Author: Alex

Anyone in Need of Shelter is Urged to Visit 211ct.org or Call 2-1-1 For a List of Locations

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is activating Connecticut’s Severe Cold Weather Protocol beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 29, 2025, and remaining in effect until noon on Sunday, January 4, 2026, due to a blast of unusually cold weather that will impact the state during this period, including wind chills during the overnight hours on most of these nights that are expected to drop into the single digits and near zero at times.

The purpose of the protocol is to ensure that the most vulnerable populations receive protection from the severe cold, which could be life threatening if exposed to the elements for extended periods of time. While enacted, a system is set up for state agencies and municipalities to coordinate with United Way 2-1-1 and Connecticut’s network of shelters to make sure that anyone in need can receive shelter from the outdoors, including transportation to shelters.

Anyone in need of shelter or a warming center is urged to visit 211ct.org or call 2-1-1 to find available locations. Transportation can be provided if necessary.

This is the fourth time this month that the protocol has been enacted.

“So far this season we’ve experienced conditions that are unusually cold for what we typically receive during the month of December, and it’s looking like that trend will continue through the remainder of this week and leading into the new year,” Governor Lamont said. “Being outdoors for extended periods in temperatures this cold is dangerous and can even be life threatening, and this protocol enables the state to work with our municipal and nonprofit partners to ensure shelter is available for anyone who needs it.”

The following actions are implemented while the protocol is enacted:

• The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security uses its WebEOC communications network, which is an internet-based system that enables local, regional, and state emergency management officials and first responders to share up-to-date information about a variety of situations and conditions. The system is used to monitor capacity at shelters across the state, enabling 2-1-1 to act as a clearinghouse to assist in finding shelter space for those who need it. Local officials, working through WebEOC, can alert 2-1-1 and the state when they open temporary shelters or warming centers.
• The Connecticut Department of Social Services, Connecticut Department of Housing, and Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services coordinate with 2-1-1 and the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, along with community-based providers, to provide transportation for people seeking shelter.

For emergency management news and resources, visit the state’s CTPrepares website at ct.gov/ctprepares.

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong has won a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from unlawfully reallocating federal homeland security funding away from states based on their compliance with the administration’s political agenda. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a motion for summary judgment brought by Attorney General Tong and a coalition of 11 other attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania.

“Donald Trump tried to play politics with taxpayer-funded disaster relief. We sued, and the court saw these cuts for what they were— not plausible, not rational, and not lawful. We are going to keep fighting and we’re going to keep winning to stop Donald Trump from hurting our states,” said Attorney General Tong.

On Sept. 27, without any notice or explanation, and four days before the end of the federal fiscal year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) significantly cut funding to certain states that were unwilling to divert law enforcement resources away from core public safety services to assist in enforcing federal immigration law, while reallocating those funds to other states.

FEMA issued award notifications for its single largest grant program, the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), which allocates approximately $1 billion in funds annually for state and municipal efforts to prevent, prepare for and respond to acts of terrorism. FEMA granted only $250 million to the 12 states that joined Tong in the lawsuit. This was a $242 million, or 49%, reduction from the total amount that FEMA had previously stated it would provide to these states. Some states saw even sharper cuts. For instance, Illinois received a 69% reduction in funds, totaling over $30 million. New York received a 79% reduction in funds, totaling over $100 million. DHS then redistributed the funds that it had cut to other states. Smaller states like Connecticut receive a statutorily set minimum in FEMA funding. Connecticut’s funding remained flat at just over $8.7 million through the HSGP and the Emergency Management Performance grants in question. However, FEMA imposed a series of new arbitrary constraints on how and when states must spend their dollars. This includes a needless additional requirement that funds be spent during a single fiscal year, as opposed to the previously set three years, effectively defunding larger multiyear projects and those that require longer state and federal review processes.

In her opinion, U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy found that states’ policies pertaining to federal immigration enforcement were a factor in DHS’ decision to reallocate the funding.

“Neither a law degree nor a degree in mathematics is required to deduce that no plausible, rational formula could produce this result,” McElroy wrote of the reductions in funding. “Nor could any reasonable, data-driven approach have resulted in the obviously manual increases in awards to favored jurisdictions.”

The court ordered DHS to amend the HSGP awards issued to the plaintiff states to reflect the funding levels that DHS had previously stated it would allocate, before the last-minute changes.

The court further held that other significant changes to emergency-preparedness programs, also made at the last minute at the end of the federal fiscal year, were unlawful and set them aside. DHS had cut the length of the grant awards from three years to one year. DHS had also required states, in order to receive emergency management funding, to certify their own populations as of Sept. 30, 2025, while excluding individuals who had been “removed from the State pursuant to the immigration laws of the United States.” The court held that these actions were also arbitrary and capricious.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha co-led the lawsuit.

Joining them and Attorney General Tong in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington, and the governor of Pennsylvania.

HARTFORD, CT — Governor Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong issued sharp rebukes following a new federal action by the Trump administration aimed at once again halting construction of the Revolution Wind offshore wind project, which is nearing completion.

Governor Lamont called the move erratic and anti-business, warning it would drive up electricity costs for Connecticut residents and businesses. He said the project is critical to ensuring a diverse energy supply, lowering utility costs, and supporting good-paying clean energy jobs, adding that repeated federal interference creates economic uncertainty.

Attorney General Tong said the latest stop work order, issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, appears to be an unlawful attempt to sidestep a prior court injunction that already blocked a similar action. Tong noted that Connecticut and Rhode Island previously sued over the earlier stop order, and that a federal court allowed construction to continue. He said the state is reviewing all legal options and vowed that the action would be challenged again.

Revolution Wind is located about 15 nautical miles off the coast of Rhode Island and is expected to begin supplying electricity in 2026, delivering enough power for approximately 350,000 homes, or 2.5% of New England’s electricity supply. The project is projected to save Connecticut and Rhode Island ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars over 20 years and supports more than 2,500 jobs nationwide, including over 1,000 union construction jobs. State officials emphasized that the project has been fully vetted and approved at every federal and state regulatory level and is backed by binding contracts and legal mandates.

Advertisers are Using the Holiday Season to Push Weight Loss Products on Instagram and Facebook

(Hartford, CT) – Today, Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 35 bipartisan attorneys general called on Meta to better enforce its own policies about pharmaceutical and wellness ads on Instagram and Facebook and take additional measures to prevent AI-generated weight loss content in ads. These ads are likely to see an uptick during the holiday season and the new year, when conversations around weight loss and appearance tend to increase.

GLP-1 weight loss drugs have exploded in popularity over the last few years, as have ads selling the drugs directly to consumers. Dozens of companies are using Meta’s advertising tools to run thousands of ads promoting GLP-1 drugs, most of which are non-FDA approved or compounded.

“Selling non-FDA approved weight loss drugs through deceptive, AI-generated ads is dangerous and irresponsible. Meta’s own policies prohibit misleading health advertising, yet these ads continue to run. We’re calling on Meta to enforce its own rules, require transparency, and stop putting consumers at risk,” said Attorney General Tong.

Meta has existing policies on pharmaceutical and health and wellness ads – but it’s not sufficiently enforcing them. Advertisers are supposed to share information about the medical effectiveness and affordability of drugs, only target adults, and not run ads that push a “perfect” body type or foster unhealthy body images.

But the ads on Meta’s platforms capitalize on people’s dissatisfaction with their bodies and promote weight loss as a tool for self-confidence, desirability, and social mobility – not health. Many ads use body close-ups and side-by-side comparisons and promote weight loss for milestones like the holiday season, weddings, birthdays, and vacations. These ads claim that the drugs will help with rapid weight loss without disclosing the risks and side effects of these medications.

Often, these ads use unlabeled AI-generated content including fake before and after images and nonexistent spokespeople. One ad shows an AI-generated model losing 208 pounds in three weeks. Others use fake AI-created law enforcement officers, nurses, and pharmacists to support their weight loss claims.

In addition to enforcing its existing policies, the attorneys general are asking Meta to:

• Restrict prescription drug ads in the United States to only those that are FDA-approved.
• Require content promoting weight loss products to clearly disclose the risks and potential side effects.
• Prohibit weight loss drug ads that use AI-generated content.
• Label AI-generated content more clearly and develop better tools to detect and remove content that isn’t properly labeled.
• Redirect people to safety and educational resources for weight loss products when they search for those products.

Attorney General Tong is joined by sending this letter by the Attorneys General of North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.

A copy of the letter can be found here:
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2025/meta-letter-glp1.pdf?rev=b8d9bc97c5c3433d9d439b13458f8af7&hash=8ADBA4D0A5C235F20BCD09174AA86F68

Connecticut to receive $4,989,276

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today led a coalition of 50 attorneys general announcing a $149,673,750 settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG for violating state laws prohibiting unfair or deceptive trade practices by marketing, selling and leasing vehicles equipped with undisclosed emissions defeat devices that illegally circumvented Connecticut’s strong emissions standards. The settlement also includes more than $200 million in potential consumer relief.

“Mercedes-Benz and Daimler hid devices inside their vehicles to cheat emissions tests, knowingly pumping out toxic emissions far exceeding legal limits. Their deception hurt their customers and harmed air quality for all Americans, and we’re holding them accountable. This settlement, as with others previously reached with Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler, sends millions of dollars back to states as well as comprehensive relief for consumers who purchased these defective vehicles. Connecticut led the nationwide coalition reaching today’s settlement and will continue to lead in protecting consumers from bad actors who defraud and deceive the American people,” said Attorney General Tong.

“Consumers deserve to know exactly what they are purchasing, and they should be able to reasonably assume that any new car they buy is in compliance with all laws and regulations,” said Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “This deception was unfair to consumers and a clear violation of public trust. Thank you to the Attorney General’s office for their work to hold companies accountable for their advertising and marketing practices.”

Beginning in 2008 and continuing to 2016, the states allege Mercedes manufactured, marketed, advertised, and distributed nationwide more than 211,000 diesel passenger cars and vans equipped with software defeat devices that optimized emission controls during emissions tests, while reducing those controls outside of normal operations. The defeat devices enabled vehicles to exceed legal limits of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, a harmful pollutant that causes respiratory illness and contributes to the formation of smog. Mercedes engaged in this conduct to achieve design and performance goals, such as increased fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance, that it was unable to meet while complying with applicable emission standards. Mercedes concealed the existence of these defeat devices from state and federal regulators and the public. At the same time, Mercedes marketed the vehicles to consumers as “environmentally-friendly” and in compliance with applicable emissions regulations. 

Today’s settlement requires Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG to pay $120 million to the states upon the effective date of the settlement. An additional $29,673,750 will be suspended and potentially waived pending completion of a comprehensive consumer relief program. 

Connecticut will receive $4,989,276 through today’s settlement. It is estimated that there are 3,181 impacted vehicles registered in Connecticut.

The consumer relief program extends to the estimated 39,565 vehicles that had not been repaired or permanently removed from the road in the United States by August 1, 2023. Mercedes must bear the cost of installing approved emission modification software on each of the affected vehicles. The companies must provide participating consumers with an extended warranty and will pay consumers $2,000 per subject vehicle. 

The companies must also comply with reporting requirements, reform their practices, and refrain from including a prohibition on any further unfair or deceptive marketing or sale of diesel vehicles, including misrepresentations regarding emissions and compliance. 

Today’s settlement follows similar settlements reached previously between the states and Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler and German engineering company Robert Bosch GmbH over its development of the cheat software. Automaker Fiat Chrysler and its subsidiaries paid $72.5 million to the states in 2019. Bosch paid $98.7 million in 2019. Volkswagen reached a $570 million settlement with the states in 2016.  

The attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland led the multistate investigation and settlement, and were assisted by Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, and Texas.  The final settlement was also joined by Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.

Assistant Attorneys General Brendan Flynn, Scott Koschwitz, and Rebecca Quinn and Deputy Associate Attorney General Michael Wertheimer, Chief of the Consumer Protection Section and Deputy Associate Attorney General Matthew Levine, Chief of the Environment Section assisted the Attorney General in this matter.