Melissa in the Morning: Jen Tooker

Melissa in the Morning: Jen Tooker

Westport Republican First Selectwoman Jen Tooker is running for governor.  Tooker made the announcement earlier this month and becomes the first candidate to formally declare for the 2026 campaign for governor. Incumbent Ned Lamont has not revealed whether he will be seeking a third four-year term. We spoke with Tooker about her plans for the state and why she chose to throw her hat into the race.

IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Urbanowicz

Melissa in the Morning: Trauma Recovery

Melissa in the Morning: Trauma Recovery

A Waterbury woman is accused of holding her stepson hostage in her home for over two decades while starving him. While the investigation is still fresh and ongoing, the details police have shared about the 32-year-old victim details a gruesome and horrific trauma he’s left with. So how can people with such severe trauma recover and find a healthy path forward? We asked Hartford Healthcare Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Dr. Tobias, Wasser.

Image Credit: Getty Images

Melissa in the Morning: Amy Romano

Melissa in the Morning: Amy Romano

There is a special election on April 22nd to fill the 113th state representative seat in Hartford. This seat covers Shelton and we met the Republican candidate vying for the position, Amy Romano.

IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

Melissa in the Morning: Taxing Food Delivery Services

Melissa in the Morning: Taxing Food Delivery Services

Lawmakers are debating a new tax on food delivery services. Since the pandemic, one of the industries that really boomed has to be food delivery services like Ubereats, DoorDash and GrubHub. And while those collected taxes would reportedly go directly to the Special Transportation Fund, it would heavily impact the hospitality industry in a bad way. Scott Dolch of the CT Restaurant Association shared the downside of this bill if it passes.

Image Credit: Getty Images 

Melissa in the Morning: Michael Duncan

Melissa in the Morning: Michael Duncan

There is a special election on April 22nd to fill the 113th state representative seat in Hartford. This seat covers Shelton and we met the Democratic candidate vying for the position, Michael Duncan.

IMAGE CREDIT: Michael Duncan

Melissa in the Morning: High Drivers

Melissa in the Morning: High Drivers

Since the legalization of marijuana in Connecticut, there are more concerns about drivers who are high behind the wheel. Apparently, there are specialized officers trained to detect drivers impaired by drugs. We got more insight into this from Gil Maffeo, a Drug Recognition Expert instructor.

Image Credit: Getty Images 

Melissa in the Morning: Cancer Causing Chemical Study

Melissa in the Morning: Cancer Causing Chemical Study

When a fire sparks or someone falls and can’t get up, who do you call and expect to save the day? Firefighters! And despite reports of firefighters’ exposure to cancer causing chemicals, Connecticut lawmakers do not allocate enough money to compensate them for their service if they develop cancer on the job. A new study uncovered an association between exposure to chemicals commonly used in firefighting and glioma risk (brain tumors). We spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Claus, who led the study and is a member of Yale Cancer Center.

Image Credit: Getty Images 

CT Today With Paul Pacelli – A “No Confidence” Vote In Bridgeport?

CT Today With Paul Pacelli – A “No Confidence” Vote In Bridgeport?

Host Paul Pacelli welcomed “Only In Bridgeport” blogger Lennie Grimaldi to Thursday’s edition of “Connecticut Today” to chat about a promised “no confidence” vote regarding the Bridgeport Police Chief by the police union’s rank-in-file (00:46). Former Reagan White House staffer Frank Lavin talked about his new book, “Inside the Reagan White House: A Front-Row Seat to Presidential Leadership with Lessons for Today” and the current Trump White House tariff policies and controversies (12:55). Finally, Beatles expert Erik Taros talked about this Sunday’s showing of 90 minutes of rare Beatles film footage at the Palace Danbury (24:51)

Image Credit: REUTERS

Melissa in the Morning: DCF in the Hot Seat

Melissa in the Morning: DCF in the Hot Seat

A Connecticut woman is being accused of holding her stepson captive for more than 20 years and now, lawmakers are demanding DCF for answers. We spoke with Senator Jason Perillo, Ranking Senator on the Committee for Children, about the case in Waterbury and recent other Connecticut cases putting DCF in the hot seat.


IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Urbanowicz

Melissa in the Morning: Plea Deals

Melissa in the Morning: Plea Deals

The man accused of killing the mother of his three-year-old child with an ax in Milford has pleaded guilty to murder.  That’s because accepted a plea offer that sends him to prison for 40 years for the killing of Julie Minogue in 2022. It’s very different from the plea deal offered to the man accused of hitting and killing a state trooper on the highway last year. We wanted to know how plea deals work and got insight from our legal expert, Attorney Bill Bloss.

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