A panel of three judges in North Carolina threw out the state’s legislative district maps on Tuesday, ruling that the maps were such an extreme partisan gerrymander that they violated the state constitution, NBC News reports.

Lawmakers' partisan intent in drawing the maps, the "surgical precision" with which they were executed, and the distinct advantage the maps gave to Republicans violated the state’s constitutional protections of free elections, free speech and assembly, and equal protection under the law, the judges wrote in a 357-page ruling that reads as a stinging condemnation of partisan gerrymandering.

"The 2017 Enacted Maps, as drawn, do not permit voters to freely choose their representative, but rather representatives are choosing voters based upon sophisticated partisan sorting," the judges wrote. "It is not the free will of the People that is ascertained through extreme partisan gerrymandering. Rather, it is the carefully crafted will of the map drawer that predominates."

The legislature must immediately start drawing new maps, the court said, demanding that they be drawn based on criteria like population, contiguity, and county lines. They must be drawn without "partisan considerations and election results data," the judges wrote, and done so in plain view, a pointed departure from the closed-door processes the ruling eschews.

One person is dead after a motorcycle crash on West Service Road in Hartford Tuesday night, according to Hartford police.

Police said the rider was thrown from the bike and into the woods when they crashed into a guardrail.

The Crime Scene Division Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating.

No other details were immediately available.

Home surveillance footage shows the terrifying close call when a truck passed a stopped school bus while a girl was waiting to board in West Haven Tuesday.

It happened around 7:30 a.m. on Allings Crossing Road. Police tracked down the driver in the video, who will have to pay a $470 fine for ignoring the bus’s stop sign.

That kind of driving is something people worry happens far too often.

“That’s terrible. That kid could’ve easily been hit,” said West Haven resident Nicole Hazen after watching the video.

Many residents were shocked and concerned to see the video of the truck blowing by the stopped bus. The bus driver pounded on the horn as the girl waited to cross the street a few steps away.

“You want the kids to be safe out there and people driving like that, it’s just… you can’t have it,” Gary Hazen said.

The frightening incident is prompting the school district to sound off again, warning people behind the wheel to keep it safe with summer over and kids back on the street. Stopping for school buses is the law.

“It could’ve led to a tragedy and we’re begging people to obey the laws and be conscientious of school buses and kids waiting,” West Haven Superintendent Neil Cavallaro said. “Think about what could have been today. It sends a strong message, please keep that in your mind.”

Misael Mercado is a senior at West Have High School and said unfortunately, that kind of driving isn’t a rarity.

“Getting off the bus is definitely a safety hazard. Not everyone always listens to the law. It’s upsetting because you never know,” he said.

The driver was tracked down by a school resource officer and issued a $470 fine for passing a school bus. Parents said the swift justice is some consolation, but they wouldn’t mind seeing the fines raised even higher, or even more severe punishments.

“When it comes down to it, you run over the kid, besides killing the child you have to live with it the rest of your life,” Scott Simone said. “I don’t think there’s any in between. It’s just like texting. There should be no in between.”

Police did not release the name of the truck’s driver.

The school district praised the bus driver for doing all they could to get the attention of the truck driver, but said the incident should be a warning to everyone on the road: watch out for school buses.

There is a growing threat for at least some impact from Hurricane Dorian locally.

The most likely scenario is a period of rain and wind Friday night.

A less likely scenario would be a period of stronger winds and heavier rain, which is possible if there’s a change in the storm’s track or size.

There’s a small possibility that tropical storm watches or warnings may be called for part of southern New England.

The NBC Connecticut meteorologists are tracking the storm and will have the latest on air and online.

An assault investigation is underway in Hartford after a man was stabbed multiple times early Wednesday morning.

Authorities said a 33-year-old man was stabbed several times in the chest on Webster Street around 2:30 a.m.

According to police, the man is alert and conscious.

Officers said the man knew the person who stabbed him. The suspect remains outstanding, police added.

There is no word on what led up to the stabbing.

NBC Connecticut will update this story as details become available.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has released its predictions for the fall foliage this year.

They said peak color will be between October 5 and November 8.

DEEP recommends visiting the following eight state parks and forests for fall foliage and spectacular views:

• Cobble Mountain at Macedonia Brook State Park in Kent
• Mohawk State Forest in Cornwall
• Mt. Misery Overlook at Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown
• Chaugnam Lookout at Peoples State Forest in Barkhamsted
• Observation Tower at Shenipsit State Forest in Somers
• Heublein Tower at Talcott Mountain State Park in Simsbury
• Mt. Tom State Park in Litchfield
• Dennis Hill State Park in Norfolk

The dates of the peak color could change depending on the weather over the next few weeks.

Litchfield County and the Woodstock area will see the colors first and the shoreline will be the last.

For more information on DEEP's fall foliage recommendations, click here.

The city of New Haven is closer to getting a new police chief. 

On Tuesday night, the board of alders unanimously decided that Interim Chief Otoniel Reyes will continue to lead the New Haven Police Department as the permanent chief of police.

He was the assistant chief and has been leading the department since March, when the former chief, Anthony Campbell, retired.  

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp said in July that Reyes was her choice to become the new police chief.  

Reyes, who grew up in New Haven, has been with the department for 19 years. The swearing-in has been scheduled for 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9.

Police have identified the Southington High School senior who died after a crash on Friday.

Officers were called to Meriden Waterbury Road and Clark Street around 10 p.m. after getting a report of a crash.

Investigators learned that 17-year-old Julia Bruno, of Southington, was driving northbound on Clark Street when she collided with a vehicle heading east on Meriden Waterbury Road.

After the crash, police said Bruno's vehicle hit a utility pole at the intersection.

According to police, Bruno was transported to an area medical center with serious injuries. She was later pronounced dead. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.

On Sunday evening, a large of group of students gathered at the high school to remember their classmate. The vigil was organized by students.

"Such a tragedy, expecting to have a tremendous senior year and then all of a sudden it's gone,” said Timothy Connellan, Superintendent of Southington Public Schools. "It's so tragic when something like this happens,” he said.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective James Armack at (860) 378-1649.

A man was taken to the hospital after he was injured in a shooting in New Haven on Tuesday night.

Officers were called to a shooting on Chatham Street between Rowe and Ferry Streets shortly before 10 p.m.

Authorities said they have identified the person who was shot as a 23-year-old man. He suffered a single gunshot wound and was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital to be treated for his injuries.

The man's injuries are considered non-life threatening, police said.

The shooting remains under investigation.

Firefighters battling flames inside a Bronx building weren’t the only ones getting hot Tuesday afternoon, as tempers flared between police officers and residents right outside the burning building.

More than 100 firefighters were called to battle the flames shooting out of a sixth floor apartment kitchen near East 171st Street in Grand Concourse. The fire broke out around 4:30 p.m., and neighbors used the fire escape to climb from the smoke-filled units to safety.

Meanwhile, a fiery confrontation was going on outside the building, as tensions rose between heated tenants and police officers called to the scene to help clear the crowds, in order for the firefighters to quickly get in and out of the building.

The fight started as crowds refused to make way as cops demanded they move. Police say a 39-year-old woman ripped an officer’s body camera off and threw it to the ground, while another person threw a carton of milk at the cops before running off.

The woman who chucked the body cam was arrested and faced several charges including harassment and grand larceny, police said. She has not been identified.

None of the tenants inside the building were hurt in the flames, although five families have been displaced. Five firefighters suffered minor injuries, most dealing with smoke inhalation.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the fire.

A car fire closed multiple lanes on Interstate 84 east in Hartford on Wednesday morning.

State Department of Transportation officials said the two right lanes of I-84 East between exits 50 and 51 were closed and more than a mile of congestion was reported in the area between exits 46 and 50.

Video from the scene showed a car engulfed in flames just before the exit 50 exit ramp.

There is no word if anyone was injured.

School started in Shelton on Wednesday, after being delayed one day because of a lack of school bus drivers.

Mayor Mark Lauretti sued the board of education last year, insisting the city should take over school bus service because it could save money.

But one week prior to school starting, the city faced a shortage of drivers as some decided to remain working for their former bus company.

The superintendent said he had to cancel school on Tuesday to give the city time to hire more drivers.

“They were clearly not ready. And I was giving them extra time. In spite of comments to the contrary, it was not a political decision. It was about giving the team on the city side enough time to get everything in order,” said Superintendent for Shelton Public Schools Chris Clouet.

Clouet said the city hired drivers from another district on Tuesday and it brought the total number up to 56.

So right now, they are only short four drivers. Clouet combined some of the bus routes to make up for those missing drivers, but he warned parents to be prepared for delays at the bus stop as they work out the kinks.

Chris Renda, who has two daughters in the district, said he was happy school started.

“I’m glad it was only a day. I didn’t want it to drag on,” said Renda.

It came as a surprise to him and his family when they canceled the start of the school year on Friday afternoon.

“We kind of expected there might be trouble because it’s the first time the city is trying to run the school buses. Quite honestly we were just really surprised it was that late in the game. So it was very disappointing. Kind of had to pivot, make some plans, it was very difficult,” said Renda.

Chairman of the Board of Education in Shelton Mark Holden said he is hoping this was just a bump in the road in what will otherwise be a good school year.

“I’m looking forward to an amazing year. We have amazing teachers, amazing administrators in this district and we have amazing kids,” Holden said.

A South Carolina man who founded one of the nation's biggest conversion therapy ministries came out this summer, nearly two years after he was fired from the faith-based conversion therapy program.

Hope for Wholeness founder McKrae Game is now trying to come to terms with the harm he inflicted over two decades when he was advocating for religious efforts to change a person's sexuality, The Associated Press reported. 

“Conversion therapy is not just a lie, but it’s very harmful,” Game, 51, told The Post and Courier. “Because it’s false advertising.” 

Eighteen states and Washington, D.C., now ban the practice of conversion therapy for minors, according to Movement Advancement Project.

Water is off in part of Bristol after a water main break.

The Bristol Water Department said the water main break is on Broad Street, between 535 Broad St. and Emmett Street.

The road is open, but traffic is expected to be slow in the area.

The water department also warned that customers in the area will be affected.

No estimate was given on how long repairs will take, but water service will need to be shut off throughout the day.

Customers in the surrounding areas might have low water pressure, discolored water or no water at all.

When service is restored, customers might have discolored water. If that happens, the water department urges you to run the cold water in your bathtub until the water runs clear and refrain from doing laundry until the water is clear again.

An American woman was arrested in the Philippines on Wednesday for attempting to smuggle a 6-day-old baby onto a U.S.-bound flight, authorities said.

Jennifer Erin Talbot attempted to smuggle a baby out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, according Marlon Toledo of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). An investigation is underway.

Talbot was arrested after attempting to hide the infant in her hand-luggage, according to Grafton Medina of the NBI.

Talbot was attempting to board a Delta flight to Detroit but could not provide documents for the infant, he said. She was ultimately bound for Columbus, Ohio, he added. 

The NBI confirmed to NBC News that the baby is now with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Hurricane Dorian pushed up more than surging seawater onto Florida's shores.

As Dorian skirted Florida's coastline Tuesday, bricks of cocaine washed up on two beaches from waves stirred up by the storm, authorities said.

Melbourne police spokeswoman Cheryl Mall said a beachgoer found a package at Paradise Beach Park around 8 a.m. Tuesday and alerted an officer.

The package was "wrapped in a way that was consistent with narcotics," Mall said. When it was tested, it was found to be a kilo of cocaine.

Police don't know where the brick came from but said it would be destroyed. Officials said another 25 bricks washed ashore at Cocoa Beach, about 20 miles north.

Dorian spent much of Tuesday spinning parallel to Florida's East Coast as a Category 2 hurricane.

The woman who was sexually assaulted by ex-Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner and later read a powerful statement at his sentencing has revealed her identity.

Chanel Miller, known for years only as "Emily Doe," is sharing her story in an upcoming memoir, "Know My Name."

The memoir is slated to be released on Sept. 24, according to publishing company Penguin Random House, which noted on its website that Miller studied at the University of California, Santa Barbara and lives in San Francisco.

Many people were enraged when Turner was sentenced to six months in jail in 2016 after his conviction for felony sexual assault, more than a year before the #MeToo movement took off.

Judge Aaron Persky, who imposed the sentence, was recalled by voters in 2018, the first judge to be recalled in California since 1932.

"When people read her book they will be impressed with her, they will be convinced that Judge Persky and Stanford University behaved very badly," said Michele Dauber, a Stanford law professor who launched the recall campaign.

"Many victims of sexual violence are subjected to the same terrible treatment by courts and universities that Ms. Miller experienced," she said.

To critics, Persky embodied an outdated judicial system that treated sexual assault too lightly and seemed overly concerned with the male attacker, in this case an athlete with a budding career.

A jury found Turner guilty of assaulting Miller while she was incapacitated by alcohol in January 2015. The emotional victim impact statement Miller read at his sentencing went viral, serving as a rallying cry for victims of sexual abuse.

In it, she detailed how the assault and the aftermath affected her life.

"My independence, natural joy, gentleness, and steady lifestyle I had been enjoying became distorted beyond recognition. I became closed off, angry, self-deprecating, tired, irritable, empty," Miller wrote.

A Branford police dog helped track down several people who ran from police in East Haven and was rewarded with an Egg McMuffin. 

The police dog, K-9 Arrow, assisted in finding four people in a marsh area after they ran from police in East Haven. 

Police posted that the “good boy was rewarded with an Egg Mcmuffin too.”

Route 272 is closed between Norfolk Center and the Massachusetts state line because a tree is in wires, according to CT Travel Smart.

No additional information was immediately available.

Ride-sharing and San Francisco-based company Lyft is facing a major lawsuit and face accusations of not doing enough in response to sexual assaults.

The complaint filed by 14 women claims that as early as 2015, Lyft became aware that drivers were sexually assaulting female passengers. Lyft also failed to report rapes and sexual crimes to police and adopted policies to "silence" victims reporting the crimes, the lawsuit alleges.

“The 14 victims we represent and California’s nearly 100 sexual assault complaints are just the tip of the iceberg,” attorney Stephen Estey said in a statement. “Sexual assault is one of the least reported crimes, consequently, we know that many more assaults occurred than were reported.”

The complaint, filed Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court, also said Lyft did not do enough to prevent the assaults and does not have adequate background checks.

Lyft provided the following statement:

“The safety of our riders and drivers is fundamental to Lyft. We do not tolerate harassment or violence on our platform, and such behavior can and does result in a permanent ban from our service. We have made it a priority to continually invest in features that put riders in control of their experience. This includes in-app photos of the driver and vehicle, with increased license plate visibility, real-time ride tracking, digital receipts, and a two-way rating system with mandatory secondary feedback. We also bolstered our monitoring of active drivers on the platform implementing continuous criminal monitoring and enhanced identity verification.”