WICC 600

Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's edition of "Connecticut Today" looking at some new poll numbers from the University of New Hampshire regarding Governor Ned Lamont's current job approval rating and his prospects for a possible re-election (00:30). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio discussed what she's hearing about ongoing state employee union contract talks with Gov. Ned Lamont's office (14:15) Image Credit: REUTERS / USA TODAY Sports

Last year, 6-year-old Jathan Escobar was murdered in a domestic violence attack in Bridgeport. The man who did it remains in custody but now Jathan's biological father is attempting to sue the state of Connecticut, claiming DCF dropped the ball several times and could have prevented the death of his son. Jimmy Escobar's attorney, Kelly Reardon, shared details of the case and potential lawsuit against the state and DCF. Image Credit: Getty Images

Connecticut is getting hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the removal of marine debris from Long Island Sound. The Maritime Aquarium is getting in on a close to 2-million-dollar federal grant, specifically for work in Connecticut. We spoke with Justin Susarchick, Senior Project Manager in the Conservation Department at the Aquarium; he is also the person leading the lobster trap cleanup initiative. Image Credit: Getty Images

There have been a lot of ideas surrounding Great Island in Darien. Amid making the property more publicly accessible, apparently costs are becoming a bigger issue. For the latest, we checked in with Darien First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky. To learn more about the future of Great Island: https://greatisland.darienct.gov/ Image Credit: Getty Images

Stamford's Planning Board is set to vote on a contentious “2035 Comprehensive Plan of Conservation and Development,” the city's master plan for the next ten years. Many are concerned about adding more residential density in neighborhoods already overwhelmed by massive growth. We asked Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons to give more details on the proposal and whether this is basically a local “8-30g plan” for the city. For more information on the 2035 plan: https://www.stamfordct.gov/government/operations/stamford-2035-comprehensive-plan Image Credit: Getty Images

Host Paul Pacelli chatted with State Senate GOP leader Steve Harding, of Brookfield, regarding what's next for state power consumers regarding PURA - the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority - after several major controversies (00:42). CBS News legal analyst Thane Rosenbaum explained the recent grand jury indictment of former FBI Director James Comey (10:37). CTNewsJunkie.com columnist and Substack.com blogger Terry Cowgill offered his thoughts on a plan to save the WNBA's Connecticut Sun using state employee pension money (16:21) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

We spoke with Jenny Hubbard about the 5th annual Race for Catherine event coming up the weekend of October 10-12, 2025.  To register and learn more: https://www.cvhfoundation.org/ Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

We got the latest on the Department of Transportation's work with wrong-way detection systems, red-light cameras, and a chance to vote for the agency's Fairfield Avenue Bridge replacement project for a national award. For a map of all the wrong-way detection systems in CT: https://portal.ct.gov/dot?language=en_US To vote for CTDOT: https://transportationawards.secure-platform.com/a/gallery/rounds/44/vote/5142 Image Credit: Getty Images

A fake gun threat on social media meant shutting down Darien High School earlier this month. The hoax post reportedly originated from a juvenile in Arkansas and was found not to be credible by law enforcement. How are these threats detected and investigated at the state level? We spoke with Evan Allard, Director of the Connecticut Intelligence Center. To check if your accounts have been compromised: https://haveibeenpwned.com/ To download the CT Safe Mobile App: https://portal.ct.gov/despp/division-of-emergency-service-and-public-protection/mobile-applications?language=en_US Image Credit: Getty Images

Morning reporter Jon Kamal got a behind the scenes look at how the new Shelton school bus cameras operate and how you can prevent getting yourself a $250 ticket!

A new report is sounding the alarm about the reality of human trafficking in Connecticut. According to New Haven-based organization, Love146, in the past 10 years there have been hundreds of cases of children being trafficked in the state. We spoke with Jamie Manirakiza, Executive Director of Partnership to End Human Trafficking (PEHT), about the findings and how to combat the issue. For more information: https://peht.org/ Image Credit: Getty Images

What started as a public health forum turned heated quickly in Hartford. What were protestors most concerned about with the announcement regarding vaccinations in Connecticut? We asked Rep. Cristin McCarthy-Vahey, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, about this. Image Credit: Getty Images

We met Mark Block, Republican candidate for First Selectman in Trumbull. Learn why he decided to run and what he will bring to the table if elected in November. Image Credit: Getty Images

There have been a lot of moving parts with resuming work on the Revolution Wind Project. A lot of questions about what's happening behind the scenes but not a lot of answers. We asked political reporter, Mike Cerulli, from News 8 if he had any further insight. Image Credit: Getty Images

Host Paul Pacelli opened Thursday's "Connecticut Today" with news on the latest legal twist in the ongoing Bridgeport absentee ballot mess. Was the sentence too lenient? (00:33). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso dropped by with his thoughts on the latest absentee ballot developments (16:14). Former Wall Street Journal reporter Ken Rapoza talked about what China might be planning for the U.S. prescription drug market (23:34) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

A high school football player body slamming his opponent is now being punished – because someone caught it on video and it has since gone viral. This was not in Connecticut – it was in Michigan earlier this month. We talked about unsportsmanlike conduct among players with Glenn Lungarini, executive director of the CIAC. The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference over sees high school sports in Connecticut. Video of Body Slamming incident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiycBxJlRQM Image Credit: Getty Images

The man accused of stabbing four high schoolers, killing one at a Shelton house party is back in the spotlight. Raul Valle will be back in court next month after the state filed amended charges. Valle killed Fairfield Prep student Jimmy McGrath in 2022 but over the summer the jury failed to reach a verdict leading to a mistrial. To get legal perspective on the case, we go to Attorney Bill Bloss. Bill is not at all connected to or involved in this case but has been providing legal expertise on this case to our WICC audience. Image Credit: Getty Images

A new study proves just how bad our driver behavior has become. A staggering 96% of drivers in a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study admitted to engaging in aggressive driving behaviors over the past year. How do we bring that number down? Sgt. Luke Davis with Connecticut State Police weighed in. For the full AAA report: https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/202509-AAAFTS-Aggressive-Driving.pdf Image Credit: Getty Images

Shelton decided to partner with BusPatrol to curb incidents of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses. The city's fleet of 68 buses is equipped with the AI-powered stop-arm enforcement technology. And starting week, drivers will actually get tickets. For the latest on BusPatrol in Shelton, we checked in with Ray Baldwin Jr. who oversees special projects in Shelton. Image Credit: Getty Images

Could this be a major breakthrough for people diagnosed with Huntington's Disease as well as their children? New research shows a one-time gene therapy treatment has shown remarkable success in slowing the progression of Huntington's disease in a preliminary trial. We spoke with Dr. Fred Browne of Griffin Hospital about it. IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Fred Browne / Griffin Health

We spoke with Allison Wysota, founder of Adam's House, and Noelle Debes, Director of Communications at the nonprofit, about the work being done for local families frieving a loss. We also talked about the upcoming annual fundraiser for the nonprofit, Dancing with the Stars. For tickets and more: https://adamshousect.org/ Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

From safer trains to breaking archaic thoughts around mass transit, we got connected to Jim Cameron, the founder of The Commuter Action Group which advocates for faster, safer mass transit within the state. Cameron also served 19 years on the CT Rail Commuter Council and now writes a weekly commentary on transportation for CTMirror, called "Talking Transportation." Image Credit: Getty Images

President Trump's suggestion that a link exists between autism and Tylenol has raised concerns within the scientific community as well as personal attacks on families touched by autism. We spoke with Dr. Fred Volkmar, Director of the SCSU Center of Excellence on Autism Spectrum Disorders, about what is known and still unknown about autism. Image Credit: Reuters

Google has admitted to censorship practices regarding YouTube accounts during the pandemic, under the direction of the Biden Administration. That's according to the House Judiciary Committee. To see the full letter from Google: https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/google-admits-censorship-under-biden-promises-end-bans-youtube-accounts We spoke about this with Ben Bogardus, professor and chair of the journalism department at Quinnipiac University. Image Credit: Reuters

Host Paul Pacelli kicked off Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" criticizing the idea that limiting protests on state highway overpasses infringes on the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment freedom of speech (00:50). Quinnipiac University Associate Professor of Computer Science Dr. Chetan Jaiswal explained the discovery of an apparent plot to disrupt cell phone service in parts of the tri-state area (16:04). University of New Haven Senior Criminal Justice Lecturer Ken Gray talked about the security concerns presented by the recognition of a Palestinian state in the Middle East (23:57). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio took a look at the recent history of special legislative sessions at the General Assembly in Hartford (32:33) Image Credit: iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to lift the stop work order on the Revolution Wind project. Work on the six-billion-dollar wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island was 80 percent complete when the stop order was issued last month. The 65-turbine project is a partnership between Connecticut and Rhode Island, as the states will share the generated electricity.  So, what happened? We asked Bryson Hull, Deputy Northeast Director for Consumer Energy Alliance. Image Credit: Getty Images

Jimmy Kimmel is set to make his return to late-night tonight after Disney suspended production of the show indefinitely last week. While Jimmy Kimmel has not publicly addressed the pause to his show, many here and around the nation have thrown around terms like his canceling is an attack on free speech. We spoke with Susan Campbell, a distinguished lecturer of communication, film, and media studies and is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, about the ongoing controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel. Image Credit: Reuters

There's an ongoing effort to recruit people to become police officers in our state. One of the reasons some people hold back on entering into law enforcement is because they don't know what to expect. That's why the Bridgeport Police Department created an annual conditioning camp for free. For more information, call the Academy at: 203-576-8332 or go online to https://www.bridgeportct.gov/government/departments/police-department Image Credit: Getty Images

Host Paul Pacelli cranked up a new week on "Connecticut Today" talking about recent comments made by Connecticut Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy on the future of the national Democratic Party (00:46). We welcomed former U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Markets Mitchell Silk, the author of, "A Seat at the Table: An Inside Account of Trump's Global Economic Revolution," to chat about the current state of U.S. trade policy (15:18). CT NewsJunkie columnist and Substack.com blogger Terry Cowgill talked about several issues, including a possible state investment in the WNBA's Connecticut Sun (25:09) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

From deleted text messages to troubling emails revealing a potential power move to undermine the role of other co-equal commissioners, Marissa Gillett has been at the center of controversy for the last year. She recently announced she is resigning effective October 10th. Recently, State House Minority Leader, Representative Vincent Candelora, called for Gillett's impeachment. He joined us with reaction about her resignation announcement and what happens next for PURA. Image Credit: Getty Images

‘See something, say something,' it's a phrase that is thrown around a lot but how exactly do we report suspicious behavior safely and effectively? We asked crime prevention expert, Jim Perez. ** Download CT Safe and CT Prepares in the app store ** Image Credit: Getty Images

We met the new Connecticut State Police PIO, Sgt. Rodney Valdes. We also heard from his predecessor, Sgt. Luke Davis, who is stepping down from the role and will return to patrolling. IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Urbanowicz

According to new research from AAA and the National Safety Council, more than two-thirds of all car seats are improperly installed nationwide, and just 1 in 5 parents and caregivers seek expert help to install a seat or safely secure a child in that seat. That's why AAA is offering free car seat installations this week for National Child Passenger Safety Week. We got the details about it from Adelle Zocher, outreach specialist and certified child passenger safety technician for AAA Northeast. For a list of clinic locations and to make an appointment, email:  azocher@aaanortheast.com Image Credit: Getty Images

Host Paul Pacelli welcomed Connecticut Inside Investigator reporter Marc Fitch to Friday's "Connecticut Today" to update the announced resignation of controversial Public Utilities Regulatory Authority chair Marissa Gillett (00:51). Paul kicked off the show with his thoughts as to whether or not political discourse will cool off at all in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination (11:59). Day of New London columnist Mike DiMauro dropped by to talk about the possible use of state funds to buy a share of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun (27:22). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso offered his latest thoughts on the last week's biggest stories (36:36), and finally, we welcomed Don Costante, author of, "Beyond the Scoreboard: The Ultimate Guide to Sports Event Presentation" (48:49) Image Credit: Getty Images / The Image Bank

The drama surrounding the Connecticut Sun and efforts to keep the WNBA team in our state continues. Now there are calls for more oversight when it comes to allocating pension funding as a bargaining chip in our state's offer to keep the team. We talked about this morning with political reporter, Mike Cerulli, from News 8. IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

The state's largest teachers' union is out with the results of its annual back-to-school survey. The Connecticut Education Association asked nearly 1,000 teachers about a variety of topics before the school year began. The group's vice president, Joslyn Delancey, says it turns out many are not doing well. She joined us on the show for more. For the full report: https://cea.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BTS-Survey-results-2025.pdf Image Credit: Getty Images

There have been dozens of car theft reports in Westport this year and apparently this criminal trend has been rising since 2020. Why is that and how can we proactively avoid being targets of vehicle theft? We asked Lt. Anthony Prezioso with Westport Police Department. Image Credit: Getty Images

The former Emergency Management Director resigned following the results of an audit done for the town of Fairfield. David Becker is accused of spending $170,000 on a town vehicle that's better equipped with technology than even the chief of police! We talked about this with Laura Devlin, Fairfield Republican Town Committee Chair, who says stepping down is not enough. To watch the livestream meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB937DnpmoE&t=7090s IMAGE CREDIT: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Host Paul Pacelli spent a good part of Thursday's "Connecticut Today" chatting with callers and warning that firing late night host Jimmy Kimmel from his ABC show would set a chilling and dangerous precedent (00:31). Greenwich GOP State Sen. Ryan Fazio called in to talk about a proposal to invest state funds to purchase a share of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun (15:52) Image Credit: REUTERS

We talk a lot on this show about a lack of focus sometimes on the arts. As a society we just don't give the same attention generally to the arts compared to sports. And for children and young adults interested in the arts recreationally or professionally, this is a major milestone announcement from The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts. It recently announced the approval to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts program, with applications beginning this fall. We spoke about it with Danny Loftus-George, the President of The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts. For more information: https://www.thenorwalkconservatory.org/ IMAGE CREDIT: Diana Muller / Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts

Two Meta whistleblowers testified this month before the Senate Judiciary Committee on allegations that the company, which includes social media giants Facebook and Instagram, suppressed research about the safety of child users. Senator Blumenthal is the Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and has grilled big tech over these issues consistently. He shared key takeaways from the hearing. Image Credit: Reuters

A teenage boy was struck by a vehicle during a recent street takeover in Shelton. The report showed the teen suffered serious injuries but shared no implications that he will not make a full recovery. This case begs the question: what will it take to see real change with cracking down on street takeovers in the state? We asked Senator Paul Cicarella, ranking member on the Public Safety and Security Committee. Image Credit: Getty Images

Does it feel like allergy season is lasting longer than usual? You're not crazy, it is! The biggest difference over the years, according to Atlanta Allergy and Asthma, is the length of both spring and fall pollen seasons. We talked about that with Dr. Fred Browne of Griffin Hospital. IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Fred Browne / Griffin Health

Host Paul Pacelli kicked off Wednesday's mid-week "Connecticut Today" with his thoughts on whether or not any so-called "affordable housing bill" should be considered in an upcoming General Assembly special session, or just put off until the new year (00:48). Blogger and columnist Chris Powell offered his thoughts on that housing bill, as well as other pressing issues in the state (15:05). Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Columnist and Editor Dan Haar dropped by to talk housing, a special legislative session, and the future of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun (24:56). CBS News Crime and Public Safety Beat leader Anna Schecter spent a few minutes with us to talk about the coming trial in the Charlie Kirk assassination case (35:52) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

There is a public hearing in Hartford considering the expansion of single egress up to six stories in new construction. We got a better understanding of why there is a call to action for this and the timing with a push for more affordable housing construction. We got more perspective from Pete Buonome, Vice President of the Connecticut Fire Dept. Instructors Association. Image Credit: Getty Images

Over the past five years, local non-profit, Partner in Lyme, raised nearly $100,000 and provided emotional, spiritual, and financial support to more than 50 individuals living with tick-borne diseases. Partner in Lyme is set to close at the end of the year but it's not bad news. Find out where the founder, Jessica Snajder, is going now to help more people with tick prevention in Connecticut and throughout New England. To contact Jessica Snajder: jessica@partnerinlyme.org For more information: https://nelad.org/ Image Credit: Getty Images

Facebook messages, text messages, more everyday scams targeting anyone in Connecticut keep popping up. We spoke with Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli from the CT Department of Consumer Protection, about what to look out for. We also talked about new consumer protection laws in our state this fall. Consumer complaint center: Phone: 860-713-6300 Toll free: 800-842-2649 Email: DCP.complaints@ct.gov Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Host Paul Pacelli kicked off Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" looking at results from the latest survey of unionized public school teachers in Connecticut regarding pay and working conditions (00:50). Quinnipiac University Management and Medical Sciences Professor Angela Mattie discussed a proposed state takeover of Waterbury, Bristol, and Day Kimball Hospitals by UConn Health (15:55). Commuter columnist and advocate Jim Cameron dropped by to chat about the growing number of electric bikes, scooters, and skateboards on local roads (25:33). Finally, Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio talked about a piece she wrote after getting tipped off about the work attendance of a Hartford public school official (35:22) Image Credit: Getty Images / DigitalVision

Guardians of the Future – A Bridgeport Documentary recently became public. It's a 21-minute video highlighting the trials and tribulations for the Bridgeport school district in just one year (fall 2024-now.) We spoke with the documentary director, Dan Walnycky, and BOE Vice Chair, Joe Sakolovic. To watch the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vOM9DpDyPU Image Credit: Getty Images

We spoke with career strategist, Julie Bauke, about the risks of posting on social media and remembering your personal sites represent more than just ‘you." Image Credit: Getty Images