Connecticut
Connecticut businesses could lose thousands in TikTok ban
Shierka Billips runs SVG On Demand from her basement in the Oakdale section of Montville.
She said TikTok is a huge part of her revenue and she’s made hundreds of thousands of dollars on the app.
“I’m emotional,” Billips said. “I’ve been thinking about it very hard and what it’s going to do for my small business.”
She has nearly 130,000 followers on her TikTok page and said her account has accounted for 60 to 80% of her growth of her revenue.
At Sam’s Barber Shop in Rocky Hill, owner Sam Balija said TikTok has introduced him to a new audience of people and even clients from out of state.
“Everybody wants to see your social media presence to see if you’re a legit as a business,” Balija said.
Balija and Billips are not alone. Connecticut is home to several small and large TikTok accounts and one of the app’s biggest creators, Charli D’Amelio, is from Norwalk.
In the United States, that app has over 170 million users, but the government is citing national security and data concerns as the reason for the ban. The app is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
“TikTok itself is a U.S. based company,” Bree Fowler, cybersecurity writer at CNET, said. “It’s ByteDance, its parent, that is based in China, and the U.S. government doesn’t want ByteDance having any type of involvement with TikTok.”
TikTok is headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore, but also has an office in New York City.
The ban is set to take place on Sunday and while TikTok’s lawyers appeared in front of the Supreme Court last week, it’s not looking likely that they’ll reverse the decision.
ByteDance has until Jan. 19 to divest in TikTok or shut down the app. Experts predict that once the Jan. 19 deadline approaches, the app will still be available on users’ phones who already have it downloaded, but people may face glitches or bugs.
Connecticut
HBO casting in CT for neighbor dispute docuseries
A hit HBO documentary series is looking to Connecticut for stories to feature in its second season.
The show “Neighbors” follows on-going neighbor disputes across the country. The goal of the show is to help neighbors reach a resolution, according to the show’s casting director and executive producer Harleigh Shaw.
“Each story we explore, we spend extensive time with neighbors on both sides to really understand the full context beyond the disputes,” Shaw said.
Producers wanted to share stories in the second season that were based in states that weren’t featured earlier this year in the first season, including Connecticut, Shaw said.
“A lot of the things that we’re most interested in are things that may seem small, but become a bigger issue between the neighbors,” Shaw said. “Anything from disagreements over gardening practices to property lines to noise to dock issues, if it’s a waterfront property. A whole myriad of things. We’re really open to anything.”
However, the show does avoid situations that are violent or dangerous.
Residents from Connecticut looking to participate should be open to third party conflict resolution, according to Shaw.
“Some of the ways that we did that were through mediation,” Shaw said. “That’s a huge one. But there are other things in terms of resources we’d be open to help the neighbors to like help work through the issues.”
Filming will take place throughout the summer and is expected to be completed by the end of September.
The show’s production team is located in New York City and Los Angeles.
“Connecticut has always been really interesting because it’s just a short trip away, and we’re just curious to explore the types of neighbor dynamics that are going on there,” Shaw said.
Connecticut residents who are interested in being on “Neighbors,” can apply at helloneighbortv.com and are encouraged to submit information about themselves as well as their neighbor dispute.
“The neighbor disputes are the entry point for this show, but we’re always also just very interested in inspiring amazing people doing cool stuff,” Shaw said.
“Neighbors” premiered in February and was quickly renewed. The show averages about 3 million viewers per episode.
The show features stories that make viewers laugh and cringe, according to HBO Programming’s Executive Vice President Nina Rosenstein.
“At a time when even the smallest disagreements can spiral out of control, ‘Neighbors’ feels both hilariously absurd and surprisingly relatable,” Rosenstein said. “What makes the show special isn’t just the stories and people they find, but the empathy and humanity they bring to each episode.”
Connecticut
‘Serious’ crash closes Sugar Hollow Road in Danbury
DANBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Danbury drivers can expect hours-long closures on Sugar Hollow Road early Monday morning after a “serious” crash, according to local police.
Police said the morning crash has caused closures in both directions at the Ridgefield Line (Bennetts Farm Road) and at Miry Brook Road.
The road is expected to close for approximately three to four hours, police said.
Drivers are asked to seek alternate routes, including George Washington Highway and Route 53.
There are no words on injuries.
Additional information was not immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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Watch News 8 on WTNH.com or the free WTNH News 8 streaming app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and select Samsung Smart TVs.
Connecticut
Cyclosporiasis outbreak prompts food safety concerns in Connecticut
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (WFSB) – People like Dena Pizzoferrato are changing what they put in their grocery carts after hearing about a cyclosporiasis outbreak.
“I’m kind of a little nervous so I’m looking to see what I buy right now,” Pizzoferrato said. “Today I didn’t buy any lettuce. I said I’m OK for now.”
Doctors say the illness is spread through parasites that make their way onto fresh produce. There have been 23 reported cases in Connecticut since May, but the CDC says the number is likely higher. Across the country, more than 840 cases and 86 hospitalizations have been reported in 31 states.
Symptoms include diarrhea and nausea that can last days to weeks. Doctors have not identified a source for the outbreak.
Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare, said a range of produce could be contaminated.
“Typical things you would think are vegetables or fruits. In the past, it’s been raspberries, basil, cilantro. You may find it in lettuces, bagged salads. So it’s a variety of things that can be contaminated, but they have not found it at this time,” said Wu.
Wu said residents should take precautions with their produce. “Take precautions with your fruit and your produce. We give the same advice when people go overseas that you should always peel something. You should always boil something,” he said.
Doctors also recommend washing produce thoroughly if boiling is not an option, and washing hands regularly.
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