SUSAN HAIGH

Statehouse reporter

Haigh covers the Connecticut General Assembly, state government, politics, public policy matters and more for The Associated Press. She has worked for The AP since 2002.

Bertoletti, Sudo win top dog honors at Nathan’s Famous power-eating contest, absent longtime champ

Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago wins his first men’s title at the annual Nathan’s hot dog eating contest

Trump ally Steve Bannon surrenders to federal prison to serve 4-month sentence on contempt charges

Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon has been taken into custody after surrendering at a federal prison to begin a four-month sentence on contempt charges for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S.

As AI gains a workplace foothold, states are trying to make sure workers don’t get left behind

States are trying to help workers beef up their tech skills before they become outdated and get outfoxed by machines that are becoming increasingly smarter.

Connecticut governor to replant more than 180 trees, thousands of bushes cut down behind his house

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday was officially ordered by his local inland wetlands agency to replant more than 180 trees and thousands of bushes that were chopped down in November on property behind the Democrat’s Greenwich home.

Man who killed 2 Connecticut officers likely fueled by a prior interaction with police, report says

A new report by Connecticut’s Inspector General says the ambush killings of two Connecticut police officers was likely fueled by an angry interaction the gunman had with police earlier, along with building pressures in his personal life and his abuse of alcohol and drugs.

Masked intruder pleads guilty to 2007 attack on Connecticut arts patron and fake virus threat

The last of three masked men who claimed to have injected a wealthy Connecticut arts patron and her companion with a deadly virus has pleaded guilty in connection to the 2007 home invasion.

US Coast Guard boss says she is not trying to hide the branch’s failure to handle sex assault cases

The commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard has tried to assure frustrated senators she is not attempting to cover up the branch’s failure to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the service academy in Connecticut.

Four Connecticut campaign workers charged with mishandling absentee ballots in 2019 mayoral primary

Four campaign workers have been charged with mishandling absentee ballots during the 2019 Democratic mayoral primary in Connecticut’s largest city.

Lawyer for Jontay Porter says now-banned NBA player was ‘in over his head’ with a gambling addiction

A lawyer for Jontay Porter says the former Toronto Raptors forward who was given a lifetime ban by the NBA because of a sports betting scandal was “in over his head” with a gambling addiction.

A real nut case: Cold Stone Creamery faces suit over lack of real pistachios in pistachio ice cream

A federal judge in New York has given the go-ahead to a New York woman’s class action lawsuit which claims consumers are being duped by Cold Stone Creamery when they purchase certain flavors that “do not contain their represented ingredients.”

Former Connecticut budget official arrested, pleads not guilty to bribery and extortion charges

A former top official in Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s budget office has pleaded not guilty to extortion, bribery, conspiracy and false statement charges.

Small pro-Palestinian protests held Saturday as college commencements are held

Small pro-Palestinian protests are popping up sporadically as colleges and universities hold commencement services.

Connecticut lawmakers adjourn session, fail to pass AI regulations but pass absentee ballot reforms

Legislation regulating artificial intelligence is one of several major bills didn’t survive Connecticut’s three-month legislative session.

Connecticut lawmakers debate spending remaining COVID-19 funds, forgoing changes to state budget

The Connecticut House of Representatives has approved a Democratic plan to spend at least $360 million in remaining federal COVID-19 pandemic funds on key areas, including higher education, not-for-profit social service agencies, municipal aid and children’s mental health.

Connecticut lawmakers take first steps to pass bill calling for cameras at absentee ballot boxes

Connecticut lawmakers are taking their first steps toward tightening absentee ballot laws since video last year captured people stuffing reams of ballots into collection boxes in Bridgeport, the state’s most populous city.

I-95 in Connecticut will close for days after fiery crash damages bridge, governor says

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says the major traffic artery linking New England with New York will be closed for days around the area where a tanker fire damaged a bridge over Interstate 95.

Connecticut governor takes partial blame for illegal cutting of 186 trees on neighbor’s property

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says he helped hire a landscaper that illegally chopped down more than 180 trees and thousands of bushes on a property behind his Greenwich home.

Connecticut Senate passes wide-ranging bill to regulate AI. But its fate remains uncertain

The Connecticut Senate has passed one of the first major legislative proposals in the U.S. to rein in bias in artificial intelligence decision-making and protect people from harm.

Connecticut House votes to expand state’s paid sick leave requirement for all employers by 2027

Connecticut’s first-in-the-nation paid sick leave law from 2011 is moving closer toward being updaeted.

New Jersey is motivating telecommuters to appeal their New York tax bills. Connecticut may be next

New Jersey is incentivizing taxpayers who work from home for New York based employers to sue New York in court for taxing their wages.

First major attempts to regulate AI face headwinds from all sides

A group of lawmakers from six states have worked on the first major proposals to reign in AI discrimination.

Connecticut becomes one of the last states to allow early voting after years of debate

Connecticut has finally launched an early, in-person voting system years after almost every other state in the country decided to offer a similar option to voters.

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut has died, according to his family. He was 82 and died Wednesday of complications from a fall.

Famed American sculptor Richard Serra, the ‘poet of iron,’ has died at 85

Famed American artist and sculptor Richard Serra has died at his home in Long Island, New York, at the age of 85. His lawyer says the artist died from pneumonia.

New York City police officer fatally shot during traffic stop

A New York City police officer was shot and killed Monday during a traffic stop, the city’s mayor said.

Connecticut considering barring legacy admissions at private colleges, in addition to public ones

Connecticut lawmakers are considering banning the use of legacy and donor preferences in admissions to all colleges and universities across the state, including private ones like Yale University.

Libraries struggle to afford the demand for e-books and seek new state laws in fight with publishers

Libraries across the U.S. are struggling to cover the cost of e-books, which have grown in popularity.

Students lobby to dethrone Connecticut’s state insect, the voraciously predatory praying mantis

When it comes to state insects, most states honor fuzzy or beloved bugs like honey bees or butterflies.

Woman convicted of murder conspiracy, coverup, in 2019 disappearance of Connecticut mother

A Connecticut jury has convicted a woman of conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the presumed death of mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos in 2019.

Bridgeport mayor wins do-over election in race marred by ballot irregularities

The mayor of Connecticut’s most populous city has won a do-over election, months after a judge threw out the result of the last one because of allegations of absentee ballot box stuffing.