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Host Paul Pacelli wrapped up another busy week on "Connecticut Today" talking about growing concern regarding dangerous and "aggressive" drivers on our highways and major roads (00:35). Former Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso joined us regarding the latest news in and around Bridgeport, as well as the continued controversy surrounding allegations of absentee ballot abuse (17:03). CBS News White House reporter Olivia Rinaldi talked about a possible meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin (25:01) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Host Paul Pacelli opened Thursday's "Connecticut Today" wondering why the Democratic majority in Hartford never pushes for any real tax and/or regulation relief that help businesses lift people out of poverty and dependency on state programs (00:46). State House GOP leader Vin Candelora joined us to chat about the latest rumored moves by the General Assembly on state spending (15:22). Award-winning filmmaker, author, and cultural commentator Greg Rabidoux talked about the continuing reverberations from Sydney Sweeney's blue jeans ad campaign (23:04). CBS News military analyst U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Jeff McCausland discussed recent orders from President Trump to move American submarines closer to Russia (32:16) Image Credit: Getty Images / OJO Images

The Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit will be arriving in Easton. The memorial on wheels provides interactive education; including artifacts such as steel beams from the towers, documentary videos, and recordings of first responder radio transmissions. The museum is being sponsored by the Easton Congregational Church and we spoke with Don Boyce from the church about it. To reserve a spot to view the exhibit: https://staplesacademyfoundation.org/ Image Credit: Getty Images

We may be entering a new school year, but we are keeping a bad trend going for students nationwide: vaping. Vape companies are still targeting kids with fun flavors, built-in video games and massive doses of nicotine. We spoke with Kate King, Immediate Past President of National Association of School Nurses, about the latest statistics and why vaping is still a growing problem. For more information: https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/results-annual-national-youth-tobacco-survey-nyts Image Credit: Getty Images

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently reported an uptick in hand-foot-and-mouth disease cases among young children, more than any other summer. Why are we seeing this and how do we best prepare to avoid this ahead of the upcoming new school year? We asked Dr. Fred Browne of Griffin Health. Image Courtesy of Griffin Health

It was the social media post that went national immediately: Comedian Matt Rife and Youtuber Elton Castee purchased Ed and Lorraine Warren's home in Monroe. The five-year-lease makes the pair caretakers of the approximately 750 haunted artifacts in the house, including the Annabelle doll. What does this mean for Monroe and what does the proposal entail? We spoke with Elton Castee and Monroe First Selectman, Terry Rooney. Image Courtesy of Elton Castee

Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli looked at a Trump White House plan to strengthen English-language proficiency rules for the nation's commercial truckers (00:52). Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Columnist and Editor Dan Haar updated the status of a possible move by the WNBA's Connecticut Sun (15:42). Former union President and current Yankee Institute for Public Policy Labor Fellow Frank Ricci explained a new report detailing inaction by the State Labor Department on some union reporting rules (28:18). CBS News White House reporter Olivia Rinaldi joined us with breaking news regarding higher announced tariffs on India (37:24) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

What's going to happen to Connecticut last major sports team: WNBA's Connecticut Sun. That's the million-dollar question; rather, the multi-million-dollar question! Recently, the Boston Celtics minority owner reported his group's effort to buy the Connecticut Sun for 325-million-dollars, which falls in the hands of the WNBA. But Governor Lamont also says an investment group here in CT is fighting hard to hold onto the team. We got more perspective on this from Hartford Courant sports reporter, Emily Adams, who covers a lot of UConn and CT Sun news. Image Credit: Reuters

An Inside Investigator report revealed a state senator, a non-profit startup and several other Hartford-area organizations now at the center of a grand jury investigation. It begs several questions: how could this happen; is this conflict of interest; why do some nonprofits get preferential treatment over others? We spoke with Senator Steve Harding about this.   Image Courtesy of Senator Steve Harding

In August, the American Red Cross is urging donors to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now to maintain a healthy blood supply and prevent a further drop in donor turnout. What's the latest on our blood donation crisis? Joining us now is Richard Branigan, CEO of Red Cross Connecticut. Image Credit: Getty Images

A new report this month revealed that Connecticut spent 5% more on worker overtime this year than the prior year. And this is apparently an upward trend which started in 2018. In this CT Insider article, CBIA's president called this trend a quote disservice to taxpayers end quote. And taxpayers are glad it's not just them seeing through the smoke. We spoke with Chris Davis, CBIA VP of public policy about this. Image Credit: Getty Images

This week, there was an in-person special meeting of the Board of Education in Bridgeport. It comes after the recent release of an audit conducted by the State Board of Education. What came out of the special meeting and did the audit miss key items for the city? We asked Vice Chair of the Bridgeport BOE, Joe Sokolovic. Image Credit: Getty Images

Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" criticizing some state Democrats for their response to a new Trump White House Executive Order regarding policy changes around the nation's homeless problem (00:37). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio talked about where some of the money from the "Passport to Parks" fee ends up (15:08). Quinnipiac University Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Kimbery Przeszlowski talked about Tuesday night's observance of this year's "National Night Out" (23:28) Image Credit: iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus

At the start of the month, several Connecticut news outlets began reporting on tree troubles. One local arborist was quoted saying ‘Connecticut trees are in crisis.' But we want to know if our trees across the state are in real danger and if so, how do we save them? We spoke with Rick Garner from K & J Tree Service. Image Credit: Getty Images

A 13-year-old Stamford resident was taken in an instant; his life cut far too short. We learned the victim of a deadly hit and run was a Dolan Middle School student. How do we help our children deal with this kind of trauma; the sudden loss of a teenager? We spoke with Ellen Brezovsky, Director of Outreach and Community Initiatives at Kids in Crisis in Fairfield County. She also is the supervisor of all TeenTalk counselors. For more information: https://www.kidsincrisis.org/ Image Credit: Getty Images

It's official: Metro North train ticket prices are going up in September and again in July 2026. How much will it cost you to take the train? We asked Josh Morgan of the Department of Transportation. We also talked about the use of automated flagging to push for more road worker safety in the state. For more information: https://portal.ct.gov/dot?language=en_US IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

It's been a go-to over-the-counter medication for decades: Benadryl. But do the risks outweigh the usefulness when using Benadryl? New reports say the drug can be harmful if people take it after having an allergic reaction and potentially miss signs that their symptoms are getting worse. We spoke with Dr. Katelyn Wong with Yale Medicine, specifically working in Allergy & Clinical Immunology as well as Pediatric Allergy & Immunology. Image Credit: Getty Images

Host Paul Pacelli opened a new week on "Connecticut Today" looking at the relative silence from state Democrats regarding the latest revelations in the Bridgeport absentee ballot scandal (00:48). We also chatted with GOP State Sen. Rob Sampson (15:44) and former GOP State Sen. John McKinney on those revelations (24:28). Multi-time Connecticut Sportscaster of the Year Rich Coppola (31:13) and Quinnipiac University assistant Professor of Management Dr. Don McAulay (39:40) discussed the possible move to Boston by the WNBA's Connecticut Sun. CBS News White House Reporter Willie James Inman discussed the continued controversy surrounding last week's lackluster jobs report (47:20) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

This week is National Farmers Market Week in Connecticut. It's a great reason to find locally grown products and support Connecticut farmers. We spoke with Rebecca Eddy, Director of Communications for the CT Dept. of Agriculture. For more information: https://ctgrown.org/ Image Credit: Getty Images

It's no secret; Bridgeport always lands in the news, a lot of times for election fraud. That's why the Bridgeport Charter Revision Commission is trying to create an Office of Municipal Ethics for the Park City. We spoke with the co-chairs of the commission, Faith Sweeney and John Hosier, about the proposal and how it could really help Bridgeport moving forward. Image Credit: Getty Images

There's a growing list of Connecticut cities and towns warning residents of a scam targeting people with permit applications. The fraudulent invoices are sent by mail and look similar to ones generated through the OpenGov permitting system, which is a legitimate site. We asked Dept. of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli about this. Image Credit: Getty Images

The State Bond Commission approved a 6-million-dollar loan for Success Village. We spoke with Attorney Barry Knott, the receiver in charge of Success Village, about this major vote and found out why he feels it's a ‘game changer decision.' IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Urbanowicz

Host Paul Pacelli wrapped up another busy week on Friday's "Connecticut Today" wondering out loud why a subculture of alleged and convicted corruption continues in Connecticut (00:50). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso also joined us with his thoughts on the latest round of Bridgeport absentee ballot allegations (16:22). University of New Haven Vice-President for Innovation and Applied Technology Paul Lavoie dropped by to chat about the school's planned new Research and Development Center in West Haven (31:29). Americans for Tax Reform Tax Policy Director Mike Palicz offered his thoughts on the latest U.S. economic and tax news (43:22). CBS News reporter Zack Hudak joined us from D.C. regarding new plans for a White House ballroom (52:24) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

According to national statistics, around 42% of Gen Z have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, with anxiety and depression being the most common. A local rabbi wants to help bring those numbers down. 27-year-old Rabbi Levi Shmotkin from Stamford recently published best-seller Letters for Life and shared more about it with us. To learn more: https://www.chabad.org/generic_cdo/aid/6474056/jewish/Letters-for-Life.htm Image Credit: Getty Images

Connecticut lost a man who brought so much food to his community and left a major legacy behind. The “Iceman,” Jay Piccirillo's life was cut far too short and left so many people devastated. But Jay's son and childhood friend are making something so special to honor Jay's legacy. We spoke with Jay's son, Gennaro Piccirillo, and Joey Ambrosini, the director of Mr. Bridgeport: The Legacy of Jay Piccirillo. IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Urbanowicz

As we reported this week, charges have been filed against four more people linked to an absentee ballot scandal in the 2023 Bridgeport Democratic mayoral primary election. A new report from CT Mirror revealed that three of the four people facing charges claim they were paid by the Ganim campaign. We spoke with the investigative reporter, Andrew Brown, about the findings. For Andrew's latest story: https://ctmirror.org/2025/07/31/bridgeport-ballot-fraud-case-arrest-warrants/ Image Credit: Getty Images

Months before a 2-year-old choked at a New Britain day care and later died, the facility reportedly received seven violations during an inspection, according to data from 211 Connecticut. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is investigating to determine if the death is a case of abuse or neglect. This story is a reminder that our state needs to continue to focus on investing in early childhood education, creating more reliable daycare facilities and hiring more daycare workers. We spoke about this with Fran Rabinowitz, Executive Director at the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. Image Credit: Getty Images

Imagine your child being stuck in the hospital for long periods of time and all you want to do is stay by their bedside. But a lot of times, that means parents go without eating. That's why Feeding Families Foundation was created. We spoke with co-founder of the non-profit, Jeff Dorman, and shared updates on how the foundation is making a difference since its inception in September of 2023. IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Urbanowicz For more information: https://feedingfamiliesfoundation.org/

Host Paul Pacelli kicked off Thursday's "Connecticut Today" with news of more absentee ballot funny business in Bridgeport and wondering, "When will it all end?" (00:40). U.S. Border Patrol Union head Paul Perez, representing about 18,000 men and women securing America's borders, joined us to talk about border security (14:31). NewsNation Senior Story Editor and Gossip Maven Paula Froelich joined us to talk about the current controversy regarding an advertising campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney (22:14) Image Credit: iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus

The annual Boys and Girls Club Milford Ice Cream Run is back! We got the details here.  IMAGE CREDIT: iStock / Getty Images Plus For more information: https://runsignup.com/Race/CT/Milford/boysandgirlsclubofmilfordicecream5k

There's a lot of buzz around the Little League World Series. But one story did not sit well with many, regardless of political affiliation. A team from Venezuela had their visas denied and they could not play in the tournament this year. Is this a bad implication for other big sports events like the FIFA World Cup in 2026? We asked UNH Professor and attorney, Dr. Brian Marks. Image Credit: Getty Images

Connecticut has become a leader when it comes to attacking the ongoing, ridiculous rising costs of prescription drugs. There was a bipartisan bill signing ceremony that involves transparency on Rx drug rebates, ramping up drug manufacturing, and addressing drug shortages in future. We spoke with doctor and senator, Jeff Gordon, about the law. Image Credit: Getty Images

One person has died and 22 others are really sick in New York City from an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. Not a lot of details on the people impacted but what we do know is Legionnaires' is a type of pneumonia caused by a bacteria usually found in water. We got more details on this from Dr. Fred Browne from Griffin Hospital. Image Courtesy of Griffin Health

We asked Senator Richard Blumenthal about new legislation proposed by Republican lawmakers in Washington following the deadly mid-air collision in DC this year.  Image Credit: Reuters

Host Paul Pacelli opened Wednesday's edition of "Connecticut Today" highlighting an audit of certain practices at the State Department of Corrections that have apparently cost taxpayers hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars (00:58). State Comptroller Sean Scanlon joined us in-studio to chat about Connecticut's finances and his political future (14:43). We were also joined by Connecticut Inside Investigator Reporter Marc Fitch to detail the continued controversy over the State Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (29:26). Hearst Connecticut Media senior editor and columnist Dan Haar commented on some big stories, include a challenge to incumbent First District Democratic Congressman John Larson by former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin (38:25). CBS News Crime and Public Safety Beat Leader Anna Schecter gave us the latest info on the investigation into this week's deadly shooting in New York City (47:40) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Lawmakers in Washington introduced a new piece of legislation to avoid any mid-air collisions. The Rotor Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act was presented exactly six-months after the fatal midair collision over the Potomac River. But will this legislation really make a difference and is it worth the cost? We asked retired commercial airline pilot, Paul Zielinski. Image Credit: Reuters

Five months after a 32-year-old man was rescued from a Waterbury home where he was allegedly held captive, DCF spoke candidly to members of Connecticut's Children's Committee. On that committee and private zoom call was Shelton Senator Jason Perillo. He shared what came out of the meeting and what happens next. IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

The Coastal Athletic Association Football Board of Directors has approved Sacred Heart University as the newest member of the conference. Sacred Heart will join CAA Football on July 1, 2026, and increase the league's membership to 13. Why is this such a big deal for Sacred Heart University and the state of Connecticut? Head Coach of SHU Football, Mark Nofri, gave us the details. Image Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

We spoke with Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim about the abrupt cancellation of Soundside Music Festival. What will that mean for the city budget? Also, we asked the mayor about better training for campaign workers as more calls for cleaner elections are happening for the city. IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli looked at some early ticket numbers and revenue from a Connecticut town and a city regarding automated speeding cameras (00:35). University of New Haven Senior Criminal Justice Lecturer Ken Gray talked about the previous day's deadly shooting in New York City (13:55). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio returned with some details regarding the finances of a major Connecticut union (21:06) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Host Paul Pacelli started a new week on "Connecticut Today" by welcoming GOP State Sen. Rob Sampson to talk about the re-assignment of a high-ranking state employee after controversy over his use of a state-issued credit card (00:41). University of New Haven Associate Professor of Accounting and Taxation Dr. James Mohs analyzed the latest Trump White House tariff news concerning the European Union (09:19). CBS News Reporter Olivia Rinaldi joined us from the White House with the latest on the Jeffrey Epstein case (16:57). Paul also had some thoughts on the latest dismal national poll numbers for Democrats (21:30) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Earlier this month, the State Department of Education released the findings of an audit done for the city of Bridgeport. The findings reportedly identified no misappropriation of funds and provided recommendations for long-term fiscal stability. We spoke with the vice chair of the Bridgeport Board of Education, Joe Sokolovic, to get reaction on the audit results. Image Credit: Getty Images

The State Bond Commission is set to vote on the release of $155 million in state bond funding to offset certain public benefits charges on electric bills. Public benefits are the portion of electric bills that are used to pay for a variety of “going green” initiatives related to the purchase and distribution of electricity across the state. We spoke to Senator Ryan Fazio, Ranking Senator on the Energy & Technology Committee, about the upcoming vote. Image Courtesy of Ryan Fazio

In a town of a little more than 1500 people, how did it end up with six zip codes?! That is a reality in Scotland, Connecticut. We spoke with Scotland First Selectman Dana Barrows Jr. for the story and to learn why the federal government needed to step in to help. Image Credit: Getty Images

Host Paul Pacelli opened Friday's "Connecticut Today" with news of another possible criminal referral connected to alleged absentee ballot misuse in Bridgeport municipal elections over the past few years (00:46). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso dropped by with his weekly update, including his thoughts on an audit of finances in the Bridgeport school system (16:32). We welcomed Connecticut Food Association President Wayne Pesce back to the show to comment on allegations of price-gouging at some food retailers (27:19) Image Credit: Getty Images / The Image Bank

Fake tractors, skid steers, and excavators are costing consumers thousands of dollars and threatening the reputation of at least one Connecticut business. Kristen Johnson of the Better Business Bureau shared a story about a Woodbury company and how you can avoid being duped from a similar scam! FBI's Internet Criminal Complaint Center: IC3.gov  BBB's Scam Tracker: bbb.org/scamtracker IMAGE CREDIT:  iStock / Getty Images Plus

"Connecticut Today" host Paul Pacelli opened Thursday's show with his thoughts on local and national reaction to a settlement between the Trump Justice Department and Columbia University over allegations of anti-Semitism and civil rights violations (00:55). GOP State Senate leader Steve Harding dropped by to chat about questions regarding some education spending in the state (17:34). Milford native and NHL Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Dan Rusanowsky talked about a charity golf tournament next week where he's one of the honorees (26:20). CBS News reporter Aaron Navarro joined us from Washington detailing the latest news concerning the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein controversy (34:10), while NewsNation wrestling expert Kurt Bardella talked about the passing of wrestling legend Hulk Hogan (36:38) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Does it feel like your brain got faster in the last few years? You're not crazy. New studies show even if you DID NOT get the virus, your brain aged during the pandemic. The findings of this study looking at 1,000 people were published in Nature Communications. Dr. Fred Browne, our infectious disease expert, shared feedback about this. IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Fred Browne / Griffin Health

A new report is revealing how Connecticut is doing with wage fairness for workers in our labor force. The report came from New Haven based non-profit, Connecticut Voices for Children. For more clarity on the report, we're connecting now with Patrick O'Brien, Research and Policy Director of Connecticut Voices for Children. Welcome to the show Patrick, before we get into the report, tell us a little bit about Connecticut Voices for Children. For more information: Home - CT Voices Image Credit: Getty Images

Tonight in Stamford is the third annual Shoulder Check Showcase. Professional players from the NHL, hockey influencers and local Connecticut players will take to the ice in friendly competition. The sold-out showcase attracts thousands to Terry Conners Rink – and is put on by the HT40 foundation, created after the loss of Darien High School hockey goalie, Hayden Thorsen, back in 2022. We spoke with Hayden's father, Rob Thorsen, about the Shoulder Check initiative. For more information: https://www.shouldercheck.org/ IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff