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Ed Norton Hails ‘Courage' of FDNY After Deadly Set Fire

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Actor Ed Norton took to social media on Saturday to praise the FDNY’s bravery and his film crew’s quick thinking in the wake of a film set inferno that killed a firefighter in Harlem earlier this week.

“I have never witnessed firsthand that kind of bravery,” Norton wrote in an Instagram post about the fire. “I’m in awe of that kind of selfless courage.”

Norton added: “It’s devastating to contemplate that one of the men we watched charging in there lost his life. Please send a prayer of thanks for the spirit and courage of Michael Davidson.”

Davidson, a 37-year-old who had been with the FDNY for 15 years, died from his injuries while battling the fire at St. Nicholas Avenue and 149th Street late Thursday night. 

The 15-year veteran got separated from his fellow firefighters while fighting the smoky blaze. When firefighters found him, he was unconscious and did not survive his injuries.

He leaves behind a wife and four children in Floral Park. 

The fire broke out at an apartment building that is the set of "Motherless Brooklyn," which, according to IMDB, is being directed by Norton and stars Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Leslie Mann.

In one of two posts about Davidson, Norton said he and his team are “committed to honoring him and assisting his family.”

In a second post, the actor encouraged people to donate to the FDNY Foundation, which he said will fund the education of Davidson’s children.

Norton also praised members of his crew, including his assistant director, who he said “acted decisively and quickly to try to locate the source of the smoke, evacuate cast and crew, call the fire department and then rapidly move our equipment and vehicles away so that the FDNY had clear access.”

“Had our team not noticed the situation and responded and alerted the fire department with the speed they did, I believe the residents of the building above would have perished,” Norton wrote.

Davidson was promoted posthumously Saturday to a lieutenant. Meanwhile, purple and black bunting hung over Ladder 28 in Harlem, where he served.

His funeral is set for Tuesday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.



Photo Credit: Getty Images for J/P Haitian Rel/FDNY
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Facebook Has Not Been Forthcoming With Congress: Warner

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Facebook has not been fully transparent with Congress about its recently revealed data leak, said Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, warning that government regulation of the social media giant may be in sight.

"I don't think Facebook has been fully forthcoming," Warner, D-Va., said Sunday on "Meet The Press." "I called out Facebook back in December of '16. In the Spring of '17 I questioned micro-targeting and the use of this really sketchy firm Cambridge Analytica. Early on for most of 2017 they blew that off."

Facebook has been under increased pressure since news broke that Cambridge Analytica, a firm hired by the Trump campaign during the 2016 election, misused information from millions of Facebook users. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologized and promised a number of reforms, including audits of groups that harbor mass amount of information from their users. He also apologized in a full-page ad in Sunday's New York Times.

"All of these social media companies have said they have no responsibility for any of the content," Warner said. "I think we have to re-look at that. I think in many ways they're media companies."



Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images, File
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Great Pacific Garbage Patch Has 1.8T Plastic Pieces: Study

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There's an 80,000-ton monster lurking in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California and it's still getting bigger, NBC News reported.

Arguably more frightening than any shark, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a rapidly growing hot spot for ocean plastic, carrying 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in what is now the largest accumulation of ocean debris in the world, according to a new report Thursday in Scientific Reports.

The patch is now two times larger than the size of Texas, with bits of plastic and debris spread over more than 600,000 square miles of water, according to the three-year mapping effort from eight different organizations.

Meanwhile, the annual consumption of plastic is on the rise around the world and currently totals more than 320 million tons, according to the report.



Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images, File

CT Inmate Fighting State For $300,000 Payout

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A Connecticut inmate is fighting the state in federal court after officials were ordered to pay him $300,000 in a lawsuit over a beating he took from another prisoner, but gave him less than half the total after subtracting his incarceration costs.

Rashad Williams is serving a 30-year sentence for attempted murder and other crimes related to a 2002 shootout during a botched robbery in New Britain that killed a fellow robber and wounded a victim.

His lawyer argues government officials should not be able to use the state law on recouping imprisonment costs from inmates to reduce penalties for violating prisoners' civil rights.

State officials say Williams cannot legally seek the remainder of the award, which Williams won in a lawsuit against prison officials over his 2010 beating.

Police Investigate 'Suspicious' Death in East Haddam

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The State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad is investigating a suspicious death at a home in East Haddam.

State police responded to the home at 206 North Moodus Road on Friday around 5:20 p.m.

The name of the person who died has not been released.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is performing an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

There is no threat to the public, according to state police.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Politicians Commend Marchers But Stand Firm in Views

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Political leaders reacted mostly with expressions of respect as hundreds of thousands of Americans marched in favor of gun control on Saturday. But there was little sign that the politicians who currently oppose new limits on guns had changed their minds, NBC News reported.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a staunch supporter of the National Rifle Association, said he supported the marchers' rights to protest but added that "making a change will require both sides finding common ground."

President Donald Trump, a strong Second Amendment supporter, did not issue a tweet about the demonstrations, though he did use Twitter to send his "thoughts and prayers" to victims of a terror attack in France yesterday. The White House, however, released an official statement applauding "the many courageous young Americans exercising their First Amendment rights today."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who has also opposed gun restrictions, did not respond formally to the march. And former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tweeted that he "might not agree" with all the positions held by marchers, but he urged Americans to "learn from them."



Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Santorum: Teens Should Learn CPR Instead of Marching

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Students should “take CPR classes” instead of demonstrating, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum said one day after throngs of young people swarmed Washington and other cities across the country in the name of gun law reform.

Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday morning, the former Pennsylvania lawmaker pushed back against organizers of Saturday's March for Our Lives.

“How about kids, instead of looking to someone else to solve their problem, do something about maybe taking CPR classes or maybe try to deal with situations where there is a violent shooter that you can actually respond to that,” he said. 


Santorum added that students should look at how they can individually respond to the issue of gun violence and stop, for example, bullying in their schools or communities.

“They didn't take action to say, 'How do I, as an individual, deal with this problem? How am I going to do something about stopping bullying within my own community? What am I going to do to actually help respond to a shooter?,'” he said.

Pennsylvania State Sen. Vincent Hughes, a Democrat who represents portions of Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, tweeted that Santorum's comments were “Maddening! Absurd! Ridiculous!” 

Philadelphia’s March for Our Lives drew thousands of people to Old City Saturday. Across the nation, hundreds of thousands more demonstrated. March for Our Lives organizers said more than 850,000 people participated in the national rally in D.C..



Photo Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images, File
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'Hero' Neighbor Helped Rescue Family From Fire: Officials

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A neighbor is being called a hero after helping to get residents out of a house fire in Danbury on Sunday morning.

Anthony Petrella rushed across the street to remove the residents and their dog from 2 Pond Ridge Road as fire broke out in the home, according to fire officials.

Emergency crews received a call at 11:30 a.m. about the two-alarm fire.

Arriving fire crews found flames on the outside of the home's garage.

Fire officials called Petrella a hero for his actions to get the residents out of the home.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. Danbury's fire marshal is investigating.



Photo Credit: Danbury Fire

Police Issue Warning After People Attacked By Hawks in Fairfield

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Police are warning people in a Fairfield neighborhood to be cautious after a series of attacks by hawks in the area.

A woman was attacked by a hawk in her yard on Old Mill Road on March 19, according to police.

It is the most recent in a string of incidents where people were attacked by hawks, they said.

The hawks fly up behind a person undetected while the person is walking and the hawk targets the person's head, police said.

Fairfield Police issued a warning on their Facebook page for people walking in the areas of Old Mill Road, Sycamore Lane and Henry Street.

Animal control officers will be regularly patrolling those areas, according to police.

The department has contacted the State of Connecticut Wildlife Division of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Division to help remove the hawks from the area, police said.

Anyone who wants to report a hawk sighting can call Animal Control at (203) 254-4857, or to report a hawk attack, call Fairfield police at (203) 254-4800.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
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Veteran Who Served 2 Tours in Afghanistan Deported to Mexico

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Federal authorities deported a military veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan but was later convicted of drug crimes, an agency spokeswoman said Sunday.

In a statement, the spokeswoman, Nicole Alberico of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, said immigration agents returned Miguel Perez Jr., 39, to Mexican authorities on Friday. Perez had lived in the United States as a legal permanent resident since age 11.

He was convicted in 2010 of manufacturing or delivering more than two pounds of cocaine in Cook County, Illinois.

In an email to NBC News, Perez's lawyer, Chris Bergen, said Perez was left with no money and only his orange prison uniform.

"He was dumped in one of the most dangerous areas of the Mexican border," Bergen said. "We will continue to fight his case and appeal his citizenship denial."



Photo Credit: Joshua Lott/AFP/Getty Images, File

Toys 'R Us Shoppers Look For Liquidation Deals

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Toys 'R Us has started its liquidation sale and everything must go.

The embattled toy retailer faces heavy debts and plans to close hundreds of stores nationwide.

While Carl Westman’s hands were full of recent buys, he also carried a heavy heart.

“Pretty bummed,” Westman said. “Because of their good toys are going away which is kind of making me sad.”

Westman was one of the shoppers checking out the liquidation sales at Toys 'R Us and Babies 'R Us in West Hartford on Sunday.

While signs beckoned customers with offers of up to 30-percent off, the bulk of items were discounted just 10-percent.

“They were okay. Kind of, a little picked over and not great discounts but there were still some deals to be had,” Laura Westman of Berlin, said.

For some shoppers it was a trip down memory lane, though times have not been kind to the 70-year-old company.

Toys 'R Us started the liquidation sale on Friday, as it plans to close around 800 stores and lay off 31,000 workers across the U.S.

The toy retailer faces crushing debt and has missed payments to vendors.

“It’s kind of sad. We grew up with it,” Westman said.

“I saw Toys 'R Us ever since I could walk. As long as I can remember, there was always a Toys 'R Us,” Anna Ybarra of West Hartford, said.

Nostalgia does not always make up for practicality.

So, many shoppers say they will wait to return, hopeful discounts will soon improve.

“I know they are going to get better towards the end, maybe the last two, three weeks before they close,” Ybarra said.

Anything purchased now is final sale, though returns are allowed until April 21 for items bought before the liquidation sale started.

April 21 is also the deadline for using gift cards.

No word yet on when the stores will close for good.

Firefighters Knock Down House Fire in Thompson

Connecticut Students Continue Call for Change

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Students at the ACT Magnet High School in Willimantic are holding a walkout Monday, just two days after tens of thousands of people participated in the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C.

The message with all these events is the same: Students don’t want to fear for their lives in school, so they’re pushing legislators to enact tougher gun laws.

Their demands include a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines nationwide, as well as extensive background checks for all gun purchases.

Students from Connecticut, some directly affected by the Sandy Hook tragedy, stood shoulder to shoulder will other survivors during the March for Our Lives over the weekend.

Students at these marches said they wanted tougher gun laws and their plan to pressure politicians through their vote.

Gun rights supporters in Connecticut acknowledge the passion of the youth, but they don’t think the long-term consequences are being considered, especially when it comes to the Second Amendment.

Scott Wilson, president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, released the following statement:

"All of us are frustrated and angered when a dangerous person can simply walk into a school and murder innocent children. School policies that leave children unprotected, and law enforcement that have in many instances not reacted fast enough are to blame, not legal gun owners. Students protesting should know that it is the systemic failures which lawmakers impose that lead to such catastrophic events over and over. We believe children in schools need to be protected, along with our constitutional rights as Americans."

The students in Willimantic will walk from the high school on Main Street to Memorial Park, hear speeches and a performance, then walk back. About 50 students are expected to participate.

Climbers with Disabilities Test Their Skills in Wallingford

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The Gaylord Sports Association and Paradox Sports hosted an adaptive climbing event at Prime Climb in Wallingford Saturday, where climbers will a range of disabilities tested their skills.

There’s a lot of ways to climb, but no matter how you do it, there’s usually one goal: reach the top.

Twenty-five-year-old Jillian Harpin learned quickly that part is never easy.

"I was sweating. My arms hurt, my hands hurt, my fingers started getting numb," Harpin said of her first time trying the sport.

But learning to rock climb is far from the most difficult thing she’s had to overcome. An accident two years ago left Harpin paralyzed from the waist down.

"Looking around and seeing all of these other people in chairs really makes me feel like there’s nothing that we can’t do," said Harpin.

Climbing gives Harpin and others with disabilities a different option: a chance to get out of their chairs.

While some had climbed before, many were just looking for a new challenge.

"I guess I don’t think about it as like, I have one hand and I have to climb this wall," said Gabby Sinotte, who was born without her left hand. "It’s like, I have to figure out how to do this myself."

You can learn more about Paradox Sports here.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

What to Do About Robocalls

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Robocalls are more common than ever, but there are steps you can take to try to stop those pesky calls from making it through to your phone.

Michelina Accettullo said her family is on the do not call list, but the phone keeps on ringing.

“You’re coming home from work and you want to sit down and have just a little dinner and the phone keeps ringing,” she said. “Now most people won’t pick up but my parents, they’re old school they pick up the phone.”

Nationally, leaders from the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission met Friday to discuss possible new ways service providers can block robocallers.

A new study finds that Connecticut residents got more than 345 million robocalls in 2017.

“These robocall machines are capable of cranking out millions of robocalls an hour simply in numerical order so eventually they will hit you,” said Howard Schwartz, spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau.

Schwartz said there are apps you can download on your cell phone to block unwanted calls, and hardware you can install on a landline.

“Better Business Bureau recommends that consumers never engage with the people who call if it is a live call,” he said. “Then, they know that you’ve got a working number and you’ll be put on a suckers list and that list will be sold to other people.”

Instead of answering, you can report the number to donotcall.gov and it will be added to a national database.


Former VP Joe Biden Speaks to Packed House in New Haven

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The house was packed at the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts in New Haven Friday night as people gathered to hear former Vice President Joe Biden speak. 

Biden was delayed to accept an award on behalf of U.S. Senator John McCain and arrived about an hour late, but the crowd was happy to see him and listen to him talk about a wide range of issues. 

“We are less divided as a people on issues than when I ran as a 28 year-old kid announcing my candidacy for the U.S. Senate. By that, I mean think about it on every major issue, from same-sex marriage to infrastructure, there’s somewhere between 54 and 78 percent of the American people who agree. What’s broken is our political system,” Biden said. 

Biden spoke at length about the division between parties in Congress in Washington and also spoke about some of the challenges he sees in President Donald Trump’s administration. 

Our cameras were only allowed to roll for the first few minutes of the remarks, but Biden talked about everything from his service in the Obama administration to his time in the Senate, to the death of his son Beau from cancer and his current push to find a cure. 

Biden said there are several up-and-coming stars in the ranks of young Democrats who he’d like to support, but he also didn’t completely rule out the possibility of running for president. 

The night wasn’t all serious. Biden briefly mentioned all of the so-called bromance memes about his close friendship with President Barack Obama that were viral on social media in 2017 and said still make him laugh. 

“By the way, all those memes are true except we’ll make it clear he made the very first friendship bracelet, not me,” Biden said. 

What Biden did not address was the back and forth between himself and President Trump on Twitter. 




Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Putnam Man Charged in Four Burglaries

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A Putnam man was arrested after turning himself in on Friday for multiple burglaries, according to Connecticut State Police.

Back in October, troopers from Troop D said they investigated four nighttime commercial burglaries in the Thompson and Putnam area. The affected businesses were Harvest Moon, Marika's Restaurant and Big Gary's Discount Liquors in Putnam, and Quaddick Country Store in Thompson.

On November 21, 2017, troopers from the Troop D Quality of Life Task Force interviewed several people and identified a suspect. Troopers said they later located the suspect, 33-year-old Sean Holmes of Putnam, in Hartford and interviewed him.

According to State Police, Holmes confessed to all four burglaries during the interview. Troopers then submitted arrest warrants.

On March 23, Holmes turned himself in on all four arrest warrants, police said.

Holmes faces multiple larceny and burglary-related charges and was held on a combined cash/surety bond of $60,000.

Holmes is due in Danielson Superior Court on March 26.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Resident Dead, Firefighters Injured in Middletown Fire

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A resident is dead after a house fire in Middletown early Monday morning and two firefighters were injured while trying to get to him.

Fire officials said crews responded to a fire at 8 Millbrook Road around 12:45 a.m. when a neighbor taking his dogs out saw smoke and called 911. Firefighters found heavy smoke and fire when they arrived.

Firefighters entered the home and found a male resident inside. While firefighters were trying to rescue him from the home, two firefighters fell through the floor and had to be rescued by additional crews.

“They had found him, and they were trying to take that victim out when they fell through the floor," said South Fire District Chief Michael Howley.

Howley said a paramedic pronounced the resident dead at the scene. The victim has not been publicly identified. The state medical examiner will determine the cause of death. 

One firefighter who fell completely through the floor into the basement was taken to Hartford Hospital for treatment and is expected to be OK. The second firefighter fell partially through the floor and was taken to Middlesex Hospital for treatment. He has since been released.

Neighbor Randy Burlette, who was the one who called 911, praised the firefighters for their work.

“To know that they would just do that for anybody makes me feel a lot better about my house and everything, and I just hope that those guys are okay," Burlette said.

Multiple fire companies were called in to battle the fire.

The state fire marshal has been called in to investigate the cause.

No other details were immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Police Investigating Bank Robbery in Woodstock

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Police are investigating an armed bank robbery in Woodstock Friday afternoon and they are searching for the robber. 

A man with a handgun approached a teller station at Bank Hometown at 148 Route 171 in Woodstock at 1:43 p.m. Friday and demanded money, according to state police. 

He left the building after receiving the money and ran to a light-colored four-door sedan in the parking lot and the vehicle got onto Route 171, heading west, according to state police. No one was injured during the robbery. 

The man police are looking for is 5-feet-6 to 5-feet-10 and has an average to husky build. 

He was wearing a dark zip-up sweatshirt with a white shirt underneath, blue jeans, dark sunglasses, a red winter hat, blue latex gloves and a dark bandana covering the lower part of his face. 

Anyone with information should call Detective Hunt 860-779-4957 or text TIP711 and the information to 274637. All calls/texts will remain confidential. 



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Taco Festival Coming to Connecticut This Summer

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There is a festival coming to Connecticut that you'll sure want to taco-bout.

The Connecticut Taco Festival is coming to Harrybrooke Park in New Milford this summer.

On June 30 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., the festival will include more than 15 vendors on-site and you can purchase and create your own tasty tacos. It will feature different restaurants and food trucks to chose from.

Experience everything the festival has to offer from live entertainment, drinks, and of course, tacos! Put your eating skills to the test with a taco-eating contest, or enjoy live entertainment, from a mariachi band to the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Yale. Activities and vendors for kids will also be there.

The festival's goal is to find the best taco in Connecticut. With the purchase of a ticket, you can vote for your favorite among the restaurants and food trucks available to name the "Top Taco."




Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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