Manchester police are trying to identify two men who are accused of robbing a liquor store while one of them held a customer at gunpoint on Sunday afternoon.

Officers were called to Manchester Discount Liquor on Broad Street around 1:50 p.m. after getting a report of an armed robbery.

When police arrived, they said they spoke with two victims who were inside of the store.

Investigators said two suspects armed with guns had entered the store. They were described as men wearing hooded sweatshirts with masks covering their faces. One man was wearing all black and the other one was wearing a gray sweatshirt and gray pants with a distinguishing pattern on them.

According to police, surveillance video showed the suspect wearing gray come into the store and point a gun at the clerk and a customer who was checking out. The suspect then took hold of the customer and pointed the gun at his head as he told the clerk to give him money from the register.

The customer, who officers described as an elderly man, was held in a choke hold by the suspect while the clerk removed money from the register, authorities said.

The suspect who was wearing all black also entered the store with a gun. Surveillance video showed this suspect leave with two bottles of alcohol, investigators added.

The incident remains under investigation. No injuries were reported.

Anyone who recognizes the suspects or may have information about the incident is urged to contact Detective Andrew Young at (860) 643-3348.

The second person who contracted EEE in Connecticut had died, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said during a news conference Tuesday. 

One of the people who died after contracting EEE was from East Lyme. The other was from Old Lyme. Both people were adults. These were the first deaths from EEE in Connecticut since 2013.  

"What we're trying to let you know is, we're being cautious. State government is being cautious on your behalf and we're urging you to be careful," Gov. Ned Lamont said. "No need to panic."

Lamont, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz and the leaders of several state agencies were at a news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss the state’s response to Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE. 

Most of the cases of mosquitoes that have tested positive for EEE have been in southeastern Connecticut. That has prompted local officials in several towns to alter sporting events and urge residents to limit outdoor evening activities when mosquitoes are most active, from an hour before dusk to dawn.

State officials said the good news is that the number of mosquitoes as well as the number of mosquitoes with EEE is declining, but there are still some with the virus.

The state Department of Transportation will be helping get the word out to residents as well as people who are traveling through the state. 

About EEE:

EEE is rare, but 30 percent of those who contract the disease die, and many others are left with brain damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

EEE Symptoms: 

Symptoms of EEE include headache, high fever, chills and vomiting. They might then progress with disorientation, seizures and coma. There is no specific treatment. 

Cases of EEE Virus in Connecticut: 

A resident of East Lyme and another in Old Lyme both died after contracting EEE. 

Diagnosing EEE:

EEE is diagnosed through blood or spinal fluid.

Mosquitoes in These Towns Tested Positive for EEE: 

EEE has been detected in mosquitoes trapped in Chester, Groton, Haddam, Hampton, Killingworth, Ledyard, Madison, North Stonington, Plainfield, Shelton, South Windsor, Stonington and Voluntown. 

It has also been found in horses in Colchester, Columbia, Salem, Sterling and Voluntown. 

What You Need to Know About Eastern Equine Encephalitis: 

Eastern Equine encephalitis virus is also spread through bites from infected mosquitoes and the state Department of Health reports EEE is rare in the United States with an average of seven cases reported each year. No vaccine is available. 

Approximately one third of people who become sick from EEEV will die from the illness, according to the state Department of Health. They urge that early treatment can lower the risk of complications and death. 

It has been found in mosquitoes in Voluntown. 

Find out what you need to know about the symptoms from the CDC. 

How to Reduce Your Chances to Contracting EEE: 

Use mosquito repellant, cover bare skin and decrease the amount of time you are outside from an hour before dusk until dawn.

Impeachment is in the air. If you follow politics, watch TV or use Twitter, you’ve probably heard the word "impeachment" used over and over again with growing urgency this week.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to calls by fellow Democrats Tuesday by announcing a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The decision came after criticism of the president mounted based on allegations that he pressured Ukraine's leader to investigate the family of political rival Joe Biden at the same time that he was withholding millions in aid from the Eastern European nation.

Late Monday, an influential group of freshmen Democrats who served in the military and national security before winning office said Trump's actions cut to the core of the country's defenses.

At issue is a summer phone call with Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskiy, in which Trump is said to have pushed for investigations into Biden. In the days before that call, Trump ordered the aid to Ukraine frozen, according to reports in The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and has denied that any requests for help in procuring damaging information about Biden were tied to the aid freeze. He said Tuesday that he froze the aid so other European nations could contribute.

Nevertheless, as of midday Tuesday, 175 House Democrats said they now back some type of impeachment action against Trump. That’s more than 2/3 of the 235-member caucus.

So what does all this actually mean? Check below for our impeachment FAQ.

What is impeachment?

In their quest to promote democracy and protect against concentrated power, the founders of the United States wrote several checks and balances into the constitution. Perhaps the greatest check against the president is impeachment, which essentially means charging him/her with a crime. That crime can include “Treason, Bribery, high Crimes and Misdemeanors,” according to Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution.

Who holds the power to impeach?

The legislative branch holds the key check against the executive branch. In other words, it’s up to Congress to impeach the president.

First, the U.S. House of Representatives must vote, with a simple majority, to impeach and then the Senate serves as the court for impeachment trials.

Any House member can introduce impeachment resolutions like ordinary bills, or the House could initiate proceedings by passing a resolution authorizing an inquiry.

The House Judiciary Committee holds jurisdiction over impeachments and its members must decide whether to move forward with an impeachment proceeding. If they do, the House appoints members to act as representatives for the chamber in the subsequent Senate trial. These representatives serve as prosecutors while the U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice — Justice John Roberts in this case — presides over the legal proceedings. The Senate must vote with a ⅔ majority to impeach.

What does this all have to do with Trump?

The sudden rush of activity shows the extent to which Trump's call to Ukraine’s leader, and his subsequent comments about the conversation, are raising further questions about whether the president improperly used his office to pressure another country as a way of helping his own reelection prospects.

"These allegations are stunning, both in the national security threat they pose and the potential corruption they represent," wrote the seven freshmen, who include a former Navy pilot, soldiers, officers and intelligence analysts.The lawmakers include Reps. Gil Cisneros of California, Jason Crow of Colorado, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Elaine Luria of Virginia, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.

"These new allegations are a threat to all we have sworn to protect. We must preserve the checks and balances envisioned by the Founders and restore the trust of the American people in our government. And that is what we intend to do,” the lawmakers wrote.

What presidents have been impeached?

Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 during a bitter post-Civil War rivalry between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans bristled when Johnson removed Secretary of War Edwin Stanton from the cabinet. They argued that Stanton had been appointed by Congress and, according to The Tenure of Office Act, the president does not have the power to dismiss appointed officials without the consent of Congress. Historians generally agree, however, that Johnson was impeached because he wanted to offer amnesty to Southern states that pledged allegiance to the Union. Republicans at the time wanted to set up military governments and punish territories that tried to secede.

Despite the bad blood, Johnson was ultimately acquitted.

Bill Clinton was also acquitted in 1999 after being impeached one year earlier. He was accused of perjury and obstruction of justice after lying about having an affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinksy. The extremely public proceedings lasted more than a year and were filled with lurid details about their sexual encounters.

Richard Nixon came close to being impeached over the Watergate scandal in 1972, but he resigned from office before the House could vote to impeach.

How long do impeachment proceedings last?

If the Clinton proceedings were any indication, an impeachment trial can last several months. But ultimately, it depends on the Senate. Theoretically, the Senate can vote with a super majority to dismiss the charges against a president before even hearing them out. There is no constitutional mandate for the Senate to hold an impeachment trial. In this case, it's important to note that Democrats hold the majority in the House while Republicans are the majority in the Senate, making a stalemate possible.

What happens if a president is found guilty of the charges against him/her?

If convicted, the president would be removed from office and the vice president would assume executive authority.

As many families that came to Connecticut after Hurricane Maria still struggle to create a life for themselves here, they worry about family back home. Just one day after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast, the island experienced heavy rain and strong winds as Tropical Storm Karen passed over it.

“We received a lot of families desperate, they lost everything,” said Christina Jimenez, who works with Puerto Rican families at the Catholic Charities Institute for the Hispanic Family. The institute is one of the many nonprofits in the Hartford area that mobilized in response to Hurricane Maria two years ago.

“They lost their houses, they lost their furniture, they didn’t know what to do when they came over here. So they started from zero,” Jimenez told NBC Connecticut.

Jimenez said the majority of those who came to the state after Maria had to leave loved ones behind.

During hurricane season, she urges those here to make sure relatives still on the island are prepared.

“We want to make sure that the same thing that happened with those families doesn’t happen again,” explained Jimenez.

Of the thousands of families who came to the stage after Maria, an estimated 450 have stayed.

Mother of two, Sheila Rivera, is one of those people.

“It was a very difficult situation. we went through a lot,” Rivera said.

Rivera now calls Hartford home, but her mom and extended family still live in Puerto Rico.

“Not being able to be with them at these times is hard,” said Rivera.

Puerto Ricans in Hartford who came here before Maria two years ago are holding their breath as well.

“I worry about it because I still got family over there,” said Aida Acosta from Hartford.

Acosta said the lack of relief on the island after Maria is what scares her most when she hears of new storms headed in that direction.

“It was not enough, they just didn’t get the help they needed,” Acosta said. “They’re still scared out there.”

Revelations that President Donald Trump may have abused the power of the presidency by demanding Ukraine’s new president investigate a top 2020 Democratic presidential rival, and held up military aid as part of the effort, has supercharged Democratic momentum to impeach him.

Increasing numbers of Democrats are deciding that Trump crossed a line when he tried to force a probe of former Vice President Joe Biden, a top contender in the Democratic presidential primary, and Biden’s son Hunter.

House Leader Nancy Pelosi, who had been resisting efforts to oust the president since the release of the Mueller report in April, announced on Tuesday that the House had begun a formal impeachment inquiry.

Adding to Democrats’ frustration was the administration’s refusal to turn over a whistleblower’s complaint that was reported to include a phone call Trump had on July 25 with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

In the midst of the fast moving events, Trump announced that he had authorized the release of an unredacted transcript of his conversation with Zelensky.

Here’s a timeline of what changed many Democrats’ political calculus.

April 21: Zelensky is elected president of Ukraine.

May 9: Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, says he will travel to Ukraine to encourage an investigation into the Bidens, including Hunter Biden’s paid role on the board of the country’s largest gas company. “And I’m going to give them reasons why they shouldn’t stop it because that information will be very, very helpful to my client, and may turn out to be helpful to my government,” he said.

May 10: Giuliani cancels his widely criticized trip. Giuliani blames Democrats: “They say I was meddling in the election — ridiculous — but that’s their spin.” Giuliani insists he was trying to make sure an investigation continued.

June 12: Trump tells ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos that he might accept damaging information against 2020 rivals from a foreign government, if offered.

July 18: The Trump administration orders almost $400 million in military aid to Ukraine be put on hold before he calls the new president, The Washington Post first reported.

July 24: Special counsel Robert Mueller testifies to the House about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election; says his team did not clear Trump of obstructing justice but also did not reach a determination as to whether the president committed a crime.

July 25: Trump speaks with Zelensky on the phone. Various reports say Trump raises the issue of Ukraine investigating the Bidens.

August: Giuliani encourages a representative of the Zelensky government to investigate Hunter Biden, on the phone and during a meeting in Spain, according to The New York Times.

Aug. 12: An unidentified whistleblower files a complaint — later determined to be credible and a matter of “urgent concern” — with the intelligence community inspector general, Michael Atkinson.

Sept. 1: Zelensky and Vice President Mike Pence meet in Poland, after Trump stays in the United States to monitor Hurricane Dorian. The next day, Pence says he did not discuss Biden but he did raise aid to Ukraine and fighting corruption.

Sept. 9: The inspector general notifies the House and Senate of the whistleblower complaint but does not reveal what it is about.

Sept. 10: The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, the Democrat from California, demands the complaint from Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence. Maguire has prevented the inspector general from sharing it with Congress as the law generally requires.

Sept. 11: The Trump administration releases military aid for Ukraine after lawmakers questioned why it was being held.

Sept. 13: Schiff subpoenas the acting director of national intelligence.

Sept. 18: The Washington Post reports that the complaint concerns some kind of “promise” Trump made to a foreign leader.

Sept. 19: The inspector general tells Congress in a closed session that the complaint involves more than one event.

Sept. 23: Trump says he did tie funding for Ukraine to its investigation of corruption — which he has accused Biden and his son of — before later denying that he had exerted any pressure.

Sept. 24: Trump confirms he withheld military aid from Ukraine and says it was because the United States was contributing more than European countries.

Public health officials say it is safe for residents in the Tower Division of Gales Ferry to drink their water after vandalism at one of the three pump houses serving Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority customers.

The Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority advised customers in the area not to drink the water Monday while authorities investigated vandalism at the pump station at 17 East Drive in Gales Ferry. Crews also found oil containers thrown into a nearby retention pond.

SCWA officials said at the time it didn’t appear the vandals accessed anything that operate the water systems, but the water would be tested for safety.

The state Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that the water tested acceptable by all drinking water standards and the advisory was lifted. Officials will continue monthly monitoring to ensure the safety of the water while the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection cleans the pond.

A filling station and bottled water supply at the Gales Ferry Fire Station will remain available to residents until 8 p.m. Tuesday and will open from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Anyone with questions about the advisory should be call Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority at (860) 464-0232.

Anyone with information on the vandalism should call Ledyard Police at (860) 464-6400.

After living without her mother for two months while in immigration custody last year, an eight-year-old girl from Guatemala can barely sleep at night unless her mother holds her tight. Another Guatemalan girl has recurring nightmares and often screams out for protection from people who might again separate her from her mother. The girl, 6, was taken away from her mother for four months.

The mothers of these girls are among five women who were separated from their children after they crossed the border into the United States to seek asylum and who have now filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, NBC News reports.

Roughly 3,000 migrant children were separated from their parents or legal guardians under President Donald Trump's so-called "zero tolerance policy," according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services obtained by the American Immigration Council.

This is one of the first cases seeking compensatory damages from the government for its intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence, Trina Realmuto, directing attorney at the American Immigration Council, who is representing the mothers in the lawsuit, told NBC News.

Immigration authorities told NBC News they don't comment on pending litigation.

A South Windsor man knows all too well what can happen in the rare case a person is infected with a possibly deadly virus from a mosquito.

While these days Clint Bowman loves being outside in South Windsor, 20 years ago he faced a scary situation while in Michigan with some friends.

“I had to fight quite a bit for a couple of months after I got out of the hospital,” said Bowman.

Bowman says they were bit by mosquitoes and he developed encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.

“I was hospitalized for three weeks and a friend of mine who was younger than I was got it at the same time and he did not make it. He passed away,” said Bowman.

One cause of brain inflammation can be Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus.

It was just detected in a mosquito trapped on Burgess Road in South Windsor.

Two people from Connecticut have died of EEE this season. The disease is deadly in about 30 percent of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’re taking important steps right away,” said Mayor Andrew Paterna (D).

Paterna says that includes cancelling and changing outdoor town activities. Parks will close at 5:30 p.m.

“It’s the right thing to do. You know it’s kind of a scary situation,” said Tony Velez of South Windsor.

On Wednesday the town will start spraying for mosquitoes and people can already stop by town hall to pick up a pill to drop in standing water to kill mosquito larvae.

“The town manager has declared a public health emergency for the town. So we have to take it seriously,” said Paterna.

The mayor hopes residents will too, including minimizing their time outside between dusk and dawn when mosquitos are most active.

Neighboring Manchester is also opting to end after-school activities by dusk.

While Clint Bowman fully recovered from encephalitis, it has changed his feelings about mosquito viruses.

“I would like to say to people: take it seriously because you never know if you’re going to be the next one to get it,” said Bowman.

It’s also suggested you wear clothes to cover as much of your body as possible, plus consider using a mosquito repellent.

South Windsor expects to continue closing the parks at 5:30 p.m. until the first hard frost.

The Guilford School District is apologizing after a student showed up to a football game in blackface.

In a letter to the school community, Guilford Superintendent Paul Freeman said the Guilford High School student arrived at Friday’s game against Hartford Public High School in blackface. The school resource officer told the student to remove the face paint and the student did so before the game began.

The principal and athletic director reached out to the Hartford school to apologize for the incident and the administration is working on ways to address it with students.

“This individual incident is unacceptable, it was addressed immediately, and we will continue to address it from an educational stance moving forward,” Freeman wrote. “This incident does not reflect the students of Guilford as a whole. The students who I have come to know in Guilford are responsible and thoughtful and compassionate young adults who are offended by this incident as much, if not more so, than the adult community.”

It was not clear if the student will face any disciplinary action. 

Two Roads Brewing Company is withdrawing two beers canned in August and September due to an unpleasant taste and aroma.

The company said this is a voluntary withdrawl and there are no health or safety risks involved.

The two beers include cans of Lil’ Heaven and cans of Lil’ Juicy. Lil’ Heaven is included in the company’s 12-pack beer bus variety pack.

Bottle and keg products are not affected.

The company said the affected beers have a sulfur-like smell and may have an unusually hazy appearance.

The affected batches have the following package dates found on the bottom of cans:

• Lil’ Heaven 12-pack cans from package dates of 8/21/19 - 9/14/19
• Lil’ Heaven 6-pack cans from package dates of 8/21/19 - 9/14/19
• Lil’ Heaven 16oz cans from package dates of 8/23/19 - 9/13/19
• Lil’ Juicy 16oz cans from package dates of 8/20/19 - 9/11/19
• Variety 12-Pack Beer Bus from package code of BBE 08DEC19 & BBE 09DEC19

Customers can return the packages for a full refund. To do so, click here to fill out an online form or send the information to Two Roads Brewing Co./1700 Stratford Ave/ Stratford, CT 06615.

Any questions can be directed to admin@tworoadsbrewing.com.

Getting a good night's rest has a lot to do with where in Connecticut you live. NBC Connecticut Investigates is looking into what is keeping some people up at night and if there is anything that can be done about it.

"There's a lot of noise. The traffic, the fire trucks, the buses, people yelling in the middle of the night," said Aubrey Lucas, a Hartford resident who happens to reside the neighborhood where the most people are getting the least sleep.

"I do get about five hours of sleep, here and there," said Lucas. “Sometimes I do more. You get used to it, I guess," he said.

Lucas and his 14-year-old, also named Aubrey, live in the Upper Albany section of Hartford in the area between Greenfield, Irving and Woodland streets and Albany Avenue.

It is the most sleep-deprived spot in the state, according to the 500 Cities Project, a database created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The research provides a close-up view of the health of 100 million Americans living in 27,000 neighborhoods in all 50 states.

"I put my headphones on sometimes, listen to the music and just zone out; forget about what's going on outside," said Lucas.

The data pointed to where Aubrey and Aubrey live as home to the state's highest percentage, 48.4 percent, of people getting less than seven hours of sleep per day.

"Noises and lights are distractors for your sleep," said Dr. Asher Qureshi, director of the Sleep Center at St. Francis Hospital. Qureshi said where someone lives does make a difference in their sleep.

"How safe you feel, what kind of diet you have; those all impact your ability to sleep," said Qureshi. "If you are in an environment which is dangerous where you are worried about break-ins, your sleep will not be as solid."

The data analyzed also found the areas in Connecticut where people are reporting getting the most sleep.

About 75 miles southwest from the capitol city is the Rowayton neighborhood of Norwalk. It is a quiet, coastal community where sleep seems to be taken very seriously.

"You go to bed early and you're energized to get up early," said Matt Coffin, a Rowayton resident. "You're on the water so it's very quiet and relaxing and there's also no major nightlife here," he said.

"It's kind of weird that this small town is like the best at sleeping," said Sky Coffin, Matt's son.

According to the data analyzed by NBC Connecticut Investigates finds, only 29.4 percent of people in Rowayton are getting less than 7 hours of sleep each day.

"I think it's right," said Mr. Coffin. "Rowayton is super low stress."

It is not only the amount of sleep that differentiates these two neighborhoods. According to U.S. Census data, the median household income in that specific Hartford area is $21,128 per year. In Rowayton, the median household income is $150,441 annually.

Another differentiating factor, according to the data, is that 16 percent of the Hartford neighborhood's households are owner-occupied, compared with 79 percent owner-occupancy in Rowayton.

Qureshi said there are ways for people to get more, quality sleep no matter where they are.

"Try to get rid of the stress that is keeping you up. If you can identify what is keeping you up you can deal with that," Qureshi. "The next step is fixing your bed times and improving your schedules, going to bed at the right time and make your environment comfortable."

About The Story

This story is based on the 500 Cities Project, a database created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the CDC Foundation.

500 Cities takes information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an annual phone survey of 400,000 households. It joins this data with the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which collects demographic, social and economic data from nearly 3 million households each year. Through statistical modeling, 500 Cities then makes estimates at the census tract level.

The 500 Cities Project covers the nation's 497 largest cities, ranging from New York (population 8.2 million) to Schenectady, NY (population 66,000), plus three smaller cities in order to extend coverage to all 50 states: Cheyenne, Wyoming, Charleston, West Virginia, and Burlington, Vermont.

Police are searching for the man who is accused of shooting a dog during an argument in Waterbury last week.

Officers were called to One Stop Grocers on Walnut Street around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday after getting a report of gunshots fired.

When police arrived, they said they were told that several men were arguing outside when at one point, one man took out a gun and shot one round. The man who shot the gun fled south on Walnut Street before officers arrived.

As officers were investigating, police said they found an empty shell casing on the sidewalk nearby and blood.

Investigators followed the blood trail and found a dog in the rear of a home nearby with a gunshot wound, authorities said. The owner of the 3-year-old lab and German shepherd mix was found.

The dog was turned over to his or her owner, who brought the dog to CVA Shoreline Veterinary Referral Emergency Center in Bridgeport to be treated for the gunshot wound, police added.

The person who shot the dog is described as a man who is approximately 5'10" who was last seen wearing a dark gray hooded sweatshirt, officers said.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Waterbury Police Detectives at (203) 574-6941 or Crime Stoppers at (203) 755-1234.

Police have arrested a suspect in a bank robbery in Waterbury Tuesday afternoon.

William Saunders, 40, of Waterbury, is suspected of robbing TD Bank at 2 West Main St., according to police.

Police responded to the bank at 1:31 p.m. Tuesday. They said the man who robbed the bank handed a teller a note that indicated he was robbing the bank and demanded cash.

After the teller handed him the cash, the man ran out of the bank toward Phoenix Avenue, police said.

A description of the suspect was radioed to all patrol units.

Amid a search of surrounding neighborhoods, a patrol sergeant found a discarded sweatshirt, which matched the description from the robbery, behind the North End Recreational Center.

Minutes later, officers found a person matching the description of the suspect in the area of Giles Street and Walnut Avenue.

Saunders was arrested and charged with robbery in the second degree and larceny in the sixth degree.

He is being held on a $100,000 bond.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is meeting with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in Hartford on Wednesday to talk about recreational marijuana policies.

Gov. Cuomo wants neighboring states to work together on recreational marijuana policies, the AP reports. Those policies also address vaping products.

Both Connecticut and New York attempted to legalize recreational marijuana this year. Neither state was able to legalize it. Cuomo said legalization is a priority for next year's legislative session, according to the AP.

The governors will be meeting at Gov. Lamont's home on Prospect Avenue at 11:45 a.m.

After the meeting ends, the governors will hold a news conference.

A new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday morning shows former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, essentially tied in the 2020 Democratic race for president.

Democratic voters polled by Quinnipiac University gave Warren 27 percent of the vote and Biden 25 percent. The numbers are within the margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points, putting the two candidates in an essential tie, poll officials said.

Wednesday's poll is the first time that a candidate other than Biden has had the numerical lead in the primary since the question began being asked in March, poll officials added.

"After trailing Biden by double digits since March in the race for the Democratic nomination, Warren catches Biden," said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy. "We now have a race with two candidates at the top of the field, and they're leaving the rest of the pack behind."

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders rounded out the top three with 16 percent of the vote. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg received 7 percent and California Senator Kamala Harris received 3 percent, according to the poll.

In Quinnipiac's national poll in August, Biden received 32 percent of the vote, Warren had 19 percent, Sanders got 15 percent, Harris had 7 percent and Buttigieg got 5 percent.

You can read the full results of the newest poll here.

After starting the week with summer-like temperatures, the trend of beautiful fall weather continues today.

There will be abundant sunshine with temperatures in the 70s statewide.

Tonight's weather will be perfect for yard work and other outside activities.

Temperatures will drop into the 60s later this evening and eventually into the 50s overnight.

Warmer weather returns tomorrow with temperatures in the 80s. There is a chance for widely scattered showers later in the evening.

You can get the latest forecast anytime here.

The MTA is expected to vote on its $51.5 billion capital spending proposal for 2020-2024 on Wednesday.

The plan marks a 70 percent increase over the transit agency's previous four-year plan, and its largest one ever by far, as part of an aggressive effort to repair the agency's aging infrastructure and accelerate service enhancements for the millions of New Yorkers who use its public transit system on a daily basis.

The MTA said that its proposal includes more than $40 billion for NYC Transit, $15 billion of which will come from congestion pricing. It has earmarked $7 billion of that to resignal 11 subway lines, starting with the often delay-plagued Lexington Avenue line, and $6.1 billion to add 1,900 new subway cars -- with the goal of easing delays by 10 percent.

Among the other key components:

• Full funding for Phase II of the Second Avenue subway project, which will add three new subway stations in East Harlem to connect to the three Q train stations that opened in 2017 on the Upper East Side. Phase II, when completed, is expected to serve 300,000 people per day. It will also include a new connection with Metro-North Railroad. 

• A combined $11.9 billion will go to subway station improvements, track upgrades and station accessibility (70 more stations would be made accessible in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, meaning more escalators, ramps and elevators).

• About $7 billion will go to new city buses, depot improvements and customer experience upgrades, while $2.5 billion would help the MTA replace its oldest buses and add nearly 200 more to its fleet. The hope is for the MTA to acquire only electric buses starting in 2029.

• Also in the interest of serving its customers, the MTA said the capital plan aims to have East Side Access, which will extend Long Island Rail Road service to the east side of Manhattan via Grand Central Terminal, open in 2022. The LIRR expansion effort also includes creating 9.8 miles of a new third track from Floral Park to Hicksville, which will reduce congestion along the railroad's busy Main Line corridor. The third track project also includes station upgrades and the shuttering of dangerous grade crossings; it's expected to open in 2022 as well. Together, the two projects are expected to increase LIRR capacity by 50 percent.

• Metro-North Railroad will get another $4.7 billion, which will advance New Haven line access to Penn Station via four new stations in the Bronx. Bridges will also get key upgrades and the Queens-Midtown and Hugh L. Carey tunnels will get $58 million for improved ventilation and safety. 

The single largest source of funds for the plan – $25 billion – comes from bonds backed by new revenue streams authorized in this year’s state budget, including $15 billion from central business district tolling that was passed by the legislature and signed into law in April by Gov. Cuomo as part of the state’s FY 2020 budget. The MTA expects to get $10.68 billion from federal funding programs. Another $10 billion will come from bonds backed by newly established revenue sources dedicated to public transportation: a progressive tax on high-end real estate sales and the elimination of the internet tax advantage. The state has pledged $3 billion, subject to approval by the legislature. Mayor de Blasio said Wednesday, just before the vote, that he would kick in $3 billion in city funds if the MTA promises not to use that cash until it has spent the congestion pricing revenue. He also wants the agency to put unspecified city priorities first.

The remaining $9.8 billion will come from the MTA in the form of pay-as-you-go capital contributions and bonds backed by longstanding dedicated taxes, fares and existing toll revenue.

“This proposed 2020-2024 Capital Program – the most ambitious capital plan in the agency’s history – builds on the success of the Subway Action Plan, and with new tools such as DesignBuild and the reorganization that is underway we’re certain we can deliver for our customers,” Patrick Foye, MTA chairman and CEO, said in a statement. "This plan expands service, increases reliability, speeds up the system, and delivers the world’s largest ever investment in accessibility, for both NYC Transit and the MTA’s commuter railroads, and at the end of this five-year period, New Yorkers will see a revitalized and modern system for the 21st century and beyond."

A spokesman for the city stressed that the new fixes and changes are welcome, so long as the spending is responsible and actively helps New Yorkers have timely commutes.

"It is imperative that the subways run on the time," said spokesman Seth Stein. "We are reviewing this plan to ensure that it helps get New Yorkers moving and that taxpayer dollars are used responsibly."

A man was shot in Hartford and police are asking people to avoid the area of Park and Hazel streets.

Major crimes is investigating.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates.

Below is a five-page memo summarizing a call on July 25, 2019, between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President Donald Trump that was made public Wednesday by the Trump administration.

Concerns about Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, are spreading farther north and west in Connecticut after a second Connecticut resident who contracted the virus has died and a mosquito tested positive for EEE in South Windsor. 

The governor and health department enlisted the help of the state department of transportation to spread the word, which posted digital signs along the highway warning “Triple E Alert Avoid Outdoors Dusk and Dawn.” 

“We know that it’s effective, we know that people see it and my being drawn into this was because it’s a very effective way to get the message out to our own residents and the people traveling through,” Joseph Giulietti, the DOT Commissioner, said. 

School districts, including Granby are making adjustments to their sports schedules. 

Mark Winzler, the interim superintendent for Granby Public Schools, sent out a notice to parents on Tuesday night, letting them know that all athletic practices and games will end no later than 6:15 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. 

Winzler said he made the decision out of an abundance of caution and was informed other surrounding districts, including Enfield, Somers, Windsor Locks and Suffield, made the decision as well. There have not been any mosquitos that tested positive for EEE in Granby, according to Winzler.