GMO Label Bill Soars Through CT Senate, "March Against Monsanto" Set For Saturday

Legislation to require that genetically modified foods be labeled in Connecticut cruised throught the state Senate this week, and activists were hoping that a "March Against Monsanto" in Hartford Saturday will keep up the pressure.

ICE Arrests Islas for Deportation Despite Pleas From Activists, Congressional Delegation

Jose Maria Islas, whose immigration case has become a rallying cry for Connecticut activists, has been arrested by federal authorities and is now headed for deportation.

If It's the EU vs Monsanto, Maybe Anti-GMO Americans Come Out Big Winners

Who would have thought that the European Union/U.S. trade deal could be critical to the fight against Monsanto and GMO-foods in this country.

Our Connecticut Bug Farmer Has Backup From the UN: People Should Eat More Bugs

Kathryn Redfern, who may be Connecticut's top urban bug farmer, is far from alone in her quest to get people to eat bugs as an environmentally kind way to get protein.

Wrigley Pulls Caffeinated Gum, Blumenthal Applauds (Of Course)

The anti-caffeination movement (which includes Connecticut's ever-energetic U.S. Sen. Dick Blumenthal) seems to have scored a mini-victory.

Backlog in Gun Background Checks? And That's a Problem?

There's apparently all kinds of concern at the State Capitol because of a huge backlog in checking the backgrounds of the vast number of people who went out and bought huge numbers of firearms before new gun control laws took effect.

Monster Beverage Now In Legal War With San Francisco, While Connecticut Nutritionist Keeps Calling for Ban on Energy Drink Sales to Kids

A couple of months ago, Monster Beverage threatened to sue a Connecticut nutritionist named Dr. Deborah Kennedy unless she stopped saying high-caffeine energy drinks were dangerous for kids.

Jose Maria Islas Gets A Deportation Delay - Will March In Wednesday's Immigrant Rights Demonstration

Jose Maria Islas, whoseimmigration case has galvanized activists and reformers in Connecticut, will be joining Gov. Dannel Malloy and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro Wednesday for a major protest march in New Haven.

Looking For Some Pro-Pot Activism? Join the Global Marijuana March on Saturday

We've decriminalized pot (at least small amounts) in Connecticut. We're on our way toward medical marijuana. If you feel like you want even more, you might want to join in a Marijuana March this Saturday in Hartford.

Feminist Letter Critical of New UConn Brand/Logo Draws Rape Threats

The University of Connecticut's new rebranding and logo redesign efforts haven't been all that popular with a lot of students and fans, but a feminist's critical letter to UConn President Susan Herbst has drawn some really vicious reactions.

The GOP Gun Control Tightrope, With Hard-liners at One End and Moderate Voters at the Other

If anyone’s wondering why GOP lawmakers in this day and age are so reluctant to vote for what most Americans consider sensible gun control, consider what’s happening in this moderate state of ours, home of the Newtown gun massacre.

Not Everyone Appears Happy With New UCONN Uniforms/Logos

The controversy over the University of Connecticut's effort to change its image and the way people think about UCONN appears to be continuing, at least when it comes to some of the uniforms.

U.S. Senate Math Lesson and the Power of the Gun Lobby

The defeat in the U.S. Senate of universal gun-buyer background checks includes some brutal lessons in political math.

It's Turkey Hunting Time Again, But the Odds Seem To Be With Those Damn Birds

The winter snows (we hope) are gone and summer’s just around the corner, so it must be that semi-dangerous time of year for one of Connecticut’s biggest and baddest birds.

Monsanto Stock Keeps Rising, But So Do Chances For GMO Label Bill in Connecticut

Check out this Mother Jones story about how Monsanto has managed to boost its stock prices by selling more genetically modified corn seed and the pesticide that kills everything but that particular type of crop.

Do We Really Need A Connecticut Bear Hunt to Protect Our Livestock?

In case you hadn’t heard, a legislative committee recently got behind a bill that would set up a lottery system for people to hunt and kill bears in Connecticut.

Do We Really Need A Connecticut Bear Hunt To Protect Livestock?

In case you hadn’t heard, a legislative committee recently got behind a bill that would set up a lottery system for people to hunt and kill bears in Connecticut.

If You're Not Worried About Our Bees, You Aren't Paying Attention

New scientific studies indicate that even low levels of a widely used pesticide may be what's responsible for the stunning decline in U.S. honeybee populations - a plunge that could have disasterous effects on agriculture and the environment.

Monster Beverage Versus Connecticut Nutritionist: Round Two

The confrontation pitting a Connecticut nutritionist (backed by several members of Congress) against the multi-billion-dollar maker of Monster Energy drinks is continuing with no sign that either side is backing down.

So Maybe the World's Biggest Drug Heist Was An Inside Job After All

Is the Plunge in Monarch Butterfly Numbers Linked to GMOs?

Here's an ominous story about a 59 percent decline in the number of Monarch butterflies in their Mexican wintering grounds. There could also be a connection to GMO crops and Monsanto.

State Sets April 22 for Public Hearing on New Medical Pot Rules

State Department of Consumer Protection officials are planning to conduct their first big hearing on proposed regulations for Connecticut's medical marijuana system for April 22.

If You Haven't Watched This Speech From HBO's Newsroom, You Need To

Check out this remarkable three-and-a-half minute speech on why America isn't the greatest country in the world any more by Jeff Daniels in HBO's Newsroom show.

How Nice: We Have Only the Third Worst Wealth Distribution On the Planet

Here's a lovely story about where the U.S. ranks in the world in terms of the amount of national wealth owned by the top 10 percent. It's not going to make you feel any better about anything - unless you're one of those at the top.

Whole Foods Going To Label All GMO Products By 2018

Whole Foods, which already sells lots of non-genetically modified stuff, has announced it's going to require everything it its stores to be labeled as GMO non-GMO by 2018. Here's a Reuters story on the move.

Pressure to Nullify State Legalization of Pot Coming On Hard and Fast

The voters in Washington and Colorado may have decided to end their war against recreational pot, but national and international law enforcement types are pushing for the feds to overrule those state actions.

Evil Emerald Ash Borer Invades Three More Connecticut Towns

Town by town, the dreaded Emerald Ash Borer advances through Connecticut's woodlands.

Doping in Pro Cycling Debate Coming to Yale with Floyd Landis

People who aren't into professional cycling may only vaguely know the name Floyd Landis, but they should. It was Landis, a disgraced winner of the Tour de France,  whose doping confessions helped trigger the scandal that brought down Lance Armstrong.

Newtown Storefront Art Gallery Aims to Help Heal the Wounds of Sandy Hook

Turns out that storefront art galleries can help communities in more ways than expanding cultural horizons or reviving urban centers. They can also be used to help the healing process for communities struck by tragedy.

Connecticut's DEEP gets "Bike Friendly" Award from League of American Bicyclists

Congratulations to Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for being awarded a "Bicycle Friendly Business" designation from the biggest bike advocacy group in the nation.

Whoa: Audubon Society Report Warns of Decline of Insect-Eating Connecticut Birds

Four Demonstrators Arrested Outside Hartford Immigration Deportation Hearing

Four people protesting against the deportation of Josemaria Islas were arrested for blocking the doorway to the federal court building in Hartford Thursday.

Immigrant Activists To Rally in Hartford Outside Islas Deportation Hearing

Connecticut activists are planning to rally outside federal offices in Hartford Thursday at noon to protest the deportation hearing against Josemaria Islas, an undocumented immigrant who was arrested for a crime he never committed.

Another Global Warming Indicator: Our Hummers Are Arriving Early

The evidence for global warming keeps on piling up, and the latest involves the early arrival of hummingbirds in the spring.

Hartford City Council Blocks 3-year Deal with Bank of America, But Victory May Be Hollow

Liberal activists on the Hartford City Council have managed to block a long-term extension of the city's contract with Bank of America, but that doesn't mean Connecticut's biggest banking operator is losing Hartford as a client.

GMOs: Great for Monsanto, But What About Those 'Bigger, Better Crops' Claims?

The grand claim for genetically modified organism crops (most from seeds patented and controlled by agri-giant Monsanto) is that they can produce more corn or soybeans or whatever than non-GMOs and use less pesticide.

Connecticut Food Activists Skeptical of Wal-Mart's Apparent Switch on GMO Labeling

You’d think that having a food-industry monster like Wal-Mart talking to federal regulators about labeling products that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) would have anti-GMO types jumping for joy.

Wow: You Know Things Are Bad When Yale's Suing Grads Over Student Loans

The crisis in student loan defaults must be horrific if Yale University is reduced to suing its graduates to get some of its money back.

Don't Forget Those Kra-Ze Vodka Distillers Out in Montville

In our cover story last week about Connecticut's craft "micro-distilleries," we somehow inadvertantly overlooked two dudes who've been creating award-winning flavored vodkas in Montville under the "KRA-ZE" label since 2009.

New Study Finds Stunning Kill Rates for Roaming Kitties

A new Smithsonian Conservation Institue study includes a gobsmaking estimate that feral and roaming house cats in the U.S. kill something like 2.4 million birds and 12.3 billion mammals a year.

Boy Scouts of America Considering Dropping Anti-Gay Policy

The national leadership of the Boy Scouts of America are apparently finally about to end their long-standing policy against allowing gays in their organization - a move some local Boy Scout councils in this state have already taken.

Mohegan Sun's Winefest '13: A Whole Lot A Sippin' Going On

White-haired dudes walking around with canes. Skinny 20-something women in slinky outfits and four-inch heels. Wheeler-dealers in serious suits. Laughing soccer-moms-and-dads. A pot-bellied biker in ankle-length leather coat and motorcycle boots. Stone-cold experts taking notes.

Remember the Broadwater LNG Plant for Long Island Sound? Maybe It Wasn't Such A Hot Idea After All

Remember a few years ago when a consortium of energy giants wanted to build a $700 million floating liquefied natural gas plant in the middle of Long Island Sound? It was going to help Connecticut and New York consumers and be wonderful for the economy.

Want to Pass A Bill? What You Need is Money, Tragedy, or High-Powered Friends

Now that the 2013 General Assembly session is getting cranked up, here are some hints about “How To Get A Bill Passed” that you won’t find in high school civics books.

Connecticut's Draft Regulations for A Medical Marijuana System Are Here, But Getting Pot to Patients Will Take A While

Connecticut's regulatory plan for creating a medical marijuana growing and distribution system are finally up for review on a state website, but state officials warn it could be another year before the program is up and running.

Update on State Rep. Terry Backer Case: Fined for Ethics Violation

Here’s an update on a story we did a couple of years ago about an apparent conflict of interest involving a state legislator and his influence over an agency that directed hundreds of thousands of dollars to a non-profit he operated.

NRA Releases Statement Responding To Today's White House Task Force Meeting

Submitted without comment:

Wow - Ernie Newton Arrested Again, This Time on Election Fraud Charges

Former Bridgeport state Sen. Ernie Newton, who once labeled himself "the Moses of my people" just before heading for a multi-year prison term for bribery, has just been arrested again and charged with campaign funding fraud.

How About Connecticut Drivers' Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants?

The next round of debate over how to deal with the tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in our communities is about to kick off Sunday with calls for allowing those folks to get Connecticut drivers' licenses.

High Fructose, Brains, and Obesity: Yale Scientist Part of Groundbreaking Study

A Yale University endrocrinologist named Robert Sherwin was part of a study indicating high-fructose corn syrup may be blocking our brains ability to tell whether we're hungry or not.