Astronomers have discovered what they say is the most distant star ever observed, a huge blue star dubbed "Icarus" more than 9 billion light-years from Earth, NBC News MACH reported.

While the star is about a million times more luminous than the sun, it is so far away that its glow is too faint to be detected by telescopes. 

The star was visible only because astronomers employed a trick known as “gravitational lensing,” in which gravity from galaxies between Earth and the star acted as a sort of magnifying lens that amplified its light rays.

“The discovery of the lensed star was completely serendipitous — we weren’t looking for it,” Dr. Patrick Kelly, a University of Minnesota astrophysicist and the leader of the team of scientists who made the discovery, told NBC News MACH in an email.

A large tree came down on Maple Street in Manchester early Thursday morning and fell on wires, knocking out power to area homes.

“It was just a loud bang and it kind of just shook the house,” said Stephanie Grodahl, of Manchester, who heard the tree come down around 2:30 a.m. “To be completely honest, this corner is really known for car accidents, so that’s what we originally thought had happened ‘til we realized our power was out.”

That’s when she looked outside and saw a large tree had fallen.

Eversource has restored the power.

A New York man is accused of dragging a dog from his car during a domestic incident on Valentine’s Day, then tying it up on the side of the road in Greenwich and abandoning it.

Greenwich police said 18-year-old Alex Orozco, of Port Chester, New York, dragged the dog by the leash from his vehicle, causing injuries to the dog. Then, he tied the dog up by the side of the road and abandoned it, according to police.

Orozco left the scene and police arrested him after obtaining a warrant charging him with cruelty to animals, according to a news release from police.

He was extradited from New York on Wednesday and held on $50,000 bond. It's not clear if Orozco has an attorney. 

He is due back in court on April 18.

A man who worked as a driver is accused of stealing almost $900,000 from two clients in Greenwich over a three-year-span and has pleaded guilty to fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Georges Avridor, 42, of Greenwich and Stamford, was accused of stealing personal bank checks from two Greenwich residents who employed him as a driver between July 2013 and October 2016, making the checks payable to “Cash” or to himself and forging the signature of one of his employers, according to the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

In all, Avridor is accused of stealing $889,425.

Avridor was arrested on June 30 and has pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, according to federal officials. He was released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

Authorities say a tour bus headed to the Masters golf tournament flipped over on a Georgia interstate, injuring at least a dozen people.

The bus driver has been charged with DUI.

Georgia State Patrol officials told news outlets that the bus carrying 18 people crashed on Interstate 20 around 8:45 a.m. Thursday. Sixty-one-year-old Steven Hoppenbrouwer is also charged with failure to maintain lane.

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Authorities say Hoppenbrouwer ran off the side of the road and overcorrected before the bus overturned on the median.

WJBF-TV reports the Augusta University Medical Center says five patients were seriously injured and two are in fair condition. The station reports seven other people are either in fair or critical condition at another hospital.

The bus is owned by Executive Limousine.

Over a dozen survivors of the 2016 deadly mass shooting inside the Pulse nightclub are suing social media sites Facebook and Twitter, as well as Google-owned YouTube, accusing the tech companies of “aiding and abetting” the terror group ISIS.

The lawsuit, filed by 16 survivors in federal court in Orlando on Wednesday, claims the sites helped support and profited from the terrorist group by placing ads on ISIS posts and "deriving revenue for those ads," according to NBC affiliate WESH-TV.

"Without defendants Twitter, Facebook, and Google (YouTube), the explosive growth of ISIS over the last few years into the most feared terrorist group in the world would not have been possible,” the suit claims, noting ISIS promoted and carried out "terror activities" on the platforms.  

The lawsuit also claims that the social media giants allowed ISIS and its media arm to "openly maintain" accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, while refusing to actively monitor or block them. But months before the Orlando attack, Twitter began taking steps to crack down on extremist content, announcing in Feburary 2016 that it was shutting down more than 125,000 accounts.

On Thursday, Twitter reported that over 1.2 million accounts had been suspended since August 2015 for violations related to the promotion of terrorism. The company's public policy report also noted that of the 274,460 accounts suspended during the reporting period of July 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017 , 93 percent were flagged internally and 74 percent of those accounts were suspended before their first tweet.

"We continue to see the positive, significant impact of years of hard work making our site an undesirable place for those seeking to promote terrorism, resulting in this type of activity increasingly shifting away from Twitter," the social media site said in a blog post.

Facebook and YouTube did not immediately respond to email requests for comments. 

Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and injured dozens more at the popular gay nightclub in Orlando in the early morning hours of June 12. During the attack, Mateen called 911 and told the operator that he pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Mateen was killed in a shootout with police. 

A similar lawsuit filed in 2016 by families of victims and survivors was dismissed last week. A Michigan judge ruled that there was no legal merit to claims that Mateen became radicalized by items he found online.

The ruling came the same day Mateen's widow, Noor Salmen, was found not guilty of aiding and abetting her husband and obstruction of justice.

Sema4, a health information company, is expanding in Connecticut by moving its primary diagnostic testing laboratory from New York, which will add than 400 jobs in the state over the next five years, according to the governor’s office. 

The health information technology company has two existing locations in the state, including its headquarters at 333 Ludlow St. in Stamford and its laboratory at 1 Commercial Street in Branford. The company will soon be relocating laboratory facilities from New York City to a yet-to-be-determined site in Stamford. 

The state Department of Economic and Community Development will provide a $6 million loan for Sema4 to use to buy machinery and equipment, fund capital improvements and create 408 jobs in Connecticut. 

The company will be eligible for partial loan forgiveness if certain milestones are met, according to the governor’s office. 

In December 2015, DECD provided the company a $9.5 million loan to create 145 jobs in the state. 

“We are thrilled that Sema4 has chosen to significantly expand its operations in Connecticut, bringing their total workforce to over 550,” Malloy said in a statement. 

Sema4, a patient-centered predictive health company, is founded on the idea that more data, deeper analysis, and increased engagement with patients will improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. The company offers advanced genome-based diagnostics for reproductive health and oncology and is building predictive models of complex disease. 

Bringing the laboratory to Connecticut will bring the company’s job presence in the state to at least 553 employees, according to the governor. 

“Connecticut offers a very attractive environment for our company to grow along the talent-rich biotech corridor running from New York City to New Haven, with a stellar pool of qualified candidates, plus competitively-priced commercial real estate and the presence of leading universities and medical centers,” Eric Schadt, PhD, founder and CEO of Sema4, said in a statement. “We greatly appreciate the strong support from the State of Connecticut to foster our growth, which has facilitated the establishment of our corporate headquarters and accelerated the expansion of our laboratory operations here in Stamford.” 

The state Department of Economic and Community Development will provide a $6 million loan to be used to buy machinery and equipment, fund capital improvements and create 408 jobs in Connecticut. 

Sema4 will be eligible for partial loan forgiveness if certain milestones are met, according to the governor’s office. 

“Sema4’s decision to move its New York City lab operations to Connecticut is evidence that this is a great place to grow a business,” Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Catherine Smith said. “We are thrilled with Sema4’s decision to relocate its primary diagnostic testing laboratory from New York City and add to the community of bioscience firms in the state.”  

The Hartford Yard Goats will open their second season at Dunkin' Donuts Park on Thursday.

The Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies will play the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the home opener with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

"We’re looking forward to opening the season tomorrow, and welcoming fans back into Dunkin’ Donuts Park," Mike Abramson, the team's general manager, said.  "We’ve spent a lot of time this offseason enhancing the ballpark experience, and the promotional show, and I’m excited to see it all come together."

The team will be led by new manager 33-year-old Warren Schaeffer, who comes to Hartford from the organization's Single-A club in Asheville, North Carolina.

The team sold out 41 of its 68 home games last season, including the final 21 games, and the ballpark won Ballpark Digest's Team of the Year award.  Dunkin' Donuts Park also was voted the best Double-A ballpark in the country by fans.

"We are extremely excited to start the Yard Goats season tomorrow night," Yard Goats Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations Jeff Dooley said. "There is always something special about opening day and sharing the memory with family, friends or co-workers. We look forward to another fantastic season at Dunkin’ Donuts Park and watching the future stars of the Major Leagues."

The Rockies' number one overall prospect, infielder Brendan Rodgers, is back with the team for the start of the season.  Pitcher Ryan Castellani, also seen as an eventual Major Leaguer, is back in Hartford.

The team is introducing several new food items for the season, including a "donut dog," and will have live goats at every home game.

Gates open at 6 p.m. Thursday.  Among the promotions scheduled for the home opener are fireworks from Atlas after the game and a magnet schedule giveaway.

NBC Connecticut anchor Mike Hydeck will be among the fans who are lucky enough to throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game.

Opening day will likely sell out but you can buy individual game tickets for the rest of the season by calling 860-246-GOAT (4628), visiting the team's website www.yardgoatsbaseball.com or by going in person to the box office at Dunkin' Donuts Park.

Thursday's game kicks off a seven-game homestand for the Yard Goats in Hartford.

NBC Connecticut is the official media partner of the Hartford Yard Goats.

Several pigs are dead after fire destroyed a barn in Ellington Thursday morning.

Crews responded to 54 Crane Road after receiving calls around 10:05 a.m. reporting fire at a 30-foot-wide by 200-foot-long barn.

Officials said no people were injured, but several pigs died.

The fire is out, but crews were still working on putting out hotspots as of 12:15 p.m.

Gov. Dannel Malloy has named a new nominee for chief justice to the Connecticut Supreme Court after his last nominee was voted down. 

Malloy said in a statement that he is nominating Associate Justice Richard Allan Robinson, of Stamford, to serve as Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. 

“During his esteemed career in public and judicial service Justice Robinson has demonstrated a keen legal acumen and incisive insight,” Malloy said in a statement:. “I am confident that as Chief Justice, his tenure will be marked with distinction and his leadership will prove to be invaluable, should he be confirmed.” 

If confirmed, Justice Robinson would fill the seat that was most recently held by Chief Justice Chase T. Rodgers, who retired from the bench in February. 

“If I am confirmed, I will do all that is humanly possible to live up to the high standards of this office,” Justice Robinson said in a statement.

Malloy previously nominated Andrew McDonald as Supreme Court Chief Justice, but he was voted down.

A Michigan college student saved a drowning squirrel by performing first aid techniques she learned while watching an episode of the NBC sitcom "The Office."

Natalie Belisto, a student at Central Michigan University, rushed out to rescue the squirrel after hearing from a peer that it was drowning in a pond.

After another student fished it out, Belisto gave it CPR, took it back to her dorm room and used a blow drier to keep the critter warm.

"It was a super cool feeling to know that I saved an innocent life," said Belisto. "I watched a lot of Animal Planet as a kid, but for the CPR part was literally all from that episode in 'The Office.'"

After a couple of hours, she and some of her soccer teammates took it outside to release it.

"After he ran up the tree we all were screaming and our minds were blown honestly, the whole night we couldn’t stop talking about what happened," Belisto said about the life-saving event.

The episode she reffered to was from season five of the hit comedy series, when the staff of Dunder Mifflin learns that a good tip for CPR is to do chest compressions to the beat of the 1977 Bee Gees song "Stayin' Alive."

Police in Woodbridge are investigating a homicide after a body was found on Rimmon Road just before 10 a.m. Wednesday and they have identified the victim as a 37-year-old New Haven man.

Police found the body of 37-year-old Alan Robinson Jr., of New Haven, after someone alerted an officer on patrol about a body between Deer Run and Robin Road.

Woodbridge police said there was no immediate threat to the public. The investigation is ongoing and state police major crimes and the New Haven state’s attorney are assisting.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Woodbridge Police Department at 203-387-2512. 

State police held a somber procession Thursday morning as they escorted their fallen brother, Trooper First Class Kevin M. Miller, to the headquarters of the troop where he served, then to Rentschler Field in East Hartford, where his wake will be held this afternoon.

Trooper Miller was killed in a crash on Interstate 84 in Tolland while he was on-duty last week when his cruiser and a tractor-trailer truck collided.

Men and women in uniform led the procession from the Introvigne Funeral Home in Stafford Springs to Troop C, where Miller served, then to Rentschler Field.

Calling hours will be held today, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and then again from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, which is located at 615 Silver Lane in East Hartford.

The funeral mass will be held Friday at 11 a.m., at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.

Thousands of people are expected to attend between the calling hours and the funeral.

TFC Miller was a 19 ½ year veteran of the Connecticut State Police. A fund has been set up to help his family.

Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.

The team confirmed Thursday that Irving suffered a bacterial infection after undergoing a procedure in March to remove a tension wire from his left knee. The wire and screws had been placed in the knee after Irving fractured his left patella during the 2015 NBA Finals as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was initially expected to miss three to six weeks.

Saturday, the Celtics say Irving will have the screws removed. The team expects him to recover fully in four to five months.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report that Irving would sit for the remainder of the season.

The Celtics previously said the procedure to remove the wire would relieve irritation in Irving's patellar tendon, and that his knee was found to be structurally sound.

Irving, a five-time All-Star, was drafted first overall by the Cavs in 2011. Since the Celtics traded Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and two draft picks for him in the offseason, he has solidified himself as the team's new superstar, averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists, 1.1 steals and a career-best 3.8 rebounds per game. His .491 field goal percentage is also the best he has posted in the NBA.

Irving's absence on the court isn't the only loss felt by the Celtics this season. The team lost Gordon Hayward within minutes of the first game of the season. Center Daniel Theis is also out for the season, and reserve guard Marcus Smart also recently underwent a procedure. Starter Jaylen Brown also missed a few games due to concussion protocol.

A school bus driver is accused of using a school bus to buy and deliver heroin and has been arrested in Stratford. 

The Stratford Police Narcotics Vice and Intelligence Unit identified 29-year-old Garfield Howell, of Stratford, as a suspected heroin dealer. 

They said they determined that he is a school bus driver for WE Transport and spotted him on surveillance using the school bus to buy and deliver on several occasions. 

While executing a search warrant, they seized around 195 grams of heroin and charged Howell with four counts of sale of a narcotic, two counts of conspiracy to sell narcotics and risk of injury to a minor. 

NBC Connecticut reached out to the corporate headquarters in New York for WE Transport and the person who answered the call had no comment. The local manager from the bus company said they are investigating the allegations against the bus driver.

Bond was set at $100,000. He was unable to post it and is due in court on April 18.

The perennial marker of spring has officially blossomed in the nation's capital as Washington DC's famous cherry blossoms have reached peak bloom. Peak bloom generally occurs in the last week of March or the first week of April and means that at least 70 percent of the Shoshino flowers are out.

Facebook has asked several major U.S. hospitals to share anonymized data about their patients, such as illnesses and prescription info, for a proposed research project. Facebook was intending to match it up with user data it had collected, and help the hospitals figure out which patients might need special care or treatment.

The proposal never went past the planning phases and has been put on pause after the Cambridge Analytica data leak scandal raised public concerns over how Facebook and others collect and use detailed information about Facebook users.

"This work has not progressed past the planning phase, and we have not received, shared, or analyzed anyone's data," a Facebook spokesperson told CNBC.

But as recently as last month, the company was talking to several health organizations, including Stanford Medical School and American College of Cardiology, about signing the data-sharing agreement.

A Colchester man was killed in a crash in Portland Thursday.

Portland police said 26-year-old Joshua Ogden was driving in the area of 1503 Portland Cobalt Road (Route 66) around 2:30 a.m. when he crashed. Ogden was treated on scene then taken to Middlesex Memorial Hospital. He died of his injuries.

It appears no other vehicles were involved, according to police.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information should contact the Portland Police Department at 860-342-6780 or Middletown Central Dispatch at 860-347-2541.

Federal public health officials are joining Massachusetts health officials in investigating a large cluster of reported HIV cases in Lawrence and Lowell.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed to help the Massachusetts Department of Public Health with investigating the cases, which it said involves people who inject drugs and are homeless.

Preliminary data from DPH showed 52 new HIV cases in 2017 among those who use opioids, compared to 23 cases the year before.

The CDC's involvement in the investigation will bring resources to determine underlying factors in the infection clusters and why this spike is happening now after a decade of increasing intravenous drug use related to the ongoing opioid epidemic.

There will also be additional help with field interviews of those infected with HIV and their needle-sharing and sexual partners.

Assistance from the CDC is expected to begin later in April.

"The sooner we can discover why these infections are happening now, the sooner we can use the most effective prevention interventions based on the evidence," Dr. Al DeMaria, DPH's infectious disease medical director and state epidemiologist, said in a statement.

Dr. Thomas Stopka, who teaches at Tufts University School of Medicine and studies how one epidemic can lead to another, previously told NBC10 Boston he believed the presence of fentanyl in the Merrimack Valley could be a factor in the increase as addicts tend to use more because of its potency.

"If they're injecting more frequently, there's increased chance for syringe sharing," he said.

Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50, according the CDC, and hepatitis C cases related intravenous drug use have increased by 300 percent across the country.

Meanwhile, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has issued his office's first national public health advisory in 13 years after recommending Americans carry the overdose antidote naloxone, commonly referred as Narcan, on Thursday.

"You don't have to be a policeman or a firefighter or a paramedic to save a life," he said.

The Hartford Yard Goats are known for their game-day entertainment, but this year there is something new to look forward to. 

The Hartford Yard Goats Dance team debuts before the first pitch of Thursday’s home opener and the team is made up of local kids. 

“First Hartford Yard Goats Dance Team, we are super excited,” said 14-year-old Maya Fountain, one of the around 50 dancers on the team.

All of the team members are between the ages of 8 and 18 years-old. 

“We are very excited but very nervous,” Maya said. 

The journey has been fun, but not easy for the dancers. 

Before dancing through the halls and onto the field of Dunkin’ Donuts Park, hundreds of kids auditioned in December for a spot on the team. 

“I feel really excited and humble to be able to have this opportunity, to show my talent to the world,”12-year-old Jacob Rodriguez said. 

After five rounds of cuts, Rodriguez was one of the talented kids selected to the group. 

Studio 860 instructors from Hartford coach the dance team and the dance studio partnered with the Hartford Yard Goats to help create the specialized pre-game performances. 

The YG Dance Team has been practicing every Friday night since January and after their big debut on Thursday, they will continue their performances during Friday night home games in Hartford. 

“Come every Friday night to watch the kids,” said Charlene Fortenbach, whose son, Nick, is from Tolland and dances on the Yard Goats Dance Team. 

Parents said the rehearsals have been a secret, therefore seeing the performances will be a wonderful surprise. What is not so secret are the friendships that complete this team. 

“They love it! They are meeting kids from all different studios, all different towns,” Fortenbach said. 

Now these goats hope to be the greatest of all time dance team to hit it out of Dunkin Donuts Park and into Hartford’s heart. 

“I know we are going to kill it and I am just excited to present everything that we have been working so hard on,” said 18-year-old Nadja Johnson, one of the team captains of the YG Dance Team.