There was an emotional homecoming Thursday for members of the Connecticut Air National Guard.

Nearly 60 airmen and their aircraft returned to Connecticut following a four-month deployment in Kuwait.

“The last leg of the trip when you wake up you get the butterflies,” said Lt. Col. Neal Byrne of the Connecticut Air National Guard. “You feel the nerves. You want to come home and see your family. I’ve done this quite a few times, and it never gets easier, but it’s possible because of heroes like my wife.”

In total, about 130 members of the Connecticut Air National Guard returned from deployment this week.

“I think it’s actually tougher for the people that are home than for us,” said Lt. Col. Joshua Panis. “We’re doing the mission. It’s the same thing every day. I’m eating the same chopped chicken every day. What are you having for dinner tonight? Not chopped chicken.”

“We appreciate that they’re going to be home in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we’ll truly be thinking about all the families that won’t be together during the holidays,” added Lindsay Panis.

There is new insight into a September crash in Southbury involving a state trooper that injured a mother and daughter.

Thursday, NBC Connecticut learned that officers that responded to the scene specifically referenced their concern that this was a drunk driving accident.

In a lawsuit, Sgt. John McDonald is accused of drunk driving by a mother and daughter from Middlebury who were injured in the crash.

Police have said McDonald was off-duty in his unmarked police car when he didn’t stop at a stop sign crashing into a car traveling on Route 188.

State Police body camera footage was released last week.

Police are investigating if McDonald had been drinking at a trooper retirement party before the crash.

They said McDonald never took a blood alcohol test.

In the body cam video, the supervisor is heard talking with another sergeant on scene about writing up the crash.

He says he is “worried about the 1-3”

That’s code for drunk driving.

Here’s a transcript of the interaction:

Sgt. Shawn Prusinowski speaking with Sgt. Borowski, “Just so I’m doing this right. Take it like a 10.”

“Take it like a 10 and then you punch another number for an OSHA,” responded Borowski.

“Yeah I did that, but I’m worried about the 1-3,” said Prusinowski.

“I mean it is what it I,” Sgt. Borowski.

“It is what it is,” agreed Sgt. Prusinowski.

State police did not give an update on the investigation investigation, but confirmed that code is in reference to drunk driving.

The family is suing Mcdonald, the state, and two men associated with the brewery. We’ve reached out to all parties for comment.

McDonald remains on the job as investigations are underway.

A senior U.S. diplomat told Congress that he was briefed on conversations President Donald Trump had with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban in which the two foreign leaders talked Trump into a negative view about Ukraine and its new leader.

George Kent, a senior State Department official responsible for Europe, told House investigators that Putin and Orban, along with Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, had “shaped the president’s view of Ukraine and (President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy,” NBC News reported.

He said Trump’s conversations with the two leaders accounted for the change in Trump’s view of Zelenskiy from “very positive” after their first call on April 21 to “negative” just one month later when he met with advisers on Ukraine in the Oval Office.

When a deadly virus that killed tens of thousands of European harbor seals in the northern Atlantic Ocean in 2002 began threatening sea lions, seals and otters in the northern Pacific Ocean, scientists were initially puzzled, NBC News reports.

The highly contagious phocine distemper virus — which is not believed to affect humans — attacks the respiratory and nervous systems of some marine mammals. But there was no indication it had infected animals that could have taken it to different parts of the world.

Goldstein and some of her colleagues examined 15 years of data that included measurements of Arctic sea ice and data from animals that had been tagged by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other institutions to study their migration patterns.

Their conclusion: Melting Arctic sea ice brought on by the Earth’s warming climate created a way for the virus to move into a new region and infect a new population of sea life.

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Thursday that he is jumping into the race for his old Senate seat in Alabama — despite warnings from allies of President Donald Trump that he should sit out the election, NBC News reports. 

Sessions, who was the first senator to endorse Trump's campaign, suffered a huge falling out with the president over his decision to recuse himself from the federal probe into Russia's involvement in the 2016 election. Trump has said naming Sessions as attorney general was the "biggest mistake" of his presidency, and he has called his leadership of the Justice Department "a total joke."

Sessions resigned at Trump's request exactly one year ago.

An elderly woman has died after she was bitten by a dog in Suffield Wednesday.

Police said officers were called to 584 Thrall Avenue just before 3 p.m. When officers arrived they found the victim, 95-year-old Janet D’Aleo of Enfield, bleeding from life-threatneing injuries.

D’Aleo was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., where she died.

The dog, which police described as a male pitbull pointer mix, was quarantined.

The case is under investigation.

Rastelli Bros., Inc. is recalling 130,464 pounds of raw ground beef products that could contain plastic, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The recalled beef was produced by New-Jersey based Rastelli Foods Group from October 3 through October 15 and includes the following products:

• • 16-oz vacuum sealed packages containing “NATURE'S RANCHER 100% GRASS FED ORGANIC GROUND BEEF 85% LEAN, 15% FAT” with case code 9276, 9283, 9287, or 9288 and use or freeze by dates of 10/24/19, 10/31/19, 11/04/19, 11/07/19, and 11/11/19.
• • 16-oz vacuum sealed packages containing “NATURE'S RANCHER 100% GRASS FED ORGANIC GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN, 7% FAT” with case code 9276, 9283, 9287, or 9288 and use or freeze by dates of 10/24/19, 10/31/19, 11/04/19, 11/07/19, and 11/11/19.

The meat was distributed to retail stores in Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois and Maryland.

There have been no reports of injuries or illnesses from this recall.

Customers should check their refrigerators and freezers for the affected product and throw it out or return it to where they bought it for a full refund. Questions and concerns can be directed to Mike Kelly, vice president of sales at Rastelli, at 856-803-1100.

President Donald Trump's behavior can be so erratic that most top administration officials have pre-written resignation letters ready to submit, an anonymous author claiming to be a senior official in the Trump administration says in a book scheduled to be published this month.

To complicate matters, the president's decision-making abilities are getting worse with time, according to excerpts of "A Warning" that were obtained and read Thursday night on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show."

Trump has called the writer "gutless" and has questioned whether the person really exists, NBC News reported.

This week, the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven announced the hiring of an interim CEO. The decision comes just two weeks after the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven were nearly forced to shut down due to financial struggles.

The new chief, Chad Sclove, has a background with the organization. He also serves as the director of organizational development for the Boys & Girls Club of America.

Sclove says his first step is restructuring the non-profit and it starts with the support of families.

“We understand this has been a difficult time and an abrupt change in management,” said Sclove. “We want parents to know that we understand that this has been a tumultuous time for you and we are here to work with you every step of the way moving forward.”

The hiring comes after parents were left scrambling to find after-school care for their kids in October. Parents and guardians told NBC Connecticut that they found out the Boys and Girls Club would be shutting down with only three days’ notice.

In a letter sent home to parents, the non-profit stated that the reasons for the shutdown were due to “an on-going lack of financial resources and a very challenging fundraising environment have resulted in the ability for us to continue to offer the Club programs and services your children deserve.”

City leaders stepped in to save the program through December 18 through community grants.

The interim CEO attempted to set the record straight on how the organization landed on hard times.

“It’s been over a year since this club has been without a fundraising director,” said Sclove. “Structurally, we’ve been raising about $150,000 a year and we need to be raising three to four times that much.”

The club is known to serve as a safe haven for more than 4 million children and teens, providing them with after-school activities like recreational time and leadership enrichment programs.

Sclove says community funding and partnerships have to be key priorities.

“We have not been raising a lot of money and I think in the short term, we need to raise enough to stay liquid,” said Sclove. “The only way to do that is with community support in order to keep the doors open for the kids we serve every day.”

Dr. Dakibu Muley is the community service administrator for the city of New Haven. Dr. Muley say the hiring of a new CEO is a great first step but says stability is needed for families.

“We’re going to be providing technical assistance in the form of meeting with them on a regular basis trying to see where there’s opportunities to make real gains,” said Dr. Muley. “It’s important that those benchmark agencies such as a boy’s and girls club are consistent and that they are still here to provide services that are needed for that community.”

Sclove says the next goal is to create benchmarks to ensure funding through the next few years.

“If we can even raise $500,000 in the community via community effort that would be a huge gain for the youth of this city,” said Sclove. “I really think the product is amazing and the programs that we offer are safe, and provide a very nurturing environment for students to succeed.”

Sclove plans to meet with parents next Wednesday to discuss the best way for the program to move forward in the future.

Scientists have confirmed the existence of an additional strain of HIV that has been around for decades, according to findings published Wednesday in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, NBC News reports.

The strain is not new; rather, what's changed is the technology used to study the virus. 

"The subtype has been around as long as all the other strains have. We just didn't recognize it as an official subtype until now," said Mary Rodgers, author of the new study and principal scientist of infectious disease research for Abbott Laboratories. 

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is the virus that causes AIDS if not treated early and appropriately.

Thursday was a wet night across Connecticut, with rain and snow falling, and there is the possibility for pockets of black ice early Friday morning.

The ice is not expected to be widespread, but drivers should be on alert.

After a rainy Thursday, Friday will be mostly sunny, but windy and cold, with highs in the upper 30s.

Looking into the weekend, near record cold is posible Saturday morning. The day will be sunny and chilly, with the high near 40.

Sunday will be party sunny and warmer, with the high near 50.

There is some hope for mroe snow by next week.

A cold shot of air will arrive toward the middle part of next week. There is also an increased chance for snow next Tuesday.

A house that was under construction on Old Town Road in East Hartland caught fire early Friday morning and the house is destroyed. 

Firefighters put out a fire at the house a year ago and it was under renovation, officials said. 

A neighbor alerted firefighters Friday morning and fire officials said no one was home and the building was levelled by the time firefighters arrived. 

The fire marshal will investigate the cause of the fire. Five departments responded to the fire.

A professional referee says in a lawsuit filed Thursday that disgraced doctor Richard Strauss masturbated in front of him in a shower after a wrestling match at Ohio State University, and he reported the encounter directly to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who was then the assistant coach.

NBC News reports the referee, identified in court papers as John Doe 42, said Jordan and then-head coach Russ Hellickson replied, "Yeah, that’s Strauss."  

The lawsuit implies that Jordan's response to the 1994 incident was essentially a shrug. John Doe 42 is the second person to say he told Jordan directly about either being approached or molested by Strauss, who was found by independent investigators to have sexually abused 177 male students over two decades.

Jordan, a powerful Republican congressman and a top defender of President Donald Trump, has repeatedly denied knowing anything about what Strauss did to the wrestlers he helped coach from 1986 to 1994.

Eight people are displaced after a fire at a home in Hamden on Friday morning. 

Firefighters responded to Stanley Road just before 3 a.m. and found heavy fire coming from an attached garage of a one-story ranch style home. 

The fire in the garage was quickly knocked down, according to the fire department. 

A male who was in the home said there was hazy smoke in the bedroom when he woke up and he opened a door leading to the garage and saw fire in the engine compartment of a vehicle. Then he quickly alerted the other people in the house and they got out of the home quickly. 

There was heavy smoke throughout the home and fans were deployed to remove smoke and carbon monoxide from the house, according to fire officials. 

The fire was under control in around half an hour.

Eight people, including seven family members and a family friend, were displaced and are staying with family until they can return to the house. 

The Hamden Fire Department urges people to use smoke detectors and place them on each level of the home and in each bedroom. 

The cold weather has arrived, and the NBC Connecticut meteorologists expect temperatures to get close to the record for cold on Saturday. 

The wind chill today will make temperatures feel like they are in the teens and 20s and it will be incredibly cold for any of your Friday evening plans. 

Then we are expecting near-record cold Saturday morning. 

The current record is 19 set in 2003 and we’re forecasting 20 degrees. 

The weekend will get gradually warmer before our next cold blast arrives next week.

Former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential campaign has returned nearly $1 million in donations since launching his bid for the White House in April, far exceeding what his rivals in the Democratic primary race have returned to donors.

The refunds represent $2.52 of every $100 that Biden's campaign has raised from individuals since he entered the race, according to an NBC10 Philadelphia analysis of presidential campaign filings. 

That is significantly higher than other candidates like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg — even though all three have raised more than Biden and have been in the race longer.

The refunds, technically called "disbursements," were reported by the campaigns in documents filed with the Federal Election Commission last month. They are totals covering the first nine months of 2019.

Campaigns return contributions for various reasons, including to meet promises of not accepting money from certain groups, industries or individuals and to abide by campaign finance laws. A review of Biden's refunds also suggest that his campaign may not be accepting any general election donations yet. Campaigns can accept them during the primary cycle, with the expectation that if a candidate does not win the nomination, those donations would be returned.

Biden’s campaign declined to comment for this report, so it's not exactly clear why his $951,021 in refunds outpaced other candidates so drastically. Sanders refunded $486,695, Warren refunded $220,630 and Buttigieg refunded $574,824.

A review of each campaign's filings also showed another issue for Biden's campaign: The $9 million in his campaign warchest, also known as "cash on hand," was much smaller at the FEC filing deadline Sept. 30 than the cash stockpiles of Warren, Sanders and Buttigieg. He also trailed Kamala Harris.

NBC10 Philadelphia contacted several of the hundreds of donors who were refunded by the Biden campaign, and analyzed many other disbursements.

A former congressman from Florida who describes Biden as one of his mentors is among those who had their contributions refunded.

"When he announced, I immediately sent to him the max legal contribution, which I have never done before,” former U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, who gave $2,800, said in an interview.

Davis said he later read that Biden wasn’t taking money from registered lobbyists — which Davis is — and called the campaign, which returned his money.

For others, refunds came about from simple mistakes and quirks of today’s online fundraising system.

“It was my mistake. I accidentally hit the thing a couple times,” Ellen Faulkner, of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, said of her donation through a digital platform.

The analysis of refunds also revealed that Biden’s campaign appears to be returning donations that exceed the individual contribution limit of $2,800 for the Democratic primary election cycle. Federal election law allows campaigns to accept general election funds during primaries with the understanding the donations would be returned if the candidate is not his or her party’s nominee.

It’s unclear why Biden’s campaign is choosing that path.

Temple University political science professor Robin Kolodny said refusing general election money could be an effort to “not appear presumptuous” about winning a nomination.

"It's probably something they’re concerned about — people saying, 'Oh, he’s so cocky,'" Kolodny said.

The campaign could also encourage people to give elsewhere, possibly to a joint fundraising account with other committees, she said.

The Biden campaign would not confirm their general election contribution policy, but the FEC filings show numerous instances in which the exact amount of a donor’s contribution over the $2,800 primary limit was returned: 

Philadelphia philanthropist Lynne Honickman gave a total of $3,125 to Biden in two donations. $325 was refunded.

California doctor Michael Sabat donated $3,500, and $700 was refunded.

Title insurance sales representative Kelly Yunker gave $5,600, and $2,800 was refunded.

There are, however, some cases in which $5,600 was donated and there is no record in the FEC filing of money being refunded by the end of the last filing period.

Campaigns are making different decisions at this stage of the primary. Buttigieg’s campaign, for instance, is accepting general election contributions. Sanders’ campaign is not.

The candidate who secures the Democratic Party’s nomination will eventually have to choose between accepting public funding or private donations in the general election — he or she is not allowed to do both.

However, the FEC allows candidates to preserve the option and still take in general election funds ahead of time if they keep the money in a separate account, refrain from using it and refund the contributions if they later decide to accept public funds.

An FEC advisory opinion issued in 2007 stated that a "presidential candidate may solicit and receive private contributions for the general election while retaining the option of refunding the contributions and receiving public funds for the general election if he receives his party's nomination." That opinion was issued in response to an inquiry from then-candidate Barack Obama, an FEC spokesperson said.

The last presidential candidate for a major party to accept public funding was John McCain in 2008, when the funding amount was $84.1 million. The total is adjusted each cycle to reflect a cost of living adjustment. It would have been $96.14 million in 2016 if a candidate had claimed it.

For the Democratic nominee, accepting public money would put a limit on how much he or she could spend in 2020.

“It’s really hard for me to fathom that any of these candidates would choose to [publicly] finance the general election given what we know about the money that’s going to be spent from the war chest on the other side,” said Erin Chlopak, director of campaign finance strategy with the Campaign Legal Center.

President Trump’s campaign manager announced earlier this month that the campaign and the Republican Party brought in $125 million combined in the last quarter.

A Maine ski resort that has been closed for four years could reopen next year after being purchased by a Boston investment firm, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Saddleback Mountain is expected to reopen between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2020 after a deal was struck for Arctaris Impact Fund to buy the resort from its owners. 

The sale price was not disclosed. 

Andy Shepard, who will be Saddleback’s new general manager, told the paper the firm was planning to make improvements including the installation of a high-speed quad chair and new T-bar and modernization of the base lodge. 

Shepard said the resort is planning to hire 200 to 240 full- and part-time employees.

Family and friends are desperately searching for a 36-year-old Newburgh woman they say has been missing for a week. 

Yessica Lopez, who has light brown eyes and brown hair with highlights, has been missing since Nov. 1, according to a poster being shared by those looking for her. She was last seen at a Chili's restaurant, and though her car has been found, according to friends and family, she is still missing. 

Lopez is about 5 feet 3 inches tall and 135 pounds. No other details about her or the circumstances of her disappearance were immediately available. Newburgh Police couldn't immediately be reached for comment on the case. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the department.

A Groton dispatcher helped deliver a baby after getting a 911 call about woman who was in labor in a residence in Navy housing.

The 911 call came in at 3:33 a.m. and the dispatcher, Glen Riffe, determined from the person who made the call that childbirth was imminent, so he gave a step-by-step process to prepare for delivery while also covering the necessary steps to ensure that the baby was breathing, according to police.

The baby, a healthy boy, was born at 3:39 a.m., shortly before firefighters, medics and Police Officers Marvel Bennett and Tyler Moreau, arrived.

Members of the Submarine Base Fire Department Engine 62, including Acting Captain Steve Weiss and firefighters Rob O’Brien, Ryan Patton and James Guerrera, treated the mom and baby at the scene and firefighters assisted in clamping the umbilical cord while firefighter Guerrera provided the father instructions on cutting the cord. The mother and child were transported to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital for observation and follow up.

This is the second baby that emergency crews in Groton have assisted in delivering in the recent past.

Former Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has been named the interim superintendent of the Chicago Police Department following Supt. Eddie Johnson's retirement announcement, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday. 

Johnson and Lightfoot joined Beck at City Hall Friday for an introduction to the city. 

"I think he’s got, again, a record and a legacy of bridging a divide between community that’s really admirable," Lightfoot said in touting Beck's history as chief in LA. "This is a guy who knows how to get something done."  

Johnson added that Beck is "a man of integrity that always tries to do his best." 

Beck's appointment drew praise from some in the law enforcement community, with former LAPD chief and NYC police commissioner Bill Bratton calling the decision a "good move."

But he doesn't come without criticism. Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles put out a warning Friday to Chicago saying "you don't want him."

Beck defended himself by saying, "What I think my legacy is in that community is making it safer and bringing together residents and police as a partnership and I stand by that." 

When asked about the community group's concerns, Lightfoot said "there's always critics."

"It comes with the job," she said. "Join the club."  

The announcement allows Chicago's Police Board to begin its search for Johnson's official replacement - a job Beck said he would not take. 

"No I would not," he said when asked if he would want the position. "First of all I think it's important to the process that I be absolutely honest with Chicago and say that and then stick to my word."

Lightfoot would not confirm rumors earlier this week on who might be on the list, saying she had not begun the process of looking for a replacement for Johnson. 

"I’ve seen a lot of speculation about different names, some of which are wildly offbase," she said Wednesday. 

Johnson, who officially announced his retirement Thursday, will continue to serve through the end of the year, Lightfoot said. 

"CPD needs strong leadership and I want the next top cop to continue making improvements to public safety and in the department that I love," Johnson said.  

Lightfoot acknowledged Thursday that Johnson "continues to have my unwavering confidence and support." 

"He took on a job he did not apply for at a time when our city could have come apart," she said. 

She noted on Friday that "a lot of valuable work has already been done," saying "the infrastructure that [Johnson] put in place was built to last."

Beck, she said, "is going to be able to walk into a very good department that has very good relationships with members of the community." 

Johnson said Thursday he was stepping down to spend more time with his family. He noted, however, that he's not done working. 

"It's time for someone else to pin these four stars to their shoulders," he said on the verge of tears in a press conference. "These stars can sometimes feel like carrying the weight of the world, but I'm confident that I leave CPD in a better place than when I became superintendent." 

Johnson acknowledged that being the city's top cop "has taken its toll."

"Taken a toll on my health, my family, my friends, but my integrity remains in tact," he said. 

The decision comes days after Johnson, who is currently the center of an investigation, said he was considering retirement so he could spend more time with his family. 

Johnson told reporters that his decision was not related to the recent investigation into an incident in which he was found asleep behind the wheel of his SUV. 

Lightfoot said Johnson admitted to her that he "had a couple of drinks" before he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car last month at a stop sign.

Johnson initially said a change in medication triggered the incident and he felt "lightheaded" while driving, but Lightfoot later clarified during an interview with the Sun-Times that Johnson revealed "he had a couple of drinks with dinner." 

Johnson ordered an internal investigation of the incident, citing the need for "transparency."

"Whether you are a police officer or a superintendent, all officers ought to be held to the highest standard," Johnson said through a spokesperson.