Quantcast
Channel: NBC Connecticut
Viewing all 57608 articles
Browse latest View live

'Black Panther' Smashed Thursday Night Box Office Records

0
0

Marvel Studios' "Black Panther" has already had a record-breaking night and the movie can expect to triple or more its numbers in the coming week, CNBC reported.

The first solo movie featuring Marvel's African avenger took in over $25 million.

"Black Panther" performed even stronger than expected Friday, bringing the first-day domestic estimate to $75.8 million, according to industry sources.

The Ryan Coogler-directed film stars Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther also featuring Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong'o.





Photo Credit: Matt Kennedy/Marvel Studios-Disney via AP

Rubio: 'Broken' System Caused Shooting, Not Lack of Gun Ban

0
0

Following the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people, parents are calling for change and are demanding that political leaders take action.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he would be "angry" if he were a student or parent who had been personally experienced a school shooting. He sat down with NBC 6 anchor Sheli Muñiz to discuss what change will come from Wednesday’s shooting.

When Muñiz asked how the gunman was able to obtain a weapon, Rubio said, "The system is broken."

"When that background check was run, it didn’t say he had been expelled from school, it didn’t say that there had been 30 police calls, that he had these social media posts – none of that," he said.

Rubio argues that there needs to be a better vetting process.

On the other side, Florida state Sen. Gary Farmer, a Democrat, called for a ban on assault weapons at a gun reform rally Saturday. The ban was in place from 1994 until 2004.

When asked about the assault weapon ban, Rubio contested that it would be ineffective.

"They are already out there. People can buy them. They’re grandfathered in under the law,” he said.

On Friday, an online activist group placed three mobile billboards outside of his office, inspired by the movie “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”

The buses read “Slaughtered in school,” “And still no gun control” and “How come, Marco Rubio?”

“I say any of the laws that they would have wanted passed would not have prevented this attack," he said. "That doesn’t mean we should not pass any laws. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pass these laws. There may be a different reason why we need these laws."

The Florida senator also said that the anti-assault weapons activists campaign ignores attempted action, like sponsoring bills for a mental health database and school safety measures. 

Rubio also denied reports he took millions from the National Rifle Association.

“It’s false. They haven’t given me $3.3 million. They may have spent $3.3 million in campaigns I was involved in, but that could very well have been going against my opponent,” he said.

When asked what action could be taken following the Parkland shooting, Rubio conceded, "If history is an indicator, maybe nothing and that would be unfortunate."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

From Green Beret to Bobsledder: Meet Team USA's Nate Weber

0
0

Sgt. 1st Class Nate Weber took an unconventional path to becoming an Olympic bobsledder. Instead of training in a gym, he prepared for competition while deployed in Niger, Cameroon and Afghanistan.

"Training for the Olympics is definitely harder than basic training just because here there's no one to tell you to do it," the 30-year-old father of two told NBC’s Hans Nichols.

Becoming a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces — often called the Green Berets — takes incredible dedication and commitment. As the "Today" show reported, Weber used the Green Beret’s "unconventional warfare" methods as strength-building opportunities, and he trained for bobsled by pulling military vehicles, pulling large bricks and sprinting down dusty roads while overseas.

Weber said qualifying for the Olympics "has been one of the biggest blessings of my entire life" — and it's a blessing he wants to be able to share with his two young daughters. His deployments have kept him far from home, so Weber started a GoFundMe to raise money for his girls to travel to Pyeongchang to see their dad race.

[[473754053,C]]

"I want to make them proud," he said.

Click here to read the full story by Julia Curley, and learn more about Weber and the U.S. men's bobsled team, at TODAY.com.

Click here to watch the men's bobsled competition kick off in Pyeongchang live on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 6:05 a.m. ET at NBCOlympics.com. Weber will compete in the four-man event on Feb. 24. 

[[461096553,C]]



Photo Credit: TODAY.com
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

'Get Smart America': Trump Says Russia's Laughing at US

0
0

President Donald Trump continued his defensive commentary on Friday's indictments of Russians in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, saying Russia "succeeded beyond their wildest dreams" in dividing America and is now laughing at the U.S.

[[474417553, C]]

Thirteen Russians and three Russian organizations were indicted Friday for allegedly interfering in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections with the intention of promoting Trump’s candidacy. Charges listed in the 37-page document include conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, and they are the most direct allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election that put Trump in the White House.

Trump also asserted that he "never said Russia did not meddle in the election" and harkened back to a comment he made at a 2016 debate that the meddling "could be Russia, but it could also be China. It could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, OK?"

He insisted that the "Russian 'hoax'" he repeatedly refers to "was that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia - it never did!"

The president has repeatedly expressed skepticism over the Russian election meddling. In November, he said he believed the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that there had been meddling but also said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin is sincere when he says Russia didn't interfere.

[[474313573, C]]

In his rapid-fire series of tweets Sunday, Trump also thanked — and attacked — Rep. Adam Schiff, who said the Obama administration should have created a "more forceful deterrent" against adversaries wanting to launch cyber attacks on the U.S.

The House Intelligence Committee's top Democrat pointed to the Obama administration's muted response to the 2014 Sony hacking, telling NBC Friday that "others around the world watched that and determined that cyber is a cost-free intervention."

Schiff argued the Obama administration, therefore, shares some responsibility for what happened with Russia, adding, "We should have called them out much earlier."

Former President Barack Obama in late 2016 defended his administration's response to the Russian meddling, also saying he had confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin that September, telling him to "cut it out." And former Vice President Joe Biden recently said Obama didn't want to politicize the threat and that the full scope of the meddling wasn't known until after the 2016 election.

Trump analyzed Schiff's comments, tweeting Sunday, "Finally, Liddle’ Adam Schiff, the leakin’ monster of no control, is now blaming the Obama Administration for Russian meddling in the 2016 Election. He is finally right about something. Obama was President, knew of the threat, and did nothing. Thank you Adam!"

He added: "Now that Adam Schiff is starting to blame President Obama for Russian meddling in the election, he is probably doing so as yet another excuse that the Democrats, lead by their fearless leader, Crooked Hillary Clinton, lost the 2016 election. But wasn’t I a great candidate?"

Trump's response to the indictments has largely focused on himself and his election victory, which he has continued to argue was fairly achieved without the help of Russia. He has quoted political commentators — and a Facebook official — who he says also believe there is no evidence of collusion or swaying of the election.

The White House doubled down on the president's assertions, writing in all caps in a Friday statement that there was "NO COLLUSION."

Though the president and White House are correct in that collusion was not proven in the indictment Friday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the probe, had carefully chosen his words Friday when he said, "There is no allegation in the indictment that any American was a knowing participant in the alleged unlawful activity."

Aside from encouraging Americans to "come together" and "stop the outlandish partisan attacks," Trump has refrained from suggesting any kind of retribution for a foreign adversary infiltrating America's electoral processes. However, a top administration official took a more direct route.

National security adviser H.R. McMaster said in Germany Saturday that the evidence of Moscow's meddling is "incontrovertible," adding that "the United States will expose and act against those who use cyberspace, social media and other means to advance campaigns of disinformation, subversion and espionage."

Trump clapped back Saturday at McMaster's forceful language, once again bringing the conversation back to his 2016 win and pointing the finger at his political opponents.

"General McMaster forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC and the Dems. Remember the Dirty Dossier, Uranium, Speeches, Emails and the Podesta Company!" the president tweeted.

Turning to a different topic Sunday, but continuing to criticize his opponents, Trump railed against law enforcement over an Obama-era payment to Iran, tweeting that he has "never gotten over the fact that Obama was able to send $1.7 Billion Dollars in CASH to Iran and nobody in Congress, the FBI or Justice called for an investigation!"

The Obama administration transferred the money to Iran in 2016, using non-U.S. currency. The administration said it was the settlement of a decades-old arbitration claim between the countries. An initial payment was delivered the same day Tehran agreed to release four American prisoners.

The Obama administration eventually acknowledged the cash was used as leverage until the Americans were allowed to leave Iran. Congressional Republicans decried the payment as ransom, which the Obama administration denied.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: AP, File
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Pyeongchang Games by the Numbers: Norway Leads Medal Count

0
0

Japanese speed skater Nao Kodaira breaks an Olympic record, Alpine skier Marcel Hirscher continues to dominate and Norway is on top in the medal count. Here are the Pyeongchang Games by the numbers:

36.94 Japan’s Nao Kodaira smashed the Olympic speedskating record in the women’s 500-meter with a time of 36.94 seconds. She beating the defending champion, South Korea’s Lee Sang-hwa, who took the silver with a time of 37.33 seconds while the Czech Republic’s Karolina Erbanova was third at 37.34.

The U.S. women's hopes for a medal in the race dissolved, with Brittany Bowe finishing fifth, and her teammate Heather Bergsma, 11th. A year ago, Bergsma appeared to be America’s best hope for ending its speedskating struggles, but in the past year, she only won one World Cup race. And in her first two races in the Olympics, in the 1000m and 1500m, she finished in eighth place in both.

Earlier in the Games, U.S. short-track speed skater John-Henry Krueger took silver in the men's 1000-meter, winning the United States’ first individual speed skating medal since 2010.

2 The world’s best male Alpine skier, Marcel Hirscher, won his second gold medal of the Pyeongchang Olympics in the giant slalom. Hirscher took his first at the Alpine combined event earlier in the Games. Hirscher has a good chance at a third gold medal in his best event, the slalom, which is scheduled for Thursday. Going into the Games, Hirscher had won six consecutive World Cup overall titles and 55 World Cup races but an Olympic gold had eluded him until now. The U.S.’s Ted Ligety, the giant slalom winner in Sochi, finished 15.

37 Norway is currently leading the medal count in Pyeongchang with 26 — nine gold, nine silver and eight bronze. The country is on pace to pass a milestone: the most medals by one nation at the Olympic Winter Games. Norway would own the title if it wins 38 medals. Team USA currently owns the record, with 37. So far in Pyeongchang it has 10, behind the Olympic Athletes from Russia, who have 11. Germany has 18, Canada, 16 and the Netherlands, 13.

4 France’s Martin Fourcade won his fourth Olympic gold medal in a photo finish in the men’s 15 kilometer mass start biathlon. Germany’s Simon Schempp was directly behind him. Fourcade couldn’t believe his victory: “I’m still waiting for them to tell me that I’m not the winner,” Fourcade said Sunday. This was Fourcade’s second metal of the Pyeongchang Games — he also won gold in the men’s 12.5 kilometer biathlon pursuit - and his sixth Olympic medal overall. And it’s his second photo finish, but the last time, at the Sochi Games four years ago, he lost the gold medal by just three centimeters in the mass start.

4 Unlucky four? Called “tetraphobia,” the superstition comes about because the word for “four” in Korean is a homophone for “death.”

128.51 Oleksandr Abramenko’s gold-medal overall score in the men’s freestyle skiing aerials in Pyeongchang, giving Ukraine its first medal of the Winter Games and first ever freestyle skiing medal. China's Jia Zongyang won silver with a score just a hair below Abramenko’s. Russian athlete Ilia Burov won bronze.

5 Norway won its fifth cross-country skiing gold medal of the Pyeongchang Games when Oystein Braaten won gold in the men’s ski slopestyle. American Nick Goepper added a silver medal to the bronze he won four years ago in Sochi, while his teammate Gus Kenworthy finished last.




Photo Credit: John Locher/AP
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

New London Police Investigate Stabbing

0
0

New London police are investigating a stabbing on Crystal Avenue Saturday.

Police said crews responded to a 911 call reporting a stabbing victim at 40 Crystal Ave. around 5:30 p.m. When crews arrived they found a male victim suffering a stab wound to his upper chest. He was taken to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The victim's condition was not released.

The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the New London Police Department's Communications Center at 860-447-5269 ext. 0 or the New London Tips 411 system by texting NLPDTip plus the information to Tip411 (847411).



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Petition: JROTC Cadet Killed in Fla. Shooting Deserves Military Burial

0
0

When a gunman tore through Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday, killing 17 people and injuring several others, a student named Peter Wang is said to have selflessly held open doors for classmates and teachers to escape the building as gunshots rang through the air.

During the courageous act, he was fatally shot, and now people want him to be posthumously honored.

Wang was one of 14 beloved students killed in the Feb. 14 shooting rampage. The 15-year-old student was a JROTC cadet, last seen in uniform holding a door open so others could escape the attack. Wang’s noble actions during those harrowing moments have been shared far and wide on social media, and many people have signed a White House petition is calling for a full honors military burial for the fallen cadet.

“His selfless and heroic actions have led to the survival of dozens in the area,” the petition reads. “Wang died a hero, and deserves to be treated as such, and deserves a full honors military burial.”

The petition garnered more than 14,000 signatures as of Sunday morning, and it needs 100,000 by March 18 to get a response from the White House. The petition can be viewed here.

Throughout the chaos of the shooting, friends and relatives of Wang thought he was missing. After checking with local hospitals, they found out he had been killed.

“He wasn’t supposed to die,” Wang’s cousin, Aaron Chen, told First Coast News.



Photo Credit: Sun Sentinel

Man in Critical Condition After Hartford Shooting

0
0

A man is in critical condition after a shooting in Hartford Sunday morning.

The shooting happened in the area of Albany Avenue and Adams Street around 9:20 a.m. Police said the 43-year-old victim was shot in the torso and rushed to Saint Francis where he is listed in critical but stable condition. He is expected to survive.

The victim is known to police and has 50 previous Hartford arrests, including an arrest on Dec. 15, 2017, for criminal possession of a firearm and sale of narcotics, according to police.

According to police, a plow driver witnessed the shooting and a vehicle speeding away from the scene. Officers recovered four .22 caliber shell casings on scene.

The case remains under investigation.

No other details were immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

[[474422463, C]]



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

'Get on the Right Side': Shooting Survivors Decry 'Inaction'

0
0

The young students who survived Wednesday's deadly massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have found themselves at the center of the country's tempestuous gun control debate — and they're not shying away.

Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky, Alex Wind and Jaclyn Corin appeared on a slew of Sunday morning shows, including NBC's "Meet the Press" with Chuck Todd, to tell politicians not to let their 17 classmates and teachers die in vain.

"This is our opportunity to talk to President Trump, [Florida] Gov. Rick Scott and state Sen. Marco Rubio to make sure that they know we are talking directly to them and all other members of the United States government that are being funded by the NRA," said Gonzalez, a senior. "Now is the time to get on the right side of this."

[[474425453, C]]

Gonzalez is one of several students who spoke at a rally in Ft. Lauderdale Saturday. She railed against politicians and led a "we call B.S." chant with the hundreds of people who attended the protest against gun violence.

Hogg shared Gonzalez's anger over what he called "inaction and debate" from government officials, saying he would not feel safe returning to his Parkland, Florida, classroom "until reasonable mental health care legislation and gun control legislation is passed."

"This is the time for discussion and for all people ... to come together as Americans through love and compassion," the senior said. "So many people lost loved ones. Our community and our nation have taken too many bullets to the heart, and now is the time for us to stand up."

Hogg said the status quo is "unacceptable."

"How many more students are gonna have to die and have their blood spilled in American classrooms trying to make the world a better place, just because politicians refuse to take action?" Hogg asked.

Hogg is a news director at Stoneman Douglas and recorded video of Wednesday's rampage while he hid with other students. As bullets sprayed through the halls, Hogg interviewed his classmates and documented their fear.

Kasky, however, said he is looking forward to returning to school, to "be with the community and be around everybody supporting each other."

"One of the best things to come out of this horrible tragedy is the fact that Parkland has stayed strong, and we're not gonna let the 17 bullets we just took take us down," the junior said. "If anything we’re gonna keep running and we're gonna lead the rest of the nation behind us."

Kasky added: "The attention is on us now. People are watching."

Fla. state Sen. Lauren Book announced Sunday that about 100 Stoneman Douglas students will travel to Tallahassee and meet with senators and House members "on both sides of the aisle" and hold a press conference afterward to "share their experiences, ideas, and messages" following the shooting. 

And Trump also announced Sunday that he will host Stoneman Douglas students and teachers in a listening session Wednesday.



Photo Credit: NBC
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

2018 HuskyTHON Breaks $1 Million Fundraising Goal

0
0

UConn’s HuskyTHON fundraiser just had its biggest year yet, blowing by a $1 million fundraising goal and setting a new record for the event.

The HuskyTHON Dance Marathon is an annual fundraiser for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Thousands of students turned out for the event, which started at 6 p.m. Saturday and went until noon Sunday.

Organizers confirmed that this year’s event raised $1,021,485 – blowing away last year’s total and the previous record of $836,174.


HuskyTHON is a year-long effort that culminates with the Dance Marathon. The first HuskyTHON in 2000 raised $13,878. Year after year the event has grown into one of the largest student-run philanthropy event in New England and in 2016 it was named the 11th top collegiate fundraiser in the nation by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Student teams organize year-long fundraising events leading up to the dance marathon.

The event isn’t just about the students. Each team sponsors a child who shows up for the party.

For more information on HuskyTHON, click here.



Photo Credit: Joyce Sylvain

Snowstorm Encourages Skiers, Snowboarders to Hit the Slopes

0
0

With plenty of blue sky above and fresh snow on the slopes, thousands of skiers and snowboarders took advantage of the conditions at Mt. Southington on Sunday.

“It’s Presidents Weekend and it was a nice day. It snowed last night. So it was great conditions today,” Norwalk resident Rachel Hughes said.

People carved turns with five inches of new powder on the ski area’s 16 trails.

This weekend’s snowstorm tempted some to try skiing for the first time. With temperatures in the 40s, the staff broke out the outdoor grill and even pulled out t-shirts.

“It was really warm and it was great to have some fresh snow rather than the icy conditions we’ve had in the recent couple of months,” Dawn Alger of Haddam, said.

“People have just been itching. Every weekend we’ve seem to gotten a little rain up until now. And this was the perfect forecast, couldn’t ask for anything more,” Jay Dougherty, general manager of Mt. Southington, said.

Dougherty estimated the crowd at 2,000 people, one of the busiest days here in years.

“They weren’t as bad as I thought. In the beginning it was kind of crowded but it evened out,” Norwalk resident Caitlin Georgoff said.

The staff credits the blockbuster turnout on the snow falling at night, quickly followed by a beautiful day and all landing on a holiday weekend.

Now they just have to get through a major warmup later this week.

“This is Southern New England. So we’re used to having these oddball 70 degree days or 60 degree days. We’ll survive it here for sure,” Dougherty said.

The staff says the recent snow will help to make it through the warmup. They’re still looking well beyond this week and have a goal to stay open until mid-March.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Parkland Student Pens an Emotional Plea for Gun Control

0
0

A freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is the most recent survivors of the Parkland high school shooting to speak out publicly in favor of gun control

Florida Students Announce March in Washington D.C for Gun Law Change

0
0

Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School announced Sunday a nationwide march in Washington, D.C. scheduled for next month in response to the deadly Parkland school shooting.

According to the event’s website, “kids and families will take to the streets of Washington, D.C. to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today.”

“We’re going to maintain this momentum,” said Emma Gonzalez, a student at Stoneman Douglas High, on Meet the Press with Chuck Todd. “We have this organization. And we are going to push, no matter how hard it takes. We already have pushed no more than young children should possibly ever have to push.”

“We are marching for our lives, we’re marching for the 17 lives we lost. And we’re marching for our children’s lives and our children’s children and their children. This kind of stuff can’t just happen. Never again will this kind of tragedy happen in this country or any country,” said Alex Wind, also a student at Stoneman Douglas.

Details for the event that will be held on March 24th can be found here.

Prior to that, 100 students will board chartered busses and will head to Tallahassee, where they will meet with Senators and House members on both sides of the aisle on Wednesday. Students will also meet with Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“We will all have the chance to speak our minds. Because we are the ones that looked into Nikolas Cruz’s eyes. And we took 17 bullets to the heart,” said Jaclyn Corin, a student at Stoneman Douglas High. And we’re the only ones that can speak up. We have to be the adults in this situation, because clearly, people have failed us in the government. And we must make the change now.” 

Additionally, the Women's March organization is calling for students, teachers, administrators and others to take part in a school walk out for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. on March 14th. In South Florida, events have been coordinated at North Community Park in Parkland and at the School for Advanced Studies and Miami Dade College in Homestead. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Are US Athletes Cursed by Korea's Unlucky Number 4?

0
0

Every culture has a number considered unlucky because of superstitions. In the United States it's 13. In South Korea, it's four.

The reason behind the fear of the number four, known as tetraphobia, lies in the way it sounds. The Korean word for "four" sounds much like their word for "death."

[[474403773, L, 300, 338]]

Tetraphobia is fairly common across many Asian cultures and far surpasses Western propensity to triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13. The superstition permeates through many aspects of society in these cultures. Many elevators in South Korea, for instance, skip the number four or use the letter "F" in place of the number four to represent the fourth floor.

Americans competing in Pyeongchang are learning that you don't need to believe in the "curse of four" to be doomed by the single-digit menace. And given these Team USA athletes' results at the 2018 Winter Games, they may leave South Korea with their own fear of four.

Mikaela Shiffrin — Alpine Skiing, Slalom
In her signature event, defending Olympic slalom gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin finished fourth just a day after winning gold in the giant slalom. She was also wearing the No. 4 bib.

[[474262393, C]]

Ben Ferguson — Snowboarding, Halfpipe
Ben Ferguson finished on the podium in three of the four Olympic-qualifying contests, and he was the first U.S. men’s halfpipe rider to qualify for the 2018 games. But after posting a big score in the halfpipe qualifying and easily advancing to the finals, Ferguson, wearing bid No. 4, finished just off the podium in fourth place.

Lindsey Jacobellis — Snowboarding, Snowboard Cross
Lindsey Jacobellis, the most decorated women’s snowboard cross athlete ever, recorded a fourth-place finish at her fourth Olympics, also donning the No. 4 bib.

[[474253583, C]]

Maddie Mastro — Snowboarding, Halfpipe
Wearing bib No. 4, the young American snowboarder had a disappointing end to her Olympic debut, crashing out three times in the women’s halfpipe finals to finish 12th out of 12 women in the finals.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle — Alpine Skiing, Men's Combined
In his Olympic debut, Ryan Cochran-Siegle clipped a gate during the combined downhill and wiped out. The 25-year-old was also wearing bib No. 4.

[[473946743, C]]

The Americans aren't the only ones impacted by the "curse of four." These Athletes from other Western countries who donned the No. 4 bib during their competition may also have been jinxed.

Austrian Stephanie Brunner — Alpine Skiing, Giant Slalom
Stephanie Brunner crashed in her first run of the giant slalom and failed to finish.

Australian Britteny Cox — Freestyle Skiing, Women's Moguls
The defending world champion in women’s moguls finished 5th.

Dutch Ireen Wuest — Speedskating, Women's 100m
The most decorated speed skater in Olympic history skated in the fourth pair and finished 9th in the women’s 1000m. A day earlier, Wust won gold in the women's 1500m. She skated in starting pair No. 11 in that event.  

Kazakhstani Denis Ten — Figure Skating, Men's Short Program
A bronze medalist in Sochi, Ten skated fourth in Friday’s men’s figure skating short program and finished 27th, failing to advance to the free skate event.

Sweden's Hanna Falk- Cross-Country, Women's Sprint Classic
After finishing first in her heat at the quarterfinals and third in the semifinals, Falk came in fourth in the finals of the women's sprint classic. 

As for Shiffrin’s gold in giant slalom on Thursday, she was wearing bib No.7, a lucky number in South Korea.



Photo Credit: David Ramos/Getty Images
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Wet Snow Weighs Down Wires, Knocks Out Power Along Shoreline

0
0

Thousands of people along the shoreline lost power overnight when heavy, wet snow weighed down tree branches and power lines, taking some down.

As of 8 a.m. Sunday Eversource was reporting around 3,000 power outages, and 1,300 of those customers were in East Lyme. As of 11:30 a.m. that number had been reduced to 648 statewide and just 187 in East Lyme.

Weighed down by the wet and heavy snow the weather was too much for these wires. Across the southern end of town roads were closed as branches balanced on power lines and tore some right out of the poles.

And even after the snow stopped, flakes were still flying as the snow fell off the trees and wires. Chunks of ice making their way to the ground almost sounded like hail.

Jeff Van Deusen was dodging the falling ice and snow as he shoveled out his mailbox and driveway. He lives along Plants Dam Road which has been closed all morning long. He’s just a few homes away from where a tree fell across the roadway, and has been left leaning on some wires.

“I saw that when I was shoveling this morning and I thought ‘I’m surprised that we do have power.’ It’s pretty bad,” Van Deusen said.

Not only were the wires no match for Mother Nature, but the mix of freezing rain and snow that fell makes shoveling on a morning like this back-breaking work.


“It’s heavy and very wet and I thought it was just brush off the top of the car but it was frozen to the car. So, the sun will loosen it up now. I little bit of sun does a lot of good,” said East Lyme resident Frank Wilson.

Carriage Hill Drive is also closed, as it has been since about 3 a.m. with wires over the road.

An inspection team was on scene early Sunday morning, but there’s no word on when the situation might be fixed.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Norwalk 6-Year-Old's Death Being Investigated as Possibly Flu-Related

0
0

The death of a six-year-old girl in Norwalk is being investigated as possibly flu related. 

The Columbus Magnet School student, Emma Splan, died Saturday night and the death is being looked at as possibly flu related, according to Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. 

Calls to the Health Department and Columbus Magnet School were not immediately returned. 

This story is developing, NBC Connecticut will update it as more information becomes available. 

Bradley International Airport Adds Flight to St. Louis

0
0

Southwest Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between Bradley International Airport and St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Aug. 7.

"As we add more airlines and increase the number of routes offered at our state's premier airport, we are opening the door for increased economic opportunities for business travelers who see Hartford as a destination where their companies can do business with even more convenience," Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement that the Connecticut Airport Authority released.

This flights will be on Boeing 737s, which have an average of 143 seats,  according to CAA.

The airline will first depart from Bradley International Airport at 11:10 a.m. and will arrive at St. Louis Lambert International Airport at 12:45 p.m. CST. The returning flight leaves from St. Louis at 4:25 p.m. CST and arrives back at Bradley International Airport at 7:50 p.m. EST.

"We’re pleased to strengthen our partnership with Southwest with the addition of this route. Their expansion at Bradley International Airport is a testament to everything our airport has to offer and ultimately benefits not only our passengers but also our regional economy,” CAA Board Chairman Charles R. Gray said in a statement.

This route will be Southwest's 10th nonstop destination out of Bradley International Airport. The airline offers nonstop flights to Baltimore, Chicago, Orlando, Las Vegas, and more. The airline first took off at Bradley in 1999.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Firefighters Union Puts Up AR-15 for Auction at Fundraiser

0
0

A firefighters union in a Sacramento, California suburb was under fire Sunday after placing an assault rifle up for auction at a fundraising event Saturday night.

Some attendees walked out of the Cameron Park Firefighters Association crab feed when they saw an AR-15, similar to the one used in a mass shooting at a Florida high school just days ago, sitting on the auction table.

"These are our first responders responding to these types of events, these shootings, and they should be concerned with putting one of those types of weapons out in our community," attendee Allison Merrill said. "And instead, it was being given out as a prize."

Another woman who walked out in protest, Nancy Lugo, said the timing of it couldn't have been worse.

The Cameron Park Fire Department is under contract with Cal Fire.

"This was a fundraising effort that has taken place since 2002," Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean said. "I understand the concerns, by all means. No harm was intended."

The union refunded the woman's money for the crab feed.

"The money wasn't really an issue," Merrill said. "I just wanted him to know we were leaving in protest, that it was totally tone deaf of them to have that, especially given the timing."

Firefighters said the auction was planned before the rampage in Florida, and the winning bidder will still have to pass a background check before taking ownership of the weapon.

Cameron Park is located about 32 miles east of Sacramento in El Dorado County.



Photo Credit: Courtesy of Allison Merrill

Pyeongchang by the Numbers: #NipSlip, Rippon's About-Face

0
0

An embarrassing wardrobe malfunction for French ice dancer Gabriella Papadakis, a ticket sale milestone, and figure skater Adam Rippon's change of heart. Here are the Pyeongchang Games by the numbers:

81.93 French ice dancers Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron were awarded a score of 81.93 points for their short program despite a wardrobe malfunction that left Papadakis’ breast exposed on live television. After the neck clasp of her dress unfastened, she struggled to keep her top from falling down. Despite the distraction, the pair took second place behind Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who broke their own world record with 83.67 points. The pairs skate again for the second part of the competition on Tuesday (Monday night in the United States). Twitter took note of what Papadakis called her “worst nightmare happening at the Olympics”  with the hashtag #nipslip. The song they skated to? Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.”

0 The number of appearances Olympics breakout star Adam Rippon will make as an NBC correspondent for the duration of the Pyeonhchang Games. After agreeing to join the network, Rippon changed his mind telling NBCSN that while he was flattered by the offer “if I took this opportunity, I would have to leave the Olympic team and I would have to leave the (Olympic) Village.” The figure skater said his friends on the Olympic team had been there for him during his events and he wanted to return the favor.

10-4 The U.S. women’s curling team’s semifinal hopes are very much alive after a 10-4 win over China. The victory leaves the American team with a 4-3 record in round robin play.The United States returns to action against South Korea on Tuesday at 12:05 a.m. ET and concludes round-robin play against first-place Sweden on Wednesday.

3:16.86 Canada’s Justin Kripps and Alexander Kopacz pulled dead even with Germany’s Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis to share the gold medal with a time of 3 minutes, 16.86 seconds in the two-man bobsled race. Americans Justin Olsen and Olympic rookie Evan Weinstock were the top U.S. sled, finishing 14th.

1 Million More than 1 million tickets have been sold to the Pyeongchang Games. Local organizing committee spokesman Sung Baik-you said the 1 million mark exceeded expectations — 692,443 people attended games venues from Feb. 9 to Feb. 17, and there's still about a week remaining. Sung said, "Our target was 1,068,000, so we don't have many tickets remaining.


90 American Jamie Anderson’s score on her second run in the women’s snowboard big air qualifying after scoring a disappointing 30 on her first run because of a fall. Anderson’s score of 90 on her second attempt was enough to propel her through the qualifying round.


5-0 The U.S women’s hockey team  shut out Finland in the semifinals to earn a shot at the Olympic gold medal that has eluded the United States for two decades. They will play Canada, which defeated the Olympic Athletes from Russia 5-0 to clinch a spot in the gold medal game. The U.S. women won the first gold medal in women’s ice hockey when the sport made its debut at the 1998 Nagano Games. 

10 The women's hockey tournament will increase from eight to 10 teams for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel confirmed the change at a news conference Monday. Fasel said the Beijing organizing committee requested the addition of two teams, a move that will help allow China to have a team in the tournament. Federation council chairwoman Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer said the quality of women's hockey around the world was good enough for the step. Signs of progress? Japan beating Sweden on Sunday and no team scoring more than eight goals in a game, she said.



Photo Credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

UConn Health Reviewing Work Arraignments After Slaying of Doctor

0
0

The slaying of an 84-year-old UConn School of Medicine professor who had not been on campus for months has led to UConn Health reviewing his work arrangements and looking into whether policies need to change. 

Police found the body of 84-year-old Dr. Pierluigi Bigazzi, a faculty member of UConn’s School of Medicine, on Feb. 5 when officials from UConn contacted them to check on him. 

UConn officials said Pierluigi Bigazzi last taught in the classroom in Spring 2017 and keycard access records indicate he was last on campus in August. 

While he had not been on campus for months, his absence would not have been a concern because the work he was doing could be done from anywhere, including remotely, according to a statement from UConn. 

In January, staff from UConn Health tried to contact him about a routine administrative matter, but did not hear back. Then on Feb. 5, the head of Bigazzi’s department alerted UConn Police, who went to Dr. Bigazzi’s home in Burlington and knocked on the door, according to UConn. 

At first, there was no answer, then a Burlington officer and a state trooper also responded. 

“Officers knocked on the door again and made contact with Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi, who initially denied them entry. Officers were later able to enter the home and found Dr. Bigazzi’s remains,” according to a statement from UConn. 

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Dr. Bigazzi died of blunt-force trauma and ruled his death a homicide. 

Biagazzi’s wife, 70-year-old Linda L. Kosuda-Bigazzi, has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence and court records say Dr. Pierluigi Bigazzi could have been killed anytime between June 13, 2017 and Feb. 5, 2018.  

Few details have been released on the circumstances of the slaying and the arrest warrant issued for Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi remains sealed until she goes back to court, which is scheduled for March 20. 

Last week, UConn officials said that UConn President Susan Herbst directed the UConn Provost’s Office and Human Resources Department to review the circumstances surrounding Dr. Bigazzi’s work arrangements at UConn Health beginning last summer, including what the expectations of him were and what efforts were made to communicate with him. 

The school will look into whether relevant UConn and UConn Health policies and protocols were followed and whether they need to update or create new policies and protocols. 

“(G)iven the nature of his assignments, it was acceptable for Dr. Bigazzi to work remotely. However, it would be inappropriate for any regular full time employee to be absent from campus and out of communication for a very lengthy period of time if they are not on sabbatical or some other form of official leave,” a statement from UConn Health says. “Given that, the president instructed that this review take place.” 

UConn Health called this a “a highly unusual situation, in that the fact an employee was no longer alive was apparently hidden and remained unknown to the university until recently.” 






Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
Viewing all 57608 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images