2022-09-13@8:30pm–#Redding CT– #Bridgeport CT– The Spinning Wheel Restaurant located at 109 Black Rock Turnpike in Redding was robbed by three black males who fled south in a gray Honda. Police chased the suspects into Easton, Trumbull and Bridgeport where it came to an end at Trumbull Gardens. A perimeter was set around Trumbull Gardens to Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Multi-Magnet School. I know the driver and one suspect was taken into custody.
(Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong led 34 states and territories in announcing a $438.5 million agreement in principle with JUUL Labs, resolving a two-year bipartisan investigation into the e-cigarette manufacturer’s marketing and sales practices. In addition to the financial terms, the settlement would force JUUL to comply with a series of strict injunctive terms severely limiting their marketing and sales practices. Connecticut led the investigation and negotiations along with Texas and Oregon.
Connecticut will receive a minimum of $16.2 million through the settlement. When finalized, Connecticut’s settlement documents will indicate that it is the intention of settling parties that the money be used for cessation, prevention and mitigation.
“Connecticut led 34 states and territories in reaching this landmark $438.5 million agreement with JUUL that will end youth marketing and send millions of dollars to programs nationwide to drive down tobacco use. JUUL’s cynically calculated advertising campaigns created a new generation of nicotine addicts. They relentlessly marketed vaping products to underage youth, manipulated their chemical composition to be palatable to inexperienced users, employed an inadequate age verification process, and misled consumers about the nicotine content and addictiveness of its products. The full public health ramifications of this misconduct are yet unknown. Through this settlement, we have secured hundreds of millions of dollars to help reduce nicotine use and forced JUUL to accept a series of strict injunctive terms to end youth marketing and crack down on underage sales,” said Attorney General Tong.
“Corporations have a responsibility to understand the power of marketing and to be truthful in their advertising, especially when public health and safety are at risk,” said DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull. “This settlement will prevent future marketing of these vape products to young people and other irresponsible advertising tactics that lead a new generation to nicotine addiction.”
JUUL was, until recently, the dominant player in the vaping market. The multistate investigation revealed that JUUL rose to this position by willfully engaging in an advertising campaign that appealed to youth, even though its e-cigarettes are both illegal for them to purchase and are unhealthy for youth to use. The investigation found that JUUL relentlessly marketed to underage users with launch parties, advertisements using young and trendy-looking models, social media posts and free samples. It marketed a technology-focused, sleek design that could be easily concealed and sold its product in flavors known to be attractive to underage users. JUUL also manipulated the chemical composition of its product to make the vapor less harsh on the throats of the young and inexperienced users. To preserve its young customer base, JUUL relied on age verification techniques that it knew were ineffective.
The investigation further revealed that JUUL’s original packaging was misleading in that it did not clearly disclose that it contained nicotine and implied that it contained a lower concentration of nicotine than it actually did. Consumers were also misled to believe that consuming one JUUL pod was the equivalent of smoking one pack of combustible cigarettes. The company also misrepresented that its product was a smoking cessation device without FDA approval to make such claims.
The states are in the process of finalizing and executing the settlement documents, a process that takes approximately 3-4 weeks. The $438.5 million would be paid out over a period of six to ten years, with the amounts paid increasing the longer the company takes to make the payments. If JUUL chooses to extend the payment period up to ten years, the final settlement would reach $476.6 million. Both the financial and injunctive terms exceed any prior agreement JUUL has reached with states to date.
As part of the settlement, JUUL has agreed to refrain from:
Youth marketing funding education programs depicting persons under age 35 in any marketing use of cartoon said product placement sale of brand name merchandise sale of flavors not approved by FDAAllowing access to websites without age verification on landing page representations about nicotine not approved by FDAMisleading representations about nicotine content sponsorships/naming rights advertising in outlets unless 85 percent audience is adult advertising on billboardsPublic transportation advertising social media advertising (other than testimonials by individuals over the age of 35, with no health claims)Use of paid influencers direct-to-consumer ads unless age-verified, and free samples.
The agreement also includes sales and distribution restrictions, including where the product may be displayed/accessed in stores, online sales limits, retail sales limits, age verification on all sales, and a retail compliance check protocol.
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WASHINGTON–U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined a bipartisan group of New England senators to call for the Biden Administration to take action to lower energy costs for New Englanders as the winter season approaches and Americans continue to face high energy costs.
In the letter, the senators write, “As winter approaches, we are calling for federal action to help bring down heating costs for households in our region, including releasing stockpiles from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.”
They continue, “With lower inventories of crude oil, propane, and natural gas and the continued global disruption caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine contributing to a sharp rise in residential energy costs, we urge the administration to closely monitor the energy needs of the Northeast and release stock from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.”
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The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) today announced the resumption of full Hartford Line (HL) train service beginning on Monday, September 12, 2022. Before the resumption of full service, all HL train service will be replaced with substitute bus service on Saturday, September 10, 2022, and Sunday, September 11, 2022.
Substitute bus service for most weekday trains began on July 18, 2022, to accommodate the canopy roof replacement project at Hartford Union Station and Amtrak’s slope stabilization project in Longmeadow, Mass.
The Hartford and Longmeadow projects were completed to improve the safety and efficiency of rail service and infrastructure on the HL. The roof replacement on the historic platform canopy at Hartford Union Station consisted of the renewal of the canopy roofing and lighting over the passenger boarding platform. Additionally, damaged gutters were replaced to improve drainage and prevent flooding and standing water.
The slope stabilization project along the rail line in Longmeadow, Mass., involved track work to improve the ride quality and addressed required maintenance on the communication and signal system for the HL.
The HL train schedule is available here. Please note, due to logistical constraints with Amtrak train sets, Amtrak trains 451 and 141 will be replaced by express and local substitute bus service on Monday, September 12, between Springfield, Mass., and New Haven, Conn. Bus-substituted train station time departures may be earlier or later than scheduled train time departures.
Train fares will be in effect on the substitute buses.
Passengers are encouraged to visit HartfordLine.com or Amtrak.com for the latest service information. Riders can also sign up to have service alerts sent directly to their phone or email at HartfordLine.com/service-alerts.
The requirement of wearing a mask on public transportation has been lifted and will no longer be enforced on Hartford Line, Shore Line East, and New Haven Line services and facilities in Connecticut. Per current CDC guidelines, wearing a mask is strongly encouraged. Customers who feel sick should not use public transportation
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Paid for by Bob for Governor. David Becker, Treasurer. Approved by Bob Stefanowski.
Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong released the following statement in response to a federal lawsuit filed by the National Association for Gun Rights challenging Connecticut’s assault weapons ban.
“This challenge to our post-Sandy Hook assault weapons ban is exactly the kind of public safety threat that we anticipated when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Bruen. Connecticut cannot and will not allow these weapons of war back into our communities. Not after Sandy Hook, after Uvalde, after Buffalo, Parkland, Orlando, and far too many more senseless tragedies. We need strong, commonsense gun safety laws now more than ever. Connecticut’s assault weapons ban is lawful, has already withstood legal challenge, and is strongly supported by the vast majority of people across this state. We will vigorously defend the state’s assault weapons ban and will not allow anyone to jeopardize the safety of our children,” said Attorney General Tong.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on June 23 in New York State Rifle & Pistol v. Bruen substantially rewriting major gun safety legal precedent. The decision, overturning a New York handgun licensing law, did not immediately impact Connecticut’s handgun licensing laws. However, Attorney General Tong warned at the time that the decision invited a wave of new litigation nationwide and in Connecticut
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(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that – in accordance with a proclamation from President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. directing flags to be lowered throughout the country as a mark of solemn respect for the memory of Queen Elizabeth II – he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut to be flown at half-staff beginning immediately until sunset on the date of interment.
Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags, including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise, should also be lowered during this same duration of time.
The Office of the Governor will send out a notification when flags should be returned to full-staff.
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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has named the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood’s innovative and family-friendly Care 4 Kids Parent Portal as a finalist in its highly competitive 2022 State IT Recognition Awards. The awards showcase the use of information technology by states and territories to connect residents more easily to their government.
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has named the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood’s innovative and family-friendly Care 4 Kids Parent Portal as a finalist in its highly competitive 2022 State IT Recognition Awards. The awards showcase the use of information technology by states and territories to connect residents more easily to their governments.lies, including prescreening for eligibility determination, an online application for the program, and the ability to electronically upload required verifications and other documentation. Families can easily access the Parent Portal through any internet-connected desktop computer or mobile device.
In addition to the ease-of-use benefits the portal provides families, it has also improved the ability of the Office of Early Childhood to administer the program by automating several manual processes and reducing paper and printing costs. Since launching the portal, the office has seen a 50% reduction in phone calls, a 52% reduction in incomplete applications, and a 24% reduction in illegible applications.
The portal aligns with the Lamont administration’s efforts to build an all-digital state government and increase the number of digital tools available for residents and businesses to connect with services administered by the state.
Governor Lamont said, “From the Department of Motor Vehicles to the Office of Early Childhood, our administration continues to implement changes that make state services available digitally and accessible more quickly and efficiently, allowing residents to spend more time with their families, on their careers, and enjoying our great state. The Office of Early Childhood’s national recognition continues to prove Connecticut as a leader when it comes to digital government. I am proud of the work by our state employees, and I look forward to furthering our all-digital government efforts.”
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2022 State Police Labor Day Weekend Enforcement Stats (12:00 am on Friday, September 2, 2022 to 11:59 pm on Monday, September 5, 2022) across the state:
Calls for service: 6,153
Motorist Assists: 497
Speeding: 377
Total traffic violations: 819 (to include: seatbelt, unsafe lane change, following too closely, move over, distracted driving, etc)
DUI arrests: 30 (11 accident, 19 onsite)
Motor vehicle accidents: 345
With serious injury: 2 (Trumbull, New Britain)
Fatalities: 0This press release was made possible by:
