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3 People Taken to Hospital After Manchester Carbon Monoxide Incident: FD

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Three people were taken to the hospital after a carbon monoxide incident at a multi-family home in Manchester on Wednesday morning, according to Manchester Fire Department.

Firefighters said a resident called 911 to report the odor of heating oil coming from the basement of the two-and-a-half story duplex on Maple Street around 9:30 a.m.

When crews arrived, they found the presence of carbon monoxide at the front door.

According to firefighters, they put self-contained breathing apparatus on and entered the home, where they found six people inside. Two other people had self-evacuated before firefighters arrived.

The people who were inside were immediately removed from the home and were evaluated by firefighters for medical symptoms, fire officials said. Three people were transported to local hospitals as a precaution due to pre-existing conditions. The other three were evaluated but were not transported. 

Police originally said five people were taken to the hospital to be observed, but firefighters later changed the number of people transported to four and then to three.

A faulty furnace is believed to be responsible for high carbon monoxide conditions, police said.

Firefighters ventilated the home to remove the carbon monoxide and the owner of the home is making arrangements to repair the furnaces in both units of the home, firefighters said.

The six displaced tenants will have alternate housing provided by the homeowner if furnace repairs are delayed.

The house has been deemed uninhabitable until repairs can be made.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

American Journalist Detained by Maduro's Regime, Group Says

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American journalist Cody Weddle was detained Wednesday in Venezuela after his home in Caracas was raided, the Venezuelan Union of Journalists (SNTP) said.

The organization made the announcement via their Twitter account and said that the home of the reporter — who is a contributor for ABC, CBS, Florida's WPLG Local 10 and newspapers including the Miami Herald and The Telegraph — was raided "by signed order of a military tribunal" and executed by the country's counterintelligence military.

The union added that he hadn't been heard from since 8 a.m. and "they took him under custody, along with his work equipment."

Weddle, who is a 29-year-old Virginia native, has been residing in Caracas since 2014, according to the Miami Herald.

According to SNTP, Weddle's assistant, Venezuelan Carlos Camacho, "also was detained by Executive Order of the Counterintelligence Military" following a raid on his home in Caracas.

"U.S. citizen and journalist Cody Weddle is missing in Venezuela and apparently arrested by the Maduro regime this morning," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said on his Twitter account. 

WPLG President and CEO E.R. Bert Medina released a statement on behalf of the station:

"We are working to find out all of the information we can on the whereabouts of reporter Cody Weddle. We are hearing reports his home was raided by the Venezuelan military. We have been unable to confirm specific details but a witness at the time of the raid claims Cody was taken into custody and his equipment confiscated. We have been unable to reach Cody today and are obviously very concerned about him. We are working through various channels to get as much information as we can and to see that Cody is released. Cody has been dedicated and committed to telling the story in Venezuela to our viewers here in South Florida. The arrest of a journalist doing his job is outrageous and unacceptable," Medina said. 

Weddle is from Meadowview, Virginia, near the Tennessee border, WPLG-TV in Miami reported. He graduated from Virginia Tech.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner urged his release.

"We have been informed of the detainment of Cody Weddle by his family, and I urge his swift and safe release by Venezuelan authorities," Warner told the Bristol Herald Courier. "This is another example of an alarming trend of leaders across the globe cracking down on freedom of the press."

The detention of Weddle comes one week after Univision journalist Jorge Ramos and his crew were briefly detained and deported from Venezuela, following an interview with Nicolas Maduro.

Telemundo reporter Daniel Garrido was detained for several hours Tuesday and reported missing before later being released. 

With the detention of Weddle and Camacho, there have now been 36 cases of journalists and press workers detained by Maduro's regime so far in 2019, according to SNTP. Three remain detained, and another will appear in court.

--NBC's Maria Chamberlain translated and contributed to this story.



Photo Credit: Courtesy ABC
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Man Charged With Murder in 2002 Hartford Cold Case

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Hartford Police and the Office of the Chief State's Attorney Cold Case Unit have arrested a man for his role in a shooting that happened almost 17 years ago.

According to police, 36-year-old James Raynor was served on Tuesday while in prison for an unrelated homicide in Hartford from 2009 where he was sentenced to 37 years of incarceration.

On May 10, 2002, officers were called to Center Street after getting a report of a person shot shortly before 9 p.m.

Investigators found 25-year-old Harry Baez suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds to his head and shoulder, police said. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Hartford Police Department Major Crime Division investigated the case before it was transferred to the Chief State's Attorney Cold Case Unit in July of 2016.

Information, leads and cooperating witnesses were developed and ultimately led to a sworn affidavit charging Raynor with one count of murder, according to Hartford Police. His bond was set at $1,500,000.

This marks the third cold case homicide arrest in Hartford in the past five months, police said. Each of the cases were investigated for over a decade.



Photo Credit: Hartford Police Department

NASA Will Embark on Its First-Ever All Female Spacewalk

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Kicking off the Women’s History Month, NASA announced on Tuesday that their first-ever all female spacewalk will take place later this month.

The March 29 spacewalk will feature astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch, who will be aided on the ground by flight directors, Mary Lawrence and Kristen Facciol, who work as NASA’s flight control team in Houston.

McClain and Koch were both chosen from NASA’s 2013 astronaut candidate class, the second highest number of applicants that NASA has ever received. As part of the class, they received technical training at space centers to prepare for missions involving low- Earth orbits, asteroids, and Mars.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Southington Man Questions Value Of His Designer Ring

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A Southington man was disappointed to learn that a ring he believed to be worth thousands of dollars was unlikely to sell for anywhere close to what he paid.

Over the years, Steven Perretta has built up his Versace collection. In 2017, he added another piece that included an 18-karat, white gold, diamond and amethyst ring he bought at a Meriden jewelry store for $3,800.

“It’s the first purchase I ever made that’s Versace that’s not bought directly from Versace,” said Steven Perretta.

The appraisal certificate from the jeweler, for insurance purposes only, estimates the ring’s value at $6,850.

“It was more like an investment and an asset down the line,” said Perretta.

Perretta said he didn’t get authenticity papers from the sales associate when he bought the ring.

“It felt like the real deal, it had Versace in it and even on the inside, it had a V. So, I was under the impression this was the real, this was an actual Versace authentic Versace item,” said Perretta.

He went to several jewelers in Connecticut to see what the ring was worth if he sold it. Perretta was disappointed to learn that the ring’s resale value was only $350 to $800 - thousands of dollars less than what he paid for it.

“I was infuriated,” said Perretta.

NBC Connecticut Responds reached out to the jewelry store’s owner who told us he buys high-end pieces at different shows across the country and not all of the jewelry comes with authenticity papers.

“We’ve come into this many, many times,” said independent expert Arthur DeMello.

DeMello is an gemologist. He says he’s seen this often in the jewelry industry where consumers are confused over the cost of replacing jewelry versus reselling it.

“When it comes to selling that item, that item is only going to be worth a value to the consumer in that market. Not necessarily to a jeweler because a jeweler will buy that item and has to resell that item,” said DeMello.

He adds that there are high-profit margins for jewelry based on supply and demand. He reminds the public that it’s important to get a certificate of authenticity and warranty papers when you make a purchase.

And that’s the take away for Perretta. He said the next time, if he doesn’t purchase an item at the Versace store, he’ll do his research before buying the designer jewelry at another store.

“And wait for the papers, don’t purchase before that,” said Perretta.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Suffield Mom Starts Non-Profit to Support Veterans With PTSD

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A Suffield mother who lost her veteran son to suicide after he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder is working to prevent the same tragedy from happening to someone else.

Suicide prevention for veterans is on President Trump’s radar. He signed an executive order yesterday establishing a new task force with the mission of ending the suicide epidemic in the military.

It is an issue that hits home for Donna Chapman, who lost her son Will, and is now searching for ways to heal her family and others.

“I lost my son from emotional wounds, those you cannot visually see- it tears me up,” Donna said.

Her son, Sgt. William Davidson, took his own life on January 2, 2017. He was just 24.

"He had the biggest heart of anyone I knew," Donna told NBC Connecticut.

Will wanted to go in to police work. When he graduated from Suffield High School, his mother encouraged him to join the National Guard, thinking it would be the safest way for him to serve. But during a 10-month tour of Afghanistan that began in 2012, Will saw active combat.

"He returned home without physical injury...but the injuries that he suffered were emotional which ultimately took his life,” Donna explained.

She said that Will told her he was diagnosed with PTSD.

"He needed to be away with people who suffered in similar ways so he wouldn't feel so isolated and alone,” she said.

Sadly, Will Chapman’s story is not unique. According to a VA report, 20 veterans and active military personnel succumb to suicide every day.

Donna says she didn’t sense how bad Will’s struggles were at the time, and now she tortures herself about it.

To help veterans and first responders fight those feelings of loneliness, Donna started a non-profit called Will Power. In a little over a year, she says she’s raised more than $50,000 that she hopes someday can help fund a retreat center.

“I just think we owe America’s heroes our very best,” Donna said.

Donna also wants to end the stigma of emotional health and change policy and procedures so veterans like her son get the help they so desperately need.

“You gotta lean on your family because your family would do anything for you,” Donna said.

She said she can’t let her son just be a statistic.

“My son's life and death is not going to be for nothing"

Donna’s ultimate goal for Willpower is to someday raise enough money to build that free retreat center for small groups to come together and heal.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

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Alex Trebek, the longtime host of "Jeopardy!" announced Wednesday that he has pancreatic cancer.

"Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer," he said in a video. "Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working." 

He continued: "And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease. Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host "Jeopardy!" for three more years! So help me. Keep the faith and we’ll win. We’ll get it done. Thank you." 

Taping of the show was suspended briefly early last year while Trebek recovered from surgery to remove blood clots from his brain.

Trebek, 78, who has hosted the quintessential American quiz for more than 30 years, said at the time that he was diagnosed with the blood clots, a condition called subdural hematoma, in December 2017, after he suffered a bad fall.

Wednesday's news drew many statements of support, including one from longtime "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak.

"The Sajak family is deeply saddened to hear of Alex Trebek’s struggle with cancer," he said. "... There is no one I know who is stronger and more determined, and I would never bet against him. We, and the entire country, are pulling for you, Alex."

“I’m pretty satisfied with my life,” the Ontario-born Trebek, told People earlier this year. “But my wife Jean and I have been together almost 29 years, and I was thinking about President Bush when he died, and all the comments about his life about what a nice guy he is, and how he and his wife had been together 73 years. I thought, oh my gosh … if I’d just met Jean in my 20s we could have had a longer life together.” 



Photo Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
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DNC Bars Fox From Hosting Presidential Debate

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The Democratic National Committee announced Wednesday that it would not allow Fox News to host any 2020 Democratic presidential primary debates, citing the network's close relationship with the Trump administration NBC News reports.

"Recent reporting in the New Yorker on the inappropriate relationship between President Trump, his administration and Fox News has led me to conclude that the network is not in a position to host a fair and neutral debate for our candidates," DNC chair Tom Perez said in a statement. "Therefore, Fox News will not serve as a media partner for the 2020 Democratic primary debates."

The New Yorker reported this week that the network may have tipped Trump off about a tough question from Megyn Kelly, then with Fox, during the 2016 debates, and had quashed a story about Trump allegedly having an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels before the election because Fox owner Rupert Murdoch "wants Donald Trump to win."



Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Community Takes Hit After Fire at Southington Grocery Store

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The community in Southington and beyond is still reeling after a popular local grocery store went up in flames.

Tops Marketplace was known for carrying locally made products. They did business with 65 Connecticut companies. Now, those food suppliers are feeling the impact of the March 3 fire that gutted the store.

“Tops was one of my first stores,” said Shannon Ziomek, owner of Holy Pierogies.

Ziomek started Holy Pierogies in her Wolcott home seven years ago, as a way to bring in money while staying home with her autistic son.

“It’s a wonderful thing. It’s giving me a living,” she said.

So, she was heartbroken when she saw Tops Marketplace go up in flames Sunday.

“You couldn’t help but be glued to the news and say how is this happening,” Ziomek added.

Tops was one of her biggest customers.

“Right off the top, I’m losing 10 percent of my business,” she said. “I don’t think anyone realizes how many people they employ. It’s not just their employees. They’re giving me an income, and I’m a tiny little company, but they’re also employing so many people across the state.”

From Wolcott to Wethersfield and Hamden to Hanover, Tops carried Connecticut-made products. Items like honey and soap, pasta and cheese, all from mom and pop shops, were sold on the store’s shelves.

“We had everybody in here that was local. We bought as much local as we could,” said Tops Marketplace Owner John Salerno.

That philosophy gave Hamden baker Bruno Castaldi shelf space for his stuffed breads at the Southington store.

“We depend on small places like that. That’s the backbone of our business,” explained Castaldi, who owns Venice Bakery. “When I was first told I was devastated.”

Salerno said that investigators think that the fire ignited after gas leaked from an oven pipe. As he waits to get the green light to begin demolition, Castaldi is hopeful he this grocer isn’t gone for good.

“Those are the people that you really like to do business with,” said Castaldi.

Salerno says he will try to rebuild, but it could take a year.

“We’re moving as quickly as we can,” he said after meeting with his insurance company on Wednesday.

Right now, he’s waiting to get the green light to demolish the building.

The flames that swept through Tops not only gutted the store, they also left a huge hole in the community.

“It was really a great blessing for them to help us, it makes me a little emotional,” said Bread for Life Director Missy Cipriano.

The Bread for Life soup kitchen depends on donations. One of their primary partners was Tops Marketplace. Their donations of deli meat have supplied sandwiches for 2,000 school children during the summer. Tops also provided food for the charity’s Meals on Wheels program.

“They just supplied every need. There’s not an area in town that Tops Market did not help,” explained Cipriano.

Their role in the community has not gone unnoticed. Many people have been sending well wishes to Salerno.

“My phone never stops ringing. The emails never stop coming,” said Salerno.

Tops employed 32 people - about half were teenagers.

“We call this the University of Tops,” said Salerno.

For the Plantsville section of Southington, Tops was the place to shop for generation after generation. It was established in 1951 but Salerno bought it in 1979.

“It’s a staple in our community. They’re kind people, they’re good to us, and on that side of town there is no other grocery store, “ said Taylor Crofton, Southington Chamber of Commerce executive director who shopped there with her family growing up.

Whether raising money for the local baseball or soccer team, a sick child, or a charity, the community has come to know this locally owned grocery store as more than just a place to buy bread and milk. To many the Salernos are like family.

“They’d just step in and do a fundraiser. They’d just give out of their hearts to anyone that asked that are in this community. That’s just who they are. We are thankful to have a business like that here,” said Cipriano.



Photo Credit: Lenny Salgado

New Efforts Underway to Combat Opioid Crisis

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Black balloons have started popping up in front of homes in West Haven as a somber symbol of the opioid epidemic in the country as a healthcare service looks at a new way to help stop the cycle.

A crowd gathered outside West Haven City Hall Wednesday with a bunch of those balloons. The event is part of an effort to make things better.

“The black balloon I feel is the mourning part—of how many people how many people have died from this. Many, unfortunately, and many way too young,” said Mayor Nancy Rossi.

Rossi said the balloons are meant to raise awareness about the deadly opioid epidemic. According to the CDC, on average 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.

In Connecticut in 2018, 1,017 people died from unintentional drug and opioid overdoses, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The data shows that 948 of those deaths - 93 percent - involved opioids. 

“I believe it affects all walks of life. All kind of income. It doesn’t matter,” Rossi said.

John Dixon, president and CEO of Bridges Health Care, is rolling out a new plan of action to combat the problem.

“The mobile addiction unit will be the fifth of its kind in the country,” he explained.

The mobile addiction unit is a van that will be parked strategically in locations in Milford and West Haven.

“On board will be a doctor who would be able to begin treatment if it’s appropriate for that person,” Dixon said.

Services will be free of charge.

“This van will be able to bring treatment to people who need it versus expecting people who need it to come in,” Dixon said.

They expect to launch the center in the next few weeks.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Leaked Documents Show the Government Tracking Journalists

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This story has been updated with a new statement from Customs and Border Protection.

Documents obtained by NBC 7 Investigates show the U.S. government created a secret database of activists, journalists, and social media influencers tied to the migrant caravan and in some cases, placed alerts on their passports.

At the end of 2018, roughly 5,000 immigrants from Central America made their way north through Mexico to the United States southern border. The story made international headlines. 

As the migrant caravan reached the San Ysidro Port of Entry in south San Diego County, so did journalists, attorneys, and advocates who were there to work and witness the events unfolding. 

But in the months that followed, journalists who covered the caravan, as well as those who offered assistance to caravan members, said they felt they had become targets of intense inspections and scrutiny by border officials. 

One photojournalist said she was pulled into secondary inspections three times and asked questions about who she saw and photographed in Tijuana shelters. Another photojournalist said she spent 13 hours detained by Mexican authorities when she tried to cross the border into Mexico City. Eventually, she was denied entry into Mexico and sent back to the U.S. 

These American photojournalists and attorneys said they suspected the U.S. government was monitoring them closely but until now, they couldn’t prove it. 

Now, documents leaked to NBC 7 Investigates show their fears weren’t baseless. In fact, their own government had listed their names in a secret database of targets, where agents collected information on them. Some had alerts placed on their passports, keeping at least three photojournalists and an attorney from entering Mexico to work. 

The documents were provided to NBC 7 by a Homeland Security source on the condition of anonymity, given the sensitive nature of what they were divulging. 

The source said the documents or screenshots show a SharePoint application that was used by agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and some agents from the San Diego sector of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

The intelligence gathering efforts were done under the umbrella of “Operation Secure Line,” the operation designated to monitor the migrant caravan, according to the source. 

The documents list people who officials think should be targeted for screening at the border. 

The individuals listed include ten journalists, seven of whom are U.S. citizens, a U.S. attorney, and 47 people from the U.S. and other countries, labeled as organizers, instigators or their roles “unknown.” The target list includes advocates from organizations like Border Angels and Pueblo Sin Fronteras. 

To view the documents, click here or the link below.

 

NBC 7 Investigates is blurring the names and photos of individuals who haven’t given us permission to publish their information. 

The documents are titled “San Diego Sector Foreign Operations Branch: Migrant Caravan FY-2019, Suspected Organizers, Coordinators, Instigators and Media” and are dated January 9, 2019. 

Emblazoned on it are the American and Mexican flags, with a banner that reads: "ILU-OASSIS-AMEGA." An official at the Department of Homeland Security said the seal indicates that the documents are a product of the International Liaison Unit (ILU), which coordinates intelligence between Mexico and the United States. 

For each person, the documents show their photo, often from their passport but in some cases from their social media accounts, along with their personal information. That information includes the person’s date of birth, their “country of commencement,” and their alleged role tied to the migrant caravan. The information also includes whether officials placed an alert on the person’s passport. 

Some individuals have a colored “X” over their photo, indicating whether they were arrested, interviewed, or had their visa or SENTRI pass revoked by officials. 

In addition to flagging the individuals for secondary screenings, the Homeland Security source told NBC 7 that the agents also created dossiers on each person listed. 

“We are a criminal investigation agency, we’re not an intelligence agency,” the Homeland Security source told NBC 7 Investigates. “We can’t create dossiers on people and they’re creating dossiers. This is an abuse of the Border Search Authority.” 

One dossier, shared with NBC 7, was on Nicole Ramos, the Refugee Director and attorney for Al Otro Lado, a law center for migrants and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico. The dossier included personal details on Ramos, including specific details about the car she drives, her mother’s name, and her work and travel history. 

After sharing the documents with Ramos, she said Al Otro Lado is seeking more information on why she and other attorneys at the law center have been targeted by border officials. 

“The document appears to prove what we have assumed for some time, which is that we are on a law enforcement list designed to retaliate against human rights defenders who work with asylum seekers and who are critical of CBP practices that violate the rights of asylum seekers,” Ramos told NBC 7 by email. 

In addition to the dossier on Ramos, a list of other dossier files created was shared with NBC 7. Two of the dossier files were labeled with the names of journalists but no further details were available. Those journalists were also listed as targets for secondary screenings. 

Customs and Border Protection has the authority to pull anyone into secondary screenings, but the documents show the agency is increasingly targeting journalists, attorneys, and immigration advocates. Former counterterrorism officials say the agency should not be targeting individuals based on their profession. 

NBC 7 Investigates sent the information to all border and law enforcement agencies the source listed, asking whether the information was valid and if these tactics were legal. 

A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson did not answer NBC 7’s list of questions or confirm the validity of the documents shared. 

By email, the spokesperson said, “Criminal events, such as the breach of the border wall in San Diego, involving assaults on law enforcement and a risk to public safety, are routinely monitored and investigated by authorities.” 

To read CBP’s full statement, click here.

“It is protocol following these incidents to collect evidence that might be needed for future legal actions and to determine if the event was orchestrated,” the statement read. “CBP and our law enforcement partners evaluate these incidents, follow all leads garnered from information collected, conduct interviews and investigations, in preparation for, and often to prevent future incidents that could cause further harm to the public, our agents, and our economy.” 

UPDATE - 4:20 p.m.
Minutes after our story published and five days after a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson gave us the agency's statement above, CBP told our colleagues at NBC News that the names in the database are all people who were present during violence that broke out at the border in November. The agency also said journalists are being tracked so that the agency can learn more about what started that violence. CBP never clarified that point directly to NBC 7 Investigates.

Journalists Targeted for Border Inspections 

NBC 7 Investigates spoke with seven of the journalists listed on the database as targets for secondary screenings, including freelance photojournalist Ariana Drehsler

“I'm interested in covering social and political issues,” Drehsler said, adding that she covered the migrant caravan in Tijuana for Buzzfeed News and United Press International. 

“I think there's a lot of misconceptions, maybe from both sides, about who are these people that are trying to seek asylum,” Drehsler said. “So I think as a photojournalist, it is my responsibility to cover that to the best of my abilities.” 

Drehsler estimated she had crossed the border from San Ysidro dozens of times covering the caravan. 

 

“I was very transparent about what I was doing,” Drehsler said. “Sometimes you would see me carrying a camera and if I was asked by an agent what was I doing, I would tell them I was photographing the [migrant] shelters.” 

But on December 30, 2018, when Drehsler was crossing back into the United States, she was pulled into secondary inspection and questioned by border agents. 

“Two people in plainclothes came down and took me to another room,” Drehsler said. “They questioned me in a small room, asking me questions about the shelter, what was I seeing there, who was I working for.” 

“They said that I was on the ground and they’re not, which I thought was really interesting.” 

After about an hour, Drehsler said she was allowed to leave but agents warned her that an alert had been placed on her passport and that she would be pulled into a secondary screening again if she crossed the border. The agents told her to plan accordingly, given the screenings could last an hour or more. When she asked why this alert was placed on her passport, agents told her they had no idea. 

Drehsler said she was pulled into secondary screenings two more times while crossing the border. Each time she said she was questioned by the same agents in plainclothes. The second time was on Jan. 2, 2019, and the third time was on Jan. 4, 2019. 

On the third occasion, Drehsler said she was told to leave her gear, including her camera and cell phone, on a table outside of the interview room. When she returned, she said it didn’t appear to her that the gear had been looked through. Agents asked Drehsler if she could show them the photos she had taken but she said she declined. 

Some of the questions agents asked Drehsler on the third screening struck her as odd. 

“They asked about the new caravan and if word had gotten out about how difficult it is to seek asylum in the U.S.,” Drehsler said. “Then before I left, the female agent asked if I rented or owned my home.” 

Drehsler told NBC 7 the personal details listed for her in the leaked screenshots are accurate. She confirmed the photo officials used came from her passport. The screenshots include a green “X” over Drehsler’s photograph, indicating she had been interviewed by agents. 

Sharing the documents with Drehsler, she told NBC 7 she was “blown away.” 

“I have so many questions; I have more questions than answers,” she said. “Personally, I don't understand what [agents] are hoping to find.” 

Other journalists and attorneys have previously told news outlets like NPR and The Intercept that they too faced the same kind of increased scrutiny surrounding their work involving the migrant caravan. 

Evidence of increased scrutiny of journalists at the border was detailed in an October 2018 report prepared by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ.) 

The report identified 37 journalists who said they found the secondary screenings by border officials “invasive,” and said 20 cases involved border agents “conducting warrantless searches of [the journalists’] electronic devices.” 

The journalists featured in the leaked documents said they were separated from their electronic devices and gear but had no evidence that agents had gone through their items. 

Kitra Cahana is another freelance photojournalist and U.S. citizen listed as a target in the documents. By phone from Honduras, Cahana told NBC 7 she also faced increased scrutiny and was eventually denied entry into Mexico for no apparent reason. 

 

Cahana's work has been featured in National Geographic magazine, The New York Times and the CBC out of Canada. In late December, she said Mexican authorities photographed her passport when she was covering migrants crossing the border illegally. 

Then, on Jan. 17, 2019, while traveling from Canada to Mexico City, Cahana said she had a connecting flight in Detroit, Michigan. Cahana said in Montreal, her passport was flagged while going through U.S. Customs pre-clearance. Cahana said she was pulled into a secondary screening where border agents asked her a list of questions about her work. 

“They were interested in whether I had an assignment when I was going down to cover the caravan,” Cahana said. “And they wanted to know how I was funding my work.” 

Cahana said she was asked to explain how freelance photojournalism works, which she found strange. Afterward, her passport was flagged again in Detroit but eventually, she was allowed to board her flight and fly to Mexico City. 

But when she arrived in Mexico, her passport was flagged again. Cahana said she brought this to a Mexican official and was taken into a back room with another group of detained individuals. 

There, Cahana said her phone was taken away and she couldn’t leave the room. When she needed to use the restroom, an agent escorted her. 

“I wasn't allowed to be in communication with anyone, I wasn’t allowed to contact my embassy,” Cahana said. “It was very confusing because my Spanish is quite limited and no one there really spoke English.” 

Cahana said the whole ordeal lasted 13 hours and in the end, she was denied entry into Mexico. She had to wait until a plane arrived that could take her back to Detroit, where her flight originated. 

Since then, Cahana said she tried one more time to cross the border into Mexico. 

“I was trying to cross into Mexico through Guatemala to continue my work covering the caravan and then I was denied again,” Cahana said. 

NBC 7 Investigates confirmed two more journalists were denied entry into Mexico after covering the caravan in January. Both of them are listed in the SharePoint files leaked to NBC 7. 

In the documents shared with NBC 7, Cahana confirmed her personal details were accurate and that the photo used is from her passport. Cahana said she’s been in contact with the Committee to Protect Journalists and the ACLU as far as the alert placed on her passport, preventing her access to Mexico. 

Cahana said the increased scrutiny by border officials could have a chilling effect on freelance journalists covering the border. 

“In the current state of journalism, it's really freelancers who are bringing so much news to the public,” Cahana said. “And the uncertainty of having an alert placed on your passport and not knowing where and when that's going to prevent you from doing your work is really problematic.” 

Want to know if you're on the target list? Have you faced increased scrutiny while covering a story at the border? NBC 7 Investigates wants to hear from you. Contact us at NBC7Investigates@nbcuni.com


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Reporter Released After Being Detained in Venezuela: Report

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An American journalist who lives in Caracas, Venezuela, and works for a South Florida TV station was released Wednesday after being detained at his home.

Cody Weddle, a freelance reporter who works for WPLG, was detained during a raid by military officials at his residence, along with his assistant, Carlos Camacho, the organization tweeted.

According to a tweet posted by WPLG, he was released and is being deported from Venezuela. 

Weddle, 28, has lived in Caracas since 2014 and has worked for WPLG, the Miami Herald, ABC, CBS and the Telegraph, the Herald reported.

In a statement released early Wednesday prior to his release, WPLG President E.R. Bert Medina said they were trying to figure out Weddle's whereabouts. 

"We have been unable to confirm specific details but a witness at the time of the raid claims Cody was taken into custody and his equipment confiscated. We have been unable to reach Cody today and are obviously very concerned about him," Medina's statement read. "Cody has been dedicated and committed to telling the story in Venezuela to our viewers here in South Florida. The arrest of a journalist doing his job is outrageous and unacceptable."

Weddle's arrest comes a week after Univision journalist Jorge Ramos and his work team were detained and deported from Venezuela, after an interview with Nicolás Maduro.

"Completely unacceptable for @NicolasMaduro and his thugs to detain @WPLGLocal10’s Cody Weddle for reporting on the successful return of the legitimate Venezuelan President @jguaido," Florida Sen. Rick Scott tweeted. "He must be released immediately and the U.S. will not stand for this kind of intimidation!"



Photo Credit: Twitter
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Iconic Waterbury Restaurant Reopening Under New Ownership

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An iconic Waterbury restaurant is reopening tomorrow with a new owner.

Drescher’s will reopen its doors after being closed for years.

The new owner, George Tirado Jr., is a former city police officer who’s excited to bring back a place that meant a lot to him, the community, and one very special friend before it closed.

“I look forward to creating new memories here. Being a part of downtown Waterbury, being a part of the revitalization,” Tirado said.

The old Drescher’s restaurant was a downtown Waterbury staple, and its new life is in part to honor another life that touched the Brass City.

"I wish Chris was here to be a part of it. But I know he’s here with us. His picture is up on the top shelf of the bar here," Tirado said.

That picture is of Deputy Chief Christopher Corbett, who spent many Friday nights with Tirado.

"We look forward to somehow, some way memorializing him here in this place," Tirado explained.

When the restaurant opens tomorrow it will mark the culmination of a dream the two men had before Corbett’s passing in 2015. The medical examiner determined his death was a suicide. Corbett had served the city’s police force for almost 20 years. 

"We would jokingly say that the day we retire we wanted to buy this place and continue its legacy," Tirado told NBC Connecticut.

Tirado said Drescher’s will have many of the same comforts that made it a place he and Corbett and everyone else wanted to make their way downtown for years ago.

"Keep the original feeling of Drescher’s itself, keep the history that this building has, but still be able to create a new feeling in here."

But for Tirado, it will likely be even more special this time around, knowing it honors his friend.

"Chris wasn’t a man of many words, but he would definitely be smiling. He’d be happy for me and for the city of Waterbury," Tirado said.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Kelly Differs With Trump on Immigration, Mum on Clearances

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Former White House chief of staff John Kelly said he disagreed with some Trump administration policies — particularly on immigration — but dodged questions Wednesday about the president reportedly intervening to secure top-secret security clearances for his daughter Ivanka Trump and son–in–law, Jared Kushner. 

Kelly, in an appearance at Duke University, did not deny reports that President Donald Trump circumvented the usual process to grant the security clearances or that he later wrote a memo outlining his concerns about it, NBC News reported.

He simply said he believes any such conversations with the president would be privileged and that he’s not at liberty to discuss security clearances.



Photo Credit: AP

Fire at West Haven Shopping Plaza Damages Family Dollar Store

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A fire broke out behind a Family Dollar store in West Haven on Thursday morning.

Firefighters responded to the Savin Rock Parkade Shopping Center on Captain Thomas Boulevard and found a fire behind the Family Dollar store.

The flames spread to the roof of the store and firefighters had to use ladders to get to the fire because of where it was located, according to fire officials.

There was some damage to the Family Dollar, but no other stores were affected, fire officials said.

There is no word on what started the fire and it remains under investigation.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

She Lost 10 Family Members in Ala. Tornadoes: 'Just Why, Why?'

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Cora Jones was diagnosed with breast cancer in December, then lost her job and had to move, but Sunday was supposed to be a nice evening with her family that would include cooking her mother's favorite food, sweet potatoes.

Instead, it was a calamity, NBC News reported. The devastating tornadoes that cut through eastern Alabama killed 10 members of Jones' family, including her parents — she found her father's body — along with her brother and a cousin.

"I just got so many questions, but you know, you don’t question the Lord," said Jones, 52, on Wednesday. "Just why, why, you know, why? Why this had to happen like this? To everybody that you know and love? At one time? Why?"

Jones had raced to her parents' house in Beauregard after the tornadoes hit, but she found nothing standing and has been rocked by the experience: "I ain't getting through it good at all."



Photo Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
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Woman Dead in Bloomfield Apartment Fire

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A woman died in a fire at an apartment complex in Bloomfield on Thursday morning.

Police and firefighters responded to the Interfaith Homes complex at 7 Mountain Road just after midnight.

They found heavy flames coming from apartment 29 in building 7 of the complex, according to fire officials.

The fire was too much for police officers to get inside, but after dousing the flames from outside the building, firefighters were able to go in and found a woman dead inside, fire officials said.

The identity of the victim isn't being released until her family can be notified.

The fire affected 10 units in the complex and several other residents have been displaced, fire officials said. The Red Cross is helping those residents.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Power Outage Cancels School in Region 14

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Schools in the Region 14 School District will be closed for Thursday due to a power issue.

Region 14 covers Woodbury and Bethlehem.

According to the district website, there is a power outage at the majority of their schools, so they are canceling classes for the day.

Students from Nonnewaug High School and Woodbury Middle School who had already been picked up by buses are being returned home, the district said.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

10 Hospitalized After Fire at Hartford Apartment Building

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Ten people were taken to the hospital after a fire at a large apartment building in Hartford on Thursday morning.

Firefighters responded to the building at 820 Wethersfield Avenue just after 7:15 a.m. and found heavy smoke throughout the building.

Several people had to be rescued from apartments, according to fire officials.

Ten people suffered smoke inhalation and three of those people also suffered burns, fire officials said.  All of them were taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

The fire appeared to have started in an apartment on the second floor.

Other residents have been displaced, but fire officials did not yet know the exact number.  CT Transit buses were brought in to allow displaced residents to stay warm.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Child Suffers Significant Burns in Manchester Fire

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Two children and an adult were burned in a fire in an apartment in Manchester on Thursday morning.

Fire officials one of the children suffered significant burns. All three have been rushed to the hospital.

There was smoke damage to the third-floor apartment in a building on Elm Street, but no other units were affected, fire officials said.

The ages of the victims are not known at this time.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
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