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CT Senators Aim for Federal Help With Crumbling Foundations

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Both of Connecticut’s U.S. senators now have bills in Congress aiming to help homeowners affected by crumbling foundations at the federal level.

The plan being proposed in Congress is to get what amounts to cash to help homeowners. In the grand scheme of the federal budget it is not a lot of money, but political realities, and the fact that Connecticut is a blue state, could make crumbling foundations a tough sell in D.C.

The geography of homes with crumbling foundations is growing. The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters confirmed that a home in Bloomfield has a failing foundation related to the mineral pyrrhotite, the second case west of the Connecticut River.

Both Democratic senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy are proposing funding for repairs to the tune of $200 million in total.

The $100 million in Murphy’s bill would be run through the Department of Housing and Urban Development for states like Connecticut with funds dedicated to homes with crumbling foundations.

Blumenthal’s bill is a $100 million grant program that would be administered through FEMA.

“That amount of money is less than a rounding error. That’s barely enough to pick up the pencil and do a rounding correction for the federal government and that moral obligation has to be persuasive to FEMA,” Blumenthal said.

Getting that money could be the tallest task of all. Republicans control Congress, and the tax cuts passed late last year his historically blue, higher tax states like Connecticut hard, meaning these issues are not priorities for many members of Congress. Murphy said he needs to work hard to change that.

“We’ve got to make our colleagues understand that this is a disaster not unlike these other natural disasters and the federal government has to step up in the same way,” Murphy said.

Blumenthal said these are not intended to be perfect fixes and that the insurance industry is still a target.

“Once they discovered this problem, they changed their policies without telling the insureds, the customers who bought those policies. I think that verges on fraud, frankly. But, one way or the the other, they have a moral responsibility,” Blumenthal said.


Silver Alert Issued for 4-Year-Old Girl From Waterbury

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A 4-year-old girl is missing from Waterbury.

Police have issued a Silver Alert for 4-year-old Minnelli Berroa-Insogna. She was reported missing Wednesday.

Berroa-Insogna has blue eyes, is approximately 3-foot and 30 pounds. It is unknown what she was wearing when she went missing.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts should contact Waterbury police at 203-574-6911.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Meriden Man Found Dead in Hubbard Park

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A 42-year-old Meriden man has been found dead in Hubbard Park Wednesday.

Police were searching for the unidentified man, who was reported to have had had medical difficulties over the last few days.

Staff from the parks and recreation department called police and fire officials after finding an unoccupied car at Hubbard Park and authorities determined it belonged to the victim.

Police initially called the investigation a "search and rescue." Police officials confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the man was found dead in the park. They did not immediately provide additional details.

No additional information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut,com

Car Wash Wax Spill Turns Milford Stream Green

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The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is investigating after car wash cleaning materials spilled into drains that emptied into a stream, turning it green.

DEEP officials said their Emergency Response Unit responded to a report of a green substance in a stream in Milford. Investigators traced the substance back to a car wash on New Haven Avenue.

Milford fire officials confirmed that gallons of liquid wax spilled into a floor drain at a Shell gas station car wash on New Haven Avenue. The leak then spread through the drains to the watercourse.

The business owner is hiring a contractor to clean up the mess, DEEP said. The DEEP Permitting Enforcing Division and OSHA will follow up to determine if there were any violations by the business that led to the mess.



Photo Credit: Greg Hughes

Lawmakers Return to Field Nearly 11 Months After Shooting

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Republican lawmakers returned to an Alexandria, Virginia, baseball field Wednesday, nearly 11 months after a gunman opened fire on their practice for a charity baseball game. 

The team gathered at Simpson Field in the Del Ray neighborhood Wednesday morning for their first practice for this year's charity baseball game. 

Texas State Rep. Joe Barton, who also serves as the team's manager, said returning to the field was emotional.

"Obviously, the people that were shot feel very strongly about it," he said. "I had my two sons here, and I brought both of them back to the field that same week so they could see that it’s just a baseball field."

Georgia State Rep. Barry Loudermilk also recalled the emotions brought on by the shooting. He showed up to practice Wednesday wearing the same clothes he had on that day.  

"One of the things that stayed with me was we never got to finish the practice that we started, and that’s why I wore the same uniform I was wearing on the field that day, because it was important to come out here and show the world that we’re not going to be deterred from doing what we do," he said. 

On the morning of June 14, 2017, members of the Republican team were practicing when shots rang out. 

Four people were injured in the shooting. The wounded included House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise; Matt Mika, a lobbyist for Tysons Foods; Capitol Police Special Agent Crystal Griner; and Zack Barth, an aide to Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas). Scalise and Mika were seriously injured.

Scalise was struck in the hip and the bullet shattered blood vessels, bones and internal organs along the way. Doctors said he arrived at a hospital at imminent risk of death.

He was hospitalized for more than a month and has had to endure a number of surgeries since the shooting.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Scalise said he was encouraged that his colleagues returned to the field for practice. Once he's up to it, he said he'd like to get back out on the field, too. He isn't sure, however, that he'll make it to the game. 

"I haven’t been back out to the ballfield yet since the shooting and want to do that on my own terms first and ultimately get back to a practice," Scalise said. 

The gunman, 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson, of Illinois, was shot dead by U.S. Capitol Police officers who were there as a part of Scalise's security detail.

Hodgkinson had nursed grievances against President Donald Trump and income inequality. Hodgkinson had also been critical of the GOP and was reportedly carrying a handwritten list of House Republicans' names, according to officials.

In a tweet Wednesday, Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg thanked law enforcement, and posted a photo at the field with Barton. 

"The Republican Congressional Baseball Team came back to kick off their practice at Simpson Field this morning," she wrote. "It is not quite a year since the unthinkable incident."

This year, congressional baseball practices will be heavily guarded, with Capitol police officers to attend each session. Residents and media will also have limited access to the field. 



Photo Credit: NBC4 Washington

Flames Break Out at Hartford Church

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No one was hurt when fire broke out at a Hartford church Wednesday night.

Fire crews responded to the Bible Way Temple Nation church at 3053 Main Street Wednesday. The pastor told NBC Connecticut a meeting had just wrapped up and he was alone in the building when the fire started. He escaped unharmed.

“I discovered it in the attic. I went back to get a fire extinguisher and when I came back there was embers. I wasn’t taking any chances and went back downstairs and called 911," said Pastor Terry Stringer.

The fire started in part of an addition to the church. Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading further into the building.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Editor's note: Fire officials initially said Bible study was underway when the flames broke out, but the pastor clarified that he was alone in the building when the fire started.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

New Haven Alders Review Plan to Expand Tweed Airport Runway

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Tweed New Haven Airport has been pushing to extend its runway, a move that would need the approval of state lawmakers. On Wednesday New Haven’s Board of Alders heard from people on both sides of the issue, ahead of a decision about whether they’ll throw their support behind the plan.

“ I think it’s going to be huge. I really do and I think it’s going to be appropriate,” said Tim Larson, executive director of the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority

The question is whether to extend the runway by about 1,500 feet, which would allow larger commercial planes to fly out of New Haven to places like D.C., Chicago and Florida. Currently, the airport only offers commercial service to Philadelphia.

“We don’t need to be that large. All’s we need is what we have, we’re not going outside of our fence and we think we can do it rather expeditiously,” Larson said.

The long-talked-about proposal has the support of New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, who has introduced a noise mitigation plan for 185 homes near Tweed, along with the addition of parking a nearby greenway. Residents and members of the business community also lent support to the idea, saying right now it’s too hard to get to New Haven by air.

“We need this because New Haven, Southern Connecticut, Connecticut needs more industry to come in. They can’t come in if they can’t get here,” one resident said.

But opponents of the project also founded off at the meeting considering a resolution of support for the program, arguing more flights would turn their neighborhoods into nightmares.

“This is a complete upending and changing of our neighborhood,” one neighbor said during public comment.

“Now at the very end of the legislature, you’re being asked to do a bums rush and vote on it here and shove it in front of the board of aldermen and somehow squeeze it into Hartford before the session ends on May 9,” another neighbor said during the meeting.

After several hours of public comment, the committee opted to move the resolution up for consideration by the full Board of Alders.

Soon the full board will vote. But in the end it will all come down to state lawmakers, who have to approve any changes to Tweed’s runway before their session ends May 9. According to the airport director, even if it is all approved, it would likely take three years before the expanded runway at Tweed and those additional flights would become reality.

Caravan of Migrants Reaches U.S.-Mexico Border

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A group of migrants from Central America arrived in Tijuana Wednesday with hopes of seeking asylum from dangerous and violent conditions in their home countries.

The group is part of a larger caravan that started their journey for shelter in Mexico at the beginning of March.

The caravan has been described as “dangerous” by President Donald Trump and was mentioned as one of the reasons he asked for National Guard troops to be sent to the border region.

Last week, Telemundo 20 spoke with the first of hundreds who were expected to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The group was sleeping in tents and attending legal seminars given by volunteer attorneys from the U.S.

"We are not terrorists we all have a dream," Mauricio Magana said who is also from El Salvador.

Katherine Flores has traveled with the caravan from El Salvador with her toddler daughter. She told NBC News she wants to give her baby a better future.

“I came because of the gangs,” she told NBC News. “You cannot live in our country.” 



Photo Credit: NBC 7/Telemundo 20

Trump's VA Nominee Jackson in Negotiations to Withdraw

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Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, has grown frustrated with the process and is in active discussions with senior White House officials about withdrawing his name from consideration for the cabinet post, two sources with knowledge of the conversations told NBC News.

A decision about Jackson's future could come as early as Wednesday night or Thursday, one source said.

The development comes as congressional Democrats released additional details Wednesday on allegations of improper conduct involving Jackson, who said earlier in the day that he has no intention of backing out.



Photo Credit: AP

Dirt Bike, ATV Riders Illegally Cruise New Britain Streets

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New Britain police are trying to identify a large group of dirt bike and ATV riders spotted riding illegally throughout the city on Sunday.

Police said dozens of riders were seen traveling through city streets around 6 p.m., and at one point congregated at the Food Bag gas station on Allen Street.

Police don't chase ATVs on the street due to safety reasons, so they rely on other means of enforcement, including asking the public to help them identify where the vehicles are stored.

Earlier this week, Hartford police announced a multi-agency operation that led to 14 ATVs seized and 10 people arrested. Most of the suspects were from out fo state.

Anyone who recognizes any of the riders should contact New Britain police at 860-826-3000. Anonymous tips can be left on the tip line at 860-826-3199.



Photo Credit: New Britain Police Department

Pedestrians, Driver Injured in Windsor Locks Crash

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Two pedestrians and a driver were all taken to the hospital after a crash on Route 75 in Windsor Locks Wednesday night.

Police confirmed two pedestrians - a man and a woman, and a male driver were taken to the hospital after a crash on Route 75 near Corporate Drive. The conditions of the victims were not immediately clear.

Two vehicles were involved. Police said one of the pedestrians was trapped under a vehicle and had to be rescued by firefighters.

Route 75 will be closed for several hours for the investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

'You Did It': Patton Oswalt Credits Wife on Killer's Capture

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"You’re long past leaping over a fence. Take one of your hyper, gulping breaths. Clench your teeth. Inch timidly toward the insistent bell. This is how it ends for you."

These are the words of Michelle McNamara, a mystery writer who coined the name "Golden State Killer" and the late wife of comedian Patton Oswalt, written toward the Golden State Killer — a man allegedly responsible for approximately 45 rapes and 12 murders in California whose identity was unknown until Wednesday.

McNamara was fascinated with unsolved mysteries and obsessed with the Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist and Original Night Stalker (EAR/ONS). She authored "I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer" but she died in 2016 at age 46 before she could finish the book.

Oswalt stepped in to help realize his late-wife's vision and the book was finally published in February. Now, the suspect for the crimes has been arrested, according to law enforcement sources. And Oswalt said he would like to speak to the Golden State Killer.

"Not to gloat or gawk — to ask him the questions" that McNamara wanted answered in her "Letter To An Old Man" at the end of her book, Oswalt wrote on Twitter.

An ex-police officer named Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, who appears to fit the description of the elusive California killer, was arrested overnight on two murder charges by police in Sacramento, just two days into the filming of the documentary on the gruesome crimes, according to Oswalt.

"You did it Michelle," Oswalt said in an Instagram video Wednesday ahead of an appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers." 


He added that police "are never gonna say it but your book helped get this thing closed." 

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones had said earlier in the day that McNamara's work had "kept interest in tips coming in" but that "there was no information extracted from that book that directly led to the apprehension," The Associated Press reported.

Speaking on Meyers, Oswalt said news of the arrest "feels like this thing that she wanted so badly is now done."

Fans of McNamara also praised her work and contribution on social media after the details of the arrest were reported. Many lament how McNamara died before she got to see the results of the life's work.

"It is heartbreaking that Michelle McNamara did not live to see her lifelong pursuit bear fruit," wrote actor James Woods.

Now investigators "can start linking [DeAngelo] to all these other cases," Oswalt told Meyers.



Photo Credit: Photo by E. Charbonneau/WireImage for Disney Pictures
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Black Men Kicked Out of Gym Detail 'Humiliating' Encounter Caught in Viral Video

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Two black men who say they were racially profiled and ordered to leave an LA Fitness gym in Secaucus, New Jersey, earlier this month say they were humiliated when staff called police on them twice while they were working out. 

Rachid Maiga, 27, and Tshyrad Oates, 25, are breaking their silence about the April 15 confrontation, which went viral on social media, in an exclusive interview with the News 4 New York I-Team.

Maiga, a semi-pro basketball player, had been a club member for eight years, paying a premium for the Signature location and regularly driving out of his way to go to the gym for its prized basketball court. On that day, he was swiped in with no issues, and he waited for Oates, an account executive, who checked in separately with a four-day guest pass, he said. 

The two said they had been playing basketball for several minutes when the staffer who’d checked in Oates confronted them.

"She's telling me I'm not a member. She's not asking me. She's telling me I'm not a member," said Maiga, the longtime LA Fitness member. "I’m telling her that I AM a member, and she’s like, 'If you guys don’t get out of here, we’re going to call the police.'"

The friends refused to leave. "We have nothing to hide, we did nothing wrong," thought Maiga. 

Two Secaucus police officers arrived. Maiga went to his locker to get his membership badge and took it to the front desk to be rescanned. He says he decided to start recording with his cellphone because he knew he would not be given the benefit of the doubt -- that the automatic assumption would be that he was the one who did something wrong.

Oates later posted four videos which went viral on social media, fueled by the uproar over an incident three days before where two black men were arrested at a Starbucks in Philadelphia. Starbucks later apologized and announced all stores would close for bias training on May 29th.

"That first video is when my friend scanned," said Oates. "There should have been no more videos because we proved that we were members. We said, 'We’re going to go work out now,' and went back to working out. That should have been the end of the situation."

It wasn’t. The friends returned to the basketball court to resume working out. Shortly afterward, a male manager came storming onto the basketball court.

The manager told them, "'You guys need to go. You guys need to go, or else you're out of here in handcuffs,'" according to Maiga. 

"I'm telling him, 'I'm a member here, you can't just kick me out,' and that's when he tells me, 'Your membership is being terminated," said Maiga. 

Again, the men refused to leave. And again, police officers arrive -- this time, there were five of them. 

"They were peaceful with us, kind," Oates said of the officers. The officers told them, according to Oates, "'Listen, guys, I know we're here again talking to you guys, can we just pull you guys to the side?'"

Oates said, "At this point, now we're embarrassed, we're feeling harassed, and it's just getting out of hand. We're like, you know what, let's just all have this conversation with management."

Oates and Maiga said they felt like suspects as cops escorted them to the lobby.

"It was humiliating," said Maiga. "We’re sitting there and everyone in the gym is looking at us like, 'What’s going on?'"

When they all got to the front desk and started speaking with the male manager, the manager saw that he was being recorded and became upset, according to Maiga. 

"He was like, 'You can't record in here,' and he tried to make that the reason why they were terminating me," said Maiga. "Like, 'Now you definitely have to go because you're recording and breaking rules.'" 

"Even police asked him for an explanation, and he had nothing to tell police. None of them, not one of those members had something to tell police," he said.

The two friends left the gym and nursed their shock over the encounter into the next day. Ultimately, Oates decided to post the video.

"I'm not the type of person that likes to put my problems out there," said Maiga. "This has happened to me before, racial profiling. Like, I'm just already ready to bite the bullet. Then my friend put it online and I'm glad he did, because it brought awareness to it."

The video racked up 50,000 views overnight and has seen been since millions of times. The massive response revealed how deeply the encounter resonated with so many people, according to Oates and Maiga. 

Jill Greuling, a spokesperson for Fitness International, the parent company for LA Fitness, issued the following statement to News 4:

"For over 30 years, people of all races have been welcome in our clubs. We do ask for a Membership card or ID to gain entry. The front desk staff employee was confused and thought the member was a guest. He explained that he was a member, had checked in earlier, and did not want to retrieve his membership card a second time. The front desk employee who made the request was not working when this member checked in the first time, so she was unaware.

"Regrettably, from there our staff unnecessarily escalated the situation and called the police rather than work through it. Clearly, this is a long time member, with a current, valid membership. We want to clarify that no membership was cancelled and no one, including the member’s guest, was banned from the club. We have spoken to the member to apologize and assure him that he and his guests are welcome in our clubs at all times. I can confirm that the 3 employees most closely associated with this incident are no longer with the company."

Civil rights attorney William Wagstaff III, who represents the two men, said he doesn't think the apology is sincere.

"It was a hollow apology, a PR stunt. If that video had not gone viral, they wouldn't have apologized," he said.

Maiga said a woman at the corporate office of LA Fitness reached out to him to apologize, informing him that the three employees had been fired and offering three months of free membership. But Maiga said he won't be returning to the club.

"I don't feel welcome, no," he said. 

The I-Team reached one of the managers terminated as the result of the incident by phone. She denied there was any racial profiling and said one of the employees felt threatened by the two men, who refused to leave the basketball court. The manager said she believed the three employees were unfairly terminated.

Maiga and Oates say they hope the conversation sparked by the video, especially around race and entrenched bias, will continue in a meaningful and lasting way. 

"Racism is there, it's every day," said Oates. "And people try to say it's getting worse. The only difference is it's being recorded now." 

"I can't tell you how many times I've had to change my voice or try to act, like, super playful just to throw off the 'threatening' effect," said Maiga. "Black people all over the states, their understanding of the situation is nothing new." 

"I'm just tired of it. It happens all the time," he said. "And it's always brushed off like it's not gonna be such a big deal because not everybody understands it."  

Oates said, "Why does it keep happening? People are just so nervous to speak about race in America... If he didn't have those videos, we wouldn't even be here today, we wouldn't be talking about it. We would be just black people telling our story, complaining, pretty much, is what people see it as. And we're not complaining. We're here to fight for what's right."

"You can't just shut down your stores and try to tell everybody they need to go to a class on how to treat black people," said Maiga, referring to Starbucks' plan for racial bias training in the wake of the arrests of two black men in the Philadelphia store. "That's like going to college for one day and having an exam and thinking you're gonna pass. It's never gonna happen like that. That is not the solution. Do I have the soluton? I personally don't, but something needs to change."

Oates added, "We have to say something, continue to speak up, not be nervous to have this conversation. We want people to talk about it until they realize it’s wrong."

"We're two educated young males in America," he said. "We just happen to be black." 



Photo Credit: News 4 NY

Police ID Man Killed in Derby Crash

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A 36-year-old Sandy Hook man is dead and a 52-year-old man is in serious condition after a two-car crash on Route 34 in Derby just before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Police responded to Route 34, or Roosevelt Drive, and 36-year-old Christopher Estes, of Sandy Hook, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said he was driving a Jeep and collided with a box truck that was delivering doughnuts to a Dunkin’ Donuts.

The driver of the truck was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital and is reported to be in serious but stable condition.

Judith Galliotte said she woke up when she heard a loud bang when the crash happened.

“I threw my robe on, came out, and then when I came out, I saw a hand reaching for me, and he was underneath the car,” she said.

Galliotte said she called 911 and police told her not to go near the truck, which was leaking gasoline.

There was nothing that she could do.

“I’m a nurse and as a nurse you want to help, you want to save,” she said.

Ed Dulka, of Derby, drove by the crash and also called police.

“I called 911, and I asked him if he’s OK. He didn’t answer,” Dulka said.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

State Representatives Pass Health Insurance Benefits Legislation

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Members of Connecticut’s House of Representative passed a bill early this morning that would require insurance companies cover 10 health benefits in the event of changes in federal law.

The bill would require insurance companies to cover ambulatory patient services; emergency services; hospitalization; maternity and newborn health care; mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment; prescription drugs; rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices; laboratory services; preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management; and pediatric services, including oral and vision care.

The bill also requires insurers cover a 12-month supply of contraception.

State representatives said the benefits are already provided, but they want to make sure they become law in Connecticut in the event of changes to federal laws.

“This bill ensures that no matter what changes on the federal level in the years to come, Connecticut residents will still be covered for these critical services. We’re not creating any new costs – we’re just saying that as a state we won’t go backwards when it comes to health care coverage,” State Rep. Liz Linehan (D-Cheshire/Southington/Wallingford) said in a statement. “The financial impact for families if these benefits were no longer guaranteed would be devastating. When consumers pay their health insurance premiums each month, they deserve the peace of mind that they and their family have access to basic medical services.”

Next, the bill heads to the state Senate.





Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

State Trooper Suffers Minor Injuries in Mansfield Crash

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A state trooper was involved in a crash on Route 6 in Mansfield Wednesday night while responding to a domestic disturbance and suffered minor injuries. 

State police said the trooper, who had the lights and sirens on, hydroplaned at 8:06 p.m. and hit a tree. 

He had to be removed from his car and has been released from Windham Hospital after being treated for minor injuries.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

More Than 19K Files Related to JFK Assassination Released

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The largest batch of documents related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy was released Thursday morning.

More than 19,000 files related the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 were posted online by the National Archives.

Thursday's document release is the final one in accordance with President Donald Trump's direction in October, which allowed agencies to re-review withheld documents before releasing them to the public.

The first batch of documents was made public on Oct. 26, 2017, with the most recent before Thursday's release being on Dec. 15, 2017. In all, nearly 50,000 documents pertaining to the assassination of Kennedy have been released since October.

Most of the collection of documents, which has about 5 million pages, are public, but some of the documents were withheld until recently to protect intelligence sources, intelligence gathering methods and national security.

Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas during a processional by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Files related the JFK assassination investigation revealed that rumors of a link between Oswald and the CIA were "unfounded" and that the FBI was monitoring a growing political movement by Latinos. Documents also revealed that President Lyndon B. Johnson believed Kennedy ordered the assassination of the South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem and that Kennedy was murdered in retaliation.

Another file released since Trump's direction revealed how a British newspaper received a phone call about "big news" in the U.S. 25 minutes before Kennedy's assassination.

Click here to check out the files.

This story is developing. Refresh the page for updates.



Photo Credit: Getty Images, File

New Details Emerge in Villanova Official Love Triangle Slay

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The woman identified as the killer in a murder-suicide stemming from a love triangle that occurred in a tony Philadelphia suburb had some unusual items inside her car, police said Wednesday.

Latex gloves, ear plugs and binoculars were found by officers inside Jennair Gerardot's black Cadillac XTS, police in Radnor Township, Delaware County, said. The vehicle was a rental, investigators determined. 

Police believe Gerardot, of Delaware, drove to the Main Line town Monday night to shoot Meredith Sullivan Chapman. The victim had recently moved to Lowrys Lane for a new job at nearby Villanova University.

Chapman, 33, was found shot to death inside the house. Gerardot was found dead nearby after she apparently turned the gun on herself, police said.

The shocking slaying was rooted in an affair between Chapman and Gerardot's husband, Mark Gerardot, investigators have said.

"She broke into the house, she was lying in wait and she shot her as soon as she walked in and then she shot herself," Radnor Township Police Superintendent William Colarulo said Tuesday. "There were emails and text messages indicating what [Gerardot] planned to do."

Also inside the rented Cadillac was ammunition and a receipt from a nearby gas station that showed Gerardot had been in the area since at least 2:40 p.m. Monday, police said. The vehicle was found on an adjacent side street to Lowrys Lane. Gerardot had rented the vehicle April 13 in Wilmington, Delaware.

In a twist, Mark Gerardot had gone to a restaurant nearby the murder scene where he thought he'd be meeting Chapman for dinner. When she didn't show up, he went to her house and found the bodies. He then called police. 

Chapman had just moved into a three-story brick home on Lowrys Lane with her dog Indy, friends told NBC10.

When investigators arrived at the scene, Gerardot’s husband, Mark Gerardot, told officials that his wife might be inside.

"You had a man that was married, that was having an affair with this other woman," Colarulo said. "The wife knew about it and this was a calculated, planned attack."

Neighbor Tom Dougherty was stunned by the news, telling NBC10 that "this is not what usually happens on this street.”

"Nothing ever happens on this street,” he said.

Chapman was a former WHYY producer for its Delaware bureau and ran an unsuccessful bid as a Republican for a state senate seat in Delaware. She was also married to Newark City Councilman Luke Chapman, but the couple was reportedly separated.

“Our hearts are broken by the devastating loss of our new colleague,” Villanova University officials said in a statement. “The thoughts and prayers of the entire university community are with her family, friends and colleagues during this extremely difficult time.”

Chapman's family called her a "beacon of light to anyone who was fortunate enough to meet her," in a released statement.

"She loved her family fiercely, was a compassionate friend and among the most talented and innovative professionals in her field," they wrote. "Her death was sudden and tragic, but will not definite who she was to the thousands of people who loved her."

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


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Police Investigating Armed Robbery at Newington Gas Station

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Police are investigating an armed robbery at a Sunoco station in Newington Wednesday night and they are asking for help to identify the robber. 

Officers responded to the Sunoco gas station at 3191 Berlin Turnpike at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday and a witness at the gas pumps reported seeing a man in his 30s grab the clerk from over the counter then leave the store and run south across Richard Street toward the 7-Eleven, where he got into a small dark colored sedan. 

The clerk told police the robber grabbed him, threatened him, demanded money, then fled with cash, according to police. 

Store surveillance images show the robber had a long-barrel revolver, according to police. 

The man has an average build and was wearing a gray hat, a gray hooded sweatshirt over a long white t-shirt and dark pants. 

Police have not been able to find the robber and they ask anyone with information about the robbery to call Newington police at (860) 666-8445.



Photo Credit: Newington Police

Part of Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in Hamden Closes

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A portion of the popular Farmington Canal Heritage Trail is closed in Hamden. 

Hamden’s Public Works and Parks Director Craig Cesare ordered the closure after there was tree damage and flood waters covered the trail. 

It is closed from the Dixwell Avenue, or Route 10, overpass to Skiff Street. 

Marcello DePascale, who bikes 14 miles of the trail three to four times a week, said the flooding and subsequent closure has been an inconvenience, but it needs to be fixed. 

“I don’t know what else they could do down there unless they put in a little bit better drainage. It’ll warm up. Normally it’s dry down there, we cruise around and keep going. Hopefully they get it fixed soon,” DePascale said. 

Town officials do not have an estimated timeline of when the portion of the trail will reopen, but they said they will let the public know when it does. 




Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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