Good morning. Veterans who became sick from toxic chemicals, including Agent Orange or smoke from burn pits, now have until tonight to file claims for backdated disability benefits.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs extended the deadline for PACT Act benefits after the online application portal got overloaded last week ahead of the original due date.
The deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday night. The cutoff is only for veterans who want to qualify for up to a year of backdated disability benefits. Otherwise, they can apply any time.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we’re hearing:
Body-worn camera footage was released late Friday in the West Hartford police-involved shooting. It shows West Hartford Police Officer Andrew Teeter firing his weapon into a moving vehicle while a police dog is attacking suspected car thief Mike Alexander-Garcia, who is screaming for help. Alexander-Garcia was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The state Office of Inspector General is investigating Teeter’s use of deadly force.
A correction officer was arrested for trying to bring drugs into the New Haven Correctional Center. Nicholas Kosa was charged last week with possession of a narcotic with intent to sell or distribute. Bail has been set at $100,000. The state Department of Correction said he is no longer employed.
Some private insurers are balking at paying for the first drug fully approved to slow mental decline in Alzheimer’s patients. Insurers selling coverage in New York told The Associated Press that they won’t cover Leqembi with insurance offered on the individual market and through employers because they still see the drug as experimental.
A Long Island man faces four homicide charges in connection with a fatal crash that killed a Queens man, two of his children and his granddaughter last week. Six-year-old Chantal Soloman died on Saturday. Nassau County Police said Michael Deangelo had cocaine and fentanyl in his system. He was going 120 miles per hour when he rear-ended the family vehicle last Sunday in East Massapequa.
The City of New London wants to improve its social media. New London is among the few Connecticut cities that has its social media handled by a local private company, called Socialike, since 2021. City councilors are negotiating renewing a new $25,000 contact to expand outreach to New England influencers and tourists.
Massapequa softball makes New York history. The Massapequa International softball team won the Little League Softball World Series title on Sunday. Massapequa 12U defeated North Carolina, 5-2, at Stallings Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina.
