Amid the chaos, Stephen Miller is in charge now, NBC News reports.

The iconoclastic hard-line young conservative policy aide to President Donald Trump, hated by the left, and celebrated by the extreme right, is the obvious winner in the power struggle that led to Kirstjen Nielsen's ousting Sunday night as Homeland Security secretary.

He's unofficially taking the reins of border security amid a purge at the department that has also seen Secret Service Director Randolph "Tex" Alles removed from his job and Trump's pick to head the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, Ron Vitiello, yanked.

Miller has survived them all. He's the only permanent fixture on immigration policy. That means he's running the show — and the president's success or failure is on him.

President Donald Trump's re-election strategy depends on locating Americans who agree with him but don't usually vote and driving them out to the polls in droves. That, he has clearly concluded, means taking the hardest possible line on immigration and presenting it primarily as a security issue.

Two people were shot on Grove Street in Meriden Monday and one suffered life-threatening injuries.

Police said the two victims were found in a car on Kensington Avenue near the Westfield Meriden mall, likely being driven to the hospital.

One victim has life-threatening injuries, police said. The second is expected to survive.

The investigation is ongoing and no other details were immediately available.

Another prominent critic of President Donald Trump has joined the dozen-plus Democrats who want to challenge him in 2020.

East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell officially declared his bid for the 2020 presidential race Monday evening in an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" after much speculation and visits to Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and other states in the months leading up to the announcement.

"I see a country in quicksand ... nothing gets done," he said.

The 38-year-old Democratic congressman who represents California’s 15th Congressional District said:

"I see a country in quicksand, unable to solve problems and threats from abroad, unable to make life better for people here at home. Nothing gets done," Swalwell says in a clip released early by the show. "I'm ready to solve these problems. I'm running for president of the United States."

"It's official," he added to cheers from the audience. "Boy did it feel good to say that."

The Late Show released the clip on Twitter.

Swalwell joins what is expected to be a wide-open race for the Democratic presidential nomination. There's no apparent front-runner at this early stage, and he will face off against several of his Senate colleagues who have more name recognition.

TONIGHT: California Representative @EricSwalwell announces on @colbertlateshow that he is running for President! #LSSC pic.twitter.com/bvzBPIkSnz

— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) April 8, 2019

New numbers from AAA show as of Monday the national gas price average is at $2.74, a $0.28 increase over the last month and $0.08 more than the same time last year.

The average cost of gas in Connecticut is also $2.74.

That upward trend will continue as gas prices continue to rise. It’s typical of the busy summer driving season and this is the time of year when refineries switch to a more expensive summer blend of gasoline, said AAA spokeswoman Amy Parmenter.

Usually gas prices peak around Memorial Day weekend, according to Parmenter.

“I’m thinking I don’t want to drive anywhere anymore,” said Julia Harper of Uncasville. She commutes a half hour to work every day and said she already spends a lot of money on gas.

“It going up makes it harder to get to my job too,” according to Harper.

It has some Connecticut drivers budgeting more.

“We are careful we don’t take real long trips or try to stay in the area,” said Phyllis Dooley of Old Lyme. Both she and her husband are retired and are conscious of their spending.

“We try to keep it close, go camping and stuff. We don’t travel a lot,” Chris Moffitt about traveling in the summer. The Pawcatuck resident was filling up with gas in New London Monday afternoon.

In the New London-Norwich area, AAA lists the average gas price at $2.76, just a couple of cents above the national average and up $0.21 per gallon from last month.

“I just suck it up and pay it. What are you going to do,” said Amy Renaldi. She lives in North Stonington and was also filling up at a gas station in New London where she was paying more than the state average price per gallon.

“In the summer I spend so much more money not (on) driving, but because I’m boating. So I’m buying more gas than I do in the winter,” Mark Grillo about the gas price punch.

Police have located a 3-month-old boy who was reported missing from Hartford.

Authorities issued a Silver Alert for 3-month-old Kevin Diaz Monday night. He and his mother, Briana Rivera, were found safe.

No other details were immediately available. 

Get your peanuts and Cracker Jack ready Tuesday, because it’s Opening Day for the Boston Red Sox.

The World Series champions will receive their rings in front of their welcoming fans at Fenway Park and unveil the new championship flag before they face the Toronto Blue Jays.

Diehard fans were seen lining up outside the Green Monster by 5 a.m. in anticipation of the big game.

Despite a rocky start to the season, fans are dismissing the trouble the Red Sox have faced on the West Coast and are focused on welcoming their team back home.

"No big deal, whatever," Mike Columbare of Manchester, New Hampshire, said. "We got champions introducing champions today, no big deal. It’s just Boston."

Some Patriots players will also attend Opening Day since their team will also be honored for their most recent Super Bowl win, making it an extra treat for Boston sports fans in attendance on Tuesday. However, Tom Brady, Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick are not expected to take part.

Not only will fans be able to look forward to the festivities Tuesday has to offer, they also get to try some of the historic ballpark’s newest menu items. From lobster BLT sandwiches to a cool banana split, Fenway Park unveiled several new dishes fans can enjoy.

Pre-game ceremonies are expected to start around 1 p.m., with the game getting underway at 2:05 p.m.

A less than traditional front yard Easter display has divided a New Jersey neighborhood, with some calling it a “disgusting” affront to the holiday.

The display in Clifton features five mannequins dressed as scantily-clad bunnies, all of whom carry Easter baskets and stand surrounded by Easter eggs.

While the display has drawn curious passersby hoping to snap photos, some residents say they find it offensive.

“To me, it’s disgusting. It’s not Easter,” Bloomfield resident Frances Korosec told News 4. A second passerby maintained it was “definitely not what Easter is about.”

Others, however, said they find the display funny.

“I love it. I think it’s great,” neighbor Cheryl Lueddeke said. “You know what? People need to get over themselves, they need to lighten up, have a sense of humor.”

The city's mayor says he isn’t a fan, calling the display “visual nastiness,” but says there are no town laws prohibiting displays of the sort.

One resident, however, defended the display, saying the creator isn’t intent on offending anyone.

“He does it to entertain people,” neighbor Margie Tuskas said. “And we enjoy it.”

With gas prices rising, any break at the pump is a welcome one and GasBuddy has analyzed data to see when you get the best deals in each state.

Gas is cheapest on Monday in 30 states, including Connecticut and it is most expensive on Saturday in 16 states, including Connecticut.

“Finally, consumers have reason to be motivated about Monday since it offers the biggest savings on gasoline and little wait, if any, to fill up,” Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a statement. “As the week progresses and our excitement builds for the weekend, gas prices also tend to rise. The most expensive day to fill-up remains Friday when looking at averages, while 16 states saw Saturday have the highest average price. Sundays represented the third-worst day to fill up, bringing our study to a conclusion that weekends are the worst time to fill up. You might as well flush money down the toilet.”

The average price of gas in Connecticut Tuesday is $2.74, which is 20 cents more than we were paying a month ago, according to AAA Allied Group.

The average price of gas differs depending on where you go. In Bridgeport. the average price of gas is $2.83, while the average price in the New London-Norwich area is $2.76 and it’s a little lower, at $2.71 in the Hartford, Meriden and New Haven areas.

GasBuddy also found that gas stations are least busy on Sunday, followed by Monday and the best times to fill up are Monday or Tuesday, between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.

AAA’s gas cost calculator allows you to determine how much it will cost you to get where you are going. 

#mce_temp_url#GasBuddy allows you to find the best gas prices anywhere. 

Stanford University has rescinded the admission of a student who allegedly lied about sailing credentials in her application to the elite school and was then found to be linked to a $500,000 donation made to Stanford’s sailing program.

The university said in an update on its website that the student was accepted to Stanford based on "fabricated sailing credentials" even though she was not recruited through the normal athletic process and never participated on the school's sailing team.

After she was admitted, a $500,000 donation was made to the university's sailing program through former sailing coach John Vandemoer, who was fired last month after pleading guilty to racketeering charges, according to federal court documents. The money came from a foundation run by William Singer, the alleged mastermind of a national college admissions cheating scandal.

Vandemoer is set to serve an 18-month prison sentence.

The Stanford Daily reports President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Provost Persis Drell said in a statement that no other currently enrolled students, nor recently accepted members of the Class of 2023, were found to be associated with the nationwide bribery scandal.

At least nine athletic coaches and 33 parents, many of them prominent in law, finance, fashion, the food and beverage industry and other fields, have been charged in the case.

In addition to the athletic recruiting scheme, authorities say parents paid an admissions consultant to arrange for someone else to take college entrance exams on behalf of their children or correct answers for them.

Nearly one dozen Bay Area parents have already appeared before a federal judge in Boston on charges related to allegedly paying bribes for their children to be considered athletic recruits and allegedly paying to better their test scores through various means.

"Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman and a dozen other prominent parents agreed Monday to plead guilty. In a statement offering her first public comments since her arrest, Huffman apologized, took responsibility for her actions and said she would accept the consequences.

Actress Lori Loughlin, who played Aunt Becky on the sitcom "Full House," and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are charged with paying $500,000 in bribes to get their two daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as rowing recruits, even though neither participated in the sport. They were not among those who agreed to plead guilty, and they have not publicly addressed the allegations.

As the impact hits students whose parents are accused, the U.S. Attorney's Office says there still could be more arrests and charges.

Connecticut's bear population is growing and state officials are providing tips to reduce possible conflicts with bears.

A veteran New York City firefighter and married father of three was killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan, where he was serving his country as a U.S. Marine, the head of the FDNY and Mayor de Blasio announced Tuesday.

There was no official U.S. confirmation he was one of the three Americans killed in Monday's bombing near the main American base north of Kabul, an attack for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility. The names were being withheld until their families could be notified, as is U.S. Department of Defense policy. 

Mayor de Blasio identified him as Christopher Slutman, a 15-year FDNY veteran who was an "American hero, a New York hero." Slutman, who worked with Ladders 27 and 17 in the Bronx, is survived by his wife and three young daughters. 

Slutman was honored with the Fire Chiefs Association Memorial Medal after saving a woman from a fire in July 2013. He and a colleague, Lt. Gregory Macagnone, had to crawl on the floor, past the flames, to reach the unconscious woman in a back bedroom. Slutman and Macagnone dragged the woman out of the apartment and into a public hallway, handing her over to EMS on a sixth-floor elevator so that she could be taken to a hospital, her life saved.

De Blasio said he was the one who presented Slutman the medal and, reflecting on that moment Tuesday, called it "an example of the measure of this man." 

The mayor ordered flags across the city lowered to half-staff in his honor. Firefighters at his company in the Bronx were earlier seen lowering the flag outside their engine-house Tuesday.

Slutman was appointed to the FDNY on Sept. 14, 2003. A Marine for eight years, he remained a sergeant in the Marine Reserves and also was a member of the Emerald Society. Slutman lived in Yonkers with his wife and daughters at the time of the 2013 blaze; it appears they most recently lived in Wilmington, Delaware, and that Slutman commuted to New York when he had to work. 

"Firefighter Slutman bravely wore two uniforms and committed his life to public service both as a New York City Firefighter and as a member of the United States Marine Corps,” FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. "The hearts and prayers of the entire Department are with his loved ones and with the families of his fellow service members who lost their lives in service to our nation."

Slutman becomes the 1,152nd FDNY member to die in the line of duty. He's the fourth FDNY member to die while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan since the start of the military action in those countries in 2003. Currently, 73 FDNY personnel are on extended military orders in the U.S. Armed Forces, serving around the world -- and 1,425 members of the department are reservists or veterans.

Funeral arrangements for him are pending.

Slutman also had a storied volunteer career, serving with The Kentland Volunteer Fire Department in Maryland.

"During his 19-year career he rose through the ranks to become a Wagon Driver, Captain, but most of all – he was a fireman," the Kentland department wrote in a Facebook post. "Through this trying time, we will remember Chris for the father, husband, brother, son, and friend that he was, the moral character he displayed daily, and the courage and conviction to serve his fellow Americans, both at home and abroad." 

Slutman and two others were killed when the bomb went off Monday near the main U.S. base, Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul. Several more were wounded. 

In their claim of responsibility, the Taliban said they launched the attack and that one of their suicide bombers detonated his explosives-laden vehicle near the NATO base. The conflicting accounts could not be immediately reconciled.

Monday's U.S. fatalities bring to seven the number of U.S. soldiers killed so far this year in Afghanistan, underscoring the difficulties in bringing peace to the war-wrecked country even as Washington has stepped up efforts to find a way to end the 17-year war, America's longest.

There are about 14,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan, supporting embattled Afghan forces as they struggle on two fronts — facing a resurgent Taliban who now hold sway over almost half the country and also the Islamic State affiliate, which has sought to expand its footprint in Afghanistan even as its self-proclaimed "caliphate" has crumbled in Syria and Iraq.

Last year, 13 U.S. service members were killed in Afghanistan.

“We feel and mourn the loss of these Americans with their families and loved ones. They volunteered to protect their country. We will continue our mission,” said Gen. Scott Miller, Commanding General of Resolute Support and United States Forces – Afghanistan.

There are delays on Interstate 91 North in Hartford after a crash and one person was transported to Saint Francis Hospital to be treated for a minor injury. 

The crash is near exit 32.

State police said two vehicles and a school bus were involved in the crash. No students were on the bus and paramedics were called out because of a possible injury.

Check back for updates.

A Hartford mother who has been fighting deportation to London has been granted a stay, according to Attorney General William Tong.

Wayzaro Walton came to the U.S. when she was 4 and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement has said she is a convicted felon with numerous additional misdemeanor convictions, including larceny.

Tong; Walton’s attorney, Erin O'Neil-Baker; and Walton’s wife, Tamika Ferguson, will hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon and to discuss what comes next for Walton, who remains in detention in Massachusetts. 

A statement from Tong’s office says the Second Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of deportation on Monday pending the outcome of Walton’s appeal, lifting the threat of immediate deportation.

The news conference will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the Office of the Attorney General in Hartford. 

“Wayzaro Walton has been living in our country since the age of four. She has built her whole life here and raised her family here. I am grateful to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals for recognizing the gravity of Wayzaro's case and granting her a temporary stay of deportation. But this fight is far from over. We need to fight for permanent relief for Wayzaro as well as others who have been denied justice due to stubborn refusal to recognize Connecticut's pardon process," Tong said in a statement. 

Connecticut bus drivers are urging the state's representatives in Washington, D.C., to support a measure aimed at better protecting transit workers from assault and other dangers on the job.

It is an issue that NBC Connecticut Investigates has been looking into for more than a year.

"If I were them, I would be the first one to sign that bill," said Jasmin Rivera, who has been a CT Transit Operator for about five years. "We get sexually harassed. We get threatened. We get spit on," Rivera said.

Surveillance video obtained by NBC Connecticut Investigates showed passengers spitting on bus drivers time after time. The videos also showed food and drinks being thrown at drivers and even a passenger punching a driver in the face.

Of 42 assaults reported between 2016 and 2018, only five have resulted in arrests or charges, according to CT Transit. The incidents were documented in reports filed with CT Transit by the drivers themselves.

"You never know what you're going to get," said Rivera.

There is new hope that bus drivers in Connecticut will soon be getting some new protections from Washington, D.C. There is growing support from federal lawmakers for the Transit Worker and Pedestrian Protection Act.

If signed into law, for the first time it would require local agencies, such as CT Transit, to report assaults to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Currently, there is no requirement that each assault be included in the department's National Transit Database.

"This is incredibly under-reported," said Ed Watt, the Director of Special Projects for the Amalgamated Transit Union in Washington. Watt said this potential change in law would shine a new light on a the dangers drivers face.

"It needs to be brought to attention, otherwise it's just going to increase," Watt said.

The proposal would also require agencies to construct physical barriers around bus driver seats. CT Transit told NBC Connecticut Investigates last year that the bus company would be launching its own barrier pilot program. This week, Cole Pouliot, General Manager of CT Transit, said that only one bus has been equipped with a barrier so far.

Local union members said they received a memo sent April 5 from CT Transit management in which bus operators were told that there is a plan for 100 buses to be retrofitted with driver barriers sometime this year. CT Transit also plans to offer further safety and deescalation training for bus operators, according to the memo. NBC Connecticut Investigates requested further details about the contents of the memo but CT Transit has yet to respond.

Legislative action at the federal level comes at a time when more violence has occurred on CT Transit buses.

Newly released CT Transit surveillance footage shows a passenger using a cane to beat a driver on a bus in Hamden on March 4. The driver is seen struggling to unbuckle himself but then fights back and gets off the bus. Minutes later, the driver reengaged the passenger outside of the bus, kicking him down onto the street, the video shows. The driver was terminated from his job and the passenger was charged with assault.

Local union members say it is clear that more needs to be done to prevent incidents like these from escalating.

"We're not asking for something special," said Artan Martinaj, Business Agent for the ATU Local 425. "We're asking to protect the public."

Rivera, who is also a mother, said she wants the federal transit worker bill to move forward and that Connecticut's congressional leaders in Washington should be leading the way.

"If somebody attacks me, what am I going to do to defend myself to make sure that she (her daughter) sees mommy at the end of the day," Rivera said.

NBC Connecticut Investigates reached out to several of Connecticut's congressional leaders about where they stand on the proposal in Washington. More than 100 lawmakers are already supporting it. So far, none of the lawmakers are from Connecticut. For and updated list of cosponsors of the bill, click here.

Hollywood actress Lori Loughlin was among the 16 parents allegedly involved in the college admissions scandal indicted on a new charge by a federal grand jury in Boston, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

The indictments on the new charge of conspiring to commit fraud and money laundering came a day after more than a dozen parents, including actress Felicity Huffman, announced they were pleading guilty to charges in connection with the case.

The parents, who were arrested last month on a single charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, are accused of paying a consultant and others to bribe SAT and ACT administrators to allow test takers to secretly take college admission exams on behalf of their children and with bribing university athletic coaches to have their children be recruited as student athletes.

Prosecutors say Tuesday's second superceding indictment also charges the parents allegedly involved in the William "Rick" Singer's scheme with conspiring to launder bribes through Singer's fraudulent charity.

The additional charge means that the defendant may face more prison time if he or she is convicted at trial or strikes a plea deal, according to NBC News.

Loughlin's fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, was also among those indicted by the federal grand jury. Prosecutors say the "Full House" star and Giannulli paid $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California as crew recruits, despite neither child ever participating in the sport. The couple pleaded not guilty to the earlier charge during a court appearance last week.

Singer pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including racketeering conspiracy, on March 12, the day the allegations in "Operation Varsity Blues" were made public.

Fourteen other parents indicted on the new money laundering charge included Gamal Abdelaziz of Las Vegas; Diane and Todd Blake of Ross, California; I-Hsin "Joey" Chen, of Newport Beach, California; Elizabeth and Manuel Henriquez of Atherton, California; and John Wilson, of Lynnfield, Massachusetts.

Authorities have not yet scheduled arraignment dates for the defendants based on Tuesday's indictment.

The tank of truck carrying liquid asphalt ruptured Tuesday morning in Southbury and emergency crews are working on containing the spill and removing the liquid.

Officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the spill is on Route 67 at the bottom of the Interstate 84 West exit 15 ramp.

Drivers heading to Southbury are advised to get off the highway at exit 14 and go through the center of town to get to their destinations.

The tanker is carrying 5,800 gallons of liquid asphalt and it is leaking at a rate of about 30 gallons per minute, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. As a comparison, 36 gallons of water is around what it takes to fill a bathtub, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.

DEEP said fire officials contacted them to help with the spill and they started efforts to keep the asphalt from the catch basin so it would not get to tributary to the Housatonic River.

Officials from DEEP said around 2,000 to 3,000 gallons has been released and the Department of Transportation used sand to contain the spilled material.

A rescue tanker is at the scene to remove the remaining asphalt from the tank. Sand will be used to solidify the liquid that has spilled to remove it for disposal, according to DEEP.

Drivers should expect delays if they are traveling around the area. Delays are expected into the evening commute.

Police have arrested a third juvenile in connection with the fire that destroyed the historic Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford in January as well as burglaries in town.

Police said Monday that they arrested two juveniles. On Tuesday, police said a third juvenile was arrest and charged with conspiracy to commit arson in the third degree, criminal trespass in the third degree, burglary in the third degree and criminal mischief in the third degree.

The other two juveniles were charged with arson in the first degree, burglary in the first degree. criminal trespass in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, conspiracy to commit arson in the third degree, criminal trespass in the third degree, burglary in the third degree and criminal mischief in the third degree, police said.

Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick said the town is still moving forward with plans to rebuild in some way.

“It’s really heartfelt that people were so connected to that building and what happened there, the memories that they had there," she said. She added that while the plan isn't necessarily to rebuild the theatre itself, she hopes they will be able to do something around culture and arts with the property.

They are collecting input from the community and are waiting to hear back on the insurance claim to decide what's next.

Authorities have not named the suspects because of their ages.

Shakespeare Theater opened in 1955 and was mostly vacant since the 1980s. The town acquired the theatre from the state in 2005 and it burned down on Jan. 13.

Police have arrested a man who is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at his Wolcott home.

Police said the victim told them that 23-year-old Taylor Patnode assaulted her as his home when she was visiting with him Wednesday night.

Investigators obtained a search and seizure warrant and were granted a warrant charging him with sexual assault in the first degree and unlawful restraint in the first degree, according to police.

Police took him into custody at his workplace in Thomaston and detained him at the Wolcott Police Department.

Bond was set at $150,000.

The assistant principal at Shelton High School has been placed on administrative leave in connection with a police investigation.

Shelton school officials confirmed that John Skerritt, assistant principal at Shelton High School, was placed on leave Monday afternoon. Officials said that the action was not disciplinary and said he was on leave due to a Shelton Police Department investigation.

Shelton High School’s principal, Dr. Beth Smith, was placed on leave last month. 

“Shelton High continues to be a safe and productive educational environment for all our students, faculty, and staff,” a statement from the superintendent’s office read.

No other details were immediately available.

Did you feel it?

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Long Island this morning.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake happened about 32 miles southeast of Southampton, New York at 7:22 a.m.

The USGS received dozens of reports from people who felt the quake in Long Island and even a report from North Branford.