Seyo Cecunjanin owns the West Hartford restaurant Portobello, along with another local business.

Is it fair that unaffiliated voters can't participate in Connecticut primaries? Both Democratic and Republican party leaders say it is. Others sharply disagree www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

Upset about this, too? SPEAK UP!

In the meantime, some of the journalists who Hearst has fired for unsubstantiated and unclear reasons need our help to get by and support their families now that they are unemployed. Please consider helping them out here: gofund.me/77e05d0d1

If it seems to you like there are fewer journalists covering Connecticut, you’re right. This week, those ranks grew thinner: Hearst CT unjustly fired a highly experienced reporter who was respected by his peers, sources and readers.

We had our first bargaining session on Zoom on June 1, with the support of dozens of unionized Hearst Newspapers colleagues from the @albanyguild.bsky.social the Austin News Guild, @dallasnewsguild.bsky.social and the S.F. Chronicle Guild. Here's (some of) what the bargaining committee said:

Campaign finance has been a point of discussion in the congressional race between John Larson and Luke Bronin. We looked more deeply at how both candidates raise big money. www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

Breaking- 'Don't you think I'm due this?': Erin Stewart pushed for $205K exit payout, report shows www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

In many Connecticut towns, residents can go to the beach free or for small fees, while nonresidents are charged many times more. Residents, and some lawmakers, would like to see that change. Towns, though, generally aren't budging. www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...

A panel of Connecticut Democratic Central Committee members acknowledged “legitimate procedural flaws” but is not requiring a new convention.

Today, we meet Hearst at the bargaining table to begin negotiating our first contract. Across our unit, many of us already shared some of our top priorities, creating a mosaic of better working conditions.

Want to support Hearst CT journalists in our negotiations for a fair contract? Post messages of solidarity on Monday and repost our updates here, on Instagram and X (@ctnewsguild). The more people who know about our fight to make CT a better place for journalists, the better!

It’s been just over a year since we won our election, and we have some big news… We’re going to the bargaining table with Hearst on Monday.

Four Democratic congressional candidates in CT are petitioning to qualify for primary ballots, but they’re up against some of the nation’s strictest ballot access rules. “Why is it that way? My view is that it’s intended to make it harder to get on the ballot.” www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

“It’s been a lot of stalling,” said Brian Zahn, unit chair of the Connecticut News Guild. Via @theguardian.com: Local US newspaper workers allege Hearst is trying to ‘destroy unions’ www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...?

Have to admit I had my mind blown a bit by this piece from @pbump.com quantifying how much a billion dollars is. Great kicker, too. www.ctinsider.com/columnist/ar...

Connecticut college chancellor sent sexually explicit messages before resigning, records show www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...

DraftKings and FanDuel reported more than 200 instances of underage sports betting in Connecticut over a yearlong period, records show. The state's top gambling regulator says that represents "a minuscule percentage of what's actually occurring." www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...

Republican Erin Stewart suspends campaign for Connecticut governor amid report of misconduct www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

DraftKings and FanDuel reported more than 200 instances of underage sports betting in Connecticut over a yearlong period, records show. The state's top gambling regulator says that represents "a minuscule percentage of what's actually occurring." www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...

A tense Democratic convention Monday night ended in an upset in Connecticut's 1st Congressional District: Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, not 14-term incumbent U.S. Rep. John Larson, will be the party's endorsed candidate in a primary later this summer. www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

Some drama here at the Democratic convention for CT’s 1st congressional district. No candidate received a majority on the first round of voting, though some towns are currently in the process of switching their counts. As it stands: Larson - 46% Bronin - 43% Gilchrest - 9% Fortune - 2%

Good story from my colleagues Natasha and Paul about how the CT budget went from "a trainwreck for public education" to something school officials and advocates felt pretty good about. www.ctinsider.com/news/educati...

Some bills CT lawmakers passed this year: - Budget adjustments - Restrictions on immigration officers - New vaccine guidance - Homeschooling reforms - Absentee voting expansion - Ban on convertible pistols - Artificial intelligence regulation More: www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

A controversial parole bill divided Connecticut Democrats before the legislation was revoked.

One project that chronicled 48 hours of homelessness across the state earned top awards for public service and investigative reporting.

Gov. Lamont signed a bill regulating how local police departments can use license plate cameras. This follows a CT Insider investigation that showed Connecticut data was being searched as part of immigration investigations in other states. www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...

Congrats to @ginnymonk.bsky.social, Dave and everyone else at the Mirror! Awesome accomplishment.

See which CT residents have spent the most in political contributions this election cycle www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

State officials say they erred in licensing a New Haven summer camp with known air quality issues.

The records show Lamont forwarding emails from his state email to his private email address and communicating with his staff there.

We want to be trusted to do our jobs and be out in Connecticut’s communities, with you. Help us get Hearst to the bargaining table so we can bring the news to our readers, from where it’s actually happening. Sign the petition here: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

How can we report on our communities when we're not in them? Hearst wants many of our journalists cooped up in an office three days a week with inflexible work hours. They're forgetting that news doesn't happen in a cubicle between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

On Tax Day, CT advocates press Lamont to tax the rich: 'We have an upside-down tax code' www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

Trump administration sues Connecticut, New Haven over immigration enforcement policies www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

Since being legalized in 2021, sports betting has brought CT significant revenue but also an apparent increase in addiction. We asked a bunch of top lawmakers to assess how they view the issue five years later. www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

Once again, Connecticut is saying good-bye to a top-level sports team. It raises an eternal (and sometimes painful) question for sports fans here: Can we ever be major-league? www.ctinsider.com/sports/artic...

Since being legalized in 2021, sports betting has brought CT significant revenue but also an apparent increase in addiction. We asked a bunch of top lawmakers to assess how they view the issue five years later. www.ctinsider.com/politics/art...

"She's a kid that sort of wants to fit it. I think now she realizes her version of fitting in is just being better than everybody else. She just is starting to understand the strength that is Sarah Strong." On Strong's maturation & how it's key to UConn's repeat quest: www.espn.com/womens-colle...

INBOX: Gov. Ned Lamont has declared this weekend “Connecticut Is the Basketball Capital of the World and the UConn Basketball Student-Athletes Are the Best and Most Talented in the Nation, So Let’s Support Our Huskies in Bringing the NCAA Championship Trophies Back Home Where They Belong Weekend”

"They didn’t claim the dog ate their homework. "The bosses at Connecticut’s largest newspaper corporation did argue that they missed a deadline to turn in copy by only a little bit." Hearst Reporters Win A Round At Trump’s NLRB, via New Haven Independent www.newhavenindependent.org/2026/04/02/h...

UConn basketball couldn't succeed without buy-in from the university and from lawmakers, who have repeatedly opened their checkbooks. This week, with both Huskies teams in the Final Four, top officials say they are feeling good about the investment. www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn...

Last month, I had two job offers in hand: one with a national news org writing about national politics and one centered on boosting local reporting. I wrote about why I chose the latter. pbump.net

Some (non-April Fool's) personal news. pbump.net

If you'd like to support the @ctnewsguild.bsky.social and help your favorite local journalists get a fair contract, here's a great, easy way!

Yesterday, nearly 300 days after our union was certified, the National Labor Relations Board rejected Hearst’s attempt to invalidate our election results.

Our @ctnewsguild.bsky.social won a major victory Wednesday when the NLRB ruled against Hearst, denying their appeal over @ctnewsguild.bsky.social's election. More here.....https://nyguild.org/post/a-major-win-for-unionized-hearst-journalists nyguild.org/post/a-major...

‘Trial tax’ driving longer sentences in CT While few cases make it to trial — just 170 cases in 2024 — a CT Insider investigation laid out the dynamics inside CT’s backlogged courts that lead to so few trials. The “trial tax” looms over nearly every case. www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...