“Some people may need a hand, and we all have a hand to give.” That’s the mission of the Shoulder Check initiative created through the HT40 Foundation. The nonprofit based in Fairfield County was made in honor of the late Hayden Thorsen and what started as a simple hockey showcase has caught the attention of even the NHL. We spoke with Rob Thorsen, Founder and Executive Director of Shoulder Check.

For more information: https://www.shouldercheck.org/

Image Credit: Melissa Sheketoff

Major announcements coming from CT United FC: a new coach, details on the club’s inaugural 2026 season AND a more definitive timeline for the Bridgeport MLS stadium! Founded in 2024 and owned by Connecticut Sports Group, Connecticut United Football Club (CT United FC) is the fifth independent professional men’s soccer club in MLS NEXT Pro. We got the details from André Swanston, CEO of CT Sports Group.

For more information on the pro-team: https://www.ctunited.com/

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Thursday's "Connecticut Today" featured host Paul Pacelli talking about the message President Trump may or may not be sending by re-classifying marijuana from a "Schedule One" drug to a "Schedule Three" drug in the federal government's drug hierarchy (00:41). Former Bridgeport Democratic state Rep. Chris Caruso dropped by with his weekly update, including some year-end thoughts regarding the City of Bridgeport (15:09). CBS News Congressional Correspondent Nikole Killion joined us from Washington, D.C. regarding a controversial House vote connected to Affordable Care Act subsidies (23:04)

After an egregious case of elder abuse in Griswold, CT, we spoke with Dorian Long, the Social Services Program Administration Manager with the Department of Social Services about detecting elder abuse and reporting it correctly.

The Department of Veterans Affairs had a recent audit done reflecting issues with overpaid workers and a lack of necessary reporting. For the first time on the show, we had two of our state auditors, John Geragosian and Craig Miner, about this latest audit. We also got a better understanding of the auditing process and what happens after the results are public.

There’s already a lot of stress this time of year especially financially. And if you are focused on your career unhappiness or unemployment, career strategist, Julie Bauke, shared advice on how to reinvigorate/restart your search in January.

It's dubbed "the most wonderful time of the year" but is it actually the most stressful? The holiday season may bring out the sadness in some and the mental health challenges in others. How do we detect if we or loved ones are struggling this holiday? And what can we do to better support them or ourselves? We asked Dr. Raviv Berlin, Chair of Psychiatry at Stamford Health.

New York signed an act into law that has a great environmental impact, including here in Connecticut. We spoke with Dr. Sarah Crosby, Vice President of Conservation at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, about the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act.

The estate of Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres i preparing to sue the state of Connecticut for $100 million dollars. We asked Ranking Senator on the Committee on Children, Senator Jason Perillo, about this and the latest with his DCF communications.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

We asked Stew Leonard Jr. about his plans to hand over the reigns to the next generation as the next CEO and president of Stew Leonard’s. We also asked about the latest moves to bring a new storefront to lower New Haven County.

Image Credit: Dee Ortiz