WICC The Voice of Connecticut

The U.S. surgeon general has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms and their effects on young people’s lives, like those now mandatory on cigarette boxes. Until potential changes happen, how do you recognize signs your child is suffering from social media during summer break and what to do about it? We got insight from mental health specialist, Josette Sullins.

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AT&T this month revealed there was a data breach in April 2024 impacting nearly all of its cell phone customers. The company has approximately 115-million subscribers, including Connecticut residents. What are we doing to better protect people from hacker crimes? According to state Senator Tony Hwang…not enough! He is an appointee to Connecticut’s Cybersecurity Task Force and shared why local efforts to prioritize cybersecurity are coming up short in our state.

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They make the ultimate sacrifice, and yet, scammers DON’T CARE! According to national data, veterans reported $350 million in total fraud losses to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2023. That was up nearly $60 million from the previous year reported to the FTC. Reports say more than 74,000 veterans reported an instance of fraud in the last calendar year. This month is Military Consumer Month to highlight servicemember and veteran scams out there,  ways to stay protected and resources for more information. We got more information from Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner, Brian Cafferelli.

For more information: https://www.militaryconsumer.gov/

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A study published in JAMA Network Open found that people with type 2 diabetes who take Ozempic, may have a lower risk of developing certain obesity-related cancers. We spoke with Dr. Maryam Lustberg, Medical Oncologist and Director of the Center for Breast Cancer at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center, about the news.

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Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with his thoughts on a report that Democrats won't follow the usual procedures in nominating President Joe Biden for another term (00:41). GOP State Senator Jeff Gordon talks about growing calls for more penalties aimed at those who take part in illegal "street takeovers" around Connecticut (12:52). Veteran intelligence analyst and counter terrorism specialist Brian Boyd broke down the security failures during Saturday's attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania (22:37). Finally, Yankee institute blogger Meghan Portfolio returned for her weekly update (35:06)

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Every spring, we shout it to the rooftops: protect your skin and use sunscreen. But what ingredients are in sunscreen and how effective is sunscreen the higher the SPF is? We asked Dr. Eric Dong with Nuvance Health what ingredients to look for in a healthy sunscreen and which ingredients are a red flag in sunscreens to avoid.

For more information: Your Guide To Sunscreen And Skin Cancer Prevention | Nuvance Health

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Yale introduced the first mobile retail pharmacy and clinic in Connecticut to bring health care to people at their homes in underserved communities. The project, InMOTION, is the first of its kind in the nation. We spoke with Dr. Sandy Springer, who received the federal grant to start the project. We got the details on the mobile unit, what services are included, who is getting access and plans for expansion.

For more information, call 833-MEDSVAN (833-633-7826) or go online to https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/springer/

IMAGE CREDIT: Anthony DeCarlo

In the days following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, many people took to social media to share their opinions. It wasn’t a good look for everyone, despite our laws on allowing freedom of speech. Career Strategist, Julie Bauke, shared why social media platforms can cost you a job and why you need to be careful before pressing the ‘post’ button.

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Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, many on social media did not seek unity, rather, more division and attacks on the opposing party. Republican-leaning posts immediately calling the shooting a staged event done poorly by the Democratic party. And Democratic-leaning posts cracking jokes about the shooter failing to get the job done. While our nation struggles with a mental health epidemic, do we also struggle with having a stable moral compass? Counselor, Julius Dudics, talked about the connection between the two.

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Did you know: food insecurity is one of the biggest non-academic barriers to Connecticut college student success? According to 2023 data, 52% of CSCU students could not afford to eat balanced meals and 39% had to reduce the size of their meals because they did not have enough money to purchase more food. We spoke with CSCU Chancellor Terrence Cheng about providing affordable food options on the 17 campuses under the CSCU umbrella. We also talked about the recently approved, new Transfer Credit Alignment Policy. 

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