Wednesday’s landmark jury ruling in a social media addiction case was watched closely by an Enfield mother who’s also suing social media companies, including Meta, after her daughter took her own life a few years ago. She said her daughter’s death was fueled by an addiction to the platforms.

“We deserve this win. The whole, all of us who have lost our children deserve this win,” Tammy Rodriguez said.

She jumped for joy after a jury found Meta and YouTube liable in a social media addiction case. The verdict found the social media companies negligent in the design and operation of their platforms to the point where it was a substantial factor in causing harm to the plaintiff.

This is the first of many cases brought by families accusing social media companies of harming their children. Rodriguez is suing after her 11-year-old daughter, Selena, took her life in the summer of 2021. She pointed to Selena’s struggles with bullying and a change in her behavior.

“She was doing things she never would have done in the past, very risky things,” Rodriguez said.

In a statement to NBC News, Meta called teen mental health “profoundly complex” and “couldn’t be linked to a single app,” saying in part: “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”

Google, which owns YouTube, said the case “misunderstands” YouTube, saying it’s a “responsibly built streaming site”.

Quinnipiac University law professor Wayne Unger says this is a landmark verdict for other similar cases in court.

“For the first time, we are holding companies civilly liable for the harms that they have caused,” he said.

He says the ruling means Meta and YouTube didn’t adequately warn users about the dangers of using their platforms. He says down the line, this could mean companies changing their behaviors and adjusting their platforms.

“That means change their products to now make them essentially legally compliant or, in other words, to mitigate the new legal exposure that they have,” Unger said.

An exposure Rodriguez hopes could bring real change.

“People need to know the real truth.”

Rodriguez’s case still remains pending in federal court.

Unger says for social media companies, the easiest thing that could happen, for example, is putting a warning label on their products. He says there could be changes with likes and reshares as well.

A state trooper who was arrested in August and November of 2025 for the same domestic disturbance resigned on March 5, Connecticut State Police confirmed on Tuesday.

On Aug. 27, 37-year-old Trooper Edward Gookin was arrested after a verbal and physical altercation at a home in Griswold, and he was determined to be the aggressor.

He was charged with disorderly conduct, released on $2,500 bond, and placed on paid administrative duty at that time.

Then on Nov. 19, Gookin was arrested again for the same incident that happened on Aug. 27.

This time, he was charged with risk of injury to a child, reckless endangerment, and illegal discharge of a firearm. He was again placed on paid administrative duty, posted a $25,000 bond, and appeared in court.

Now, state police say Gookin has resigned.

A proposal to build a bridge linking Long Island to Connecticut is once again sparking conversation—and controversy—nearly a century after the idea first surfaced.

The latest plan, introduced by Connecticut developer Steve Shapiro, calls for a 14-mile span stretching across Long Island Sound from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to the Sunken Meadow Parkway on Long Island’s North Shore. If completed, the project would mark the first direct roadway connection between Long Island and New England.

Supporters say the bridge could transform regional travel, easing congestion and offering an alternative route for drivers who currently must pass through New York City to reach the mainland.

“We have such an opportunity in Connecticut and on Long Island to connect our two regions,” Shapiro said in a promotional video.

The proposed crossing would cost an estimated $50 billion to construct, with tolls projected at roughly $39 each way. Plans could also include a rail component to accommodate both passenger and freight service.

The idea of a cross-sound bridge is not new. Discussions date back to the 1930s, but repeated proposals over the decades have failed to gain enough political or public support to move forward.

At Sunken Meadow State Park, where the bridge could make landfall, residents and visitors expressed mixed reactions.

“I think it’s helpful with traffic—alleviating congestion trying to get to the city,” said Gus Hueber of East Northport.

Others worry about the environmental and cultural impact on Long Island’s character.

“It would destroy this area,” said Maureen Abbatecola of Kings Park. “It might make it easier for people to get on and off Long Island, but it’s also very special that this is an island—and that might take some of that away.”

Shapiro has suggested a potential compromise to address environmental concerns, including a hybrid design that would tunnel a portion of the route beneath the shoreline near the park.

“You could tunnel it under about a mile or two offshore and then go under the park,” he said.

In Connecticut, a bill that would authorize a feasibility study for the bridge was introduced in the state assembly but has not yet advanced out of committee. Despite that, Shapiro remains optimistic, emphasizing that cooperation between New York, Connecticut, and the federal government would be key to making the project a reality.

For now, the proposal remains in its early stages—but as it has for generations, the idea of bridging Long Island Sound continues to divide opinion on both sides of the water.