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A Lifetime In Ten Campus Minutes

by | Feb 12, 2025 1:57 pm | Comments (1)

The two of us as college showbiz big shots.

1:20 p.m. From one of the 149 seats in room 101 of Linsly Chittenden Hall on Yale’s old campus, I watch as students arrive a few minutes early for class. Two of them, standing near the lectern, begin an animated conversation. This sparks a memory, and a curiosity. Will these two know each other 60 years from now? Will they, in their dotage, recall taking Daily Themes, a course in the English Department dating back to 1907? More importantly, will they rely on each other through the years for kindness and mutual support?

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Opinion: The Case For Sanctuary Cities

by | Jan 23, 2025 3:14 pm | Comments (8)

Laura Glesby file photo

Inauguration Day protest outside City Hall.

(Opinion) Local government is at the center of a contentious national conversation about immigration.

Many cities across the United States, including New Haven, have adopted sanctuary policies, limiting the role of local law enforcement in federal immigration policy. These orders are not just acts of political defiance; they are deeply rooted in constitutional principles, practical governance and the need to build trust between local authorities and the communities they serve.

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Bail Reform Lessons From The Garden State

by and | Nov 22, 2024 12:24 pm | Comments (4)

(Opinion) This past week, the University of Connecticut School of Law sponsored a Connecticut Sentencing Commission Symposium, ​“Pretrial Justice in Connecticut.” 

For both Connecticut and New Jersey, balancing the importance of pretrial release with the impact on public safety remains paramount. Connecticut has a unique opportunity to affect change in its pretrial detention practices. It can learn much from New Jersey’s bail reform program implemented in January 2017 after years of careful study and bipartisan negotiation. 

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Election Reflection: It's The Economy, Dems

by | Nov 11, 2024 1:21 pm | Comments (40)

Thomas Breen photo

(Opinion) In recent years, Democrats have gained a reputation for being the party that champions social issues, focusing on everything from LGBTQ rights to racial justice. These are essential causes, but after this election cycle, it’s becoming more apparent that this approach alone isn’t resonating with voters as it once did. 

The data shows that American voters are overwhelmingly concerned about their economic well-being — not just in terms of their wages but also their ability to afford housing, access healthcare, and support their families. 

For Democrats to truly regain power and effectively challenge the conservative narratives that dominate today, they need to prioritize economic inequality as their central platform. 

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The Country Of New Haven?

by | Nov 4, 2024 11:18 am | Comments (3)

Lary Bloom photo

From the summit of East Rock, foreigners from, say, Massachusetts can get a view of much of our new country.

Here at the Independent it is not our policy to publish articles written in the future. This is because, as far as we can tell, the future hasn’t happened yet. But we make an exception here, because we believe readers eventually will want to know how our little city became its own country.

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Opinion: How To Cultivate A Food Haven

by | Oct 28, 2024 11:14 am | Comments (1)

CitySeed photo

CitySeed Director of Food Business Development Cara Santino.

To escape from a challenging childhood, I read recipes and watched the Food Network. I consumed any and all information related to food and cooked simple meals whenever my family had ingredients. This passion fueled my dream of opening my own restaurant and led me to culinary school. 

Yet on the first day, bright-eyed about a future career doing what I love, our chef instructors told us bluntly: Don’t plan on opening a restaurant. Most operators fail before the seven-year mark. The room fell silent, and no one explained why the failure rates are so high.

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DeLauro Slays The "House" Down Boots

by | Sep 27, 2024 4:47 pm | Comments (8)

DeLauro's twitter

Don’t understand the headline of this story? Neither do we, really. Our Gen Z correspondent is here to help.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s most recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter) sticks out in the midst of policy-driven proclamations and support for foreign allies. It’s a TikTok-style video, where the 81-year-old congresswoman speaks what to many might be gibberish, but to an entire generation, is perfectly clear.

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New Haven Newz Quiz

by | Sep 13, 2024 12:21 pm | Comments (0)

Allan Appel photo

Note: Answers appear at the bottom of this story along with links to relevant news stories from the past week.

1. New Haven’s zoning rules stopped Hassan Alsufyani from opening a Westville convenience store, but did allow him to open …
A. A daycare facility
B. A smoke shop
C. A pizza pop-up
D. A drug injection site
E. A Democratic Party ward committee headquarters

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Opinion: On Politics, Ceasefire, & Refugee Resettlement

by | Aug 21, 2024 8:32 am | Comments (4)

Contributed photo

IRIS Executive Director Maggie Mitchell Salem.

As IRIS’ executive director since January, and a new ​“Nutmegger” too, I’m deeply grateful for — and in awe of — the unflagging dedication of the staff to our clients, my predecessor Chris George’s transformational leadership, and New Haven’s commitment to sanctuary for refugees and immigrants.

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Digging For More "Gold" In Hamden

by | Aug 12, 2024 11:00 am | Comments (1)

From “The Owl House” LGBT breakthrough to Ernest Borgnine’s “Marty,” and more, Hamden’s rich roots are evident.

After I watched NBC’s telecast of the triumph of 400-meter whiz Alexis Holmes in an Olympic relay race — she ran the anchor leg — I wondered about other Hamden natives who have achieved gold, some well-known, and others who triumphed with much less fanfare.

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