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The Wheelhouse: Adjusting To Life On A 'Debt Diet,' And The Politics Of Personal Space

Marc Nozell
/
Creative Commons
In a statement, Joe Biden said, "In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort. And not once - never - did I believe I acted inappropriately."

There are those who hope Joe Biden, as he weighs a 2020 presidential run, hasn't lost his touch for personal connections. There are others who wish he would.

A Connecticut resident is among the two women who came forward this week with complaints that the former Democratic vice president violated their personal space when greeting them at campaign events. Amy Lappos, a former staffer for U.S. Rep Jim Himes, says Biden pulled her toward him to rub noses. As it was happening, Lappos thought Biden intended to kiss her, she says.

This week, we judge the appropriateness of the 76-year-old's ways of expressing affection on the campaign trail, and that of his response to the women's criticisms. Does he really get the message of the #MeToo movement?

It's also the dawn of a new day for Connecticut. Gov. Ned Lamont is calling for an end to the era of unguarded spending on the state's credit card. This week, the State Bond Commission gave us a taste of what a "debt diet" will mean

Campaigning in Connecticut also may change if lawmakers pass legislation targeting candidate advertisements that use altered images of their opponents to cast them in a negative light.

We address that, as well as a bid to allow candidates to use campaign funds to cover their childcare costs.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.