Melissa in the Morning: Piping Plovers

Melissa in the Morning: Piping Plovers

Piping Plovers are tough little birds who rely on beaches to lay their eggs. Unfortunately, in such public space, that poses major threats for the birds and their nests. But this year, we are seeing some record setting numbers for piping plovers nests and babies. Tom Anderson of CT Audubon Society shares this success story.…

Melissa in the Morning: Lithium-Ion Battery Extinguisher

Melissa in the Morning: Lithium-Ion Battery Extinguisher

A Connecticut company partnered with another to create the world’s first lithium-ion battery fire extinguisher. We spoke to Rodger Mort with PACT about the product, the partnership behind it and why it matters in today’s world with all of the lithium-ion battery product at risk of starting a fire. ((00:00)) Another hearing was held in…

Melissa in the Morning: Highlighting Human Trafficking

Melissa in the Morning: Highlighting Human Trafficking

There’s a lot of buzz around the release of the new movie ‘Sound of Freedom.’ The film highlights human trafficking and how big a problem it is in our world. We spoke with the founder of non-profit Partnership to End Human Trafficking (PEHT), Elizabeth Koldyke Boolbol. She shared human trafficking statistics in Connecticut and what…

Melissa in the Morning: AI in the Workforce

Melissa in the Morning: AI in the Workforce

The writers and actors in Hollywood are still on strike and one of their biggest concerns surround artificial intelligence. For writers, they worry AI will replace them for script jobs. And for actors, they worry AI versions of themselves will be used without their permission and without making more money. We talked about AI in…

Melissa in the Morning: Falsified Tickets

Melissa in the Morning: Falsified Tickets

This week, a legislative hearing is set to discuss the findings from an audit surrounding fake tickets submitted by state police in the last decade. We spoke with Senator Herron Gaston who co-chairs the Public Safety and Security Committee overseeing the hearing. ((00:00)) Governor Lamont announced a $3 million state grant to support the remediation of…

Melissa in the Morning: More Heat, More Disease?

Melissa in the Morning: More Heat, More Disease?

PBS News Hour published an article this week titled “Warming planet may have overwhelming impact on infectious diseases.” It discussed the changes in climate impacting things like bug populations, fungi, bacteria and algae. There are a lot of reasons human illnesses could be on the rise. Dr. Browne shared his voice of reason on the…

Melissa in the Morning: Flooded Farms

Melissa in the Morning: Flooded Farms

Dozens of Connecticut farms are struggling to recover after recent flooding in our state and across New England. Ag Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt gave us a picture of the problem and shared how we can help support our farms. Check out CTGrown.org for more information. ((00:00)) There’s been an increase of people experiencing dry eye or…

Melissa in the Morning: Learn Some-fin New about Sharks

Melissa in the Morning: Learn Some-fin New about Sharks

July 23rd kicks off Shark Week on Discovery Channel. We had a local expert shark scientist with Sacred Heart University here to answer all of our shark questions from shark attacks to what sharks are attracted to and are there topicals that turn sharks off? Find out here! ((00:00)) After a deadly blaze in Bridgeport…

Melissa in the Morning: Aspartame Woes

Melissa in the Morning: Aspartame Woes

This month, the World Health Organization deemed aspartame a “possible carcinogen.” What are carcinogens? What are the concerns around aspartame? And how much is too much? We speak with Hartford Healthcare Medical Weight Loss Physician, Dr. Jackie Cameron. ((00:00)) The northeast has seen its fair share of flooding so far in July. The Better Business…

Melissa in the Morning: Kindergarten Age Cutoff

Melissa in the Morning: Kindergarten Age Cutoff

There’s a lot of talk around the new state law changing the requirement age month for kids to enter kindergarten in Connecticut. Starting in 2024, kids have to be five years old by September first. That’s a big shift from the former law of a January first age cut off. Education leader, Fran Rabinowitz, shared…