Paul Stern
Connecticut Mirror
Contact Paul
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Paul:
Talk of gun violence, little else
In national politics last week there was talk of little else than gun violence, white nationalism and gun control following the fatal shootings of 31 people in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas. There was little more than talk, too. → Read More
Politics and the 'dark psychic force of collectivized hatred'
President Donald Trump insists he is not a racist, but 51 percent of Americans believe he is, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released last week. Certainly his “send her back” comments about Somalia-born U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and last week’s jabs at U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Baltimore did nothing to dispel that … → Read More
Less ado about something
Special Counsel Robert Mueller was the major political news of the week, and if the Democrats were hoping he would provide them with a big sound bite to underscore their assertion that President Donald Trump obstructed justice and committed other crimes, they were probably disappointed. → Read More
A week of making appearances count
In government and politics, appearances count for a lot, as they did last week. → Read More
Major fireworks, but none political, over July 4 weekend
Nothing like a long holiday weekend celebrating American independence -- or an ice cream, cold beer or dip in the ocean -- to take the edge off a week of otherwise standard divisive politics. → Read More
They oppose Trump — no debate on that
In a two-night, four-hour quizzing, 20 Democrats tried to persuade TV viewers they were worthy of being the next president of the United States -- mostly by saying how they differ from the current President, Donald Trump. → Read More
Tensions with Iran dominate the week
The realization that some 150 people might die caused President Donald Trump to call off a military strike against Iran last week, but military action remains one possible response to Iran’s downing of an unmanned U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz – the world’s busiest oil transport corridor. → Read More
Session over, but still a few things rattling along
The week after a Connecticut legislative session ends is typically pretty slow on political news, but the politicians always have time for a few ceremonial signings and press conferences to keep things stirred up. In Washington, D.C., stirred up is the daily normal – in this case on both national and international fronts. → Read More
Legislative session over, but some pain lingers
Gov. Ned Lamont and state lawmakers wrapped up the legislative session with a new budget, but there is still some difficult decision-making to be done. → Read More
Connecticut is no Alabama
As if it were possible, relations between President Donald Trump and Democrats worsened last week when Trump angrily announced he would no longer work with them on infrastructure improvements or other projects until they drop their multiple investigations of his conduct. At the State Capitol, there is little rancor and even some bipartisan agreement. → Read More
A witch hunt witch hunt in Washington?
Does one good "witch hunt" deserve another? Veteran prosecutor and U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham has been assigned to, in President Donald Trump’s parlance, “investigate the investigators” who initiated the investigation into Russian involvement with the 2016 elections – an inquiry Trump has always called a “witchhunt.” → Read More
High intensity politics here and in Washington
The battle between President Donald Trump and several Congressional committees intensified last week when Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee voted to hold U.S. Attorney General William Barr in contempt and the Senate Intelligence Committee subpoenaed the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr. At the Connecticut Capitol, debate intensified over highway tolls; a radical new tax scheme and;… → Read More
Contempt for government's most 'co-equal' branch
Congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump set out last week to see whose branch of government is the more co-equal; showing, if not literally at least figuratively, their contempt for each other’s authority. → Read More
For whom the highway tolls
The issue of tolls on Connecticut’s highways is shaping up to be a defining one for Connecticut legislators, Gov. Ned Lamont and two competing plans to improve the state’s transportation network. → Read More
The Mueller Report hits; little changes
The redacted Mueller report hit Washington like a political sonic boom last week, making a huge noise but apparently changing few minds in Connecticut or elsewhere about Donald Trump’s fitness to be president -- or the propriety of his conduct. → Read More
Low-brow tweets, then high expectations. Now what...?
The nation is on edge today waiting to find out what it will learn from the release of some or all of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. In Connecticut the legislative sausage factory grinds on. → Read More
Shutdown, Russia, shutdown
Another week of pain for federal employees at the hands of their own government ended abruptly Friday -- temporarily, at least. → Read More
Journalism needs to regain its credibility
Perhaps there was a time when journalism commanded such respect, but not anymore. While journalists have always been left of center, most took pride in their work, and accurately reported events free of political bias. The mantra of journalism once was, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” → Read More
Rematch on: Elicker files for New Haven mayoral run
Surrounded by his wife and two young daughters, Justin Elicker filed papers Wednesday to challenge incumbent Toni Harp for New Haven mayor — and opened with a focus on cleaning up lead paint in children’s homes and money fueling election campaigns. → Read More
A lot of buzz signifying nothing
In most weeks, a pissing match between the Speaker of the House and President of the United States over a weeks-long government shutdown would top the news. But BuzzFeed threw a wrench into that. Late Thursday it reported that President Donald Trump directed his former attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress – an allegation, … → Read More