WICC The Voice of Connecticut

It’s a type of cancer that isn’t commonly known, but impacts tens of thousands of people per year in the US. What is myeloma, how can we detect it early, is it curable or reversible, are there treatments available? We asked all of this to Yale Dr. Natalia Neparidze, who has worked with myeloma patients in our state for the past 17 years. She also highlighted the importance of blood tests, not just yearly check-ups.

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State Representative Jason Perillo testified at a public hearing the need for more penalties to hold people committing election fraud responsible. Right now, there are many laws on the book of what not to do during elections but really no consequences for breaking those laws. So, what’s the point? We spoke in depth about the issues of election fraud in the state and the likelihood of legislation passing before the session wraps up in May.

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One in every six women in Connecticut was at one time a Girl Scout and now, the premiere organization for girls is turning 112 years young!  The non-profit’s milestone also coincides with National Girl Scout Week. Diana Mahoney, Chief Executive Officer at Girl Scouts of Connecticut, shared how the organization has evolved over the years, the need for scout leaders and upcoming events for the Girl Scouts of Connecticut this year.

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March is Save Your Vision Month, meant to bring awareness to screen exposure but also the need for regular eye exams. We talked to Dr. Scott Spector of Spector Eye Care in Norwalk about this. He gave his recommendation for when to start screening, how often you need exams and what to look out for with potential vision loss. Dr. Spector even shared an insane story about a young man who almost went blind if not for a random eye check…and you’ll never guess who that young man was!

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According to national reports, the total number of veterans who experienced homelessness in 2023 was more than 35,000; that’s up 7% from 2022. However, more and more entities in America have been trying to tackle veteran homelessness. That same national report shows the estimated number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in America has declined by 52% since 2010. 

So, we are improving but can always do more to support the men and women who serve our country and return home to issues like joblessness, addiction and homelessness. 

That’s why we support organizations like Homes for the Brave in Bridgeport. CEO and Executive Director, Vince Santilli, shared the recent work Homes for the Brave has been doing to support local vets and some upcoming events you can take part in to benefit the cause too!

More information and event tickets: https://homesforthebrave.org/

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This week, the CDC made changes to its measles vaccination guidance for travelers. The agency says any American with plans to travel abroad should speak with their doctor at least six weeks before their trip if they aren't sure whether they're up to date on their vaccines. The change comes as we see more upticks in measles cases across the country. We asked vaccine questions to our infectious disease expert, Dr. Fred Browne, including the need for a booster and whether traveling is a deal breaker for getting the shot.

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The clocks changing in some ways is just a thorn in people’s sides. But besides the clocks changing in March, this month is also sleep awareness month. Do you know how much sleep impacts our bodies? Even though we logically can imagine how important good sleep is, we don’t make it a priority to adopt proper sleeping habits. We spoke with a sleep expert at Danbury Hospital under Nuvance Health to understand how big of a problem sleep deprivation is. We also learned how to improve our bad sleep habits and make real lifestyle changes permanent.

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“I don’t have time to read…” -- “I don’t know what to read…” -- “Can I just watch the movie version instead…” -- “Reading is just too much work…” -- “I don’t like reading since it was forced when I was a kid…”

According to national surveys, these are the top five reasons adults don’t read regularly. March is National Reading Month. And while the focus is for all ages to enjoy reading, there’s usually a bigger focus on children. But what about adults? Why should they read? How do you ditch the distractions or past experiences blocking you from reading? And how do we find reading material that will interest me? We got perspective from Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the CT Association of Public School Superintendents and an avid reader herself.

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According to national data, each day, Americans consume a total of 400 million cups of coffee. Individually, reports say the average coffee drinker in the US consumes about three cups of coffee per day. While that doesn’t break down how many cups of coffee are caffeinated or decaf, it also doesn’t include the many other caffeinated drinks, like tea and energy drinks. March is caffeine awareness month and we wanted to take accountability for the amount of caffeine we take in per day and learn what we should be looking at moving forward to be sure we aren’t becoming addicted or damaging our bodies. We got perspective from Primary Care Physician, Dr. Andrew Wong, Medical Director of Hartford HealthCare Medical group in the Fairfield region.

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Connecticut is one step closer to better protecting residents from some of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence. This week, a bill tackling AI transparency got unanimous approval and now heads to the Senate floor. But what are the chances we see a law pass by the end of the session and what does it really mean for Connecticut residents? We spoke with the creator of the bill, Senator James Maroney, D-Milford. He is also the co-chairman of the General Law Committee who led a statewide task force on AI last year.

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