A West Haven man who was charged in a carjacking case in Meriden on Jan. 1, 2016 has been found guilty.

Don Meeker, 30, of West Haven, was the third person charged in the case. 

Federal authorities said the victims were driving a rented 2015 Volkswagen Passat near Hobart Street and Myrtle Street in Meriden when they stopped to ask for directions to a gas station. 

Authorities said Kyle Valentine, of New Haven, told the victims to follow his car and they did until Valentine stopped after a few minutes. That’s when another person pointed a handgun at one of the victims who was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, opened the door and said, “I want everything,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office. 

The victims got out of the car and Valentine and the other person stole their wallets and cell phones and drove away in the Passat, according to federal authorities. 

Meeker was charged with taking a motor vehicle from a person by force or by intimidation. A jury returned a guilty verdict Tuesday.

He will be sentenced on March 14.

Valentine and Elbert Lorens, also of New Haven, previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the carjacking. Llorens was sentenced on March 20 to 60 months in prison. Valentine has not yet been sentenced. 

A former staffer for Sen. Chuck Schumer said a draft of a sexual harassment lawsuit naming the Senate minority leader and purporting that she was the accuser is "completely false."

Schumer also described the documents and allegations against him as a "phony" smear.

In a statement to NBC News, the staffer named in the document said "the claims in this document are completely false, my signature is forged, and even basic facts about me are wrong.” The development came hours after news site Axios reported the existence of the document and that Schumer's team had turned it over to Capitol Police.

"I have contacted law enforcement to determine who is responsible," the staffer said. "I parted with Senator Schumer’s office on good terms and have nothing but the fondest memories of my time there."

NBC News is protecting the staffer's anonymity at her request, as she says she's a victim of a crime.

"It was a phony allegation, forged from start to finish," Schumer said Wednesday during a news conference.

He did not say who he believed was behind the document but said his office would pursue "every legal path" on the issue. 

Axios earlier reported that Schumer's office disputed basic facts in the documents, including Schumer's whereabouts during two purported allegations in 2011.

”We have turned it over to the Capitol Police and asked them to investigate and pursue criminal charges because it is clear the law has been broken," a spokesman for Schumer told Axios.

He added, "We believe the individual responsible for forging the document should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law to prevent other malicious actors from doing the same."

Several media outlets were shopped the document, according to The Associated Press. 

A victim fired a gun during what state police said was a burglary in Tolland Tuesday and investigators are searching for the burglars. 

State troopers from Troop C in Tolland responded to a home on Peter Green Road around 6:40 p.m. Tuesday to investigate a burglary and a resident said he arrived home to find a pickup in his driveway, backed up near the garage. 

The homeowner approached the woman sitting in the passenger seat and she said she and the man were lost and looking for directions from the victim’s neighbor, police said. 

As the resident was speaking with the woman he heard noise behind him, turned around and saw a middle-age man running toward him with something in his hand, police said. 

The victim feared for his safety, pulled a handgun that he carries and shot at the man, who got into the pickup and fled, police said. 

No injuries were reported and police said the victim legally owns the handgun.

Police said the back kitchen sliding glass door to the house had been smashed in. 

The male who left the scene was last seen wearing a work-type shirt with reflective markings, a baseball cap, camouflage pants and work boots. He was in a full-size, late-model dark-color pickup, possibly a Dodge, four-door or extended cab with a large plastic barrel in the pickup bed. 

Connecticut State Police detectives from Eastern District Major Crime responded to the scene and are investigating. 

Anyone with information or who knows the burglars should call call Detective Hoague at 860-896-3236, Troop C 860-896-3200 or text TIP711 with any information to 274637. 

CNN's Anderson Cooper said Wednesday that someone had "gained access" to his Twitter account and sent out a tweet calling President Donald Trump a "pathetic loser."

The taunt from Cooper's verified account came after Trump had tweeted in the wake of Doug Jones' projected win in Alabama's Senate election. Trump noted that he had first backed Roy Moore's primary opponent, Luther Strange.

"Oh Really? You endorsed him you tool! Pathetic loser," Cooper's Twitter account replied.

Cooper later posted that he "just woke up to find out someone gained access to my twitter account" and was investigating.

Until Wednesday, no messages had been posted to his account since Sunday.

A man who was reported missing from Waterbury more than six years ago was found dead in Pennsylvania, according to police.

George Rymko disappeared on Jan. 22, 2011, according to police, and his vehicle was found abandoned in Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania on Feb. 2, 2011.

More than five years passed before there was any other break in the case.

On April 28, 2015, a hunter found a human skull in a wooded area of Gouldsboro, according to the Wayne County coroner in Pennsylvania.

One of Rymko’s relatives submitted DNA to compare it to DNA on the skull and the coroner reviewed the comparison report on Monday.

Authorities determined the skull was that of George Rymko. No other remains were found and the cause and manner of death have not been determined.

An outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) has been confirmed in Bethany and as many as 35 horses may have been exposed, according to the Equine Disease Communication Center.

Symptoms were first noticed on Dec. 5 in a private facility. A 4-year-old Quarter mare tested positive, and tests are pending on three other horses.

All four of those horses were vaccinated and are receiving treatment.

Symptoms of EHM include fevers between 102 – 104 degrees, a lack of appetite, hind limb weakness and dribbling urine.

There is no cure for EHM, which causes neurological problems and can be fatal.

Officials estimate 30-35 horses may have been exposed and 20 are in quarantine established by the state Department of Agriculture.

For more information on EHM, click here. 

Berlin police are searching for a suspect accused of ramming a police car while driving a stolen vehicle.

Police said officers and Hunters Ambulance personnel were initially called to assist the suspect, identified as Aaron Rugar, with a medical issue.

According to police, during the response officers discovered he was driving a stolen vehicle and asked him to get out of the car. Instead, he fled, ramming a police vehicle out of the way and hitting the ambulance during his escape.

Rugar was last seen driving the stolen vehicle, a gray 2007 Toyota Rav 4, Connecticut plate 303WAM. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact Berlin police at 860-828-7080.

A UPS driver is accused of stealing from customers while out on deliveries in North Haven.

Twenty-six-year-old Quintell Suggs was arrested on larceny charges Monday.

According to police, a Giles Avenue resident witnessed Suggs steal a video game out of her mailbox while he was delivering another package. The resident called police and officers returned the video game.

Through investigation, police determined that Suggs had also stolen a $150 BOSE speaker off the desk of a Republic Drive business while he was making a delivery there. The speaker was found in the UPS truck.

Police said Suggs was a temporary holiday employee and had been hired by UPS two days before the thefts.

Suggs was also wanted on a failure to appear charge for a motor vehicle violation, police said.

He was held on a $10,000 bond.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to UPS for comment.

A cancer researcher flying from Texas to New York City told NBC News she was booted off her plane on Friday after breastfeeding her cranky son so he wouldn’t cry on the three-hour flight.

The woman, who asked to only be identified as Dr. Rui for privacy reasons — but who is an accomplished researcher and pianist, according to The Washington Post — said she and her son were forced off the Spirit Airlines plane after she asked flight attendants to give her a little extra time to finish feeding her 2-year-old and transfer him to his seat without waking him up.

“I think they had an issue with either nursing or something,” she said. “I don’t know.”

In a statement Sunday night, Spirit Airlines said Rui “refused to comply with crew instructions during active taxi several times” and that it issued a full refund to her as a courtesy.

Rui told NBC News that she, her son and her elderly parents woke up at 3 a.m. to get ready for their 6:30 a.m. flight from George Bush International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport, but ended up waiting for several hours for their flight to take off. In that time, her son got upset because he had been woken up and wanted to go back to sleep.

Rui added she decided to breastfeed the boy shortly before departure, noting that passengers and crew members were still walking around in the cabin at the time. But she said not long after she began, two flight attendants asked her to buckle up her son.

“I had asked for a couple minutes of grace period so he could stay asleep and so I can transfer him and he can go to sleep,” she said.

Afterward, Rui said she buckled her son back in, and a woman changed seats because her son began to cry very loudly.

“I felt so bad for everybody on the flight,” she said, adding that she was then asked to get off the plane, where she was met by police and a Spirit Airlines employee.

She then began capturing video of the exchange with the employee, asking "why were we chased off" the plane.

Her son can be heard fussing off camera as the employee replies, "Because you were not compliant with flight crew instructions."

Rui also claimed airline employees threatened to “bring in the FBI” after she was deplaned.

“We were very scared, as you could imagine,” she said.

According to the Post, she never got booked on another flight and didn’t complete the trip to New York City. Instead, she said, while driving home, her father collapsed and had to be taken to the emergency room.

A viral video of a North Texas teenager surprising her boyfriend with a car for Christmas has prompted a wave of racist comments, tainting the heartfelt gesture with hate.

"Many people were saying I was destroying my lineage," said Madison Duke, who is white. "Every racist comment you could think of, it was there." 

The 16-year-old has been dating Christian Hunter, 17, for 11 months. Hunter is black.

Duke said her parents wanted to gift Hunter a car because he's a "genuine and caring person." She said her parents raised money over the course of six weeks to buy a 2005 Scion.

On the day Hunter was to receive his present, Duke's parents told him they were going out for lunch but needed to make a quick stop first.

A video of the big reveal posted on social media showed Hunter arriving at a garage with Duke's parents, speechless at the site of the car with a big red bow on the hood. 

"Merry Christmas," Duke's stepfather says in the video.

The video, which has been viewed 1.5 million times as of Tuesday night, was posted online Saturday. The couple said the initial wave of positive response was followed by hundreds of hateful comments.

"We were shocked," Duke said.

The comments have since been disabled on the couple's YouTube page. The teens say they're determined to not let hate ruin their happiness.

"Don't judge a book by its cover. People that made all the racists comments about me, they know anything about me. I know I'm an intelligent person. I know I'm very humble. They don't know anything about me," Hunter said.

With red-hot embers raining down on homes and rows of palm trees ablaze, San Diego fire crews set out to protect houses caught in the middle of the Lilac Fire. One firefighter left behind a sweet note for a couple whose home was damaged, but saved.

“Sorry about the door and ceiling. Had to get in there to save the home,” the handwritten note on a small piece of notepad paper read. It was signed “San Diego Fire,” followed by a small “Good Luck.”

The note was left behind by Ernie Valdez, an engineer with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD), who worked with other firefighters to save the home of Lindsey Jarrous and her husband, Michael, as the wind-driven Lilac Fire ripped through Bonsall in San Diego’s North County last week.

The 4,100-acre fire, which sparked Thursday around 11:15 a.m. off State Route 76 and Interstate 15, eventually destroyed 157 structures and damaged 64 others.

The Jarrous’ home was damaged, but spared, thanks to the quick work of SDFD crews. When the couple returned home, they found their residence still standing and the nice note left behind by firefighters apologizing for the damage. Lindsey took to social media Monday to share the note in hopes of finding the heroes.

On Tuesday, NBC 7 spoke with the scribe, Valdez, who said he wrote the note to let the residents know what had happened.

“It was just something I did out of the split second,” he recalled. “It was a quick note. I just wanted the homeowner to know we did the damage for a reason. I just decided to write them a quick note, letting them know we’re not a bunch of Neanderthals, just destroying property. We had a purpose for what we did.”

The mission was to save the home and others like it, by any means necessary.

Valdez said the house was part of a complex of townhomes in rural Bonsall surrounded by palm trees. As firefighters drove into the complex, those palms were covered in flames as if they’d been individually set on fire, “like candles on a birthday cake.”

Embers from the trees were shooting down onto rooftops, threatening to burn down the houses, including the Jarrous' home.

“They were 50 to 60-foot Mexican palm trees on fire. They were spitting embers and palm fronds everywhere. That was, in turn, catching yards on fire, houses on fire, burning our firefighters on the neck — everything,” recounted SDFD Capt. Matthew Praizner.

When firefighters reached the Jarrous’ home, the embers were overwhelming the property. They kicked in the door.

The captain told NBC 7 that when his crew went into the home, he immediately noticed the residents’ Christmas decorations.

“There was so much love and warmth in the house,” he said. “And we said, ‘We will do whatever we possibly had to give Christmas to these people.’”

Firefighters ran to an attic space on the second floor where Praizner said the fire was deep-seated, in the insulation. Valdez said the attack was swift and aggressive, all to keep the home from being ravaged by the fire.

“The whole house would’ve burned down – absolutely, for sure,” Praizner added.

Valdez was providing water to the firefighters through their hoses. With the weight of the water on top of the drywall, the rooftop of the Jarrous home collapsed into a bedroom.

Still, firefighters were able to put out the fire.

On a final walkthrough of the property, Valdez noticed the mess left behind in the home.

“The mess we left from our boot prints, to where the hose line was dragged through, to the roof falling on their bedroom furniture,” he explained.

He remembered he had a notepad and pen on him, and quickly wrote the residents a note, leaving it on an entertainment center in the living room.

“I wrote this to let someone know why we caused the damage we did, even though their home was still standing,” he said. “Even though we are the fire department, we are still a customer service department.”

The Jarrous couple said they are certainly appreciative of the work of Valdez, Praizner and their crew.

“We are so so so very grateful for the firefighters who saved our home!” a message posted by Lindsey to Instagram read, in part. “Although we have damage (like water damage and our bedroom ceiling being on the floor) we have our home! We feel very blessed!!”

NBC 7 caught up with the couple Tuesday. They are newlyweds and this will be their first Christmas as a married couple. Thanks to the firefighters, they'll be able to spend the holidays in their home, where the Christmas tree and decorations still stand.

Michael told NBC 7 they were so moved by the letter from Valdez, he now keeps the piece of paper safely tucked away in his wallet. 

"I was really touched. The fact that they made a strong effort to preserve our home; this is the place for us," he said, looking at his wife and holding back tears. "We're just grateful."

"(The note) was just really, really thoughtful. In the midst of all the chaos, they were able to even say sorry that they damaged some of our stuff, but they saved most of it," Lindsey added.

Michael said he writes notes to his wife every morning before he heads out for his very early shift at work. Lindsey leaves notes for him, too. Since notes are something the couple shares often, the note from Valdez tugged at their heartstrings.

"Notes are a big thing for us," said Lindsey. "So, that was special."

The couple said, in their home, notes are a way to say "I love you" when the other person isn't around. They keep every note and never thought they'd be adding one from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to their collection.

"We're blessed by their sacrifice and grateful to God for giving them courage to save our home," Lindsey added.

The couple plans to thank Valdez and the SDFD strike team that saved their home in a fitting way: by writing them a note.

As of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Lilac Fire was 95 percent contained, with full containment expected by Dec. 21. Cal Fire said a total of 1,659 fire personnel had worked on the fire since Thursday.

Police have charged a 58-year-old Torrington woman with cruelty to animals weeks after authorities removed 21 cats, three live dogs and three dead dogs from her home on Beechwood Avenue.

Torrington police said the investigation began after Torrington Regional Animal Control received a complaint about the well-being of animals at 163 Beechwood Ave. The person told police the house was cluttered and there were several cats and dogs in the house, some of which were caged and some of which loose.

Police said the owner was uncooperative and would not let authorities check the condition of the animals.

Animal control officers and detectives obtained a search and seizure warrant and removed the animals from the home on Nov. 17. Police said there were 21 cats and three dogs living in the house. They also found three dead dogs during the search.

Most of the animals were in cages and did have food and water. Officers said there were items piled up throughout the house and the conditions made it difficult to gather the loose animals.

All the animals will be cared for by Torrington Regional Animal Control and will be evaluated by veterinary services.

NBC Connecticut went to the house the day police announced they seized the animals and there was no answer.

Robin Betz has been charged with cruelty to animals and failure to have rabies vaccinations for the animals. Betz was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and she is due in court on Dec. 18.

Officials from the state Department of Consumer Protection are issuing a warning about a man they said is posing as a contractor but is not licensed or registered to do the work.

The Department of Consumer Protection said they have received 14 complaints about 54-year-old Michael D. Ranno Jr. since 2014 and nine of those have been since this September. He uses multiple addresses, including in Cheshire and Meriden, according to the Department of Consumer Protection.

The department has an open investigation into allegations that he has taken deposits from several businesses throughout Connecticut, performed little or no work and failed to take out permits or started work without a permit.

State officials said Ranno does not hold any occupational or trade licenses, such as plumbing, and is not registered as a home improvement contractor.

They said they have received complaints about him from other states as well.

“Be sure to check that any contractor you are considering hiring is properly licensed or registered,” Michelle H. Seagull, commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “Always ask if the contractor will be doing the work themselves or using sub-contractors, and if they are, who those subcontractors are. Always ask about building permits, and make sure your contract matches payments with the progress of the job.”

Anyone who knows where he is, whether he is in Connecticut or out of state, or has additional information about his current business dealings is asked to e-mail dcp.occupationalenforcement@ct.gov.

State officials are also asking anyone who knows where he is to contact the police in that town to notify them that there is an open warrant for allegations of larceny and performing plumbing work without a license.

Consumers or businesses that have a contract with Ranno that has not been fulfilled or for which he did work that requires a license or registration are asked to file a complaint to dcp.complaints@ct.gov with our complaint form, any contracts, proof of payment and details about the work.

Puerto Rico is slowly rebuilding from the destruction Hurricane Maria brought in September. A map created by Google shows organizations and campaigns in need of funds to continue aiding the families, farmers and even pets trying to survive on the island.

Here are a few of them:

The Boricua Organization of Ecological Agriculture
The nonprofit, grassroots organization helps support farming in Puerto Rico. The 28-year-old social justice movement is made up of farmers, educators and activists building sustainable agriculture platforms to make food accessible to rural and urban communities. The organization is asking for donations through its PayPal at organizacion.boricicua@gmail.com.

World Center Kitchen
This organization, which has helped deliver food to victims affected by hurricanes in the past, used #ChefsforPuertoRico to encourage chefs to step out of their kitchens and into the streets to help victims of Hurricane Maria. The organization has served three million meals across 78 municipalities in 20 kitchens. All donations are being accepted through its PayPal.

Puerto Rico Science
The organization aims to unite “science” and “collaboration” with the help of scientists, educators and students to reconstruct Puerto Rico. The program educates the younger generation about renewable energy, environment sustainability, clean and portable water, and ecosystem issues. The idea is that by educating children on these issues, they will help to rebuild a stronger and resilient Puerto Rico in the long term. The organization is asking for $15,000 in donations for the collaboration project.

Light and Hope for Puerto Rico: A Citizen Campaign
The C+Feel=Hope campaign was created to find a solution for the power outage Puerto Rico is still suffering. The campaign provides solar powered lights, mobile phone chargers and hand powered washers for families in need. The campaign is partnered with Solar Sister, Omnivoltaic, Schneider Electric, MPOWERD and Celancut. The campaign has a goal of raising $100,000.

Rock Steady for Life
Organized by Richard ‘Crazy Legs’ from the 80’s group, Rock Steady Crew with Red Bull, Waves for Water and several Puerto Rican artists, the partnership supports water filtration and purification systems. Its Go Fund Me has a goal of $125,000 and it updates on the page how the money is being used. The funds will also support the Boys and Girls Club of Isabela, an organization that is providing shelter, food, and necessities to people in need.

Feminist Solidarity Hurricane Relief Fund
The feminist organization is raising funds for a distribution center for resources and necessities for women, the LGBTQ community and other people in need. The organization is trying to raise $30,000 for its efforts.

The SATO Project
If you’re dog lover you can support the SATO project; an organization dedicated to rescuing abused and abandoned dogs from the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico. Since Hurricane Maria, the organization has helped to evacuate over 300 dogs to safety and to reunite them their owners or find them new families. To help support a furry friend, consider donating to The Sato Project.

Gov. Dannel Malloy is issuing a directive for U.S. and State of Connecticut flags to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, Dec. 14, in remembrance of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

The shooting killed 20 first-graders and six educators on Dec. 14, 2012.

Since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags – including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise – should also be lowered during this same duration of time.

At least 40 teachers from Stratford will be laid off, starting in January. 

The superintendent said Stratford’s town council wants the schools to cut $700,000. 

Supt. Janet Robinson said she had proposed that every person in the district do two furlough days to avoid layoffs and presented it to the unions, but the teachers union said no, she said. 

The teachers’ union released a statement, saying it stands firmly against “any and all actions that harm and punish students, including the superintendent’s furlough plan.” 

“The plan to close Stratford Public Schools for two days before the end of the year would be harmful and disruptive to students, teachers, parents, and the community,” Stratford Education Association President Michael Fiorello said in a statement. “We are already doing more with less, and our schools can’t absorb more cuts that would result in even fewer resources, the elimination of programs for students, larger class sizes, as well as teacher layoffs and involuntary teacher transfers.” 

Robinson said the layoffs will be across the district and she hates for this to happen before Christmas.

She plans to let the people who will be affected know Friday or Monday.

The governor has provided several deficit mitigation options to legislative leadership to review to deal with the nearly $208 million current year deficit. 

In a letter to the leaders, Gov. Dannel Malloy said his administration is providing the legislature with a “menu of choices” for their consideration, including expenditure reductions and revenue options. 

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His office said they total almost $303 million, so legislators could consider selecting among them to balance the budget. 

Or, his office said, legislators could take all of the options to put the budget almost $95 million in projected surplus. 

“I understand that these options will be almost universally objectionable, and that there is little appetite among you or your members for making such adjustments to your budget,” Malloy wrote. “In fact, I agree these changes are difficult and that in better economic times, with a balanced budget, none of us would put them on the table for consideration. However, I have a clear statutory obligation to provide you with a plan to mitigate the deficit. Moreover, I believe we do a disservice to the public when we defer necessary steps and fail to take decisive action, ultimately making the cost to taxpayers and damage to government services even more severe.” 

The governor was required to provide a deficit mitigation plan to the General Assembly by Dec. 31.

“I have received the governor’s deficit mitigation options and am reviewing the details. At first look, a nearly $200 million tax increase is a nonstarter for our state," Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano, R-North Haven, said in a statement. "Connecticut is suffering deficits due to a sluggish economy created by years of historic tax increases passed by Gov. Malloy and Democrat lawmakers without any thought for how these taxes would hurt our state in the long run. I have serious concerns about many aspects of the governor’s menu of options, but I will continue to review the full list of choices in detail and look forward to meeting with fellow legislators to outline an appropriate course of action.”

NBC Connecticut meteorologists are tracking an Alberta clipper that will bring snow to the state Thursday morning just in time for the morning commute and have issued a First Alert.

An Albert clipper is a rather fast-moving system that originates near or around the Alberta province of Canada and gets drawn into the jet stream tracking southeast eventually making its way into Connecticut.

This system won't bring much snow to the state, however the timing of the snow is what will cause issues. 

We're forecasting light snow to overspread the state during the early morning hours. Check out the exact timing with First Alert Future Radar below.

Snowfall accumulations from the system will be around a coating to an inch with a few isolated areas picking up two inches. 

IMPACTS

The main impact with this system will be tricky driving conditions which could result in school delays tomorrow morning. It really doesn't take much snow to make travel conditions treacherous. In fact studies show that more traffic accidents occur in a 1 to 2 inch storm than during a larger storm over 2 inches.

TIMING

First Alert Future Radar shows snow moving into the state after midnight and should overspread the state by 4 a.m. Temperatures will be well below freezing which will allow for the snow to stick immediately.

First Alert Future Radar shows the snow falling at a light to moderate rate by 6 a.m.

First Alert Future Radar shows the snow starting to wrap up by 8 a.m. with lingering light snow showers through 10 a.m.

Over 1 million people chose insurance through the federal health care exchange last week as open enrollment approaches its Dec. 15 deadline. But the total number is likely to fall short of last year, which featured both a longer enrollment period and a far more robust outreach campaign from the White House, NBC News reported.

According to the latest figures, released Wednesday by the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), 388,984 new customers signed up between Dec. 3 and Dec. 9 while an additional 684,937 renewed existing coverage. The numbers are likely to surge again in the home stretch as customers finalize selections and others who have existing coverage, but have not chosen plans, are auto-enrolled.

Just under 4.7 million people have signed up since open enrollment began Nov. 1, up from 4 million at a comparable point last year. But the previous enrollment period was longer and continued through Jan. 31, reaching a total of 9.2 million. 

Top Trump administration officials have made little public mention of the enrollment period in contrast to the previous White House, where President Barack Obama participated in interviews and events to encourage signups.

As the clock ticks on looming eligibility cuts to the Medicare Savings Program, the people who would be impacted – seniors and the disabled – are pleading for help.

The new state budget chopped the income threshold.

State lawmakers are hoping to force a special session to address the cuts by signing petitions and asking Gov. Dannel Malloy to call a special session.

The new restrictions were supposed to go into effect on Jan. 1, however, the cuts have been postponed until March to review individual cases. 

If state lawmakers choose to fully restore the program, they’d need to find about $54 million to fund the rest of the fiscal year and another $130 million the year after that.

"It is a life or death [situation]," New London resident Dana Parandes said.

Parandes fears he’ll no longer be able to afford the health coverage he’s receiving as part of the Medicare Savings Program.

Since Parandes is receiving cancer treatment, he said, with the proposed cuts, he’d be on the hook for about an extra $130 a month and is not able to work to offset that.

"If I’m not seeing a physician, I can’t very well get medication," Parandes said.

The governor’s office said the cuts to the Medicare Savings Program would impact up to 113,000 seniors or people with disabilities.

Rep. Chris Soto said about 1,000 people would feel the impact in New London. That’s about 3 percent of the city’s population.

Soto and Sen. Paul Formica addressed concerns at the New London Senior Center on Wednesday.

Both men signed a petition to force a special session to help block the cuts.

"We talk about a fix. There’s not necessarily going to be a fix. We’re looking to be looking for another program to cut," Soto said.

Soto wants to lessen that burden by redistributing funds. He mentioned education funding for towns that are over-funded and have decreasing enrollments.

Formica wouldn’t elaborate on where he thinks funding should be shifted from. But he said there’s a bi-partisan plan.

"We have a fix and it’s been agreed on by the four caucuses. We just need an opportunity to present it," Formica said.

A representative from the Senior Resources Agency on Aging, an area non-profit, was on hand, to break down the situation to those in attendance.