Facebook is being deceitful, Sen. Blumenthal says

Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Sunday tore into Facebook, calling the company’s stated attitudes on regulation a sham.

Speaking on “Reliable Sources” on CNN, Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said, “What we are hearing from Facebook is platitudes and bromides. When it says it wants regulation, at the same time it is fighting that regulation tooth and nail, day and night, with armies of lawyers, millions of dollars in lobbying. And so, I must say, Facebook saying it wants regulation is the height of disingenuousness.“

Blumenthal’s remarks come after the recent revelations by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, as well as widespread reporting about a range of issues with Facebook, including the worldwide proliferation of hate speech on the platform.

“The thing I saw at Facebook over and over again was that there were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook,” Haugen said on CBS earlier this month. Blumenthal said he expected other “disgusted” Facebook whistleblowers to step forward.

“What we are seeing here is a building drumbeat for accountability,” Blumenthal told host Brian Stelter. “A movement for reform that will require disclosure of the powerful algorithms that drive destructive content to children and others, the hate speech in foreign countries, but also the anger and depression that is amplified by those algorithms as it leads children down rabbit holes.”

Blumenthal again called for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to follow Haugen and testify on Capitol Hill, and he also sought the full disclosure of internal files on Facebook‘s practices.

He told Stelter: “I wish Mark Zuckerberg would stand up to his responsibility. You know, he controls that company in a way few other single individuals do in corporate America, and he should be held accountable.”

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/24/blumenthal-facebook-regulations-zuckerberg-517017
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: David Cohen

! #Headlines, #Congress, #Connecticut, #Facebook, #Newsfeed, #Political, #Politico, #Politics, #TechnologyNews, #Trending, #News

Tropical Storm Henri barrels into southern New England with damaging winds, flooding

Tropical Storm Henri, with maximum sustained winds down only slightly from hurricane intensity, is walloping southern New England with damaging winds, storm surge flooding, and torrential rainfall.

The big picture: The storm has slowed down slightly and taken a well-advertised turn towards the Northwest as it approaches eastern Long Island, southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island, taking a north-northwesterly path toward the coast.

---

The latest: At 9 a.m. ET, Tropical Storm Henri was located about 35 miles south-southeast of Montauk Point, New York, or 70 miles south of Providence. It is moving north-northwest at 16 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, with higher gusts.

• The storm has been weakening slightly as it approaches the coast due to cooler waters just offshore. It is forecast to move north-northwest and slow to a near crawl later Sunday and Sunday night.
• Tropical storm-force winds, sustained at 39 mph to 73 mph, with higher gusts, have moved onshore and will keep pushing inland throughout the day. Some areas may see a six-hour or more period of damaging winds which, given recent rains, are likely to take down trees and power lines.
• Tropical storm and storm surge warnings span the length of the southern New England coast as the storm’s 125-mile diameter tropical storm wind swatch pushes water towards the coast.

A storm surge of 3 to 5 feet above normally dry ground is anticipated along the south coast, including Long Island’s south and north shores, coastal Connecticut, Rhode Island and Cape Cod and the Islands. Nearly twenty-foot waves have been observed just off the coast.

• This would not be a record surge but is comparable to other events in the past which caused damage.
• The National Weather Service forecast office in New York City called the surge threat “major (life-threatening)” for its forecast area.

The storm’s other biggest risk is heavy inland rains, with a widespread 3 to 6 inches of rain likely to fall from northeast Pennsylvania to New England. Some spots may pick up 10 inches or more, and Henri-related flash flooding is already underway in northern New Jersey.

• Five-to-six inches of rain has already fallen in parts of Connecticut, New York City, and N.J.
• The “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” was disrupted on Saturday night when tropical moisture related to Henri plus another storm system swept into the city, resulting in the heaviest one-hour rainfall total on record for New York City, at 1.94 inches, according to the Weather Service.
• The authoritative climate science report released this month by the U.N. IPCC on climate science published earlier this month found that extreme precipitation events, including heavy downpours, are becoming more frequent and severe, and that tropical storms and hurricanes are producing heavier rainfall in a warming world.

The bottom line: Typically, inland flooding, rather than strong winds, is the greatest threat to lives and property out of a tropical storm or hurricane’s arsenal.

• “Heavy rainfall from Henri may result in considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding, along with the potential for widespread minor to isolated moderate river flooding,” the National Hurricane Center warned.

Good morning! The rising sun is giving us a view of now Tropical Storm Henri. Henri is expected to make landfall around lunchtime. Don’t sleep on this storm just because it was downgraded to a TS; the expected impacts remain the same! #mawx #riwx #ctwx pic.twitter.com/NcVke9zWf2

— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) August 22, 2021

Storm surge building in Buzzards Bay this morning. Here’s Woods Hole. Fortunately timing still looks good (coming in at low tide early afternoon) pic.twitter.com/45J0LVHuki

— Eric Fisher (@ericfisher) August 22, 2021

Source: https://www.axios.com/tropical-storm-henri-slams-new-england-flooding-babf8f74-da57-4033-80c7-a4ead6d7f5ec.html
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Andrew Freedman

! #Headlines, #Axios, #Connecticut, #Hurricane, #Newsfeed, #NewYork, #Storms, #Weather, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, new york nyc NY nypd nyfd, #News, #ThePlanet, #UK

Henri develops into hurricane as it barrels toward northeast

Tropical storm Henri has developed into a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said Saturday morning, with the storm expected to make landfall in the northeast U.S. as soon as Saturday night.The ce…

Source: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/568855-henri-develops-into-hurricane-as-it-barrels-toward-northeast
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Caroline Vakil

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #Hurricane, #NewEngland, #NewJersey, #Newsfeed, #NewYork, #NYC, #Political, #Storms, #Weather, #News

Tropical Storm Henri will make landfall in the northeastern United States

Enlarge / Henri satellite appearance as of 10:30 am ET (14:30 UTC) on Friday. (credit: NOAA)

After several days of uncertainty and wild swings in forecast models, confidence is increasing in a large tropical system making landfall in the northeastern United States this weekend. In addition to causing surges along the coastline, Henri could bring gusty winds and widespread heavy rainfall from late Saturday through Monday to a region from New Jersey to Maine.

The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center, issued at 11 am ET on Friday, shows Henri holding at sustained winds of 65 mph, just below hurricane strength. However, the wind shear hampering Henri’s organization should relax some later today, and as the storm passes over the Gulf Stream, forecasters anticipate Henri will become a Category 1 or 2 hurricane. It may weaken some before landfall, however, as it passes over the cooler waters off the coast of New England.

Official track forecast for TS Henri at 11 am ET Friday. (credit: National Hurricane Center)

Over the next 48 hours, the storm should now move more or less due north and will likely make landfall somewhere along Long Island, Connecticut, or Rhode Island on Sunday.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Source: https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/tropical-storm-henri-will-make-landfall-in-the-northeastern-united-states/
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Eric Berger

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #Hurricane, #NewEngland, #NewJersey, #Newsfeed, #NewYork, #NYC, #Storms, #TechNews, #ThePlanet, #Weather, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, #News, #UK

AR-15 rifle maker offers $33M settlement to Sandy Hook families

Settlement is being offered in a lawsuit over how the rifle maker marketed the firearm to the public.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/7/28/ar-15-rifle-maker-offers-33m-settlement-to-sandy-hook-families
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By:

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #Guns, #Money, #Newsfeed, #Political, lawsuit, #News

Connecticut Becomes 18th State to Legalize Marijuana for Adults

“This legislation recognizes that the responsible use of marijuana by adults should not be a crime, and that those who carry the stigma of a criminal record for their past use of cannabis should receive relief.”

The post Connecticut Becomes 18th State to Legalize Marijuana for Adults appeared first on NORML.

Source: https://norml.org/blog/2021/06/22/connecticut-becomes-18th-state-to-legalize-marijuana-for-adults/
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: NORML

! #Headlines, #Cannabis, #CannaBuzz, #Connecticut, #LegalizeIt, #Marijuana, #Newsfeed, #Politics, #Weed, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, marijuana cannabis mmj norml, #News

Connecticut poised to legalize marijuana

Connecticut is poised to become the 18th state to allow residents to use marijuana for recreational purposes after a measure cleared a critical hurdle in the state legislature late Wednesday night….

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/558915-connecticut-poised-to-legalize-marijuana
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Reid Wilson

! #Headlines, #Cannabis, #Connecticut, #LegalizeIt, #News420, #Newsfeed, #Political, #Politics, #Weed, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, marijuana cannabis mmj norml, #News

Connecticut Poised to Become Next State to Legalize Marijuana for Adults

“Marginalized communities have disproportionately suffered for decades because of the discriminatory enforcement of marijuana laws in Connecticut. This bill is a step toward addressing that shameful legacy and it will provide long-needed relief to communities that have historically experienced the collateral consequences of prohibition.”

The post Connecticut Poised to Become Next State to Legalize Marijuana for Adults appeared first on NORML.

Source: https://norml.org/blog/2021/06/17/connecticut-poised-to-become-next-state-to-legalize-marijuana-for-adults/
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Carly Wolf, NORML State Policies Manager

! #Headlines, #Cannabis, #CannaBuzz, #Connecticut, #Government, #LegalizeIt, #Marijuana, #News420, #Newsfeed, #Weed, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, marijuana cannabis mmj norml, #News

New Connecticut parenting bill gives LGBTQ families a sigh of relief

“We already know we are a family, and now with this bill passing, no one can tell us differently,” one lesbian mom said of the Connecticut Parentage Act.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/new-connecticut-parenting-bill-gives-lgbtq-families-sigh-relief-n1269282
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Julie Moreau

! #Headlines, #CivilRights, #Connecticut, #Diversity, #Government, #Newsfeed, #Parents, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, LGBTQ, #News

Judge ruling upholds Connecticut school mask mandate

A judge has ruled to keep Connecticut’s school mask requirement in place after it was challenged by a lawsuit filed in August, …

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/555412-judge-ruling-upholds-connecticut-school-mask-mandate
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Sarah Polus

! #Headlines, ##WearAMask, #Connecticut, #CoronaVirus, #Education, #Government, #Health, #Newsfeed, #Political, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, covid19, lawsuit, pandemic, #News

Amazon closing Connecticut site after another noose found

Amazon announced on Thursday that it was shutting down a construction site in Windsor, Conn., after a seventh noose was discovered.The most recent incident on Wednesday comes almost a month af…

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/554694-amazon-closing-connecticut-site-after-another-noose-found
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Morgan Gstalter

! #Headlines, #Amazon, #BusinessNews, #Connecticut, #HateCrimes, #Newsfeed, #Political, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, #News

Connecticut ends religious exemption for school vaccinations

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed into law on Wednesday a bill that ends religious exemptions for school vaccinations.”Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed int…

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/550736-connecticut-ends-religious-exemption-for-childhood-school-vaccinations
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Lexi Lonas

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #Education, #Government, #Newsfeed, #Political, #Politics, #Vaccines, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, pandemic, #News

Judge tosses suit that sought to block transgender athletes

HARTFORD, Conn. — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to prevent transgender athletes from competing in girls high school sports in Connecticut

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/judge-tosses-suit-sought-block-transgender-athletes-rcna758
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: The Associated Press

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #Newsfeed, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, lawsuit, LGBTQ, #News

Connecticut lifting all COVID business restrictions by May 19

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) on Monday announced that he would be lifting all COVID-19 business restrictions on May 19.”Contingent upon sufficiently low rates of infections and increasing vacc…

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/549160-connecticut-lifting-all-covid-business-restrictions-by-may-19
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Lexi Lonas

! #Headlines, ##WearAMask, #Connecticut, #CoronaVirus, #Health, #Newsfeed, #Political, #SocialDistancing, #Vaccines, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, covid19, pandemic, #Coronavirus, #News

Five dorms at University of Connecticut under quarantine

The move comes after state police broke up a nearby party attended by about 100 people.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/five-dormitories-university-connecticut-under-quarantine-n1262983
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Dennis Romero and Joe Studley

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #CoronaVirus, #Education, #Lockdown, #Newsfeed, #Quarantine, college, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, covid19, pandemic, #News

Connecticut lifting coronavirus capacity limits on March 19

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) …

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/541705-connecticut-lifting-all-covid-19-capacity-limits-on-march-19
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Lexi Lonas

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #CoronaVirus, #Government, #Health, #Lockdown, #Newsfeed, #Political, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, pandemic, #Coronavirus, #News

Connecticut governor mulls easing restrictions following coronavirus case drop

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) says he’s mulling easing coronavirus restrictions following a drop in infections. Speaking at a …

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/536462-connecticut-governor-mulls-easing-restrictions-following-coronavirus
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Jordan Williams

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #CoronaVirus, #Government, #Health, #Lockdown, #Newsfeed, #Political, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, covid19, pandemic, #Coronavirus, #News

Biden’s Education secretary pick acknowledges ‘ongoing crisis’ in schools

President-elect Joe Biden formally introduced Miguel Cardona as his secretary of Education nominee on Wednesday, placing the Connecticut state education official atop the incoming administration’s sweeping plans to reopen the majority of American schools in 100 days and accelerate federal spending on education.

Cardona previewed a broad agenda to address persistent achievement gaps, fill neglected construction and trade jobs, expand access to college and universal early childhood education, and boost the status of the nation’s teachers.

“For too many students, public education in America has been a ‘flor pálida’, a wilted rose neglected and in need of care,” Cardona said in his first public remarks since his nomination. “We must be the master gardeners who cultivate it, who work every day to preserve its beauty and its purpose.”

But the nominee acknowledged Covid-19 has wrenched open long-standing and painful disparities in the nation’s schools — and that those problems will persist after the pandemic fades.

“We also know that this crisis is ongoing, that we will carry its impacts for years to come, and that the problems and inequities that have plagued our educational system since long before Covid will still be with us even after the virus is gone,” Cardona said.

“So it’s our responsibility, it’s our privilege, to take this moment and to do the most American thing imaginable: To forge opportunity out of crisis, to draw on our resolve, our ingenuity and our tireless optimism as a people, and build something better than we’ve ever had before.”

Cardona’s selection fulfills Biden’s campaign promise to name an educator with public school experience to replace Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, but his nomination also allows the incoming administration to highlight a fast-rising Latino education official who noted his public school education and birth at the Yale Acres public housing complex in Meriden, Conn.

“And I, being bilingual and bicultural, am as American as apple pie and rice and beans,” Cardona said.

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/23/cardona-education-schools-crisis-450258
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Juan Perez Jr.

! #Headlines, #Biden, #Connecticut, #Education, #Government, #Newsfeed, #People, #Political, #Politico, #Politics, #Trending, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, #Coronavirus, #Health, #News

Connecticut’s largest newspaper loses its newsroom

The Hartford Courant, Connecticut’s largest newspaper, and the oldest continuously published paper in the country, will be closing its physical newsroom by the end of the year, the publication announced Friday. …

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/528848-connecticuts-largest-newspaper-loses-its-newsroom
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Celine Castronuovo

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #Journalism, #Newsfeed, #Political, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, #News

Two killed in explosion at Connecticut veterans hospital

Two people were killed in an explosion at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Connecticut on Friday morning, The Associated Press…

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/525846-two-killed-in-explosion-at-connecticut-veterans-hospital
Droolin’ Dog sniffed out this story and shared it with you.
The Article Was Written/Published By: Celine Castronuovo

! #Headlines, #Connecticut, #Explosion, #Healthcare, #Newsfeed, #Political, #Veterans, connecticut OR CT OR Danbury, #News