the moratorium. However while that process continues, residents may still apply for up to $15,000 in rental assistance and $1,500 in electrical assistance through UniteCT. More can be learned online or residents may call 1-844-864-8328. The program is funded through American Rescue Plan dollars.
Hartford — A Dalio family foundation, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the city of Hartford announced Wednesday a combined investment of $9.85 million to reengage young people who are disconnected from school or work.
The money will allow two youth organizations in Hartford, COMPASS Youth Collaborative and Our Piece of the Pie, to expand and a third group, Roca, to start working in the capital city for the first time, serving young mothers who are connected to urban violence, which has spiked in many U.S. cities, including in the past year.
Plans to construct a park linking Hartford’s North End with the Connecticut River could get a boost in the form of nearly $1 million in federal funding.
In a statement released Monday, U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-Conn., said his request to steer $900,000 to the City of Hartford to support the park’s development has been included in a House transportation, housing and economic development appropriations bill.