Connecticut Attorney General reacts to mifepristone ruling
Connecticut is one of 18 jurisdictions that are suing in federal court to preserve access to an abortion drug that can also be used to treat miscarriages.
Last week, a federal judge in Texas ruled against the Food and Drug Administration's appoval of mifepristone. It’s a ruling that has American medical providers scrambling as they wait to learn more about the availability of the drug.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong gave a direct assesment of his feeling on the ruling, which was quickly challenged by the U.S. Justice Department.
“You get the feeling that this is total bullshit," Tong said Monday at a news conference alongside Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and other legislators.
"It’s hard to overstate how deeply flawed this decision is," he said. “Dobbs was flawed, but this is borderline nonsensical in its analysis of the law and the regulatory process.”
In a ruling late Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans temporarily narrowed a ruling by a lower court judge in Texas that had completely blocked the FDA's approval of mifepristone. But a divided three-judge panel still reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be taken and said it could not be dispensed by mail.
Tong is one of 18 attorneys general that have filed a lawsuit to preserve access to mifepristone. He said he’s confident the ruling will be overturned.
New parole board chair appointed as Republicans criticize increase in commutations
Gov. Ned Lamont announced Jennifer Medina Zaccagnini as the new chairperson of the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles.
The shift in leadership happens as a group of Republican lawmakers in Connecticut decry a spike in prison commutations. The prior chair of that board, the Rev. Carleton Giles, a former Norwalk police officer, acknowledged unilaterally instituting a policy change that resulted in a rise in commutations, from an average of about three per year to 71 in 2022, lawmakers said.
Lamont cited Zaccagnini's experience when announcing the change in leadership.
“Jennifer has served as a member of the Board of Pardons and Paroles for the last 15 years, and her experience will lead the board’s pursuit of less crime and safer communities for Connecticut’s residents,” Lamont said Monday, in a statement.
Quinnipiac captures its first national hockey championship
The Quinnipiac University Bobcats conquered the NCAA Frozen Four last Saturday, clawing back from a 2-0 deficit to maul Minnesota 3-2 in overtime.
Speaking to fans at the team’s ice arena Monday, Rand Pecknold, who coached the team before it played Divison I hockey, said the moment was 29 years in the making.
“[I’m] just really proud of my players, their effort, how committed they were the whole season,” Pecknold told a crowd gathered at the M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Monday. “In the end, they wanted it, and we found a way to get it done.”
Quinnipiac won 34 games en route to a national championship in 2022-23.
That was the most season wins in the program's history.
Frankie & Johnny premieres Fridays at 4:44 p.m. during All Things Considered on Connecticut Public Radio. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
