Latest news with #Connolly
Daily Record
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC DIY SOS in urgent plea to help Scots family after heartbreaking loss
The Connolly family who are trapped in an unsuitable home in Newton Mearns after they suffered a tragic loss. BBC's DIY SOS has issued an "urgent" call as they prepare to lend a hand to a Newton Mearns family devastated by loss. Nick Knowles and his Purple Shirts squad are set to aid the Connolly family, who find themselves "trapped" in a home that doesn't meet their needs. Before the renovation begins, there's a pressing request to help locate track matting by June 9, reports Glasgow Live. The show appealed on Facebook: "Glasgow - We desperately need your help!". "We're after track matting URGENTLY for our build. "Our set up starts on the 9th of June. If you can help, please contact diysosglasgow@ ." In a previous request, Nick and his crew asked for volunteers to support the family, who are coping with a recent bereavement. Their daughter Nell was diagnosed at birth with a condition leading to bent limbs and joints, necessitating multiple surgeries throughout her life – leaving her reliant on a wheelchair. To look after Nell, her mother Gill departed from her job as a florist to become the full-time carer, while her father Raymond maintained his work as a plumber. After staying in several temporary homes to cater to Nell's needs, the Connollys came back to their ancestral home in July 2024, hoping to transform it into a space that's wheelchair-friendly. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Raymond had just begun demolition work when, tragically, Gill was rushed to hospital with liver failure in September 2024. After an emergency liver transplant, Gill became gravely ill with sepsis and, heartbreakingly, passed away within three days. The Connolly family now find themselves "trapped" in a house not suitable for Nell, a wheelchair user. Raymond has had to quit his job to become her full-time carer, causing the renovation work to come to a standstill. Nell is currently living in a makeshift bedroom on the ground floor without bathroom access. The kitchen is barely operational, and the conservatory, which serves as their living room, is too cold to use during winter.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Garcia becomes first Democrat to run for House Oversight ranking member
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) launched a bid for House Oversight and Government Reform Committee ranking member on Thursday, becoming the first Democrat to formally jump into the race for the party's top spot on the committee. 'From the Trump administration's attacks on the rule of law, weaponizing the government against its critics, and decimating the services our constituents rely upon–there is a clear and immediate threat to our democracy,' Garcia wrote in a 'Dear Colleague' letter. 'As citizens, patriots, and members of Congress, we must organize, fight back, and defend the principles of freedom, equality, and justice. I'm ready to help lead that fight.' Garcia's bid kicks off the race for the committee's ranking member spot after the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) stepped back from his daily responsibilities as ranking member earlier this yer due to his battle with cancer. Connolly died earlier this month. The race is expected to be emblematic of Democrats' broader intraparty debate over generational change. Garcia, 47, could be one of the youngest members running for the position. So far, Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), 77, and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), 70, have voiced interest in the role. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), 44, has also expressed interest. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who lost her bid for the position to Connolly late last year, passed on running earlier this month. A source familiar told The Hill that Garcia is anchoring his bid on being ready on day one, as well as his experience. Garcia cited his experience as mayor and chief executive of Long Beach, Calif. The congressman noted that in that past role his team used 'audits and data to drive reform, launched new technology to make city services more accessible, and modernized how City Hall operates.' 'We showed that government can be both progressive and effective,' Garcia wrote. 'Driven by values powered by innovation, and always working with the people we serve.' The House Democratic Caucus is slated to hold the election for the ranking member position on June 24. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Opinion - Remembering Gerry Connolly: Can one member make a difference in Congress?
An online newsletter recently carried a headline that read, quite simply, 'The missing branch.' I didn't have to read further to know it was about the lowly state into which Congress has fallen, particularly with its failure to respond to the administration's ongoing encroachments on its constitutional prerogatives. Missing in action is not an enviable position for a major institution of the federal government. Through it all I have wondered how the institution's decline has affected average House members and their expectations of what their job should be. Tarring Congress with a broad brush has been a popular sport for decades now, especially by columnists and commentators (present company included). But do we neglect the trees for the forest? Have we been giving short shrift to the dozens of members who labor quietly in the vineyards, serving their districts, their party, and the country with little thought of how they are portrayed in the media? I'm talking here about the workhorses versus the showhorses. This thought slammed home to me last week in reading in the Washington Post last week about the passing of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) who died of esophageal cancer. I made a list of all the characteristics we would want in our ideal representative in Congress. These include conscientious service to the district (bringing home the bacon); fairly reflecting the views of constituents in voting; working closely with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact effective laws; promoting the national interest through committee and chamber actions; and protecting the prerogatives of Congress as an institution by standing up to the executive. Connolly checked all of the boxes. What distinguished Connolly from others was that he was not a lifelong pol who lived and breathed politics from the beginning, always with an eye to the cameras and getting elected and reelected. Instead, he eventually became involved in politics as a way to advance the many interests he had developed in other positions prior to elective office. Connolly had originally studied for the priesthood for five years but abandoned that when the church did not take a stand against the Vietnam War. He went on to graduate with a B.A. in literature and a master's in public administration. Along the way, he was associate director of the Freedom from Hunger Foundation, then executive director of the U.S. Committee for Refugees. He spent a decade on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he specialized in foreign assistance, drafting its annual foreign aid bills. By then, he was living in Fairfax County, Va., where he was drawn into local politics when an environmental disaster — a toxic chemical spill — occurred in his backyard. This in turn eventually led to his election to the Fairfax County board and ultimately to his election as its chairman, focusing on transportation and infrastructure issues. In 2008 he successfully ran as a Democrat for the U.S. House seat vacated by moderate Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.). Connolly became an influential member of both the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Foreign Affairs Committee, pursuing his interests in the environment, high tech development and human rights. His district became a hub for attracting IT businesses and grew exponentially thanks to his efforts to bring the requisite infrastructure to sustain such growth, including the extension of Metro's Silver Line to Dulles Airport. Although he twice failed to be elected chair of the House Oversight Committee, before being elected its ranking Democrat this year, he made his mark as a very effective chair of its subcommittee on government operations where he held the Trump administration to account through his oversight investigations and hearings. Despite the rough and tumble party battles for committee leadership, Connolly distinguished himself by his bipartisan outreach to Republicans to co-sponsor bills that had a good chance to become law. One notable example of this was enactment of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act in 2014, co-sponsored with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). It was the first major overhaul of federal IT management and oversight since 1996. Connolly once noted the similarity between religious commitment and public service: they both involved a ministerial function to help people, especially those underserved both at home and abroad. That commitment shone through in all his endeavors both prior to and after entering electoral politics. The key to success, I concluded, lies in having diverse interests and background experiences that take priority over political ambitions alone. Members today would do well to reflect on Connolly's legacy and what public service should be all about. It just might help allay some of the petty partisan bloviating and restore what the word 'Congress' really means: a coming together. Don Wolfensberger is a 28-year congressional staff veteran culminating as chief of staff of the House Rules Committee in 1995. He is author of 'Congress and the People: Deliberative Democracy on Trial' (2000), and, 'Changing Cultures in Congress: From Fair Play to Power Plays' (2018). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Garcia becomes first Democrat to run for House Oversight ranking member
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) launched a bid for Oversight Committee ranking member on Thursday, becoming the first Democrat to formally jump into the race for the party's top spot on the committee. 'From the Trump administration's attacks on the rule of law, weaponizing the government against its critics, and decimating the services our constituents rely upon–there is a clear and immediate threat to our democracy,' Garcia wrote in a dear colleague letter. 'As citizens, patriots, and members of Congress, we must organize, fight back, and defend the principles of freedom, equality, and justice. I'm ready to help lead that fight.' Garcia's bid kicks off the race for the committee's ranking member spot after the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) stepped back from his daily responsibilities as ranking member earlier this yer due to his battle with cancer. Connolly died earlier this month. The race is expected to be emblematic of Democrats' broader intraparty debate over generational change. Garcia, 47, could be one of the youngest members running for the position. So far, Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), 77, and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.),70, have voiced interest in the role. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), 44, has also expressed interest. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who lost her bid for the position to Connolly late last year, passed on running earlier this month. A source familiar told The Hill that Garcia is anchoring his bid on being ready on day one, as well as his experience. Garcia cited his past experience as mayor and chief executive of Long Beach, Calif. The congressman noted that in that past role his team used 'audits and data to drive reform, launched new technology to make city services more accessible, and modernized how City Hall operates.' 'We showed that government can be both progressive and effective,' Garcia wrote. 'Driven by values powered by innovation, and always working with the people we serve.' The House Democratic Caucus is slated to hold the election for the ranking member position on June 24.
Axios
2 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Robert Garcia kicks off Dems' next generational proxy battle
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) on Thursday formally launched his bid to become ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. Why it matters: The 47-year-old Democratic leadership member is likely to be pitted against a pair of septuagenarian colleagues with more seniority, making this a proxy battle in Democrats' ongoing generational war. The role came vacant last week with the passing of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) at 75. Connolly beat out 35-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) last year for the position. Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), 70, and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), 77, have both expressed interest in succeeding Connolly, as has Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), 44. What they're saying: In a three-page "dear colleague" letter announcing his candidacy, Garcia wrote that Democrats need to "organize" and "fight back" against the Trump administration. "I'm ready to help lead that fight ... [and] to ensure we hold those in power accountable and protect democracy for the next generation," he said. Garcia cited his tenure as mayor of Long Beach, in which he "used audits and data to drive reform, launched new technology to make city services more accessible, and modernized how City Hall operates." The intrigue: Democrats have struggled to hold down a House Oversight Committee leader, having churned through four in the last six years. Two, Connolly and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), died in office. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) lost her primary in 2022, while Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) jumped over to lead the Judiciary Committee last year. Lynch currently serves as the acting ranking member. He is second in seniority on the panel after Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), 87. What's next: House Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) plans to schedule a vote for the position June 24, according to guidance he sent to colleagues earlier this week.
