Good morning. Scammers are stealing millions of dollars worth of food stamps from New Yorkers. Officials say the stamps are stolen when people use Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards at hacked card readers.
Over 22,000 claims of EBT fraud were submitted between January 2022 to October 2023, totaling $17 million. Legislators have proposed a bill to upgrade EBT cards with contactless payment technology. These upgrades are expected to reduce food stamp fraud by 87% if approved.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
UConn professors oppose the governor’s proposed budget cuts. In a letter to Governor Ned Lamont, almost 50 professors claimed that cuts to university funding would destroy graduate and high-level research programs and scholarships for academics and athletics. They claim fewer graduates entering the state’s workforce could force businesses to relocate.
Residents rally against an expansion of Riverhead Charter School. School officials plan to purchase 71 acres of farmland next to their existing property for $4.5 million. Superintendent Raymond Ankrum said the plan is to use the new campus for athletic fields. Some residents claim the project would negatively impact the area's rural charm, lower property values and increase traffic.
Connecticut covers less for specialist physicians and behavioral health services. A state Department of Social Services report finds Connecticut covered less than 85% of Medicaid services and less than 94% of Medicare services analyzed. It recommended the state increase service rates for behavioral health specialists and direct treatment autism spectrum disorder services, to better align with other state’s Medicaid benchmarks.
Babylon to spend $3.5 million on new waste runoff containers. The Town of Babylon has used the same containers since 2009, but corrosive waste has deteriorated the tanks to the point of replacement. The tanks hold excess waste runoff when the town reaches its daily maximum amount that can be pumped to the Southwest Sewer District for treatment. The new 430,000-gallon tanks are expected to last for over 15 years.
A single-engine airplane performed an emergency landing on the Southern State Parkway as it approached Long Island’s Republic Airport late Tuesday morning. The pilot reported engine failure shortly before touching down on the eastbound side of the parkway near exit 33. According to officials, the pilot and one passenger are being evaluated for minor injuries.
Connecticut state trooper to appear in court for fatal shooting. Trooper Brian North shot 19-year-old Mubarak Soulemane in 2020. Soulemane stole a car and crashed in West Haven. After reaching for a serrated kitchen knife, he was shot seven times. North was charged with first-degree manslaughter with a firearm in 2022. Jury selection for the trial in Milford Superior Court will begin on Wednesday. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Every Long Island hospital but one penalized for high readmission rates. NYU Langone is the only hospital to dodge a cut in funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services since 2013. Northwell Health is expected to pay $3.2 million in total penalties.
Connecticut towns could implement license plate readers. Municipalities may soon deploy license plate readers to track stolen vehicles. The General Assembly's Public Safety and Security Committee proposed a state grant program to fund the purchase of the equipment. Legislators believe the readers could also help find missing individuals. Civil liberty advocates say they are concerned the plan could violate resident privacy.
