Blumenthal seeks review of vintage planes
was reported Thursday, the same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced more than 1,000 cases of illness tied to electronic cigarettes — and 18 deaths — had been reported as part of a nationwide outbreak. The person who died was between 30 and 39 years old, but no other information was released by the state health department. What exactly is making people sick remains unknown, but health officials said a majority of those who have been hospitalized were using products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Lamont urged state residents to refrain from using vaping products and said he was considering what steps to take next. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie baker issued a four-month moratorium on the sale of vaping products, citing the outbreak, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo similarly issued a ban on flavored electronic cigarettes. But both of those bans are being challenged in court.
FBI stats show crime is down in Connecticut: Statistics released Monday by the FBI show crime decreased from 2017 to 2018 at a faster rate in Connecticut than the nation as a whole and the state’s murder rate reached its lowest level since 1974. Violent crime in Connecticut dropped 9.5% in 2018 from the year prior, according to the FBI. That compares to a 3.3% decrease nationwide. Property crimes were down in Connecticut 5.6%, slightly below the 6.3% national decline. One area where Connecticut differed from national trends was a slight increase in motor vehicle thefts, 0.8% from 2017 to 2018. Nationally, those crimes dropped 3.1% over the same period. The state has been dealing with a rash of cases of juveniles traveling to suburbs where they steal cars that are often left unlocked with their keys inside. In some cases, those thefts and joyrides have resulted in horrific, high-speed crashes that leave the drivers, passengers, other motorists or pedestrians dead.
PFAS task force releases its recommendations: A state task force has recommended all of Connecticut’s public drinking water systems be regularly tested for hazardous PFAS chemicals and that private wells identified as high risk and all water bottled in the state also be tested for the pollutants. The task force was formed after a massive spill of PFAS firefighting foam at Bradley International Airport in June that flowed through sewers and into the Farmington River in Windsor. High levels of PFAS contamination have also been found in drinking water wells in Greenwich, Willimantic and Ellington. Nicknamed “forever chemicals” because of how long they persist in the environment and in humans, PFAS (short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) has been used for decades in firefighting foam, pizza boxes, stain-resistant textiles and carpeting, rain gear, personal care products, cleaners and other products and industrial processes. Studies have linked PFAS to various types of cancers, reproductive and childhood development problems, immune system issues, obesity and high cholesterol.
Later school start times: Some state lawmakers are considering legislation that would mandate later start times for middle and high schools across Connecticut. Supporters of the change held a forum at the state Capitol Tuesday where they cited studies that show adolescents have different sleep rhythms than younger children and do better academically and emotionally when they are able to sleep later. Some individual towns have pushed back their start times, including Newtown, Wilton and Norwalk. In West Hartford, education officials debated the issue but ultimately took no action. Critics of shifting school start times say it would create logistical challenges with bus schedules and afterschool activities. Advocates at Tuesday’s forum said a statewide approach may address some of those concerns. “The way to do this is statewide and not town-bytown,” said Craig Canapari, director of the sleep medicine program at the Yale School of Medicine. “A state mandate would do a great service to the children of Connecticut.”
Tong investigating DIY rape kits: Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has launched an investigation into two companies marketing at-home rape kits that he and others say mislead survivors of sexual assault. “The problem with so-called do-it-yourself rape kits is that we don’t know that they’re reliable,” Tong said at a news conference Thursday. “We don’t know that they’ll be admissible in court. And what’s worse is that they may provide a victim with a false sense of security about the evidence that they’re collecting.” Waterbury State’s Attorney Maureen Platt said it’s also unlikely that evidence from at-home rape kits could be submitted into a national DNA database that law enforcement uses to identify suspect and potentially prevent future assaults. State Rep. Michelle Cook, D-Torrington, said she understands it can be intimidating for a sexual assault victim to go to a police department or emergency room for a rape kit but that those places are better equipped to help victims in other ways, too.
State Rep. Joe Verrengia, D-West Hartford, has been stripped of his role as co-chair of the legislature’s public safety committee after he was arrested for driving under the influence in his hometown Wednesday. Police received three 911 calls about a car stopped in the travel lane of a roadway with the driver apparently asleep. The car resumed traveling, but callers by then had provided a description of the driver, the vehicle and the license plate, which was registered to Verrengia’s home address. Verrengia, a 55-year-old retired West Hartford police officer, declined to comment Thursday on the advice of his attorney. … Matt Lieberman, the son of former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, became the first Democrat to enter the race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia. Matt Lieberman launched his candidacy Tuesday, saying he was “fed up with the do-nothing politicians who care more about getting reelected than governing.” A 52-year-old business owner who lives in the Atlanta suburbs, Matt Lieberman is a political novice with little name recognition besides his connection to his father. His campaign launch video featured footage of Joe Lieberman from 2000, when he was former Vice President Al Gore’s running mate as Gore sought the presidency. Isakson, 74, is retiring in December due to health issues. … A Quinnipiac Poll released Monday showed growing support for impeaching and removing President Donald Trump from office. American voters were evenly split, with 47% in favor of impeaching Trump and removing him from office and 47% opposed. That was a shift from a poll a week earlier that showed 57% of U.S. voters saying Trump should not be removed from office and 37% saying he should be. The biggest change in the poll was the attitude of Democrats, who now almost uniformly support impeaching and removing Trump. … UConn President Thomas Katsouleas’ inauguration was held Friday at the university’s main campus in Storrs. A former engineer, Katsouleas, who is UConn’s 16th president, has said one of his top priorities is to boost research funding, hoping to double it to $500 million over the next decade.