U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro is introducing the outh Vaping Prevention Ac to reduce the number of teens who use vaping devices.

Connecticut State Police have identified the two Danbury police officers who were involved in a deadly shooting last month.

Troopers said officers Regina Guss and Alex Relyea responded to the Glen Apartments on Memorial Drive around 9:30 p.m. on December 29 after getting a report of a suspicious man in the area.

When they arrived, police encountered a man exiting an apartment, armed with a knife that he presented towards the officers.

Police said they ordered him to drop the weapon, but he failed to comply.

Officer Guss then deployed her stun gun towards the man, however, it did not control the him, according to police. The man continued to not comply with the officers' commands and advanced towards them again.

According to police, Officer Relyea then discharged his gun at the man and hit him three times. A female occupant of the apartment also was shot.

Both the man and the woman were treated on scene by emergency medical services and were transported to medical facilities for treatment.

The man, later identified as 45-year-old Paul Arbitelle, of Danbury, died of his injuries.

The Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crimes Squad has assumed the investigation into the use of force in the incident.

Officials said Officer Guss has been a police officer in Danbury since 2006 and Officer Relyea has been an officer in Danbury since 2014. Both officers have received multiple commendations each.

The incident remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have witnessed the event or who may have information to share is encouraged to contact State Police detectives at (203) 267-2225.

The end is coming for single-use plastic bags at Big Y supermarkets.

The company released a statement Tuesday that says it plans to eliminate the single-use bags from checkouts at its 70 supermarkets and specialty stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The company said it has been complying with bans on single-use plastic bags in six Massachusetts communities and that led to evaluating a possible ban chain-wide. The goal now is to make the shift to reusable bags.

Big Y estimates it uses 100 million plastic bags and 3.5 million paper bags each year and said paper bags aren't the answer because of increased greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.

“Single use plastic bags can no longer be viewed as a long term solution for our stores. Our customers and the communities we serve have made it quite clear that they prefer more environmentally friendly alternatives. We look forward to implementing this new program in all of our retail locations, ” Richard Bossie, Big Y vice president of store operations, said in a statement.

Big Y said plans to offer discounted pricing and promotions on reusable bags throughout 2019.

The company has 81 locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut including 70 supermarkets, 39 pharmacies, Fresh Acres Market, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors and 9 Big Y Express gas and convenience locations.

California became the first state in the country to ban single-use plastic bags. The law was signed in 2014. 

State police are investigating a homicide in East Hartford after a Connecticut Department of Transportation employee found a man's body on Route 2 early Tuesday morning.

Troopers said they were called to Route 2 westbound in East Hartford around 3:30 a.m. to investigate “a suspicious incident” and witnesses said they saw what they believed was a person lying in the road. 

State police were later notified that a DOT worker found the body in the shoulder of the road.

Paramedics responded, confirmed the man found in the road was dead and determined his death was a homicide, police said.

He did not have identification with him and investigators are trying to determine who he is and to notify his family. He is believed to be in his 20s to 30s.

Detectives from Central District Major Crimes Squad responded to the scene and assumed the homicide investigation.

The Exit 4 off-ramp on Route 2 westbound was closed for hours while police investigated, but it has since reopened.

The medical examiner’s office responded to the scene and will conduct an autopsy to determine a cause of death.

Anyone with information that might help investigators is asked to contact Troop H-Hartford at (860)534-1000.

Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson is heading to Connecticut to perform on Friday night.

Pete Davidson & Friends is coming to College Street Music Hall in New Haven on Friday, Jan. 11 and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $45. 

The 25-year-old performed in Boston last week and he made fun of his relationship history as well as some fellow comedians during the show and a source inside the show told E! News that Davidson spoke about his ex-fiancee Ariana Grande at length. 

The event listing on the College Street Music Hall website says no cell phones, cameras or recording devices will be allowed at the performance.

A man crashed into a gate and drove across a runway at Tweed New Haven Airport on Tuesday morning while fleeing from police, according to New Haven police.

Tim Larson, the executive director of the airport, said New Haven police were pursuing a person of interest who was in the process of returning a rental car around 11:30 a.m. and the person crashed the gate when he learned he was being pursued.

New Haven police confirmed that officers were trying to capture 31-year-old Alphonzo Dixon of Hamden, who was wanted on several warrants for crimes including sexual assault, assault, and domestic violence involving a firearm. 

According to police, officers spotted Dixon in a rental car in downtown New Haven and followed him to the car rental return office outside of Tweed New Haven Airport.

Police said Dixon did not get out of the car at the office, and officers tried to stop Dixon's vehicle as he began to drive off. Dixon crashed into an unmarked NHPD vehicle then crashed through a chain-link fence onto the airport runway, police said. Dixon continued to flee and crashed through a second fence onto Dodge Avenue in East Haven. The airport briefly closed the runway during the incident.

Officers continued to follow Dixon, who fled the airport and drove onto the interstate before exiting in West Haven. At some point, Dixon got out of the car and continued on foot, police said.

Woodbridge police said the incident ended at the Amity Shopping Center, which borders the town, and patrol officers and detectives from Woodbridge and other agencies responded to the area and provided assistance.

New Haven police arrested Dixon at the plaza after he was spotted in the passenger seat of another vehicle. Police said they seized narcotics from both vehicles.

Dixon faces charges from Tuesday's incident, the New Haven warrants, and a Hamden Police Department warrant.

A Groton police officer was injured while breaking up a fight between two students at Fitch Senior High School Monday, according to police.

Police said two teen boys were fighting in a hallway when the officer responded to separate them. During the struggle, the officer hit his head against a wall.

Both 17-year-old students were arrested. One was charged with interfering with a police officer and assault on a police officer. The other was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. Both were released to their guardians.

Police said a third student who was involved before police arrived, identified as 18-year-old Brandon Hamilton, was also arrested and charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. He was released on a promise to appear and is due in court on January 18.

“The priority right now is food,” Matthew Asia, Broadbrook said.

Asia and his wife both work, but with five kids they struggle to feed their family and pay all of their bills. They rely on food stamps and the Five Corner Cupboard food pantry in East Windsor.

The pantry’s executive director says it’s helped 10 new clients every month for the past four years. Marie Groves says she expects that number to skyrocket if the government shutdown continues into February.

Foodshare, a food bank serving Hartford and Tolland counties, provided 14 million meals last year. Tuesday, volunteers packed boxes for the senior food program.

“If this shutdown continues I don’t know whether we’re going to be able to do that,” Jason Jakubowski, Foodshare’s executive director, said.

He believes that if the food stamp program known as SNAP runs out of money, people who can’t afford groceries will turn to food pantries and soup kitchens. There are 400,000 people in Connecticut on food stamps.

“It’s gonna affect everybody,” Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen Executive Director Priscilla Brayson said.

Brayson shopped for fresh fruits and vegetables for her Enfield soup kitchen at Foodshare on Tuesday.

“Without Foodshare we wouldn’t be able to exist and feed the people that we do,” she said.

Brayson estimated they help 100 people a day right now. However, with government employees not getting paid and those already on assistance facing cuts she’s expecting lines to start forming.

“I will be seeing a lot more people coming into the soup kitchen,” said Brayson.

The USDA has set aside $3 billion for the SNAP program for the month of February, but the program costs $5 billion a month to run.

Meanwhile, Foodshare says the federal government has promised to keep funding their share of the food bank’s inventory through the month of March.

Cuts could also come to the federal program that helps stock Foodshare’s shelves. That means, less food to distribute to their 300 pantry partners at the same time more people are in need of a helping hand.

“We are absolutely in unchartered territory and I think what’s making most of us anxious is we don’t know how long it’s going to continue,” said Jakubowski.

“We’re just surviving. We’re here day by day, you don’t know what’s going to happen next month. You just never know what could happen to us,” Asia added.

A Harwinton man faces animal cruelty charges in connection with the death of a dog in Harwinton in November.

On November 25 Harwinton Animal Control posted on their Facebook page that a dog was shot on Highview Drive.

The post said the dog later died from its injuries at the veterinarian's office.

On January 7, 75-year-old Paul Carrier was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals.

Officials haven't released any information about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Carrier was released on a $2,500 bond and is due in court on January 22.

The top two Republicans in the Connecticut House of Representatives enter the 2019 legislative session with far less clout as a result of stinging 2018 election losses.

Before election day, the GOP was within striking distance of taking control of the House, but instead they lost seats across Connecticut, leaving them with fewer than 60 members.

“I think getting people into a room on any issue you can find common ground regardless of your party affiliation and that’s going to be our role this session,” said Rep. Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford, the deputy minority leader for House Republicans.

Specifically, the GOP is hoping to have input on marquee issues like regulating the recreational use of marijuana, tolls, and sports betting.

On tolls, Democrats have said they are needed in order to stabilize transportation funding, and to pay for upgrades around the state.

Sen. Martin Looney (D- New Haven), the top member of the Senate, said, “We will need to have tolls because of the reality that our gasoline tax cannot be relied upon to meet our infrastructure needs in the future.”

Rep. Themis Klarides, (R- Derby), the top Republican in the House, recommended cutting off peak service on the new CT Rail line that connects Springfield, Hartford and New Haven, and she recommended cutting similar service on CTFastrak, the busway that connects Hartford to New Britain.

The Department of Transportation has reported record ridership numbers that have exceeded projections for both lines, even citing the need to increase the number of rail cars on CTRail.

Klarides says if certain times see significantly decreased service, those should be cut.

“If people are not on those trains or buses, then they are not being used efficiently and it’s something we need to think about limiting,” Klarides said.

Looney, the top Senate Democrat, said that idea is a non-starter.

“Putting those into the mix doesn’t make any sense at all. We need all of the trains that we have right now.”

Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate support wide-scale toll programs for all vehicles, while Governor-elect Ned Lamont has said he supports tolls only for trucks.

A Navy veteran from California has been in custody in Iran for more than five months, his family said Tuesday.

Michael R. White, of Imperial Beach, was captured by authorities in late July, when he was there to visit his Iranian girlfriend, the vet’s mom, Joanne White, told NBC News.

The State Department is “aware of reports” of White’s detainment but declined further comment, officials said. It was not immediately known how long White had been out of the Navy.

Across the state, schools are facing a shortage of substitute teachers and many districts say finding a pool of qualified individuals is becoming more of a challenge.

Districts including Groton, East Lyme, Old Saybrook, Waterford and Ledyard have said it’s become more of a challenge to find qualified individuals who want a substitute job versus a full-time position in the current job market, where more people are getting jobs and more districts are hiring.

“The trend is certainly on a decline,” said Laurie LePine, human resources director at Groton Public Schools.

There is heavy focus and outreach for substitutes, including some creative solutions like working with local colleges, including nearby University of Connecticut—Avery Point, to get education students in the classroom as student-teachers and subs.

“We are probably running about 75 to 80 (substitute teachers) and a few years back we were probably closer to 100 to 120,” LePine said. “So it’s an ongoing challenge to always get that ratio up.”

The goal is to have enough substitutes for 25 percent of the workforce. Groton has about 450 teachers, LePine said.

Human resource staff spends a lot of time at job fairs and, being Groton, career fairs for military families, according to LePine. In times where a sub is unavailable, she said teachers have had to combine classes—which is not ideal.

“It’s hard to find those qualified people who want to do the substitute position. Many probably already have full-time jobs,” said Groton Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Susan Austin.

Many have found those full-time positions in this recent economy.

Austin said she’s also seen a decline in interns from the local colleges but does not know why.

Groton pays its substitutes very competitively, according to LePine: $90 per day for a daily substitute and $95 per day for a “building substitute.” That’s a person who signs on to work every day at a school within the Groton district.

They’ll often be prioritized for long-term assignments, for example filling-in during a maternity leave or medical leave.

“I think it’s trying to consistently be creative and find ways to bring people in and making sure that they’re really qualified,” Austin said.

After 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, D.J. Berger was laid off. He told staff at Fitch High School where he is the varsity girls basketball coach.

“The school recommended since I’m so good working with kids, I should go back to school and become a teacher,” Berger said.

Now, while he’s getting his masters in special education, Berger is substitute teaching in Groton classrooms.

He’s filling the need. And he’s getting real-life experience.

“There’s 11 of us in our master’s program and everyone’s at a different school and it’s the same feedback from everyone – that there’s a shortage for subs,” Berger said, adding when he graduates in May, he wants a full-tome position.

In East Lyme, Superintendent Jeffrey Newton said the district recently started using an educational staffing company, Kelly Services, to help fill their substitute teacher needs.

They’re not alone. Via email, Kelly Services told NBC Connecticut they work with about 50 Connecticut schools and districts to fill all of their educational staffing needs.

Newton said for his district, the cost of contracting out is the same as having their own pool of substitutes – and it’s a larger pool of qualified candidates.

In terms of recruiting, Old Saybrook Superintendent Jan Perruccio wrote to NBC Connecticut via email that the district posts in a number of online locations and uses local sign boards in town from time to time. The district is also considering increasing the per diem rate for some substitutes for the next fiscal year.

In a statement to NBC Connecticut, the Connecticut Education Association President Jeff Leake said, “Connecticut, like many states across the country, is facing a shortage of qualified substitute teachers. Almost all school districts in the state—from wealthy suburban districts to poorer urban districts are facing shortages.

There are many reasons for the shortage including low pay, a shortage of qualified candidates, a tightening labor market, and difficulties finding people to work on a per-diem basis. The #RedforEd movement has brought public attention to the problems facing public education across our country—including inadequate teacher salaries, insufficient pay raises and benefits, a lack of resources, and the need for many highly educated teachers to work multiple jobs or leave the profession to make ends meet.

All of these issues contribute to the growing problem of teacher shortages across our country that shortchanges our students.”

A police officer and a suspect were taken to the hospital after gunfire in New Haven Tuesday.

Police confirmed the incident in the area of Greenwich Avenue and 1st Street.

New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell said one officer shot at and struck an armed suspect. The suspect was taken to the hospital and injuries are not life-threatening, Campbell said. The suspect is listed in critical but stable condition.

The officer was also taken to the hospital as a precaution.

A gun was recovered on scene, Campbell said.

The State's Attorney's Office and Connecticut State Police are responding to the scene to investigate.

There are road closures in the area.

Editor's note: Police initially said the suspect fired at the officer, but later said that is under investigation.

Spending thousands of dollars and working a second job. That's what some teachers say it takes to work in Hartford. Contract negotiations between the Hartford Federation of Teachers and Hartford Board of Education collapsed and are now in arbitration.

On Tuesday night, dozens of teachers came out to a BOE special meeting but couldn't get inside because it went into executive session, as previously scheduled. Instead, the teachers stood in the lobby chanting and voicing their frustrations.

"In the last three years I've spend over $10,000 just for school supplies for my classroom: pencils, pens, papers, books. I have to buy entire class sets of class texts just to get through the year to teach English. I've bought computer supplies for my computer labs simply because there's no money," said teacher John Tusch.

Tusch says he's also working two jobs to make ends meet and that if the BOE's proposal is adopted, he'll have to increase that workload.

"I'm a single dad. I get less time with my daughter because I have to work two jobs. It's an honor to teach. It's an honor to teach in Hartford. But I need to be able to live a life that's balanced, and I need to be able to take care of my own child," said Tusch.

For the last two years Hartford teachers say they've had a pay freeze. The Hartford Federation of Teachers says the BOE proposed another two-year pay freeze as well as reducing the number of sick days and changing the health care coverage. With no agreement in sight, the contract goes to binding arbitration.

Teachers say this is all having an impact.

"This year is my 15th year in the classroom, and I've seen more teachers leave mid-year than ever before," said teacher Tiffany Moyer-Washington.

Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez released the following statement:

"Hartford Public Schools has been committed every step of the way to maintaining the integrity of the negotiation process with respect to the teachers’ contract. From the outset, the District has held the fidelity of this process in the highest regard and has continuously negotiated in good faith. We have not and will not engage in discussion that could unintentionally derail our ongoing productive conversations. While it is unfortunate that information has been reported that is not fully representative of those conversations, we remain committed to the best interests of our District, our employees, and most importantly, our students. It is this commitment that has driven and continues to drive the District’s ongoing good faith engagement with the union toward the goal of coming to an amicable resolution."

Teachers say they'll be at the next regularly scheduled BOE meeting, which will be next Tuesday.

President Donald Trump addressed the nation Tuesday to make his case for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Top Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer responded, urging Trump to end the government shutdown.

Residents in a Groton neighborhood have been asked to shelter-in-place and a SWAT team is on scene after police were called to a disturbance near the Navy Lodge Tuesday.

Groton Town Police Chief L. J. Fusaro said officers were called to the area of Orion Avenue around 7:15 p.m. for a disturbance. When they arrived residents reported there may have been shots fired, so officers set up a perimeter.

An NBC Connecticut crew on scene said police were using an intercom to speak with someone barricaded inside a home.

Fusaro said multiple departments, including the Connecticut State Police tactical unit, have been called in. He described the situation as a “confined incident” and said at this time there is no danger to the public.

No other information was immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The full text of President Donald Trump's first Oval Office address, according to a transcript released by the White House.

My fellow Americans: Tonight, I am speaking to you because there is a growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border.

Every day, Customs and Border Patrol agents encounter thousands of illegal immigrants trying to enter our country. We are out of space to hold them, and we have no way to promptly return them back home to their country.

America proudly welcomes millions of lawful immigrants who enrich our society and contribute to our nation. But all Americans are hurt by uncontrolled, illegal migration. It strains public resources and drives down jobs and wages. Among those hardest hit are African Americans and Hispanic Americans.

Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs, including meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. Every week, 300 of our citizens are killed by heroin alone, 90 percent of which floods across from our southern border. More Americans will die from drugs this year than were killed in the entire Vietnam War.

In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records, including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 violent killings. Over the years, thousands of Americans have been brutally killed by those who illegally entered our country, and thousands more lives will be lost if we don’t act right now.

This is a humanitarian crisis -- a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul.

Last month, 20,000 migrant children were illegally brought into the United States -- a dramatic increase. These children are used as human pawns by vicious coyotes and ruthless gangs. One in three women are sexually assaulted on the dangerous trek up through Mexico. Women and children are the biggest victims, by far, of our broken system.

This is the tragic reality of illegal immigration on our southern border. This is the cycle of human suffering that I am determined to end.

My administration has presented Congress with a detailed proposal to secure the border and stop the criminal gangs, drug smugglers, and human traffickers. It's a tremendous problem. Our proposal was developed by law enforcement professionals and border agents at the Department of Homeland Security. These are the resources they have requested to properly perform their mission and keep America safe. In fact, safer than ever before.

The proposal from Homeland Security includes cutting-edge technology for detecting drugs, weapons, illegal contraband, and many other things. We have requested more agents, immigration judges, and bed space to process the sharp rise in unlawful migration fueled by our very strong economy. Our plan also contains an urgent request for humanitarian assistance and medical support.

Furthermore, we have asked Congress to close border security loopholes so that illegal immigrant children can be safely and humanely returned back home.

Finally, as part of an overall approach to border security, law enforcement professionals have requested $5.7 billion for a physical barrier. At the request of Democrats, it will be a steel barrier rather than a concrete wall. This barrier is absolutely critical to border security. It’s also what our professionals at the border want and need. This is just common sense.

The border wall would very quickly pay for itself. The cost of illegal drugs exceeds $500 billion a year -- vastly more than the $5.7 billion we have requested from Congress. The wall will also be paid for, indirectly, by the great new trade deal we have made with Mexico.

Senator Chuck Schumer -- who you will be hearing from later tonight -- has repeatedly supported a physical barrier in the past, along with many other Democrats. They changed their mind only after I was elected President.

Democrats in Congress have refused to acknowledge the crisis. And they have refused to provide our brave border agents with the tools they desperately need to protect our families and our nation.

The federal government remains shut down for one reason and one reason only: because Democrats will not fund border security. My administration is doing everything in our power to help those impacted by the situation. But the only solution is for Democrats to pass a spending bill that defends our borders and re-opens the government.

This situation could be solved in a 45-minute meeting. I have invited Congressional leadership to the White House tomorrow to get this done. Hopefully, we can rise above partisan politics in order to support national security.

Some have suggested a barrier is immoral. Then why do wealthy politicians build walls, fences, and gates around their homes? They don’t build walls because they hate the people on the outside, but because they love the people on the inside. The only thing that is immoral is the politicians to do nothing and continue to allow more innocent people to be so horribly victimized.

America’s heart broke the day after Christmas when a young police officer in California was savagely murdered in cold blood by an illegal alien, who just came across the border. The life of an American hero was stolen by someone who had no right to be in our country.

Day after day, precious lives are cut short by those who have violated our borders. In California, an Air Force veteran was raped, murdered, and beaten to death with a hammer by an illegal alien with a long criminal history. In Georgia, an illegal alien was recently charged with murder for killing, beheading, and dismembering his neighbor. In Maryland, MS-13 gang members who arrived in the United States as unaccompanied minors were arrested and charged last year after viciously stabbing and beating a 16-year-old girl.

Over the last several years, I’ve met with dozens of families whose loved ones were stolen by illegal immigration. I’ve held the hands of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief-stricken fathers. So sad. So terrible. I will never forget the pain in their eyes, the tremble in their voices, and the sadness gripping their souls.

How much more American blood must we shed before Congress does its job?

To those who refuse to compromise in the name of border security, I would ask: Imagine if it was your child, your husband, or your wife whose life was so cruelly shattered and totally broken?To every member of Congress: Pass a bill that ends this crisis. To every citizen: Call Congress and tell them to finally, after all of these decades, secure our border.

This is a choice between right and wrong, justice and injustice. This is about whether we fulfill our sacred duty to the American citizens we serve.

When I took the Oath of Office, I swore to protect our country. And that is what I will always do, so help me God.Thank you and goodnight.

----

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

Good evening. I appreciate the opportunity to speak directly to the American people tonight about how we can end this shutdown and meet the needs of the American people.

Sadly, much of what we have heard from President Trump throughout this senseless shutdown has been full of misinformation and even malice.

The President has chosen fear. We want to start with the facts.

The fact is: On the very first day of this Congress, House Democrats passed Senate Republican legislation to re-open government and fund smart, effective border security solutions.

But the President is rejecting these bipartisan bills which would re-open government – over his obsession with forcing American taxpayers to waste billions of dollars on an expensive and ineffective wall – a wall he always promised Mexico would pay for!

The fact is: President Trump has chosen to hold hostage critical services for the health, safety and well-being of the American people and withhold the paychecks of 800,000 innocent workers across the nation – many of them veterans.

He promised to keep government shutdown for ‘months or years’ – no matter whom it hurts. That’s just plain wrong.

The fact is: We all agree that we need to secure our borders, while honoring our values: we can build the infrastructure and roads at our ports of entry; we can install new technology to scan cars and trucks for drugs coming into our nation; we can hire the personnel we need to facilitate trade and immigration at the border; and we can fund more innovation to detect unauthorized crossings.

The fact is: the women and children at the border are not a security threat, they are a humanitarian challenge – a challenge that President Trump’s own cruel and counterproductive policies have only deepened.

And the fact is: President Trump must stop holding the American people hostage, must stop manufacturing a crisis, and must re-open the government.

Thank you.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: 

My fellow Americans, we address you tonight for one reason only: the President of the United States – having failed to get Mexico to pay for his ineffective, unnecessary border wall, and unable to convince the Congress or the American people to foot the bill – has shut down the government.

American democracy doesn’t work that way. We don’t govern by temper tantrum. No president should pound the table and demand he gets his way or else the government shuts down, hurting millions of Americans who are treated as leverage.

Tonight – and throughout this debate and his presidency – President Trump has appealed to fear, not facts. Division, not unity.

Make no mistake: Democrats and the President both want stronger border security. However, we sharply disagree with the President about the most effective way to do it.

So, how do we untangle this mess?

There is an obvious solution: separate the shutdown from the arguments over border security. There is bipartisan legislation – supported by Democrats and Republicans – to re-open government while allowing debate over border security to continue.

There is no excuse for hurting millions of Americans over a policy difference. Federal workers are about to miss a paycheck. Some families can’t get a mortgage to buy a new home. Farmers and small businesses won’t get loans they desperately need.

Most presidents have used Oval Office addresses for noble purposes. This president just used the backdrop of the Oval Office to manufacture a crisis, stoke fear, and divert attention from the turmoil in his Administration.

My fellow Americans, there is no challenge so great that our nation cannot rise to meet it. We can re-open the government AND continue to work through disagreements about policy. We can secure our border without an expensive, ineffective wall. And we can welcome legal immigrants and refugees without compromising safety and security.

The symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a thirty-foot wall.

So our suggestion is a simple one: Mr. President: re-open the government and we can work to resolve our differences over border security. But end this shutdown now.

Thank you.

Hartford police are investigating a homicide on Laurel Street Tuesday night.

Police confirmed the investigation in the area of 241 Laurel St.

More information was not immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

South Windsor firefighters rescued cats and dogs when flames broke out at a home on Long Hill Road Tuesday.

Crews responded to the report of smoke coming from the side and roof of the home at 234 Long Hill Road around 4 p.m. When they arrived they heard dogs inside but could not enter because of intense smoke. Firefighters opened the door and were able to get the dogs out of the home.

Crews also rescued three cats from the home. They were treated with donated pet oxygen masks then taken to an emergency vet for further treatment.

It took firefighters around 45 minutes to get the fire under control. The cause remains under investigation.

Two rooms in the home were damaged but no human injuries were reported. The homeowner and dogs will stay with family, fire officials said.

A Kentucky elementary school teacher has been removed from her school and faces charges of assault after she was seen on video dragging a student with autism down a hallway, NBC News reported.

In the minute-long video, shared Sunday on Facebook by the child's mother, Angel Nelson, the female teacher pulls the boy by his wrists down the hall in front of other students lined against a wall. The incident happened on Oct. 24, according to Nelson.

“Do you want to walk?," the teacher, identified as Trina Abrams by county court, asks the boy, to which he responds, "No."

At one point in the video, Abrams appears to try to get the boy to stand up but he refuses so she continues to drag the child along the floor.