WICC The Voice of Connecticut

With the Trump administration recently removing TPS protections for thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants in CT, Immigration Attorney Dana Bucin spoke with Jon about the impact on the State.

Steven Clark was an employer highlighted in the Wall Street Journal; fired a 24-year-old employee twice—first the worker himself, then his mother, who called to argue for another chance. It’s part of a growing workplace trend: parents stepping into their adult children’s careers. We spoke with career strategist, Julie Bauke, about the article and got advice on being a supportive parent while staying hands off. 

The Deck podcast has released an episode on the 1994 Bridgeport cold case murder of 45-year-old Benjamin Rosario on the East Side of Bridgeport. The episode, called "Wild Card, Connecticut", was also featured in an episode of “Park City Confidential”, which is done by the Bridgeport Police Department. We spoke with Detective Jeffrey Holtz about the Rosario case.

To watch The Deck episode: Why Did the Search for a Serial Killer Lead Closer to Home?

To watch the Park City Confidential episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIejGjPAMQo

A new exclusive poll is revealing where Connecticut voters stand in the race for governor. The survey shows Governor Ned Lamont with a sizable lead over Republican challenger Ryan Fazio, while Lamont also leads Democratic challenger Josh Elliott in the upcoming primary matchup. We talked about key takeaways from the poll from Sacred Heart University political professor, Dr. Gary Rose.

With early voting for the August primary underway, House Republicans are warning a new state law could put Connecticut police officers at legal risk. They say the law creates confusion by restricting officers near polling locations, forcing chiefs statewide to seek legal guidance. We spoke to State Representative Greg Howard, who is also a Stonington police officer, about whether lawmakers rushed the measure without considering how it affects routine police duties.

The 12th annual Step Up for the Brave event is coming back on August 15th. The money raised all goes back to help local veterans and their families through Homes for the Brave. We spoke with Vince Santilli, CEO/Executive Director of Homes for the Brave, about Step Up for the Brave and why it’s such a special event.

To register for Step Up for the Brave: https://homesforthebrave.org/step-up-for-the-brave-2026-2/

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

A drug investigation in Wilton is raising concerns about the illegal sale of banned substances. Police say they seized unlicensed cannabis products, kratom, and hundreds of nitrous oxide canisters during a raid at a smoke shop. One employee is facing multiple drug charges as investigators continue looking into unauthorized sales. We spoke with Lt. Anna Tornello from the Wilton Police Department for the latest.

The cost of a private college education in Connecticut is climbing. New figures show several schools now carry annual sticker prices approaching $100,000. Wesleyan tops the list at about $98,000, followed closely by Yale and Trinity. While many students receive financial aid, the published costs continue to rise statewide. We spoke with our education expert on the show, Fran Rabinowitz, who is also the Executive Director at the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents.

The Darien Little League team beat Waterford 7-4 yesterday to win the Connecticut state championship. They are heading to the Metro Regional for the first time since 1966 with a chance to go to Williamsport. We spoke with Rob Adams, local sports broadcaster and play-by-play announcer in Fairfield County, about the historic run for the team. 

A major rail upgrade is now underway on Connecticut's busy New Haven Line. Governor Ned Lamont announced construction has begun on the $1.6 billion TIME-1 project, which will modernize tracks, signals, and overhead wires between Stratford and Bridgeport. State officials say the improvements will eventually deliver faster, more frequent, and more reliable train service. But is the hype all it’s cracked up to be? We asked Jim Cameron of Talking Transportation who was quite skeptical of the project calling it a “déjà vu promise.”

To read Jim’s article: https://ctmirror.org/2026/08/02/connecticuts-1-6-billion-train-promise/

A Georgia man is facing kidnapping and other charges after police say he stole a running car with a two-year-old girl still inside. Officers tracked the vehicle using license plate readers and rescued the child within 15 minutes. Police say the toddler was unharmed and reunited with her family. It’s a good example of why license plate readers have value for public safety. We spoke with our law enforcement expert, Gary MacNamara, about the pro’s and con’s of license plate readers.

Image Credit: Nicole Perelli

How does Greek mythology relate to crime prevention? We looked at a few well-known characters and how they were already ahead of the curve when it comes to being safety empowered. 

"Chatfishing" is a modern dating trend highlighted on Good Morning America where people use AI chatbots to write, flirt, and communicate on dating apps. We spoke with Kristen Johnson of the Better Business Bureau serving Connecticut about the concerns of cat phishing scams heightened now that artificial intelligence is in the mix.

For more tips to avoid these scams: https://www.bbb.org/

Connecticut lawmakers are calling for a pause on new speed camera approvals. Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding and Senator Tony Hwang are asking the DOT to temporarily stop approving applications, citing concerns over the review process and data being used to justify camera locations. We got more clarity on this call to action from Senator Harding.

A search warrant in Enfield led to a disturbing discovery — police say they found firearms, narcotics, and more than 50 animals inside a home, including an illegally possessed capuchin monkey. Days later, authorities say a Hamden warehouse was home to dozens of illegal reptiles, including 46 venomous snakes. How common and how dangerous are animal hoarding situations? We asked Annie Hornish, Connecticut State Director of Humane World for Animals.

Bridgeport Fire Chief Lance Edwards is retiring. We had him on air one last time as Chief before signing off from the firefighting business.

IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

Lawyers for the Waterbury man who says he was held captive by his stepmother for decades accuse Connecticut of withholding key Department of Children and Families records needed for his lawsuit against the state. We connected with Senator Jason Perillo who is the ranking senator for the Committee on Children and has been critical of DCF, the agency, not the workers, especially in cases like the one in Waterbury.

Beware of sunscreen! This seems to be one of the biggest topics of hysteria in America, especially on social media. But is any of it true? For the facts and fiction around the claims, we asked Dr. Fred Browne of Griffin Health. We also talked about a new push to protect people from intestinal illness as dozens of people in Connecticut, and thousands more across the nation, become ill from the cyclospora outbreak.

Image Courtesy of Griffin Health Systems

The Bridgeport School District currently has 50 vacancies and they want to hear from you! Michael Brosnan and Sharon Pivirotto from BPS spoke to Jon about how you can start your education career in the Park City!

Sign up for open interviews here: https://www.bridgeportedu.net/

Shattered Ice is an award-winning hockey drama about a small-town New England teenage hockey player’s attempt to navigate high school life after his best friend dies by suicide. The film is showing at the Sacred Heart University Community Theatre tonight. To share more about this powerful story about grief and resilience, we spoke with the producer and writer of the film, Jake Miskin.

To buy tickets to the film screening and panel discussion: https://www.shucommunitytheatre.org/event-details/shattered-ice-film-screening-and-panel

Image Credit: Nehoiden Street Films

A seasonal ban on gas-powered leaf blowers is now in effect in New Canaan after opponents failed to overturn the ordinance in a townwide referendum. For all things happening in New Canaan, we are excited to connect with Michael Dinan, editor and owner of the New Canaanite.

To read the full article: Referendum Fails; Summertime Ban on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Takes Effect | NewCanaanite.com

Nearly one-third of homicides in Connecticut are connected to domestic violence. That’s according to new analysis from state officials that highlights the continued impact of family and intimate-partner violence across the state. Following the results of this report, we spoke with Meghan Scanlon, President and CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

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

A change.org petition to take down the speed enforcement cameras in Milford is garnering hundreds of signatures. Sarah Wood created the petition Take Down the Cameras urging the Milford Board of Alderman to reconsider having both speed cameras and license plate reader cameras installed and active around the city. We spoke with Sarah to get more perspective on this.

To access the petition: https://www.change.org/p/tell-milford-city-hall-take-down-the-alpr-cameras-and-invest-in-real-safety

The impact of screens on learning is great, and not always in a good way. The state plans to highlight the risks for screens in school, how technology impacts learning, what this means for kids and families, and what steps the legislators are taking to get screens out of the classroom. We spoke more about this with State Representative Jen Leeper of Fairfield who is also the Co-chair of the state’s Education Committee.

To attend the August 12th webinar: Webinar Registration - Zoom

The primary election is right around the corner and for the first time in our state history, we have no-excuse absentee balloting available. Already, state officials, including the secretary of the state, have highlighted the work Connecticut has done to strengthen election security, expand voting access, and prevent fraud. We spoke with Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas about what the state has done to build voter confidence and keep elections secure.

A Wall Street Journal article is sounding the alarm about your digital footprint and its impact on landing your next job. We spoke with career strategist, Julie Bauke, about the end game when posting online and implications for employers tracking your online activity.

To read the WSJ article: AI Knows What You Did Online. Now Your Employer Does, Too. - WSJ

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to understanding housing laws in our state. One of the biggest and arguably controversial laws: 8-30G. We spoke with Alexis Harrison, co-founder of CT169Strong about this.

To read Alexis’ full article: https://fairfieldnews.substack.com/p/commentary-the-real-story-behind

P.T. Barnum took center stage (no pun intended) in the latest Talking Transportation article in CTMirror. We spoke with Jim Cameron about Barnum’s impact on Bridgeport’s railroads back in the day and lessons we can look at today when it comes to infrastructure.

To read Jim’s article: https://ctmirror.org/2026/07/26/pt-barnums-bridgeport-was-no-circus/

A controversial Christopher Columbus statue removed from Bridgeport's Seaside Park in 2020 is expected to return later this year after undergoing restoration funded by the local Italian American community. We spoke with Chris Caruso, president of the Council of Italian American Societies of Greater Bridgeport, about the statue comeback.

When you watch law enforcement television shows, does that have an impact on our perception of police work in reality? We dive into the misconceptions of cop shows and how society interprets them. 

July 26 is the 36th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. National data shows 1 in 4 people in the U.S. has some kind of disability or impairment that can impact their everyday lives, which includes the workplace. We wanted to acknowledge the ADA anniversary and talk about the legalities around it. We spoke with Gary Phelan, employment attorney with Hurwitz Sagarin & Slossberg in Milford and a law professor at Quinnipiac University.

Connecticut election officials are investigating how an undocumented West Hartford restaurant owner was registered to vote through the state's Department of Motor Vehicles in 2018, while emphasizing that they believe the case is an isolated anomaly rather than evidence of a broader system failure. The scrutiny follows reports that New Jersey mistakenly registered about 6,600 noncitizens because of a software error, prompting Connecticut Republicans to seek an audit of the state's "motor voter" registration system. We spoke more about this with House Minority Leader, Vincent Candelora.

The Beardsley Zoo has a new face on campus. During the flash flood storm earlier this week, a Chinese goral kid was born. The birth represents an important milestone not only for Connecticut’s only zoo but also for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Jim Wharton, Chief Executive Officer for The Beardsley Zoo, told us the story.

To learn more and check events at the zoo: https://beardsleyzoo.org/

Image Courtesy of the Beardsley Zoo

Host Paul Pacelli opened Wednesday's mid-week edition of "Connecticut Today" wondering if there's any big interest in the first one-on-one debate between incumbent Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont and his upcoming primary challenger, Hamden state Rep. Josh Elliott (00:30). Columnist and blogger Chris Powell (15:02) and Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Editor and Columnist Dan Haar previewed the big gubernatorial debate (23:42)

Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's edition of "Connecticut Today" wondering if the state of Connecticut made a mistake a few years ago by legalizing adult-use, recreational marijuana (00:30). Some folks in Massachusetts want to rollback a portion of the Bay State's legal pot laws. Paul also welcomed blogger Meghan Portfolio from the Yankee Institute for Public Policy (08:56), and ABC News reporter Jordana Miller from the Middle East (16:49)

Could competitive gaming be coming to the Total Mortgage Arena? Joe Picavage is trying to bring the increasingly popular world of E-sports to Bridgeport!

Recent research continues to show that girls participate in sports at lower rates than boys and are more likely to drop out as they get older. That’s why Sterling Community Center in Stratford created an opportunity to begin closing that gap. It’s called Girls in the Game. We spoke with Amelia Overby, Program Coordinator and a Soccer Coach for the center’s Girl’s Travel Program.

To RSVP to Girls in the Game: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpCPiQI1cFEsKQn-nCQLUKnse2mUgiqMtWamVntw7Tu6ziYA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114421451825655680063

For more information on the Cent...

Newly released data from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) is providing a closer look at child deaths and other critical incidents involving children across the state. News 8 investigative reporter and anchor, Kathryn Hauser, did a deep dive into this and joined us to break down the key takeaways.

To see her full story: https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/dcf-database-details-63-child-deaths-in-connecticut-including-20-cases-with-prior-agency-involvement/

The most recent jobs report was released and honestly, we can’t tell when a jobs report is good news, bad news, or a little bit of both. We asked Chris DiPentima, CBIA President and CEO, for key takeaways from the report and where we need improvements. CBIA is the state’s largest business organization.

June Employment Report: Connecticut Labor Market Information - Office of Research

Bridgeport announced the opening of a BusPatrol Headquarters building; the first in New England! We wanted to talk about the growth of this program in Bridgeport and across the region to the point that a headquarters building is now a reality. We spoke with Justin Meyers, President and Chief Innovation Officer at BusPatrol. 

For more information: https://buspatrol.com/