Government scientists announced on Tuesday that they're pulling the plug on a research program that's resulted in the deaths of thousands of cats, NBC News reported. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Services lab had been infecting cats with toxoplasmosis and then euthanizing them since 1982 as part of its effort to combat the food-borne illness. 

In a statement Tuesday, the USDA announced its "toxoplasmosis research has been redirected and the use of cats as part of any research protocol in any ARS laboratory has been discontinued and will not be reinstated." Fourteen healthy cats are in the process of being adopted by USDA employees. 

The announcement came less than two weeks after NBC News reported on a study that found ARS scientists had bought hundreds of dogs and cats from "Asian meat markets" and then had them euthanized and fed to healthy cats at their Maryland lab. 

The USDA's statement did not mention the "cat cannibalism" experiments.

Police have identified the woman who died in a fire in a building in Danielson on Thursday morning.

Firefighters responded to 58 Main St, (Route 12) around 1:30 a.m., according to fire officials.

Around 3:22 p.m., crews determined one person, later identified as 27-year-old Kaleigh Rockwood, of Webster, Massachussetts, had died.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is expected to determine the cause and manner of her death.

Officials said the fire went up through the roof of the initial home and spread to the home behind it as well. The two people who live in the second home were able to get out safely.

It's not clear which home Rockwood was found dead was in.

“There were two people in the second house in the rear and they did come out. The ambulance crew was able to get them out of bed,” Jason Burgess, the deputy chief of the Danielson Fire Department, said.

Officials said most of the damage is to the first building and the roof collapsed. It’s not clear if anyone lives there.

Mutual aid was called in. 

The Killingly Fire Marshal’s Office and the Connecticut State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit remain on scene to determine origin and cause.

A Florida woman came across a snake with its head stuck in a beer can and what she did next is different from what many of us would do. She very carefully rescued the reptile. Rosa Fond, the owner of an animal rescue, told WPTV that she waited until the racer snake calmed down then picked up the can.

There are delays on Interstate 84 East in Farmington as state police investigate a crash with serious injuries.

The crash is in the area of exit 39 and state police said serious injuries are reported. They warn drivers to expect delays if they are traveling in the area.

One lane is getting by.

No additional information was immediately available.

A person has died after being struck by a work train in Guilford, according to officials from the state Department of Transportation.

State Department of Transportation officials referred to the person who was struck as a trespasser.

ShoreLine East Tweeted that train service has been suspended due to police action.

Amtrak Northeast Tweeted that Acela Train 2163 is stopped west of Providence due to a trespasser incident.

No additional information was immediately available.

It was clear from the very beginning that rapper Nipsey Hussle was going to make it a priority to talk about investing in South Los Angeles.

In what is perhaps his first on-camera interview, at the Russell Simmons' Get Your Money Right summit in 2006, Hussle spoke plainly about leaving behind the material things synonymous with hip-hop lifestyle to secure the financial future of his family and people in his community, NBC News reported.

Hussle represented the Crenshaw District in his music. He opened a clothing store at the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue. Hussle and his business partner later bought the entire plaza at that intersection, with plans to build a six-story residential building atop commercial stores, Forbes reported.

Hussle owned several other businesses in the area, including a Fatburger, a barbershop and a seafood market. He had invested in the 59th Street Elementary School, giving shoes to all of the students and renovating its basketball courts and playground.

The 33-year-old rapper, whose real name was Ermias Ashgedom, was shot and killed Sunday outside his apparel store, Marathon Clothing.

Gov. Ned Lamont, for the first time, is showing that he is willing to compromise on the issue of tolls and the future of transportation spending.

He spoke following his first Bond Commission Meeting since he became governor.

"I'm all ears on something like that,” he said when asked about supporting a combination of short-term borrowing with a plan for cheaper or fewer tolls on Connecticut’s highways.

“I'm playing the long game and make sure that we have funding stream that funds transportation for the long term," he said."

Rep. Chris Davis, (R – Ellington), who sits on the Bond Commission by virtue of his position as ranking member on the Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee, said he’s not interested in any proposal that includes tolls, even if Republican elements are included.

"We're willing to compromise within the idea of not raising taxes and tolls on people in the state of Connecticut," he said.

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Lamont’s shift is a departure from his previous comments, opening the door to the GOP plan, which consists of solely bonding, issuing tens of billions of dollars of debt to be borne entirely by Connecticut taxpayers.

In his budget address in February, he essentially called out Republicans for their plan when it comes to transportation.

He said during his speech, “we cannot borrow our way out of this mess.”

Lamont’s proposal includes a plan to toll all cars and trucks through 53 gantries on Connecticut’s highways: Interstates 84, 91, 95 and Route 15.

You often know distracted driving when you see it.

“When you see them swerving to the left or right,” said Clara Folston of Waterbury.

“Then the light will change and they won’t move,” added Zina Newman of Prospect.

Distracted driving doesn’t just irritate the people who share the road with you. It kills. Nine lives are taken every day by distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Tuesday, state and local police forces launched campaigns to catch distracted drivers before they become a statistic.

“You drive, you text, you pay,” said David Silverio of the Waterbury Police Department.

Tuesday morning in Waterbury, police set up an operation to nab distracted drivers. In less than three hours, Silverio said 31 people were pulled over for driving with their phone in their hands.

“Within minutes of the campaign starting police officers were stopping motorists,” said Silverio.

The American Automobile Association has their own sobering message, comparing texting while driving to drinking while driving. AAA is partnering with state authorities on the new “Don’t Drive Intexticated” campaign.

“It used to be when you saw a car swerving around in the road you thought oh that person I bet they’re drunk, but now you think I bet they’re on their phone,” said Amy Parmenter, spokesperson for AAA of Greater Hartford.

Zina Newman knows better than to text while driving.

“You could be dead, like in a matter of a second. A quick second,” she pointed out.

Despite the warnings, the temptation to pick up the phone when she’s behind the wheel can be difficult to resist.

“Ya, guilty,” admitted Newman. “My phone will ring and I think it’s my kids.”

“I know I’m not supposed to, but yes,” said Folston.

Andrea LeCours hopes sharing the story of the loss of her father, who was killed by a distracted driver, will save someone else’s life.

“I hate that I’m not going to get to walk down the aisle with him next year. He’s not going to see his granddaughter grow up,” said LeCours.

Her father, Henry Flynn, of Wolcott was killed on a Bristol road in October of 2017. According to court filings, the driver who killed her father pled guilty to negligent homicide. Her six-month jail sentence was suspended.

“Really really wish that no other family would have to go through this,” said Flynn’s wife Kelly.

She now advocates for stricter distracted driving laws. She wants more than a fine for breaking the law, she thinks drivers should have their license suspended just like drunk drivers do.

“Taking your eyes away from the road can kill people,” said Kelly Flynn.

The mother and daughter joined Rhea Bhat at AAA’s kick-off campaign event for National Distracted Driving Awareness month. The ninth grader from Darien was hit by a pick-up truck right after stepping off the school bus.

“I was lucky to survive,” said Bhat. “I actually didn’t know what happened. I was moved back. I was pushed toward the ground. I almost was knocked out until someone came and found me.”

She’s now started an awareness campaign in her town about the dangers of distracted driving.

“How do you miss a huge school bus, yellow and red colors… I don’t know how you miss it and I don’t know how you miss me,” she said.

While Bhat knows she’s lucky to be alive, Flynn’s family has to live every day knowing their loved one wasn’t so lucky. They say the driver who killed him does too.

“You not only ruin people’s lives but you ruin your own. That’s something you’re going to have to live with the rest of your life,” LeCours said.

A four man, two woman jury will now decide the fate of a former forensic nurse in a high profile patient abuse trial.

NBC Connecticut Investigates broke the story of abuse at our state’s maximum security mental health hospital two years ago. It resulted in 10 arrests at the Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown. Four of those employees have already received sentences.

The essential question for the jury is a simple one.

Did former forensic nurse Mark Cusson abuse patient Bill Shehadi, or was he making the best of a bad situation with an exceedingly difficult and dangerous patient?

In closing arguments, Cusson attorney Norm Pattis told jurors “His moods can get to explosive points to rage in just a moment! And if you’re sitting next to him, in that bed, you have guess which it’s gonna be. The nice Bill, or the Bill that wants to get ya!”

Cusson is fighting 16 counts connected to the alleged abuse of Shehadi, incidents the state says are all on surveillance video, one even showing Cusson putting a dirty mop on shehadi’s head.

Cusson has denied putting a mop on Shehadi’s head, and says for well over a decade of caring for Shehadi, he had to come up with unorthodox ways of treating a violent patient, with little direction from hospital management.

Pattis said, “It’s arguable that Mr. Cusson could have made close judgement calls and be guilty of no crime.”

In summation, the prosecution questioned how, if Cusson’s techniques were so successful, why did he ever put them in the patient notes filed after every shift?

Assistant State’s Attorney Jeff Doskos said of Cusson, “He went rogue. He developed his own way handling of handling Mr. Shehadi clearly in conflict with the policies and rules of the hospital.”

The jury started deliberating after the lunch break, and was dismissed for the day after three hours.

In the past month or so, there have been eight deadly fires in Connecticut, killing a total of 11 people.

While the causes for many are still under investigation, a Connecticut Fire Academy official is stressing taking proper steps to ensure fire safety.

The Connecticut Fire Academy posted on Facebook calling the number of deadly fires this late in the season “somewhat rare.”

“It’s very tragic,” said Alan Zygmunt, public information coordinator for the Connecticut Fire Academy.

The eight fatal fires occurred from the end of February to the end of March all across the state from New Britain, North Branford, Bloomfield, Shelton, Oxford, Windham, Killingly and Somers.

In New Britain, loved ones said a New Britain High School student died trying to save his autistic brother. Neither survived.

In Oxford, three adults were kills in a house fire on March 23.

“Between 2012 and 2016 the state of Connecticut had 18 fire deaths in homes in that four year period. So 11 fire deaths in about a month’s time is pretty extraordinary,” Zygmunt said.

The biggest trend between the fires is that most of the victims were over 55 years old, according to Zygmunt.

“Once you get on in age, your mobility gets declining, it becomes really important that you have a working smoke detector that warns you and you get out of the home,” he said.

It’s something that can save a life because exits can be blocked by fire in mere minutes.

“Fires nowadays they burn so much more rapidly than they did in the past,” Zygmunt said, citing furnishings that are common in homes.

House fires are most common in the winter, according to Zygmunt, but he wouldn’t call it “fire season” since every season poses its own set of fire hazards.

But between Thanksgiving and the end of February, people strongly rely on heating systems and supplemental heat.

As it inches into spring, and then summer, the weather dries out and it get windy which makes outdoor fires a potential threat, he said.

Here are some fire safety rules from the State Fire Marshal in partnership with the Connecticut Fire Academy and DEEP:

• Check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to be sure they are working properly.
• Have an escape plan with a meeting place, and practice it. Each room in your house should have two ways out.
• Once you exit your home, DO NOT return. Too many people lose their lives going back into a burning home.
• Have your entire heating system checked for proper operation annually.
• If you or anyone in your home smokes, be extra careful with smoking materials as they are the most common cause of fatal house fires in the US.
• It's also a good idea to check on any elderly relatives or neighbors to make sure their smoke detectors are working. If you need any assistance with checking your detectors contact your local Fire Department or Fire Marshal's office. If everyone follows these safety rules, we can dramatically reduce the incidence of fires in our state and prevent family tragedies.
• If everyone follows these safety rules, we can dramatically reduce the incidence of fires in our state and prevent family tragedies

 The State Fire Marshal's Office is part of the Department of Administrative Services and is responsible for assisting the Connecticut State Police with the investigation of fires in the state of Connecticut. The Connecticut Fire Academy is the teaching arm of the Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. Part of their mission is educating the public in fire and burn prevention.

Surveillance video captured a violent attack on a CT Transit bus in Hamden, and the driver involved later lost his job.

CT Transit officials said onboard surveillance footage from March 4 shows a verbal altercation between a passenger and bus driver that quickly turned physical.

Footage of the incident shows the passenger using a cane to beat the driver. The driver can be seen unbuckling himself, fighting back and then exiting the bus. Minutes later, the driver re-engaged the passenger outside the bus kicking him down onto the street, according to CT Transit.

The bus driver, Stefan Knox, was later terminated from his job, the bus company said. The passenger, William Horn, is facing charges of assault and breach of peace, according to court records.

"The dangerous assault on the bus operator was absolutely unacceptable," said Cole Pouliot, General Manager of CT Transit. "The driver understandably and rightfully defended and protected himself upon being attacked."

Unfortunately, after the incident had been deescalated and the bus operator had left the area while police were en route, the operator chose to return and physically re-engaged his assailant, without provocation," Pouliot said. "Physically engaging the assailant the second time was inappropriate and dangerous."

Knox was hired by CT Transit in 2008 and was terminated on March 29 of this year. His last day worked was March 4, the day of the incident.

Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez will be making an announcement regarding his decision to run for mayor.

Perez served as mayor of Hartford from 2001 through 2010 when he resigned amid corruption charges. 

He is expected to make his announcement Thursday.

Dozens became displaced after an apartment fire in Torrington Friday. Now that community is coming together to help those impacted.

"First thing Monday morning there were people here waiting to make donations," said Sarah Toomey, Outreach Case Manager for the Community Health and Wellness Center.

And in just two days the donations have piled up at the Community Health and Wellness Center in Torrington. From clothes to shoes to toothbrushes and toothpaste, everything is needed.

Last week Torrington firefighters responded to a fire on Highland Avenue. Everyone escaped unharmed, but 30 people were displaced.

"It's surreal when all your belongings are just burning and there's nothing you can do. It's devastating," said Toomey.

Toomey says three of the families lost everything. The center decided to start a donation drive on Monday for all the families impacted. She says they're still in need of gift cards, toiletries, and personal care items.

"There are some people that don't even know these families that are dropping off donations, gift cards; we had a cash donation. It's just amazing," said Toomey.

At nearby Joseph's House, the donations are adding up there as well.

While it's a difficult time for the families affected, it's also been heartwarming to see so many want to help.

"They're very emotional. They don't want to talk about it. They're very overwhelmed, but they're very grateful by the support that the community is showing," said Toomey.

Donations can be dropped off at the Community Health and Wellness Center at 469 Migeon Ave. in Torrington through Friday.

For the first time in history, Chicago has elected an African-American woman to be the city's next mayor.

Lori Lightfoot beat Toni Preckwinkle to win the runoff Tuesday night, according to the Associated Press. Lightfoot won 74 percent of the vote, compared to 26 percent for Preckwinkle, with 77 percent of precincts reporting as of 8:30 p.m., election results showed.

Lightfoot's victory is historic in another way, as she will also be the city's first openly-LGBTQ mayor once she is sworn in in May.

Lightfoot and Preckwinkle both advanced to the runoff over 12 other candidates in the most crowded field of mayoral hopefuls in Chicago history, a field that grew after outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced in September that he would not run for a third term.

Lightfoot is the former president of the Chicago Police Board. Emanuel appointed her to head the board in 2015, and to chair the Police Accountability Task Force in 2016, in the wake of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. A former federal prosecutor from 1996 to 2002, Lightfoot has also held various roles in city government, including as chief of staff for Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications in 2005.

She most recently was a partner at Mayer Brown LLP and entered the race in May, before Emanuel dropped out — criticizing the candidates, including Preckwinkle, who launched their bids after his announcement. A late surge, seemingly fueled by an endorsement from the Chicago Sun-Times and other candidates' perceived ties to the so-called "machine," was enough to put Lightfoot at the top of the Feb. 26 election.

She earned 17.5 percent of the vote, compared to Preckwinkle's 16 percent. If no candidate earns more than 50 percent of the vote, according to Chicago election law, the top two vote-getters advance to a second runoff election.

After the first round of voting, several key figures threw their support behind Lightfoot, including five of the mayoral candidates who did not advance: Willie Wilson, Paul Vallas, Gery Chico, Jerry Joyce and Susana Mendoza.

Lightfoot gained steam at just the right moment to lift the former prosecutor over Preckwinkle, the current Cook County Board President and chair of the Cook County Democratic Party.

Long seen as one of the most viable challengers to Emanuel, Preckwinkle has been board president since 2010, and prior to that was elected to five terms as alderman of the 4th Ward on the city's South Side. In April 2018, she became chair of the Cook County Democratic Party. Throughout the mayoral race, she enjoyed significant support from organized labor, particularly Service Employees International Union Local 1 and the Chicago Teachers Union.

The race was contentious from the start, with both candidates on the attack as each touted her progressive credentials. Lightfoot painted Preckwinkle as a politician entrenched in the so-called "machine," while Preckwinkle highlighted Lightfoot's background as a "wealthy corporate lawyer" who's worked for Wall Street.

Now, Lightfoot - who has never before held elected office - will shift focus from first-time campaigner to the work of governing. 

Among the issues she will face nearly as soon as she is sworn in in May is the upcoming summer, when violence, particularly shootings, tends to spike across the city. Lightfoot has said she plans to meet with Supt. Eddie Johnson to discuss the department's plans for the summer but she would hold off on making a decision on whether to replace him until after the summer is over. 

She will also head to the bargaining table when the Chicago teachers' contract is up roughly a month after she takes office - with some wondering if perhaps a strike is on the horizon. 

There will be no bus service to Canterbury Public Schools Wednesday, according to an alert sent to parents Tuesday.

Parents received an alert informing them that there will not be any transportation Wednesday. School is still in session, but any absences will be excused.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to the superintendent for more details. More information as not immediately available.

The Woodstock Academy said it will provide transportation to any of its students who live in Canterbury.

Fire broke out at a Middletown apartment complex Tuesday night.

Fire officials said they were called to a fire at 279 Woodbury Circle around 8 p.m. No injuries have been reported.

Video from the scene shows heavy smoke pouring out from the building.

No other details were immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

A Tennessee social justice center that has hosted iconic civil rights leaders was destroyed in a fire and a "white power" symbol was found on the site, the center said and NBC News reported.

The symbol, which officials did not describe but said was connected to the white power movement, was discovered after the main office was completely destroyed in a fire last week, the Highlander Research and Education Center said in a news release Tuesday. It was spray-painted on the parking lot connected to the main office.

Highlander, 30 minutes east of Knoxville, has provided training and organizing efforts for emerging social justice movements in the South since 1932, when Myles Horton founded the Highlander Folk School. Famed civil rights leaders and social activists including Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Ralph Abernathy and Peter Seeger attended training events at the Highlander center.

Highlander's main office was home to decades' worth of documents, speeches and memorabilia that were lost in the fire, the center said on Facebook.

The bears are out again and searching for food, and often they end up knocking over trash barrels and making a mess for homeowners. One trash hauler thinks it has found a solution.

“It’s really eye-opening how clever they are to figure how to get into the barrels,” Mike Paine, president of Paine’s Inc., said.

For several years, Paine has been trying to find a solution for his customers. And now he thinks he’s got something that is bear-resistant.

On Tuesday, he showed NBC Connecticut new reinforced barrels that will soon roll out.

Another feature only allows the lid to open automatically when it’s lifted by the garbage truck or if someone manually does it.

Before deciding to try them out, Paine talked with other trash haulers.

“None of them have specifically done this. They were happy to let us try to be the guinea pig. But I think it’s going to work really well,” Paine said.

In a month or so Paine’s will launch a pilot program with the barrels in Simsbury. There will be an additional fee for the new barrels which has not yet been decided.

Depending on how they work in Simsbury, Paine’s hopes to expand them to other communities it serves.

On Tuesday, Simsbury resident Amanda McCabe had a close encounter with a bear.

She drove into her garage and parked her car with her 3-month old in it.

“I came home. The baby was asleep. So I thought I’ll sit here for a few minutes. I was sitting here and I just turn and he was right here,” McCabe said.

McCabe says a bear had wandered into the garage.

“Panic a little bit. I was like don’t freak out,” McCabe said.

Her video shows the bear knocking over the barrel which was in the garage and then taking the trash out.

It’s part of why McCabe is intrigued by the new barrel that will soon be available.

“Yeah, definitely. Because even when you leave them out on trash night they’ll get into them and have it scattered all over,” McCabe said.

Hartford police were investigating a shooting on Garden Street Tuesday night.

Police said it happened in the area of 650 Garden St. There are three victims who were all conscious and alert on scene, police said in a tweet.

More details were not immediately available.

Check back for updates.