You could have called Friday “crumbling foundations day” at the State Capitol.

A pair of committees are hearing testimony on nine separate bills trying to tackle the problem.

Thanks to past efforts by the state government, there is now $200 million now earmarked to help the hundreds of people with crumbling basements.

That amount is probably not enough, so a number of people impacted by the problem and legislators gathered to talk about how to get more money to help out, and further steps to prevent this from ever happening again.

Tim Heim gave impassioned testimony about the nightmare people are facing: having their basements crumbling beneath their homes with no way to pay the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to fix them.

Heim says the crisis has "...destroyed many families..good families, hardworking middle-class families here in Connecticut."

The problem, unique to north central and eastern Connecticut, is believed to have been caused by aggregate from one quarry in the region. But it has prompted calls to have more standards and testing for quarries statewide for the presence of pyrrhotite, the mineral believed to cause the cracking.

"All it took was one quarry to cause a billion dollar crisis," said Debbie MacCoy, who, like Heim, also has a crumbling basement.

The Connecticut Construction Industries Association says that most quarries have full time quality control staff and that "the purpose of additional oversight of other quarries with no reported problems is highly questionable."

A number of bills also take aim at insurance companies, which, for the most part, have said their policies do not cover crumbling basements.

One bill would require coverage for the problem, something The Insurance Association of Connecticut says would cause premiums to jump and "affect the availability and affordability of insurance for every homeowner in Connecticut."

Another move not in a bill, but getting a lot of attention at the hearing, was a move to initiate what is known as a CUIPA, or Connecticut Unfair Insurance Practices Act investigation, into how the insurance industry has not covered most of the crumbling basement claims.

State Rep. Thomas Delnicki of South Windsor, one of the towns most affected by crumbling basements said, "We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to find out if there’s a smoking gun."

An investigation of this type would have to be initiated by the state insurance commissioner, according to legislators at the hearing.

The Insurance Association of Connecticut had no comment on the possibility of a CUIPA investigation.

East Haven police have arrested a man accused of dropping a bag of drugs that was later picked up by a 7-year-old child at a local Subway restaurant.

Police said on November 22, 2017, officers were called to the Subway at 521 Main Street for a report that a customer had turned in a bag of what they thought was narcotics. Officers seized the bag, which was a large sandwich bag full of seven smaller baggies of a white powder substance. Testing later revealed it contained cocaine and fentanyl.

The customer told police her 7-year-old son found the bag on the chip display. The boy did not ingest any of the drugs and did not need medical attention.

New Haven resident Henry Marrero-Rodriguez, 47, was arrested Thursday. Police said investigators identified Marrero-Rodriguez by reviewing surveillance footage from the store. He was charged with possession of narcotics/controlled substance and risk of injury to a minor.

He was held on a $50,000 bond and appeared in court Friday.

Back behind wheel of her cruiser, Berlin police officer Aimee Krzykowski can’t stop smiling.

"I’m feeling good," she said. "I’m finally back at work after finishing my treatments. I’m about two months out of chemo and two weeks out of radiation."

Aimee received a difficult diagnosis last fall. She had breast cancer for a second time. She’s been a K9 officer with Berlin Police for ten years. She had to take a leave of absence from work for treatment. Her dogs were by her side the whole time.

"I had my first K9 partner Titan who worked with me for about nine years," Krzykowski said. "He’s now currently retired and living at home and I have my new K9, who I’ve had on the road for about a year now, Casner, who is very excited to be back at work. When I was out of work, they really took care of me."

The community also had her back. Her fellow police officers organized fundraisers and started a Facebook page for Aimee with the hashtag #KRZYSTRONG.

"I obviously had my bad days," she said. "But I woke up every day, and I chose to have a good day. Whether it was the small victories of being able to get up and make myself breakfast, or whether it was being able to get outside and take a short walk with my dogs. That pushing forward and that positive attitude it what got me through this, I think."

Aimee and Casner are settling into their routine at work. They’re patrolling the streets of Berlin together and keeping people safe.

"Everyone is thrilled to have her back," Deputy Chief of the Berlin Police Department Chris Ciuci.

"I love my job. I love working in this town that’s taken such good care of me," said Krzykowski.

A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Trump administration is responsible for migrant children separated even before it instituted a "zero tolerance" policy, NBC News reports.

The ruling followed a report from the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General that found that "potentially thousands" of children were separated from their parents between June 2017 and May 2018, when the Trump administration began prosecuting under the zero tolerance policy all those crossing the border illegally and separating parents from their children in the process.

The plaintiffs in the case, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, had argued that these children should be included in the class action lawsuit so that they, like the 2,800 children separated under zero tolerance, could potentially be reunified with their parents.

On the cusp of another White House run, Joe Biden faces a daunting challenge that could complicate his path to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination: money.

Those close to the former vice president believe he would start off at a fundraising disadvantage compared to would-be rivals, whose campaigns have benefited from an early flood of small-dollar donations from the most liberal wing of the party. Biden, a 76-year-old lifetime politician with strong connections to the party's establishment, would be forced to rely on an "old-school grind-it-out" plan to generate campaign cash from wealthy individual donors, according to a person with direct knowledge of Biden's thinking.

Questions about money are among the nagging issues Biden is still considering as he weighs launching a campaign. He's decamped this week to St. Croix, a favorite Biden family vacation spot in the Caribbean, to discuss the remaining roadblocks with his wife, Jill.

Biden has long disliked the time-intensive process of political fundraising. But with virtually no campaign operation in key states, he'd need to generate millions of dollars in a matter of weeks should he enter what is expected to be the most expensive presidential campaign in U.S. history.

"He obviously has a lot of friends among the Democratic donor community," said David Axelrod, one of former President Barack Obama's top political advisers. "But fundraising today is turbo-charged by social media. He's not of the social media generation."

The fundraising question comes as Biden allies across the country feel an increasing sense of urgency for the Democratic heavyweight to declare his intentions. He has repeatedly hinted that he's close to making a decision, but those close to him now believe that an announcement, which some expected in January, might be delayed until April.

Democrats in key primary states are warning that it's becoming more difficult to persuade Biden holdouts to be patient as a crowded field of presidential contenders such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, California Sen. Kamala Harris and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders actively fight for their support.

In South Carolina, which holds the first primary contest in the South, Charleston County Democratic Party Chairman Brady Quirk-Garvan said Biden's indecision has created a holding pattern for potential staffers and supporters. As time drags on, he said, he's fielding calls from some who are confused by Biden's indecision.

"Several have said it's concerning that he can't seem to make up his mind," Quirk-Garvan said. "If you're going to run for president, most people want someone who's pretty damn sure they want to be president."

Biden has made clear to his family, friends and advisers that he wants to run, but he has held off giving his team the final go-ahead to launch a campaign. Among the factors giving him pause is concern about the impact a presidential run would have on his family, particularly given his son Hunter's complicated personal history.

Even so, Biden adviser Steve Ricchetti has been signaling to potential Democratic rivals that Biden is expected to run. Other advisers including Greg Schultz and Peter Kavanaugh have been in regular contact with potential staff across the country to ensure Biden could quickly ramp up a national organization. 

Those close to Biden expect him to signal his decision — at least internally — in the coming days to be followed by an intense period of hiring ahead of an April announcement should he decide to run.

Biden's likely entry into the race was among the factors that led former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to decide this week that he would not launch a campaign. Biden and Bloomberg spoke after the former mayor announced his decision, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation.

That person, like others in the story, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.

Biden has openly raised questions about the social media and fundraising landscape, which has changed dramatically since he first joined Obama on the Democrats' 2008 presidential ticket.

Several 2020 Democratic contenders have condemned super PACs in recent weeks. Warren, who has been struggling to raise money, took it a step further late last month, vowing not to court wealthy donors at all.

Biden acknowledged during a recent appearance at the University of Delaware that fundraising is a major consideration.

"We also are making a decision on whether or not we can fund this campaign on my conditions because I will not be part of a super PAC — and to see whether or not it's realistic," Biden said. "An awful lot of people have offered to help — the people, who are usually the biggest donors in the Democratic Party, and, I might add, some major Republican folks."

A frequent headliner on the Democratic money circuit, Biden is well-known among donors but does not have a pool of big-dollar fundraisers lined up ready to commit to his campaign.

And his fundraising track record is underwhelming at best.

He faced little more than token opposition in his long run as a Delaware senator, requiring a relatively light fundraising burden. And in his 2008 presidential run, Biden raised barely half of the $20 million fundraising goal he set before dropping out of the race following a weak finish in the Iowa caucuses.

He was outraised by four other Democratic candidates in the final three months of his campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

With no clear front-runner in the crowded 2020 Democratic field, many of Obama's donors are holding off on making commitments to one candidate or plan to give smaller amounts to multiple candidates in the coming months. Biden's entry into the race is unlikely to change that approach, according to a Democrat who has spoken to several Obama donors.

But at least one Obama donor, Don Peebles, a two-time member of the former president's national finance team, expressed confidence in Biden's fundraising ability.

"I think he'd raise more money than several of the top candidates combined," Peebles said, vowing to support Biden if he runs. "He's the best chance that the Democrats have to win in November."

Some Biden loyalists are not as patient.

In Iowa, Roxana Moritz, who was part of Biden's Iowa steering committee during his failed 2008 bid, expressed concern that by waiting so long, Biden was allowing other candidates to peel off some of his supporters.

"The longer it goes, the harder it gets" for the former vice president to consolidate support, said Mortiz, the Scott County auditor.

While she's still certain to support Biden if he runs, Moritz is getting anxious.

"I wish that he would be clear on his plans," she said.

___

Pace reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C.; Alexandra Jaffe in Des Moines, Iowa; and Hunter Woodall in Manchester, N.H., contributed to this report.

Friday marked International Women's Day, a day of recognition for the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. While events are being held across Connecticut celebrating women’s achievements, it is also a time for Connecticut to push forward.

On Friday Governor Ned Lamont had his first unofficial cabinet meeting, which was also the first meeting of the Council on Women and Girls in Connecticut.

“Here to help empower women in all aspects of life,” said Clare Kindall, the Solicitor General of Connecticut.

That means celebration for Connecticut’s accomplishments.

“50% of the folks in our administration are women. 50%, Historic. I don't think that has happened before,” said Governor Ned Lamont.

While there is progress, there is also room to grow when it comes to women’s rights and equality. Therefore, the Council of Women and Girls is made up of Lamont’s cabinet, lawmakers and even state entities such as police. They all came together on Friday to get to work.

“This is about how we can expand job and educational opportunities and healthcare opportunities for women and girls in our state,” said Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz.

The departments discussed how they can advance the interest of women and girls through administrative action. They addressed equal pay, the possibility of paid family and medical leave, minimum wage issues and even sexual assault.

The governor said the council is just the beginning. In the future he wants to see more women walking the halls of the capital and making legislation in our state.

“I want Connecticut to be able to look at my administration and see somebody just like them and say I could do that too someday,” said Lamont.

State police echoed that sentiment, saying they are looking to hire more women, right now.

“I always like to tell my daughter you can do whatever you want to do,” said Lt. Colonel Michael Davis with Connecticut State Police.

That is the point of this group. The first meeting is for organizing, then the council plans to include steering committee’s made up of female organizations. Sending a message to girls and women of all ages.

“All the folks that are in that room what a difference they are making every day. I hope you are thinking about that as a career as well,” said Governor Ned Lamont.

To help make sure you stay informed on the most shared and talked about stories, each Saturday and Sunday we'll revisit 5 stories from the previous week, including the most recent updates.

Fire Destroys Popular Southington Grocery Store

A fire broke out inside the Tops Marketplace on Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike in Southington on Sunday night. Customers and employees were inside the popular grocery store when the fire erupted. The building was evacuated as the flames spread throughout the store. The grocery store was a total loss. Fire officials said the fire appeared to start in the kitchen area in the back of the store. See more on the fire here.

Luke Perry Dies at Age 52

Luke Perry, the actor who became famous at Dylan McKay on "Beverly Hills 90210," died on Monday, days after suffering a massive stroke. The 52-year-old actor was surrounded by his family and loved ones, according to a statement released by his publicist. Perry became known to a new generation of TV viewers through his role on the CW hit "Riverdale." Read more on Perry's life and death here.

Whipping Wind Injures Cruise Ship Passengers

Several passengers on board the Norwegian Escape cruise ship were injured Sunday by "a sudden, extreme gust of wind" as it made its way from New York to Florida. The gust, estimated to be 115 mph, struck while the ship was off the coast of New Jersey. It caused the vessel to list to one side and video showed tables and chairs sliding across restaurants and bars inside. See the video and read more details here.

Bear Takes a Break in a Tree For Hours in West Hartford

A napping bear caused quite a stir in a West Hartford neighborhood on Tuesday. Animal control officers responded to Lostbrook Road to monitor the bear. After a short while, the bear climbed a tree, where he stayed perched for more than eight hours. He finally came down and wandered off into the woods. For more on the bear's adventure, click here.

Uber Uh-Oh

Uber this week released its list of the Top 10 items left behind in its rideshare vehicles across Connecticut. It's a list Uber releases annually and also includes a list of some of the strangest items left behind. Click here to see the full list.

The Connecticut Spelling Bee named this year's champion on Saturday, beating out 41 other students from across the state, according to a spokesperson for the competition.

Twelve-year-old Janelle Newell won the competition by spelling the word "spencerian" correctly, the spokesperson said.

Newell is currently in the seventh grade and attends the Multicultural Magnet School in Bridgeport.

Newell was awarded a $1,000 scholarship and an all expenses paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Harbor Park, Maryland on May 29, where she will represent the state of Connecticut, according to the spokesperson.

The competition featured students in fourth through eighth grade.

The event was hosted by the University of Saint Joseph and co-sponsored by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society and the Hartford Courant.

New Haven Police are investigating after a 35-year-old man was shot in the leg early Saturday morning.

Officers said the man walked into Yale-New Haven Hospital on Chapel Street shortly before 3:23 a.m.

The man from New Haven suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound to his leg, according to police.

Officers responded to the hospital and investigators checked several locations for a crime scene, but have not confirmed where the incident occurred.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call New Haven Police Department Detective Bureau at (203) 946-6304.

Barbie, that iconic staple of toy stores and childhoods, turns 60 this weekend.

And although she might qualify as a senior citizen, retail experts say there’s nothing outdated about the legendary doll. She has become a more significant role model than she was in previous generations, not only to the children who play with her, but also to businesses seeking to create an iconic brand.

“Barbie has indefinite longevity,” said Jackie Breyer, editorial director at The Toy Book and The Toy Insider. “All toy brands are cyclical, but Barbie’s got staying power.”

After six decades, Barbie continues to perform as a brand. Barbie sales rose 14 percent in 2018 and the doll’s maker, Mattel, posted five consecutive quarters of growth. Retailers say she remains a toy they can count on. Target cited Barbie sales as one of the strong points of their recent holiday season.

The Venezuelan opposition and government loyalists held rival demonstrations in Caracas on Saturday, as both sides prepared for what some fear could be a protracted power struggle.

The rallies unfolded as power and communications outages continued to hit Venezuela, intensifying the hardship of a country paralyzed by economic and political crisis. The blackouts heightened tension between the bitterly divided factions, which accused each other of being responsible for the collapse of the power grid.

"Hard times are ahead," said opposition leader Juan Guaido, who addressed crowds with a loudspeaker after security forces earlier dismantled a speakers' stage that the opposition had erected. He said he planned to tour Venezuela to seek support and lay the groundwork for a massive rally in Caracas.

The 35-year-old leader of the National Assembly said he anticipated more government efforts to sideline and intimidate the opposition. However, President Nicolas Maduro's government has not moved directly against Guaido since he returned to Venezuela from a Latin American tour Monday.

Guaido earlier speculated that Maduro was effectively ignoring him in an attempt to sap the energy of the opposition, whose hopes of ousting the government have so far been stymied.

But on Saturday, Maduro stepped up verbal attacks on Guaido, calling him "a clown and puppet" in a speech to supporters outside Miraflores, the presidential palace. He scoffed at Guaido's claim in late January to be interim president of Venezuela, a declaration supported by the United States and about 50 other countries.

"Not a president, not anything," said Maduro, who accused Guaido and his U.S. allies of sabotaging Venezuela's Guri Dam, one of the world's largest hydroelectric stations and the cornerstone of Venezuela's electrical grid.

He said authorities had restored 70 percent of power in Venezuela since what he called an "international cyberattack" late Thursday, but progress was lost on Saturday when "infiltrators" allegedly struck again.

The Venezuelan opposition and U.S. officials say Maduro's attempts to pin blame on his political adversaries is absurd, and that government corruption and mismanagement over many years caused the blackout and wider deterioration of the economy.

In another blow to Venezuela's infrastructure, an explosion occurred at a power station in the country's Bolivar state on Saturday, according to local media. Video posted on social media showed fire and smoke billowing from the site. Venezuelan authorities have not commented.

Netblocks, a non-government group based in Europe that monitors internet censorship, said Saturday that the second outage had knocked out almost all of Venezuela's telecommunications infrastructure.

Earlier, it referred to online connectivity data indicating that the initial outage that began Thursday and eased about 24 hours later was the largest on recent record in Latin America.

Managers of the Caracas subway said they were waiting for the electricity supply to stabilize before resuming service, and the power grid problems quickly became only another issue that galvanized Venezuelans to take to the streets.

Opposition protesters who converged on Avenida Victoria in Caracas vented anger over the country's problems, including hyperinflation and shortages of basic necessities. They pushed against the shields of riot police who avoided a clash by withdrawing from the area.

Some protesters elsewhere in the city said police tried to block them from reaching the rally, creating a sense of confusion as power and communications outages plagued the country.

"This is chaos," said Jorge Jaimes, a physician frustrated with the decline of a country that was once the wealthiest in Latin America.

At the pro-government rally, people danced and waved flags on what organizers labeled a "day of anti-imperialism" in a show of defiance toward the United States, which has imposed oil sanctions on Venezuela in an attempt to oust Maduro. Many showed up wearing red caps and shirts in support of the self-proclaimed "socialist revolution" of leader Hugo Chavez, who died six years ago and was succeeded by his protege, Maduro.

___

Associated Press journalists Scott Smith and Fabiola Sanchez in Caracas contributed.

Five juveniles have been arrested after Manchester Police and additional officers responded to reports of multiple disturbances at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills.

The incident involved two disturbances: the first inside the mall and the second outside the mall near the southern entrance.

A detective attempted to arrest a 17-year-old male, but he punched the detective in the head and fled the mall.

Police said a 13-year-old female attempted to physically interfere with the arrest. As a result, she was pepper sprayed and taken into custody. 

The male who fled the mall after assaulting a detective was later located with two other juvenile males, both 16 years old, in a wooded area near The Market Grille restaurant, according to police.

Additional officers were directed to respond due to a high number of unaccompanied juveniles inside the mall, according to police.

Police said the female and an officer exposed to pepper spray were treated at Manchester Memorial Hospital. No serious injuries have been reported.

All juveniles arrested were released Saturday night to a parent or guardian, police said.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

California suffered the worst wildfire devastation in the country last year, according to a new federal report.

The annual Wildland Fire Summary report released this week by the National Interagency Coordination Center said 1.8 million acres burned in 2018 in the Golden State - more than in any other state.

"That’s the worst in recorded history" for California, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) spokesman Scott McLean.

The next most geographically destructive year in California was 2008 when nearly 1.6 million acres burned, he said.

Neighboring Nevada, meanwhile, saw 1 million acres burn in 2018, putting it in second place among states for acreage destroyed, according to the federal report.

Love is in the air - at least in one Marlborough nursing home.

A couple in their late 70's met over a game of bingo and it wasn't long before they realized they were a perfect match.

They got married on Saturday in the place it all started.

Pat Rossi and Dave DePaolis say they will love and cherish each other for years to come at the Marlborough Rehab Center. The couple tied the knot after a 10-month whirlwind romance.

"We met at bingo!" Rossi said.

"You could see that something was really developing based on the way they talk," Certified Nursing Assistant Yannie Coley said.

"When they first started seeing each other they would ask me to pass notes back and forth in the hallway," Ashley Casale, LPN, said.

Rossi and DePaolis moved in together as their love grew to new heights, proving it's never too late for love.

"We were talking and all of a sudden he just popped the question. And I immediately said yes without hesitation," Rossi said.

"It's so wonderful that even at the ripe age of 77 that they found love again," Coley said.

Other than Rossi's last name, DePaolis said not much is going to change for the couple.

A Turkish Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence on approach to JFK Airport Saturday night, and dozens were injured, the Port Authority and FDNY said.

The Port Authority initally said 25 were injured. The FDNY followed up a few minutes later with 32 injuries, and then lowered that total to 29 just after 8 p.m. ET.

The injuries are not life-threatening, the FDNY said.

Air-traffic control recordings from LiveATC show the crew's urgent requests to descend due to "severe turbulence." Later they advised controllers that they had one injured crew member with possibly broken legs and would need medical assistance on landing.

Passengers who suffered through the flight described a range of wounds to News 4 New York, including bloody noses and possibly some broken bones.

One passenger, who was in the bathroom when the plane dropped, was still crying from the pain hours after the flight. He told News 4 he managed to get out of the bathroom to find his pregnant wife vomiting from the sudden jolt. 

The plane, a Boeing 777 flight from Istanbul, had 326 passengers and 21 crew.

The National Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center had issued advisories over New England for Saturday evening, warning pilots of severe turbulence. According to Storm Team 4, flight data shows the plane flew directly through the area.

Other pilots had noted turbulence as well, and as of Saturday night pilots at Newark Airport were warning passengers to prepare for turbulence on flights about to depart. 

The incident comes just hours after that airport was forced to close all of its runways, after a flight from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale had to make an emergency landing.

In that case it was smoke in the cargo hold, rather than atmospheric conditions, that was to blame. 

Music superstar Jennifer Lopez is apparently engaged to be married to former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez.

Rodriguez posted a picture to his Instagram account late Saturday evening of what appeared to be her hand in his, with a massive diamond engagement ring on her left hand.

The caption was simply "she said yes." Lopez posted the same photo to her Instagram account as well with a string of heart emojis.

Rodriguez confirmed the two were a couple in March 2017. It will be her fourth marriage and his second.

Just last week, Lopez said HGTV star Joanna Gaines was renovating a multimillion-dollar Malibu mansion for the couple. 

The Coast Guard and other agencies on Saturday rescued 46 ice fishermen who were on an ice floe that broke off on the Ohio shore of Lake Erie, the Coast Guard said.

There were more people on the ice floe, but around 100 were able to swim or walk across ice bridges that had been connected to the floe, according to the maritime law enforcement and rescue agency.

The Coast Guard was notified about the situation at around 8 on Saturday morning, and everyone was rescued by about 11 a.m., the Coast Guard said. "We're happy to report everyone is safe."

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew bigger crowds at South by Southwest than any presidential candidate at the annual festival of music, film and tech, NBC News reports. 

More than a half-dozen declared and potential 2020 candidates of all political stripes are making the pilgrimage to this mecca for upwardly mobile young techies and hipsters. But Ocasio-Cortez, the 29-year-old left-wing Democrat from New York, was the star of the political track, attracting more interest Saturday than two senators— Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar — a former governor, a mayor and the former CEO of Starbucks.

In her remarks, Ocasio-Cortez torched political moderation, which she equated with worshiping mediocrity, defended democratic socialism and took a question from Bill Nye, better known as The Science Guy.

"Moderate is not a stance. It's just an attitude towards life of, like, 'meh,'" she said, shrugging her shoulders for emphasis. "We've become so cynical, that we view 'meh,' or 'eh' — we view cynicism as an intellectually superior attitude, and we view ambition as youthful naivete when ... the greatest things we have ever accomplished as a society have been ambitious acts of visions."

Republicans have trashed the Green New Deal — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's proposal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and create a renewable energy economy — as unrealistic, unaffordable and ill-conceived.

But ever since the New York Democrat began promoting the idea late last year, a growing number of House GOP lawmakers have been increasingly willing to say those four little words: "Climate change is real." And they're warning the rest of their party that Republicans must push for alternative solutions before it's too late.