Melissa in the Morning: Check-In with DSS

Melissa in the Morning: Check-In with DSS

If the government shutdown continues into November, there will not be enough funds to pay November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits. We checked in with the Department of Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves for more.For contact information and more resources: https://portal.ct.gov/dss/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program—snap?language=en_US Image Credit: Getty Image

Melissa in the Morning: Consulting Firm

Melissa in the Morning: Consulting Firm

The state is hiring an outside consulting firm to help the Bridgeport school system. Pennsylvania based Public Works LLC will be working with the district through June of next year. We got an update from interim superintendent of schools, Dr. Royce Avery. Guests are kindly asked to RSVP by Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at noon…

Melissa in the Morning: DSS Understaffing

Melissa in the Morning: DSS Understaffing

A new report highlighted the sever understaffing situation at the Department of Social Services and the impact on wait times at its call center. We spoke with Sheldon Toubman, a litigation attorney with Disability Rights Connecticut, about the problem with attracting and retaining staff at DSS and the call to action for lawmakers.  Image Credit:…

Melissa in the Morning: New DCF Discoveries

Melissa in the Morning: New DCF Discoveries

More information and body camera footage has been shared with the media following the gruesome discovery of 11-year-old Jacklyn Torres-Garcia’s body earlier this month in New Britain. Jacklyn’s mom, aunt and mother’s boyfriend are all face charges connected to her murder which police shared happened over a year ago. The latest information in the case…

Melissa in the Morning: Rolling “Heat Out’s”

Melissa in the Morning: Rolling “Heat Out’s”

Success Village is a 900+ unit complex between Bridgeport and Stratford that’s been dealing with heat and hot water issues for a long time. Finally in 2024, a successor was put into place to get more consistent heat and hot water and work out the financial trouble for the complex. Attorney Barry Knott, the successor,…

Melissa in the Morning: Absentee Ballot Fraud

Melissa in the Morning: Absentee Ballot Fraud

State officials are once again investigating Bridgeport city councilman Alfredo Castillo for allegedly collecting absentee ballots from public housing facilities ahead of the city’s general election next month. Castillo is even accused of posing as a HUD employee to collect ballots. CT Mirror Investigative Reporter, Andrew Brown, broke the news and shared more on this…

Melissa in the Morning: SNAP Benefits Funding

Melissa in the Morning: SNAP Benefits Funding

Governor Lamont announced the release of 3-million dollars in emergency state funding to Connecticut Foodshare to help Connecticut residents who are expected to lose access to food stamp benefits from SNAP. But where is that money coming from? It’s not the rainy day fund; instead it’s apparently coming from a new slush fund. We spoke…

Melissa in the Morning: Recording Meetings

Melissa in the Morning: Recording Meetings

In the age of more technological advances and the use of technology, more people are recording conversations at work. To protect themselves, some employees are even recording bosses without consent. What are the legalities around that? We asked employment attorney and Quinnipiac law professor, Gary Phelan. Image Credit: Getty Images

Melissa in the Morning: Gambling Reforms

Melissa in the Morning: Gambling Reforms

More than 30 people, including three former and current N.B.A. players, were indicted on Thursday in a case involving insider bets on basketball games and poker games rigged by Mafia families. We spoke with Senator Richard Blumenthal about his ongoing effort to pass reforms and get a better handling on gambling problems in America. Image…