Free Republic

Yale University announced it will now require students to get a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster by the start of the 2023 spring semester. “Based on recent CDC recommendations, the university will require all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students—other than those with an approved medical or religious exemption—to receive an updated, bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster by the start of the spring semester, even if they have previously received a monovalent booster,” Stephanie Spangler, Vice Provost for Health Affairs and Academic Integrity, wrote in a message to the Yale Community. She explained that the booster is necessary because “experience and research have...

A former Connecticut state representative pleaded guilty Tuesday in connection with the theft of more than $1.2 million in federal coronavirus relief funds from the city of West Haven, using some of the money for gambling at a casino, according to prosecutors. Michael DiMassa, a West Haven Democrat, appeared in federal court in Hartford and pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud conspiracy. DiMassa's wife and his former business partner also pleaded guilty earlier this year, while a fourth person charged in the scheme awaits trial. At the time of the theft, DiMassa was both a state representative and...

‘We did not fight a civil war about oboe players,’ Chief Justice John Roberts said, shooting down Harvard’s attorney during oral arguments on Monday.WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday morning, I swept through the marbled halls of the Supreme Court of the United States, off First Street NE here in the nation’s capital, to enter the highest room of jurisprudence in the land. The sound of my footsteps muffled atop thick carpeting, the blinds on the massive windows mostly drawn and the room packed with rows upon rows of chairs, slowly filling.A daughter of India who grew up in Morgantown, West...

"You refer to the personal score. And that's a score that Harvard gives based on character traits such as integrity, courage, kindness and empathy. But the record shows that Asian student applicants get the lowest personal scores of any other group," Alito said. "What accounts for that? Waxman responded with a winding answer... But Alito wasn't satisfied, saying he needed a fuller explanation... "I still haven't heard any explanation for the disparity between the personal scores that are given to Asians. They rank below Whites. They rank way below Hispanics, and really way below African Americans," Alito said. "What is...

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called on Monday for a Committee on Foreign Investment investigation into Saudi Arabian investors in Twitter in the wake of Elon Musk’s takeover. “Today I am requesting the Committee on Foreign Investment — which reviews acquisitions of U.S. businesses by foreign buyers — to conduct an investigation into the national security implications of Saudi Arabia’s purchase of Twitter,” Murphy wrote.

Robert Flaxman was found hanged in his Malibu home during a welfare check. The 66-year-old pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy over admissions scandal. He had his daughter's ACT exam corrected by a proctor to inflate her score.. .... LA real estate developer Robert Flaxman, who was charged in the college admissions scandal alongside Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, has killed himself. The 66-year-old from Los Angeles was found hanged in his Malibu home last week after his friends requested a welfare check. ... Flaxman was among 53 people charged with paying Rick Singer, the mastermind of the scheme, to...

Republican George Logan has a one-point lead over U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5th District, in the first public poll in Connecticut’s nationally watched congressional contest. The poll released Thursday by WTNH/The Hill/Emerson College brands the race a toss up, validating national Republican spending in a blue-state district as the GOP tries to claw back control of Congress. Logan had a 48% to 47% lead, with 4% undecided, in a survey of 500 likely voters conducted from Oct. 19 to 21. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points. “There is a stark gender divide among...

Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State that served in the Trump administration, has announced his endorsement for Connecticut U.S. Senate candidate Leora Levy. Levy is the Republican candidate vying for incumbent Democrat Richard Blumenthal's seat in the U.S. Senate. "Leora Levy’s story is the American Dream, and she believes in the promise of our great nation," Pompeo said in a statement to Levy's campaign. In his statement, Pompeo went on to say he believes failed policies from Democrats are ruining the American Dream. "I know that Leora will fight against the democrat's socialist policies that have overtaken our democracy and...

Heating oil, which is chemically similar to diesel, is primarily used in New York, Pennsylvania and New England, where most distribution is handled by small, family-owned businesses. This year, New England's inventories of stockpiled heating oil are about 70 percent lower than their average level since 1993, government data show. Supplies are lower this year due to the same factors impacting world oil markets, including the failure to rebuild production capacity following the pandemic, and disruptions from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Even after decades-high inflation, pandemic, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a new poll commissioned by CT Examiner suggests a close race for governor in Connecticut that mirrors the results four years ago between Democrat Ned Lamont and Republican Bob Stefanowski. In a three-way contest, Gov. Ned Lamont leads Bob Stefanowski 46% to 40%, with 5% opting for Independent Party candidate Rob Hotaling, and 10% undecided according to the nonpartisan poll released on Saturday. The CT Examiner/Fabrizio, Lee & Associates poll, conducted on Oct. 10-13, surveyed 1,200 likely voters and has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%. The...

This school year has seen the most relaxed COVID-19 restrictions since the pandemic began, with optional and self-directed testing, a lift in the mask mandate and an near-full return to in-person instruction. ... “With the university lifting its guidelines and making it up to the individual, they’re making an already not accessible place less accessible,” Karen Wang ’24, who is a Student Accessibility Services peer liaison, said. “I find it really disturbing that people who don’t mask say that they care for their community, but your actions show you’re working within an ableist framework.” ... Colin Loria ’26 told the...

MORRIS — A 10-year-old boy was attacked by a bear Sunday morning, state officials say. Environmental Conservation police and state troopers responded to a report that a black bear had attacked the boy in Morris around 11 a.m. Sunday, a Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesperson said. The boy was taken by ambulance to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital for medical treatment, the spokesperson said, noting the child’s injuries appear to be non-life-threatening. "The bear was still present near the scene and was located and euthanized by EnCon police," they said.

New Haven coffee staple, Blue State Coffee, is closing three of its four locations in the Elm City. According to Yale Daily News, the college newspaper of Yale University, Connecticut coffee chain Common Grounds has bought the three shuttered locations. ... Blue State Coffee Chief Executive Officer Carolyn Greenspan told Yale Daily News that she "felt confident" that Common Grounds will hire Blue State Coffee employees displaced by the closures. Greenspan also told Yale Daily News that she is moving on to focus on other projects.

Leora Levy, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, is closing the gap and is nearly tied with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D), according to the Connecticut Examiner’s latest poll. The poll found that Blumenthal has a narrow lead over Levy, at 49 percent, compared to Levy’s 44 percent. An additional seven percent of Connecticut voters remain undecided with just over three weeks until midterm elections. Levy’s campaign said the latest data reflects the “reality of this race.” Levy campaign spokesman Tim Saler said: It took until mid-October, but finally a public survey reflects the reality of this race: Leora Levy...

en after decades-high inflation, pandemic, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a new poll commissioned by CT Examiner suggests a close race for governor in Connecticut that mirrors the results four years ago between Democrat Ned Lamont and Republican Bob Stefanowski. In a three-way contest, Gov. Ned Lamont leads Bob Stefanowski 46% to 40%, with 5% opting for Independent Party candidate Rob Hotaling, and 10% undecided according to the nonpartisan poll released on Saturday. The CT Examiner/Fabrizio, Lee & Associates poll, conducted on Oct. 10-13, surveyed 1,200 likely voters and has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%. The...

The suspect in the Connecticut ambush that resulted in the deaths of two Bristol Police officers was friends on Facebook with one of the victims. Nicholas Brutcher's list of friends on the social media platform includes fallen officer Alex Hamzy, who appeared to go by Alex Yzmah on Facebook. Hamzy, 34, was killed in the line of duty Wednesday night. Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould said in a news conference that Hamzy, who was raised in the city, graduated from Bristol Eastern High School in 2006. According to police, a preliminary investigation said Hamzy, Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex...

The Connecticut man who gunned down three Bristol cops after luring them with a phony 911 call was a beer-drinking divorced dad of two, who stunned neighbors described as the “rowdy one” in his clan. Cop killer Nicholas Brutcher, 35, also liked guns — and is seen proudly displaying a handgun at a wedding in one Facebook post from 2016. “Nick was the big rowdy one,” a neighbor of his brother Nathaniel told The Post Thursday.

Two police officers who were shot dead in Bristol were apparently lured to a home by an emergency call about possible domestic violence between two brothers, authorities said Thursday. Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould said Sgt. Dustin DeMonte, 35, and Officer Alex Hamzy, 34, were killed. Officer Alec Iurato, 26, was wounded and underwent surgery at St. Francis Hospital. He has since been released from the hospital. State police Sgt. Christine Jeltema said the officers were responding to a report of domestic violence at about 10:30 p.m. when they encountered someone outside the house and shots were fired. State police...

Absolutely astronomical figures in this InfoWars lawsuit out of Connecticut. Alex Jones owes $229 million to just the first three plaintiffs, all family members of Sandy Hook victims. There are nine more plaintiffs to go. Even Jones gave up trying to add up damages: "We've lost count, it's in the billions."

Lower vaccination rates among Republicans could explain the partisan gap, but some researchers say mask use and social distancing were bigger factors. Covid deaths are unevenly distributed among Republicans and Democrats. Average excess death rates in Florida and Ohio were 76% higher among Republicans than Democrats between March 2020 and December 2021, according to a working paper released last month by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Excess deaths refers to deaths above what would be anticipated based on historical trends. A study in June published in Health Affairs similarly found that counties with a Republican majority had a greater...