Business News

Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday that the state will begin issuing COVID-19 relief grant money to eligible businesses in the hospitality industry this week. The state is giving out a total of $30 million to over 1,700 businesses that reported a drop of at least 15% (but no more than 95%) in revenue in 2021 compared to 2019. Some of the money is coming from the federal American Rescue Plan.

Democrats believe they’ve on the verge of passing one of the most significant bills of President Joe Biden’s administration. But a major provision that was a high priority for Connecticut was taken out as the party needed to slim down the legislation: funding for child care.

Infowars host Alex Jones is on trial in Texas and Connecticut for saying that the Sandy Hook school shooting never happened. A jury now has the Texas case, while the Connecticut case is in bankruptcy court. Defense teams representing Jones face more problems stemming from a dramatic moment in court Wednesday that featured the appearance of a text message representing the type of record Jones swore he didn’t have.

Earlier this week, Night Shift Brewing in Everett announced it would be moving all its production to outside contracts. Breweries across the state have voiced concern about the shortage.

On Tuesday, jury selection begins in a defamation lawsuit filed in Connecticut on behalf of families of the 2012 Newtown school shooting victims against Infowars host Alex Jones. Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis has ordered attorneys to court Tuesday, despite Infowars' parent company filing for bankruptcy.

The hourly wage Connecticut residents need to afford rental housing in the local market is one of the highest in the country — and it's nearly double the state's $14-an-hour minimum wage.

Federal lawmakers have passed a bill that could get more pickup trucks and smartphones out to consumers. Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives approved a $52 billion investment in U.S. companies specifically targeted at the production of semiconductor chips.

Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy amid the trial underway seeking to force Jones to pay $150 million or more to the family of one of the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook attack.

For decades, the lemon-lime drink has come in green bottles — but clear plastic is more easily recycled, the company says. Environmentalists say the issue is not the color but the single-use plastic.

Vince McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment chief executive, announced his retirement in a statement Friday. McMahon's retirement comes amid controversy. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that McMahon had paid more than $12 million in hush money over a span of 16 years to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct. It also reported that a WWE board investigation had uncovered several non-disclosure agreements related to sexual misconduct claims made by women against McMahon and colleague John Laurinaitis.