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 the state and national politics surrounding SNAP benefits (29:55)

Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

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. 

Image Credit: Getty Images

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. 

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

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.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

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

Image Courtesy of Senator Steve Harding

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. 
IMAGE CREDIT: iStock / Getty Images Plus

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. 

Image Credit: Getty Images

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)

Image Credit: REUTERS

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/

Image Credit: Getty Images

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.

Image Credit: Getty Images