Voice of CT

Melissa in the Morning: Walks with Buddy

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and did you know getting outside and moving your body can do a whole lot of good for your mental health? Wellness Coach, Joan Smeland, lives by this truth after losing her father years ago. She says getting out to walk with her dog changed her life and launched the creation of Walks with Buddy. We spoke to her about her organization and an upcoming event highlighting fitness and community.
For more information: https://www.walkswithbuddy.com/

IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

Melissa in the Morning: Cybersecurity and Seniors

A new report out this week says elder fraud reports to FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center rose by 14 percent in 2023. Fred Scholl talked about elder fraud. He is an associate teaching professor and director of the graduate cybersecurity program at Quinnipiac University. Plus, he weighed in on the discovery made regarding United Health NOT using multifactor authentication to avoid a recent nationwide cyberattack.

For full elder fraud report: Elder Fraud, in Focus — FBI

Image Credit; Getty Images

Melissa in the Morning: Team Conquer Cancer

According to The leukemia and lymphoma Society, approximately every three minutes, one person is diagnosed with blood cancer. The organization has been focusing for years on raising money for research and better supporting blood cancer patients and their families. We spoke with Michele Terra, who continues to partner with the organization after caring for her mom who battled and miraculously survived blood cancer. Learn how she is raising money and why her mission matters.

The link to her donation page: Michele’s Leukemia & Lymphoma Website – v2 (canva.site)

Image Credit: Getty Images

Melissa in the Morning: New Face for CT Girl Scouts

More than 50 million American women have participated in the sisterhood of Girl Scouts throughout the years and one of these exceptional women is the new CEO of The Girl Scouts of Connecticut. We met Elicia Pegues Spearman, a Chesire attorney and new leader of the #1 girls’ non-profit, to hear her plans for the organization going forward.

IMAGE CREDIT: Alisa Picerno / Girl Scouts of Connecticut

Melissa in the Morning: CCSU Chancellor Terrance Cheng

As the legislative session winds down, we know there’s a big push for funding public higher education in our state. CSCU serves 85,000 students and 96% of those students are from Connecticut. The more than a dozen institutions in the system reportedly make an $11 billion annual impact on the state’s economy. CSCU Chancellor Terrance Cheng helps us understand the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system better and talk about the impact the state’s budget negotiations for local college students.

IMAGE CREDIT: Samantha Norton / Office of The chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system

CT Today With Paul Pacelli – The White House Confronts Campus Violence

Thursday’s “Connecticut Today” with host Paul Pacelli welcomed Sacred Heart University Political Science Scholar in Residence Dr. Gary Rose on the current protests at many U.S. colleges and the White House response (00:22). “Only In Bridgeport” blogger Lennie Grimaldi also stopped by with the latest Park City buzz (11:06)

Image Credit: REUTERS/Nathan Howard

The Lisa Wexler Show – Does AI Learn From The Truth?

Rob Jellinghaus, Principal Software Engineer at Microsoft, joins Lisa Wexler to discuss the present and future of Artificial Intelligence.

Image Credit: Khanchit Khirisutchalual / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Melissa in the Morning: DMD Screening

Connecticut lawmakers are debating a bill to bring earlier intervention to children diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. House Bill 5321 would require all newborns in the state be tested for DMD as part of the Department of Public Health’s newborn screening program. If approved, it would begin in July 2027. We got a medical perspective on the impact of this bill if it passes. Dr. Gyula Acsadi is a pediatric neurologist and Division Head of Neurology at Connecticut Children’s Hospital.

Image Credit: Getty Images

Melissa in the Morning: Housing Update in CT

We continue to face a housing crisis in Connecticut and last month, Renee Dobos, CEO of CT Housing Partners, took those concerns to Washington DC. We find out what she voiced in front of lawmakers at our nation’s capital and the impact it could have on our state. Plus, we got her take on any legislative movement on housing bills during the 2024 legislative session wrapping up next week.

For more information: https://cthousingpartners.org/

Image Credit: Getty Images

Melissa in the Morning: Vaping Study

A new study found vaping is tied to an increased risk of lead and uranium exposure in teens ages 13 to 17 who used e-cigarette over a 20-day period. Researchers recommended stronger regulations on vaping. Another recent study found people who vape are 19-percent more likely to develop heart failure. We got Dr. Browne’s take on this including a better understanding of the impact on the human body exposed to lead and uranium. Plus, we kicked off May with Lyme Disease Awareness Month talking to our tick expert about tick bites. But what about other parasites out there? We asked Dr. Fred Browne about this.

Image Credit: Getty Images