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'There Are Always Two Sides To The Story And Then There's The Truth': Keith David On 'NCIS: New Orleans'The actor discusses his extremely relevant episode of "NCIS: New Orleans" that examines racial bias and policing.
Professional Bull Riders Brings Its Monster Energy Team Challenge Championship To CBS & CBS Sports Network July 10-12Professional bull riding is normally an individual sport, but with the Monster Energy Team Challenge, fans get a different experience watching their favorite riders compete for a title on CBS and CBS Sports Network.
'Donald Trump Is Completely One-Dimensional': Ben Widdicombe On New Book 'Gatecrasher' & Evolution Of Celebrity CultureThe author and veteran gossip columnist discusses the evolution of celebrity culture and his interactions with Donald Trump before he became President of the United States.
Carl Reiner To Be Honored By CBS With 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' Airing In Living ColorCBS will be airing episodes of 'The Dick Van Dycke Show' in live color to honor the late Carl Reiner.
'We Take On Huge Social Issues': Curtiss Cook On Showtime's 'The Chi'The actor discusses season three of "The Chi" on Showtime and why this show so relevant to the conversation about racial injustice.
NWSL Sees Record Viewership For Challenge Cup Opening Match On CBSThe NWSL became the first professional American team sports league to return to action and viewers turned out to watch.
'We Have Not Only Love, But Black Love Shown': Miriam A. Hyman On Showtime's 'The Chi'The newest member of The Chi discusses what it means to portray Black love and Black stories during this important time.
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Latest Sports

Muirfield Village Golf Club Profile: Jack Nicklaus's 'Total Vision'Muirfield Village Golf Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus and host of this year's Workday Charity Open and Memorial Tournament, remains a PGA Tour favorite.
Professional Bull Riders Brings Its Monster Energy Team Challenge Championship To CBS & CBS Sports Network July 10-12Professional bull riding is normally an individual sport, but with the Monster Energy Team Challenge, fans get a different experience watching their favorite riders compete for a title on CBS and CBS Sports Network.
'Nothing In This Story Played Out The Way You Thought It Would': Pat Kondelis On Showtime Sports Docu-Series 'Outcry'The director discusses his fascinating Showtime docu-series about former Texas high school football Greg Kelley and the complicated story around his sexual assault conviction.
'20-Under Might Not Win It If Greens Are Soft', Says Nick Faldo On Rocket Mortgage ClassicDetroit Golf Club yielded plenty of low scores in the Rocket Mortgage Classic debut last year, even as Nate Lashley ran away with the trophy.
Detroit Golf Club Profile: Historic Course Faces Modern Game At Rocket Mortgage ClassicDetroit Golf Club dates back to the late 19th century, but the classic course, home to the Rocket Mortgage Classic, has hosted just one previous PGA Tour event.
NWSL Sees Record Viewership For Challenge Cup Opening Match On CBSThe NWSL became the first professional American team sports league to return to action and viewers turned out to watch.
'We Could See Someone Break 60 This Week,' Says Ian Baker-Finch On The Travelers ChampionshipThe Travelers Championship welcomes another major-level field to TPC River Highlands, where low scores could be in the offing.
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WFSB - Eyewitness News

#BlackoutDay2020 is today. Here's what you need to know(CNN) - Tuesday is #BlackOutDay2020, when many Black Americans plan to showcase their combined economic might by refusing to spend any money on anything at all. Those who have to buy something are being encouraged to spend their money at a Black-owned business. Social media personality and activist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/calvin.martyr.3/videos/156277935907474/" target="_blank">Calvin Martyr</a> has spent the last two months promoting the campaign after raising the idea in a video that has been shared thousands of time on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Major companies like Procter &amp; Gamble and Cisco Systems, organizations like the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta and celebrities like rapper T.I. have expressed support for the initiative on social media. What is BlackoutDay2020? The objective of #BlackoutDay2020 is to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/calvin.martyr.3/videos/156277935907474/" target="_blank">force politicians</a> and the business world to end institutionally racist policies and practices that have led to the deaths and marginalization of Black Americans. Black Americans spent more than <a href="https://www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/2019-african-american-DIS-report.pdf" target="_blank">$1 trillion</a> on consumer goods in 2018 alone, according to Nielsen. Martyr has likened the initiative to the year-long <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/montgomery-bus-boycott" target="_blank">Montgomery bus boycott</a> of 1955, when Black Alabamans who were legally required to sit at the back of city buses refused to pay to ride them until they were allowed to sit wherever they wanted. "The only way we're going to get change is when they fear hurting us like we fear hurting them," Martyr said in a May video introducing the idea. Is it still relevant? The #BlackOutDay2020 campaign started in early May following the February 23 vigilante killing of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/25/us/ahmaud-arbery-doj-hate-crime-investigation/index.html" target="_blank">Ahmaud Arbery</a> in Brunswick, Georgia, and the March 13 police shooting death of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/us/breonna-taylor-shooting-officer-fired/index.html" target="_blank">Breonna Taylor</a> in Louisville. It was introduced about a month before the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/us/minneapolis-police-chief-comment-george-floyd-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">George Floyd tragedy</a> that sparked a wave of civic, political, and economic action addressing anti-Black institutional racism. Since then, city government officials in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/26/us/minneapolis-city-council-police-department/index.html" target="_blank">Minneapolis</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/01/us/new-york-budget-nypd-1-billion-cut-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">New York</a> and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/30/us/los-angeles-city-council-approves-measure-nonviolent-response/index.html" target="_blank">Los Angeles</a>, among others, have introduced proposals to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/06/us/what-is-defund-police-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">defund or restructure the police departments</a>. President Trump has signed a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/16/politics/police-reform-order-donald-trump/index.html" target="_blank">controversial executive order</a> on police reform measures. And <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/02/business/bank-of-america-billion-dollar-donation/index.html" target="_blank">major corporations</a> have set aside <a href="https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-lives-matter-corporate-america-has-pledged-1-678-billion-so-far/" target="_blank">billions of dollars</a> for <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/01/business/us-protests-companies-respond-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">social justice causes</a> in addition to changing some of their own <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/11/tech/microsoft-facial-recognition-police/index.html" target="_blank">systemically racist practices</a>. Still, on Friday, Martyr suggested many of the actions politicians and companies have taken in the wake of Floyd's death don't go far enough. "I don't care about BLM <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/05/us/black-lives-matter-dc-street-white-house-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">painted across streets</a>, I don't care about <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/business/aunt-jemima-logo-change/index.html" target="_blank">syrup</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/business/uncle-bens-rice-racist/index.html" target="_blank">rice</a> or <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/12/business/black-band-aids/index.html" target="_blank">bandaids</a>," Martyr wrote on his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/calvin.martyr.3?__tn__=%2CdlC-R&amp;eid=ARBdcbC4fcOrLaDYQnXN-BHX4rWbT2nVrMXcmr3VuGHQhP1gwG5YqQlIKYlF7lli_MxMC_WPv9VCc5FP&amp;hc_ref=ARRWbfA1egnzTcFxbJskKlrrNyOdE92ciTeKuEgNoZEoM09pwgSYGjFKAmrIYZfa0rA" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> Friday. "What I DO CARE ABOUT: #JUSTICE for BREONNA TAYLOR; #JUSTICE for VANESSA GUILLEN; #JUSTICE for <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/03/us/officers-in-photos-near-elijah-mcclain-memorial-fired/index.html" target="_blank">Elijah McClain</a>; Tearing down systemic strongholds built to maintain privilege for some and keep others in bondage (mass incarceration, poverty, redlining wage gaps, education, healthy food options etc) ... Y'all can have all that other stuff."
US is still 'knee-deep' in the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Fauci says(CNN) - In the span of a week and a half, the number of coronavirus cases in the United States has doubled, yet officials are saying this is still the first wave of the pandemic. "We are still knee-deep in the first wave of this," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a Facebook and Twitter livestream Monday. "I would say, this would not be considered a wave. It was a surge, or a resurgence of infections superimposed upon a baseline ... that really never got down to where we wanted to go." The surge in recent weeks has led to a shortage of hospital beds and threatens to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/01/health/reopening-economy-false-sense-of-security/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2nKpcXFwlkwC8d8g-SXdj18wATbFIgSRaP_m5O7Ml_nv1HhTuz1Il7MAI" target="_blank">set the economy back even further</a>. This virus is notorious for how contagious it is -- and how easily people can infect others <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/09/health/asymptomatic-presymptomatic-coronavirus-spread-explained-wellness/index.html" target="_blank">without symptoms</a>, prompting warnings from health officials that the crisis could get even worse after images of packed beaches emerged over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. "We are in free fall," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. "You see the footage of what happened this past weekend. And people are either naive to the influence of their actions, or they're simply resigned to ignore it." The rise in cases has also affected the turnaround time for getting Covid-19 test results. Quest Diagnostics said in a statement Monday results now take an average of four to six days, whereas in early June it was two to three days. Similarly, LabCorp told CNN its results are taking two to four days, when it had been taking one to two days. Quest and LabCorp said they plan to increase their testing capacity in July. On the same livestream with Fauci on Monday, Dr. Francis Collins, the National Institutes of Health director, tried to reassure Americans the country would get through the pandemic. "We just need all of the people in America to have that confidence. Keep your optimism, keep your hope and do the right thing," Collins said, adding that people need to continue sticking with the recommendations of wearing masks, social distancing, frequent hand washing and avoiding cramped spaces indoors. "All of those simple and straightforward things that I know you're a tired of. But the virus is still out there and needs all of us to keep this from getting any worse," Collins said. Almost 3 million Americans have been infected with Covid-19, including a growing number of young adults. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/03/health/us-coronavirus-friday/index.html" target="_blank">More than 130,000 Americans have died</a> from the disease, and some survivors are <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/01/health/reopening-economy-false-sense-of-security/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2nKpcXFwlkwC8d8g-SXdj18wATbFIgSRaP_m5O7Ml_nv1HhTuz1Il7MAI" target="_blank">grappling with long-term complications</a>. A possible factor in the rapid spread is silent transmission through asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic cases, according to <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/07/02/2008373117#ref-2" target="_blank">a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> Monday. "Let's remember there are 300 million people in this country who remain susceptible and have been uninfected so far, and this virus is far from running out of people to infect," Walensky said. "And until we change our behavior to prevent these infections, the infections are going to continue to soar." In 32 states, the rates of infection are still going up With spikes in new cases, doctors are worried about more hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks. "We're accelerating nationally. ... The number of cases still continues to accelerate," said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "We're breaking records almost every day here in the state of Texas. People are piling into hospitals, into ICUs (intensive care units). We can't really keep going at this rate," he said. "And it's not only happening in Texas, of course. It's happening in Florida, Arizona. We're starting to see now a similar situation unfold on the Gulf Coast. And now we're starting to see this in the Upper Midwest and in Tennessee as well." <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/06/politics/keisha-lance-bottoms-coronavirus-positive-test/index.html" target="_blank">Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms</a> along with some Mississippi legislators tested positive for coronavirus. The situation in Mississippi led to Gov. Tate Reeves and his family to get tested after coming in contact with a legislator with the virus. Like Walensky, Hotez described the spiraling situation as a "free fall." At least 32 states are reporting higher rates of new cases this week compared to last week, according to Johns Hopkins University data: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. In 14 states, the rates of new infections are generally holding steady: Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming. And only four states are seeing decreases in the rates of new cases: Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The rising number of coronavirus cases has led at least 35 states plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico to implement some type of face mask requirement. A number of states don't have statewide mandates, yet most advise people to wear masks in public. Other states like Florida are leaving it to local officials to rule on mask use. In states with some type of mask requirement, the rules can range from a broad mandate to situational rules, such as rules regarding people being in close contact. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-us-maps-and-cases/" target="_blank">Track the virus in your state and across the US</a> Correcting the President's claim During his Fourth of July speech, President Donald Trump claimed 99% of Covid-19 cases "are totally harmless" -- <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/05/politics/fact-checking-trumps-fourth-of-july-speech/index.html" target="_blank">countering what doctors and scientists say</a>. "That 99% harmless (claim) is ridiculous," Hotez said. "We know 15% to 20% of patients are hospitalized, and of those, about half go in intensive care with permanent injury," he said. "That was just an irresponsible statement." And long-term injuries from Covid-19 don't just happen to the elderly. New Jersey physician Dr. Jen Caudle said she's seen <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/health/strokes-coronavirus-young-adults/index.html" target="_blank">young patients suffer from strokes</a>, shortness of breath, fatigue or <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/12/health/smell-taste-coronavirus-pandemic-wellness-intl-gbr/index.html" target="_blank">the inability to smell and taste long after</a> recovering from coronavirus. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to send a letter to the Republican Party of Texas executive director strongly encouraging the GOP to cancel its in-person state Republican convention on July 16, Turner said in a news conference Monday. The convention is the only event that hasn't been canceled or rescheduled to next year, Turner said. "I believe canceling the in-person convention is the responsible action to take while we are in a critical moment in our battle against the COVID-19 pandemic," Turner said. "The virus continues to spread in our community, and we must protect the employees, the people who are in our city, visiting our city, as best as possible." Some parts of the US opened 'too early' In Florida, officials shut multiple beaches throughout the state hoping to avoid July 4 crowds. The state reported 9,999 new coronavirus cases Sunday, bringing Florida's total to more than 200,000 infections. Texas reported its second highest day of new cases over the weekend. The state opened "too early, too much," driving Houston hospitals to surge capacity in recent days, said Harris County government head Lina Hidalgo. "Wishful thinking is neither good economic policy, nor good public health policy," Hidalgo told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "If we had stayed shut down for longer and opened more slowly, we would probably be in a more sustainable place in our economy." In Arizona, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told ABC's "This Week" that her state "opened way too early," attributing much of the "explosion" in cases to people between the ages of 20 and 44. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-questions-answers/" target="_blank">You asked, we're answering: Your top Covid-19 questions</a> Fauci said Monday that to move ahead, the country needs to stop looking at the virus situation as an obstacle to reopening the economy. "Rather than looking at the public health effort versus economic opening as if they were opposing forces -- they're not -- we should use the public health effort as a vehicle and a pathway to get to safe reopening," Fauci said. "It's not an obstacle. It's a pathway to do that. So we've got to make sure that we don't create this binary type thing of 'it's us against them.' It's not. We're all in it together." Florida authorities failed to contact trace A CNN investigation found Florida health authorities often failed to perform <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/health/contact-tracing-explainer-coronavirus/index.html" target="_blank">contact tracing</a>, which has long been considered a key tool in containing coronavirus outbreaks. CNN spoke with 27 Floridians -- or their family members -- who tested positive for the virus and only five said they received a call from health authorities asking for their contacts. It's unclear how many contract tracers are employed by the state. A spokesperson for the state's health department told CNN there are 1,600 people "currently involved in contact tracing every positive case of COVID-19 in Florida" but another said there are 2,300 "individuals involved in contact tracing." According to the Florida Department of Health, when someone tests positive for Covid-19, the department "conducts an extensive epidemiological investigation in conjunction with the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to identify individuals who may have had close contact with the virus." <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/health/contact-tracing-explainer-coronavirus/index.html" target="_blank">Contact tracing 101: How it works and who could get hired</a> When CNN asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, how the nation is doing with contact tracing, he answered, "I don't think we're doing very well." Remdesivir should be reserved for very sick patients, official says Only one antiviral drug, remdesivir, has received emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for use in treating coronavirus infections. Remdesivir has been shown to shorten recovery time for people who catch the virus. The US government intends to "surge remdesivir to the areas that most need it," FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn said Sunday. Hahn noted that the country's remdesivir supply has not run out and is being distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Last week, HHS announced that it had shipped the final allocation of the antiviral drug, prompting concerns there would not be enough to help states experiencing sharp rises in infections. "The vice president and I and others were in Florida and this issue came up, and we are receiving that feedback and then shipping remdesivir," Hahn said. "So it's available for people who need it." The country currently has enough remdesivir if the pandemic doesn't get any worse, former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said Sunday on CBS' "Face The Nation." For the supply to last, the drug should be reserved for very sick or hospitalized Covid-19 patients, Gottlieb said. "But if the epidemic worsens and we want to extend use of the drug to patients who aren't as ill but have preexisting conditions that predict that they may become very sick, we don't have enough drug for that," he said. "We would have had to set the groundwork for that months ago, and we didn't do that." CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly linked holiday crowds over the 4th of July weekend to a surge in hospitalizations. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen, Chuck Johnston, Wes Bruer and Dana Vigue contributed to this report.
With 'Phase 3' on hold, bars will remain closedHARTFORD, CT (WFSB) -- Phase 3 is officially on pause. As a result, bars will remain closed, and gatherings will be limited to 25 people inside and 100 people outside. The state continues to do well in fighting the coronavirus. Connecticut continues to be one of the leaders in the country. However, Gov. Ned Lamont pointed to the major flare-ups happening in other states. That’s why during his COVID-19 briefing on Monday he said he’s hitting the pause button. <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/news/coronavirus-recovery-gov-lamont-says-phase-3-is-paused-for-now/article_183ec32a-a034-11ea-82ef-cfa1ff546550.html" target="_blank">Coronavirus Recovery: Gov. Lamont says 'Phase 3' is paused for now</a> “I like a beer at the bar as much as the next person. I know how frustrating this can be, but right now, with this pandemic flaring up in a majority of other states this is not the time to take a risk,” Lamont said. Phase 3 was supposed to start on July 20. “We’re just erring on the side of caution. We see what’s going on in other states and it’s really important that we maintain that,” Lamont said. The Zen Bar in Plainville was among the businesses that opened for indoor dining during Phase 2 and had been waiting for Phase 3. Its owner said it will be hard to encourage people to dine in, which will mean less business. "If you don’t have an understanding landlord, then good luck," said Giancarlo Garcia-Zimmitti, owner, Zen Bar. "You really have to talk to them, work something out, go to the SBA, get the lifeline loans that are minimal, but at least they’re there." An alternative Connecticut's reopen team may consider would be to take bars out of Phase 3. That means raising the capacity in places such as inside restaurants, gyms and other entertainment venues could happen near or on schedule. "We can slice and dice this in a way that keeps people safe and allowed them to get back to some sense of normalcy," Lamont said. Numbers released on Monday showed that in a three-day aggregate, Connecticut saw 259 positive coronavirus cases from more than 24,000 tests. When Lamont called out other states, it was to that he pointed. “Arizona had 10 times that number of cases test positive in one day. Florida had 30 or 40 times that number test positive over the course of one day,” Lamont said. He added that governors in some of those states admitted to regretting opening up too soon. He took cues from them. “As Gov. Greg Abbott said, ‘I regret opening the bars at all because they are so conducive to the infection’,” Lamont said. The governor said he’s taking a "wait and see" approach before reopening bars, which is putting bar owners in a tough spot. The other things on pause are the capacity increases in various sectors, but the governor did say there’s a possibility those restrictions will be lifted earlier.
New Haven cuts $4 million to police budgetNEW HAVEN, CT (WFSB) - There will be a $4 million cut to the New Haven Police Department in the approved budget for the fiscal year 2020-2021, the city announced on Monday. The city also said 48 positions in the department will be eliminated. Officials said the reduction in the size of the police force will make it more difficult to have enough officers for walking beats. Supervisor transfers will also be more likely because fewer supervisor positions will exist, the city said. While there were cuts to city departments, there were no cuts to youth and homeless services. Mayor Justin Elicker released a statement in which he said the cuts have nothing to do with recent protests that called for "defunding police." This budget is a reflection of tough financial decisions precipitated by the City’s increasing financial obligations. The budget is also a reflection of our values as a City and the challenges we face balancing the tax burden with providing services to residents – many of whom are struggling in our City. While we will always work to identify more efficiencies, these are real decisions that have a real impact on the services we deliver. With the additional $2M of cuts approved by the Board of Alders, we’re eliminating 21 additional positions on top of the 80 positions initially proposed for a total of 101 positions.These cuts will impact City services. They will: reduce our ability to enforce public space violations, increase the likelihood of reassigning district managers in the New Haven Police Department more frequently because of a reduction in positions, reduce services to seniors, reduce some library hours, slow the repair schedule for Parks and Public Works projects, and further reduce support for the arts.These are not decisions I want to make. The Board of Alders and I have the same goal to strike the right balance between high taxes and services we provide. We may not land exactly on the same page as to how exactly to strike that balance. Still, we can acknowledge that these are difficult decisions, and there is no easy answer. To see the full budget, click <a href="https://www.newhavenct.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=37382" target="_blank">here.</a> This decision came during an already tumultuous time for New Haven police. Demonstrators had called for defunding the the department as part of the nationwide movement protesting police brutality. The tension built after body camera footage of officer Jason Santiago was released showing him punching and kicking a suspect who had already been handcuffed. Santiago was later fired and department leaders pledged to do better. But through it all, Elicker stood by the police department and said officers played an important role in keeping the community safe. He admitted Monday night that the job became more difficult. The mayor did say despite the shrinking budget, resources for homeless and youth services will not be negatively impacted.
TRENDING NOW: Yoga mom, flying couch, chimp feeds fishA mom attempts yoga with her child climbing all over her, paraglider takes flight on a sofa and a chimp feeds fish. Those are the stories trending on July 7.
Rally for more black subcontractors held in New HavenNEW HAVEN, CT (WFSB) - A community center in a predominantly black neighborhood in New Haven is 30 percent complete. Now small businesses are speaking out, saying the city needs to hire more black subcontractors for the project. The city provided some numbers today for the Dixwell Q House project. As of May, only nine percent of subcontractors for the Q House are African American, and only 8 percent of the total workforce are African American employees. "It seem like New Haven- they wanna keep they feet on our neck, and we can't grow here," said Rodney Williams, a small business contractor. Subcontractors pouring out their frustrations at a rally Monday in front of New Haven city hall called for the city to employ more black companies for projects. The center of the demonstration is the 54,000 square foot Q House, a community center that will house a library, a health center, a senior center, and more, in the heart of a predominantly black neighborhood. "If we’re not using neighborhood residents to help build this building, it sends the wrong message," Mayor Justin Elicker said. Mayor Elicker said the lack of black subcontractors at the site is a problem. The city ordinance requires black subcontracts equal 10 percent, but a progress report by the city says the general contractor has only hit nine percent of that goal for the Q House. "It is not right that the city outsourced other contractors when there are contractors locally that can do the job," Reverend Virgis said. City engineer Giovanni Zinn says there's still a lot left to do with the project, from flooring to sheetrock. He says they're trying to remedy the situation. "We’ve really gone back to the general contractor and the prime subs and explained to them the rules and what they have to do in order to get more subcontractors," Zinn said. With two-thirds of the project left business owners demanded the city and general contractor give them a bigger piece. "The services coming out of that building will help our city. So let’s make sure we have our black businesses working there," said Chaz Charmon with Ice the Beef. The construction on the health center part of the facility will start this fall. Zinn says they are working on a small contractor development program to attract more black companies for that part of the project.
Silver Alert issued for missing 6-year-old boy from West HavenWEST HAVEN, CT (WFSB) - Police are searching for a 6-year-old West Haven boy that went missing on Monday. Michael King is black with black hair and brown eyes. His height, weight, and clothing description are unknown. Anyone with information is asked to call West Haven police at 203-933-1616.
City officials remove Christopher Columbus statue in BridgeportBRIDGEPORT, CT (WFSB) - City officials removed the Christopher Columbus statue at Seaside Park out of an abundance of caution on Monday. The statue was placed in storage "for preservation of the historic artifact, the need to respond to modern-day sensitivities, as well as public safety at large," the city said in a statement. The city says the future of the statue is undetermined. "We recognize, value, celebrate and support all cultures and ethnicities in our city and we need continue to do so with respect and understanding,” Mayor Ganim said. "Though we removed the statue, Bridgeport is a diverse community and we must continue to work collaboratively to ensure that all cultures and ethnicities are welcomed and represented by our actions,” said City Council President Aidee Nieves. The city said community leaders of all cultures and ethnicities are discussing how to honor each other's heritage in the city in a peaceful, educational and supportive way.
Something's Open: Griswold InnThe Griswold Inn has been open for 244 years, but the pandemic threw a unique challenge their way.
Teen dies after being shot while driving in Hartford Monday afternoonHARTFORD/WEST HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) -- A 19-year-old male has died after being shot while driving in Hartford Monday afternoon. The shooting happened around 2 p.m. in Hartford, on Capitol Avenue. Police said the car the teen was driving was traveling westbound near the Hartford, West Hartford town line when it was shot at. The unidentified driver and a passenger were struck. After the shooting, the car crashed into a building at 1037 Boulevard. The driver, a 19-year-old male, was in critical condition but passed away just after 4 p.m. His 17-year-old female passenger is in stable condition. A third person was in the car but was not shot. Channel 3 has a crew at the scene working to gather more info. Stay tuned for updates.