WICC The Voice of Connecticut

Wednesday's midweek "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli featured a chat with Brookfield GOP State Sen. Stephen Harding on a controversy surrounding policy changes on future prison sentence commutations (0:29). Hearst Connecticut editor and columnist Dan Haar stopped by for his weekly update (11:47), while Paul had a few thoughts on possible Metro-North service cutbacks (19:28).  

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All good times come to an end. Chief Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin signed off WICC today for the very last time. He announced his retirement after spending decades in weather broadcasting, including his history with WICC. ((00:00))

The WICC family said goodbye to one of the most legendary voices in the station's history. John Labarca passed away on Memorial Day. His longtime co-host and friend, Tim Quinn, shared some memorable stories about JLB, especially his love for food! ((11:13))

On the final day of May and mental health awareness month, we talked about Kevin's Afterglow. The non-profit focuses on normalizing mental health conversations, investing in buddy benches and funding scholarships for students entering the mental health workforce after graduation. Jim Kuczo, creator of the foundation, shared the inspiration of his son for the organization and how you can support it. ((20:49))

Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli featured the Yankee Institute's Carol Platt Liebau on a key climate bill still to be decided on in the final days of the current General Assembly session (0:25). We also featured a segment from MSNBC with Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy on the new debt limit deal in Washington (13:23).

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A new report from the Surgeon General says that social isolation’s effects on mortality are equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes every day. Loneliness can reportedly contribute to a person having a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression and dementia. Counselor, Julius Dudics, talks about why isolation has become more prevalent and how can it be fixed. ((00:00))

The Jimmy McGrath Foundation is hosting its first golf tournament in June. We spoke with Jimmy's dad, Kevin, about the foundation as well as the chairperson for the tournament about ways you can get involved. For more information: jimmymcgrathfoundation.org ((12:58))

A high schooler in Bridgeport made her senior project about human sex trafficking. We spoke with Alijah Walker of Bridge Academy about her presentation and why she decided to take the risk sharing this topic. ((22:25))

Former President Jimmy Carter is still hanging on enjoying life three months after bringing end-of-life care into his home. But what really is hospice care and is it a death sentence? Dr. Ross Albert is the Hospice Medical Director for Hartford Healthcare at Home. He defined hospice care, what it entails and how costly it can be. ((31:58))

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K-12 school districts are on edge after a federal program under the CARES act is set to expire. It is leaving CT schools less equipped to make the technology investments needed to operate efficiently. We spoke to Executive Director of CT Association of Public School Superintendents, Fran Rabinowitz, about this and what the legislature needs to do. ((00:00))

A new breakthrough procedure for stroke patients is happening at St. Vincent's. We spoke with Neurosurgeon Dr. Akli Zetchi of Hartford Healthcare about the 3D imaging and how it works. ((15:28))

We get the latest on the debt ceiling discussions in Washington DC and what it really means from Congressman Jim Himes. ((24:13))

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Thursday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli featured a chat with Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling on some proposed city zoning changes (0:28). OnlyInBridgeport.com blogger Lennie Grimaldi joined us for his weekly update (11:26). We replayed Erick Erickson's interview with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (23:08) and Paul had some initial thoughts on Budweiser, Target, boycotts and store violence (35:06).

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Recently, Melissa plucked a tick off of her son and like many, she has questions. Dr. Browne discussed getting ticks tested, which types of ticks carry Lyme, signs of infection and what other issues ticks can carry beside Lyme. 

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Senator Richard Blumenthal did a deep dive into his concerns over artificial intelligence. He also addressed what kind of regulation can be in place to better control it and who would be in charge of oversight. ((00:00))

May is mental health awareness month and we want to know if Connecticut has enough resources in place for residents. Comptroller Sean Scanlon shared what the state is doing to support affordable, adequate options for kids and adults struggling. He also touched on the controversy of whether mental health facilities should be invested in. ((13:10))

The controversial Vision Zero bill has passed through the Connecticut House and now heads to the Senate for a vote. We spoke to Senator Tony Hwang who is the ranking member of the Transportation Committee about the bill and why some oppose it. We also touched on scary street takeovers in Connecticut and whether the beach bill is dead. ((23:34))

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Wednesday's "Connecticut Today with host Paul Pacelli featured a chat with Association of Commuter Rail Employees General Chairman and Executive Board Director Ed Valente on proposed Metro-North schedule cuts (0:33). GOP State Sen. Paul Cicarella stopped by to talk about recent "street takeovers" in some municipalities (10:13), while Paul had an update on the invetigation into those incidents (21:58). Hearst Connecticut columnist and Associate Editor Dan Haar joined us for his weekly update (33:22).

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to announce his run for President today...ON TWITTER! But this is just one of the many recent examples of powerful people using the social media platform as a news network. But now, with the option to buy a blue checkmark, are we heading down a dark path of reporting? We speak with Ben Bogardus, a journalism professor at Quinnipiac University about the future of news. ((00:00))

It’s estimated that 936 million adults worldwide between the ages of 30-69 may suffer from sleep apnea. A new study found that cases of uncontrolled sleep apnea may be harmful to future brain health. Sleep medicine specialist, Dr. Steven Thau, shared the signs of sleep apnea and why ignoring the problem is a bad idea. ((13:45))

Earlier this week, a first-of-its-kind investor conference kicked off in Hartford, where top state officials pitched Connecticut as a good investment to bankers and analysts. But would anyone want to invest in our state? BRBC President, Dan Onofrio, explains why the answer is yes! ((23:50))

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