WICC The Voice of Connecticut

We saw it over Memorial Day weekend, more and more people went outside getting exposed to the sun. Unfortunately, most people hear the messages about sun exposure damage but don’t acknowledge the importance of sunscreen. We welcomed Dr. Jim Clune, Melanoma Surgeon at Smilow Cancer Hospital (member of Yale Cancer Center) to the show. He tackled this subject and debunked some thoughts around sunscreen application.

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Earlier this month, superintendents from across the country testified on antisemitism to Congress. With this testimony, the spotlight is now on what role, if any, superintendents play in addressing antisemitism in schools. Also, how can superintendents work with K-12 stakeholders to address antisemitism? We spoke with the Institute for Education Innovation (IEI) Founder and CEO, Doug Roberts, about the problem and possible solutions. We also got a better understanding about the IEI, a network of over 100 K-12 superintendents committed to improving student outcomes.

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Thursday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli opened with Paul wondering why there's such a divergent message coming from many lawmakers in D.C. regarding the current Israel-Hamas War (00:30). Credit expert Paul Oster joined us to chat about the increasing use of "point-of-sale" loans by many retailers (13:11). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso stopped by with his weekly wrap-up (26:04)

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Today marks five years since Connecticut mom Jennifer Farber Dulos was reported missing. She is presumed dead but her body was never found. Awarding-winning anchor from WTNH News 8, Dennis House, had the opportunity to do an exclusive interview with Gloria Farber, Jennifer’s mom. He went to her Manhattan home and heard more insight about Jennifer’s story. He joined WICC to share what he’s learned as the investigation around the case continues in our state.

Image Credit: Dennis House/WTNH

We have had a rough go in recent years when it comes to safety on our highways during Memorial Day weekend. When you look at the statistics from 2022 and 2023, we’ve had a lot of speeding, drinking and driving and reckless driving incidents breaking records in Connecticut. What have troopers done to best monitor our roads and prepare people for the holiday weekend. Sgt. Luke Davis and Trooper First Class Pedro Muniz came in studio to share updates on patrols and messages to all drivers.

IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

Earlier this month, a swastika was found and removed from a high school girls’ locker room in Fairfield. It’s the latest report of antisemitic acts made on school campuses in Connecticut. We spoke with the Anti-Defamation League in Connecticut to talk about reports of hate incidents, why there’s been such an uptick of incidents from young kids and the impact on classmates. ADL Connecticut Regional Director, Stacey Sobel, joined the show.

For more information: https://connecticut.adl.org/

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A new report looks at the health of our beaches along Long Island Sound. According to Sound Health Explorer, which conducted the study, the analysis shows how Sound beaches rank when measured against the criteria for safe swimming and indicates how wet or dry weather influences these conditions. Sound Health Explorer is a project of Save the Sound. We spoke with Bill Lucey, Long Island Soundkeeper for Save the Sound, about the findings.

For the full report, go to: https://soundhealthexplorer.org/explore/reports/

For the Beach Report Map: https://soundhealthexplorer.org/swimmable/

For more information on Save The Sound: https://www.savethesound.org

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The Beardsley Zoo is welcoming a new furry face to the campus. 10-month-old Dorji joins 14-year-old Berry in the Natt Family Red Panda habitat. We found out about Dorji's story and how he ended up at Connecticut's only zoo.

IMAGE CREDIT: Jack Bradley

Host Paul Pacelli kicked-off a busy Thursday edition of "Connecticut Today" urging people to "pump the brakes" on a controversy surrounding flags and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito (00:29). "Only In Bridgeport" blogger Lennie Grimaldi looked again at the biggest news in and around the Park City (12:21), while columnist Chris Powell had some thoughts on the biggest stories around Connecticut, including recent statements by Connecticut Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (23:13)

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The most recent data from the US Coast Guard shows more than four thousand boat accidents in America during the 2022 calendar year. Those incidents reportedly involved 636 deaths, thousands of injuries and tens of millions of dollars in damages. This week is National Boater Safety Week and we wanted to talk about the basics for boating safety. Scott Appleby, Director of Emergency Management in Bridgeport, talked about the importance of life vests, navigation, emergency preparations, weather detection and more.

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