WICC The Voice of Connecticut

Thursday's edition of "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli looked at a controversial move at the State Capitol to change the way the state's motor vehicle property tax is calculated (00:34).  Southern Connecticut State University Political Science Professor Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro (13:49) and Sacred Heart University Political Science Professor and Scholar in Residence Dr. Gary Rose (25:...

The state Inspector General has released its report into the ambush attack that killed two Bristol police officers in 2022. What led up to the deaths of Lieutenant Dustin DeMonte and Sergeant Alex Hamzy and what major takeaways can we gain from the 66-page report? We got perspective from our law enforcement expert, Gary MacNamara. Image Credit: Getty Images

The state House approved a wide-ranging bill in special session this week that’s expected to get the governor’s signature. We wanted to do a deep dive into this one piece of legislation that covers eight different items that are not related to each other. State Senator Tony Hwang looked at two of the eight items as examples of majority rule impact on the state and how the new law will impact th...

Lawmakers in Washington DC are discussing the Protecting Whales, Human Safety and the Economy Act of 2023 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8704?s=1&r=1) . If passed, it would prohibit the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association (NOAA) from capping the speed for boats along much of the Atlantic Coast, which includes Long Island Sound. We spoke with Frank Hugelmeyer, the ...

Melissa in the Morning welcomed former NASCAR driver and Danbury native Jerry Nadeau to the program to talk about life as a NASCAR driver, the crash that ultimately ended his racing career, and life after racing. Image Credit: Reuters

Friday's busy edition of "Connecticut Today" opened with host Paul Pacelli's thoughts and takeaways from the previous night's debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump (00:39), and also featured analysis from former Time Magazine Senior Reporter Alain Sanders (13:42). Our author spotlight featured Randall Woods, who talked about his new book, "John Quincy Adams: A Man...

On today's show, Mike Cerulli chats with Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives Matt Ritter (0:00), Connecticut State Representative Greg Howard (45:30), and Connecticut State Senator Stephen Harding (1:31:21).

A new study from Cloudwards shows Connecticut is one of the most dangerous states in the US for identity theft to occur online. The report shows Connecticut landed in third place despite having some of the toughest identity theft laws on the books. WICC intern, Catherine Welch, did an investigative report on the issue and spoke with detectives about ways to better protect ourselves from identit...

50 years ago, a deadly fire occurred at a nightclub right on the Greenwich line. The 1974 arson fire at Gulliver’s in Port Chester, New York claimed the lives of 24 people and injured 32 others, including some firefighters. We looked back at the anniversary of the case with Dennis O’Connell. His brother was one of the patrons who died in the blaze. Sandy Clarkson was a first responder the night...

According to national statistics, nearly 1 in 10 men experience depression or anxiety but less than half of them seek treatment for it. Men are also at a higher risk of death by suicide compared to women. June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month and state leaders wanted to look at how we are tackling mental health needs for residents. Julie Vigil is the Branch Chief for Community, Family Hea...

Summer is officially here and it’s not just the temperatures going up. There are three scams we see big upticks in during this time of year: vacation rental scams, utility company imposters and paving scams. Kristen Johnson of the Better Business Bureau outlines the three scams and how to protect yourself from them. To report a scam or look up a scam visit BBB's Scam Tracker at bbb.org/scamtra...

We did a power hour with Bridgeport city officials all about summer safety: -- Scott Appleby / Director of Emergency Management -- Chief Roderick Porter / Police Dept. -- Chief Lance Edwards / Fire Dept. IMAGE CREDIT: Tiadora Josef

The AARP Connecticut Livable Communities Grant Program is now open for applications to help fund community improvement projects across Connecticut. What is the liveable communities grant program? What kind of projects are getting approval over the years? Who can apply and how much money can a town or city get for a project? We got all the details from Nora Duncan, state director of AARP Connect...

National statistics show almost three quarters of the US population stresses about just planning a vacation. On average, most people deal with pre-vacation, vacation and post-vacation stress. So, if stress is inevitable with vacation, how do we handle it in a healthy way and are there signs that there’s a deeper problem brewing in life outside the vacation expectations? We spoke with counselor,...

It’s been a horrible stretch of tragedies on Connecticut highways in the last month. And now there are more calls for state worker protections on our state roads. Connecticut State Police Trooper First Class, Aaron Pelletier, was struck and killed by a motor vehicle on May 30, while performing a traffic stop on I-84. And Connecticut Department of Transportation employee, Andrew DiDomenico, was ...

If you are always running late, does that tell a bigger story about you as a worker and can it derail your career? According to new research, the youngest generation of workers believes 10 minutes late is still right on time. The online meeting company, Meeting Canary, asked over 1,000 British adults about their attitudes to punctuality and almost half of those aged 16 to 26 said that being bet...

We are continuing to follow local and state elections ahead of the 2024 general election. We welcomed Senator Ryan Fazio, representing the 36th State Senate District. This district consists of several sections of southern Fairfield County, including Greenwich, portions of Stamford and New Canaan. We learned what the incumbent senator believes he’s achieved since being elected to office in 2021 ...

Monday's "Connecticut Today" with Paul Pacelli jump started a new week and new month with Paul's thoughts on the role of First Lady Jill Biden in the current controversy over whether her husband should leave the 2024 White House race (00:41). CT NewsJunkie columnist and Substack.com blogger Terry Cowgill also weighed in on the mounting pressure for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 ra...

Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with more revelations from Washington insiders about President Joe Biden's fitness for office (00:31). Connecticut Inside Investigator reporter Marc Fitch detailed recent arbitration decisions affecting the telecommuting policy for state workers (12:47). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio talked about the recent General Assembly spec...

Governor Ned Lamont signed a bill into law this week that passed in the state senate and house last week in a special session. Republican Senators alerted the media that shady politics went into this legislation and described the agenda as an arrogant majority move. We wanted to know what state Democratic lawmakers thought about that. Connecticut House Speaker Matt Ritter shared feedback on thi...

State Attorney General William Tong is investigating issues related to the Capulet Fest heavy metal music festival. The three-day event was abruptly cut short, and thousands of people reportedly haven’t been given refunds. Attorney General Tong's office has received numerous complaints and is actively investigating Capulet Entertainment and its owner. We spoke with him about it and why he’s con...

The Success Village Apartments saga is not over yet and now, Bridgeport’s Mayor says he’s stepping in. Earlier this week, we reported that the city bought back unpaid tax liens from the Success Village housing co-op it had sold to a private entity.  The city is again the only holder of tax liens for the financially troubled complex, and officials say there are no plans to try and foreclose.  Ho...

Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli started with Paul's update on the latest rumors surrounding President Joe Biden possible dropping out of the November White House race (00:31). We talked about national security with Charles A. Marino, author of, "Terrorists on the Border and in Our Country" (13:44). Hearst Connecticut Media senior editor and columnist Dan Haar dropped by f...

Losing a Department of Transportation worker is the latest tragedy to happen on Connecticut highways. 26-year-old Andrew DiDomenico died after an alleged drunk driver hit him near I-91 last Friday. We spoke with Senator Richard Blumenthal about tougher penalties for people with criminal records getting behind the wheel, taking away licenses for speeders in work zones, and funding education in s...

A new report puts Connecticut at the top of the list as the top state for health data breaches to occur. A new study done by QR Code Generator analyzed each state’s number of health data breaches reported between 2009 and 2024 to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Connecticut had the highest rates of health data breaches, with 1.5 breaches per 100 health firms, 71% above the nati...

It’s nothing to celebrate; a new report reveals Connecticut is the worst state in the country to rent in. We spoke with Renee Dobos, CEO of CT Housing Partners, about the findings and what we can do to improve renting challenges in our state. Image Credit: Getty Images

The latest economic update came out Monday July first with some good signs as the new fiscal year begins. What are some big takeaways, and do we need to adjust our fiscal guardrails moving forward? We talked about all of that with Comptroller Sean Scanlon. Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Host Paul Pacelli wrapped up another week on "Connecticut Today" with more news and analysis on the growing calls for President Joe Biden to drop his 2024 reelection bid (00:34). We welcomed David Junk, co-author of, "Rockin' the Kremlin: My Incredible True Story of Gangsters, Oligarchs, and Pop Stars in Putin's Russia," who talked about being one of the first major music company executives to ...

Connecticut continues to struggle to fill teacher positions and once we fill positions, our state is doing all it can to retain those teachers. More support is a big win for teachers and later this month, there are training opportunities to address youth-service learning in our schools. Kate Scheuritzel, Director of Programs for Serve Connecticut, shared the impact of this type of learning in t...

Host Paul Pacelli started a new week on "Connecticut Today" with the latest on growing questions surrounding President Joe Biden's 2024 reelection campaign (00:32). Blogger Chris Powell stopped by to chat about another call to raise taxes in Connecticut, based on large, expensive homes (13:53). We also heard a portion of Connecticut Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Murphy's Sunday remarks on CNN r...

It’s no secret; health insurance is so expensive in Connecticut and could go up again in 2025. We spoke with Senator Matt Lesser, the Former chair of the Insurance & Real Estate Committee and current co-chair of the Human Services Committee. He shared the latest on insurance rates, the expansion of Husky coverage, and the need to better control prescription drug prices and hospital monopolies. ...

According to the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model, 1 in 12 US children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. That’s 6 million kids and teens experiencing the loss of an immediate relative. That doesn’t include the loss of extended family, friends, neighbors or people they don’t know but hear about on the news. How do we address and discuss death with our children in ...

According to national statistics, 75% of Americans plan to take at least one road trip this summer. That doesn’t even include the quick weekend turnaround trips or even day-long trips. What do you need to make sure you and your car are properly prepped for a road trip? We asked Alec Slatky from AAA. Image Credit: Getty Images

A new report highlighted workplace distractions. Research from workplace and productivity analytics platform, Insightful, shows the top two distractions in the workplace include coworkers and smartphone notifications. How do we keep distractions from derailing our careers? Julie Bauke gave us advice in Julie on the Job. Image Credit: Getty Images

Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with Paul Pacelli looked again at the breaking news surrounding pressure on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 White House race (00:29). Landmark Legal Foundation Attorney and Vice President of Legal Affairs Mike O'Neill talked about the possibility of using the Constitution's 25th Amendment to remove President Joe Biden from office, should he become incap...

Last month, we heard from Newtown residents working to preserve a historic trail in town that could be developed soon. Ahead of an important Board of Selectman meeting on July 15th, we wanted to hear from Newtown’s First Selectman, Jeff Capeci. He shared the blue print details behind the proposed development plans and the protections remaining in place for the Rochambeau Trail. Image Credit: D...

According to national statistics, nearly 7 in 10 amateur golfers will experience an injury related to the sport at least once in a lifetime. Back pain, rotator cuff tears, sprained wrists, swollen knees…the list goes on and on. So, how do we prevent golf-related injuries? We spoke with Noted Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Gerard Girasole with Hartford HealthCare Connecticut Orthopedic Institute. Our ch...

Host Paul Pacelli opened Wednesday's midweek "Connecticut Today" with an update on criminal charges connected to alleged absentee ballot crimes in the 2019 Bridgeport municipal election (00:26). Hearst Connecticut Media columnist and senior editor Dan Haar dopped by to update the biggest Connecticut stories, including the resolution of a case involving at Fairfield land owner who didn't know th...

The Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa In The Morning Diner rolled on after the Fourth of July break, and today we're in beautiful Shelton, CT at the Plaza Diner! Damon, one of the co-owners kicked off the show with stories about the diner and a brief history. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

The Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour wouldn't be possible if not for the listeners and patrons of the diner who stopped by. So Melissa had frequent customer and listener Dennis join the show to talk about the diner. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

When in Shelton, you have to talk Wiffle Ball, and who better than the President of Wiffle Ball Inc, Dave Mullany! He joined the Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour to talk about the history of the game and anything that any fan of it would love to know. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

Deputy Fire Chief Paul Wilson stopped into the Plaza Diner for the Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour to talk about recruiting efforts and having to bring down a house filled with fireworks a couple weeks ago. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti came out to the Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa in the Morning Diner Tour live at the Plaza Diner to talk about Shelton's development and some of the things in the work for the city. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

State Senator Kevin Kelly made an appearance on the Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour to talk about what's going on at the Captiol. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

Managing Director of Center Stage Theatre Carla Sullivan took Center Stage at the Plaza Diner for the Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour to talk about the history of the theatre in addition to the upcoming shows that will be put on. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

What's going on in the Valley? Well Bill Purcell, the President and CEO of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce came by the Plaza Diner for the Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour to talk about it. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

The Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour featured Brad Wells, the owner of Fairview Tree Farm to talk about their amazing seasonal features as well as anything you'd like to know about the farm. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

Allison Wysota, the Founder and Executive Director of Adam's House stopped by the Attorney Tom Ganim Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour to talk about the latest at their non-profit. Image Credit: Dee Ortiz

In 2015, Quinnipiac University became the first and only institution of higher education in the country to host Camp No Limits. The overnight camp aims to increase the functional independence of children and adolescents living with limb loss or limb differences. We spoke with Val Strange, Clinical Professor of Occupational Therapy at Quinnipiac University, about the impact of this camp for kids...

Just two years out of college, Larissa Salazar, a young filmmaker from Fairfield, recently won the NFFTY Award for her screenplay Mad Summer. Salazar told us about filming her new short film in September and how you can play a part in her vision come to life. For more information: https://www.gofundme.com/f/mad-summer-a-short-film IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff