Connecticut
Connecticut Leaders Vow To Fight For Education Following Trump Executive Order | CT News Junkie
HARTFORD, CT — State officials and educators decried President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for the federal Department of Education’s closure on Thursday, vowing to fight the administration on education issues.
“Programs like Title I, IDEA, Pell Grants, and Impact Aid are essential to ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education, regardless of their family’s income,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “These investments help level the playing field, providing critical resources for low-income students, funding mental health and school safety initiatives, and guaranteeing services for students with disabilities.”
Lamont said the executive order “threatens the strength and stability” of public schools.
The executive order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”
It also instructs McMahon to ensure the continued allocation of DOE funds, except to programs and activities that utilize “diversity, equity and inclusion” or “[promotes] gender ideology.”
The president does not have the power to unilaterally shut down the department. That would require an act of Congress. However, the executive order is the latest step in the Trump administration’s multi-pronged plan to strangle the DOE. Last week, the administration fired 1,300 DOE employees as it continued to downsize the agency.
McMahon said that the executive order was a “history-making action” that sends education back where it belongs.
“Education is fundamentally a state responsibility,” she said in a statement. “Instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, we will empower states to take charge and advocate for and implement what is best for students, families, and educators in their communities.”
McMahon went on to say that the closure of the department would not result in the loss of funds the department coordinates and disperses to schools and programs across the nation.
Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, acknowledged that the order doesn’t formally close the DOE. However, she said the action continues to “devalue” and “deemphasize” the work that goes into public education and the importance of that work. She vowed to fight the administration on education issues,
“We need to lift it up and honor the more than 500,000 students that are engaged in public education here in the State of Connecticut,” she said in a video shared with the media. “So while the feds are going to do what they’re going to do, we here in the State of Connecticut are going to continue to fight for what’s right. And that is protecting and preserving the education for more than 500,000 students across the great State of Connecticut.”
Rep. Joe Courtney, D-CT, honed in on the specific programs that the executive order could affect.
“To dismantle the Department of Education is to dismantle the pathways to success local students use every day to build a rewarding and family-sustaining career,” he said. “In just the last year, Thompson and Westbrook high schools in eastern Connecticut used financial assistance from [DOE] to open new and expanded welding labs, which are critically important to connecting students to good-paying manufacturing jobs right out of high school.”
He said 95 percent of K-12 public schools in Connecticut’s Second Congressional District depend on federal Title I funding. Additionally, he said 1,600 teachers, nurses, police officers, and other public servants earned debt relief through the bipartisan Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Both are administered by the DOE.
Senate Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, issued a joint statement accusing the president of offering up American children as a “sacrifice” in service of the administration’s pursuit of tax cuts for the wealthiest people in the world.
According to the senators, Connecticut relies on the DOE for more than $394.5 million in funding, which accounted for more than 10% of the state’s total revenue for education in 2024. DOE funds also support free and reduced-price meals, funding for schools in low-income communities, mechanisms for processing civil rights and disability-based discrimination cases, and management of student aid programs such as Pell Grants.
“This reckless order puts nearly $400 million for Connecticut schools in jeopardy, including funding for school meals and special education,” the senators said. “For weeks, we’ve witnessed a deliberate effort to hollow out the core of this nation’s institutions to facilitate more favorable conditions for the fabulously wealthy elite. As the Trump Administration writes off the future of Connecticut kids as collateral damage, Connecticut Republicans stand idly by.”
House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, was more cautious in his statement about the executive order, saying it had ignited “much-needed debate” about the nation’s education bureaucracy and criticizing state Democrats as “defending a broken architecture that drives up college debt and fails K-12 students and educators year after year,”
Candelora said Democrats should “join the conversation about creating real reform that supports educators while ensuring every student gets the education they deserve.”
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Lamont Addresses School Superintendents On Education Funding, Mental Health, Technology
BRISTOL, CT – Gov. Ned Lamont outlined the state’s priorities for education funding, student mental health, and the role of technology in schools – emphasizing the need to limit distractions in classrooms – during the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents spring conference on Thursday.
Speaking over breakfast at the Bristol Events Center, Lamont acknowledged the challenges facing national education policy, referencing recent travels during which he observed how other countries approach education, artificial intelligence, and social media regulation.
“There is uncertainty coming out of Washington, D.C.,” he said. “Other countries are already implementing national policies on artificial intelligence and social media regulation. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., our leaders are debating whether to eliminate the Department of Education.”
He stressed the importance of preparing students for a competitive workforce: “We need to ensure that we have the best-trained workforce in the world. We’ve got to make sure that we’re thinking about our kids, not just in terms of school today, but in terms of preparing them for the world they’re going to enter tomorrow.”
Reflecting on the challenges schools have faced in recent years, Lamont noted that student struggles extend beyond the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Coming out of COVID, I thought all this anxiety and isolation were just related to the pandemic,” Lamont said. “But years later, we’re seeing these issues persist. Something deeper is going on.”
He pointed to the growing body of research linking screen overuse and social media to rising rates of anxiety, stress, and depression among young people.
“We started seeing a rise in anxiety, stress, and depression long before COVID,” he said. “It’s clear that the overuse of screens and social media is playing a role.”
Lamont also spoke about efforts to reduce distractions caused by smartphones in schools, highlighting districts that have already begun limiting phone use during the school day.
“More and more of you are getting phones out of schools, and I’m hearing from teachers that things are enormously different. Students are able to concentrate and engage in class again.”
He acknowledged that some parents are hesitant about such policies.
“Some parents feel like they need to be in contact with their kids 24/7,” he said. “But even now, I’ve found there’s a lot more relaxation going on, and I think parents are starting to appreciate what it means for their kids.”
Following Lamont’s remarks, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt spoke about the long-term effects of smartphones and social media on child development. Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation,” has studied the impact of digital habits on mental health, citing data that shows a sharp increase in anxiety, depression, and self-harm among teenagers after 2010.
“There was no trend before 2010,” Haidt said. “Then social media exploded, and everything changed.”
He described what he calls the “great rewiring” of childhood, in which in-person socialization has been replaced by digital interaction.
“The play-based childhood that previous generations experienced has been replaced by a phone-based childhood, and we are seeing the consequences in rising rates of anxiety, depression, and social anxiety,” he said. “If you take a child’s ability to explore, take risks, and problem-solve away from them and instead give them an endless stream of curated digital content, their brain is going to develop differently.”
Haidt recommended delaying smartphone use until at least middle school, prohibiting social media access for children under 16, and implementing phone-free school policies statewide.
Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker emphasized the importance of addressing student well-being through policy and data-driven decisions.
“More and more students are struggling with anxiety, depression, and stress,” she said. “They watch the same news as we do, they see the same social media trends. This is impacting every zip code in Connecticut.”
She pointed to ongoing legislative efforts, stating that “we have over 50 bills in the legislature right now that could shift the education landscape. We must stay engaged and ensure that policies serve the well-being of every student.”
Lamont reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting educators and students.
“We can’t afford to lose a generation to distraction and depression,” he said. “Our kids deserve better – and we’re going to give it to them.”
Connecticut
Exclusive | Ex-CBS anchor Josh Elliott back on Connecticut dating scene after ugly Liz Cho split
Ex-CBS host Josh Elliott is looking for love eight months after he filed for divorce from “Eyewitness News” anchor Liz Cho.
“Josh is out and about on the dating scene in Fairfield County,” a spy exclusively tells Page Six. “He’s been seen at the bars in the area where middle-aged singles congregate.”
A second source tells Page Six, “Josh isn’t dating anyone, but he is open to meeting people. His daughter is his priority.”
Page Six can also reveal that Elliott moved out of his and Cho’s estimated $4.2 million Connecticut marital home in January.
In court papers dated Jan. 29 and obtained by Page Six, Cho revealed Elliott moved out of their home and into a new residence without her knowledge.
Cho claimed she was notified by Optimum on Jan. 21, regarding her ex installing internet at his new home.
“The Defendant learned for the first time from said communication that on or about January 15, 2026, the Plaintiff secured an unfurnished rental residence located in Southport, Connecticut,” the filing read.
“It is now clear that the Plaintiff surreptitiously entered a new lease…” the court papers continued.
A rep for Elliott did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Page Six broke the ousted CBS anchor filed for divorce from Cho after a decade of marriage on June 20, 2025.
“The marriage of the parties has broken down irretrievably,” the court papers read. Elliott asked for a “dissolution of the marriage” and for “an equitable distribution of all property, both real and personal.”
Cho responded to her estranged husband’s complaint on Nov. 6 and filed a cross-complaint against him. She also stated their marriage “has broken down irretrievably.”
The divorce became messy when Cho requested “copies of written correspondence, emails, cards, WeChat messages, Facebook messages, social media messaging, instant messaging, telephonic text messages, transcribed voicemail messages or any written forms of communication” between Elliott and “any person, other than the defendant, with whom [Elliott] have or have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship, from July 11, 2015, to the present.”
Elliott objected the request on the “grounds that the time frame of the request for production is unreasonable, unnecessary, harassing and not likely to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.”
Cho also requested “monies spent for the benefit of any person with whom you have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship, other than the defendant,” “property given or transferred by you to any person with whom you have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship, other than the defendant,” “monies spent for your benefit by any person with whom you have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship with, other than the defendant.”
The TV personality in addition requested financial records, documentation proving Elliott’s search for employment — as he was ousted from CBS in 2017 — travel invoices, and more. Elliott objected to the requests.
A source close to the couple previously told Page Six, “This is standard in a divorce. Her lawyer is doing a thorough document request. The documents she is requesting are standard.” The insider also insisted there is no evidence Elliott had a relationship with anyone outside the marriage.
Also in the Jan. 29 court filing, Cho filed a motion for contempt against Elliott regarding their jointly owned marital Connecticut mansion.
Cho claimed Elliott arranged for a moving truck to come to the marital residence while she was on vacation with her daughter on Jan. 19.
Cho claimed Elliott moved a “significant amount of furniture and furnishings from the marital residence,” and their “two Portuguese water dogs,” which she alleged at the time of the filing were not returned.
The court docs continued to allege, “On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, [Cho] realized that she was missing a valuable watch and earrings from her jewelry bag. As [Elliott] is the only other person who had access to the missing watch and jewelry, [Cho] believes [Elliott] is in possession of such personal property.”
She claimed his alleged actions are a “willful violation” of the court’s orders.
The insider alleged Elliott was the one to take care of the dogs and that he took “a small amount of furniture.”
In Elliott’s response to her filing, he objected to her request and claimed her allegations are “false and inflammatory.”
He claimed in court papers, “[Cho] alleges [Elliott] ‘ransacked’ and ‘abandoned’ the marital residence — claims that are patently false and intended to annoy, harass and intimidate [Elliott].
“[Elliott] did not ransack the marital home. He did not damage the property. He did not render the residence uninhabitable. He removed limited personal property and furnishings so he would have a safe haven from [Cho’s] escalating and erratic behavior direct at not only [Elliott], but his minor child as well.”
In a separate filing, he continued to defend his actions by alleging, “[Elliott] removed only limited furniture items and furnishings, many from the basement, solely to furnish a new residence after removing himself and his child from a hostile environment created by [Cho]. All property remains intact and subject to equitable distribution.”
In regard to the jewelry claim, Elliott said, “Perhaps most egregious is [Cho’s] baseless accusation that [Elliott] stole her jewelry. This allegation is made without evidence, without corroboration and without even a good-faith attempt to verify the truth.”
He then accused her of “monitoring and listening to [Elliott’s] private phone calls; rifling through [Elliott’s] personal belongings and closet; leaving the marital residence for extended periods without communication despite the presence of two dogs requiring daily care” and more claims.
He is requesting that the court deny her motion for contempt and they are due in court on March 20.
Lawyers for Cho and Elliott did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment regarding the divorce.
Elliott, 54, and Cho, 55, met while working for ABC and got married in July 2015.
This was the second marriage for both, as they each share a daughter from their previous relationships.
Cho has been with ABC on “Eyewitness News” since 2003, while Elliott was with ABC’s “Good Morning America” from 2011 to 2014.
After a brief stint with NBC, he joined CBSN as lead daytime anchor in March 2016. Nearly a year later, he was let go from the company.
Elliott has been out of the spotlight in recent years, but is now in talks to join Gayle King and Nate Burleson on “CBS Mornings,” Awful Announcing reported.
A man was charged with murder and interfering with police on Sunday night.
According to police, officers were dispatched to an apartment on Washington Street for a wellness check of a woman who was reportedly unconscious and not breathing.
When officers arrived, they made contact with a man in the apartment who refused to cooperate and would not allow officers access. They then had to force entry into the apartment where they located the victim suffering from severe head trauma as well as the aggressive male, police said.
The man was secured and transported to the Hartford Police Detention Facility and is being held on a million-dollar bond.
The victim was revealed to be 76-year-old Linda Anthony and was pronounced deceased on scene.
The Hartford Police Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.
Hartford police are investigating a fatal vehicle accident that occurred early Sunday morning in the area of Elizabeth and North Beacon Street.
Police say they were dispatched to the area for reports of a single vehicle crash and found a 2013 Hyundai Sonata crashed into a retaining wall on the west side of the intersection.
According to police, 31-year-old Shalique Payne of Manchester sustained serious life-threatening injuries.
He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Hartford Police Crime Division responded and is investigating the scene.
The victim has not been identified and anyone with information is asked to call the Tip Line at 860-722-TIPS (8477).
Exclusive | Ex-CBS anchor Josh Elliott back on Connecticut dating scene after ugly Liz Cho split
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