WICC The Voice of Connecticut

Connecticut lawmakers pushed for a refundable child tax credit. House Bill 5134 calls for a fully refundable child tax credit of $600 per child for up to three children. It would be available to families that earn up to $100,000 for single filers and $200,000 for joint filers.We spoke with Molly Markowitz from the American Academy of Pediatrics; she’s also a member of the CT Child Tax Credit Coalition.

This month, the FAA announced the requirement for all U.S. airlines to certify that they are using merit-based hiring for pilots. But are DEI hiring practices even happening for the average pilot hiring in America? We got perspective from Connecticut retired commercial airline pilot, Paul Zielinski.

Host Paul Pacelli welcomed Greenwich / Stamford GOP State Rep. Tina Courpas to Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" regarding a public hearing the previous day on another controversial housing bill (00:42). Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Editor and Columnist Dan Haar talked about another controversy over the sale of Aquarion Water (10:22). CBS News Legal Analyst Thane Rosenbaum discussed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony, earlier in the day, in a key social media court case (21:02). Paul also a had a few thoughts on a proposed Connecticut climate "superfund" (27:57)

Lithium-ion battery fires are rapidly increasing across the country with over 5,000 incidents annually at recycling facilities alone. Common culprits include e-bikes, e-scooters, cell phones, and power tools which catch fire easily due to thermal runaway, damage, or improper charging. CT manufacturer Packaging And Crating Technologies (PACT) is helping to keep consumers safe in honor of National Battery Day today. PACT Chief Operating Officer Rodger Mort is here to give us some tips on safe storage, charging, and disposing of handheld devices and E-mobility equipment containing lithium batteries.For more information: https://pactww.com/

Disability Rights of Connecticut, a federally mandated agency advocating for individuals with disabilities, and the state's Office of the Child Advocate looked at out-of-state placements for Connecticut special education students during three school years, from 2021 to 2024. And that report revealed tens of millions of dollars being spent to send kids out of district. But more importantly, some of these kids are going to facilities out of state without Connecticut oversight and sometimes even oversight from the state where they operate. We wanted to dive into this report more so we connected with Christina Ghio, Acting Child Advocate for the Connecticut Office of Child Advocate and Tom Cosker of Disability Rights Connecticut.To read the full report: https://portal.ct.gov/oca/-/media/oca/oca-recent-publications/2026-publications/out-of-state-report-special-education-placements-report-feb-2026.pdf?rev=454bc141a6204a869288d20b3cd619e0&hash=B51C51A952E555D2329F253936CB0B46

The nation is still recovering after the devastating death of Dawson’s Creek star, James Van der Beek. Colorectal cancer has been on the rise in young adults for years and is now the leading cause of cancer deaths overall in this age group. We spoke with wellness coach, Amy Llinas, about ways to lower the risk of getting this cancer.

This month, The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection announced a new liquor education program for permit applicants. We learned more about that from Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli.

Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" looking at a controversial state Senate bill that could drastically reduce municipal residential planning and zoning control (00:35). We also heard thoughts on that same bill from GOP State Rep. and Housing Committee member Steve Weir (16:34) and Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio (26:47). CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro also updated us on the current funding shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security (36:48)

The state Judicial Branch has reportedly been working behind the scenes to build a new juvenile detention center in Tolland. But apparently, no one in the town or even state police knew about the proposed project. We spoke with Senator Jeff Gordon, who represents several municipalities including Tolland, about a potential loophole in state law allowing zero transparency with municipalities on development projects like this.

Milford became the first municipality in New Haven County to be certified as a StormReady Municipality. What does that mean and why does it matter? We asked Mayor Rich Smith. We also asked about his first few months in office since being elected.

There are new concerns surrounding housing legislation in our state. As you know, during a special session in November 2025, House Bill 8002 was approved and eventually signed into law. Now, there’s apparently a new proposal on the table: Senate Bill 151, An Act Prohibiting Certain Land Use and Zoning Limitations on Housing. We spoke about the concerns around SB151 with co-founder of CT169Strong, Alexis Harrison.For more information: https://ct169strong.org/To read the bill: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q2x0V5ESrDxp2BCfEZhXubAypnOfJVLt/edit?fbclid=IwY2xjawP_a0ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJaRko2aXA4TmxkTm52UGpkc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHu-SN8sSkiejyYOK_wWdq-gdNMc46537cjH8obnSOKZb45KDxc23Eu5uzmte_aem_q2egz9p39JKosUiLwRUBqw&pli=1

Host Paul Pacelli ended the week on "Connecticut Today" looking at a new poll in the 2026 Governor's race, putting former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart well ahead of Greenwich GOP State Sen. Ryan Fazio for the Republican nomination. The Fazio campaign says the survey is an inaccurate "push poll" (00:55). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso talked about this week's criminal penalties handed down in connection with the ongoing Bridgeport absentee ballot scandal, as well as an honor being bestowed to a controversial former Bridgeport city employee (15:55). CBS News auto industry reporter Jeff Gilbert talked about what might happen to vehicle prices after the White House announced the elimination of many clean air regulations (24:34)

While school districts debate school budgets for the 2026-27 school year, arts and music programs are typically on the chopping block if there needs to be financial cuts. We spoke with Chris Kalafus, a Milford music teacher for 30 years about the importance of musical education. He also recently wrote the book Raising a Musical Child to help parents nurture a supportive environment regardless of their own musical background.

On Thursday's "Connecticut Today," host Paul Pacelli wondered if state lawmakers should institute a so-called "bell-to-bell" ban on cell phones in all schools statewide in the near future (00:37)? GOP gubernatorial candidate and State Sen. Ryan Fazio discussed Connecticut possibly suing New York state over ongoing energy issues, including a block on pipeline expansion (17:47). CBS News Capitol Hill reporter Taurean Small updated us on talks to keep funding the Department of Homeland Security (25:26)

A former DCF worker told news outlets that a protocol was violated in the case regarding Mimi Torres Garcia. The little girl died in 2024 but her body was discovered in 2025 and at one point, DCF did a video call check-in on Mimi. Turns out, it wasn’t her but DCF didn’t know it. We spoke with Senator Jason Perillo about a focus on DCF during the legislative session.Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

We spoke with Kristen Johnson from the Better Business Bureau serving Connecticut to look at the most common and costly scams in Connecticut for 2025. What can we do to avoid these frauds moving forward?For more information: https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/32893-bbb-connecticut-most-common-costly-scams-of-2025-in-connecticut

February is American Heart Month. Cardiovascular disease, "the silent killer," is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for men and women. How much does stress play a role in this? We asked Dr. Fred Browne of Griffin Health about this. We also discussed a new study that shows artificial intelligence chatbots are wrong a lot when it comes to giving health advice.Image Courtesy: Dr. Fred Browne and Griffin Health

Host Paul Pacelli opened Wednesday's mid-week edition of "Connecticut Today" wondering why there's a constant debate about education funding in Connecticut. What's the breaking point for state taxpayers? (00:47). Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Columnist and Editor Dan Haar dropped by to chat about the growing election year tax-and-spending battle at the State Capitol (16:17). Columnist and blogger Chris Powell joined us for his monthly visit to talk about Gov. Ned Lamont's tone at his recent State of the State Address (25:38). CBS News Congressional correspondent Nikole Killion briefed us on the current ongoing negotiations to fund the Department of Homeland Security (36:17)

We spoke with Josh Morgan from the Department of Transportation about legislation proposals for the 2026 session. The theme of their proposals: cracking down on distracted driving.

If your company collects data from people in Connecticut, a heads up about the current data privacy law. In July 2026, the law will expand impacting more companies and changing the way AI is handled impacting consumers. We asked Dr. Vahid Behzadan, our AI expert, about this law expansion and what it means for Connecticut.

Affordability seems to be the theme of the 2026 legislative session. But how do we best attack the affordability crisis in Connecticut? The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities was in Hartford urging lawmakers to focus on the importance of properly funding the Education Cost Share (ECS) Formula. We got a better understanding of this from Joe DeLong, CCM Executive Director and CEO.

The Bridgeport Board of Education voted in favor of adopting a $106 million increase in the district’s operations budget. The vote was 6-2 in favor with 1 abstention. The 36% increase reportedly addresses the need to restore jobs, equipment and services that had been cut over more than a decade due to chronic underfunding in the city. Joe Sakolovic, Vice Chair of the Bridgeport Board of Education, explained why the board overwhelmingly approved the big ask.

Today is the 50th anniversary of United Way of Connecticut 211. Operated by the United Way of Connecticut, 211 is a free, confidential information and referral service that connects people to essential health and human services support. We spoke about the significance of this milestone for 211 with Lisa Tepper Bates, President and CEO, United Way of Connecticut.For more information: 211ct.org

Host Paul Pacelli welcomed Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio to Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" to talk about so-called "emergency" funding at the State Capitol that evades the normal legislative process (00:44). We welcomed former GOP State Sen. Joe Markley to talk about the 2026 Connecticut gubernatorial race (08:25). CBS News Tech. contributor Ian Sherr commented on a pair of high-profile social media trials that could eventually affect Connecticut (19:49), while Paul also offered some of his thoughts on home security in light of the Nancy Guthrie missing person case (26:05)

Manresa Wilds, formerly known as Manresa Island, is set to become a publicly accessible park that reconnects the community to nearly two miles of Long Island Sound coastline for the first time in nearly 75 years. Recently, the Manresa Island Corporation teamed up with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) to install a waterfront sensor project. We learned all about this latest project and got an update on what happens next.For more information: https://www.manresawilds.org/

After Connecticut farmers dodged a bullet this year with property reassessments, what are legislative goals for farmers? We asked Kaitlyn Kimball of Sunset Farms. Kaitlyn was involved in the immediate response to eventually getting the Governor to reinstate the 2020 rates.For more information: https://www.sunsetfarmct.com/Picture Courtesy of Sunset Farms and Kaitlyn Kimball

We spoke with Senate Minority Leader, Stephen Harding, about the party’s proposals for the 2026 legislative session. He says the proposals will significantly reduce state taxes and electricity bills to address affordability. Image Courtesy of the Senate Republicans and Senator Stephen Harding

A Wall Street Journal article recently highlighted that some job candidates are so desperate to land the dream job that they are paying recruiters to match them with positions. What some may not realize is recruiters have usually operated the other way around where companies pay them to find talent for tough-to-fill positions. We talked to career strategist, Julie Bauke, about this.

Melissa welcomed Wesley Henry, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Department Chair in the Farrington College of Education & Human Development at Sacred Heart University to discuss growing need for skilled leaders in education. Image Courtesy of Sacred Heart University

Host Paul Pacelli opened a new week on "Connecticut Today" wondering why so many people had a problem with Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny being featured for the previous day's Super Bowl half-time show (00:54). Retired FBI agent and University of New Haven Senior Criminal Justice Lecturer Ken Gray offered his thoughts on the Nancy Guthrie missing person case (15:28). CT News Junkie columnist and Substack.com blogger Terry Cowgill dropped by with his thoughts on President Trump and ICE (27:11). Finally, CBS News Military Analyst U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Jeff McCausland discussed the ongoing American military strikes on suspected drug running boats and the recently-expired START nuclear treaty between the U.S. and Russia (35:57)

Bridgeport is hiring for telecommunication positions in the city's Emergency Communications Center. What are those jobs and who is the city looking for to fill them? We asked David Reyes and Stephen Mastroianni about this.For more information and to apply: https://www.policeapp.com/Dispatcher-Bridgeport-Emergency-Communications-Center-CT-Police-Officer-Jobs/6423/

As we continue to follow the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, more and more agencies are calling on the public to "see something, say something." It's a phrase that used constantly but doesn't always hold a lot of weight. We spoke with Gary MacNamara about the purpose of "see something, say something" and got his advice on how to effectively apply it to your life.

There's a proposal in front of PURA involving a group Nutmeg to take over the Educational and Gov't cable stations on Optimum. The move would affect Darien, Easton, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Redding, Stamford, Weston, Westport and Wilton subscribers. We spoke with Jim Cameron, Program Director of DarienTV, to understand the concerns around this proposal.Comments must reference PURA Docket 25-09-07 and can be submitted by email to PURA at [email protected] deadline to submit public comments is Friday, February 27, 2026.

We spoke with Jason Jakubowski, President and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare, about food insecurity in the state. We specifically talked about how the state has addressed food insecurity while federal cuts are also happening. We also discussed a possible solution involving school districts helping to feed people in the community.

Friday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli took a look at a recent CNN poll showing broad support for a standard national photo ID for federal elections (00:40). CBS News legal analyst Thane Rosenbaum returned to talk about a push by state lawmakers to prevent ICE agents from wearing masks while on duty in Connecticut (16:17). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso dropped by with his weekly update (21:58), and we welcomed Dr. Ashley Alker, author of, "99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them" (32:49)

We talked about the Nancy Guthrie case with former FBI Agent, Ken Gray. He discussed the details of her alleged kidnapping and the attention the case is getting nationally.

After years of construction, Bradley International Airport revealed its new concourse. The airport has seen a lot of expansion work in recent years. We talked about that with Mike Shea, Executive Director and CEO of the Connecticut Airport Authority.

A four-year-old girl in Darien was summoned to jury duty. Don’t worry, little Zara has been excused from serving but how did this happen? We asked Donna MarcAurele, Deputy Director and Jury Administrator for Connecticut’s Jury Administration.

We did a breakdown of the State of the State address with Governor Ned Lamont. We wanted more details on his proposals for free school meals, a $200 rebate and potentially breaking down the public benefits charge.Image Courtesy of Melissa Sheketoff

Host Paul Pacelli opened Thursday's "Connecticut Today" with his thoughts on a proposal from state Senate Democrats to prevent local and federal law enforcement officers from wearing facemasks while on duty (00:38). Former State Senate GOP leader John McKinney offered his thoughts on Gov. Ned Lamont's State of the State Address on Wednesday (14:56). CBS News White House reporter Willie James Inman briefed us on an anticipated "reboot" for some aspects of immigration enforcement (24:35)

The 2026 legislative session is officially underway. We asked News 8 political reporter, Mike Cerulli, about the significance of day one of the session and what already passed in the Senate.Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

State Senator Ryan Fazio shared his six-point plan to deliver historic relief for Connecticut ratepayers when it comes to energy costs. Senator Fazio is the Ranking Senator on the Energy & Technology Committee and has pushed eliminating the public benefits off your bills since day one in office.Image Courtesy of Senator Ryan Fazio

During National Heart Month, a new study emerged that shows the interactions a father has early on with children may have more impact on heart health. We asked Dr. Browne about this. We also talked about a new study from The World Health Organization highlighting that over a third of all cancer cases worldwide could be prevented.Image Courtesy of Griffin Health and Dr. Fred Browne

Governor Ned Lamont's annual State of the State Address - and some of his controversial comments regarding ICE agents in Connecticut - topped Wednesday's edition of "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli (00:41). Connecticut State Senate GOP Leader Steve Harding (15:37) and Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Editor and Columnist Dan Haar (22:55) also weighed in on that address. CBS News reporter Aaron Navarro checked in from Washington, D.C. on a call from President Trump to "nationalize" U.S. elections in the future (31:56)

Christine Vitale is the unofficial winner of the special election in Fairfield. Vitale, who has been serving the role as first selectperson since the passing of Bill Gerber, won by a 12-point margin, over her Republican opponent Senator Tony Hwang. We spoke with Vitale fresh off her win about her plans for Fairfield.

Two girls (ages 12 and 15) are home safely after an alleged kidnapping by a man they met on Roblox. The case happened in Florida but it serves as a great opportunity for Connecticut families to have conversations with their kids who are online. Gary MacNamara talked about the importance of knowing the “roadmap” of these crimes and how to address it with your kids.

February is National Heart Month and we spoke with the American Red Cross Connecticut chapter about the importance of CPR and AED training.

Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's edition of "Connecticut Today" with a Hearst Media report that many Connecticut local police agencies are sharing license plate reader data with out-of-state police and federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (00:34). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio dropped by with her weekly update, including news on the next General Assembly session and some projected utility bill increases (15:27)