Members of Congress late Thursday took to Twitter to respond to the Trump administration's decision to fire a barrage of cruise missiles into Syria in retaliation for this week's gruesome chemical weapons attack against civilians.

Rep. Barbara Lee, D- Calif., called the move an "act of war" and said Congress must meet to debate the Syrian issue.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen Dick Durbin, D-Ill., released a statement saying that his "preliminary briefing by the White House indicated that this was a measured response to the Syrian nerve gas atrocity. Any further action will require close scrutiny by Congress, and any escalation beyond airstrikes or missile strike will require engaging the American people in that decision."

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said he supported the move, adding: "I hope this teaches President Assad not to use chemical weapons again.”

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said that "by acting decisively against the very facility from which Assad launched his murderous chemical weapons attack, President Trump has made it clear to Assad and those who empower him that the days of committing war crimes with impunity are over."  

U.S. Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, D-Pa., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, echoed Lee's call for members of Congress to meet on Syria.

“As our country initiates military action against a foreign country, it is clear that Speaker Ryan must immediately recall members of Congress into an emergency session to debate and vote on our policy toward Syria," he said.

U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that while he was “encouraged that the Trump Administration has felt compelled to act forcefully in Syria against the Assad regime, I’m gravely concerned that the United States is engaging further militarily in Syria without a well-thought-out, comprehensive plan. Frankly, the President’s actions today generate more questions than answers."

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, released a statement calling Assad "a monster, a puppet of Russia and Iran, and he has once again used chemical weapons against his own citizens, murdering innocent men, women, and children."

“... Any military action in Syria must be justified as protecting the vital national security interests of America – including decisive action to prevent chemical weapons from falling into the hands of radical Islamic terrorists – and I look forward to our Commander-in-Chief making the case to Congress and the American people how we should do so in the days ahead,” he said.

Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., in a statement, said “the chemical attack this week was the latest in a long line of brutal atrocities committed against the Syrian people by Bashar al-Assad – it warranted a response.

“However, I am concerned that President Trump would launch an attack unilaterally without consulting the legislative branch. Congress has not provided the authority to conduct war against the Syrian government. Going forward, the President owes it to Congress and the American people to inform them of the larger strategy in Syria and any future military actions."

U.S. Sens John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., released a joint statement, saying that "building on tonight’s credible first step, we must finally learn the lessons of history and ensure that tactical success leads to strategic progress. That means following through with a new, comprehensive strategy in coordination with our allies and partners to end the conflict in Syria."

"The first measure in such a strategy must be to take Assad’s air force—which is responsible not just for the latest chemical weapons attack, but countless atrocities against the Syrian people—completely out of the fight," they said.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, released a strong statement saying the administration acted "recklessly." 

“It angers and saddens me that President Trump has taken the advice of war hawks and escalated our illegal regime change war to overthrow the Syrian government. This escalation is short-sighted and will lead to more dead civilians, more refugees, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other terrorists, and a possible nuclear war between the United States and Russia.

“This Administration has acted recklessly without care or consideration of the dire consequences of the United States attack on Syria without waiting for the collection of evidence from the scene of the chemical poisoning."   

A woman is dead after she crashed her car into a building in Medford, Massachusetts on Friday morning.

According to the Medford Fire Department a call came in around 6:20 a.m. for a car into a building at Wellington Circle Plaza.

The car was inside a Lens Crafters located at 4110 Mystic Valley Parkway.

The driver, a woman in her early sixties, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking to see something like this,” said Joseph Sasso who works nearby. “It gives me goosebumps.”

Massachusetts State Police say the woman was driving westbound on Route 16 when she lost control of the car, travelled over the curb, and crashed into the building.

Medford Fire Deputy Chief Scott Graham said the car was, “heavily damaged to the point you almost couldn’t tell what make it was.”

One witness flagged down a state trooper for help while first responders from the State Police barracks across the street rushed to the scene.

The driver was the vehicle's only occupant.

Crews are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash. Lens Crafters employees say they were shocked nobody else was hurt.

The victim's identity is being withheld pending family notification.

A 31-year-old Romanian tourist has died more than two weeks after plunging into the River Thames during the terrorist attack on the Westminster Bridge in London, NBC News reported. 

Andrea Cristea was with her boyfriend on the bridge when alleged attacker Khaled Masood plowed an SUV into pedestrians, knocking her off the bridge and into the river 18 feet below. 

Cristea, who worked as an architect, was taken off life support Thursday, more than two weeks after the March 22 attack. 

Her boyfriend, who suffered a broken foot in the attack, was going to propose to her the day of the attack, the BBC reported. 

Hyundai and Kia are expected to recall nearly 1.5 million vehicles due to an engine defect that could cause the vehicles to stall, Reuters reported. 

The recall involves Hyundai's Sonata and Santa Fe and Kia's Optima, Sorento and Sportage in the United States and South Korea.

The duo said they are also recalling more than 171,000 vehicles in South Korea due to a similar manufacturing problem, which leads to possible stalling of its Theta 2 engine.

The recall could cost the two companies hundreds of millions of dollar each.

In 2015, Hyundai Motor Co. recalled 470,000 Sonata sedans in the United States to replace faulty engine parts.

Owners of the recalled vehicles should reach out to their dealer for an engine inspection.

The new recall plan must be approved by U.S. authorities, Reuters reported. 

Parents are fired up in Glastonbury about a plan to shuffle students in the district after the announcement that an elementary school will close. 

Some families are calling for a redo.

“We were astonished. I think my whole road is in disbelief,” Jennianne Clegg of Glastonbury, said.

Clegg and other parents thought they had found the perfect place to raise their families on Rosewood Drive in Glastonbury.

That's because just beyond their backyards is an elementary school called Hebron Avenue.

On Thursday they called for changes to plans that would force their kids to go to another school three miles away.

“There’s a lot of frustration. There’s a huge lack of communication,” Danielle Myta of Glastonbury, said.

In December the district decided to shut down Eastbury School in 2018 based on declining enrollment and cost.

School leaders then started making up plans to send students to the district’s other five elementary schools.

“Whenever you close a school you have to redistrict everybody who’s left to have the right number of students in every school,” Dr. Alan Bookman, Glastonbury superintendent, said.

The superintendent says three maps were drawn up. They also considered minimizing the length of bus trips and the number of students affected.

“We will do everything we can to make sure all the students are successful,” Bookman said.

The superintendent says he welcomes suggestions about the school lines but cautioned changes could be difficult and result in unintended consequences.

Each map calls for anywhere from about 400 to 700 students to head to a new school.

And every idea would mean the end of students on Rosewood Drive living yards away from their school.

“I hope they really are listening and they’re going to take it into account,” Clegg said.

The superintendent called the Rosewood Drive situation “unique."

The school board is going to consider all the feedback and is expected to approve a plan, and potential redesigns, in June.

Google debuted a fact-checking tool for its search and news results Friday, amid mounting pressure on internet firms to police content it hosts online and criticism the company helps spread misinformation, CNBC reported.

The new functionality adds relevant "fact-check" tags to stories in Google News from services like PolitiFact and Snopes. The tag identifies pieces that had been established to be truthful.

The move follows similar action taken by social networking titan Facebook, which has also taken steps to tackle fake news content including its own fact checking tool which tells users who are about to post a link to an article, whether the claims in the article have been disputed.

A New Britain High School student who participates in the Unified Sports Program surprised his partner with flowers and a prom proposal yesterday.

Another student, Aaliyah Galarza, captured the moment on video and the Consolidated School District of New Britain posted it on its Facebook page.

Donovan Dorce has been participating in Unified Sports, a registered program for the Special Olympics, for the past four years and Melissa Figiel is his partner in the program.

The two have played in basketball, volleyball, and soccer tournaments together, according to the Consolidated School District of New Britain.

The program has also taken the two on trips, such as seeing the New Britain Bees and Leadership Summits.

Donovan made his way into the basketball court with a big sign, reading “dance with me at prom?” Figiel ran over to him, gave him a hug and accepted his offer!

The two will be attending their senior prom in May.

Anyone who registers a vehicle out of state to avoid property taxes in Connecticut is the target of a pair of bills advancing through the legislature. This comes after a series of reports by the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters on the issue.

Tax assessors tell us their cash strapped towns and cities are losing out on millions of dollars per year because of this problem. A number of studies on this actually have cited NBC Connecticut's stories over the past few years and legislators are responding with some creative approaches.

State Representative Tony Guererra’s transportation committee has passed a bill tweaking our state’s vehicle registration law. It would make it easier for officers to give a summons for having a vehicle improperly registered out of state to skirt property taxes. Right now officers can only do this for a vehicle that is running. The bill would allow them to go after ones not being driven.

Senator Michael McLachlan of Danbury got a bill through the planning and development committee that would tap the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles to help towns get registration information from DMV’s in other states where they believe Connecticut vehicles have been registered. The state tax assessors’ association has tried to get that information on its own, but most states would not hand it over.

A Connecticut DMV spokesperson tells the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters, “we are monitoring this legislation as it proceeds through the legislative process.”

Both these bills, if they advance, could go through a lot more changes before they reach the governor’s desk.

A 55-year-old Rocky Hill man is dead after a being thrown from his minivan after a crash on Interstate 91 North in Cromwell this morning.

Dzevat Cecunjanin's 2003 Honda Odyssey was stopped in the right shoulder near exit 22 just before 8:30 a.m., pulled into the right lane and was hit by a tractor-trailer that was moving from the center lane into the right lane, according to state police. 

Cecunjanin's car then hit the guardrail and he was thrown from his vehicle, police said. 

LifeStar medical transport helicopter was called to respond, but then it was canceled.

Police ask anyone with information about the crash to call Troop H in Hartford at 860-534-1000.

Police have issued a Silver Alert for a 74-year-old Middletown man who might have been missing for a week and a half.

The last time Raymond Koscuk spoke with family members was on March 29 and he usually contacts his family a couple times a week, police said.

A neighbor reported seeing Koscuk sometime between March 29 and April 4.

Koscuk is 6-feet tall as has brown eyes and brown hair. He drives a 2014 Nissan Altima with Connecticut plate 106YVY.

According to Middletown police, Koscuk has an unknown medical condition but might be in need of medical care.

Anyone with information about Koscuk’s whereabouts is asked to call the Middletown Police Department at 860-638-4000.

A Louisiana mother is sounding the alarm about a popular online gaming site for kids, telling NBC 4 New York's I-Team she believes her son was "groomed" by a sexual predator who was lurking in the virtual adventure world.

The 8-year-old boy met the alleged predator on Roblox, a gaming community which boasts nearly 50 million users a month. It also allows players to chat with each other, which is how the boy was allegedly targeted.

The mother says the alleged predator portrayed himself as a child in the virtual world, and became “play partners” with her son after repeatedly finding him the same games.

The conversations quickly escalated with questions about the boy’s school, his home address – and then photos.

Detectives are investigating the death of a baby girl in Bridgeport. 

Police said they responded to Sylvan Avenue at 6:49 a.m. because a 14-month-old baby girl was not breathing. 

Medics brought the baby to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to police. 

The Bridgeport Police Department detective bureau is investigating.

One of the largest industry employers in the United States has been steadily shedding thousands of jobs, even as unemployment numbers tick down.

The U.S. retail industry reported a loss of close to 30,000 jobs in March—and more than 60,000 retail jobs have been eliminated since January, CNBC reported.

The losses have been felt on both ends of the retail spectrum. Discount shoe store Payless announced this week that it will shutter 400 stores nationwide. Luxury store Ralph Lauren, meanwhile, announced it will close its flagship 5th Avenue Polo store. 

There are a number of factors that contribute to the job loss, experts say.

The rise of online sales, a surplus of retail space in the United States, the spending habits of the millennial generation, and the overall decline of the U.S. middle class all contribute to the loss of retail jobs, said Ken Perkins, founder of Retail Metrics.

"It's an industry that's in real flux," John Challenger, CEO of the Challenger, Gray & Christmas outplacement firm, told CNBC.

CNBC also noted that the decline is not likely to stop soon. Traffic in U.S. malls has declined in every quarter except for one since 2014.

"I do think that there are more cuts to come here, particularly in the department store group," Challenger told CNBC.

And as these jobs evaporate, opportunities for first-time job seekers are also expected to decline.

“There are going to be fewer opportunities for entrance to the labor force and gaining valuable experience for teens and first time job seekers,” Perkins told NBC.

Police have arrested the suspect in a murder in Bridgeport. 

Two men were shot outside 201 Bretton St. around 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 18 and police said 18-year-old Gregory Francilme died of his injuries at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. 

Police identified 19-year-old Tikhari Morton as a suspect that night and took him into custody with help from Waterbury police, police said. 

Morton told detectives he shot both victims, police said. 

He was held in Waterbury for alleged crimes he committed there and Bridgeport police obtained an arrest warrant charging Morton with murder, criminal attempt at murder, first-degree assault and weapons offenses, police said. 

He appeared in Bridgeport Superior Court on Friday. 

Detectives from the Bridgeport police robbery squad also obtained a warrant charging Morton in a separate robbery on March 17. 

He was charged with first-degree robbery, threatening in the first degree, criminal use of a firearm and third-degree larceny. 

Hartford police have arrested a 16-year-old boy who is accused of robbing someone who answered an ad on the website “Offer Up” to buy an iPhone. 

Police responded to 2621 Main St. in Hartford just after 7 p.m. on March 11 to investigate an armed robbery and carjacking and the victim said he had arranged to meet someone he did not know to buy an iPhone advertised online. 

When the victim arrived at the meeting spot, three people approached him and one pulled a gun, according to police. 

The person with the gun, later identified as a 16-year-old Hartford boy, hit the victim with the gun and stole his personal items, money and vehicle, police said. 

Major crimes division detectives identified a suspect and obtained a warrant charging the teen with first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree, two counts of second-degree larceny, two counts of conspiracy to commit larceny in the second degree and third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny. 

Members of the Hartford Police Department and the U.S. Marshals violent fugitive task force started looking for the suspect and found him on Groton Street Thursday. 

Police said the teen was transported to the Hartford juvenile detention center and will appear in juvenile court. 

The victim of the robbery and carjacking received emergency medical care on scene for a head injury. 

Following the U.S. missile strikes in Syria, refugees now living in San Diego County are experiencing everything from fear to relief. One father and daughter said that over the years, 55 of their family members have been killed as a result of their country’s violence.

"That's enough, like we already have enough bombs," Mony Zarour, 22, told NBC 7 Thursday night, referring to the airstrikes on Syria ordered by President Donald Trump in response to a gas attack that killed dozens of people, including children. "That’s enough for the people."

The young woman said she's exhausted, angry and upset over the bombings. While she knows the bombs are targeting the Syrian government, she wants the violence to stop. She said even one more bomb is one bomb too many.

However, mixed feelings fill the Zarour household in El Cajon.

Mony Zarour's father, who also now lives in San Diego, told NBC 7 he's relieved Trump is stepping in to combat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He called al-Assad a war criminal, terrorist and dictator, and said the Syrian leader "deserves" what's happening.

"We are all Syrian refugees, because of al-Assad; we are displaced. This is all because of him," he said, speaking through an interpreter. "We need the peace. This is our priority, and we stop the war. The peace is very important for all of the Syrian people."

Over the past six years, the Zarours have dealt with the loss of 55 family members killed amid the ongoing violence in Syria -- men, women and even children. The youngest victim among their loved ones was a 2-year-old child.

“Some of them [were killed] by bombs dropped on the houses or in the streets," said Mony Zarour.

Others, she said, were killed by snipers. Her cousin was gunned down while in his car.

"Shooting, machine guns," she said.

"Some insurgents broke my cousin’s house and killed them – slaughtered. Ten family members, they killed them. They burned their bodies," Zarour's father said.

Mony Zarour and her parents blame the government for the deaths in Syria.

Her mother, who did not want to be identified, said the situation is so bad, government troops arrest and kill men and women, then blame ISIS or insurgent groups for the slayings.

"A thousand orphans, a thousand widows left behind. [These] displaced people cannot find a place to live; they cannot find a roof," the mother said, also speaking to NBC 7 through an interpreter. "We lost our house, we lost our family."

The mother said she forced her son, now 24, to leave Syria and move to Malaysia. She said this was done to protect him, as he had three options amid the war: to leave, be arrested or be killed. The family has not seen him in years.

The Zarour family, originally from the city of Homs, Syria, fled the country in 2012. Their street, once lined with apartment complexes, is now lined with blown-out buildings, steel and concrete rebars.

Mony Zarour said the sound of the bombs exploding in her hometown are a sound she will never forget. Her father said he remembers seeing mortar and pieces of buildings falling to the ground as the bombs hit surrounding areas.

Two months ago, bombings completely destroyed the family's home in Homs.

"This is our street," Mony Zarour added, showing NBC 7 cellphone video of the buildings left in ruins. "It's our street, my aunt’s house, completely destroyed. A gas bomb fell on our house and burned everything. Nothing [left] on the house. Everything is burned."

Holding back tears, the young woman said it's incredibly sad to see the streets where she grew up -- where she went to school and played with friends -- transformed into a war zone.

Mony Zarour said Trump's decision to strike Syria is worrisome.

"It's too bad what happened," she lamented. "It's not good."

Mony Zarour is afraid for innocent Syrian families who don't want war, including her aunt, cousins and other loved ones still living there.

"They are people, just like us. They don't want anything -- just to stay in their home. They need peace -- a [peaceful] place to live," she said. "We want to stop the violence and the war."

San Diego, the eighth largest city in the United States, is home to many Syrian refugees. Last fall, NBC 7 reported that since Oct. 1, 2016, the city had received 626 Syrian refugees – more than any other city in the U.S. At that time, resettlement organizations like Jewish Family Service San Diego said that number was expected to grow.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed since the civil war broke out in Syria six years ago, with conflicting numbers about the death toll. A United Nations envoy to Syria estimated last April that 400,000 had been killed. 

A Norwich Free Academy student accused of sharing threatening content on social media has been detained and police are investigating, according to the school. 

Norwich Free Academy’s campus safety department became aware of the incident this morning, according to the school, and police were contacted. 

School officials said the campus is secure and safe.

More than 2,000 people are expected to receive free dental care in New Haven today and tomorrow thanks to dentists and other volunteers participating in the 10th annual Connecticut Mission of Mercy free dental clinic. 

The clinic is at Floyd Little Athletic Center, at 480 Sherman Parkway, in New Haven.

Doors opened at 6 a.m. Friday and patients are being treated on a first-come, first-served basis. As of 2 p.m. Friday, organizers said they reached capacity for the day. They will reopen at 6 a.m. Saurday.

No appointments are needed, but be prepared to wait in line to get into the clinic. It is recommended that patients bring something to help you pass the time, such as reading material, knitting or crossword puzzles. Also bring water, food and snacks. 

When patients get inside, they will meet with a medical professional and dentist for an initial evaluation. 

In most cases, interpreters will be available to assist patients who speak a language other than English and sign language interpreters will be available to assist hearing-impaired patients. 

Connecticut Mission of Mercy provides treatment to patients of all ages, including cleanings, extractions, fillings, limited root canals on front teeth, oral health education, x-rays, and pre- and post-treatment medications, but no narcotics. 

Mission of Mercy does not provide bone grafting, braces, crowns, extraction of un-erupted wisdom teeth, full dentures, gum surgery, implants, narcotics, root canals on back teeth or tooth bleaching. 

Bring a list of all your current medications and take your medications according to your prescriptions on the day you go to the clinic. 

Thousands will head out with their rods and reels on Saturday for the start of the trout fishing season in Connecticut.

Hopefully anglers will have some luck; the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been stocking rivers, streams, lakes and ponds with more than 306,000 fish since February.

“Opening Day is an exciting time for Connecticut’s many trout anglers, and they can look forward to a great fishing season,” said Susan Whalen, Deputy Commissioner of DEEP. “The fish are in excellent condition, our trout waters are stocked and anglers can enjoy a wide range of fishing options. Additionally, Opening Day is a special time for many families, the traditional first time to get outdoors together after winter.”

Anglers can use an interactive trout stocking map to plan their fishing trips, which will state the number of days since the last stocking at each body of water.

DEEP will continue to stock throughout mid-May, reaching a total of about 530,000 trout.

More than 200 bodies of water in Connecticut are expected to be stocked. However, there will be a decrease in trout stock compared to last spring. A list of the waters that were dropped from this spring’s stocking schedule can be found here. 

“Due to ongoing drought-related water flow issues, fiscal and staffing constraints at hatcheries and the need to complete pond repairs at Quinebaug Hatchery, we’ve had to temporarily reduce production at our hatcheries,” said Pete Aarrestad, Director of DEEP’s Fisheries Division. “We are addressing this decrease with modest reductions in the numbers of fish stocked at many areas, and by removing a number of smaller and less popular areas, mostly streams or sections of streams, from the stocking schedules.”

There are 11 designated trout parks in Connecticut that have been stocked, and 8 of those will be re-stocked for opening day.

“Trout Parks are easily accessible, have picnic areas and other amenities nearby, and are stocked frequently so that there are plenty of trout for children, families, and novice anglers to catch,” said Bill Hyatt, Chief of DEEP’s Bureau of Natural Resources. “And as an added feature, families and young anglers will be able to help stock trout at eight of the Trout Parks on Opening Day. We have found that these stocking events are a real highlight for many families. Please come help us stock trout on Opening Day.”

When planning trips, anglers should take into consideration that the recent rains may affect fishing this weekend.

“Although the recent rains mean at least short term relief from the ongoing drought, it also means that some rivers and streams may be difficult to fish effectively or safely this weekend due to high flows. Anglers should definitely use extra caution if attempting to wade their favorite spots, and may need to consider fishing other locations,” Aarrestad said. 

For more information about DEEP Fisheries and Wildlife, visit the CT Fish and Wildlife on Facebook.

Twitter on Friday pulled a lawsuit filed against the U.S. government, saying that a summons by the government for user account information had been withdrawn, according to new court papers.

CNBC reported the move came a day after the social media company filed a federal lawsuit to block an order by the U.S. government demanding it reveal who is behind an account opposed to President Donald Trump's tough immigration policies.

Twitter declined to comment.