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Pediatricians and psychologists are sounding the alarm about artificial intelligence stuffed animals. They may look fun but can replace parent-child bonding and also bring privacy concerns. We spoke with Melissa Whitson, professor of Psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New Haven, about this latest tech trend impacting kids. Image Credit: Getty Images

The European Union is now prohibiting the use of a key chemical ingredient in some gel nail polishes and other cosmetic products. The ban reportedly targets the use of TPO, which was classified as a type of “reproductive toxicant” by European regulators. We talked to Dr. Andrew Levi from Park Avenue Fertility and Reproductive Medicine about TPO and whether there are higher risks of infertility for women. For more information: https://parkavefertility.com/ Image Credit: Getty Images

A home in Killingly is getting a lot of attention for posting political signs posted on the property. This isn't the first time we've seen signs draw controversy in a municipality. We spoke with Trish Crouse, an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of New Haven, about balancing free speech with respect to neighbors. Image Credit: Getty Images

More than a quarter of the adult population in America use the internet to find love. New data shows that most dating apps still have a long way to go to reach A-grade cybersecurity. The Business Digital Index team analyzed the 24 largest dating platforms and found that 75% received a grade of D or F for their digital security. We spoke with our cybersecurity expert, Dr. Vahid Behzadan, about the findings. Image Credit: Getty Images

We are getting calls from seniors who have been evicted and end up living in their cars and losing their belongings because they have nowhere to store items. What are people's rights or resources when an eviction notice happens? We asked Angela Schlingheyde, Executive Director of the Connecticut Bar Foundation. Image Credit: Getty Images

National statistics prove more and more workers want volunteerism at the workplace to be prioritized. But what does that look like and how do leaders incorporate this into the office culture if it's not already there? We asked career strategist, Julie Bauke. Image Credit: Getty Images

We invited Jason Jakubowski in studio, president and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare. What are the latest statistics for food insecurity in our state and how are we addressing the crisis? For more information: https://www.ctfoodshare.org/ Image Credit: Getty Images

Following an interview with Senator Berthel about a new report looking at discrimination with applications at tech schools, we wanted to get an educator's perspective on the problem. We spoke about it more with Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the CT Association of Public School Superintendents. Image Credit: Getty Images

A phone free high school and developing classroom plans with AI; just some of the top headlines coming out of the Westport school district this year. We checked in with superintendent of schools, Tom Scaraice. Image Credit: Getty Images

Milford students are back to school and we checked in with Dr. Anna Cutaia, superintendent of schools. Image Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Dozens of cars have apparently been broken into and messed with. We got the latest on this problem from Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter. Image Credit: Getty Images

All the fall flavored drinks are back! Starbucks brought back the popular Pumpkin Spice Latte this week. But beware of the calories that come in every drink! We talked about how to tailor your drinking obsession while still enjoying the autumn offerings with wellness coach, Amy Llinas. To contact Amy and get recipes: https://amyllinas.com/ Image Credit: Getty Images

We know vaping has become a huge problem especially for pre-teens, teenagers and college aged students. National statistics in 2024, show more than 10% of high school students and close to 6% of middle school students reported using any tobacco product in the past 30 days, with e-cigarettes being the most common product used. A massive company now headquartered in Stamford is focused on combatting youth access to all tobacco and nicotine products. We spoke with J.B. Simko, Philip Morris International's U.S. Chief Civil Society & Underage Prevention Officer. For more information: https://www.uspmi.com/ Image Credit: Getty Images

Class is in session starting today for Stamford public schools. And for the first time, block scheduling will take effect for high schoolers. It was a decision made last school year by the superintendent and board of education. While they praised it, a lot of families and teachers did not. We spoke about this with John Corcoran, president of the Stamford chapter of the Connecticut Education Association. Image Credit: Getty Images

With the new school year, comes new changes in the Darien school district. We checked in with interim superintendent of schools, Dr. Eric Byrne, for all the updates. Image Credit: Getty Images

We expect criticism but not everyone likes what they're being told. Whether people say something nice or something hurtful, it's important to think about: who's giving the feedback and the context of that feedback. We spoke about this with career strategist, Julie Bauke. Image Credit: Getty Images

Recently, we learned State Republicans are outraged with the state Board of Ed and its adoption of a resolution to address violations of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. It comes after the system was found to have disproportionately denied admission to students with disabilities to CTECS schools. Senator Eric Berthel, Ranking Senator on the Education Committee, spoke more about this. Image Credit: Getty Images

From back-to-school photo posting online to traffic patterns, Jim Perez talked about back to school safety on Crime on the Mind. Image Credit: Getty Images

With the start of Easton's schools on Wednesday, August 27, the police department will be increasing its traffic enforcement in school zones with a “Back to School” enforcement and education campaign. Officers will be looking for drivers who are using cell phones, speeding, and disregarding school bus signals. We got more details from Chief Foti Koskinas. Image Credit: Getty Images

Fairfield schools are back in session starting this week and with that comes new changes to the district's cell phone policy. To catch you up to speed after being out of the classroom for the summer, Superintendent Michael Testani, shared what's happening. Image Credit: Getty Images

Connecticut is installing more wrong-way detection systems across the state and we wanted to check in with state police about the system effectiveness and purpose. We spoke with Sgt. Luke Davis.   Image Credit: Getty Images

As we head into a new school year and families are choosing after-school programs for kids, have you considered the girl scouts? We spoke with Kristy King, chief membership and impact officer of the Girls Scouts of Connecticut, during their recruitment season happening now.  For more information: www.gsofct.org Inquiries for memberships/troop leaders: (800) 922-2770 or email customercare@gsofct.org  Image Credit: Getty Images

Some real shade was thrown at a grassroots organization trying to keep Connecticut residents in the know about housing legislation. Alexis Harrison from CT 169 Strong responded to the backlash still coming from some lawmakers months after the Governor vetoed a massive housing bill earlier this summer. Original article: https://ctmirror.org/2025/08/18/ct-lamont-hb-5002-169strong-emails/ Image Credit: Getty Images

With the back-to-school season upon us, so are the back-to-school scams. From fake online shopping sites to student loan relief scams, fraudsters will do anything to take your money, and they do it while you already have a lot on your plate. To keep you from getting duped, we spoke to Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Image Credit: Getty Images

The new school year begins next week and something new and shiny is joining the Shelton district. Raymond Baldwin Jr, in charge of special projects for the city, gave us the latest on the BusPatrol enforcement program starting next week. Image Credit: Getty Images

Wanda Geter-Pataky was arrested again, but many are asking ‘does it really matter?' We spoke with CT Mirror Investigative Reporter, Andrew Brown, about the latest case surrounding the woman accused of committing election fraud. Image Credit: Getty Images

The start of a new school year is right around the corner. We decided to check in with the Bridgeport School District facing a deficit heading into the new academic year. Here's an update from interim superintendent of schools, Dr. Royce Avery. Image Credit: Getty Images

Filling in for Melissa, host Paul Pacelli chatted with Dr. Traci Marquis-Eydman, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences and Director of the Medical Student Home (MeSH) Program at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, about recent news that Connecticut Third District Congresswoman Rose DeLauro underwent a procedure to treat a case of spinal stenosis. Image Credit: Getty Images

In wake of recent water-related deaths in the Housatonic River, some residents are calling for better signage around the shores. But we've also heard people compare Long Island Sound to the Atlantic Ocean and how it's ‘nowhere near as dangerous.' We tackled these misconceptions with DEEP Deputy Commissioner Mason Trumble. Image Credit: Getty Images

A state senator wants to be incarcerated in solitary confinement for 72 hours. That was the opening lines of a recent Hartford Courant article. It's talking about Senator and Doctor Saud Anwar and we welcomed him to the show for the first time to talk about this and his thoughts about Governor Lamont potentially running for a third term. Image Credit: Getty Images

We are just weeks away from the start of the new school year. But did you know that one Connecticut town has actually been in session this summer? Apparently, New London set out to challenge the typical summer vacation model and is currently offering classroom instruction all year long with shorter, more frequent breaks. We got feedback about this from Joslyn DeLancey, Vice President of the Connecticut Education Association. Image Credit: Getty Images

A new alarming report shows Americans on average get more than 50% of their calories from ultra-processed foods. We spoke with Dr. Brian Wojeck, an Assistant Professor at Yale University in the Section of Endocrinology, about the findings and what exactly are ultra-processed foods? Image Credit: Getty Images

Meriden is shutting down its volunteer fire department in December. The city announced a shortage of workers and money to fund the program led to the decision to shut down the department after more than 100 years of service. Is this the beginning of a horrible trend: mass closures of volunteer departments in the state? If so, what is the state doing about this problem? We asked Comptroller Sean Scanlon.  Image Credit: Getty Images

Recently, Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced the AI Accountability and Personal Protection Act to better protect online consumers like you and me, and to hold big tech more accountable. We spoke to our cybersecurity and AI expert on the show, Dr. Vahid Behzadan, who also directs an AI safety research lab at the University of New Haven and is the co-founder of the Connecticut AI Alliance. We also talked about calls to shutdown location sharing on major social media platforms. Image Credit: Getty Images

The FBI is sounding the alarm about quishing scams. What are those and how do we protect ourselves from them? Crime Prevention Expert, Jim Perez, explains. Image Credit: Getty Images

Cecil the seagull has become the talk of the town in Waterford, mostly because he's ruffling feathers for beach goers. We asked Waterford Recreation and Parks Program Coordinator, Tim Cieplik, about this pesky bird now making national headlines.  Image Credit: Getty 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

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

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

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 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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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