Connecticut
Connecticut leaders react to capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — The United States military carried out “large scale” strike inside Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday morning, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, according to President Donald Trump.
Leaders in Connecticut are responding to the military action.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) shared the following statement.
“If we’re starting another endless war, with no clear national security strategy or need, count me out. Maduro is a cruel criminal dictator, but President Trump has never sought approval from Congress for war as the Constitution requires – and our military deserves. We’ve seen several Administrations lead us into conflicts without objectives or timelines and with disastrous consequences. President Trump has also articulated no clear end game to prevent further chaos, violence, and bloodshed in Venezuela. The American people deserve—and Congress should demand—facts and clarity.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called the strike the start of an “illegal war” between the U.S. and Venezuela.
“President Trump thinks he is above the law. He steals from taxpayers. He thumbs his nose at the law. And now, he is starting an illegal war with Venezuela that Americans didn’t ask for and has nothing to do with our security. How does going to war in South America help regular Americans who are struggling? How does this do anything about drugs entering the U.S. when Venezuela produces no fentanyl? What is the actual security threat to the United States? And what happens next in Venezuela? He cannot answer these questions – and that’s why there was no briefing to Congress to explain this action, and no briefing scheduled. And Maduro’s illegitimate election does not give the president the power to invade without congressional approval, nor does it create a national security justification. That contention is laughable. This is about satisfying Trump’s vanity, making good on the long standing neocon grudge against Maduro, enriching Trump’s oil industry backers, and distracting voters from Epstein and rising costs.”
Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said the Trump administration acted without congressional approval.
“Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, but I have seen no evidence that his presidency poses a threat that would justify military action without Congressional authorization, nor have I heard a strategy for the day after and how we will prevent Venezuela from descending into chaos. Secretary Rubio repeatedly denied to Congress that the Administration intended to force regime change in Venezuela. The Administration must immediately brief Congress on its plan to ensure stability in the region and its legal justification for this decision.”
State Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding (R-Conn.) shared that he hopes Maduro is brought to justice, calling him an “integral culprit” in the “narcotic ring” in the United States.
“President Maduro has been an integral culprit in fostering the narcotic ring in our country which has killed far too many Americans. I hope he is brought to justice and we can continue to address the substance abuse crisis that our state and country continues to face.
The Chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party Ben Proto shared the following statement.
“President Trump promised to stop the flow of drugs into the US that have been killing millions of Americans. Nicolas Maduro, who declared himself President, while getting about 30% of the vote in the last so called free election in Venezuela, was given multiple warnings to stop the flow of drugs from his country into America, was offered help by the Trump administration in stopping the flow, but he continued to, not only allow the flow of drugs, but condone it and profit from it. Presidents have long used their constitutional authority to intervene in other countries when those countries posed a danger to America and Americans. President Trump did just that. Unfortunately Democrats, particularly Jim Himes, Chris Murphy and Dick Blumenthal are more interested in playing politics than in protecting Americans. Nearly 1,000 Connecticut residents died from drug overdoses in 2024 and we have seen an increase in overdoses in 2025. If only Democrats cared as much about Americans as they do about a drug lord running another country who profits from the death of Americans.“
Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) demanded that Congress must be briefed before further action.
“As information about U.S military strikes in Venezuela unfold, I have more questions than answers. Nicolas Maduro is a brutal dictator who caused so much harm to his people. However, as Americans we must seriously weigh the consequences of attacking a sovereign nation and committing to “run Venezuela.” Congress must be briefed immediately, before this situation continues to escalate. I will comment further as credible information becomes available to Members of Congress.“
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) shared the following statement, claiming that there could be “severe repercussions for American interests.”
“President Trump’s unilateral decision to attempt a regime change operation in Venezuela by using military force to capture Nicolas Maduro and declaring, ‘we will run the country’, threatens global order and is a fundamental violation of the Constitution, which gives Congress the responsibility of authorizing major military actions that could have severe repercussions for American interests.
“America’s unprecedented global strength and prosperity was built on this principle of restraining military force through democratic bodies like Congress. President Trump has shredded this principle, and along with it has destroyed American credibility and emboldened our adversaries to act with similar aggression. This new foreign policy that President Trump and his advisors have used to justify this act of war, including invoking the 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine as a justification for America to do whatever it pleases in the Western Hemisphere, is the exact same reasoning that China would use to justify invading Taiwan, and which Russia has used to assault Ukraine.
“President Trump has also now threatened Cuba with similar language, and is preparing a giant corrupt giveaway to oil companies by claiming that the United States will acquire Venezuela’s oil. This is corruption of the highest order. Maduro was an authoritarian who stayed in power despite the will of the people, but that does not justify the United States in starting a war to benefit some of the world’s wealthiest corporations.
“President Trump did all of this without the consent of Congress, and without providing any details or day-after plans. The full consequences of this act of war will not be known for some time, and they may require putting American boots on the ground in Venezuela, as the President has said he was prepared to do. The American people do not want to be dragged into another endless conflict distracting from the rising cost of living and the affordability crisis. Whatever happens next, the responsibility will be squarely with President Trump and his contempt for the Constitution and for Congress.”
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) echoed the statements of his fellow Democrats.
“This is yet another authoritarian power grab by Donald Trump. As he indicated in his address, it’s clear it’s about the oil!!! And securing that oil!!! And securing it with the use of our brave men and women in the United States military!!! The Constitution entrusts Congress, not the President, with the power to declare war for a reason. It’s Congress’s responsibility to decide whether the nation goes to war or not! That’s why I’m joining with others in calling on the President to immediately brief Congress—and for Congress to assert its authority under the Constitution and the War Powers Act—to let this President know he does not have the authority to unilaterally commit our country to yet another endless war.“
This is a developing story. Stay with News 8 for updates.
A prosecutor said Cole Werhan, the man charged with murdering a Duxbury, Massachusetts woman inside a Connecticut home, has several open domestic violence cases.
Police say Werhan killed 26-year-old Janina Brooke Murphy inside the Burlington, Connecticut home where she was living. Murphy was found at the bottom of a staircase on March 29, but no charges were filed until Tuesday.
Werhan was arraigned Wednesday in Torrington Superior Court in Connecticut. The judge accepted the prosecution’s request to continue holding Werhan on $5 million bond.
Murphy and Werhan were dating, the woman’s mother said. Beth Murphy told WBZ-TV that a detective said her daughter had wounds “all over her” and police were investigating her death as suspicious.
“It’s just been the worst time of my life as you can imagine,” Beth Murphy said. “He killed my baby.”
In court Wednesday, the prosecutor said Werhan is an “extreme danger to the community.”
Werhan currently has four domestic violence cases with different victims in each, the prosecutor said.
On June 3, Werhan was arrested in one of those cases. He was able to post the $750,000 bail and was released with an electronic monitoring device. Werhan has not been convicted of any crimes.
One of the alleged victims told police in an interview that he hit her, strangler her, and threatened to kill her multiple times.
His defense attorney argued that the $5 million bond was “simply not affordable,” and asked instead for $1 million bond. The judge sided with the prosecution.
In arguing for lower bond, Werhan’s attorney argued that he has always appeared in court for each of his cases and should not be considered a flight risk.
Werhan is next due to appear in court on June 30.
Lindsay Bolduc was a close friend of Murphy’s. Bolduc said Werhan and Murphy met playing video games online, and later moved in together.
“Crazy to think about the pit in my stomach I had. I just knew something was wrong,” Bolduc said.
Bolduc said she doesn’t only want people to remember Murphy as a victim.
“I just want people to remember that Brooke was a person, you know? She was so much more than this. She wasn’t just a victim,” she said.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A new report is highlighting deep economic and racial disparities across Connecticut’s public school districts, ranking the state among the most segregated in the country.
The study by the nonprofit Brown’s Promise found Connecticut has some of the nation’s most pronounced divides — placing sixth worst for economic segregation and 11th for racial segregation.
Researchers measured economic segregation by the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.
According to the report, some of the highest concentrations of low-income students are found in districts just miles from the state’s wealthiest communities.
“We provide this measure of how much is it happening between districts, like across those district lines, versus inside districts like what you would find in larger school districts,” said Stephen Owens, a researcher with Brown’s Promise.
The findings may seem surprising, as Connecticut and other Northeastern states show higher levels of segregation than some Southern states that once legally enforced it.
But Owens said those historic boundaries — and the way communities developed — continue to shape access to education today.
“If your schools were built out of like the lines of the towns, the municipality, then it means that the residential patterns, where people choose to live or where they grew up, end up being copied right onto the schools,” he said.
State and local leaders across the political spectrum have long acknowledged with variations of a phrase that has become alarmingly common.
“You are essentially going to attend the school where your ZIP code is,” House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora said.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said poverty plays a central role.
“It has nothing to do with the quality of education being provided. It has everything to do with poverty,” Elicker said.
Efforts to address the issue have long been debated at the state Capitol.
To varying degrees, Democrats have pushed for increased education funding, progressives often jousting with moderates about size and scale. Republicans tend to emphasize the charter school model. There is bipartisan agreement that the state’s current education aide system needs to be retooled.
Gov. Ned Lamont acknowledged the challenge, saying the state must continue working toward improvement.
“You’ve got to try every day to do better,” the Democrat said.
The issue is expected to play a major role in Connecticut’s upcoming gubernatorial race, with the three candidates offering their own solutions.
Download the News 8 app to get breaking news and weather alerts.
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.
If a bear is encountered, officials urge people to remain calm and avoid running.
Instead, speak in a calm voice, slowly back away while keeping the animal in sight, and make yourself appear larger by raising your arms or moving to higher ground.
If a bear continues to approach, DEEP recommends becoming more assertive by shouting, making loud noises, and throwing objects such as rocks or sticks.
While black bear attacks are rare, officials stress that people should never play dead during an attack.
“If attacked by a black bear, fight back vigorously,” DEEP advises. People should use any available object and focus defensive actions on the bear’s face and muzzle.
-
Technology8 minutes agoHere’s a bunch of Prime Day deals on keyboards, mice, and other peripherals we like
-
World11 minutes agoIsrael slams UN report as ‘political blood libel’ for alleging deliberate targeting of Palestinian children
-
Politics16 minutes agoBiden judge rejects Trump’s sanctuary cities lawsuit, says even a win wouldn’t solve DOJ’s problem
-
Health23 minutes agoLatest COVID vaccine may have unexpected health benefit, study suggests
-
Sports25 minutes agoHow to watch USA vs Turkey: Live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup
-
Technology31 minutes agoBionic hands are now teaching robots to feel
-
Business38 minutes agoSnap CEO Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr help erase $550 million in medical debt for Californians
-
Entertainment41 minutes agoHow Culver City-based Scopely built ‘Monopoly Go!’ into a mobile games juggernaut
