A woman has died after police said she was shot through a window of a home in Bridgeport on Tuesday night.

Officers were called to a home on William Street around 7:45 p.m. after shots were fired.

When they arrived, they said they found a 37-year-old woman on the second floor of the home with at least one gunshot wound to the torso.

Police said it appears she was shot through a second floor window.

Officers began CPR on the woman and continued to assist paramedics until she was transported to Bridgeport Hospital.

Shortly after she arrived at the hospital, officials said she was pronounced dead. Her identity has not been released.

Detectives are processing a crime scene at the home and are interviewing witnesses. Police said they are working to establish a motive, but at this time, it's unclear if the woman was the intended target.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Winkler at (203) 581-5224 or call Bridgeport Police Tips Line at (203) 576-TIPS (8477).

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has admitted to using blackface at a college party in the 1980s, when he dressed up as a rapper.

"Because we did not have an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of others — we dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup," Herring said in a written statement released Wednesday.

He said that he and friends dressed up as rappers they listened to at the time, referencing Kurtis Blow.

Herring's admission comes days after Virginia politics were rattled when a photo surfaced from Gov. Ralph Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook page showing people in blackface and a KKK robe. Northam initially apologized for appearing in the photo; he later claimed he wasn't shown, but did admit to wearing blackface with a Michael Jackson costume at a dance contest.

Prominent figures from the left and right, including the chairman of the State Republican Party and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, called for Northam to step down and let Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax take his seat.

But in the following days, Fairfax' past came under intense scrutiny as Vanessa Tyson, a political science professor on leave from Scripps College in California, came forward and accused Fairfax of sexually assaulting her at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. 

Fairfax, a married, 39-year-old father of two, said Monday that when he was 25, he had a "100 percent consensual" encounter in a hotel room with a woman he met at the convention. He wasn't married at the time.

Read Herring's full statement below:

"The very bright light that is shining on Virginia right now is sparking a painful but, I think we all hope, important conversation. The stakes are high, and our spirits are low.

"I am sure we all have done things at one time or another in our lives that show poor judgment, and worse yet, have caused some level of pain to others. I have a glaring example from my past that I have thought about with deep regret in the many years since, and certainly each time I took a step forward in public service, realizing that my goals and this memory could someday collide and cause pain for people I care about, those who stood with me in the many years since, or those who I hoped to serve while in office.

"In 1980, when I was a 19-year-old undergraduate in college, some friends suggested we attend a party dressed like rappers we listened to at the time, like Kurtis Blow, and perform a song. It sounds ridiculous even now writing it. But because of our ignorance and glib attitudes – and because we did not have an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of others – we dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup.

"This was a onetime occurrence and I accept full responsibility for my conduct.

That conduct clearly shows that, as a young man, I had a callous and inexcusable lack of awareness and insensitivity to the pain my behavior could inflict on others. It was really a minimization of both people of color, and a minimization of a horrific history I knew well even then.

"Although the shame of that moment has haunted me for decades, and though my disclosure of it now pains me immensely, what I am feeling in no way compares to the betrayal, the shock, and the deep pain that Virginians of color may be feeling. Where they have deserved to feel heard, respected, understood, and honestly represented, I fear my actions have contributed to them being forced to revisit and feel a historical pain that has never been allowed to become history.

"This conduct is in no way reflective of the man I have become in the nearly 40 years since.

"As a senator and as attorney general, I have felt an obligation to not just acknowledge but work affirmatively to address the racial inequities and systemic racism that we know exist in our criminal justice system, in our election processes, and in other institutions of power. I have long supported efforts to empower communities of color by fighting for access to healthcare, making it easier and simpler to vote, and twice defended the historic re-enfranchisement of former felons before the Supreme Court of Virginia. I have launched efforts to make our criminal justice system more just, fair, and equal by addressing implicit bias in law enforcement, establishing Virginia’s first-ever program to improve re-entry programs in local jails, and pushing efforts to reform the use of cash bail. And I have tried to combat the rise in hate crimes and white supremacist violence that is plaguing our Commonwealth and our country.

"That I have contributed to the pain Virginians have felt this week is the greatest shame I have ever felt. Forgiveness in instances like these is a complicated process, one that necessarily cannot and should not be decided by anyone but those directly affected by the transgressor, should forgiveness be possible or appropriate at all. In the days ahead, honest conversations and discussions will make it clear whether I can or should continue to serve as attorney general, but no matter where we go from here, I will say that from the bottom of my heart, I am deeply, deeply sorry for the pain that I cause with this revelation."

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.

Kevin Simmers spent 30 years fighting the war on drugs, targeting users and dealers in Maryland. But when the opioid crisis hit closer to home, the former narcotics officer changed his perspective on addiction and began waging a different war on the drug problem.      

Simmers said he was inspired by President Ronald Reagan's call for a war on drugs to combat the crack epidemic in America. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Air Force where he trained dogs to sniff out narcotics. In the early 1990s, he joined the Hagerstown Police Department and assigned to the narcotics unit. Simmers eventually became part of a Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force. 

“It was really on the front lines of the drug war — in the trenches and chasing people down, locking them up,” he said.

Simmers thought he was making a positive difference in people’s lives by locking up drug addicts.

“The more arrests the better,” he said. “More handcuffs, more incarceration the better.”

Then one day in late 2013 Simmers' 18-year-old daughter, Brooke, told him she had developed an addiction to the opioid pain killer Percocet and asked for help. Over the next year, Brooke struggled to get and stay clean, at one point telling her father she couldn't continue to live with addiction.

“She falls down on the ground and says, ‘I’m sorry; I can’t beat this,’” Simmers said. “And this is where she asks me to shoot her and put her out of her misery, because she could not fight the demons any more. She had to go get the heroin.”

As Simmers sought help for his daughter, he got an in-the-field education on the administrative red tape and roadblocks addicts face when seeking treatment. Simmers became frustrated with a system that made addicts wait for care.

According to Simmers, his insurance company initially refused to cover Brooke's in-patient addiction treatment because she wasn't deemed a critical candidate, approving her instead for daily out-patient classes.

“No other disease do we treat people that inhumanely,” he said.

Brooke dropped out after two weeks, telling her father that she had her addiction under control. A few months later, she relapsed and became addicted to heroin. 

After a near fatal overdose, Simmers became so frustrated he urged prosecutors to send his own daughter to jail as a last resort.

“Because I’m trying to save her life,” he said. “Because I don’t think she can help herself this time.”

Brooke would get out of jail and overdose one more time.

“She drove to a nearby church where she played basketball as a kid and she crawled into the backseat of the car and she died there from heroin overdose,” Simmers said.

Before she died, Brooke told her father she wished there was a place she could go live and get sober. Simmers and his wife set off to fulfill Brook's wish.

They spent the next three years raising awareness, hosting fundraisers and convincing the local community to donate their time and resources to build Brooke’s House, a residential treatment facility for young women in Washington County who are in the early stages of substance abuse.

On Tuesday, the Simmers honored their daughter with the opening of Brooke’s House.

“Brooke prayed for that house; God answered her prayer,” Simmers said.

Brooke’s House will be home for up to 16 women at any given time, and will be funded in part by the sale of chocolates made in-house.

Some 47,600 Americans died of opioid overdoses in 2017, according to federal numbers. That's more than die as a result of traffic crashes. Opioid deaths were 13 percent higher compared to 2016, up a notch in a 20-year onslaught. The street drug fentanyl — an extremely powerful opioid — is the top killer today, displacing heroin and pain pills. But prescription painkillers are still a problem, contributing to 14,495 deaths in 2017.

If you or someone you know is struggling with drug addiction, call the national hotline for drug abuse at 1-888-633-3239 to receive information regarding treatment and recovery.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union speech Tuesday, hailing the country's booming economy and warning of human traffickers flooding across the border. Here's a closer look at some of the statements from his address.

There will be an increased police presence at three schools in Wallingford on Wednesday after an anonymous threat was posted on social media.

Wallingford Police were notified by a family about a concerning post on Snapchat on Tuesday night.

According to police, the threat was posted at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. It contained a map with Stevens Elementary School, Dag Hammarskjöld Middle School and Lyman Hall High School with the statement, "I am going to murder someone."

Wallingford Police do not see the threat as credible, but out of an abundance of caution, there will be an increased police presence at all three schools on Wednesday, Wallingford Public Schools Superintendent Salvatore Menzo said in a statement.

He also said the phones at Lyman Hall High School are only partially working. School officials said calls can be made out from the school, but calls cannot be received into the school.

If you need to communicate information to Lyman Hall High School, you're urged to send and email or call 203-949-6500.

School officials said they will continue to disicipline those found responsible for such posts to the highest extent they can. 

Former New Britain mayor and current president of the Greater New Britain Chamber of Commerce has been put on administrative leave after what some are calling a misogynistic Facebook comment during the State of the Union Address on Tuesday night.

During President Trump's address, Stewart commented on a photo of some of the female Democratic lawmakers who attended the State of the Union dressed in white in a show of solidarity.

"**tches in heat," Stewart's comment said below the picture.

The comment was condemned by several people, including the chairman of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.

"I could not be more disappointed in the social media post made last night by Tim Stewart," Gennaro Bizzaro said in a statement. "His choice of words was inexcusable and has no place in modern civil discourse.

Stewart is the father of current New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart.

"To all of those asking; I'm embarrassed and mortified," Mayor Stewart tweeted Wednesday morning.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to Tim Stewart for comment, but we have not been able to reach him.

The Chamber of Commerce board members plan to confer, to determine what authority they have to discipline Stewart, according to Bizzaro.

The new chair of the state Democratic Party, former Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, also released a statement about Stewart.

"This isn't about Republicans or Democrats.  This is about basic decency.  No one should speak about any woman that way, ever," Wyman said.

The fiancé of a man who was killed after stopping to help a crashed driver on the Pine Valley Creek Bridge Wednesday said her husband to be was the kind of guy who would help anybody at any time.

"Oh God, no," Gwendolyn Sneed said, answering whether or not she was surprised by the circumstances of her fiancé's death.

"It didn't surprise me at all. It makes me laugh and cry at the same time. It was totally him."

Robert Verlin Bruno, Jr. was found dead Wednesday morning under the Pine Valley Creek Bridge which spans some 400 feet in the air.

The California Highway Patrol said Bruno, 48, stopped to help a driver in a Chevy pick-up truck who spun out on a patch of ice on westbound Interstate-8 and crashed into the bridge's railing sometime before 5:10 a.m.

Moments later, another truck swerved to avoid the first crash and collided with a Kia Sorento. A fourth car then slammed into the back of the Kia, CHP said. 

In an attempt to avoid the oncoming cars, Bruno ran to the side of the bridge and jumped over the rail, CHP said.

The bridge in San Diego's East County is one of the highest in the U.S. Bruno did not survive the fall. 

Officers on scene initially thought the good Samaritan, who was driving a Subaru, may have crashed into the spun-out truck and was ejected from the vehicle. 

Officers later learned Bruno had stopped to help the stranded driver.

"He was a guy who would help anybody at any time," Sneed said. "He was the guy who would walk by someone who looked down and out and give him this leftover food."

Sneed said she's experienced a rollercoaster of emotions since learning of Bruno's death and doesn't really know what she's supposed to do next.

"He was the other half of me," Sneed said. "Spiritually, physically mentally."

Bruno's body was found in a snow-covered canyon under the bridge by a chopper that was weaving through support beams during the search. He just celebrated his 48th birthday two weeks ago.

While the chopper spotted Bruno just before 7 a.m., crews were still coming up with a plan to retrieve the body hours later. 

Sneed says the couple lives in Jacumba Hot Springs, about 75 miles away from San Diego, and both made the daily hour-long commute to work in the city. She says her fiancé was always concerned for her safety on the roads when winter weather came and would constantly remind her to drive safely.

She said it was raining the night before and snow was on its way.

"He definitely warned me to be careful," she said.

Between bedtime and 5 a.m. when Bruno left their house for work, snow had fallen. Sneed said she was still cozy in bed and no cautious advisories were exchanged that morning.

"It snowed early that morning. There was black ice on the road and that's ultimately what killed him," she said.

Sneed described Bruno as the type of man who could command a room -- an unfiltered, "totally authentic" man who respected everyone and got nothing but respect back.

His skills in the kitchen and in his garden were a few that stood out to Sneed, and she said she's sharing her grief with their amazing families and friends.

According to Sneed, Bruno was an installation manager at a business called Life Deck and like to restore cars and ride his motorcycle in his spare time. He has a 28-year-old son living out of town who Sneed says they raised together since he was nine.

People at Major's Coffee Shop in Pine Valley told NBC 7 they know all about the dangers on the highway when freezing temperatures hit.

Debi McNamer, owner of Major’s Coffee Shop, said she's been driving around town at 5 mph to avoid sliding on the icy roads.

She and others at the coffee shop were heartbroken to learn about what happened to the good Samaritan.

"It brings tears to your eyes," McNamer said. “You just think, 'Wow.' Somebody helping a neighbor, a stranger they didn’t know, trying to be a good Samaritan and they’re killed because of it.”

The other victims involved in the crash, including a 4-month-old infant, were all believed to be accounted for, firefighters said. Only minor injuries were reported but medics did transport one person to the hospital. 

The crash on the bridge leading to and from the desert happened after about a week's worth of rain and snow from three separate storm systems.

At 450 feet tall, the Pine Valley Creek Bridge is the 11th highest bridge in the U.S., according to World Atlas. 

While rain had cleared Wednesday morning, forecasters warned that roads would remain icy for several more days. 

CHP said conditions on the bridge at the time of the crash were foggy, icy and snowy. 

A CHP officer told an NBC 7 News crew the bridge conditions were so unsafe reporters could not be on it. 

Caltrans crews dumped a truckload of sand to de-slick the roadway enough to remove the vehicles after the crashes. During, traffic was reduced to one lane on westbound I-8.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has issued a broader apology for claiming Native American ancestry amid a report that she identified herself as an "American Indian" on her registration for the State Bar of Texas.

The apology comes after The Washington Post obtained and published Warren's 1986 registration card for the State Bar of Texas, in which she identifies as "American Indian." The handwritten card was signed by Warren in blue ink. Warren's office did not dispute the authenticity of the card, according to the Post.

Warren told the Post she was sorry for "for furthering confusion on tribal sovereignty and tribal citizenship and harm that resulted."

When asked if an earlier reported apology to the chief of the Cherokee Nation was also because she identified herself as Native American during her time at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, Warren reportedly said, "yes."

In a statement to NBC News following the Post report, Warren spokesperson Kristen Orthman said, "As Sen. Warren has said she is not a citizen of any tribe and only tribes determine tribal citizenship. She is sorry that she was not more mindful of this earlier in her career."

Republicans have claimed the Massachusetts senator identified as Native American in order to advance her career, an accusation that Warren has denied. She has released employment documents in an attempt to disprove those claims.

It was previously reported earlier this week that Warren apologized to the chief of the Cherokee Nation, Bill John Baker, for publicly sharing the results of a DNA test that show she has a distant Native American relative.

Warren’s DNA test sparked backlash against the Massachusetts Democrat, who announced late December she is forming an exploratory committee for the 2020 campaign.

The Post's report was published ahead of Warren's scheduled announcement this weekend, in which she is expected to formally announce her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. She had previously announced she was launching a presidential exploratory committee.

A homeowner and local contractor both face arson and insurance fraud charges after a fire in Putnam in July.

According to the arrest warrant application, firefighter responded to a fire at 105 Cady Road in Putnam around 3:30 p.m. on July 1. On July 1 the temperatures were in the high 90s and several firefighters suffered heat exhaustion. One was even taken to the hospital for treatment.

The homeowner, identified as 73-year-old Robert Lemay, initially told fire investigators that he was grilling hamburgers when his dog ran off into the woods and he abandoned the grill to go after the animal. The house was a total loss and Lemay also reported losing $4,000 in cash in the fire.

Investigators found that the burn patterns were inconsistent with the fire having started by the grill, and the Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crimes unit took over the investigation.

According to court documents, in a follow-up interview Lemay admitted that the fire was not caused by a grill, and that the fire was part of a scheme involving a local contractor.

In an interview with police, Lemay told investigators that a contractor named Roger brought him the grill and told him to put a hamburger on it and leave. Lemay said he did, but when he returned the fire had gone out, so he called Roger, who came back over and draped a blanket over the fence. Lemay said he didn’t see Roger light the blanket, but he saw flames come up from the blanket, setting the fence and house on fire.

“I did not want this to happen at all,” the court documents read. “Roger just kept talking about it and showing me picture of houses that he has built.” Lemay went on to tell police that Roger told him to stick with his story or they would both go to jail.

Investigators said that at this stage of the investigation Lemay had been in touch with his insurance company, which had already been billed for an investigation into the fire, travel expenses, as well as Lemay’s accommodations while he was displaced from his home. According to the documents, the initial adjustment was going to be a combined claim of $292,250.

The contractor, who police identified as 51-year-old Armand “Roger” Boisvert, has a criminal history, investigators said.

Lemay was arrested Wednesday and charged with conspiracy to commit arson, interfering with an officer, insurance fraud and reckless endangerment. Boisvert was also arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree arson, tampering with a witness, insurance fraud, and reckless endangerment.

Distracted driving is a dangerous way to travel, which is why Trooper First-Class Carlo Guerra was out on the road on Tuesday.

It's illegal, but it's something quite a few drivers do, and most have an excuse for why.

As a member of Connecticut State Police Traffic Services, it's not out of the ordinary for Guerra to be out on the roads stopping drivers, but Tuesday was a bit different. Guerra says a few months ago state police began a traffic enforcement initiative by joining forces with local troops.

"Lieutenants from the troop levels are asking for assistance, whether it be a high crash-risk area or just a lot of complaints for distracted driving or speeding," said Guerra. "We can impact an area a little bit more and try to get a higher compliance and try to prevent accidents."

It's something they do several times a month. Extra patrols are on the roads also focusing on areas where they've received complaints about aggressive and erratic drivers.

The vehicle Guerra's in is a bit more incognito. It allows him to get up close to drivers to see what they're up to.

"The highest concern people have complained about are people on their cell phones, and having these vehicles allows us to blend in to traffic and focus on that particular initiative," said Guerra.

For Tuesday's initiative day, CSP had extra patrols on I-91, I-95, and I-84. During our ride along, we saw many people with phones in their hands, either talking or texting.

"You're doing 65 miles an hour, you're focusing on your phone, texting or using it as a GPS, holding it and entering the address. It takes your eyes off the road, and if you're doing 65 miles an hour and you're looking down at your phone, you're being distracted, and you're going a long distance without even realizing it. So the car in front of you could stop and next thing you know you have a rear end collision," said Guerra.

The message from CSP to drivers is clear: focus on the road.

"The goal is to have safer highways. Between the speeding, the reckless driving, distracted driving, following too close, all those violations will cause accidents which makes the highway unsafe," said Guerra.

One Connecticut town is working to send positive vibes, and it needs your help.

It’s called Kindness Counts, and Newington town leaders are hoping the idea spreads across the state and beyond.

“What it is, is to stimulate and motive people to be nice to each other,” said Bill DeMaio, superintendent of Newington Parks and Recreation.

Starting in May, Newington Parks and Recreation will let residents officially nominate their neighbors for their good deeds.

“Be kind, do something nice for their neighbor,” DeMaio said. “Make them a cake, bake them a pie, rake their leaves, cut their grass.”

Volunteers from the department will then go to that person’s house and put up one of these green signs personally recognizing them as a nice person.

Local churches and organizations are already spreading the word.

“If everyone is encouraged to do a little bit extra, then lives begin to be changed,” said Rev. Melanie Enfield of Church of Christ Congregational. “When we gathered last month—everyone was in favor of it, and so we’re ready and willing to jump in and get the ball going.”

Newington residents we spoke with say they like it.

“I would help to mow the lawn or shovel.” Roberta Schaffer said.

“I think it’s wonderful and more people should get involved,” said Janet Hebert, Newington.

The program will run from May through July and will culminate in a celebration at Mill Pond Park.

“We’re hoping people that drive through form other towns—from New Britain, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Berlin will drive by and see these green signs—they’re not red, they’re not blue they’re apolitical—and they say hey Newington has got something going on maybe we should do it,”’ said DeMaio.

A woman was injured in a shooting on State Street in New Haven Wednesday.

Police said an 18-year-old woman was shot in the 1300-block of State Street around 3:30 p.m. Her injuries are to the leg and not considered life-threatening, police said.

There were road closure and detours in the area starting at Ferry Street to the Hamden town line. 

No other details were immediately available. 

A Hartford non-profit is stepping in to help after learning that Manchester-based Eastern Connecticut Health Network will be eliminating its Meals on Wheels program by March 1, impacting close to 60 homebound individuals.

“There are individuals who are part of a separate Meals on Wheels program that is east of the river that are going to need to find a new provider,” explained Community Renewal Team’s Jason Black.

Black said at this time they have taken on six of the 57 impacted residents. State Representative Michael Winkler (D-56th District), who serves Vernon, said he learned of the issue after a call from a constituent whose son relies on the service.

“I made a lot of calls and found out that ECHN was getting out of the Meals on Wheels business.”

Winkler said he was told the hospital’s decision, in part, was financial because state reimbursement rates have fallen.

“They inherited the Meals on Wheels program when they bought Rockville General Hospital. It was never part of their core mission. They run hospitals.”

ECHN would not confirm the program’s elimination over the phone, but in a statement to NBC Connecticut said: “ECHN’s main focus is delivering quality, compassionate clinical care. Like other healthcare networks nationwide, we strive to provide our patients with the highest quality care while operating as efficiently as possible. To help us achieve this goal, we have reorganized the management and staffing models in several departments. These changes are designed to make the best use of our available resources while maintaining our high standards of clinical care.”

Winkler said he is hopeful the transition will be seamless. He said Connecticut Community Care, a care management organization, is working to try to place people as quickly as possible. Black said he knows what a lifeline the service is and doesn’t want to see anyone go without it.

“There are probably 50 or so who may be looking for services. It’s not clear yet whether we are going to be able to add them to our roster. We hope that we can, if we can squeeze them in.”

For more information on the Community Renewal Team’s Meals on Wheels Program call 860-560-5848 or click here.

The governor of New Mexico ordered the state’s National Guard to withdraw a majority of its troops from the southern border, slamming what she called President Donald Trump’s “charade” shortly before his State of the Union address, NBC News reported.

“New Mexico will not take part in the president’s charade of border fear-mongering by misusing our diligent National Guard troops,” Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement.

Climate change is causing a shift in the color of the oceans, an early indicator of important changes to marine ecosystems, according to a study done by MIT.

The change in temperature is having an effect on phytoplankton, microscopic organisms that live in the water and that absorb and reflect light wavelengths.

A model developed by the study’s researchers shows that by 2100, climate change will cause more than 50 percent of the oceans to change color. Even though the human eye may not be able to see the color adjustments, satellites will be able to to detect them.

“The model includes equations for what is happening in the atmosphere, how the atmosphere is moving around and being heated,” Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a principal research scientist at MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, said. “It includes equations for how the ocean is moving, taking up heat and mixing up nutrients.”

The researchers take what they know about the real world to create a virtual world using those rules.

“We can also simulate the future, assuming things like how the CO2 content of the atmosphere is going to change and how humans will impact CO2 emissions,” she said.

The color of the ocean is dependent on how sunlights interacts with what is in the water. When there is no phytoplankton present, the ocean appears as deep blue from outer space. However, when there is a lot of phytoplankton, the ocean looks green because the chlorophyll in the phytoplankton absorbs the blue portions of sunlight in order produce more carbon for photosynthesis.

Phytoplankton live at the sunlit layer of the ocean, but to survive, they need nutrients from the bottom of the ocean. Natural causes, like an El Niño or La Niña, cause a fluctuation in the amount of nutrients that phytoplankton get and in turn, the color of the ocean to change.

Dutkiewicz’s previous studies show that changes in carbon emissions have a big impact on the phytoplankton. As the climate changes, not only does the color of the ocean change, but the food web that phytoplankton supports is affected

So why does this matter?

“The oceans modulate our climate in a very big way,” Amala Mahadevan, a physical oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said. “The oceans, thanks to phytoplankton which functions like a plant, take up about two thirds of the CO2 we put into the atmosphere because of the fossil fuels we are burning. The oceans are offsetting the effect of climate change for us. If they had not done that, our temperatures would be much higher.”

If phytoplankton change, the ocean would no longer absorb CO2 at the same rate.

“All other organism depend on phytoplankton, they are the base of the food chain in the ocean, Mahadevan said. “If you change the phytoplankton, you change everything, including the fish that you eat.”

Dutkiewicz stressed the need for satellites to be maintained by programs like NASA in order to continue to monitor the change of the color of the ocean.

“Just because you can’t see it, climate change is real and if we were to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses we were admitting into the environment, it would reduce the impact of change that the model suggests,” Dutkiewicz said.

With Valentine’s Day soon approaching, you might be looking for a romantic spot and one of the most romantic restaurants in America is right here in Connecticut.

OpenTable says its 100 most romantic restaurants list is based on more than 12 million diner reviews of more than 28,000 restaurants in 50 states and Washington, D.C.

The one Connecticut restaurant that made the list is Millwright's Restaurant and Tavern in Simsbury. 

 See the full list of restaurants here.

Millwright’s is located at Hop Brook Mill and overlooks a waterfall and pond.  

Chef Tyler Anderson opened it in 2012 and the restaurant website says it takes pride in purchasing locally and using ingredients from its 11-acre farm.

“These 100 restaurants excel at setting the table for romance and creating intimate dining experiences at every service,” Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer at OpenTable said in a statement. “Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a new special someone, a spouse or even a friend, you can count on this list to find not only a restaurant with the right ambiance but also an exceptional meal.”

Millwright’s is helping lovebirds celebrate Valentine's Day by offering a $75 per person Valentine’s Day Prix Fixe menu from Feb. 14 to Feb. 16. 

Other restaurants in the region to make the list include:

Massachusetts:

• Pellana: Peabody

Rhode Island:

• Bouchard Restaurant and Inn: Newport
• The Dining Room at Castle Hill Inn: Newport
• Gracie's: Providence

New Jersey:

• Peter Shields Inn: Cape May
• Scalini Fedeli - Chatham: Chatham
• Washington Inn: Cape May

New York:

• Majorelle - New York
• Ristorante Lombardo - Buffalo

Hundreds of migrants in a new caravan that just reached the U.S. border may have to wait in Northern Mexico for months because the U.S. agents in the tiny Texas town where they want to cross can only currently process fewer than 20 migrants a day, Customs and Border Protection officials told NBC News reported.

More than 1,800 migrants arrived in Piedras Negras, Mexico, on Tuesday, just across the Rio Grande from Eagle Pass, Texas.

Border agents in Eagle Pass can process fewer than 20 asylum seekers a day, but as of now, there are no plans to beef up the number of officers who can administer a credible-fear interview, the first step towards seeking asylum. In a credible-fear interview, an asylum seeker tries to establish there is reason to fear returning home.

A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety declined to comment. A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment.

A two-alarm blaze broke out early Thursday morning at the Longley Building on the UConn Depot campus in Storrs.

 Fire departments provided mutual aid from Mansfield, Tolland, North Coventry, Columbia, Coventry, Willington and Ashford.

No one was inside the building at the time of the fire and no one was injured, according to UConn officials.

The Longley Building, which is located on Middle Turnpike, houses several labs and facilities, as well as The Center for Transportation and Livable Systems.

UConn officials said the fire will have no impact on classes today.

The extent of the damage has not been determined and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

You won’t be able to buy those peanuts and Cracker Jacks at Dunkin’ Donuts Park anymore.

During an unveiling of the Hartford Yard Goats promotional schedule Wednesday, officials announced that the stadium is going peanut-free.

Kerry Adamowicz, holding her two-year-old son Sam, was thrilled to learn Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford will be peanut-free this upcoming baseball season.

“Sam has a life-threatening peanut allergy. So he’s been young enough that we’ve been lucky enough to contain it from him. But as he gets older that makes things very difficult,” she said.

Earlier Adamowicz and others had approached the Yard Goats to talk about kids’ food allergies. The team’s general manager, Mike Abramson, heard their concerns.

“I am very serious about this being everybody’s ballpark. So our diversity initiatives, our Pride nights, our allergy sensitivity initiatives. It is all geared around making sure that anybody who wants to come here feels like they can and are comfortable coming here,” Abramson said.

Abramson says it was the team that decided that the ballpark should go peanut-free, which means not selling shelled peanuts or Cracker Jacks.

“I think we’ll get flak on social media and that sort of thing. They be like it’s in the song, it’s peanuts and cracker jacks,” he said.

Sure enough, the team’s announcement on Twitter upset many fans. One responded: “Sad day for baseball.”

Some expressed support for the move, and the team hopes when people see kids like Sam like they will fully understand why this decision was made.

“It’s a huge relief. It’s a really good feeling to come to park and know that’s one stress that is taken away and we can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy baseball,” Sam’s mother said.

We’ve been looking and so far only found other ballparks around the country which had peanut-free games or sections.

The Yard Goats are now starting a contest to come up with new lyrics for “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Other promotions this season include 21 nights of fireworks, giveaways, specialty jersey nights and more.

New Britain police are searching for a missing woman who is believed to be with the suspect in a woman’s killing.

Virgen Maria Figueroa, 31, was reported missing by her family on Tuesday and has not been heard from since around 5 p.m. on Monday.

Police said she is believed to be with 42-year-old Benjamin Morales, the suspect in the death of Alice Marie Figueroa. Police have said Morales and Alice Figueroa were dating and have children together.

Alice Figueroa and Virgen Figueroa are not related, according to police.

Police have been actively searching for Morales, who is considered armed and dangerous. Police said they believe Virgen Figueroa and Morales were dating. They do not believe she was involved in the homicide, and are concerned for her safety given the allegations against Morales.

Virgen Figueroa is described as 4-foot-8, 180 pounds, with short brown hair and a tattoo reading “Juanito” on her hand. She was last seen wearing black pajamas.

Benjamin Morales is 5-feet-6 and has brown hair and brown eyes.

He is known to frequent New Britain and Hartford and police warn that he is considered to be armed and dangerous and should not be approached.

Anyone with information on either of their whereabouts is asked to contact the New Britain Police Department at 860-826-3000 or leave an anonymous tip by calling 860-826-3199.