Happy Friday! Some Starbucks workers on Long Island are on strike to promote a nationwide push for unionization. Five locations on the island are already unionized; they are located in Farmingville, Massapequa, Westbury, Lynbrook and Wantagh.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what we’re hearing:
A former West Haven city council member has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for stealing COVID-19 relief money. John Bernardo and former West Haven state legislator Michael DiMassa conspired to steal more than $600,000 in 2021.
Workers have begun laying offshore cable for the South Fork Wind Farm off a Wainscott beach. The windfarm is expected to start producing energy for Long Island’s East End before the end of this year.
Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy (D-CT) want to amend a federal law to allow international college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness the way American athletes can. Currently, international students can compromise their student visa status by signing NIL deals.
Face masks are no longer required at Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare provider. If COVID-19 transmission rates increase, the mandate could be reinstated.
Twenty rideshare and delivery drivers rallied outside of Union Station in New Haven Wednesday morning. They want the legislature to pass a bill that would give them better pay and benefits.
Auditors have raised concerns about Connecticut state troopers excessive overtime. They said the extra hours are costing taxpayers millions, and could be dangerous for troopers’ health as well as public safety.
Some Starbucks workers on Long Island are on strike. The nationwide effort highlights the workers' efforts to unionize. Five Starbucks locations on Long Island have already unionized; they are located in Farmingville, Massapequa, Westbury, Lynbrook and Wantagh.
A U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a Stamford man who was arrested for holding a “cops ahead” sign near a police-run distracted driving operation. The judge said Michael Friend was acting within his First Amendment right to free speech.
Five plaintiffs impacted by a mass shooting in Colorado have joined a lawsuit against Connecticut gun manufacturer Ruger. They claim the pistol used in the 2021 mass shooting resembled a rifle, and was falsely advertised to avoid stricter federal regulations.
Yale and other Ivy League schools are facing a lawsuit for denying athletic scholarships to their athletes. The lawsuit references a 70-year-old Ivy League agreement that states the schools would not provide athletic-specific scholarships. Plaintiffs claim the agreement has “anti-competitive effects” and causes student-athletes to pay more than their peers at other institutions.
