Good morning. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones filed an appeal for his $1.4 billion defamation case filed by Sandy Hook families.
Eight families and an FBI agent sued Jones in 2022 for defamation after his broadcast caused years of harassment and violence against the families. Twenty children and six educators were killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
His attorney Norm Pattis claims the court issued a default ruling that found Jones responsible for calling the shooting a hoax staged by actors, and wasn’t able to present a defense. Pattis argues the intent of the lawsuit was to silence and financially cripple Jones after he declared bankruptcy from a Texas defamation case.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
Millions of New Yorkers could lose Medicaid health coverage by the end of June. Medicaid renewal checks were sent out again after they were paused during the pandemic, but that caused Medicaid enrollment to soar. Many applicants are unable to afford Medicaid or failed to complete proper paperwork for eligibility. Close to eight million New Yorkers are enrolled in Medicaid, as of April 2023.
Connecticut students were restrained or secluded 39,000 times during the 2021-22 school year, according to the state Department of Education. The latest annual report shows students from grades 2-4 were more likely to be restrained and secluded than any other grade. White students were the most likely to be restrained at 37% while Hispanic students made up 34%. Students with disabilities accounted for nearly 3,000 of the incidents. This is a significant decrease from 2018 when there were more than 58,000 incidents reported.
Penn Station and Madison Square Garden are “no longer compatible.” The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said recent improvements to Penn Station conflict with MSG’s configuration, which prevent the movement of passengers and upgrades to the transit hub. The MTA wants MSG to allow them to renovate and alter parts of the arena to create new entrances and loading areas.
Litterbugs in Connecticut could face fines up to $500. This would mean more than doubling the fine. Connecticut lawmakers are considering a bill that would also see an increase in the maximum daily penalties for cities and towns with blighted property conditions from $100 to $1,000.
The Peconic Bay Medical Center will expand its emergency department and establish a Center for Women and Infants. This $92 million project would increase capacity by 75% with more beds and a new dual-bay trauma unit with improved cardiac response technology. Northwell Health introduced a $50 million fundraising campaign to fund this project. It has already raised more than $30 million.
A Hamden Catholic Priest is being sued for exposing himself in a Torrington church in 2020. Reverend Mauricio Galvis allegedly forced the female parishioner into his office and exposed himself. She claims physical and mental injuries. The Archdiocese of Hartford reassigned Galvis to non-parish duties until the lawsuit is resolved. The parishioner is also suing the Archdiocese for negligence and failing to protect her.
Nassau University Medical Center is running a $164 million deficit. Records obtained by Newsday show this is the fifth consecutive year of the public benefit corporation responsible for NUMC, known as NuHealth, in the red. NuHealth warns that staff layoffs and event center closure may occur soon if the hospital fails to receive state or federal financial aid.
Rental assistance is now available through the workforce portal, CareerConneCT. Governor Ned Lamont announced $30 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding will be used to fund rental assistance stipends. The money will provide people in short-term job training programs with 3-9 months of free transportation, childcare and housing services. A maximum of $15,000 can be given per household.
Shelter Island has issued a moratorium on the construction of mega-mansions to reevaluate outdated zoning regulations. These mega-mansions are homes ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 square feet. The six-month moratorium, down from a year, will restrict permits for single family homes larger than 5,999 square feet. Officials will use this time to determine the potential impact mega-mansions have on the community’s character, environment, and water quality.
A pod of dolphins were spotted in the Long Island Sound. Michael Johnson was fishing in Niantic Bay when he saw and recorded about a dozen of these marine mammals breaching over the weekend. Dolphins were also spotted in the Bronx River for the first time in five years in January. Maritime Aquarium Senior Trainer Dylan Salamone tells Connecticut Hearst Media that the return of dolphins can be a sign of the Sound’s improving health.
