Jake Kara
Connecticut Mirror
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Past articles by Jake:
Best of 2019: Blacks dying from fentanyl at same rate as whites for first time
Experts aren't sure what is driving up death rate for blacks, but point to spread of fentanyl in inner cities and the state's declining prison population as possible reasons. → Read More
Blacks dying from fentanyl at same rate as whites for first time
Experts aren't sure what is driving up death rate for blacks, but point to spread of fentanyl in inner cities and the state's declining prison population as possible reasons. → Read More
Most school districts improve in statewide testing
Nearly three-quarters of the state’s school districts improved performance on the state’s Next Generation Accountability test. → Read More
Conn. officials embark on outreach campaign for 2020 Census
State and local officials and community leaders on Monday announced outreach efforts to ensure Connecticut's population is counted as accurately as possible in the 2020 Census. → Read More
New state data: HIV diagnoses up in 2017
HIV diagnoses increased in Connecticut from 2016 to 2017, but long term, the number has been on the decline. → Read More
Lawmakers find hope in diversity, bipartisanship as 2019 legislative session opens
Legislators opened the 2019 session Wednesday with optimism and lofty goals, insisting diversity and bipartisan cooperation could overcome the budgetary limitations. → Read More
Discrimination questions add new depth to Wellbeing Survey
Connecticut residents who said in a recent survey that they received less respect or poorer treatment than others from health care providers linked that discrimination to their health insurance status -- more than race, age or gender. These experiences of discrimination -- not just racial, but relating to gender, sexual identity, appearance, education -- are captured in new questions on a survey… → Read More
Census: Conn. homeowners less burdened by housing costs
Data from the five-year American Community Survey tells us that Connecticut homeowners have seen monthly housing expenses decrease, and fewer are spending what is considered a too-large part of their income on housing. But the same improvements haven't been seen by renters, who are increasing in number. → Read More
State focuses on most vulnerable in effort to eradicate new HIV cases
On Monday, the Getting to Zero commission presented a report to the Department of Public Health containing findings from listening sessions held around the state. One fact gleaned from those sessions is that black women, although 40 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than white women, aren't aware of their increased risk. → Read More
Census: Increase in CT drivers spending more than an hour to get to work
Commutes are getting longer and more Connecticut drivers are spending at least an hour to get to work — particularly in Fairfield County — new data from the U.S. Census Bureau show. → Read More
Advocates place gun storage measure among top legislative priorities
A measure to tighten Connecticut’s firearm storage law is expected to be on a shortlist of gun reform bills tackled in the upcoming legislative session. The proposal will likely come amid advocates’ attempts to shepherd other legislation banning untraceable ghost guns and 3D-printed plastic guns through the legislative process. → Read More
Fewer homeless in Connecticut, data shows, but problems still persist
While a majority of people sleeping in Connecticut homeless shelters are from the state’s struggling cities, people from the wealthiest towns tend to spend more time in shelters when they do end up there. This is just one of the conclusions that can be drawn from an examination of data compiled by the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. The state has made progress reducing the homeless… → Read More
A blue wave? Actually, the blues got bluer, but the reds also got redder
A blue wave swept across Connecticut to give Democrats solid majorities in the General Assembly, but the race for governor offered little sign of a political realignment: If anything, the reds got redder and the blues got bluer on the state's electoral map. Almost 100 towns voted more strongly in favor of the party they had chosen in 2014. → Read More
Democrats make solid gains in General Assembly
Democrats made their first state legislative gains in 10 years Tuesday night, breaking an 18-18 tie in the Senate by picking up three Republican seats and defending vulnerable Democratic lawmakers who were targeted by the GOP. → Read More
Town and statewide results for every race, as they roll in
Which party will control the state legislature? Who will be our next governor? We’ll be updating this page with statewide results, as well as results from your town. These results are based on unofficial vote totals from Tuesday’s general election. We’re continuously monitoring and updating counts as they are posted on the secretary of the state’s election night reporting system. → Read More
You can vote, even if you’re not registered, but don’t show up too late
It's not too late to vote today, even if you're not registered or moved and forgot to register at your new address. But you might have to show up earlier than registered voters to actually cast a ballot. → Read More
Promises made: A cheat sheet for top issues in governor race
Campaign promises are piling up like orange and yellow leaves this election cycle. We built this tool to keep track of how the three leading candidates for governor say they would steer Connecticut forward if elected. We’ll be adding some more promises and positions to this tracker — we pinky-swear — so check back here between now and Tuesday. You can jump to a topic by choosing on one of these: → Read More
Do state budget cuts impact school staffing levels? See staffing & funding levels for your town here.
It’s a common refrain during elections: If the state cuts education aid, local school districts will be forced to lay off teachers and other educators. “Our local schools would be cut and about 8,600 teachers would be out of a job under his plan,” Ned Lamont, the Democratic candidate for governor, warned in September, referring … → Read More
Latest police profiling report leads to something new – a thoughtful discussion
Minority drivers were pulled over for equipment violations, like burned-out tail lights, at higher rates than white drivers in most of the eight towns examined in the state’s latest report on racial disparities in police traffic stop patterns. → Read More
Sniff around campaign finances with our new database
By the end of August, candidates for state offices ranging from state representative to governor reported raising more than $40 million and spending around $30 million in the 2018 election cycle. Today, CT Mirror is launching CT Campaign Cash, a database tool to ease inspection of those receipts and expenditures. → Read More