Good morning. Residents may be susceptible to extreme heat and humid conditions later this week. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont activatedthe state’s extreme hot weather protocol Wednesday morning and will remain active until Sunday morning.
According to the National Weather Service, Connecticut and Long Island are expected to reach scorching temperatures as high as 98 degrees from Thursday through Saturday with a chance of thunderstorms and rain showers midday on Saturday. Humidity from possible storms will push the heat index over 100 degrees.
To stay cool, remain indoors with air conditioning as much as possible, and, if it storms, avoid flooded roads. Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
The Trumbull mall will require adult supervision for juvenile visitors on Saturday afternoons. Starting Aug. 5, anybody 17 years old or younger will not be allowed inside the mall on Saturdays after 4 p.m. without an adult aged at least 21. The curfew is in response to teenagers fighting in the mall and threatening shoppers with guns and hatchets earlier this year.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has started installing cameras and sensors around 60th Street in Manhattan to charge drivers passing through $34.50 or $23 daily if you have an E-ZPass. Despite several lawsuits from New Jersey and Staten Island, the MTA hopes congestion pricing will encourage people to use more public transit and speed up travel for commuters, first responders and buses.
Three swastikas were found etched into playground equipment in a park in Cedarhurst on Sunday. An anonymous bystander found the markingsand subsequently reported them to the police. Detectives are investigating the incident and call for anyone with information on the crime to contact the Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. New York reported the highest number of anti-semitic incidents in the country in 2022.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont was ranked as one of the country’s top 10 most popular governors, according to a survey conducted by Morning Consult. With a score of ninth, Lamont has an approval rating of 62% and a disapproval rating of 32%. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, ranked 44th, is in the bottom of states with a favorability of 51%.
The Town of Shelter Island will host a new U.S. Department of Energy initiative. U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) announced the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project will connect Shelter Island with other island communities to build sustainable, local energy systems that keep remote communities energy independent. LaLota claims this project will help create hundreds of new jobs and boost the economy of Suffolk County.
Connecticut regulators are criticized for allegedly creating a negative financial environment for utility companies. Moody's Investors Service and Guggenheim Securities are concerned that the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority will begin incorporating so-called arbitrary metrics in its decisions. PURA approved a plan to reduce companies’ rates $67 annually earlier this year.
Gov. Ned Lamont has encouraged Connecticut companies to enroll in the state’s new Manufacturer Ambassador Program. Advocates who join the program will be able to help solve issues in state manufacturing, have their company featured in a spotlight series, and will receive a toolkit to promote the state industry and their company in order to boost recruitment. Over 500 people have enrolled in the program since it launched in March this year.
