Strong Winds Knock Out Power To 54,000 In Connecticut

Utility companies in Connecticut are reporting more than 54,000 power outages as a storm with strong winds and heavy rain moves through the state. The National Weather Service has issued high wind warnings statewide until 9 a.m. Thursday. Forecasters say wind gusts could hit 65 mph in some places. Connecticut Light & Power Co. reports about 46,800 outages Thursday morning. Nearly 2,900 homes and businesses in Clinton are in the dark, while Farmington and Tolland have about 2,000 outages apiece. The United Illuminating Co. says it has about 7,700 outages in the Bridgeport and New Haven areas. Nearly 2,000 customers in Bridgeport are without electricity, while New Haven and Stratford have about 1,300 outages apiece. The high winds are hampering efforts to restore power in some areas.

Newtown Residents Urge Stricter Gun Control

Newtown residents are urging Connecticut lawmakers to prevent another mass shooting like the one that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School and take steps such as banning military style, high-powered weapons and high-capacity magazines. While some residents told a General Assembly bipartisan task force Wednesday night not to restrict their Second Amendment rights, the vast majority of the several hundred people who turned out for the public hearing appeared to support greater gun control. They said they want the Newtown shooting to spark national change in gun policy and mental health care. Twenty first graders and six educators were killed in the Dec. 14 shooting. The Connecticut General Assembly is looking at possible legislative and policy changes following the massacre.

Giffords Appeals For Gun Control

The first congressional hearing on gun control since the Connecticut school shooting massacre included a dramatic appeal for tougher gun laws from wounded former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Speaking haltingly from a prepared statement, Giffords told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, "The time is now. You must act. Be bold, be courageous." The hearing also included testimony from the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre, who rejected bans on some assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that have been advocated by President Barack Obama.

Under questioning, LaPierre also conceded that his organization no longer supports universal background checks for gun purchasers. He said criminals wouldn't subject themselves to a background check, and that potential violators aren't aggressively prosecuted. Republicans pledged to listen carefully to today's testimony, but didn't go beyond that.

Obama Making First Trip To Pitch For Gun Proposals

President Barack Obama will travel to Minneapolis Monday to pitch his proposals for reducing gun violence. It will be the president's first trip outside of Washington centered on the gun proposals, which include a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, as well as universal background checks. Obama unveiled his plan in response to the horrific shooting of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. While in Minneapolis, the White House says Obama will meet with local leaders and law enforcement officials. Some of those officials have been part of discussions with Obama on ways to curb gun violence. One of those officials, and Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek, has been leading a group of Minnesota sheriffs pushing stronger background checks in the state.

New England Fishermen Say New Regulations Mean Ruin

New England fishermen say their industry is facing ruin after regulators approved massive cuts in cod catch limits. The New England Fishery Management Council on Wednesday approved a year-to-year cut of 77 percent on the Gulf of Maine cod limit and 61 percent for Georges Bank cod. Fishermen who chase the region's bottom-dwelling groundfish, such as cod and flounder, say the cuts are unjustified and leave them with far too few fish to catch to make a living. A federal fisheries regulator, John Bullard, acknowledged the cuts will be devastating for the industry and fishing communities. But he said fish stocks are struggling and tough action is the only way to reverse the industry's steady decline.

Changes Being Made To Connecticut Budget Presentation

Governor Dannel Malloy's budget director is making changes to how the state budget will be presented. In a memo distributed to agency heads on Wednesday, Benjamin Barnes said there will be a line for each agency budget that accounts for the cost of implementing Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, new accounting standards Malloy wants to apply to state budgeting. Barnes said the administration also plans to streamline the budget. Certain appropriations will be consolidated and the number of line items will be reduced from 675 to 530. Barnes said restructuring the budget should give agency heads more latitude to find cost-effective ways to meet their statutory requirements. Malloy, a Democrat, is scheduled to present his new, two-year budget to the General Assembly on Feb. 6.

Minimum Wage Rise Back On Legislative Agenda

Connecticut's largest business group and labor advocates are preparing for another round in the legislature over raising Connecticut's minimum wage. Connecticut Working Families is backing legislation that would increase the minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $9 on July 1 and to $9.75 on July 1, 2014. The legislation also calls for automatically raising the minimum wage by tying it to increases in the Consumer Price Index. The Connecticut Business and Industry Association says raising labor costs will force employers to hire fewer workers and increase prices. A spokesman says Governor Malloy supports the ideals behind the legislation, but he also understands cost pressures facing businesses, particularly in the weak economy. A hearing on the legislation is scheduled for Thursday. Legislation to raise the minimum wage failed last year.

Newtown Charity Making Money Available To Families

 One of the charities set up following the massacre of the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown has begun cutting checks to the victims' families. Rob Accomando, the co-founder and director of the My Sandy Hook Family Fund, says that organization has been working closely with all 26 families and on Wednesday began dispersing some of the just under $1.2 million it has raised. He says each family is entitled to 1/26th of the fund, but not everyone needs or wants their entire share right away. Dozens of funds have been set up to raise money for Newtown-related causes. The largest, the Sandy Hook School Support Fund, is in the process of setting up a foundation to determine how to spend more than $8.6 million it has raised.

Prominent New Haven Developer Cited In Alleged Ponzi Scheme

Two witnesses in a trial alleging a pyramid scheme say a prominent New Haven businessman and one-time Republican office-seeker praised the business and volunteered to talk it up. The New Haven Register reports that Kathryn Midgley, a participant who allegedly made $20,000 in the scheme, and Ivy Mangan testified in U.S. District Court in Hartford on Tuesday that Joel Schiavone, a New Haven developer, recommended that group members treat the scheme like a business. Schiavone's wife Donna Bello, Jill Platt and Bettejane Hopkins are accused of filing a false tax return and fraud. Platt's lawyer says she acted legally and Bello's lawyer denies it was a pyramid scheme. Hopkins has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Schiavone refused to respond to the accusations during a court recess.