WICC The Voice of Connecticut

On Monday's "Connecticut Today," host Paul Pacelli discussed many recent social media posts on the assassination of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk that are resulting in people losing their jobs (00:30). CBS News legal analyst Thane Rosenbaum (15:15) and Quinnipiac University Law Professor Gary Phelan (21:49) also discussed workplace rights and "freedom of speech" in the wake of questionable social media posts after last week's shooting death of Charlie Kirk

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After the abrupt halt to an off-shore wind project, Governor Lamont could be making a business deal with President Trump. We spoke with Bryson Hull, Deputy Northeast Director for Consumer Energy Alliance, about it. 
IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Urbanowicz

Melissa welcomed James Geisler, the Executive Director of Wellness Services at Sacred Heart on to talk about transitioning back to school.  Coping skilss for parents and students, especially those first year college students.  Tips for maintaining mental health.  Highlight how SHU was recently ranked in the top 10 in the nation for Student Support by The Princeton Review.

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According to the market research firm Omdia, the school security industry is now worth as much as $4 billion, and it's projected to keep growing. Following what happened to Charlie Kirk on a college campus, the conversation is back. We spoke about it with Former FBI Agent and UNH lecturer, Ken Gray.

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We met the newest K9 officer at the Fairfield Police Department, K9 Penny! K9 Officer Tony Renaldi spoke with us about his partner and her role for the department.

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After the abrupt halt to an off-shore wind project, Governor Lamont could be making a business deal with President Trump. We spoke with Bryson Hull, Deputy Northeast Director for Consumer Energy Alliance, about it.

IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Urbanowicz

Host Paul Pacelli opened Friday's edition of "Connecticut Today" worried that the assassination of conservative pundit and personality Charlie Kirk will be used by some to try and quell necessary political debate in the U.S. (00:57). We replayed part of a news conference from earlier in the day announcing the arrest of a suspect in Charlie Kirk's murder (17:00). CBS News reporter Aaron Navarro joined us from Washington, D.C. on the lasting political influence of the late Charlie Kirk (27:19). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso added his thoughts regarding the Charlie Kirk killing (31:03). We also welcomed two authors to...

Concern is high on Capitol Hill following the killing of Charlie Kirk. It’s the latest political attack in America in just the last year. As you know there were two assassination attempts on President Trump. But we’ve also seen the egregious murder of Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband and the arson of the governor’s mansion in Pennsylvania during a Jewish holiday. We spoke with Congressman Jim Himes about what’s stoking the fires of political violence in our country.

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Comments made by a Connecticut lawmaker are not sitting well with many.
Last month, the Relief for Connecticut Borrowers Working Group convened to propose policy directed towards student loan assistance. In that August meeting, co-chair and State Representative Kavros-DeGraw, of Avon, was emphasizing the importance of a college education when she referred to workers without a college degree as “burdens.” We spoke about it with State Representative Tim Ackert, an electrician, business owner, and longtime advocate for growing our skilled labor workforce.

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The CDC published a report in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal raising awareness about the deadly “kissing bug” disease. What is it and could we see it here in Connecticut? We asked Dr. Browne.

IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Fred Browne / Griffin Health

A new study is sounding the alarm about our horseshoe crab populations, specifically in Connecticut. The research was done by the Maritime Aquarium. What did the data reveal and what are some solutions to protect horseshoe crabs? We spoke with Rebha Raviraj, Project Manager in the Conservation Department at the Aquarium and the lead author on the study.

For more information: https://www.maritimeaquarium.org/newsroom/posts/new-studies-urge-immediate-coordinated-action-for-the-protection-of-horseshoe-crabs

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Host Paul Pacelli chatted with retired FBI agent and current University of New Haven Senior Criminal Justice Lecturer Ken Gray about the investigation into Wednesday's assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk (00:45). Paul also reflected on what exactly made Charlie Kirk so popular and successful (10:16). State Senate GOP leader Steve Harding updated us on Connecticut state pension money possibly being used to purchase a minority stake in the WNBA's Connecticut Sun in an effort to prevent the team from relocating to another market (23:58)

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On Wednesday's "Connecticut Today," host Paul Pacelli spoke with former U.S. Secret Service agent and current University of New Haven Criminal Justice lecturer Bobby McDonald during early reports of the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk (00:46). We also discussed the attack on Charlie Kirk with Connecticut State Republican Party Chairman Ben Proto (08:08) and Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Editor and Columnist Dan Haar (13:42). Coventry GOP State Rep. Tim Ackert talked about his reaction to a controversial statement made by a Democratic State House member during a hearing, regarding Connecticut workers who choose not to attend college (21:23)

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There was a huge meeting yesterday where superintendents from across the state took part in the annual State Dept of Education Commissioner’s Back-to-School Meeting for the 2025-26 school year. Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, was there and shared some key takeaways.

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We met democratic candidate for mayor of Shelton, Bette Lynn Paez.
To learn more: https://paez4mayor.com/

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Senate Democrats are demanding that Governor Lamont and Legislative Leadership take action to protect the immigrant communities during the upcoming special session. There’s especially a focus on ICE raids at state courthouses. We spoke with Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox about this.

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It’s official: there will be a special election in Fairfield. Yesterday was the deadline to collect signatures in town that would support a special election for first selectman. State Senator Tony Hwang initiated the effort and says more than 3-thousand signatures were collected beyond the 5% needed to approve an election. First Selectwoman Christine Vitale was unanimously appointed to the job last month by 10 Democratic leaders following the passing of Bill Gerber. It’s not clear when the special election will happen.
 
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Host Paul Pacelli chose Tuesday Primary Day in Connecticut to look at a recent New York Times breakdown of voting trends between Democrats and Republicans, with some troubling numbers for the Democratic Party (00:52). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio used her weekly update to chat about some controversial remarks from a state legislator regarding Connecticut residents who choose not to attend college (15:06). University of New Haven Associate Professor of Accounting, Finance, and Taxation Dr. Jim Mohs dropped by to talk about the nation's economy, including the controversies over tariffs and job numbers (24:27). CBS News Reporter Aaron Navarro joined us from Washington...

Statistics reveal that a significant number of young athletes feel intense pressure from parents, with up to 45% leaving sports due to this pressure and 70% experiencing sports-related stress or anxiety. Kevin Reid, a Monroe native, co-wrote an insightful book called The Sideline, the Clipboard and the Whistle. It’s a story about raising a daughter all the way from her first youth soccer game to Division 1 college athletics, and doing it without losing your mind or your relationship along the way.

For book purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Sideline-Clipboard-Whistle-Sidelines-Scholarships-ebook/dp/B0FJVYD3DK

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A CT Insider report revealed hundreds of state employees work remotely from states outside of Connecticut. Not only is that a concern money-wise, but even relationally you have to wonder if this is a good idea to have someone living in Texas handling matters for Connecticut. We talked to Senator Steve Harding about this.

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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/

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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.

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Tonight, the Fairfield National Little League team will be honored at Yankee Stadium. After winning 3rd place overall in the Little League World Series, head coach Brian Palazzolo got a call from the team and shared his reaction to the invite. 
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Host Paul Pacelli kicked off another week on "Connecticut Today" looking at a recent CT Insider investigation into some high-dollar state employees who work remotely and reside outside Connecticut (00:32). State House GOP leader Vin Candelora joined us to chat about rumors that state pension money might be used to invest in the WNBA's Connecticut Sun (16:53)

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There are a few forums and events coming up this month and next between Derby and Ansonia. From a senior fair to veterans’ forum and finally an education forum, we got the details from State Representative Kara Rochelle.

To get Rep. Rochelle’s newsletters with more information, email: kara.rochelle@cga.ct.gov

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Amid an investigation of an alleged captivity case in Waterbury and many other criticisms towards the Department of Children and Families, the commissioner retired. A new interim commissioner has been appointed but there are still a lot of questions following the abrupt exit of the former commissioner. We talked more about it with Senator Jason Perillo, ranking senator for the Committee on Children.  

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A new report from United Way shows that more and more Connecticut residents are falling under the “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed,” also known as ALICE population. How many people are we talking and why are the numbers going up drastically? We asked Daniel Fitzmaurice, Director of Advocacy for United Way of Connecticut.

For the full ALICE report: https://www.unitedforalice.org/key-findings/connecticut

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On Friday's "Connecticut Today," both host Paul Pacelli (00:38) and GOP State Senate leader Steve Harding (14:18) both discussed the State of Connecticut possibly buying a minority stake in the WNBA's Connecticut Sun to prevent the team from relocating to another market. Former Bridgeport State Rep. Chris Caruso dropped by with his weekly wrap-up (21:56). We also welcomed Alice Lovejoy, author of, "Tales of Militant Chemistry: The Film Factory in a Century of War" (31:47)

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Host Paul Pacelli opened Thursday's "Connecticut Today" wondering if the latest announced minimum wage increase in Connecticut is too onerous for many businesses to deal with (00:40). Greenwich GOP State Sen. Ryan Fazio dropped by to talk about big endorsements he's received for the 2026 Governor's race (14:44). CBS News legal analyst Thane Rosenbaum detailed a lawsuit filed by Washington, D.C., trying to stop the use of National Guard troops there by the Trump White House (20:07)

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Not even a week into the new school year – and a new report shows Connecticut is getting some better grades! New data was just released by the Connecticut State Department of Education looking at academic performance and chronic absenteeism. To break down the numbers and share key takeaways, we spoke with Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer of the Connecticut State Department of Education.

For the full report: https://portal.ct.gov/sde/press-room/press-releases/2025/connecticut-students-see-gains-in-test-scores-and-attendance

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It sure is expensive to do business in Connecticut! But don’t just take my word for it…a new survey co-produced by CBIA found that costs are rising for more than 90% of firms. And that’s on top of workforce challenges and general uncertainty.
CBIA Foundation Director, Dustin Nord, did a breakdown of the 2025 Survey of Connecticut Businesses and shared key takeaways.

For the full report: https://www.cbia.com/economy/2025-survey-of-connecticut-businesses/?_cldee=-b0T7O7slSGzzAlOzxnXRbUsTULQyxkApUTJOpN7kRU56g2jMfxnA7tAYhVmECeICFITjZU1iLVtRF3-Inc1uA&recipientid=contact-e850fef8fdedea1180e8005056a9116f-8d8a065f9d6b4606ba6873...

It’s no secret, Connecticut’s non-profit organizations need support. We also have grassroots programs and ideas to better communities but a lot of times, those ideas need money to happen. Have you ever heard of the Connecticut Neighborhood Assistance Act Tax Credit Program? It’s a type of corporation business tax credit that can really help! Commissioner Mark Boughton of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services explains.

For more information: https://portal.ct.gov/drs/credit-programs/neighborhood-assistance/neighborhood-assistance-act-tax-credit-program

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Newly appointed Fairfield First Selectman, Christine Vitale, joined the show. We got to know her better, her perspective on a possible special election and the shocking reversal decision on a monopoles proposal made by the Connecticut Siting Council.

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A controversial decision made by Governor Lamont is still not sitting well with many. Governor Lamont vetoed House Bill 5002 and is planning a special session in the next few weeks to create a better piece of legislation that works better for all of the state with potentially more bi-partisan support. But regardless of the pause on signing the bill, Governor Lamont was uninvited from a national conference taking place in our state this month focused on creating housing.  We spoke with Pete Harrison, Connecticut Director for the Regional Plan Association about this year’s YIMBYtown conference and why the governor is...

Florida officials say they plan to eliminate all vaccine mandates, including those for diseases like measles, polio, and whooping cough. The Florida Department of Health will move to repeal its vaccine rules, while lawmakers are expected to consider changes to state law. We spoke to Dr. Fred Browne about the dangers of a decision like this anywhere and how extreme moves can make a real impact nationally.

IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Fred Browne / Griffin Health

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.

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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.

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It's official: the closing for the purchase of the former Holiday Inn in downtown Bridgeport happened this week. The former hotel is set to be converted to housing, some of which will be affordable for Bridgeport residents. Connecticut Housing Partners was a key role in making this happen. Renee Dobos, President of CHP, explains the deal with help from the Connecticut Department of Housing.

For more information: https://cthousingpartners.org/v

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