WICC The Voice of Connecticut

As a society, we focus a lot on sports teams. What sport will my kid play? Sometimes, we focus on the arts – will my kid play an instrument or act in a play? But what about academic teams…Numerous studies across the country highlight the value of academic teams for a child’s development. Right now, Trumbull is selling fig trees to raise funds for the ACE Foundation, a group that supports academic teams in the Trumbull School System. Ken and Linda Halaby join us now to explain more.

To buy your fig tree, email: kenhalabysr@gmail.com

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month — a time to shine a light on the children and families facing cancer. Each year, thousands of children are diagnosed across the country. Here at home, we have some amazing non-profits focused on raising awareness, supporting families, and funding research to improve treatments and give young patients a better chance at beating cancer. Capalbo Strong is one of those movements – created in honor of Charlie Capalbo. His father, Anthony Capalbo, joined us in studio to talk more about the non-profit and an upcoming 24K fundraiser.

To register for the 24K in Fair...

While we are no longer facing a national blood crisis, the blood supply remains extremely vulnerable — especially as we approach new seasonal challenges, such as end-of-summer travel and back-to-school activities which can disrupt a donor’s availability to give. Richard Branigan, CEO of the American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region joined us back on the show for more.

To download the Red Cross Emergency app: redcross.org/apps

The state is fighting the release of a DCF report into how the agency handled the alleged Waterbury captivity case. The man at the center of the case, known as “S,” says he was held captive by his stepmother for more than two decades. His attorneys say the report could help prove the state failed to protect him. However, the state argues the records should remain confidential. We talked to State Senator Jason Perillo, the ranking senator for the Committee on Children and has been critical of DCF, the agency, not the workers, especially in cases like this one in Wate...

One week ago, Point Stratford Renewal hosted its second townwide community meeting regarding the former army engine plant in Stratford. Point Stratford Renewal is the development team leading the redevelopment effort for the massive waterfront property. We spoke with Peter Cabrera, a principal and Executive Vice President of Point Stratford Renewal.

For more information: www.pointstratford.com

Investigators have recovered the flight recorders from the Amazon cargo plane that crashed at Miami International Airport. Five people were killed and five others seriously injured when the Boeing 767 overshot the runway Sunday, hitting two vehicles on the ground. The NTSB says it’s still too early to determine what caused the crash. To get perspective on this case, we spoke with retired commercial airline pilot, Paul Zielinski.

There is more debate surrounding speed cameras. Does speeding actually lead to collisions? Do speed cameras solve the problems over other solutions like speed humps? We heard your questions and did a deeper dive into this heated discussion happening throughout Connecticut. 

Today is 9-8-8 day and our United Way wants to raise awareness about the life saving hotline. Today, officials want to focus on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline as a major resource available to help youth (and their parents) when they are experiencing a mental health crisis, with a special focus on student athletes. We spoke with Lisa Tepper Bates, President and CEO, United Way of Connecticut.

For more information: https://www.preventsuicidect.org/get-help/ct-988/

Connecticut’s largest business organization released its annual legislative scorecard, tracking lawmakers’ votes on key bills from this year’s session. CBIA says the measures focused on affordability, healthcare, energy, workforce development and transportation. Lawmakers with records of 85 percent or higher were recognized as “affordability champions.” But were they really? To break down the latest report, we spoke with Chris Davis, vice president of public policy at CBIA.

To read how your lawmakers voted and the impact on state affordability:
2026 State Senate Voting Records » CBIA
2026 State House Voting Records » CBIA

A 71-year-old Florida woman has died after police say she opened fire inside the Port Orange Police Department. Police say she ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon before officers opened fire. We wanted to get perspective on cases like this: if someone walks into the territory of a cop, what’s happening and how do officers respond? We spoke with our law enforcement expert, retired police chief Gary MacNamara.

Image Credit: Nicole Perelli

The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Clancy is accused of killing her three young children in 2023. Her defense argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible. Prosecutors say the killings were planned. The case could now be retried. To get legal perspective on what happens next, we spoke with Attorney Bill Bloss. *Bloss has no ties to the Clancey case*

Image Credit: Reuters

Norwalk Public Schools is getting a 23-thousand-dollar grant to help put artificial intelligence policies into practice. The funding will support teacher training, parent education and efforts to protect student data privacy. Norwalk is one of just ten school systems nationwide selected for the program, which also addresses AI literacy and academic integrity. We spoke with Ralph Valenzisi, the Assistant Superintendent of Digital Learning and Innovation for Norwalk Public Schools, about AI emergence for the district. 

Wilton is considering hiring an outside firm to help oversee major town and school construction projects. Officials say the town faces roughly 130-million dollars in building needs, and an owner’s agent could help manage projects and maximize state reimbursements. We learned more from First Selectman of Wilton, Toni Boucher.

Dr. Joanne Passalaqua from Hartford Healthcare spoke with Jon about the reality of Measles in CT, after the State see's it's third diagnosis this year.

We continued our back to school series focusing on other emergencies and unexpected events that could happen during the school day. We talked about swatting incidents, medical emergencies, evacuations and reunification so families feel more "in the know" while their kids are at school.

We met the 2027 Barnum Festival Ringmaster: Nick D'Addario. Find out about the Easton Selectman and local business leader's deep connections to the festival and P.T. Barnum. 

To keep tabs on the Barnum Festival: https://www.barnumfestival.org/

Image Credit: Elaine K. Ficarra

Florida’s privately run Brightline railroad was supposed to prove passenger rail could turn a profit. Instead, in 2025, it carried less than half its projected ridership and lost $127 million — plus another $114 million in interest. Now, with billions in debt and possible bankruptcy ahead, Connecticut’s rail advocates are asking: is privatization really the answer? That’s what Jim Cameron discussed in his latest article of Talking Transportation in CT Mirror.

To read his article: https://ctmirror.org/2026/08/30/floridas-failing-for-profit-railroad/

Swatting incidents are becoming more common during the school year. We spoke with Special Agent In-Charge, PJ O’Brien, and Public Affairs Specialist, Christine Jeltema, both from the FBI New Haven office, about the source of swatting calls and how to best combat them.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day. The state is reaffirming its commitment to combating the overdose crisis and bringing attention to addiction, recovery, and overdose prevention resources. We spoke with Luiza Barnat and Christopher McClure from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to talk more about overdose statistics in the state and resources to better support addicts.

For more information:
https://ctaddictionservices.com/
https://liveloud.org/

Connecticut is getting ten million dollars in federal funding to help young students improve their reading. The money will expand small-group instruction, train teachers, and provide new literacy materials and assessments. The program will focus on students in kindergarten through third grade, with a pilot launching in select schools. We spoke with Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, about improving reading rates in our state.

Ryan Piper with an 18.49lb bluefish is the unofficial winner of The Surfside Hotel Greatest Bluefish Tournament on Earth. He weighed in at Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport, NY. 

Lanternflies have been a scourge of CT and much of the Northeast for the past few years, and experts advise you to kill them on sight! One man, Steve Dailey from Woodbridge, has created a website with his son that helps you track your kills and even compete against other users! Link below if you want to play!

https://lanternflygame.com/

Immigration attorney Dana Bucin returns to speak about the work she is doing with some of the people who were detained by ICE this week in Danbury.

A federal judge is weighing whether Yale New Haven Hospital’s cognitive testing policy for doctors over 70 violates age and disability discrimination laws. The EEOC argues there’s no evidence the testing improves patient safety. Yale says the test helps identify potential cognitive decline and protect patients. No ruling was issued Thursday. Attorney Gary Phelan is here with Hurwitz Sagarin & Slossberg in Milford and is also a law professor at Quinnipiac University.

Meta has agreed to pay up to 18 billion dollars to settle a landmark case over teen social media addiction. The deal with 48 states, including Connecticut, includes new protections for kids on Instagram and Facebook, including two-hour daily limits, stronger age checks and overnight restrictions. We spoke with John Powers, assistant professor and director of the graduate digital content create and strategy program at Quinnipiac University, following the news.

Was social distancing necessary? Are the masks even effective? Did we take the right actions with lockdowns during the pandemic or were we too delayed in responding appropriately? We continued the conversation dissecting the concerns drawn from Anthony Fauci's journal and getting medical facts now from our infectious disease expert, Dr. Fred Browne. 

Image Credit: Griffin Health

It is National Water Quality Month, and we got to speak with Emily Bulmer, Environmental Analyst at Save the Sound about the significance of this and learn more about bacteria monitoring programs in the Sound.

For more information: https://www.savethesound.org/

The mayor of Milford is proposing a pause in the city’s speed and red-light cameras and limiting the use of Flock cameras. We asked Milford Police Chief Keith Mello his thoughts on the cameras and how it impacts local law enforcement.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

What kinds of conversations or questions should parents have with their kids' schools before junior starts class? We started our back to school series with the prep for the new school year. 

The legendary Dolly Parton has passed away at 80 years old. Besides being arguably one of the greatest country singers of all time, she also did a lot to give back to her community and the US. One thing in particular was closing the gap for literacy rates in America. She created Imagination Library aimed at giving children five and under free books. Stratford is one of only a handful of municipalities involved in the program. We spoke with Janet Lengel who brought the program to Stratford in 2019. 

Two Bridgeport Democrats accused of absentee ballot fraud rejected plea deals and are heading for trial. City Councilman Alfredo Castillo and former Democratic Party vice chair Wanda Geter-Pataky face dozens of charges tied to the city’s 2019 and 2023 mayoral primaries. Both could face years in prison if convicted. We got reaction from John Gomes who ran unsuccessfully against Mayor Joe Ganim in 2023 and released the video of alleged absentee ballot stuffing.

For the third year, sixteen products made by Connecticut manufacturers from across the state are competing in this head-to-head competition. It’s an opportunity to learn about local manufacturing companies but also to explore the industry for the next generation of workers. We spoke about this more with CBIA Foundation Director, Dustin Nord.

To vote: https://www.cbia.com/coolest-thing/

A new study is revealing how prevalent brain injuries are in football players. According to a new study in The British Medical Journal -- researchers analyzed 17-hundred former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2021 and found that 338 brains were donated for examination. Among those donors, 93.2% had evidence of CTE. We spoke with Glenn Lungarini, executive director of the CIAC, which oversees high school athletics across the state.

Right now, Connecticut residents can pay homage to distinguished veterans from across the state. Do you know a veteran who has continued making positive impacts in their communities after leaving military service? If so, you can nominate them for induction into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame. For more on this statewide honor, we connected with Commissioner Ron Welch, Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.

To nominate a veteran: https://portal.ct.gov/dva/pages/ct-veterans-hall-of-fame?language=en_US

For more resources to support veterans: https://portal.ct.gov/dva?language=en_US

As kids head back to school, experts say sleep should be part of the routine. CDC data shows about three out of four high school students don’t get the recommended eight hours on a typical school night. We spoke with Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg, Yale Medicine sleep psychologist and associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, for advice to improve sleep for kids and adults.

A now-former Naugatuck teacher is facing a charge after police say he exchanged numerous personal text messages with a 15-year-old student over several months. The 54-year-old educator turned himself in on Friday and is due in Waterbury Superior Court September ninth. Police say he is no longer employed by the school district. It’s another reminder about conversations with your kids identifying “kinda-knows.” We broke down what a kinda-know is and how to talk about this with your kids.

Image Credit: Nicole Perelli

Why do some CEOs get second chances after misconduct? A new Wall Street Journal report points to a familiar pattern: executives accused of violating company rules can sometimes land top jobs elsewhere. We talked about company culture and consequences with career strategist, Julie Bauke.

A busy Friday edition of "Connecticut Today" wrapped up the week with host Paul Pacelli (00:30) and former Bridgeport Sound Tigers' play-by-play voice Phil Giubileo (13:29) chatting about a rumored offer from a hockey consultant that could bring professional hockey back to the city's downtown arena. ABC Campaign Reporter Jared Kofsky chatted about whether high grocery prices will impact the mid-terms (22:56), while former Democratic state Rep. Chris Caruso dropped by for his weekly chat (26:56)

Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli focused on a recent survey looking at how many Connecticut voters view MAGA Republicans versus the Democratic Socialists of America, and which camp most Connecticut voters would choose (00:27). Hearst Connecticut Media's Dan Haar also dropped by in the 5 p.m. hour with his views on the biggest state stories (13:57)

Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" wondering if moving the state's Primary Day from August to either June or September would cure anemic voter turnout (00:29). ABC News National Correspondent Jim Ryan chatted about the latest military recruiting numbers (13:20), while Yankee Institute analyst and blogger Meghan Portfolio dropped by with her weekly update (15:59)