Good morning — Hundreds of protesters rallied on the New Haven Green on Sunday in support of Palestine. The demonstration comes after dozens of Yale students disrupted traffic and occupied a school plaza last weekend. Similar protests have erupted at Columbia, New York University and other colleges.
This weekend’s protest in New Haven urged for a ceasefire in Gaza and the divestment from defense manufacturing and academic programming that supports Israel. They also called for charges to be dropped in the 60 arrests during previous demonstrations at Yale.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we’re hearing:
The $15 toll to drive into Manhattan south of 60th Street is expected to begin June 30. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s congestion pricing program is supposed to reduce gridlock and greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in New York City. The tolls are also slated to raise $1 billion in revenue for Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North and other public transit options.
A New Haven woman and 10 other people were issued a pardon from President Joe Biden for their nonviolent drug convictions. More than a decade ago, Alexis Sutton pleaded guilty to the charges after being caught up in a major federal drug sting. Sutton received early termination of her probationary sentence. Biden praised her for going to school to become a nurse.
An internal affairs investigation is underway into the death of a West Islip man in Suffolk County Police custody on Friday. Joseph Leonard was found unconscious behind the wheel of a crashed vehicle. Police believed he was impaired by drugs, so they administered the opioid overdose reversing drug, Narcan. Leonard was arrested and released from the hospital into police custody overnight. The next morning, he was found dead in a holding cell.
Dash camera footage shows a Connecticut state trooper being struck by an out-of-control vehicle during a traffic stop on I-95 in Bridgeport last week. The video was released as part of investigation into the April 22 crash. The trooper was treated for non-life threatening injuries at Bridgeport Hospital. It’s unclear if the driver faces charges.
Suffolk County is expanding its on-demand bus service to East Hampton — replacing fixed-route buses. The service is based on a successful pilot program in Southampton Town. It is expected to serve at least 16,800 people in its first year. Fares are the same as traditional county buses, and customers can arrange rides using the Suffolk Transit On-Demand app, since Sunday.
Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Commission has concerns over an Office of Policy and Management proposal for lawmakers to allow state agencies to reject Freedom of Information requests regarding communications and records shared from other departments. OPM argues such records are private and confidential.
Cheshire High School in Connecticut is investigating incidents of racial slurs and hate speech. The incidents were reported after a Facebook post made derogatory remarks about New Haven students. State Representative Liz Linehan said bullying and hate speech are increasing in children's lives, likely from learned behavior at home.
Yale New Haven Hospital has settled a lawsuit from the family of a 23-year-old man who died from cardiac arrest. The family argues William Miller was left alone in the hospital hallway for more than seven hours after being treated with naloxone. The hospital's lawyer acknowledged that negligence was a significant factor in Miller's injuries and death.
The Village of Southampton was awarded $1 million in federal funding to centralize its sewer system. The funding is provided by the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations. Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger expressed gratitude for support from Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) in securing the funding.
