When 74-year-old Grace Rogers woke to alarms blaring and lights flashing at a relative’s home in Waterford last month, she panicked. But employees of the home security company took control of the situation, preventing a possible tragedy.

On Thursday Rogers met with those employees and the local firefighters they called to say thank you.

On Oct. 6, Rogers was asleep on a couch when she awoke to the ADT alarm system telling her to get out of the house. She was home alone and panicked.

"I just went blank. I didn’t think of 911 at all," said Grace Rogers, who lives in Rhode Island.

Thankfully ADT employees, though 1,700 miles away in Texas, knew exactly what to do. ADT Emergency Dispatch Operator Tonya Wilson called for help while her coworker Sandra Johnson made contact with the homeowner, Rogers’ son-in-law Gregory Massad, who was 45 minutes away at a soccer game.

"There was so much noise and commotion in the stands I didn’t feel my phone vibrate or ring," Massad said.

The Goshen Fire Department rushed to the scene and traced the smoke that set off the system to a dehumidifier in the basement. They also rescued the family guinea pig, Wizma.

Rogers said had it not been for the quick action of those two women, things could have been much worse. On Thursday the family met with the dispatchers and firefighters at a ceremony to honor their life-saving work.

"The feeling that I did actually get to save someone’s life. I did do my job. And then also knowing that it could be anyone. It could have been my family," Sandra Johnson said.

Johnson and Wilson, along with the two men who sold and installed the system, received ADT’s highest honor – the Life Saver Award. ADT also presented the Goshen Fire Department with a $5,000 check.

For the family, this was a chance to say "thank you."

"I felt a connection," Rogers said.

Goshen Fire Chief Todd Patton says he was surprised by the check and said his firefighters take care of their neighbors. The department plans to put the money toward equipment.

He also issued a reminder to be aware of fireplaces, lit candles and extension cords, especially during the holiday season.

Bradley International Airport is taking a new approach to easing passenger’s stress this holiday season with therapy dogs.

Savannah Ford is one of many children who stopped to pet therapy dogs James and Raven while traveling through Bradley with their families. Ford is on her way home to North Franklin after a long trip to Florida, and said seeing James is making her day.

Her mom, Yvette Ford, said the dogs were an unexpected but welcome surprise at the airport and said Savannah was having a blast.

"This is going to be a memory that she’s going to take with her," Ford said.

Frequent flyer Ashton Edwards made a beeline for Raven as soon as he walked through the doors of Bradley’s Terminal A.

"I walk in and I get to pet dogs. I had a really really stressful day, so this is awesome," he said.

The therapy dogs are at Bradley through a partnership with Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc. Founder Cynthia Hinckley explained the airport is the perfect place for their therapy dogs and volunteer handlers because it tends to be a stressful place.

Sally King loves seeing the effect her Australian shepherd, James, has on travelers. King said she’s seen many at the airport who are nervous flyers, or making a trip to visit sick loved ones, who have come right up to pet and cuddle James as soon as they see him.

Right now, the dogs are at Bradley two days a week. If the program takes off, they could soon be there every day.

Kevin Dillon, Executive Director of the CT Airport Authority, said they also try to bring the therapy dogs past security to the gate areas. Dillon described how the dogs roam throughout the airport.

"I’ve personally seen them working and it’s just amazing to see passengers gravitate to the dogs." 

West Hartford police have arrested a Hartford man accused of robbing a Sunoco gas station multiple times over the course of several months.

Police said 62-year-old Robert Escobar is a suspect in four robberies at the Sunoco gas station at 669 Farmington Avenue between June and November. In each incident, police said, Escobar implied he had a gun.

Surveillance photos from the incidents were released Wednesday and Escobar was identified as a suspect by detectives doing a neighborhood canvas. He was charged with first-degree robbery and sixth-degree larceny. He was held on a $100,000 bond. More charges are pending.

StubHub, the ticket reselling company, will begin closing its East Granby offices today. 

The company is planning an initial round of layoffs before closing the office completely next year. 

More than 197 jobs will move from East Granby to Salt Lake City, Utah, according to the company.

Two men have been arrested after a 15-year-old boy reported to Danbury Police that he had a sexual encounter with the men after meeting them through a dating app over the summer. 

The boy and his parents went to the Danbury Police Department just after midnight on July 12 and told officers he had a sexual encounter with two men around five hours earlier, according to police.

The Special Victims Unit of the Danbury Police Department started investigating and police said they identified the suspects as 31-year-old Jamal Jackson, of Brookfield, and 56-year-old Timothy Connolly, of New Milford.

On Thursday, detectives from the Special Victims Unit found Jackson at Danbury Superior Court while he was appearing for an unrelated case and took him into custody.

Connolly turned himself in to Danbury police Friday after learning there was a warrant for his arrest warrant.

Jackson was charged with sexual assault in the second degree, risk of injury and impairing the morals of a child and risk of injury and illegal sexual contact with a child.

Connolly was charged with sexual assault in the second degree and risk of injury and illegal sexual contact with a child.

No attorney is listed for Jackson and there is no online court record for Connolly.

Bond for both was set at $35,000.

The real estate firm that purchased southern New England retail chain Benny's has announced it will redevelop the locations for retail use.

WJAR reports the Carpionato Group, which is buying most of the stores, announced the plan at a meeting of General Assembly leaders at the State House Thursday.

The current owners of the 93-year-old family-owned chain are retiring, citing a change in retail landscape. All Benny’s stores will be closed by the end of the year.

The Carpionato Group’s deal is for 29 stores across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The firm plans to spend $100 million on construction and hire at least 350 workers.

The buildings are expected to be ready for use in about a year. The Carpionato Group will not be receiving a tax break from the state.

Benny's President Arnold Bromberg told WJAR that the closure will affect the company’s 715 employees, including 386 who are full-time and 329 who are part-time staff members.

Police are investigating what they are calling the suspicious death of an elderly man in Bloomfield.

Officers responded to the 300 block of Cottage Grove Road just after midnight Friday after receiving a 911 call about someone lying in the roadway and found an unresponsive man. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police have not released the victim's name, but believe he lived at the Cottage Grove Road address near where his body was found. 

Connecticut State Police Major Crimes and the State Inspector are assisting Bloomfield Police in the investigation and the state's attorney's office has also been notified.

The office of the chief medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the victim's exact cause of death.

No additional information was immediately available.

At-home DNA tests that reveal your family history and ancestorial roots are gaining popularity before the holiday season, but how accurate are they? Identical triplet sisters appeared on the "Today" show to test three brands.

Californian sisters Kaeli, Kelsey and Korrie tested kits from the popular companies AncestryDNA, 23andMe and MyHeritage DNA. 

Because the sisters' DNA is identical, the tests should have produced identical results for each woman. 

All three kits revealed an extremely high DNA match for the women, while AncestoryDNA and 23andMe revealed ancestorial roots in Scandinaviandanavia, Britain and the Middle East for all three women. MyHeritage's results were more specific in listing North African roots.

Connecticut State Police have identified the man found dead in the woods in Lisbon Saturday as 26-year-old David Cloutier III, of Uncasville.

Police said Cloutier's body was located in the woods in the area of 151 River Road around 1:40 p.m. and they said there is no criminal aspect to the investigation.

Anyone with information should call detectives at Troop E at 860-848-6500 or text TIP711 with any information to 274637. All tips will remain confidential.

East Street in Granby will be closed for several hours after a car hit a pole. 

Police said no one was injured. 

A local detour is set up, but trucks should avoid the area because they might have difficulty negotiating the route. 

Police said the road could be closed for six hours, which would be until around 5 p.m.

December 1 is recognized globally as World AIDS Day.

The World Health Organization (WHO) established the annual observance in 1988 as a way to offer communities the chance to unite to fight against the HIV/AIDS stigma, commemorate those who have lost the battle with AIDS, and also show support for those who are living with the disease.

This year's theme for World Aids Day 2017 in the U.S., "Increasing Impact Through Transparency, Accountability, and Partnerships," asks that "we work together to accelerate progress toward ending HIV as a public health threat in the United States and around the world."

"This theme reflects the United States government’s longstanding leadership in addressing HIV/AIDS both at home and abroad and how we are increasing our impact to move epidemics from crisis toward control," U.S. State Department Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Deborah L. Birx wrote in a blog post. "It also highlights the historic opportunity we have to accelerate progress toward ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a public health threat in the United States and around the world. Finally, it emphasizes the critical role of transparency, accountability, and partnerships in reaching our collective goals."

Though new HIV infections have fallen by 39 percent and AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 33 percent since 2000, HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives a year, according to WHO. The disease has claimed more than 35 million lives so far.

Across the globe, approximately 36.7 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, including more than one million who live in the United States. However, 15 percent of people with HIV in the U.S. don’t know they have the virus, and about 40 percent of new HIV infections come from them.

Organizations and groups around the world will hold events to celebrate World AIDS Day. In the U.S., former President Bill Clinton will deliver the keynote address at the National AIDS Memorial in San Francisco, California. Friday's event marks the 25th anniversary of the memorial, which was created to honor those lost to the AIDS epidemic. Cities and famous landmarks will also light up in red to honor those who have lost the battle with AIDS and to show support for those who continue to fight.

Here's some ways you can help:

(RED)
In 2006, U2's Bono and activist Bobby Shriver founded (RED) a non profit organization that partners with the private sector to raise awareness and funds to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in Africa. Since then, they’ve raised more than $500 million for grants to provide survivors with anti-retroviral treatments that can cost as little as 30 cents a day, but that still aren’t accessible to millions suffering from the disease.

(RED) partners like Amazon, Apple, Starbucks, Le Creuset and GNC, among many others, donate 50 percent of the profits from (RED) products to the Global Fund HIV/AIDS. The organization provides life-saving anti-retroviral medication (ARVs) that works to keep the virus from multiplying and can prevent an HIV positive pregnant woman from transmitting the virus to her child.

(RED) is also again teaming up with Omaze for a chance to win once-in-a-life-time celebrity experiences. Each donation of at least $25 to (RED) will give you an entry to one of several "experiences," including playing mini golf with U2, attending a movie premiere with Reese Witherspoon and hanging out with Diddy on the set of his new TV show.

Pucker-Up
MAC cosmetics is donating 100 percent of the selling price of MAC VIVA GLAM lipstick and lipgloss to the MAC AIDS Fund. The company is featuring two new lip products named after the current VIVA GLAM spokeswoman Taraji P. Henson: Taraji’s matte fuchsia with pearl Lipstick and matching shimmery Lipglass.

Get Tested:
The HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator is a first-of-its-kind, location-based search tool that allows user to search for testing services, housing providers and HIV-related health centers near your current location.

Use and share the HIV testing sites and care services locator.

Facebook users are wondering why they're getting Facebook ads regarding things they talk about but don't type. Is Facebook listening in through people's cellphone microphone? The company says no. Lolita Lopez reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017.

The holiday season is right around the corner and there are many festive activities around the state.

Bethlehem

• The Christmas Town Festival will be held on Dec. 1 and 2. Admission is free. The event is happening at several locations.
• Head to the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden to tour the house, sip hot cider and enjoy a children’s craft activity. Admission is $5, but children under 5 get in free. 

Bristol
Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce is held weekends from Nov. 24 through Dec. 30. The park will be covered in hundreds of thousands of lights, with light shows every half hour. Tickets are $15.99 for adults, $11.99 for children 4 to 10 and seniors. Tickets sold before Nov. 24 are $10.99. The event is free with a 2017 or 2018 diamond or platinum season pass. New for 2017 is dinner with Santa. 

East Haven

Santa’s Trolley Winter Wonderland runs from Nov. 24 to Dec. 17 at the Shore Line Trolley Museum. Tickets are $10 per person. 

Essex
Head to Essex for Trees In The Rigging Community Carol Sing and Boat Parade.  Take part in the lantern-lit carol stroll down Main Street. The event ends with a parade of vessels in the Connecticut River. The boats are decorated in holiday lights.

Groton
The Holiday Lights Parade will be Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. It starts in the Poquonnock Road at South Road and goes West on Route 1 to the Groton Shopping Plaza. 

Guilford
The Firelight Festival is on Dec. 1 at Henry Whitfield State Museum. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., view luminaria, enjoy popcorn, roasted marshmallows, hot cider and hot chocolate. There is also a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” The event is included with the price of admission, which is $8 for adults, 18 to 59; $6 for seniors 60 and over; $6 for college students with ID; $5 for children between 6 and 17; and free for children under 6. 

Hartford

• Open House at the Governor's Residence: Friday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Performers include: Ethel Walker School from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Extreme Measures from 11 a.m. to noon; Plainfield High School Chamber from noon to 1 p.m.; Conn-Men from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.; and Woodstock Academy Hill Singers from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Open House at the Governor's Residence: Saturday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Performers include Emmanuel Christian Academy Choir from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Conard High School Solo Choir from 11 a.m. to noon; Completely Different Note from noon to 1 p.m.; Opus 4 String Quartet from South Windsor from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.; and Trinity College Trinitones from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. 
• Open House at the Governor's Residence: Sunday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Performers include Hawkapella from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.; A Minor from 11 a.m. to noon; Hall High School Choraliers, from noon to 1 p.m. and Charter Oak Flute Quartet from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Festival of Trees at the Wadsworth Atheneum runs from Dec. 1 to 10. Items are for sale. There is an extra fee above museum admission price for the exhibit. 
• The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will perform “Masterworks: December Dreams” to get you in a festive mood from Dec. 8 to 10 at the Belding Theater at the Bushnell. Tickets range from $35 to $68. 
• The HSO Pops: Holiday Cirque Spectacular will be at the Bushnell on Dec. 16. 

Meriden
Festival of Silver Lights at Hubbard Park begins on Tuesday, Nov. 21. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes singing and a holiday lighting display at 6 p.m. The holiday lights will be on until Jan. 1.

Middletown
Lady Katharine Cruises has a “T’was the Night Before Christmas” cruise on Nov. 25 and Reindeer on the River on Nov. 26. The cruises on Dec. 2 and 3 are already sold out. 

Mystic

• Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at Olde Mistick Village on Nov. 24 and Nov. 25. 
• Festival of Lights will be on Dec. 8, when luminaries light the walkway of Olde Mistick Village and Mystic Aquarium. 

New Haven

• Celebrate the holiday season in downtown New Haven at The Shops at Yale with free events that are open to the public through December 24, including shopping, dining, laser light shows, ice carving competitions and demonstrations, downtown horse and carriage rides, visits with Santa, and much more.
• Join NBC Connecticut for the New Haven Tree Lighting on the New Haven Green on Nov. 30.

Norwalk

• See Santa at the Martitime Aquarium of Norwalk in December. Visit Santa in his fishing village as the Go Fish exhibit is transformed. 
• Santa will also dive with the sharks in the “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit. Tickets to the aquarium are $22.95 for adults, $15.95 for children 3 to 12, $20.95 for children 13 to 17 and $20.95 for seniors 65 and up.

Old Saybrook
There are several holiday events at the Kate, including “the Drifter: Holiday Magic,” “Twinkle: a Celestial Celebration” by the CT Gay Men’s Chorus, “A Christmas Carol,” “Nutcracker” and more. 

Stonington

Nutcracker Spectacular will be at Mystic Dark Room from Dec. 2 to 17.  Tickets are $32 for children and $48 for adults.

Storrs
The Boston Pops Holiday Concert will be at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $65 to $75. 

Thomaston
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is playing at the Landmark Community Theater from Nov. 24 through Dec. 10.  Tickets for adults are $25 and tickets for seniors and students are $22.

Waterbury

• The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra will perform” A Connecticut Christmas, featuring ‘Peter and the Wolf’” at 3 p.m. on Dec. 3. Tickets range from $20 to $55
• Woodbury Ballet will perform “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 16 at the Palace Theater. Tickets range from $33 to $53. 

What's your favorite holiday event? Let us know in the comments.

Police are investigating a bank robbery in Southington Friday morning that led to school officials putting schools in secure mode.

Police said there was a bank robbery at the TD Bank branch located at 121 Main St. at 11:14 a.m.

A man who appeared to be in his early to mid-30s went up to the teller station, attempted to make a fraudulent transaction with another person’s identification, then handed the teller a note demanding money when it did not work, police said. The robber implied he had a weapon, but did not show one, and fled with cash.

While the secure schools mode was in effect, no one was allowed to enter or leave the building.

The bank robber was described as thin and around 6-feet tall. He was wearing a North Face knit hat, a dark sweatshirt, dark jeans and work boots.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Southington Police Department at 860-621-0101.

The U.S. government has a sudden, strong interest in rare rap music -- strong enough to try and seize two albums from "Pharma Bro" and convicted fraudster Martin Shkreli. 

In 2015, the brash pharmaceutical executive bought the only known copy of the Wu-Tang Clan's "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" for $2 million. He later got into a public dispute with members of the rap group, at one point releasing a bizarre video in which he -- surrounded by masked men -- threatened to erase Ghostface Killah from the album entirely. 

In late 2016, he claimed to have acquired the only copy of Lil Wayne's unreleased "Tha Carter V," even playing what he said was part of the album's first track online. 

Last August, Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud, and he's now in jail awaiting sentencing. A judge revoked his bail in September after he publicly offered $5,000 for a lock of Hillary Clinton's hair. 

The government, in papers filed in federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday, said it wants Shkreli to forfeit some $7.4 million in assets pursuant to his conviction. 

Among the assets the FBI proposed seizing are "the album 'Once Upon A Time in Shaolin' by the Wu Tang Clan, as well as any proceeds derived from the sale of such album; the album 'Tha Carter V' by Lil Wayne, as well as any proceeds derived from the sale of such album." 

The forfeiture list included a brokerage account and a Picasso painting as well. 

Shkreli's lawyer Ben Brafman said they will vigorously oppose the forfeiture motion.

"Our position is clear. None of the investors lost any money and Martin did not personally benefit from any of the counts of conviction. Accordingly, forfeiture of any assets is not an appropriate remedy," he said in a statement. 

Authorities on Friday defused an explosive device found near an outdoor Christmas market in the German city of Potsdam, near Berlin, Reuters reported.

The development comes nearly one year after 11 people were killed when a Tunisian Islamist hijacked a truck, killed its driver then rammed the vehicle into a Christmas market.

In Potsdam, police said a suspicious object had been delivered to a pharmacy. It contained suspicious wires and electronics, according to a local newspaper.

Germany's government had warned this week the risk of an attack in Europe and Germany is “continuously high.”

Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold, two sources told NBC News, settled a 2014 sexual harassment claim by a former employee through the Office of Compliance, which issues payments from a tax-payer funded account.

The $84,000 settlement came after Farenthold's former communications director, Lauren Greene, brought a complaint against the Texas congressman in 2014 for sexual harassment and discrimination. Both parties agreed to settle out of court the following year. Sources confirmed the settlement involved Farenthold, and it was first reported by Politico.

"While I 100% support more transparency with respect to claims against members of Congress, I can neither confirm nor deny that settlement involved my office as the Congressional Accountability Act prohibits me from answering that question," Farenthold said in a statement.

Green's settlement was paid through the Office of Compliance, which has made more than $17 million worth of payments over the past 20 years for various workplace disputes, but it’s unknown — other than Farenthold’s $84,000 payment — how much of that is for sexual harassment claims.

The state comptroller is projecting a deficit of more than $207 million for Connecticut for the fiscal year 2018, which would require the governor to submit a deficit mitigation plan, and legislative leaders plan to meet with Gov. Dannel Malloy Wednesday to talk about what comes next.

On Friday, Comptroller Kevin Lembo said he is projecting a deficit of $207.8 million for Fiscal Year 2018 and that amount triggers a state requirement that the governor submit a deficit mitigation plan to the legislature because it exceeds 1 percent of the state’s total net General Fund appropriations.

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) released a statement after Lembo’s most recent budget estimate and said legislative leaders will meet with the governor Wednesday “to discuss potential next steps.”

House Republican Leader Themis Klarides called the projected deficit “serious.”

“The deficit was expected because the state’s budget policies over the years have been built on false assumptions, that increasing taxes will be sufficient to meet spending levels. The deficits are organic and an organic fix is required. Connecticut’s finances will likely continue to suffer because of the state employee union contracts that tie up nearly 40 percent of the state’s budget,’’ Klarides said in a statement.

She added that she and other Republicans have called for a special legislative session “to first address the cuts that have been made to health care programs for the elderly and disabled.”

“We have to set priorities and deal with the most pressing issue which is the cuts to the Medicare programs before they kick in Jan. 1,’’ Klarides said in a statement.

Nearly two weeks ago, Malloy's budget director said the current fiscal year was projected to be $202.8 million in deficit. At the time, Ben Barnes said that was slightly more than 1 percent of net appropriations in the state's main spending account, which was a threshold requiring Malloy to issue a deficit-mitigation plan.

In a letter to Malloy, Lembo reported a deficit that is slightly higher than a deficit reported last month by the Office of Policy and Management because he said he expects a larger $20-million deficiency in the state’s adjudicated claims account that is used to pay claims and attorney fees in the SEBAC v. Rowland settlement.

Lembo also cited uncertainty about the future of federal tax reform.

“Congress is considering significant modifications to federal tax law that could have profound implications for Connecticut, depending on what specific provisions, if any, are enacted,” Lembo said in a statement. “Future revenue forecasts will need to evaluate the consequences of any tax changes on the federal level.”

With seven months remaining in the fiscal year, $12.5 million has been spent from the adjudicated claims account in the SEBAC v. Rowland settlement and other issues, and the account has averaged $2.5 million per month in costs, according to Lembo, and he said he is projecting a $20-million deficiency in adjudicated claims that could go higher due to the unpredictable nature of the settlements involved.

“Another area of concern that will require close scrutiny is the aggressive level of savings included in the adopted budget,” Lembo said. “Achieving these lapse – or savings – targets will be a significant budgetary challenge, especially in light of the high levels of fixed costs for FY 2018, such as debt service payments, pension contributions and other costs.”

Lembo said Connecticut must also catch up to the national economy in economic growth.

“In recent years, Connecticut has not fully participated in the nation’s economic recovery,” Lembo said. “The national economy continues to exhibit growing signs of strength and resilience. However, Connecticut’s economy has experienced much more mixed results across a variety of key economic indicators.”

Top Democrats on Friday warned President Donald Trump and other Republicans that they must not interfere in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election after former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and agreed to cooperate with Mueller.

Congressional investigations must also be allowed to continue, they say.

“The plea secured by Mueller may prompt the White House and its allies to seek to curtail congressional investigations, as President (Donald) Trump has attempted to do already, or end the Special Counsel’s work prematurely,” Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement. “Congress must make it clear that this would not be acceptable, that we will continue doing a diligent and thoughtful investigation, and do everything in our power to ensure the independence of the Special Counsel.”

In addition to Mueller’s work, the House and the Senate are both probing Russia interference in the election. A U.S. intelligence assessment released in January concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, to help Trump and to harm Hillary Clinton.

Schiff’s counterpart on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, said in his statement that Trump had already fired the FBI director, James Comey, and had pressured Attorney General Jeff Sessions and top U.S. intelligence officials to interfere with the investigation. Media outlets have reported that Trump is contemplating issuing pardons for his associates and firing Mueller, Warner said.

“Members of Congress from both parties must make clear that those actions would be fundamentally unacceptable and incompatible with the rule of law,” Warner, the committee's vice chairman, said.

Trump, a prolific tweeter, was silent in the immediate aftermath of Flynn’s guilty plea. An opportunity for reporters to question the president — a scheduled media event with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj during which reporters would have been expected to shout out questions — was canceled.

Trump’s lawyer, Ty Cobb, described Flynn as the national security advisor for only 25 days and a former Obama administration official, without noting his role in the Trump campaign or his firing by Obama. Flynn, an early and enthusiastic Trump supporter, resigned from the Trump administration in February reportedly because he lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

“The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation in February of this year,” Cobb said. “Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn.”

One court document, the statement of the offense, notes that Flynn was directed by “a very senior member” of the presidential transition team to influence foreign governments, including Russia, to delay a United Nations vote on Israeli settlements or to defeat the resolution.

Two people familiar with the matter told NBC News Friday afternoon that the “very senior member” was Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who initially was given a broad role in the Trump White House, including working on peace in the Middle East.

The document says Flynn contacted the Russian ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak, about the pending vote and asked that Russia vote against or delay the resolution, but later told the FBI falsely that he had only asked the countries’ positions on the vote.

Elsewhere, the document says that on Dec. 29, 2016, Flynn called a senior official of the presidential transition team at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, to discuss what to communicate to Kislyak about sanctions signed by then-President Barack Obama the day before. The court document does not identify which official Flynn spoke to.

Flynn falsely told FBI agents that he had not asked the ambassador to refrain from escalating the situation in response to the sanctions. But the document says that Flynn called Kislyak after his conversation with the transition official, then reported back to that official on the substance of his call with the ambassador. After another conversation with the ambassador, at the end of December, Flynn spoke with senior members of the transitional team about what was said.

Republicans had more muted responses to Flynn's plea.

“As far as I understand, there's nothing here where he was colluding with the Russians,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told NBC.

And Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia called lying to the FBI a “grave offense.” 

The top Democrat in the House, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, asked for an outside independent investigation.

“The U.S. Congress has a duty to uphold justice, and to take measures to ensure that Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation proceed without interference from the White House,” Pelosi also said in a statement.

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement of Flynn’s guilty plea: “This shows a Trump associate negotiating with the Russians against U.S. policy and interests before Donald Trump took office and after it was announced that Russia had interfered in our election. That’s a stunning revelation and could be a violation of the Logan Act, which forbids unauthorized U.S. citizens from negotiating with a foreign power.

Feinstein also argued for the probes to move forward unimpeded.

 “This is just one more proof point that these investigations must be allowed to continue without interference,” she said.

“Republicans in Congress must stop shielding the President and join Democrats to take real, immediate action to counter Russian aggression and prevent further attacks on our democracy,” she said.

After news of Flynn’s guilty plea broke, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara, who also was fired by Trump, tweeted: “The (admitted) charges against Michael Flynn make clear that he pleaded directly with the Russians not to retaliate for US sanctions, before Trump took office. Was that with Trump’s knowledge and at his request?”

And Comey tweeted a Bible verse: "'But justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream' Amos 5:24."

More than $1.7 million in reimbursements are coming to over a dozen Connecticut police departments that paid up front for body cameras and other equipment.

After months of delays due to the state's budget crisis, the money was approved at a bond commission meeting on Wednesday.

“Almost $33,000.00 so you know, it's money that we can use here in the town of Wolcott. So, I was very happy to hear we're finally getting paid," Wolcott Police Chief Edward Stephens said.

Wolcott upgraded its department's body cameras and equipment in 2016 after the state launched the federal program to reimburse towns for 100-percent of the costs of the equipment.

New Haven tops the list with a $790,421 payment followed by Milford and Wilton.

Chief Stephens is appreciative.

"Definitely a win for taxpayers. This is money Wolcott and all other towns we had to put out 100-percent of the money to buy these body cameras and storage units that go with it. So, we fronted the money and then after this last budget with the state who knows where the towns are going to be. So any nickel or dime we can help save the taxpayers we would like to do, and we're now able to do and it'll come back into town for use,” he said.

It is unclear when the checks will be cut. NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters have reached out to the state's Office of Policy and Management but have not yet heard back.