WICC The Voice of Connecticut

A recent crime report was released revealing some good trends and bad when it comes to our crime rates in Connecticut. To break it all down for us, Commissioner Ronnell Higgins of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, joined us in studio.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Host Paul Pacelli opened Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" wondering if a new tax is the way to fund school breakfasts and lunches for all students in Connecticut (00:42). Hearst Connecticut Media senior editor and columnist Dan Haar dropped by with his weekly wrap-up of the biggest stories in the state, including the continued controversy over a top utility regulator (15:46). CBS News military consultant U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Jeff McCausland offered his view on the Ukraine-Russia military standoff (25:41)

Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Stuart Woronecki from StoneWall Apiary spoke with Jon Kamal about an alarming number of dead bees he found. Even worse is that it seems to be a national trend! But the reason behind the sudden decline in the bee population was the most alarming...

Should state workers have to return to the office full time? There’s a Connecticut house bill that forces government employees away from remote options and back to in-person. But how does that work and how likely is it to pass? House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora shared the details of House Bill 5369 and the impact of current remote working conditions.

Image Credit: Getty Images

The governor presented his budget address this month to the General Assembly. We wanted to do a deeper dive into some of the items including proposed tax cuts, education funding and housing development. Governor Lamont joined the show with more.

Image Credit: Reuters

Dozens of illegal slot machines have been seized this year in Connecticut. Is this a new phenomenon? Where are the machines coming from? Who gets in trouble when the machines are detected? We spoke with Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli of the Department of Consumer Protection.

For more information: https://portal.ct.gov/dcp

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Host Paul Pacelli returned to "Connecticut Today" on Tuesday with his thoughts on a bill to ostensibly prevent so-called "book bans" in the state, which don't actually exist (00:35). CBS News correspondent Jake Rosen updated us on the confirmation hearings for Kash Patel to head the FBI under the Trump White House (07:57). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio detailed her new analysis of state employee contracts going back to former Gov. Dan Malloy's administration (11:35)

Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

A new Yankee Institute report highlighted that the state is spending $1.3 billion dollars for immigration assistance. We wanted to understand exactly where those dollars are going and who loses out because of this spending. We asked state minority leader, Senator Steve Harding.

Image Credit: Getty Images

The Beatles said all you need is love. But new research from Gallup shows when it comes to great leadership in the workplace, workers say they really need hope. Career strategist Julie Bauke talked about these findings and why hope is such a gold standard.

 

Image Credit: Getty Images 

Available, affordable, workforce housing is nearly impossible to find in our state, which is why it’s a top topic again for the legislative session. Today, there is an opportunity for you to share testimony over the housing crisis and bills being put forward. Maria Weingarten from CT169Strong has the scoop on this year’s questionable proposals.

For more information: https://ct169strong.org/

Image Credit: Getty Images