2023-08-05@6:40pm–#Westport, CT–A motorcyclist lost his life after a collision with a car on I-95 northbound between exit 17 and 18. The accident occurred on a Saturday morning when the 35-year-old motorcyclist, Frank Brown of Waterbury, hit the back of the car in front of him. He was taken to the hospital with critical injuries and, unfortunately, was pronounced dead later on. The occupants of the other car did not sustain any injuries in the incident. No charges have been filed at this time.
2023-08-05@8:45pm–#Bridgeport CT– Police were called to the 1600 block of Park Avenue for a report of a street fight. It appears one person had a wound to the upper chest area.
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong joined a multistate coalition opposing a decision from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana prohibiting dozens of federal officials and agencies from communicating with social media companies about harmful online content, including financial scams, misinformation meant to undermine elections, and harassment. The coalition of 21 attorneys general filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit urging the court to reverse the lower court decision. The coalition noted that the district court’s order sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the ability of federal, state, and local governments to keep Americans safe and secure online.
“Pseudoscience conspiracy theories, election disinformation, and other dangerous viral social media content carry real life consequences. It is not only appropriate, it is imperative that social media companies and government officials communicate to address the spread of false and misleading information. The district order unreasonably blocks these important channels of communication and must be overturned,” said Attorney General Tong.
Social media companies and government officials regularly engage in information-sharing and dialogue, especially during public health emergencies, elections, and other events where the spread of false or misleading information can endanger public health and safety. In May 2022, Missouri, Louisiana, and several individuals brought a lawsuit against dozens of federal officials and agencies, alleging efforts to pressure social media companies to remove or suppress certain speech. In July 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana granted a request for a preliminary injunction. The resulting order effectively stops any communication between many federal government officials and social media companies concerning content moderation policies.
Attorney General Tong and the coalition note in the amicus brief that the lower court’s order blocks an important tool that federal leaders have to share information and policy views on how social media platforms can keep Americans safe online, potentially undoing years of mutually beneficial dialogue. The brief highlights examples of productive communication with social media platforms, including the Office of the New York Attorney General’s work to identify and report social media content from the Buffalo mass shooting and its efforts with Amazon to stop sellers from price gouging supplies during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The brief also notes that social media companies have welcomed the input of state governments and federal agencies on topics critical to the public interest, such as protecting children from online harassment and preventing the spread of misinformation designed to undermine election security and integrity.
Joining Attorney General Tong in filing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
2023-08-04@11:56pm
Bridgeport News: Crash!
A car crashed into a utility pole at Brooks and Arctic Street.
Firefighters assisting extricating the driver.
2023-08-04@1:30pm
Fairfield News: Crash!
Crash with injuries at Jennings at Crestwood Road.
2023-08-04@9:59pm Westport News: House Fire
Firefighters quickly extinguish a fire on Warnock Drive
HARTFORD–Members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation announced that the state will receive $6.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Resilience grant program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will be used to help Connecticut meet its zero carbon electric sector goal, improve system reliability and resilience in a range of weather and storm conditions, and attract, train, and retain a skilled and local workforce.
“This $6.5 million dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help Connecticut make much-need improvements to our electric grid. Just this summer, we’ve seen historic flooding and record-breaking temperatures, and climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events that put a big strain on the electric grid. We’re proud to have secured this funding to improve grid resilience and bring us closer to a clean energy future while creating good-paying jobs in our state,” said the Connecticut Congressional delegation.
2023-07-22@1:24pm–Bridgeport News: Today’s Car Fire–Today’s car fire was in the plaza in the 500 block of Broadbridge Avenue. Firefighters quickly took care of it.
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong released the following statement about a decision today from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upholding Connecticut Public Act No. 21-6, which eliminated the religious exemption to school vaccine requirements.
“This decision is a full and resounding affirmation of the constitutionality and legality of Connecticut’s vaccine requirements. Vaccines save lives—this is a fact beyond dispute. The legislature acted responsibly and well within its authority to protect the health of Connecticut families and stop the spread of preventable disease. We will continue to vigorously defend our state’s strong and necessary public health laws,” said Attorney General Tong.
Plaintiffs — We the Patriots USA, Inc — argued that Connecticut violated their First Amendment rights by removing the religious exemption from school vaccination requirements. Today’s decision entirely rejects that argument.
After today’s decision, the only part of the case that remains active is a single plaintiff’s claim based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The Office of the Attorney General is confident that the IDEA claim will be dismissed by the District Court on remand.
Connecticut law requires students receive certain immunizations before enrolling in school. Prior to 2021, students could apply for medical or religious exemptions to that requirement. P.A. 21-6 eliminated the religious exemption, while grandfathering students in kindergarten through grade twelve who had already received such exemptions.
2023-08-04@2:29pm–A four-car crash on I-95 southbound between exits 18 and 19
and an additional delay near exit 18 or your Friday commute
