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* Tomorrow is National Doctor’s Day; it was created back in 1933 to honor the men and women who are filling our physician positions in our hospitals and doctor’s offices. But in recent years, we continue to see physician shortages. According to national data -- primary care shortages are one major driver. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects that the U.S. will face a shortage of 68,020 primary care physicians by 2036 https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/data-research/state-of-primary-care-workforce-2023.pdf. We spoke about this on a local level with Hartford HealthCare Dr. Dan Gottschall, VP of Medical Affairs Fairfield Region. Image Credit: Getty Images
* Statistically, animal shelters across the country see an uptick in abandoned animals during the springtime. One reason: Easter gifts that don’t work out! If you are debating a bunny, chick or duckling to go in your child’s Easter basket, think again. We talk about this in length with Kathryn Schubert of the Connecticut Humane Society. We also did a deep dive into the commitment of adopting an animal. For more information, check out https://cthumane.org/ Image Credit: Getty Images
* Connecticut lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are sounding the alarm about getting more mental health experts in our schools. There’s strong bi-partisan support to pass a law forcing the state to invest in filling these roles. But how can we do that when we are still struggling to fill basic teacher shortages in our state? We asked Fran Rabinowitz, Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. She highlighted low pay and a lack of paraprofessionals as huge red flags for our state. Image Credit: Getty Images
* Thursday's "Connecticut Today" with Paul Pacelli reflected on the life and times of former Connecticut Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman with Sacred Heart University Political Science Professor/Scholar in Residence Dr. Gary Rose (00:36). We got all the latest Bridgeport news from "Only In Bridgeport" blogger Lennie Grimaldi (09:52), while Quinnipiac University men's hockey play-by-play man Phil Giubileo joined us to chat about the Bobcats' prospects heading into the NCAA tournament this weekend (23:06) Image Credit: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
* Chick-fil-A is going to allow some antibiotics in its food. The fast-food giant announced on its website it will be switching from " No Antibiotics Ever” to “No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine." What does this mean for people consuming these food items? We asked our peace of mind in the medical field, Dr. Fred Browne of Griffin Health. We also talked about the alternatives for patients who rely on insulin following a shortage of the medication. Image Credit: Reuters
* Some new faces have joined the Beardsley Zoo family. Connecticut’s only zoo announced the birth of five baby Cotton Patch Geese. They were born on March 21st and it marks the first time this threatened heritage breed has been born on zoo grounds. Zoo Director, Gregg Dancho, shared the details behind the big news and what it means for the population and conservation efforts. And ahead of Easter, find out about the domestic rabbits on property in Bridgeport and some facts about the Cottontail bunnies that will get you up and down! Image Credit: Getty Images
* According to American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It accounts for about 30% of all new female cancers each year. Recently, actress, Olivia Munn, made a public statement encouraging women to get a breast cancer risk score. But what is this assessment? When should women start getting their score? And where do we get the assessment done? For all the details, we spoke with Hartford HealthCare Genetic Counselor, Susan Capasso, at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Image Credit: Getty Images
* Yale Men’s Basketball busting brackets nationwide…UConn men going for back-to-back titles…UConn women potentially taking on superstar Caitlin Clark…WOW! Connecticut has a big hand in a lot of college basketball headlines this year for March Madness. We dive into those stories with our local sports expert, Rob Adams, and get predictions about UConn’s teams bringing home hardware for this year’s NCAA tournament. Picture Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
* Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli started off with Paul's thoughts (00:27) on a key election reform bill being discussed at the State Capitol by many legislators, including Wolcott GOP State Sen. Rob Sampson (13:51) Hearst Connecticut Media editor and columnist Dan Haar talked about the hottest stories around the state, including Connecticut's latest population loss (26:58) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus
* As we count down to the April 8 solar eclipse, biologists are asking the public for their help to document the behavior of animals during the event. David Mestre says for major events in the sky, often times, even your pets will act differently. This is YOUR chance to add to a national science project. Find out what you need to do! Biologists are asking for the public's help in adding their animal observations and reporting them to the website: observinganimals.org http://observinganimals.org/ Image Credit: Getty Images
* The March 20th deadline was reached for the Insurance and Real Estate Committee with not a single piece of legislation voted on or passed through. One of the bills would have created more affordable health insurance plans for Connecticut families. But at the CBIA Business Day this week, we learned that legislation and other health-related measures may be resurrected during this session once again! State Senator Tony Hwang, the ranking member of the committee, explained the change of heart and the likelihood of legislation passage. Image Credit: Getty Images
* For this week’s , Amy Llinas shared three easy lifestyle changes you can make today that will have a huge impact on your overall health goals. Find out why hydration in the morning, protein for breakfast, and getting steps in daily will make the difference for all people. Image Credit: Getty Images
* Earlier this month, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Carmela Levy-David, recommended closing down six city schools due to poor conditions and academic performance. Since then, a study is being conducted and a consulting firm is helping out with the process. We got a better understanding of what Dr. Levy-David found in these schools prompting the proposal, how many students and teachers will be impacted and what happens when people are shuffled elsewhere after schools shutdown. Image Credit: Getty Images
* Connecticut mom and media personality Shelly Sindland talked about the difficulties she's facing - like many families all over the country - in trying to deal with a new online federal college financial aid "FAFSA" portal (00:29). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio updated us on some key pieces of legislation facing the General Assembly (14:01), while Paul had some initial thoughts about how we've apparently devalued the concept of citizenship (23:22) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus
* A local author shares her latest children’s book addressing inclusion. Find out about Michelle Artis, her inspiration behind the book and the connection to her son, Aydin. Image Courtesy Of Eric Urbanowicz
* You’ve heard of PTO…but what about V-TO? Crunchbase, a private company data provider, has been offering “volunteering time off” (VTO) to its employees since 2018. They say it’s a major benefit for workers and some studies are backing that up. Recently, a study from Oxford University found volunteering is a major benefit for workers with a lot of positive outcomes. So, why don’t more people offer this and is this a no-brainer for companies to begin offering? We asked our career strategist, Julie Bauke, about this during . Image Credit: Getty Images
* The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates that about five million Americans struggle with compulsive gambling. However, only around 8 percent of these individuals will ever seek help for their problem. Connecticut made online gambling and sports betting legal in 2021 and the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling has reported a huge spike in calls ever since. How do you know if gambling is running your life and how do you begin to pull back on addictive habits? We got advice from morning show counselor, Julius Dudics. ((00:00)) We also see from recent CT Council on Problem Gambling data that the largest number of calls needing help with gambling addiction in the state comes from college aged students. We spoke with Brian Dolan, Director of Sacred Heart University’s collegiate recovery program, how to responsibly gamble during March Madness. (( 13:26 )). Image Credit: Getty Images
* We are in the midst of the legislative session and several road safety bills have been voted out of committee and could see the light of day by May. We get the details from Alec Slatky from AAA about these pieces of legislation including work zone speed cameras and lowering the blood alcohol limit to .05. Image Credit: Getty Images
* For the first time in Connecticut history, we have rolled out early voting starting today ahead of the primaries April second. Secretary of the State, Stephanie Thomas, joined us for everything you need to know ahead of casting your vote at the polls. Plus, we touched on legislation surrounding elections being debated in Hartford including absentee ballot reform, election monitoring and potentially rebranding Connecticut’s Independent Party. Image Courtesy of Stephanie Thomas
* Host Paul Pacelli started a new week on "Connecticut Today" wondering why Connecticut allows EV drivers to get away with not contributing to the state's transportation fund (00:33). Sacred Heart University Political Science Professor/Scholar in Residence Dr. Gary Rose commented on the current news surrounding former President Donald Trump (12:54), while CT NewsJunkie columnist and Substack.com http://Substack.com blogger Terry Cowgill dropped by for his weekly check-in (27:38) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus
* A new CNN report revealed that marriage rates have been up, and divorce rates are down. Why is that the case and are we seeing that locally with couples in Connecticut? We got perspective from our marriage coach, Bob Donovan. Image Credit: Getty Images
* There is a new warning for travelers after researchers, posed as hackers, expose a security flaw that could open millions of hotel-room doors. Wired Magazine shared the findings this month outlining the impact on people here and across the globe checking into a hotel. What can we do to better protect ourselves from intruders when we are staying in a hotel? We got advice from our crime prevention expert, Jim Perez. Image Credit: Getty Images
* Connecticut’s license renewal fees are insanely high, and a new proposal is looking to cap costs. According to a recent report, physicians in New York and Massachusetts must pay $600 every two years to renew their licenses. However, here in Connecticut, physicians and surgeons pay $575 annually or $1,150 every two years. Right now, 83 professions in our state require these astronomical costs and one Senator is looking to fix it permanently. Senator Ryan Fazio of the 36th District (Greenwich, Stamford, parts of New Canaan) shares the three bills he has presented this session, why there is bi-partisan support and why he’s hopeful something will pass! Image Credit: Getty Images
* Grab the tissues; you’re going to need them! A new report is sounding the alarm about allergy season. Several national studies revealed as a result of weather patterns and trends, AccuWeather meteorologists anticipate three different peaks in pollen levels that should make allergy season last longer in 2024. We learned about ways to best cope with allergies and remedies we can use to battle a longer season from Dr. Andrew Wong. Dr. Wong is a primary care physician and the Medical Director of Hartford HealthCare Medical group in the Fairfield region. Image Credit: Getty Images
* For the first time, we had the Commissioner for Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Nancy Navarretta. After last week’s conversation on the show about alcohol expectations in today’s society and many listeners joining the conversation, we talked about it further with Commissioner Navarretta. We did a deeper dive into the broken societal norms around drinking, how the state is addressing peer pressure and whether venues will begin incentivizing people to have dry events in future. Image Credit: Getty Images
* Host Paul Pacelli wrapped up another busy week on "Connecticut Today" looking at a proposed ballot change that could affect a major third party (00:28) and we also heard from former Bridgeport State Rep. Chris Caruso on those possible changes (12:55). Glastonbury GOP State Rep. Steve Weir stopped by to chat about a possible expansion of the state's paid medical leave program (26:00) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus
* State Street Debating Society has named the 2024 high school scholarship award winners. Seven Stamford high school seniors will receive $70K in college scholarship money. State Street Debating Society has offered scholarships to high school students for nearly 60 years awarding more than $1.1 million during that time. Additionally, State Street supports all Stamford High School Debating programs year-round. We had the opportunity to talk to the Scholarship Committee Chair State Street Debating Society, Ed Tatro and one of the scholarship recipients, Emily Jean Urda, a senior at Westhill High School. For more information: https://statestreetdebating.org/ Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus
* It’s no secret; health insurance coverage is so unaffordable, many Connecticut families take the risk not investing in coverage. Once again, comprehensive bills were proposed during the legislative session. We learned the Insurance and Real Estate Committee ran out of time to take up any of the measures and not one piece of legislation was voted on. We did a deeper dive into this with State Senator Kevin Kelly. Image Credit: Getty Images
* While a strong bi-partisan vote passed a bill through the House demanding the sale of TikTok with a threat to ban the platform in the US otherwise. Congressman Jim Himes voted against it. What’s interesting, is the supporters of this bill are most concerned with TikTok hurting our national security. Congressman Himes is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and has a vested interest in national security. So, why would he vote against this? And after a briefing with US Intelligence apparently proved that TikTok is dangerous remaining in the hands of the Chinese, should that information be declassified and shared with the American people? We got all those answers from Congressman Himes. Image Credit: Reuters
* After seven years of effort to create a new veterans and first responders center in Trumbull, the final amount of money came in this month to put shovels in the ground. Find out about a recent federal grant supporting the center and what this property will do for thousands in our listening area. Ray Baldwin Jr. who has been leading this effort gives us the details and a tentative timeline of what comes next. And for more information, check out https://www.trumbullvfrc.org/ Image Credit: Getty Images
