Melissa in the Morning: Whooping Cough Cases Tripled!

Melissa in the Morning: Whooping Cough Cases Tripled!

Whooping cough cases have tripled in the U.S. this year, raising concerns for parents as the illness spreads rapidly among children. What’s causing the spike? Also, fears over consuming raw milk are on the rise follow bird flu outbreaks. Is it safe to keep drinking raw milk? We asked Dr. Browne of Griffin Hospital.

Image Courtesy of Dr. Fred Browne/Griffin Hospital

Melissa in the Morning: Meal and Bev Tax     

Melissa in the Morning: Meal and Bev Tax     

Right now, the Connecticut meals and beverages tax goes into the general fund. But what if we took a chunk of those millions and put it back into the tourism department budget for our state? Scott Dolch of the CT Restaurant Association is pushing for that. But why? And how does tourism connect to the culinary industry for our state? Find out here.

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Melissa in the Morning: Latest Crime Report in CT

Melissa in the Morning: Latest Crime Report in CT

A recent crime report was released revealing some good trends and bad when it comes to our crime rates in Connecticut. To break it all down for us, Commissioner Ronnell Higgins of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, joined us in studio.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

CT Today With Paul Pacelli – A New Tax To Pay For School Breakfasts And Lunches?

CT Today With Paul Pacelli – A New Tax To Pay For School Breakfasts And Lunches?

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Host Paul Pacelli opened Wednesday’s “Connecticut Today” wondering if a new tax is the way to fund school breakfasts and lunches for all students in Connecticut (00:42). Hearst Connecticut Media senior editor and columnist Dan Haar dropped by with his weekly wrap-up of the biggest stories in the state, including the continued controversy over a top utility regulator (15:46). CBS News military consultant U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Jeff McCausland offered his view on the Ukraine-Russia military standoff (25:41)

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Melissa in the Morning: CT Budget Items

Melissa in the Morning: CT Budget Items

The governor presented his budget address this month to the General Assembly. We wanted to do a deeper dive into some of the items including proposed tax cuts, education funding and housing development. Governor Lamont joined the show with more.

Image Credit: Reuters

Melissa in the Morning: Illegal Slot Machines

Melissa in the Morning: Illegal Slot Machines

Dozens of illegal slot machines have been seized this year in Connecticut. Is this a new phenomenon? Where are the machines coming from? Who gets in trouble when the machines are detected? We spoke with Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli of the Department of Consumer Protection.

For more information: https://portal.ct.gov/dcp

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Melissa in the Morning: Forced Back in Office

Melissa in the Morning: Forced Back in Office

Should state workers have to return to the office full time? There’s a Connecticut house bill that forces government employees away from remote options and back to in-person. But how does that work and how likely is it to pass? House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora shared the details of House Bill 5369 and the impact of current remote working conditions.

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CT Today With Paul Pacelli – No, We Don’t Ban Books In Connecticut

CT Today With Paul Pacelli – No, We Don’t Ban Books In Connecticut

Host Paul Pacelli returned to “Connecticut Today” on Tuesday with his thoughts on a bill to ostensibly prevent so-called “book bans” in the state, which don’t actually exist (00:35). CBS News correspondent Jake Rosen updated us on the confirmation hearings for Kash Patel to head the FBI under the Trump White House (07:57). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio detailed her new analysis of state employee contracts going back to former Gov. Dan Malloy’s administration (11:35)

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Melissa in the Morning: Immigration Spending in CT

Melissa in the Morning: Immigration Spending in CT

A new Yankee Institute report highlighted that the state is spending $1.3 billion dollars for immigration assistance. We wanted to understand exactly where those dollars are going and who loses out because of this spending. We asked state minority leader, Senator Steve Harding.

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Melissa in the Morning: All you need is Hope

Melissa in the Morning: All you need is Hope

The Beatles said all you need is love. But new research from Gallup shows when it comes to great leadership in the workplace, workers say they really need hope. Career strategist Julie Bauke talked about these findings and why hope is such a gold standard.
 
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