WICC The Voice of Connecticut

Host Paul Pacelli got Thursday's "Connecticut Today" underway wondering why a revised controversial housing bill - HB-5002 - was being re-tooled and written in secret (00:48). Southern Connecticut State University Political Science and Urban Affairs Professor Dr. Jonathan Wharton looked at what happened this past Election Day Tuesday (16:17), as did former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso (26:03). We also welcomed Michael Pack, producer of, "The Last 600 Meters: The Battles of Najaf and Fallujah," debuting this coming Monday night on PBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxuOYHiocqY (35:46)

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We spoke with Renee Dobos, CEO of Connecticut Housing Partners, about the mystery housing legislation being discussed at next week’s special session. Apparently, not many people, including housing experts, have read the document yet…that’s a problem!

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The state legislature will be meeting next week in a special session.  Governor Ned Lamont says the session will be to finalize housing legislation – and potentially create a 500-million-dollar contingency fund to help cover possible losses of federal funding. But we focused on the housing bill which remains a mystery. We asked Senator Jeff Gordon, Ranking Senator on the Planning and Development Committee.

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There's been a dramatic surge in colorectal cancer in young people, not just in the U.S., but globally.  Health experts say what we drink and eat is contributing to the trend.  That includes consumption of red meat, processed meat, alcohol, sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods. We spoke with Dr. Browne of Griffin Health about how diet is only one component to reversing the trend and that includes genetic testing.

Image Courtesy of Griffin Health

It was arguably one of the biggest upsets in local election results across Connecticut. Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti was not re-elected to his seat. Voters overwhelmingly voted in Frank Tyszka as the mayor-elect. We got his reaction to the election results and heard his plans for Ansonia.

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Host Paul Pacelli cranked up a post-Election Day edition of "Connecticut Today" on Wednesday chatting about various local races and the landslide election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City's next Mayor (00:45). Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Columnist and Editor Dan Haar also weighed in on Tuesday's elections (14:24). CBS News Washington reporter Aaron Navarro updated us on the White House reaction to last night's election results (20:23). Finally, Fiona Firine from the non-profit organization "For Cameron," talked about an upcoming fundraiser (22:51)

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Host Paul Pacelli ushered in a new week on "Connecticut Today" wondering if the present-day Democratic Party is straying too far from the common sense principles and message that anchored it for so many decades (00:28). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio joined us to chat about her latest column highlighting large amounts of self-approved overtime being worked by a Connecticut State Police Lieutenant (15:11)

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November is National Veterans Month; a time to honor both the service of veterans and the sacrifices of their families. Recently, I was introduced to Walter Schuppe, who is the founder of Faces of Freedom. This project preserves and archives the personal histories and images of U.S. military veterans and Holocaust survivors.

For more information: https://www.facesoffreedom.us/

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We knew last year when Mayor Harry Rilling would not run for reelection, Norwalk’s mayoral race and seeing an open seat for the first time in a long time was a race to watch. Based on unofficial results, Barbara Smyth is the mayor-elect for the city of Norwalk. We learned more about her vision for Norwalk.

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It was a bit of a no-brainer in Stamford. Voters re-elected Mayor Caroline Simmons for another term in office. According to unofficial results, Mayor Simmons captured just over two-thirds of the vote. We spoke with her about her win and continued plans for the city.

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A major flip from Republican leadership to Democratic leadership happened in the city of Milford. We spoke with Mayor-elect Rich Smith about his win and plans for the city.

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It is arguably one of the biggest upsets in Connecticut’s local elections: the Stratford mayoral race. We spoke with Mayor-elect David Chess after his victory and learned his vision for Stratford.

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Following Election Day 2025, we spoke with Monroe First Selectman Terry Rooney, winning his reelection bid serving his 2nd term in office.

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Following Election Day 2025, we spoke with Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, winning his reelection bid serving his 18th term in office!

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Following the most recent controversial decision by PURA to raise UI rates starting November 1st, GOP lawmakers are sounding the alarm about another major decision this month. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority’s plans to issue a final decision on Nov. 19 on the proposed sale of Aquarion Water Company. We spoke with Senator Ryan Fazio, ranking senator on the Energy & Technology Committee, about this. 

If you oppose the plan, send an email to PURA.ExecutiveSecretary@ct.gov and reference Docket # 25-04-03 

Image Courtesy of Senator Ryan Fazio

According to a AAA analysis on data from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository, 5 to 6 p.m. just became increasingly dangerous now that the clocks rolled back an hour. That can feel like a real shock for people getting out of work and all of the sudden it looks like the middle of the night. We spoke with Jim Cameron of Talking Transportation about how to handle the bright lights now inundating drivers since the clocks changed.

For Jim's article: https://ctmirror.org/2025/11/02/blinded-by-the-head-light/

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Right now, North Haven Firefighters are investigating a deadly fire that claimed the life of an 8-year-old boy and an elderly relative. For good reason, we focus a lot on the family and community impact; but what about the first responders traumatized after responding to these events? We talked to Linda Ross with the Fairfield County Trauma Response Team. It is a nonprofit alliance of mental health professionals dedicated to helping first responders and the Connecticut community, heal from trauma, tragedy, and stress.

For more information: https://fctrt.org/

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The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) released the results from the 2024–25 Next Generation Accountability System, which offers a comprehensive view of school and district performance across 12 indicators. We spoke with Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer for the Connecticut State Department of Education, about key takeaways from the report.

To read the report: https://portal.ct.gov/sde/press-room/press-releases/2025/students-continue-upward-trend-in-achievement

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The Wall Street Journal just highlighted the importance of having a code word. The article says criminals increasingly use generative AI to mimic real people’s voices and con their loved ones out of money. There’s a simple solution to this high-tech problem: a code word. We talked to crime prevention expert, Jim Perez, about the importance of code words and sharing that information with “your village.”

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In Glastonbury, voters are deciding on a referendum that proposes banning artificial turf fields from the town. If this measure passes, the current turf field at the high school wouldn’t be impacted. However, this would prohibit new turf fields from coming in. To get perspective on the impact of turf fields, we spoke with Glenn Lungarini, the executive director of the CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.)

For more information on turf fields: https://portal.ct.gov/dph/environmental-health/environmental-and-occupational-health-assessment/artificial-turf-fields?language=en_US

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Host Paul Pacelli opened Friday's edition of "Connecticut Today" with the latest developments on the possible loss of SNAP food benefits for thousands of state recipients (00:42). Former Bridgeport State Rep. Chris Caruso dropped by with his weekly wrap-up (12:58). Quinnipiac University journalism department Chair and Professor Ben Bogardus talked about big changes being announced at CBS News by its new leader (22:12), while we welcomed Hartford Courant sportswriter Dom Amore, co-author of, "More than a Game: How the UConn Basketball Dynasty Was Built On a Culture of Caring." (30:18)

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UI customers will see an increase in their bills starting this weekend. PURA approved a total revenue requirement of $450 million for the rate year. That amounts to about $10 more per month for customers using 750 kilowatt hours. As you can imagine, not too many people are happy about it, including AARP. We spoke with John Erlingheuser, AARP Connecticut Senior Advocacy Director, about the sudden news this week.
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Governor Lamont nominated Christina Ghio to serve as Connecticut’s child advocate. She is already the acting child advocate for the state but in February, the legislature will potentially approve her nomination where she would serve a five-year term in this role. We got to know Christina Ghio and her intentions for this role protecting kids better in Connecticut.
IMAGE CREDIT: David Bednarz / Office of Governor Lamont

The general election is next Tuesday. We checked in with Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas about some of the drama in certain municipalities during early voting periods and the latest news for Election Day.
For any voter information: https://myvote.ct.gov/
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There’s already a lot of controversy around the idea of having school resource officers. But have you heard that The Board of Education in Bristol is considering allowing armed security guards in schools? Law enforcement expert, Gary MacNamara, weighed in on the debate.
IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

Thursday's "Connecticut Today" kicked off with host Paul Pacelli wondering if the two weeks of early voting in Connecticut actually has negative effects on elections (00:37). CBS News Washington reporter Linda Kenyon updated us on any new developments in the ongoing government shutdown (16:30), while Landmark Legal Foundation Vice-President of Legal Affairs Mike O'Neill weighed in on call for President Trump to release federal SNAP benefits by using the "Administrative Procedures Act" (19:13)

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The state is hiring an outside consulting firm to help the Bridgeport school system.  Pennsylvania based Public Works LLC will be working with the district through June of next year. We got an update from interim superintendent of schools, Dr. Royce Avery.

Guests are kindly asked to RSVP by Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at noon using the link here: https://bit.ly/48Le7mY

The event will also be streamed via www.bridgeportedu.net and Bridgeport Public Schools - YouTube

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We spoke with Attorney Ed Miller, representing a Fairfield County woman facing charges for protesting on a Connecticut overpass. We dive into the controversy surrounding these cases.

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The FDA is moving to streamline the approval process for generic biologic drugs. What kinds of drugs are we talking about and how much of a price reduction could we see from this major change? We asked Dr. Fred Browne of Griffin Health.

For the full FDA press release: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-moves-accelerate-biosimilar-development-and-lower-drug-costs

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If the government shutdown continues into November, there will not be enough funds to pay November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits. We checked in with the Department of Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves for more.
For contact information and more resources:

 https://portal.ct.gov/dss/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program---snap?language=en_US

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Host Paul Pacelli opened Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" wondering - in light of new evidence - if state agencies hold any culpability in the death of 11-year-old Mimi Garcia due to alleged neglect (00:53). CBS News Legal Analyst Thane Rosenbaum talked about the legal implications surrounding a call for President Trump to release federal SNAP benefits by using the "Administrative Procedures Act" (15:51). Yankee Institute for Public Policy Fellow Frank Ricci joined us on the current state employee contract negotiations (23:05). Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Editor and Columnist Dan Haar stopped by to chat about the state's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, as well as...

A new report highlighted the sever understaffing situation at the Department of Social Services and the impact on wait times at its call center. We spoke with Sheldon Toubman, a litigation attorney with Disability Rights Connecticut, about the problem with attracting and retaining staff at DSS and the call to action for lawmakers. 

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More information and body camera footage has been shared with the media following the gruesome discovery of 11-year-old Jacklyn Torres-Garcia's body earlier this month in New Britain. Jacklyn's mom, aunt and mother's boyfriend are all face charges connected to her murder which police shared happened over a year ago. The latest information in the case screams more system failures for DCF. We spoke more about this with Senator Jason Perillo, ranking member for the Committe on Children in Connecticut. 

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Success Village is a 900+ unit complex between Bridgeport and Stratford that’s been dealing with heat and hot water issues for a long time. Finally in 2024, a successor was put into place to get more consistent heat and hot water and work out the financial trouble for the complex. Attorney Barry Knott, the successor, gave us a progress report on the property and an update about rolling “heat out’s” ahead of the winter season.

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Senate Minority Leader, Steve Harding, talked about the continued fallout for PURA and the latest blow to electric ratepayers using United Illuminating. 

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There’s a lot of controversy surrounding the POCD in Fairfield. That’s Plan of Conservation and Development. There are questions about the legality of the most recently adopted POCD in town. Attorney Kathy Braun is also a Fairfield Town Planning and Zoning commissioner and shared her concerns around this. 
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Bridgeport's Board of Education had its latest meeting which included updates from the state. We got key takeaways from the meeting from Vice Chair of the Board, Joe Sokolovic. 

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Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" looking at a recent poll of New Hamshire Democrats that gives former Biden administration Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg an early lead for the 2028 White House nomination. Will Buttigieg being openly gay hurt his national ambitions (00:55)? Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio talked about her latest column regarding a major outflow of state pension benefits that leave Connecticut (15:07). Quinnipiac University School of Communications Dean Nadine Barnett Cosby - a native of Jamaica - joined us to talk about the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica and the wider Caribbean community (24:32)

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State officials are once again investigating Bridgeport city councilman Alfredo Castillo for allegedly collecting absentee ballots from public housing facilities ahead of the city’s general election next month. Castillo is even accused of posing as a HUD employee to collect ballots. CT Mirror Investigative Reporter, Andrew Brown, broke the news and shared more on this latest case of absentee ballot fraud in Bridgeport.

For full article: https://ctmirror.org/2025/10/24/bridgeport-absentee-ballots-alfredo-castillo/

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Governor Lamont announced the release of 3-million dollars in emergency state funding to Connecticut Foodshare to help Connecticut residents who are expected to lose access to food stamp benefits from SNAP. But where is that money coming from? It’s not the rainy day fund; instead it’s apparently coming from a new slush fund. We spoke about the dangers of this with House Republican Leader, Rep. Vincent Candelora.

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