Good morning. Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding are coming to the region through the latest defense appropriations bill.
Last week, the Senate approved their version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The House passed its own version earlier in the month. A conference committee now has to reconcile the two different versions.
At stake are:
- Nearly $700 million for the World Trade Center Health Program, which closes a long-term funding shortfall and opens the program to first responders from the Pentagon and Shanksville, Penn., where one plane crashed on 9/11.
- More than $1 billion for Connecticut’s defense and manufacturing industries, including Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky. Electric Boat could see a portion of $470 million for the Navy’s Virginia Class submarines.
- Declaring fentanyl trafficking a national emergency, which gives the president more powers to impose international sanctions against China, Russia and other manufacturers of the synthetic opioid.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we’re hearing:
A New York working group will study the safety of battery energy storage systems after recent fires across the state this summer, including in East Hampton. Governor Kathy Hochul has directed state agencies to begin immediate inspections of energy storage sites, which are necessary for large-scale wind and solar energy generation. The group is expected to help provide training and prepare emergency responders in the event of a fire.
A former Connecticut real estate developer faces sentencing Monday in federal court for financial fraud. Robert V. Matthews, 65, will be sent to prison for money laundering and tax evasion in connection to several international fraud schemes worth over $30 million. Matthews was questioned by authorities investigating former Gov. John G. Rowland and ex-Waterbury Mayor Joseph Santopietro amid their corruption convictions, but wasn’t arrested until 2018.
Two more mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus in Suffolk County. The samples from Dix Hills and Commak were collected on July 18. Seven samples have tested positive to date this year. The virus can be transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms are flu-like. Officials recommend wearing long sleeves and bug repellent outdoors.
A 13-year-old was shot outside of the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital early Sunday morning. The girl was shot in the parking lot near the entrance to the hospital’s pediatric unit. Her injuries were non-life threatening. Police believe this was not a deliberate attack on the hospital nor its personnel. Surveillance video shows two vehicles were chasing each other when the shots occurred.
The Port Jefferson DMV will close after Aug. 25. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles is consolidating its brick-and-mortar locations in Suffolk County due to lack of public transportation and operational need, according to an analysis of services. Four offices will remain open in Hauppauge, Dix Hills, Riverhead and Medford, which is less than 10 minutes south.
Joey Nizzardo, of Shelton, has won Swim Across the Sound! More than 150 swimmers and 120 boaters made the more than 15-mile journey across Long Island Sound on Saturday to raise money for Hartford Healthcare. Nizzardo jumped into the water just around 9 a.m. at Whitehall Beach in Port Jefferson, New York, and arrived at Captain’s Cove Seaport in Bridgeport at around 3:50 p.m. This was the 36th annual race.
