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

Grandmother Fights Off Robbers With Box Cutter at Texas Subway

0
0

A Texas grandmother who used a box cutter to fight off a pair of robbers at her Subway restaurant may have a new title: Houston's Toughest Abuela.

Recently released video of the Sept. 22 robbery at a Subway on Westheimer Road shows two men in hoodies jump over the sandwich franchise's counter and confront 44-year-old Guadalupe Rojas, KPRC-TV reported. Rojas grabbed a box cutter and held her ground, refusing to turn over any cash.

Security video shows one of the men grabbing a pan and striking Rojas over the head before punching her repeatedly. The station reported Rojas, who stands 4 feet, 9 inches tall, slashed one of the robbers.

According to KPRC, Houston police are searching for the men in the video.

"[The attack] taught me that I had to defend my family, because that is how I feel, that Subway is my family," said Rojas, who has worked at the restaurant for six years.

"I was shocked to see my mom in that way," Aurelia Mejia told KPRC. Her sister, Edith, said they were both "super proud" of the grandmother of nine.

The report said Rojas did not receive a raise for her actions, but she did receive more hours.



Photo Credit: KRPC/NBC DFW

Trump Won’t Sign Spending Bill to Avoid Shutdown, Ryan Says

0
0

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that President Donald Trump would not sign a bill that would fund the government into February because it did not include funding for his border wall. Ryan said he is going back to the House to work with members on a bill that the president would sign.

Teen Charged in Connection With Racist Video in Southington

0
0

Southington police have arrested a 17-year-old in connection with a racist video posted on social media.

The video was shared in a private chat room then sent out publicly, coming to the attention of Southington school officials and police on Dec. 13.

School officials said the video contained "racially inappropriate and highly charged language." The video also contained language "implying the support of violence against people of color.

The 17-year-old suspect was arrested Thursday and charged with breach of peace. He was not identified due to his age.

Superintendent Timothy Connellan has stressed that the video is not representative of the attitudes or values of the school community.

"The whole thing quite honestly was offensive to me, was hugely offensive and as I said its one student out of about 2,100 students at Southington High School,” he said in an interview with NBC Connecticut.

In a letter to the school community, he said the investigation could lead to disciplinary action by the school district.

No other arrests are expected.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

State to File Lawsuit Against Purdue Pharma

0
0

The state of Connecticut is suing Stamford-based pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, claiming the company ran a misleading campaign that downplayed the risk of addiction to opioids they manufactured to generate sales, despite the opioid crisis, according to a press release from the Connecticut attorney general’s office.

See the complaint below.

    Attorney General George Jepsen announced the lawsuit Thursday. The suit claims that Purdue “peddled a series of falsehoods” that pushed patients toward opioid use and reaping large profits while opioid addiction caused pervasive problems in Connecticut and across the country.

    According to the attorney general, 1,038 people died in Connecticut of accidental drug overdoses in 2017, the majority from opioid-related overdoses. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has projected that 1030 more people will die of overdoses in 2018.

    “We will allege in court that Purdue knowingly put its own exorbitant profits first when it purposefully and systematically misled doctors by not just downplaying the terrible risks of addiction, but by forcefully asserting that opioid products were safe, that the risk of addiction was low, and that patients experiencing symptoms of addiction should actually be prescribed higher and greater doses of Purdue's opioid drugs. We allege that this behavior was endorsed and promoted by the highest leadership of the company and that it was in violation of Connecticut law,” Jepsen said in a press release.

    The state alleges that Purdue gave misleading information to patients and doctors to convince more people to take OxyCotin and two other opioids, Hysingla and Butrans. The lawsuit claims that Purdue suggested that opioids were safe to treat minor pain, and encouraged doctors and patients to take higher doses and rewarded high-prescribing doctors with meals, gifts and money, and awarded prizes and bonuses to sales representatives based on opioid prescriptions.

    Purdue stopped marketing opioid drugs to doctors in February 2018.

    OxyContin has long been the world's top-selling opioid painkiller, bringing in billions in sales for Purdue.

    The company has released the following statement on the allegations:

    “We share the state’s concern about the opioid crisis. While Purdue Pharma’s opioid medicines account for less than 2% of total prescriptions, we will continue to work collaboratively with the state toward bringing meaningful solutions to address this public health challenge.

    We vigorously deny the state’s allegations. The state claims Purdue acted improperly by communicating with prescribers about scientific and medical information that FDA has expressly considered and continues to approve. We believe it is inappropriate for the state to substitute its judgment for the judgment of the regulatory, scientific and medical experts at FDA. We look forward to the opportunity to present our substantial defenses.”

    Biggest Stress For Teens Is Homework, Study Says

    0
    0

    A new study says that the biggest cause of stress for children is too much homework. It topped bullying, parental expectations and self-esteem. 

    The study by the Better Sleep Council said that 74 percent of teens are stressed out from the demands of homework. The study also found that homework takes up about 15 hours a week for most teens. 

    “That’s probably the number one thing that kids talk about is the stress and anxiety that comes with too much homework," said Dr. Valerie Rock, a licensed clinical psychologist in La Jolla. "There is a lot of competition and the competitive nature of the schools. There’s pressure with the state testing and being prepared.”

    Part of the stress comes from the lack of sleep that too much homework can bring, according to the Better Sleep Council. 57 percent of teenagers said they don't get enough sleep and 67 percent said they get about five to seven hours a night, under the recommended average. 

    Rock added just this week she had a teen patient that was up until 3 in the morning trying to complete homework. 

    "It's usually with students that are in high school but we're seeing stress with kids as young as second grade," said Rock. "Kids need to have time for extracurricular activities and unstructured downtime when they can be creative." 

    Rock said that parents can help their teens through structured time management. 

    "Do time-blocking at home," said Rock. "Know extracurriculars are until this time, when you get home, we have dinner and structure time at home." 



    Photo Credit: Shutterstock

    Norwich Diocese to Name Priests, Deacons Accused of Abuse

    0
    0

    The Diocese of Norwich has announced it will release the names of priests and deacons who were "credibly accused" of sexual abuse.

    The diocese said it will release names sometime near the end of January.

    Both the Hartford Archdiocese and Bridgeport Diocese have also taken steps to share lists of credibly accused priests. 

    In 2015, the Norwich Diocese agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit alleging a woman was repeatedly molested by now-deceased priest Rev. Thomas Shea. Shea was accused of molestation by more than a dozen girls from the 1960s to the 1980s. He died in 2006 at age 85.

    In a current case, more than 20 men are suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, alleging years of sexual abuse at the former Mount Saint John School in Deep River.

    The 20 legal complaints allege abuse by a number of clergy and staff members that the men say occurred repeatedly over a period of approximately 14 years in the mid-1980s through 2000. 

    In a letter sent to parishioners in August, Bishop Cote wrote,

    "We in the Diocese will continue to follow an absolute zero tolerance policy toward those who committed crimes against God's children. There is no higher priority within the Diocese than the protection and spiritual welfare of our young. The Diocese of Norwich continues our longstanding commitment to the support and healing of victim-survivors of abuse and reaffirms our commitment to protect our children, young people, and vulnerable adults from harm."

    Several Roman Catholic bishops urged colleagues last month to take some sort of action on the clergy sex abuse crisis. A grand jury report released in August in Pennsylvania detailed decades of abuse and cover-up in six dioceses, alleging more than 1,000 children had been abused over the years by about 300 priests.



    Photo Credit: Getty Images

    Bruegger's Bagels Warns Customers After Data Breach

    0
    0

    The company that owns Bruegger's Bagels is warning customers that their credit card information may have been compromised.

    The company said it noticed unusual activity on its network on November 28th. Through a cybersecurity firm, Bruegger's determined that someone had gained unauthorized access to its point of sale systems.

    Customers who visited company-owned Bruegger's locations between August 28, 2018, and December 3, 2018, may have had their name and credit card information exposed. The data includes card number, expiration date, and security code.

    The company said it is confident the breach has been contained.

    The affected Connecticut stores are:

    • Avon
    • Glastonbury
    • Whitney Ave. store in New Haven
    • Shelton
    • Trumbull
    • South Main St. store in West Hartford
    • Wallingford

    Bruegger's is urging customers to check their credit card and debit card statements to look for unauthorized activity and to contact their bank to report any suspicious use.



    Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

    Trump Pushes for Wall Funding at Farm Bill Signing

    0
    0

    President Donald Trump again pushed for funding for his proposed border wall to be included in a spending bill that would keep the government from shutting down this weekend. Trump told lawmakers earlier he would not sign the stopgap bill without funding for his border wall with Mexico, which he has been promising to build since his presidential campaign.


    Read Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' Resignation Letter

    0
    0

    Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is resigning from the Trump administration at the end of February so President Donald Trump can have someone in the role with views on defense that are closey aligned with his own.

    Mattis told Trump he has "the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours" on subjects like how to "advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values," as well as alliance building.

    Read the full letter here:



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

    Route 6 Closed in Killingly After Crash

    0
    0

    Route 6 in Killingly is closed after a crash, according to the South Killingly Fire Department.

    The department posted on Facebook that Route 6 was closed at Cook Hill Road due to the crash. LifeStar has been requested.

    No other details were immediately available.

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



    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.

    Defense Secretary Mattis Resigns Over Differences With Trump

    0
    0

    Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will step down at the end of February, according to a resignation letter he hand-delivered to President Donald Trump Thursday, a day after Trump overruled his advice against pulling troops out of Syria.

    Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in Trump's administration, will leave by the end of February after two tumultuous years struggling to soften and moderate the president's hardline and sometimes sharply changing policies.

    In the letter, Mattis wrote of differences with the president on maintaining alliances, advancing an international order and using American power for a common defense. China and Russia want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model at the expense of the United States and its allies, he wrote.

    "We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances," Mattis wrote.

    Trump has the right to a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with his on "these and other subjects," he wrote.

    His departure was immediately lamented by foreign policy hands and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who viewed the retired Marine general as a sober voice of experience in the ear of a president who had never held political office or served in the military. Even Trump allies expressed fear over Mattis' decision to quit, believing him to be an important moderating force on the president.

    "Just read Gen. Mattis resignation letter," Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted. "It makes it abundantly clear that we are headed toward a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances & empower our adversaries."

    Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California said that she was "shaken" by the news.

    "I am shaken by the news because of the patriot that General Mattis is," she said. "I think that everybody in the country should read his letter of resignation. It’s a letter of great patriotism, great respect for the president but also a statement of his values."

    The president tweeted in announcing Mattis' departure, which he characterized as a retirement, that a new defense secretary "will be named shortly."

    "During Jim's tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting equipment," he wrote. "General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations."

    Trump said Wednesday that the United States had beaten ISIS in Syria, but experts and former officials disagreed. They warned that Trump's surprise decision to withdraw troops from Syria would be seen as a victory for Russia and Iran and a betrayal of Kurdish and Arab forces fighting a seven-year war against the Damascus regime.

    Mattis met with the president Thursday afternoon to tell him he would be resigning and deliver the letter, a Defense Department spokesman said. A senior White House official told NBC News Mattis and the president had differences of opinion over some issues over the last few months but did not know whether Syria had specifically come up. 

    Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said earlier Thursday that Mattis had told him that this was not the time to leave Syria, and that "a replay of Iraq was very likely." Graham, who called the decision to remove troops from Syria an Obama-like mistake, had urged Trump to follow military advice in the fight against ISIS.

    Of Mattis, he tweeted Thursday, "He has been in the fight against radical Islam for decades and provided sound and military ethical advice to President Trump."

    Mattis and Trump had clashed over a number of international decisions. He defended the Iran nuclear deal just as Trump pulled out of it and was at odds with the president’s opposition to U.S. military exercises with South Korea in a concession to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

    Mattis, 68, is a Marine Corps general who retired in 2013 after serving as the head of the U.S. Central Command.

    He has a reputation as a battle-hardened, tough-talking Marine who was entrusted with some of the most challenging commands in the U.S. military. 

    Mattis was only the second retired general to serve as defense secretary, the first being George C. Marshall in 1950-51 during the Korean War. Marshall was a much different figure, having previously served as U.S. secretary of state and playing a key role in creating closer ties with Western Europe after World War II.

    Although his record in combat and his credentials as a senior commander are widely admired, Mattis had little experience in the diplomatic aspects of the job of secretary of defense upon taking the position.

    Born in Pullman, Washington, Mattis enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1969, later earning a history degree from Central Washington University. He was commissioned as an officer in 1972. As a lieutenant colonel, Mattis led an assault battalion into Kuwait during the first U.S. war with Iraq in 1991.

    As head of the Central Command from 2010 until his retirement in 2013, he was in charge of both the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    The Associated Press contributed to this article.



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

    Mueller May Submit Report by Mid-February, Sources Say

    0
    0

    Special counsel Robert Mueller is nearing the end of his historic investigation into Russian election interference and is expected to submit a confidential report to the attorney general as early as mid-February, government officials and others familiar with the situation tell NBC News.

    "They clearly are tying up loose ends," said a lawyer who has been in contact with the Mueller team.

    The sources either did not know or would not say whether Mueller has answered the fundamental question he was hired to investigate: Whether Trump or anyone around him conspired with the Russian intelligence operations to help his campaign.



    Photo Credit: AP

    South Windsor Considers Garbage Pay Plan

    0
    0

    South Windsor residents could soon have to pay to get rid of their garbage.

    "We just can’t keep burning trash because we’re just polluting the air even more. So we’ve got to find ways to recycle more," said Deputy Mayor Andrew Paterna.

    The proposal is to charge residents for each bag of garbage they put out. Leaders who support the move said it would benefit the environment and the town’s bank account.

    "I think it’s the wave of the future, I think the state of Connecticut is essentially signaling to us that this is the direction we’re moving in," Paterna said.

    This week the town council heard a proposal for SMART – Save Money and Reduce Trash – from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The "Pay as you Throw" program would charge residents roughly $2 per trash bag collected by the town, theoretically incentivizing them to throw out less.

    "Yes, it’s good to save the environment. I can kind of see where they’re coming from with that," said resident Hayley Moquin.

    Both Stonington and Mansfield currently have the program, with another 11 or so towns considering it, according to DEEP. South Windsor estimates SMART could reduce its garbage output by 44 percent. But environment aside, some residents say like so many other government charges in Connecticut, the proposed fee amounts to a new tax they don’t want to pay.

    "I think I’m paying enough for property tax. For me to be paying extra for my garbage, I don’t think that’s something I would really want to do," said Paulette Grant.

    "I definitely don’t think we should be charged. We are paying a lot of town tax right now. That should really take care of it," argued Renus Bachhani.

    The deputy mayor said he understands those concerns, but wants to push forward on the idea, and find residents some relief as the program works.

    "If people are recycling and we’re saving money, maybe there’s a rebate that goes back to the citizens," Paterna said.

    There will be a public hearing on this in January. The council will work with the Department of Public Works to establish a plan before another round of hearings.

    There’s also the possibility of testing a pilot program with a small group of residents before rolling out town wide.

    Gov. Malloy's Official State Portrait Unveiled

    0
    0

    The official portrait of outgoing Gov. Dannel Malloy that will be displayed at the Museum of Connecticut History was unveiled at a ceremony Thursday.

    The tradition to commission a portrait of each outgoing governor in Connecticut dates back to the early 1800s. The collection of portraits is on display at the museum’s Memorial Hall inside the State Library and Supreme Court building in Hartford. Admission is free and the museum is open six days a week.

    Malloy’s portrait was painted by East Lyme artist Chris Zhang and depicts Malloy standing in front of a window inside the Governor’s Residence on Prospect Street in Hartford. In the painting, the governor wears a green bracelet on his wrists that represents the 26 students, teachers and administrators killed at the mass shooting at Sandy Hook in 2012. He is surrounded by other items that represent important aspects of both his personal and public life.

    Zhang is an award-winning artist that works as a painter and teaches art in East Lyme. His art has been featured in exhibits around the world.



    Photo Credit: State of Connecticut/Chris Zhang

    Prayer Service Held After Girl’s Death in Domestic Attack

    0
    0

    A prayer and healing service was held Thursday evening at the Hartford church, attended by the West Hartford family that lost their daughter in a domestic stabbing attack.

    West Hartford Police have charged the girl’s 12-year-old brother as a juvenile with murder with special circumstances and first-degree assault. The mother remains hospitalized after also being stabbed Monday afternoon at the family home on Stoner Drive.

    “It’s always tough to walk these kinds of experiences,” Fr. Thomas Gallagher from St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church told NBC Connecticut before the service.

    His community is looking for light in a time of darkness.

    "Sometimes light’s just a flicker and sometimes its strong but being together I think the solidarity of the community is an important piece," Gallagher said.

    Gallagher said he has known the Curtin-Murphy family since he arrived at the church in 2008. He tells NBC Connecticut the siblings were twins and they were baptized at the church in 2006.

    "Everybody is suffering," Gallagher said. "Everyone feels not only that family’s pain, but it is part of our parish family and the pain and struggle that’s there with confusion."

    In addition to bouquets of flowers, there are now white ribbons on wooden sticks at the entrance to the family’s neighborhood and in front of homes. Community members can pick up ribbons at the Stop & Shop on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford.

    "We are all a community," floral manager Jennifer Bugai said. "We’re a neighborhood, I grew up in town and we wanted to show our support."

    Gallagher shared one of his final memories of the sister.

    "Just a wonderful young lady, very kind, hospitable in our recent advent wreath making she was greeting people at the door and welcoming them as they came to make their advent wreaths," he said.

    The medical examiner has ruled the girl’s death a homicide caused by stab wounds to the neck and torso.



    Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

    First Alert: Hour by Hour Timing & Impacts of Heavy Rain

    Schumer: ‘Trump Is Plunging the Country Into Chaos’

    0
    0

    Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi reacted to President Donald Trump’s refusal to back a bill averting a government shutdown Thursday. Schumer said that between the possible shutdown, the falling stock market and the resignation of Defense Secretary of Jim Mattis, Trump is “plunging the country into chaos.”

    Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Out After Syria Withdrawal

    0
    0

    President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will retire in February 2019. Mattis submitted a letter to Trump saying the president deserves a secretary of defense with views more close to his on things like alliances and building an international order. The move comes after Trump abruptly announced that U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Syria, where they’d been fighting ISIS.

    Police at Wethersfield School After Concerning Online Post

    0
    0

    Wethersfield school officials said a social media post led to a police investigation at a local elementary school Wednesday, and while police determined there was no threat, it still left parents on edge.

    “Everybody’s talking about it. It's a little scary, strange, and shows how crazy social media can be,” said Wethersfield parent Nicholas Washburn.

    The superintendent said an individual from the community made a Facebook post regarding Highcrest Elementary School that led them to reach out to police, but investigators determined there was no credible threat.

    Some parents said they wished there was more information in a letter sent out Wednesday. The superintendent writing that police stepped up their presence around Highcrest Thursday and will do so Friday out of an abundance of caution.

    While parents say they’re relieved this potential threat wasn’t deemed credible, the fact that threats come up in the first place is unnerving.

    “Anxiety, scared for her, me and my wife talked about at the beginning of her school career about homeschooling just in case because of all these crazy things that happen in school,” Washburn said,

    The Wethersfield superintendent said police are familiar with the author of that social media post and that the school district will continue to be vigilant toward any social media communication that’s disruptive to the educational environment.

    Bills Passed to Help Address Veterans' GI Bill Benefit Woes

    0
    0

    Congress passed two bills this week that help address the ongoing issues faced by student veterans after the Department of Veterans Affairs struggled to pay GI Bill benefits, NBC News reported.  

    The Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act, which passed Thursday, aims to ensure veterans received all the money they were owed. The Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, passed late Wednesday, would further protect recipients from suffering consequences because of VA's delay. Both bills await President Donald Trump's signature to become law.

    Thousands of student veterans received late or incorrect housing payments this past semester because of computer problems at VA, forcing them into difficult financial circumstances. Many also did not receive their tuition payments, which put them at odds with their schools.



    Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, File
    Viewing all 57608 articles
    Browse latest View live




    Latest Images