WICC The Voice of Connecticut

The nation is keeping an eye on what’s happening in New Hampshire for today’s primary election. A group of Quinnipiac University students are getting the chance of a lifetime taking part in a rigorous on-ground college seminar on presidential politics led by Professor Scott McLean. Professor McLean and student, Ryan Kansy joined us live in New Hampshire to share the experience so far and what’s to come in the day ahead. (0:00)

Shopping addiction can be a way to hide what you’re internally dealing with but it also can be the endless pit of wanting more than you have. Counselor Julius Dudics shares why spending is a coping mechanism for many and how to combat the problem. (12:57)

Julie on the Job: How can we help junior land a job, no matter what industry they are in? A recent report highlighted alarming reasons why some employers are passing up on Gen Z workers. Lack of eye contact, inappropriate dress code and showing up with parents to the interview are just a few of the offenses. Julie shares what parents can do to build your kids’ adult skills. (28:49)

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Monday's edition of "Connecticut Today" with Paul Pacelli featured a preview of the second Bridgeport Democratic mayoral primary from former State Rep. Chris Caruso (00:24). CT NewsJunkie and Substack.com blogger Terry Cowgill stopped by for his weekly update (13:46). Paul also had a few thoughts on the national political scene as well (25:59)

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During the final hour of Melissa in the Morning, Melissa welcomed in Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim and his challenge in the Democratic Primary John Gomes for a debate before Bridgeport Residents hit the polls tomorrow for the Democratic Mayoral Primary Redo. They answered various questions submitted by the listening audience on a variety of subjects including schools, housing and recent events in the election period. 

A new law is now in effect to compensate firefighters who get diagnosed with cancer from their work. But does the law go far enough? Who qualifies for it? And does it address the real problem at hand which is eliminating the risks of getting cancer for firefighters? We spoke with Pete Brown, President of Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association of Connecticut, and Fairfield firefighter, Caitlin Pereira about all of this. (0:00)

On January 23rd, the Planning & Zoning Commission will be discussing whether the town of Fairfield should have marijuana stores. Find out why The Fairfield CARES Community Coalition is saying NO to the idea and asking people to speak up about this when it comes to impacting the youth. (17:38)

A recent article shared that nearly 40 percent of jobs around the world could be affected by artificial intelligence. We spoke with our AI expert, Dr. Vahid Behzadan, about the findings and he says this is “a bit optimistic.” Find out why he says that and what the information could mean for the future of education. (35:17)

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Thursday's "Connecticut Today" featured host Paul Pacelli chatting with "Only In Bridgeport" blogger Lennie Grimaldi about another upcoming Bridgeport Democratic primary between incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim and challenger John Gomes (00:28). University of New Haven Associate Professor of National Security, International Affairs and Political Science Dr. Matthew Schmidt joined us to analyze the various world hotspots (13:21)

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The American Cancer Society is out today with its 2024 projections and yearly stats.  Colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths among people under 50. Dr. Dan Labow has a special interest in colorectal cancer. He is the system chair of surgical services at Nuvance Health. He talked to us about risks, prevention and symptoms of colon cancer. (0:00)

Birth injury law firm Birth Injury Lawyers Group analyzed the latest birth rate data from the CDC to determine which state had the youngest and oldest new mothers. The data shows Connecticut landed in the top ten for oldest new mothers on average, with a birth rate of 13.3 births per 1,000 women in the 40-44 age group. Dr. Andrew Levi, founder of Park Avenue Fertility and Reproductive Medicine in Fairfield County, shared why moms are waiting longer to have kids and how to have a healthy pregnancy. (13:05)

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Earlier this month, a Pennsylvania day care center experienced an outbreak of measles.  Health officials say cases first started being reported last month at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and they were notified days later of more cases at a nearby day care center. We learned this week that people who traveled through Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia might have been exposed to measles. So, what’s happening with these outbreaks and are Connecticut residents at risk? We asked Dr. Browne about that. We also discussed new information regarding HIV. Researchers at the University of Virginia believe they have solved some of the mystery surrounding the transmission of HIV.  A recently published study suggests that a protein produced by the virus may adapt inside the body, allowing it to be transmitted to others. Dr. Browne says this could be the first step in a vaccine!

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Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli talked about the continued appeal for election monitors in Bridgeport (00:30). Connecticut Energy Marketers Association head Chris Herb talked about a possible move to resurrect a ban on the sale of gasoline-powered cars beginning in 2035 (14:28). Hearst Connecticut Media columnist and editor Dan Haar stopped by for his weekly update (27:46)

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Up to one billion birds die each year in the U.S. as a result of collisions with glass. The problem is made worse by increasing light pollution. We spoke with Meredith Barges, co-chair of Lights Out Connecticut, about ways to help stop window strikes for bird populations. (0:00)

Science you may not Know: This year, 2024, will see a very rare event as two periodical cicada broods will emerge at the same time. What are cicadas? Will we see this historic emergence in Connecticut? Why has it been more than 220 years since the last time this happened? David Mestre explains. (18:05)

Construction has begun on the major housing component of the Steelpointe Harbor redevelopment in Bridgeport.  The August at Steelpointe Harbor will include 420 apartments, ten thousand square feet of retail space and a large parking garage.  Nearly all of the apartments will be one or two bedrooms, with a small number of studios and three bedroom units. We got more details from Dan Onofrio from the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. (28:51)

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Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli opened with news that a controversial electric vehicle mandate might be resurrected in the next few weeks (00:29). Former Time Magazine reporter Alain Sanders analyzed the previous night's Iowa GOP Caucus results (14:47), while Yankee Institute blogger Meaghan Portfolio talked about efforts the get rid of municipal property taxes on motor vehicles (25:57)

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