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Health
An unvaccinated child in Connecticut has been diagnosed with measles, public health officials confirmed, the state’s first confirmed case of the highly contagious disease since 2021.
The child, who is under the age of 10, lives in Fairfield County, the Connecticut Department of Public Health announced last week. The child had recently travelled internationally before showing symptoms including cough, runny nose, congestion, fever, and eventually a full-body rash.
“The single best way to protect your children and yourself from measles is to be vaccinated,” Connecticut DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, said in a statement. “One dose of measles vaccine is about 93 percent effective, while two doses are about 97 percent effective.”
The United States has seen a record high 1,912 measles cases since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, the CDC reported. As of July 7, this year has also reported the most cases in more than 30 years, according to the International Vaccine Access Center.
Earlier this year, West Texas saw a measles outbreak of hundreds of cases, mostly among unvaccinated children who had to be hospitalized. About one in five unvaccinated people diagnosed with measles are hospitalized, Connecticut DPH said, and the disease can be especially dangerous for children.
“We must ensure we continue to protect those who matter most – children and other vulnerable people – from vaccine preventable illnesses through on-time vaccination,” Juthani said.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his overhaul on the childhood vaccine schedule and doubts on COVID vaccine safety, endorsed the measles vaccine after two children died from measles amid the outbreak in Texas.
“The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy said in April.
Earlier this year, a Vermont child who had recently traveled internationally was confirmed to have been infected with measles. In March, a man tested positive for measles after traveling on an Amtrak train originating from Boston’s South Station to Washington D.C.
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A Connecticut woman allegedly coerced a 13-year-old Long Island boy to send her a sexually explicit video of himself and later picked up the boy and brought him to her home where she attempted to engage in sexual activity, according federal prosecutors.
Amily Colon, 31, was arrested Friday on a federal criminal complaint for alleged sexual coercion of a minor she met online, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut announced.
Colon, who identified herself as “Alice,” was ordered detained Friday after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, Connecticut.
The defendant allegedly communicated with the boy through the Discord app and prosecutors said the conversations became sexually explicit. Colon allegedly sent sexually explicit images and videos of herself to the victim.
On June 26, Colon traveled to Long Island, picked up the boy and brought him to her Wethersfield, Connecticut, home. She brought him back to Long Island the next day and dropped him off a few blocks from his home, prosecutors said. Colon denied any sexual acts occurred, according to a motion for detention pending trial.
A criminal complaint outlining the allegations remained sealed as of Saturday morning, according to federal court records. Colon was represented at Friday’s court appearance by a public defender who could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday. The records did not indicate whether Colon entered a plea.
The FBI located social media posts and journal entries “that raise significant concerns regarding the danger she poses to the community and children in particular,” according to the motion.
Colon allegedly admitted owning the Discord account and communicating with the victim as well as picking him up in New York. She also allegedly admitted to prosecutors that she engaged with other minors online between 13 and 16 years old and that law enforcement would find child pornography on her cellphone, according to the motion.
Colon faces charges of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity. She faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life, according to federal prosecutors.
Suffolk County police assisted in the investigation along with the FBI’s child exploitation task force’s in New Haven and Long Island as well as the Wethersfield Police Department.
Suffolk police deferred any questions on the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and could not comment on whether the boy had been reported missing while in Connecticut.
Discord, a communications platform with video, voice and text capabilities, states it has “zero-tolerance policy for child sexual abuse material” and the company in 2023 announced it developed new software to detect illicit material.
It’s unclear whether the company alerted law enforcement in this case.
A probable cause hearing is scheduled for July 31.
Cases of child exploitation can be reported to cybertipline.com. And for information on Project Safe Childhood, which aims to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, visit justice.gov/psc.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Connecticut Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.
Those who want to play in Connecticut can enter the CT Lotto, Millionaire for Life and Cash 5 games as well as play the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. There are also two drawings a day for the Play 3 with Wild Ball and Play 4 with Wild Ball games.
Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.
Here’s a look at Friday, July 17, 2026 results for each game:
22-34-45-48-55, Mega Ball: 14
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
04-07-08-14-26-35
Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
04-09-16-23-26
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 4-9-8, WB: 3
Night: 4-4-7, WB: 9
Check Play3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 8-2-3-2, WB: 0
Night: 0-5-5-0, WB: 3
Check Play4 payouts and previous drawings here.
03-19-38-48-58, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Connecticut Lottery prizes up to $599 can be easily claimed at any authorized CT Lottery Retailer without additional forms or documentation or by mail. For prizes between $600 and $5,000, winners have the option to claim by mail or in person at any CT Lottery High-Tier Claim Center or CT Lottery Headquarters. For prizes between $5,001 and $49,999, winnings must be claimed in person at the Connecticut Lottery headquarters or by mail. All prizes over $50,000 must be claimed in person at CT Lottery Headquarters. Winners are required to bring a government-issued photo ID and their Social Security card.
CT Lottery Claims Dept.
15 Sterling Drive
Wallingford, CT 06492
For additional details, including locations of High-Tier Claim Centers, visit the Connecticut Lottery’s claim information page.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Connecticut editor. You can send feedback using this form.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A Wethersfield woman was charged Friday after allegedly bringing a minor from New York to her home and attempting to sexually coerce him, according to the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Amily Colon, 31, was charged on a federal criminal complaint with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and with transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Court documents allege that Colon initiated an online relationship with a 13-year-old boy from New York.
Colon, who identified herself as “Alice,” allegedly had conversations with the victim through a messaging and communications app, according to court documents.
The conversations became sexually explicit, documents state. Then, Colon allegedly coerced the victim to send her a sexually explicit video of himself, and Colon sent back explicit images and videos of herself in return.
On June 26, Colon traveled to an area of New York to pick up the victim and bring him to her residence in Wethersfield, court documents allege. Here, Colon allegedly attempted to engage in sexual activity.
The next day, Colon drove the victim back to New York and dropped him off a few blocks from his home, according to court documents.
Colon was ordered detained in Hartford on Friday.
Officials in Connecticut and New York are conducting the investigation.
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