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Lawmakers are targeting the rising cost of health care as a key issue they plan to tackle this upcoming legislative session, after hearing from hospital executives, representatives of insurance and pharmaceutical companies and other industry officials Thursday. “It’s no secret that health care is unaffordable and that the health care industry is not meeting the needs of Connecticut’s families and small businesses,” said Sen. Matthew Lesser, D-Middletown, a co-chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee. “Customers are expected to pay more and more for the same essential health services. “It’s leaving parents and seniors to further stretch household budgets and to wait on seeking care, which raises the risk of worse health complications down the road. … Without reining in costs, we are blocking families across Connecticut from achieving a better quality of life and the ability of businesses to grow.” Thursday’s hearing, which covered hospital expenses, the underlying costs … [Read more...] about High health care costs in CT to be tackled by lawmakers

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 Julia Reichert, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker behind “American Factory” whose films explored themes of race, class and gender, often in the Midwest, has died. She was 76. She died Thursday night in Ohio from cancer, her family said Friday through a representative. She was diagnosed with stage four urothelial cancer in April 2018. Often called the “godmother of American independent documentaries,” Reichart told the stories of ordinary Americans, from autoworkers dealing with both plant closures (2009's “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”) and foreign investors (2019's “American Factory”), to members of the American Communist Party (1983's “Seeing Red”) to female labor activists in the 1930s (1976's “Union Maids”). In her 50 years of filmmaking, Reichert won two Primetime Emmy Awards and was nominated for four Oscars, winning one with her partner … [Read more...] about Julia Reichert, Oscar-winning documentarian, dies at 76

Every Friday, Chron's food team shares a standout dish from their experiences dining out during the week. Follow along to see why we love these Houston eats. The eat: Pacha Nikkei's anticuchos de corazón ($15) Nikkei cuisine, the artful mix of Peruvian and Japanese food resulting from the latter's migration to the South American country, has another home in Houston since the opening of Pacha Nikkei in August . I finally stepped in this week and ordered way too much food, indulging my perpetual need to try as many things as possible on the menu. There were a few standout dishes, like the causa limeña, dollops of chicken salad with chile-citrus whipped potatoes that are piped into a spiral. But the most satisfying dish was likely the beef hearts—or anticuchos de corazón—a traditional Peruvian appetizer. You don't see this cut often, but if you spot it on a menu, you should absolutely add it to your order. Pacha Nikkei's version was lightly chewy and gamey, served on skewers … [Read more...] about Eat of the Week: Pacha Nikkei’s beef hearts are a must-order

The Biden administration plans to end the public health emergency for monkeypox, officials said Friday, as new cases of the viral disease plummet. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services issued a 60-day notice to lift the emergency declaration, which had gone into effect in August. Nearly 30,000 Americans have been infected by the monkeypox virus since the start of a global outbreak in the spring, and 17 people have died. Cases largely have been concentrated in gay men who contracted the virus during sex. The virus has not spread widely among the broader public, as authorities feared. Fewer than 10 cases a day are being reported, compared with more than 450 a day in early August. "Given the low number of cases today, HHS does not expect that it needs to renew the emergency declaration when it ends on January 31, 2023," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. "But we won't take our foot off the gas - we will continue to monitor the case trends … [Read more...] about Biden administration poised to lift monkeypox emergency declaration

The debate over rewarding Connecticut’s essential workers for serving during the coronavirus outbreak largely is resolved. The larger question — how to rescue working families from the economic shocks of the pandemic and a 40-year-high in inflation — has just begun to heat up at the Capitol. A permanent state income tax credit for families with children, other tax relief and expanded investments in social services are at the top of an early to-do list for many legislators who still are wary of a global recession looming as soon as 2023. “I don’t think our work is done in creating more equity in our state,” said Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury. “These are long-term problems that didn’t happen overnight.” Along with other members of the Labor Committee that she co-chairs, Kushner was tied to a year-long debate that wrapped this week with $105 million reserved for pandemic bonuses for nurses, child care providers, grocery store workers and others who staffed vital services when … [Read more...] about CT lawmakers to consider income tax credit, other financial relief

Listen to this article Fiat’s next coupe-SUV is destined for Brazil, and a new teaser campaign unveils its distinct profile. The new crossover will play a vital role in the Brazilian market, where vehicles like this sell well. Fiat’s South American style center designed the vehicle, which combines the lines of an SUV with those of a streamlined four-door coupe. The crossover’s compact size makes it suitable for the country’s roads. The new Fiat crossover will ride on the same platform as the Fiat Pulse , which is another recently unveiled vehicle for Brazil. The new Fiat Fastback will ride on the brand’s MLA platform, and the engine lineup should not deviate from what’s offered in the Pulse. In fact, the 130-horsepower (96-kilowatt) turbocharged 1.0-liter and the 175-hp (128-kW) turbocharged 1.7-liter engines should appear in the new model. Both powertrains should pair to either a dual-clutch automatic or continuously variable transmission. Gallery: Fiat Fastback Teaser … [Read more...] about Oh Good, Fiat Is Teasing A Coupe-SUV And It’s For Brazil

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 First things first: I'm a huge Hallmark movie fanatic. But I've also been watching Hallmark films long enough to know it could gain a lot of new fans with just a little more Latin-themed content over the holidays. I know friends who wait all year for the Countdown to Christmas specials. Some even host parties to celebrate these movies and their perfect little escapes to quaint little Christmas towns for an evening of yuletide joy. LATIN FOOD LOVERS REJOICE: Houston's Latin Restaurant Weeks returns for its second year Every year, I have high hopes that I'll see one based around traditions with which I grew up. Maybe we'll see a generation of Latin family members making tamales or buñuelos, trying to figure out how to reunite the main character with her high school sweetheart who just returned to their quaint Texas town to take over the family business—all … [Read more...] about Why Hallmark should hire me to write their holiday movies

Edited by Christian Gregory Amistad. 288 pp. $27.99 - - - The many accolades that one might assign to Dick Gregory - pioneering comedian, best-selling author, civil rights activist, even health guru - are more reductive than the man he was. Sure, his appearance on "The Jack Paar Show" in 1961 was a breakthrough for Black entertainers on American television; his work for social justice, which began when he was in high school in the 1940s, helped break down barriers; and his books, more than a dozen, sold millions of copies. Gregory was passionate, effusive, unfiltered. Even in his later years, he seemed to never turn down an opportunity to grab the mic and offer his frank appraisals. ("Anytime you vote for the lesser of two evils, you're evil yourself," he said in a 2016 comment about Donald Trump. "That's how Hitler came to power.") Gregory spent nearly 60 years in public life, touring until his death in 2017 at age 84. He was, pardon the cliche, larger than life. For … [Read more...] about Book World: Dick Gregory was many things. Filtered was not one of them.

The Houston Astros secured their second championship in franchise history largely on the back of a dominant pitching staff , one that led the American League with a 2.90 ERA in 2022. But Houston's vaunted rotation may very well be without its ace in 2023. Justin Verlander is expected to earn a contract near or at the top of the starting pitching market , with his next deal potentially exceeding the three-year, $130 million contract Max Scherzer signed with the Mets last offseason. And despite entering his age-40 season in 2023, it's not hard to see why Verlander could command such a massive deal. He turned in perhaps the best season of his career in 2022 , a campaign in which he sported a 1.75 ERA across 175 innings. As the Dodgers and Mets loom as potential landing spots, Astros owner Jim Crane may choose to allocate the team's resources elsewhere. Houston should still have a rotation near the top of the American League even if Verlander departs. Framber Valdez can … [Read more...] about If Justin Verlander leaves, the Astros should consider these options