Connecticut

CT governor announces Matt Brokman as new chief of staff

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2024

CT governor announces Matt Brokman as new chief of staff

Gov. Ned Lamont announced a new key player in his administration Tuesday.

Matt Brokman, a senior advisor to the governor since January 2023, will take on the role as Lamont’s chief of staff, effective immediately.

Brokman, previously chief of staff for House Majority Leader Jason Rojas and former Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, has also worked in the Connecticut House Democrats Office.

“I think people in this building on both sides of the aisle know him,” Lamont said of Brokman. “They know they can take him at his word, and I think that’s going to be incredibly valuable for us as a state going forward for the next two years.”

With the next regular legislative session about six months away, crafting Connecticut’s next biennium budget is at the forefront. Lamont has said the next budget cycle could be “complicated,” with the state required to spend the last of American Rescue Plan Act funds by the end of 2026.

Brokman replaces Jonathan Dach, who stepped away as Lamont’s chief of staff after a year and a half in the role, citing a move to New York.

Speaking Tuesday, Lamont praised Dach’s work in the “round the clock” chief of staff job, and in various other positions in his administration over the last six years.

Dach said he will continue working with the governor in a senior advisory role on policy projects, such as energy supply, higher education and housing.

The next regular legislative session runs from early January to June 2025

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Connecticut

Growing fight over submarine funding

Published

2 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

A fight is looming down in Washington over whether to fund two submarines for the Navy.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, (D, 2nd), is among those backing a bill to fund construction for two subs. “I think this is not just sort of a hometown, parochial priority,” Courtney said.

Many congressional Republicans and the White House are backing a spending plan that would only call for one sub, though.

“This bill procures where we can, trains where we must and invests in capabilities that make our adversaries wake up every day and say, ‘today is not the day to provoke the United States of America,’” U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, (R, California), said during debate on a spending bill last week.

A budget deal last year caps the Defense Departments budget at $886 billion, and some say that money would be better spent on fighter jets and supporting innovation in the military.

It’s not clear if the reduction in submarine building would impact orders to Groton-based Electric Boat and the company did not respond to a request for comment this week.

EB has said it wants to hire 5,000 workers are year to meet expected increases in production.

Supporters of a the two-sub plan say maintaining construction also sends a message to parts builders and suppliers.

“Electric boat supplies work for over 700 companies here in Connecticut, supports tens of thousands of jobs outside their own direct jobs,” Chris Davis, vice president of public policy for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, said.

Courtney said ramping up the supply chain can be difficult, which is why he’s opposed past efforts to scale back construction.

He also said nuclear submarines need to be a part of a modern military, pointing to China’s stockpile of missiles capable of shooting down ships.

Courtney also noted Ukraine has been able to fend off Russia’s surface-level ships.

“It’s submarines that really, um you know, kind of change the dynamic,” he said.

That’s also part of the reason why Australia reached an agreement in 2021 with the U.S. and U.K. to buy nuclear submarines.

As part of the AUKUS deal, the U.S. agreed to sell three submarines to Australia beginning in 2032.

The president can back out if the Navy needs more subs, though. Courtney said the Navy is supposed to have 66 attacking submarines but currently only has 50, with three scheduled to be decommissioned in the next few years.

“Every time you take a sub out of inventory, in my opinion, you’re making that decision harder,” Courtney said.

The AUKUS deal included orders for Electric Boat.

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Connecticut

Connecticut State Parks reach capacity ahead of Fourth of July; closures reported

Published

9 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Connecticut State Parks reach capacity ahead of Fourth of July; closures reported

(WFSB) – DEEP has announced that several state parks have reached full capacity in anticipation of Fourth of July celebrations.

State parks and beaches began closing their gates due to reaching full capacity as early as 8 a.m.

As of 10 a.m., the following state parks are closed:

Squantz Pond State Park, New Fairfield
Gardner Lake State Park, Salem
Bigelow Hollow State Park, Union
Millers Pond State Park, Haddam
Pattaconk Recreation Area – Cockaponset State Forest
Quaddick State Park, Thompson
Burr Pond State Park, Torrington
Wadsworth Falls State Park, Middletown
Rock Neck State Park, East Lyme

DEEP’s X (Twitter) profile can be found here for parking updates.

For the latest updates, continue to follow Channel 3

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Connecticut

Connecticut Sun vs. Minnesota Lynx Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 7-4-2024

Published

16 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Connecticut Sun vs. Minnesota Lynx Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 7-4-2024

A matchup between two of the top teams in the WNBA takes place on Independence Day when the Connecticut Sun (15-4, 2nd East) take on the Minnesota Lynx (14-5, 1st West). The Sun are coming off an 11-point road win over the Mercury, and the Lynx just lost by nine on the road against the Liberty. These teams met once this season already, with the Sun winning by one at home in overtime. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 EST from the Target Center in Minneapolis, and can be found on Amazon Prime Video.

Let’s get into your favorite WNBA picks for tonight’s matchup between Connecticut and Minnesota.

Two Team Race in the East

The Eastern Conference of the WNBA has divided itself into two groups, there’s the Liberty and the Sun, and then there is everybody else. Connecticut is now 1.5-games behind New York for the top spot, but have a full 7.5-game lead over the third place team. They are second in the overall league standings, just a game ahead of Minnesota, highlighting the importance of this game. In their last outing, the Sun beat the Mercury behind 18 points from Brionna Jones.

Jones is a 6’3 forward who is one of five members of the Sun who averages double figures. She is scoring 13.2 PPG while adding 4.9 RPG on the inside. Their top scorer is DeWanna Bonner with 16.2 PPG, she is a 6’4 forward who adds another 6.1 RPG. Bonner can knock down the three, but the top shooter on the team is Tyasha Harris who makes 1.7 threes per game. Harris is a 5’10 guard averaging 11.3 PPG. The key to their team is Alyssa Thomas, she excels everywhere on the floor as the 6’2 forward leads the team with 9.5 RPG, 7.5 APG and 1.6 steals per game, while adding another 12.1 PPG.

The Sun rank 7th out of the 12 teams in the league in scoring by averaging 79.9 PPG, but they have the top defensive unit in the league by only allowing 73.1 PPG. The Sun play at a slow pace, and like to utilize their size on the inside to find shots, rather than launch quickly from deep. The Sun only shoot 17.1 threes per game, this ranks 11th in the league.

Top of the West

The Minnesota Lynx have the best record in the Western Conference, but their lead is narrowing. They are only one game ahead of the Seattle Storm in the standings, as Minnesota has now lost two of their last three games. Minnesota still sits in third in the overall league standings. The Lynx dropped their last game as they took on the top overall seed, the New York Liberty. In that game, Minnesota got 15 points and 10 rebounds from Napheesa Collier, but it was not enough to pull out the win.

Collier is a 6’1 forward putting up strong numbers this season, she leads the team with 20.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG and 2.2 steals per game. Collier has had a double-double in his last three games, including a huge 29-point, 11-rebound game in a loss to Dallas. Kayla McBride is the second scorer on the team, the 5’11 guard is getting 15.8 PPG and 3.7 APG. McBride is the top outside shooter on the team, making 3.1 threes per game on 43.3% shooting from deep. Alanna Smith is the only other Minnesota player averaging double figures, the 6’4 forward is averaging 11.9 PPG and 5.0 RPG.

Minnesota is fourth in the league in scoring at 83.0 PPG, and their defense ranks second by allowing just 74.4 PPG. The Lynx make 9.7 threes per game as a team, this is the third-best mark in the WNBA, and they have the best overall shooting percentage from the outside as they make 38.6% of their threes.

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Best Bets for Connecticut Sun vs. Minnesota Lynx

Full-Game Side Bet

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The Lynx need to live and die by the three-pointer far more than Connecticut does, as the Sun’s style of play is more reliable on a day-to-day basis. Connecticut plays a slow game and pounds the ball inside to their several forwards who can all score around the rim, or grab offensive rebounds for second-chance putbacks. Connecticut has been consistent all season, they have had the same starting lineup for all 19 games, and each starter is averaging double figures. They share the ball well, while dominating the paint, and that type of play travels well. Minnesota lost the first game against Connecticut and only shot 4-21 from deep as the Sun’s defense was able to extend their defense and close out on shooters. The same will happen here as Connecticut is the best defensive team in the league and will keep this close enough to cover or win.

Take Connecticut with the points.

Prediction: Sun +2.5

Full-Game Total Pick

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These are the top two defenses in the WNBA in terms of points allowed per game. Connecticut plays at a slow pace by choice, as their lineup is littered with forwards who can score around the rim including Bonner, Thomas, and Jones. The Sun will not change their strategy, as their advantage in this game is in the post. The Lynx like to shoot from the outside, but they shot 19% from three the last time they played Connecticut. These two teams are also the best defenses in the league guarding the three point shot. Opponents only shoot 27.9% from deep when playing against Minnesota, and 29.3% against Connecticut. These teams will grind it out on the defensive end, as Connecticut takes their time offensively, leading to an under.

Take the under.

Prediction: Under

Author Profile

Paul Biagioli , “Paul Biagioli”

Paul has been a sports fan his entire life, and was an All-Conference basketball player at The University of Scranton. He is currently a high school basketball coach and a mathematics teacher with a Master’s in Business Administration. This unique combination gives Paul the ability to find mismatches from a coach’s perspective while having the ability to analyze statistical data to spot advantages. Paul will provide you with an array of statistics, trends, and analytics to prepare for any match-up. Follow Paul for up-to-date analysis and all your betting needs. We are thrilled to have Paul on our team.

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