WICC The Voice of Connecticut

Teacher burnout is still a big problem in Connecticut. The Connecticut Education Association (CEA), the state's largest teachers' union, released results from its latest statewide survey, highlighting an ongoing crisis in the teaching profession and the urgent need for greater support for public education. CEA President, Kate Dias, did a deeper dive into the challenges an average teacher faces contributing to teacher shortage.

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How do you connect to the young people around the Thanksgiving table without being shut down in conversation immediately? We spoke with career strategist, Julie Bauke, about alternative conversation starters instead of work-related topics.

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AI Technology has come to Bridgeport as the first city to bring these cameras online in a widespread way. Investigative reporter, Jeff Derderian, took a closer look at this new technology helping catch violators bypassing school buses illegally.

For Jeff’s full story: https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/fairfield/bridgeport-buses-use-ai-cameras-to-catch-violators/

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Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s bipartisan Slow Down Move Over resolution was passed by the US Senate last week. We spoke with Fran Mayko of Flagman Inc. about the recent national attention and its significance to Thanksgiving week.

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A recent report showed Connecticut Unemployment Rates are the lowest they've been in 23 years. How is that happening and is that a good thing? We did a deeper dive into the data with Patrick Flaherty, Director of Research at Connecticut’s Department of Labor.

For more information for job seekers: https://portal.ct.gov/cthires

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Host Paul Pacelli opened Monday's "Connecticut Today" with some startling new numbers regarding recent accidents involving Connecticut school busses (00:34). We also aired remarks from State DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto about safety on Connecticut roads and the continued installation of wrong-way driver alert systems (14:39). Former CBS News Moscow Bureau Chief Beth Knobel discussed the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine (19:22)

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According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety, lithium-ion batteries have caused 25,000 fires in the last five years. What people don’t realize is lithium-ion batteries are in a lot of children’s toys, almost every handheld device, and everyday household items. We spoke with PACT President Rodger Mort, who has created solutions to avoid and fight these types of fires.

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You may be planning to enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday travel plans, but you can’t forget about criminals hoping to target your property. Crime prevention expert, Jim Perez, shared advice on how to protect your homes and cars while you’re away.

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The third Fairfield County sports betting venue opened in Norwalk this month. It was a good reason to invite the Connecticut Counsel on Problem Gambling back on the show. We spoke with Valerie Tebbetts, Helpline, Training and Recovery Manager at CCPG.

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

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Major League Baseball will be experimenting with robot umpires during spring training in 2025. If it’s successful, we could see them used in the 2026 season. We asked our local sports expert, Rob Adams, about the news.

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