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Bird lovers, we have good news about the piping plovers at Milford Point; more babies fledged there this year than on any beach in the state in the 40 years that records have been kept. For more information, Tom Anderson is here, Director of Communications for Connecticut Audubon Society and Editor of Connecticut State of the Birds. For the full report: https://ctaudubon.org/2025/12/40-piping-plovers-nested-and-38-babies-fledged-at-milford-point-in-2025-no-beach-in-connecticut-has-had-more-in-at-least-four-decades/

Disability Rights Connecticut released a report following an investigation into sexual misconduct at Connecticut's only prison for women. It's a 27-page report highlighting alarming problems if not corrected will only allow the problem to continue at a high rate, according to the civil rights agency. To discuss the report, we spoke with state Senator John Kissel, Ranking Senator on the Judiciary Committee. Full report: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5952983059cc68ff83ce3153/t/694167170bf5da1efebdebd6/1765893912027/DRCT+Report+on+Sexual+Abuse+at+York+Correctional+Institution+Dec+16+2025.pdf

The Norwalk City Council adopted an ordinance to use school bus cameras and ticket people who illegally pass them. Shelton launched its school bus camera enforcement program this school year and last year, Bridgeport launch its program too. Norwalk's cameras are set to be up and running by the 2026-27 school year. For more on this, we checked in with Norwalk Police Chief James Walsh.

Are we shooting ourselves in the foot when it comes to attracting and retaining people to teach in Connecticut? A new survey conducted by the Connecticut Education Association, Connecticut largest teachers' union, shows 90% of student teachers in Connecticut are deeply concerned about affording groceries and other necessities, and more than 80% say unpaid student teaching makes them feel exploited. That's why there's a renewed call for paid student teaching in Connecticut. To talk more about this, we spoke with Hannah Spinner, a graduate student at UConn pursuing a teaching career. She also chairs the CEA‘s statewide Aspiring Educators Program. For the survey: https://cea.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AEP-Survey-Results-Dec-18-2025.pdf

Have you heard of benefits trafficking? It's a crime that is on the rise apparently here and across the country. It's basically using an elderly relative for financial gain and abusing them in the process. A Griswold couple is now facing multiple charges after police say they were housing an elderly family member in their home. They reportedly starved and abused her while exploiting her for financial benefits. We spoke with Paul Greenwood, a career prosecutor with the San Diego district attorney's office, now retired, but after 40 years of prosecuting elder abuse cases, he's a public speaker nationwide sounding the alarm about elder abuse and how to prevent it.

There is a national shortage of fire trucks and we are seeing that impact even at our local departments. Senator Richard Blumenthal has demanded an investigation by the FTC into the three companies behind the truck manufacturing.  We spoke with him about the problem.

A lawsuit claims Central Connecticut State University terminated an employee over her tuberculosis diagnosis. The woman in this case says she contracted the bacterial infection from a student while working as a specialist at the university. The complaint claims, the school violated federal law banning discrimination against people with disabilities. Her attorney representing her happens to be a contributor to the show. Attorney Gary Phelan is here with Hurwitz Sagarin & Slossberg in Milford and is also law professor at Quinnipiac University.

We're not talking price hikes…but we are talking about a total rewire of how Metro North train tickets will work starting in January. Jim Cameron, author of the "Talking Transportation" column runs in CTMirror gave us the details. Original article: https://ctmirror.org/2025/12/14/metro-north-ticket-turmoil/

There are more and more reports about flu cases in Connecticut and it seems the flu symptoms are worse than usual. We spoke with Dr. Fred Browne from Griffin Health about this year's flu season and why it's so aggressive.  Image Courtesy of Griffin Health

After a very impactful three years, Chief Marketing Officer of the State, Anthony Anthony, has decided to leave his position, effective in February 2026. We spoke with him about the decision and his biggest accomplishments in this role. 

"Connecticut Today" host Paul Pacelli discussed news that Fairfield is now the tenth state municipality to announce the coming use of automated traffic cameras. Many folks consider the cameras necessary, while others consider such systems a "big-government" intrusion on civil liberties (01:01). Connecticut Inside Investigator reporter Marc Fitch talked about the latest controversy surrounding the state's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority under former chair Marissa Gillett (14:18). Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Editor and Columnist Dan Haar updated us on the state employment picture and the departure of a key state marketing official (20:04). CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro also weighed in on President Trump's latest address and White House reaction to a controversial piece in Vanity Fair (28:46)

These devices can be controversial, but another town is on board with adding speed and red-light cameras to the municipality. Orange town officials voted unanimously to incorporate them. For the latest on this, we checked in with Orange First Selectman Jim Zeoli. (00:00) We then spoke with DOT spokesperson, Josh Morgan, about the process of approval for cameras in any town or city. (9:03) To see a list of the approved plans: https://portal.ct.gov/dot/programs/automated-traffic-enforcement-safety-device/approved-plans?language=en_US

We welcomed newly elected president of the Bridgeport City Council, Jeanette Herron, to hear her plans for the 20-member department.

An investigation is ongoing after an armed security officer discharged a firearm inside Torrington Elementary School. It happened Tuesday morning before students got there so thankfully no one was hurt but it puts questions in people's minds about whether to have armed security at schools. Let's remember, last month the Bristol Board of Education unanimously voted to add armed security personnel to the school district's staff. It's the first district in the state where employees are authorized to carry firearms. We spoke with one of our law enforcement experts, Gary MacNamara, about the case and its potential impact on other schools bringing armed guards on board.

I don't see a partridge in a pear tree, but we do see a lot of scams out there to be aware of. We spoke with Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection about the 12 Scams of Christmas to look out for.

Host Paul Pacelli welcomed Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski to Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" to update the status of his city's current water system repairs (00:55). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio dropped by to talk about a state-funded hospital takeover (10:34). CBS News Washington reporter Linda Kenyon updated us on the current status of competing bills regarding health care and a possible extension of Obamacare subsidies (21:07). We also welcomed Bill McClay, co-author of, "Jewish Roots of American Liberty: The Impact of Hebraic Ideas on the American Story" (24:08), and finally, Paul offered his thoughts on the Town of Orange and the City of Waterbury moving forward on electronic law enforcement (33:20)

What happens when the weather gets dangerously cold, and the Governor directs the state's Severe Cold Weather Protocol to be activated? Find out how United Way of Connecticut 211 helps residents avoid the severe cold, especially those who are homeless. For more information: https://www.211ct.org/

Over 5 million people worldwide have been trained in the American College of Surgeons Stop the Bleed program. The program aims to make these life-saving skills as common as CPR. Following the Brown University shooting claiming the lives of two students and leaving nine others injured, we talk about the importance of trauma response skills from hospitals to the everyday bystander. We spoke with Dr. Shea Gregg, Chair of Surgery at SVMC and Chair of CT State Trauma Committee.

Ahead of the holidays and entering into the winter months, we checked in with Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter and Fire Chief Lance Edwards. Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Host Paul Pacelli welcomed 16th District GOP State Sen. Rob Sampson to Monday's "Connecticut Today" to chat about proposed safety and security measures for future expanded use of "no excuse" absentee ballots in Connecticut elections (00:42). Retired FBI agent and University of New Haven Senior Criminal Justice Lecturer Ken Gray talked about this past weekend's mass shootings at Brown University and on a beach in Australia (10:40)

What does occupational therapists do?  Why are they so important in helping people recover and live their best lives? These questions and more are answered as Melissa welcomed Stefanie Seanor, the Department Chair for Occupational Therapy at Sacred Heart University. Image Credit: Marnie Klebart

Employees at The Walt Disney Company are feeling more uneasy over potential job losses following the company's reported $1 billion agreement with OpenAI. It's a decision that also made Disney lovers worried about the quality of the company known for their Imagineers. We got perspective from our cybersecurity and AI expert, Dr. Vahid Behzadon, from University of New Haven. Picture Courtesy of the University of New Haven

Following the deadly shooting on Bondi Beach in Australia, we spoke with crime prevention expert, Jim Perez, about situational awareness and how to feel more empowered in crowded places.

Driver behavior is an increasingly bigger problem in Connecticut, especially when it comes to slowing down and moving over on our highways. In 2020, Corey Iodice, a local tow truck operator, was struck and killed on the Meritt Parkway while helping a driver pulled over. His death sparked the creation of Flagman, a non-profit traffic safety campaign focused on raising awareness about roadside dangers first responders and highway workers face. Cindy Iodice, founder of Flagman and proud sister of Corey, told us about the educational part of Flagman and what's being presented in Fairfield schools right now. We also spoke with Matt Spencer about his connection to Flagman following the death of his son. For more information: https://flagmansafety.com/ Image Courtesy of Cindy Iodice and the Flagman Campaign

Host Paul Pacelli offered his thoughts on Friday's "Connecticut Today" regarding the next mandatory increase in Connecticut's minimum wage to $16.94 an hour (00:41). Former Bridgeport State Rep. Chris Caruso joined us with his weekly update, including his thoughts on the latest guilty verdict in the Bridgeport absentee ballot scandal (15:31), while CBS News White House reporter Willie James Inman had an update regarding the U.S. seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker and what might be coming next between both nations (25:00)

Melissa Sheketoff and Gary MacNamara discuss the archaic phrase of "stranger danger" and how parents can help kids detect potential predators. 

We checked in with Save the Sound to talk about the latest with the lobster cage cleanup and new protections for the river herring. We spoke to Long Island Soundkeeper, Bill Lucey.  For more information: https://www.savethesound.org/

TikTok isn't just about dance trends, music, and influencers, it's transforming how small businesses connect, grow, and thrive. This was the focus of a recent forum with CBIA and TikTok. Joining us now to discuss this relationship between business growth and the use of social media, we spoke with Danielle Cloud, CBIA policy director and John Moshos from Elm Street Diner. Follow Elm St Diner on social media: @elmstreetdiner  Picture Courtesy of John Moshos and Elm Street Diner

We did a check-in with interim superintendent of schools, Dr. Royce Avery, about school building plans in Bridgeport.

Ahead of the anniversary marking the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, we spoke with Jenny Hubbard. Jenny's daughter, Catherine, was one of the first graders killed in the shooting. In her honor, Jenny founded the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation and she tells us that the impact in over a decade is overwhelming. For more information: https://www.cvhfoundation.org/ Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Host Paul Pacelli ushered in another edition of "Connecticut Today" looking at a new report out of Boston University recommending that Connecticut cities and towns think about abandoning the traditional "last hired, first fired" plan when deciding on teacher layoffs, because of the possible negative effects on retaining teachers of color (00:43). 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band Drum Major Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Dalton stopped by to chat about the band's two performances coming up at the Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport (16:30). CBS News reporter Linda Kenyon at the White House briefed us on the U.S. seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker (24:58)

It's been almost two months, and Marissa Gillett is still staying relevant with PURA despite stepping down as chairwoman. Plus, a top executive with Eversource is calling for the public benefits to be removed from electric bills ASAP. We spoke with Bryson Hull, Deputy Northeast Director for Consumer Energy Alliance about the latest energy news in the state. Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

President Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill” imposes new lifetime borrowing caps of $100,000 for graduate degrees and $200,000 for professional degrees. Some Connecticut nurses say a new plan could make an already tough job even tougher. We spoke with Dr. Karl Minges, Dean of the College of Health Professions at Sacred Heart University about these major changes and the impact on healthcare worker shortages.

From housing, taxes, public benefits and sham marriages, we covered as many state topics as we could with Governor Ned Lamont. Image Credit: Melissa Sheketoff

We are coming up on the 13th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. We checked in with Nicole Hockley, who lost her son, Dylan, that horrible day. Hockley also is the co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise. She shared successes of the organization nationwide and the ongoing mission still relevant more than a decade later.

There's a case of measles in Connecticut. The Department of Health confirmed the case involved an unvaccinated child in Fairfield County. It's the state's first in more than four years. We talked to Dr. Browne about measles, RSV, flu and covid cases on the rise in Connecticut. Image Courtesy of Griffin Health

On Wednesday's "Connecticut Today," host Paul Pacelli (00:32) and State Senate GOP Leader Steve Harding (16:11) talked about reports of more alleged "sham" marriages happening in Connecticut and a lack of response from majority Democrats in Hartford. Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Editor and Columnist Dan Haar dropped by to chat about the state's finances and a key state Congressional race (23:32)

"Connecticut Today" host Paul Pacelli recently welcomed Epoch Times reporter Joshua Phillipp to discuss the growing tensions between the Trump White House and Venezuela (00:25). We also looked back at the River Restaurant explosion and fire in Derby on December 6th, 1985, with Derby firefighter and Alderman Ron Sill (09:57)

Earlier this year, Representative Josh Elliott announced his run for governor as a Democrat. Since then, Governor Lamont officially announced his plans to run for a third term. Does that change Elliot's plans or create more fire to force a Democratic primary? We connected with Rep. Elliott to find out and talk about his biggest goal if elected to be the next governor. IMAGE CREDIT: State Representative Josh Elliott / CT House Democrats

The elevator is officially in! A lot of necessary upgrades to Homes for the Brave were revealed last month. We got the latest on this and an update on the annual report from Vince Santilli, CEO & Executive Director of Homes for the Brave. For more information: https://homesforthebrave.org/ Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

The FBI is warning the public of a disturbing scam trend involving fraudsters altering photos on social media and the internet to use as fake proof of life images for ransom schemes. The Stamford Police Department put a warning about this out to residents. We spoke with Sgt. Steve Perrotta from the Stamford Police Department about the scam and how to detect if you're being duped.

A story by Reuters notes that commercial airline pilots often conceal mental health conditions for fear that disclosing therapy or medication, could mean having their license pulled and putting themselves and their passengers at risk. We spoke with retired commercial airline pilot, Paul Zielinski, about this problem and how the FAA handles it.

Host Paul Pacelli welcomed GOP State Sen. Rob Sampson to Tuesday's  "Connecticut Today" on what might be coming up next in the General Assembly after the signing of a revised housing bill by Gov. Ned Lamont (00:28). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio joined us to chat about stability and funding for the state's Affordable Care Act exchange (11:27)

Have you ever heard of the term "job hugging?" We asked career strategist, Julie Bauke, about how relevant this is in today's job market and how to make sure you are prepared at work even if you are hugging as tightly as possible. 

More than half of drivers (54%) feel safer operating a gas-powered car than an electric vehicle, according to a survey from AAA Northeast. The report highlights some of the biggest concerns people have with committing to an electric vehicle. We got perspective from our auto expert, Paul Miller, of Miller Nissan in Fairfield. The original AAA report: https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/newsroom/aaa-northeast-survey-cost-road-trip-concerns-and-safety-fears-lower-ev-interest/ Picture Credit: Dee Ortiz

Recently, Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons vetoed an ordinance passed by the Board of Representatives that would have banned the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores. There's controversy surrounding that decision but also more discussion on whether to pass a statewide law banning the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores. Should this continue to be a municipality decision or should Connecticut join states like New York, Vermont, and Maine banning the sales at all pet stores. We got perspective from former State Representative Brenda Kupchick. She served from 2011 to 2019 where she worked hard to try and pass animal welfare laws.

Now that the new housing bill was signed into law, what do organizations that helped contribute to the legislation conversations think? We spoke to Joe Delong, Executive Director & CEO of CCM, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

Host Paul Pacelli jump-started a new week on "Connecticut Today" by looking at a DOT proposal to add another lane to I-95 in Stamford as a way to ease traffic congestion (00:45). Blogger Chris Powell joined us to chat about several issues, including the upcoming 2026 Connecticut Governor's race (15:12). We also featured an analysis of weekend comments from Fourth District Democratic Congressman Jim Himes on CBS, regarding a recent controversial U.S. military strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat (25:00)

Manresa Island Corporation, the nonprofit leading the transformation of Manresa Wilds, unveiled the concept plan for the Northern Forest: a 28-acre landscape that will welcome visitors back to the site for the first time in nearly 75 years. What does it mean for the Manresa property in Norwalk? We asked Jessica Vonashek, Executive Director of Manresa Island Corp. For the latest on Manresa Wilds: https://www.manresawilds.org/

Connecticut law enforcement rolled out a questionnaire required to be used by all agencies, which they say is saving lives and helping victims of domestic violence. We spoke with White Ribbon Committee Chairman, Gary McNamara, at the Center for Family Justice about this. To contact The Center for Family Justice: https://centerforfamilyjustice.org/ Image Credit: Sacred Heart University/Gary Macnamara