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Attorney Says Fotis Dulos Deliberately Defaulted on Mortgage and Questions Expenses

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An attorney involved in Fotis Dulos' fight for custody of his five children is questioning his default on his mortgage and his expenses.

“Now the latest excuse is I believe it was a gift,” attorney Richard Weinstein said.

It's been called by Fotis Dulos in court documents a gift, money given to him by his late father in law but Hilliard Farber's attorney Richard Weinstein says tax records tell a different story.

"Hilliard Farber was dead or died, passed away the first week I believe or the second week of January of 2017, long dead by the time Mr. Dulos made the decision to convert a loan into a gift,” Weinstein said.

In his ongoing fight for the five Dulos children, Weinstein says he wants to know why Dulos reimbursed himself hundreds of thousands of dollars for business expenses including travel to Miami, Vail and Greece all while claiming he could not make mortgage payments on his Farmington property, a property financially backed by his father in law's estate.

"I believed and now have verification from a third-party who testified, his own real estate agent, that Dulos deliberately defaulted on that mortgage in October 2018 even though he should've paid.” Weinstein said.

Weinstein goes on to say that Dulos knew Hilliard Farber's estate would be obligated to make the mortgage payments because the it had provided the bank almost $3 million in cash and securities.

"In fact, he thought according to the real estate agent, that the Hilliard Farber estate would be unable to foreclose on the property, so in effect Mr. Dulos would be getting a multi-million dollar house he's listed for over $4 million without any mortgage."

In court documents filed Monday, Dulos' attorney says searching through Dulos' business expenses at his home office inside the Farmington house would be a "burdensome and invasive remedy" and that he "has accounted for each and every business expense questioned by the plaintiff's counsel."

Dulos’ civil attorney was not available for an interview Wednesday. There is still a gag order regarding the criminal case and Weinstein says he would do nothing to deliberately violate that even though he is not technically governed by it.


Six Students Sent to Hospital After Bus Crash in New Haven

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Six students were sent to the hospital following a bus crash in New Haven this afternoon. 

A bus taking students home from Ross Woodward School collided with another vehicle on Middletown Avenue around 3:45 p.m.

According to school officials, 17 students were on the bus at the time of the crash and six were sent to Yale New Haven Hospital for evaluation. 

The other students on on the bus were evaluated and released to their parents. 

The crash is being investigated by New Haven police. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

'A Dumb Thing to Do': Trudeau Apologizes for Brownface Photo

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Canadian leader Justin Trudeau's campaign for national elections was hit Wednesday by the publication of a yearbook photo showing him in brownface makeup at a costume party in 2001. The prime minister apologized and said "it was a dumb thing to do."

Time magazine posted the photo, which it says was published in the yearbook from the West Point Grey Academy, a private school in British Columbia where Trudeau worked as a teacher before entering politics. It depicts Trudeau wearing a turban and robe, with dark makeup on his hands, face and neck.

Trudeau, who launched his reelection campaign exactly one week ago, said he should have known better.

"I'm pissed off at myself, I'm disappointed in myself," Trudeau told reporters traveling with him on his campaign plane.

The Canadian prime minister is but the latest politician to face scrutiny over racially insensitive photos and actions from their younger days. Earlier this year, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam faced intense pressure to resign after a racist picture surfaced from his 1984 medical school yearbook page. He denied being in the picture but admitted to wearing blackface as a young man while portraying Michael Jackson at a dance party in the 1980s.

Trudeau said the photo of him was taken at the school's annual dinner which had an "Arabian Nights" theme that year. Trudeau was dressed as a character from "Aladdin."

The prime minister said it was not the first time he has worn makeup before, saying he wore makeup while performing a version of the Harry Belafonte song, "Banana Boat Song (Day-O)" during a talent show.

"I should have known better then but I didn't, and I am deeply sorry for it," Trudeau said. "I'm going to ask Canadians to forgive me what I did. I shouldn't have done that. I take responsibility for it. It was a dumb thing to do."

Trudeau said he's always been more enthusiastic about costumes than is "sometimes appropriate."

"These are the situations I regret deeply," he added.

The photo's publication could spell more trouble for Trudeau, who polls say is facing a serious challenge from Conservative leader Andrew Scheer.

Trudeau has been admired by liberals around the world for his progressive policies in the Trump era, with Canada accepting more refugees than the United States. His Liberal government has also strongly advocated free trade.

But the 47-year-old son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was already vulnerable following one of the biggest scandals in Canadian political history, which arose when Trudeau's former attorney general said he improperly pressured her to halt the criminal prosecution of a company in Quebec. Trudeau has said he was standing up for jobs.

Trudeau said he would have a conversation with his kids in the morning about taking responsibility.



Photo Credit: Chris Wattie/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Griswold Triple Murder Suspects Appear in Court

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A probable case hearing continued on Wednesday in the state’s murder case against Sergio Correa.

The suspect along with his sister Ruth Correa are accused of killing Kenneth, Janet and Matthew Lindquist in December of 2017.

Ruth Correa was arrested first by state police and gave them a statement implicating her brother.

On Wednesday, Sergio’s attorney, Joseph Lopez grilled Ruth Correa about her statements. Lopez asked repeatedly if Correa’s statements on May 11th were correct.

During cross-examination, Correa described her reasoning the inaccuracies.

“On May 11, my memory was shocked,” said Correa. “

The testimony follows her gruesome details on Tuesday about what happened on December 20, 2017.

Correa claims Matthew Lindquist conspired with Sergio Correa to exchange his parents’ guns for drugs and to pay off a debt but that instead her brother killed Matthew Lindquist and then broke into his parents home to rob them. She claimed Sergio Correa killed them both and set the house on fire to cover their tracks.

In an interview with state police detectives, Ruth Correa blamed much of the violence on her brother, who she traveled from Hartford to Griswold with that night. She said he killed both Kenneth and Janet Lindquist after hitting Matthew Lindquist in the head with a machete, arrest records show.

The defense also called for clarity in Ruth’s Facebook Messages and text messages going through at least 7 people who Ruth spoke with and eluding to her involvement in the case.

Ruth Correa stated that she did not tell anyone about the murders but according to a statement from Correa’s former cell-mate that is false.

The State Attorney’s office says it may recommend that Ruth serve 40 years on three accounts of felony murder in exchange for her honest testimony during the probable cause hearing.

This week’s probable cause hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to take Sergio Correa’s case to trial.

The state’s attorney office and the defense battled back and forth about DNA results that may link Sergio Correa to the December 2017 murders.

During the investigation, State Police detectives issued a search and seizure warrant to obtain DNA from Sergio Correa.

But, the defense battled back against the lead’s detective’s experience and his reasoning for linking the matches.

Ruth Correa also said that after Sergio beat Matthew's parents, Janet and Kenneth Lindquist to death, the siblings poured flammable liquid through the house and Sergio set the fire.

Pentagon Visits to Trump's Scotland Resort Cost Nearly $200K

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The U.S. military spent almost $200,000 at President Donald Trump’s Scottish resort between 2017 to 2019, according to documents provided to Congress by the Pentagon.

In a Sept. 12 letter to the House Oversight Committee, the Pentagon said that between Aug. 9, 2017, and July 26, 2019, it had spent more than $184,000 at the Trump Turnberry resort – a sum that included $124,579 in lodging and $59,730 in unidentified additional expenditures. The Pentagon said the average cost of a room at the Turnberry was $189 a night, NBC News reported.

The Oversight Committee is investigating whether the arrangement violates a clause in the Constitution which bars an office holder from profiting from their positions.

Committee Chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., responded to the revelations in a statement on Wednesday, saying "it appears that U.S. taxpayer funds were used to purchase the equivalent of more than 650 rooms at the Trump Turnberry just since August 2017— or the equivalent of one room every night for more than one-and-a-half years."



Photo Credit: Peter Morrison/AP (File)

South Windsor Honors Memory of Officer With Scholarship

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It’s been about one year since the tragic death of a South Windsor Police officer.

Sergeant Matthew Mainieri died after trying to stop a bar fight in South Carolina while off-duty.

Now his loved ones are finding a way to keep his spirit going.

“When we lost Matt it was a huge loss for our whole community and our family,” said Erin Jones.

For Jones, it’s been a difficult year since the death of her boyfriend, Sgt. Mainieri.

“Matt wasn’t just a police officer. He was more than that. He was the kindest person I ever knew,” Jones said.

Mainieri proudly served on the force for 20 years.

The sergeant’s bravery was on display last September when he tried to break up a bar fight while off-duty in South Carolina.

The 41-year-old later died from his injuries.

“I know he would do it all over again to help someone. That’s the kind of person he was,” Jones said.

Hundreds turned out for his funeral as his death rocked the police department, the community, and his friends and family.

Now one year later, Erin and others have started the Sgt. Matt Mainieri Memorial Fund.

“Out of something so tragic this has become beautiful to keep him honored,” Jones said.

They will award a scholarship to a graduating high school student who wants to go into criminal justice or law enforcement, or follow one of Matt’s passions in flying drones, aviation, or photography.

As part of the application students are asked to describe a moment of courage.

“That was important because that was Matt. His whole life he gave and he was a hero and he passed away as a hero,” Jones said.

Jones and her family thank Hartford Evergreen Lodge #88 for helping with the scholarship.

That’s also the site of their fundraising event which is a pasta dinner coming up on October 5.

For information about tickets, click here.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Navy Confirms UFO Videos Posted by Blink 182 Rocker Are Real

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The truth really is out there, Tom DeLonge.

According to Vice’s Motherboard, Navy spokesman Joseph Gradisher has confirmed that three videos posted to the To the Stars Academy of Arts and Sciences (TTSA)— the organization founded by Blink 182 rocker Tom DeLonge in 2015 to pursue research into UFOs and extraterrestrial life — do indeed show “unidentified aerial phenomena.”

“The Navy considers the phenomena contained/depicted in those these videos as unidentified,” Gradisher, official spokesperson for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, told The Black Vault.

Each of the videos — ”FLIR1,” “Gimbal” and “GoFast” — were posted by TTSA, and The New York Times, in December 2017 and March 2018.

The footage shows the moment a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet crew spots the aircraft with an onboard forward-looking infrared system.

Flying around 300 mph at 25,000 feet, the Super Hornet crew at first has trouble locking their sensor on the aircraft as it flies at low altitude above the ocean.

Once they are able to track it, cockpit audio reveals just how excited, and curious, the crew was about the find.

According to TTSA's analysis, the aircraft appears to be oval shaped with no obvious wings or tails. Authors note that at the same range, wings on a cruise missile would be visible on the Super Hornet's imaging system.

The analysis also notes that there is no visible exhaust plume trailing the aircraft, and compares that observation to a still image of an in-flight F-16 captured on the same imaging system.

Gradisher would not to speculate what the videos may have captured, saying, “The Navy has not publicly released characterizations or descriptions, nor released any hypothesis or conclusions, in regard to the objects contained in the referenced videos.”

CORRECTION (Sept. 18, 2019, 12:13 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this story misspelled Tom DeLonge's last name. 



Photo Credit: Alex Matthews

Pompeo Says US Backs Saudi Arabia's 'Right to Defend Itself'

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that America backs Saudi Arabia's "right to defend itself" after a weekend attack targeted the heart of its oil industry, comments coming after he described the assault as an "act of war."

The attacks have reignited fears over a wider conflagration in the region, as tensions remain high over Iran's collapsing nuclear deal with world powers.

Pompeo's comments on Twitter came as he was in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, after meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's defense minister. The Saudis on Wednesday displayed missile and drone wreckage at a press conference, and cited other evidence they alleged shows the raid was "unquestionably sponsored by Iran."

Iran, which has denied involvement in the attack, warned the U.S. it will retaliate immediately if it is targeted.

Pompeo wrote his tweet early Thursday after his meeting with Prince Mohammed over Saturday's drone and cruise missile attack on a crucial oil processing facility and oil field. Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed the attack, but the U.S. alleges Iran carried out the assault.

Pompeo called the attacks "unprecedented."

"The U.S. stands with #SaudiArabia and supports its right to defend itself," Pompeo said. "The Iranian regime's threatening behavior will not be tolerated."

Pompeo did not elaborate. President Donald Trump has been noncommittal on whether he would order U.S. military retaliation. He separately said Wednesday he is moving to increase financial sanctions on Tehran over the attack, without elaborating. Iran already is subject to a crushing American sanctions program targeting its crucial oil industry.

Pompeo was to next visit the United Arab Emirates to meet with Abu Dhabi's powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE is a close ally of Saudi Arabia and joined the kingdom in its war in Yemen against the Houthis.

The UAE announced Thursday it had joined a U.S.-led coalition to protect waterways across the Mideast after an attack on Saudi oil installations.

The state-run WAM news agency quoted Salem al-Zaabi of the Emirati Foreign Ministry as saying the UAE joined the coalition to "ensure global energy security and the continued flow of energy supplies to the global economy."

Saudi Arabia joined the coalition on Wednesday. Australia, Bahrain and the United Kingdom also are taking part.

The U.S. formed the coalition after attacks on oil tankers that American officials blame on Iran, as well as Iran's seizure of tankers in the region. Iran denies being behind the tanker explosions, though the attacks came after Tehran threatened to stop oil exports from the Persian Gulf.

At the press conference Wednesday, the Saudis displayed broken and burned drones and pieces of a cruise missile that military spokesman Col. Turki Al-Malki identified as Iranian weapons collected after the attack. He also played surveillance video that he said showed a drone coming in from the north. Yemen is to the south of Saudi Arabia.

Eighteen drones and seven cruise missiles were launched in the assault, Al-Malki said, with three missiles failing to make their targets. He said the cruise missiles had a range of 700 kilometers (435 miles), meaning they could not have been fired from inside Yemen. That opinion was shared by weapons experts who spoke to The Associated Press .

"This is the kind of weapon the Iranian regime and the Iranian IRGC are using against the civilian object and facilities infrastructure," Al-Malki said, referring to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

He added: "This attack did not originate from Yemen, despite Iran's best effort to make it appear so."

Pompeo, who landed in Saudi Arabia shortly after the news conference, took a harder line, telling reporters: "The Saudis were the nation that was attacked. It was on their soil. It was an act of war against them directly."

Meanwhile, Iran sent a note to the U.S. via Swiss diplomats Monday, reiterating that Tehran denies involvement in the aerial attack, the country's state-run IRNA news agency reported. The Swiss have looked after American interests in Iran for decades.

"If any action takes place against Iran, the action will be faced by Iran's answer immediately," IRNA quoted the note as saying. It added that Iran's response wouldn't be limited to the source of the threat.

IRNA also reported that Iran's delegation to the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting has yet to receive the necessary U.S. visas. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was to travel to New York on Friday, with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani following on Monday.

The U.N. meeting had been considered as an opportunity for direct talks between Rouhani and Trump.

Asked in Los Angeles whether Rouhani will come to New York, Trump said, "I really don't know. If it was up to me, I'd let them come."

"I would certainly not want to keep people out if they want to come," he said, referring to the United Nations.

As the host of the U.N.'s headquarters, the U.S. is required to offer world leaders and diplomats visas to attend meetings. But as tensions have risen, the U.S. has put increasing restrictions on Iranians like Zarif.



Photo Credit: Mandel Ngan/AP

Novartis Halts Distribution of Zantac Over Contaminant Fear

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Novartis AG's Sandoz unit said on Wednesday it was halting distribution of its versions of the drug commonly known as Zantac in all its markets, including the United States and Canada, after contaminants were found in the heartburn drug, Reuters reported.

The Swiss drugmaker's steps follow an investigation by U.S. and European regulators into the presence of low levels of the impurity N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine, the generic name for the drug marketed as Zantac.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified NDMA as a probable human carcinogen based on results from laboratory tests – however, the FDA is not calling for individuals to stop taking ranitidine at this time. The agency urges patients taking the prescription ranitidine to talk to their health care professional about treatment options.

The agency asks consumers and health care professionals to report any adverse reactions with ranitidine to the FDA’s MedWatch program to help the agency better understand the scope of the problem. Visit the FDA MedWatch site here to complete and submit the form online. The form also can be downloaded from the site and faxed to 800-FDA-0178.



Photo Credit: Georgios Kefalas/AP (File)

Former Racecar Driver Bob Potter Dies After Crash in Norwich

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Connecticut racing fans are mourning the loss of Bob Potter, a hall of fame race car driver.

Potter was injured in a crash on West Town Street in Norwich around 4 p.m. Tuesday, according to police. On Wednesday night, police ssaid Potter was the person to die in the crash. 

RaceDayCT.com reports that Potter was 78 years old.  

Police said witnesses told them the driver of a pickup appeared to be having a medical emergency, lost control of the vehicle and made a sharp turn, hitting a school bus and several other vehicles. 

Potter was transported to William W. Backus Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Potter raced at the Stafford Speedway for years. 

“All of us at Stafford Speedway are saddened by the loss of a great friend and mentor, Bob Potter. For over 6 decades Bob has been a true representative of the sport. The Stafford Speedway racing community has lost a great hero. A 5-time SK Modified® Champion, with 24 overall wins at Stafford, his passion for racing is unsurpassed. In his retirement from competitive racing Bob gave back to the racing community as he continued as the driver of the two-seater modified at Stafford, always looking to give the fans a good ride. Bob was always looking at the big picture and enjoyed sharing ideas. It is without a doubt that we will miss Bob but his legacy as a champion and love for racing and life will serve as an inspiration. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Dale, son Bob, Jr., daughters Debbie and Ginny, and all his family and friends,” Stafford Speedway posted on its Facebook page. 

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Potter is the second former NASCAR driver to die in Connecticut in the past week. 

Mike Stefanik was killed in a small plane crash in Sterling over the weekend.  



Photo Credit: Stringr.com
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2020 Candidates Say How They Would Combat Climate Change

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First in an occasional series of articles on top issues in the 2020 presidential election.

Young climate change activists are trying to force global warming to the forefront of the 2020 presidential race, which has so far been dominated by other topics.

While candidates have released plans to curb climate change, until recently many have been more focused on universal health care, gun control, race, criminal justice and President Donald Trump. One Democratic contender who made climate change a centerpiece of his race, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, dropped out at the end of August. 

But after a summer in which Europe roasted in record heat, tons of ice melted on Greenland and the Amazon burned, millions are expected to strike on Sept. 20 “to demand an end to the age of fossil fuels.” The walkout, inspired by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg's strikes outside the Swedish parliament building, is to be followed by a week of mobilizations and a second strike a week later on Sept. 27.

On Thursday and Friday, MSNBC is holding a climate forum featuring a dozen presidential hopefuls (watch a livestream in the video leading this story). The event comes after CNN held a separate town hall last month devoted to the issue. 

Democrats and even some Republicans favor candidates ready to act. According to a poll conducted for CNN by SSRS, a survey and market research firm in Pennsylvania, 82% of Democrats believe taking aggressive action to slow the effects of climate change is “very important” for Democratic candidates to highlight leading up to the election.

A spring survey of young Americans between 18 and 29 by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics found that 46 percent agreed with the statement that “government should do more to curb climate change, even at the expense of economic growth.” Only 16 percent disagreed.

And among Republicans, typically more skeptical about climate change, 69% of GOP voters are worried that the party’s climate position is hurting it with younger voters, in a poll done by GOP strategist Frank Luntz. The poll, about a carbon tax advocated by a group called the Climate Leadership Council, also found that 55 percent of Republicans want the government to limit carbon emissions.

But Republican leadership has resisted any climate change legislation and the Trump administration continues to roll back environmental regulations. Trump cut the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is on the record saying that global warming is a hoax invented by the Chinese to attack U.S. manufacturing and pulled the United States out of the Paris international climate agreement.

Climate change already is causing intense heat waves, shrinking glaciers, the loss of sea ice and rising water levels, according to scientists. In the future, temperatures will continue to rise, more rain is projected for the northern United States and less for the Southwest, there will more droughts and heat waves, hurricanes will become stronger and more intense and the global sea level will rise between one and four feet. 

The Fourth National Climate Assessment, a report by 300 federal and non-governmental agencies that was released last November on Black Friday, outlined the real-time effects of climate change across the U.S., broken down by region.

"Americans increasingly recognize the risks climate change poses to their everyday lives and livelihoods and are beginning to respond," the report said. 

NBC spoke to Bill McKibben, an environmentalist and author, Michael Oppenheimer, an associated faculty member of the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, and Stephen O’Hanlon, once a climate change denier and now a leader of the Sunrise Movement, which aims to stop climate change and create millions of jobs in the process.

They were asked to offer insights and suggestions for policies. Here is what they had to say:

What Should the Next President Do?
McKibben said, “Thirty years ago, we could've put a modest price on carbon and that would have steered the ship of our economy slowly but steadily in the right direction. Now, because we didn't do that, we're way further along the wrong direction and we have to restart very dramatically.”

McKibben said he thought something like the Green New Deal, a stimulus program aimed at addressing climate change, makes a lot of sense as “it is legislation on the same scale as the problem that we face. 

“We have not taken any real federal action on climate change. So there aren't any simple, modest, easy, painless things for our next president to be doing,” McKibben said. “They're going to have to take bold action, and that bold action is going to have to include a strong support for an incentive program to building out renewable energy.”

The Green New Deal, introduced by Democrats Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, calls for large investments in renewable energy and guarantees high-paying green jobs. The resolution is nonbinding and would not become law even if passed by Congress.

McKibben's advice is to “put up solar panels at the fastest pace that is possible to imagine, stop all fossil fuel mining and drilling on public lands, and stop the expansion of all fossil fuel infrastructure.”

O’Hanlon believes there needs to be comprehensive action to combat climate change within the first 100 days of the next president’s administration.

“And that means moving to 100% clean and renewable energy,” he said.

The Sunrise Movement, whose army of students is bipartisan, camped outside of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office to push the Green New Deal and helped to spread the word about it by organizing more than 250 town halls across the country. They say they will go after Democrats if they are not strong enough in their actions towards climate change.

“We can build a broad coalition that crosses party lines,” O’Hanlon said.

Oppenheimer told NBC that whoever is elected president “needs to take a thorough look at the science of climate change, which continues to move forward very rapidly, and develop a comprehensive policy to address the problem in light of recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which underscores an urgency about dealing with the problem.”

The report from the United Nations warns that if the temperature rises by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, the effects will be dire. The enormous changes needed to avoid such a catastrophe has “no documented historic precedent,” the report says.

Foreign Policy
Oppenheimer, who is also a professor of geosciences and international relations at Princeton University, said that “longstanding theory and international relations, which seems to be working out, unfortunately in the climate change arena, states that countries will belly up to the bar and do much more than they would do if they were acting alone if they know other countries are going to act as well. No one country can solve this problem.”

“We’ve got to get back in the ball game and resume international leadership or else the problem is just never going to get solved,” he said.

McKibben told NBC: “I think that the Paris accords are very important, but I don't think anyone will take us seriously now on them unless we're doing really crucial things in our own country.”

Activism
Students are becoming more aware of how detrimental the effects of climate change can be on their future. Stephen O’Hanlon used to be a climate change denier. Now, he is a leader of the Sunrise Movement.

“We started this movement because saw that the climate crisis was getting worse and our political leaders weren't taking kind of action that we needed,” he said.

To be taken seriously by his generation, candidates must pledge not to take money from fossil fuel executives, their lobbyists or front groups and instead prioritize the health of families, climate and democracy over fossil fuel industry profits.

McKibben said he thought a majority of Americans understood the dangers the world is facing. He pointed to organizations like his. 350.org and The Sunrise Movement and young activists like Haven Coleman, 13, a co-founder of US Youth Climate Strike. She and others around the world have been inspired Sweden's Thunberg, who began her strikes last year.

He said he did not worry about those who do not, whether for ideological or other reasons.

“The real job is to get those who are worried about climate change, active and engaged in this fight,” he said. “And if we do that, we'll have plenty of people to carry the day.”



Photo Credit: Astrid Riecken/Getty Images (File)
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Four In Custody After Stolen Vehicle Crashes In West Hartford

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Four juveniles are in custody and police are looking for one other who fled after a crash involving a stolen 2016 Jeep Cherokee in West Hartford. Police said the suspects are also accused of breaking into several vehicles in town.

Police were called to Ledgewood Road in West Hartford at 12:49 a.m. after a resident’s dog started barking, alerting the person that something was going on.

Police said the report was about a suspicious vehicle and several people going house to house to check for unlocked cars.

When an officer arrived and approached the suspicious vehicle, the driver sped off.

The car was then spotted speeding on Overbrook Road and the driver lost control at Park Road, crashed at the corner of Park and Thomsom roads, damaged a fence and brought down a small tree.

Five people who were in the vehicle ran and four were apprehended, according to police.

The Jeep Cherokee had been reported stolen from New Britain and police found a gun with the serial number destroyed in the vehicle.

The Jeep sustained significant damage during the crash.

As police investigated, they found that five vehicles on Ledgewood Road in West Hartford were burglarized. None of them had been locked.

Four juveniles were taken into custody and charged with five counts of burglary in the third degree, larceny in the second degree, interfering with an officer, weapons in a motor vehicle and possession of a firearm with an altered identification mark.

The driver was also charged with several motor vehicle violations, including reckless driving.

All but one juvenile was released to a parent. The other was released to the juvenile detention facility on Broad Street in Hartford on a “take into custody” order for an unrelated incident.

One of the four juvenile suspects was transported to a hospital to be evaluated for injuries from the crash.

Police are still looking for the person who fled.

This is the second arrest in town for similar crimes for one of the juveniles involved.

The West Hartford Police Department is reminding residents to lock their cars.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Summer Temperatures to Return After Chilly Morning

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Temperatures started off cool, in the 30s and 40s, Thursday and the coldest report was from Colebrook, where the temperature was only 31 degrees. 

However, temperatures will climb back into the low 70s this afternoon under abundant sunshine. 

We get even warmer weather toward the weekend when temperature get into the mid- to upper-80s by Sunday. 

Fall officially begins on Monday.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Hamden Police Search for Man Who Asked Teen to Get Into His Car

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Hamden police are investigating a report of a man approaching a 13-year-old girl in Hamden and telling her she should get into his car. 

Police said they responded to Jones Road around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday after a man approached the teen girl as she was walking her dog. 

The man, who appeared to be in his 30s and had yellow teeth, pulled up in an older model red Honda Accord sedan and asked the girls’ name, according to police. 

He then said, “You should get in the vehicle,” police said. 

The teen didn’t get in the car and the vehicle was last seen going west toward Pine Rock Avenue. 

Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Christina Giori of the Hamden Police Department Patrol Division at (203) 230-4030.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

8 Hospitalized After Bus Hits DOT Vehicle on I-95 in Old Saybrook

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Eight people were taken to the hospital after a bus crashed into a Connecticut Department of Transportation vehicle on Interstate 95 in Old Saybrook on Wednesday night.

State police said the bus, operating out of Quincy, Massachusetts, was traveling north on I-95 and approaching a construction area just before 11 p.m. when it hit the back of a Department of Transportation truck.

The 53-year-old Haddam man in the DOT truck and seven passengers from the bus were transported to hospitals. All the passengers on the bus are from New York, according to the news release from state police.

The driver of the bus, 58-year-old Qingsheng, of Corona, New York, was cited for failure to maintain lane, traveling too fast for conditions and failure to move over and reduce speed, the state police news release says.



Photo Credit: Old Saybrook Fire Department

Father and Son Die in Fall from Cliff in Farmington

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A father and son have died after falling off a cliff while riding ATVs in Farmington Wednesday night.

Police have identified them as 71-year-old Steven Price, of Forestville, and his 30-year-old son Mark Price, of Plainville.

The person who called 911 to report what happened told dispatchers that the father tripped, the son tried to grab him and both fell. 

Police said they were alerted just before 8 p.m. when someone called them and said he was riding his ATV in an abandoned quarry at 232 Colt Highway in Farmington.

The eyewitness who was riding with the Prices said they were each riding an ATV and had stopped. While standing near the edge of an approximately 75-foot-high cliff, Steven and Mark accidentally fell to their death, police said.

The caller said the father stopped to look at something, tripped and the son went to grab them and that’s when they both fell.

Farmington police said the deaths appear to be accident and they are investigating the tragic incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Sergeant Stephen Egan at 860-675-2414.



Photo Credit: DroneRanger
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Thirteen More Mosquitoes in Connecticut Test Positive for EEE

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Almost 100 mosquitoes have tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, this year, up 13 since the report last week.

The latest Mosquito Trapping and Testing Report also says 71 mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile virus, up 11 from the report last week.

Among the new reports of EEE are four at the Pawcatuck River in North Stonington on Sept. 11 and five at Bell Cedar Swamp on Sept. 11.

In Plainfield, three at Cedar Swamp tested positive and one at Stonington High School tested positive on Sept. 10.

Among the new reports of West Nile are a mosquito at the Civic Center in Greenwich on Sept. 10, one at Keney Park in Hartford on Sept. 5, one on Gardner Road in Monroe on Sept. 10, one at Hoyts Swamp in New Canaan on Sept. 5 and one at Churchill Park in Newington on Sept. 5. Three tested positive at Stonington High School on Sept. 10.

One at Cove Island Park in Stamford tested positive on Sept. 11 and one at Intervale Road tested positive the same day.

One trapped at Spicebush Swamp in West Hartford on Sept. 5 also tested positive.

Drivers Worry Vehicles May Have Dangerous Defect

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Drivers across the country say they are living in fear of their own vehicles after their headrest forcefully struck them in the head with no warning. Some have complained the vehicles should be recalled, and a few have taken legal action against the manufacturer.

The reports are coming from Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge owners, and a few drivers have ended up in the emergency room.

“All of the sudden I felt a like hit in the back of the head. I was like freaked out a little,” said Shawn Alger, who owns a Jeep.

Alger reached out to NBC Bay Area stating he was heading to work one morning when the head rest in his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee just burst open.

Laura Baca reported a similar issue to our Responds team in Los Angeles. She was parked in her 2014 Chrysler Town and Country van, when the headrest unexpectedly came apart.

“I was just sitting there on the phone and I all of the sudden got hit in the back of the head. And it pushed me completely forward,” Baca said.

Enfield native Barbara Savoie also contacted Responds, though she considers herself lucky. She wasn’t driving her 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee when the passenger’s side headrest suddenly deployed.

“I’m scared. I’m concerned about driving this car,” Savoie said.

Barbara said Jeep replaced just her passenger side headrest, not the driver’s side. She worries it could happen again with her behind the wheel.

“If I’m driving down the highway doing 55, 65 miles an hour and that thing blows, I could, I could get into an accident and hurt someone else,” she said.

A search of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s complaint database turns up dozens of other Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge drivers with similar stories.

How could this happen? Some headrests are actually designed to pop open in an accident. That’s according to the owner’s manual.

Through crash testing, engineers developed what they call the “active head restraint” to reduce whiplash. The front part snaps out a few inches to stop your neck from moving too much in a rear-end collision. But they should not deploy randomly on the road.

“What our experts have told us and what we believe is that the plastic is deteriorating over time,” explained California attorney Stuart Talley.

Talley is currently awaiting a judge’s decision to move forward on his class action lawsuit against Chrysler over the headrests.

The complaint blames a tiny plastic bracket inside. Talley believes one side of this latch can wear out and shatter spontaneously, propelling the headrest into the driver’s head.

In a separate lawsuit filed in Florida, the judge ruled the plaintiffs’ claims of breach of warranty related to the vehicle headrests and for violation of Florida’s consumer protection statutes were barred by the statute of limitations.

That court also found that the plaintiffs failed to allege sufficient facts to show that Chrysler concealed defects in the systems that caused injuries.

In response to an NBC Connecticut Responds request for comment, Chrysler sent this statement:

“FCA US vehicles meet or exceed all federal safety requirements. Customer safety is a top priority at FCA US. Active head restraints enhance vehicle safety. Evaluations confirm that even in the rare event of inadvertent deployment there is no unreasonable risk of injury. Absent such risk, there is no safety defect. FCA US strongly objects to any alternate characterization.”

Savoie said she feels the company is putting drivers at risk by not recalling the vehicles.

“Unfortunately, it’s going to be someone that’s going to be killed,” she said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement “NHTSA is aware of this issue and is actively monitoring complaints filed by consumers to evaluate if the part poses a safety risk. NHTSA will continue discussions with the manufacturer about remedying this part and will not hesitate to act if a safety defect is identified.

Large Police Presence at Farren Avenue, Chamberlain Street in New Haven

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There is a large police presence in the area of Farren Avenue and Chamberlain Street in New Haven. 

Several police vehicles have responded to the area and an officer said they are there for an “ongoing investigation.” 

No additional information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

State Warns of 2 More Illnesses Linked to Vaping, Bringing Total to 13

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Two more Connecticut residents have been hospitalized for severe lung injuries that may be related to vaping, according to the state Department of Public Health, bringing the total number of cases to 13.

As of September 17, there have been 530 cases suspected tied to vaping reported nationwide, including seven deaths, and no one seems to know what the cause is, according to the Centers for Disease Control. 

People affected are presenting as though they have a lung infection like bronchitis or pneumonia but it’s not made better by antibiotics. The exact cause of the illnesses is not clear.

Officials said 12 of the 13 Connecticut patients have been released from the hospital.  Health officials have spoken to nine of the patients, and all nine reported using vaping products containing THC, the psychoactive component of the marijuana plant. Three of the nine also used products containing nicotine.

DPH is warning vaping users not to buy any products off the street, and not to modify or add any substances. They are also discouraging current smokers from using e-cigarettes or vaping products.

Children, young adults and pregnant women should not be using vaping products, DPH said.

New York and Michigan have banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes amid the investigation into the illnesses. Many believe the flavored products are targeting young people to use the products.

Federal health officials have not identified a single device or ingredient involved in the lung illnesses. President Donald Trump has proposed a federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes and vaping products.

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