#Washington, DC – The House of Representatives passed a spending package designed to fund large portions of the government for the next fiscal year. Included in the package was the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Act, which contained $61 billion in emergency spending to expand access to broadband for underserved communities.
In addition, Governor Ned Lamont announced this week that his administration is launching the Everybody Learns initiative: a $43.5 million investment in remote learning solutions to close the digital divide in Connecticut and empower students across the state to learn from home, especially as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues impacting the country. The governor said that the funding – which comes from the state’s portion of the federal CARES Act, the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund, and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund – will be used to purchase 50,000 laptops for students, 12 months of access to at-home internet for 60,000 students, create public hotspots free to the public at 200 community sites across the state, and offer social-emotional learning content to school districts statewide.
Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) made the following statement on the federal funding and state initiative:
“I’ve been working for many years to close the education gap between wealthy and poor students. One issue at the very root of this gap is the digital divide, where those who have access to essential technologies like broadband internet thrive while those who don’t suffer. This access is even more important in the present pandemic when remote learning is the norm for students across the country. The $61 billion included in today’s package will help students across the country by expanding broadband infrastructure.
“Expanding the physical infrastructure into rural and underserved areas is not the only challenge we face, however. There are also many areas of the country, including in Southwest Connecticut, that have the broadband infrastructure, but where students and their families face affordability hurdles that prevent them from using the services. In other words: it doesn’t do you much good to have a cable internet hook up if you can’t afford the cable bill or a computer. That’s why the Everybody Learns initiative is so important.
“I’m grateful to Governor Lamont for prioritizing education with his initiative and for the work House Majority Whip Clyburn has done to include this vital federal funding in today’s minibus. I’ll continue to push through every possible avenue to make sure these efforts translate into accessible technology for all students.”
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HARTFORD, CT – Governor Ned Lamont announced that he has signed an executive order creating a rebuttable presumption that workers who contracted COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic contracted it on the job and are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
“As I promised last week, I have signed an executive order providing workers who contracted COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic the straightforward opportunity to claim any benefits they are due through Connecticut’s workers’ compensation system. Our state owes a debt to all of the health care professionals, grocery store clerks, and other essential workers who served vital roles during the earliest and darkest stages of this public health crisis. I am thankful for the employers who have done the right thing by their employees, the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission for operating continually throughout this pandemic, and most of all, the workers for their efforts and sacrifice. The executive order is an important step to ensure our essential workers, who went to work while others stayed safe and stayed home, are made whole.”
2020-08-02@10:33pm–#Faifield CT– A landlord in the 1100 block of Black Rock Turnpike had her tenant move out today. The tenant took some jewelry and other items of the landlords but she left behind some drug paraphernalia and her 10-year-old daughter. You just can’t make this stuff up!
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2020-08-02@10:04pm–#Bridgeport CT– Police are investigating a shots fired incident mid-block of Lenox Avenue where a woman was grazed in the back by gunfire. The woman was not seriously injured.
2020-08-02@9:56pm–#Trumbull CT–Tonight’s vehicle fire is being hosted by Trumbull on Plattsville Road. Police on scene reporting the car is fully engulfed in flames.
2020-08-02@5:55pm–#Bridgeport CT– Police received a number of calls for two pedestrians hit at Horace and Essex Street but police are reporting just on pedestrian hit. Police were paying particular attention to a two-wheeled motorized vehicle that was on the ground.
Hartford, CT) – In conjunction with the launch of business.ct.gov, Attorney General William Tong and Secretary of the State Denise Merrill are reminding businesses of the dangers posed by so-called “government imposter” scams, and the steps businesses can take to protect themselves.
The State of Connecticut today launched the new business.ct.gov online portal to serve as a primary point of contact between businesses and key state agencies, giving businesses greater confidence that they are communicating with legitimate, appropriate government personnel. The portal is a joint initiative of the Department of Administrative Services, Department of Revenue Services, Department of Consumer Protection, Department of Labor, Department of Economic and Community Development and the Secretary of the State.
“Government imposter scams are a serious threat to small businesses, with sophisticated mailings that can be hard to detect. The business.ct.gov portal is a new, important way for businesses to protect themselves and verify the identity of the agencies they are dealing with,” said Attorney General Tong.
“Business.ct.gov allows businesses to protect themselves from predatory scams. Avoid scams by relying on this new tool – business.ct.gov is the trusted source of information for Connecticut businesses big and small!’ said Secretary Merrill.
Government Imposter scams can take many forms and can target individuals and businesses alike. In one of the more common schemes, scammers mail a solicitation or send an email to business to “advise” them that they must purchase certain products or forms, or file particular reports in order to be in compliance with the law. The scammers then offer to assist businesses with satisfying these requirements in exchange for a fee.
Scammers are careful to design their mailings to resemble official government documents by incorporating elements such as seals, bar codes, and references to statutes and regulations. The mailings may include terms such as “IMPORTANT,” “OPEN IMMEDIATELY,” or “TIME SENSITIVE” to create a false sense of urgency. Businesses that fall prey to these tactics will end up paying significant fees for services they either do not need or could take care of themselves for much less money.
These types of scams can pose another risk. Some scammers also ask business owners to authorize the scammers to act on their behalf with government agencies. With the authorization in hand, scammers have been known to submit filings to create the appearance that they own or control the business, to open bank accounts in the business’s name but under the scammers’ control, or to borrow money purportedly on the business’ behalf.
To report a scam or instance of fraud, contact the Office of the Attorney General at 860-808-5318 or file a complaint with the office at https://www.dir.ct.gov/ag/complaint
