Brian & Company
3,887 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingBrian Shactman wakes Connecticut up with all the information you need to start your day. News, weather, traffic and sports plus, interviews with the people making the news each day. It’s the perfect way to start your day informed and entertained – Mornings with Brian & Company 5:30am-9am!
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Episodes
Ray and Joe D: Pensions Consuming Government
October 29, 2019 13:44 - 7 minutes - 7.12 MBChris Powell, columnist with the Journal Inquirer, explains how stupidity and hypocrisy exceed racism at UConn. Plus, how pensions consume government.
Ray and Joe D: Rich Towns Fighting Affordable Housing
October 29, 2019 13:43 - 7 minutes - 6.84 MBJacqueline Rabe Thomas, reporter with CTMirror.org, talks the invisible wall and expands on her article Separated by Design: How Some of America’s Richest Towns Fight Affordable Housing.
Ray and Joe D: Do Deficits Matter?
October 28, 2019 14:12 - 7 minutes - 7.09 MBJill Schlesinger, CFP® CBS News Business Analyst and host of Jill On Money, asks do $1 trillion dollar deficits matter? Jill On Money is brought to you by Asset Strategies in Avon.
Ray and Joe D: Election Day is Coming Up
October 28, 2019 14:10 - 6 minutes - 5.7 MBTim De Carlo, Registrar of Voters in Waterbury, shares a reminder that the deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, October 29th, one week before Election Day which takes place on Tuesday, November 5th.
Ray and Joe D: Mayor Monday With Colchester's Art Shilosky
October 28, 2019 14:09 - 8 minutes - 8.01 MBFirst Selectman Art Shilosky from the Town of Colchester joins us for Mayor Monday.
Ray and Joe D: Changes in Recycling
October 25, 2019 14:50 - 6 minutes - 6.01 MBChristine Stuart, CTNewsJunkie, explains how changes in the recycling market internationally are pinching Connecticut cities and towns, turning one-time revenue streams into massive costs almost overnight.
Ray and Joe D: Youth Vaping
October 25, 2019 14:48 - 7 minutes - 7.23 MBCongressman John Larson (D-CT 1st District) voted to favorably report legislation to address youth vaping out of the Ways and Means Committee. Get the latest.
Ray and Joe D: College Enrollment Decline
October 25, 2019 14:47 - 8 minutes - 7.87 MBMark Ojakian, president The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, addresses Connecticut's state colleges seeing steeper-than-expected enrollment declines.
Ray and Joe D: 2020 Census Jobs
October 24, 2019 13:27 - 8 minutes - 8.27 MBLt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz talks the launch of the 2020 Census Jobs Recruitment Campaign in Connecticut. The U.S. Census Bureau has set a recruitment goal of 28,000 applicants statewide for Connecticut, and Bysiewicz explains the plan to meet that goal.
CT Business Now: Central CT Resource Recovery
October 24, 2019 13:26 - 8 minutes - 8.15 MBA discussion with Jack Perry, owner of HQ Dumpsters and Recycling and CCRR – Central CT Resource Recovery, both based in Southington. Register here.
Ray and Joe D: Drug Take Back Day
October 24, 2019 13:25 - 5 minutes - 4.92 MBLenny Levin, Diversion Group Supervisor at DEA's Hartford, CT Resident Office, talks the upcoming prescription drug disposal event. On Saturday, October 26th from 10am to 2pm, local law enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will provide the public its 16th opportunity in eight years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
Ray and Joe D: Homes for Heroes!
October 24, 2019 13:24 - 14 minutes - 13 MBSandie Terenzi talks a new program called Homes for Heroes! This nationwide program benefits the following heroes: Military Service Men and Women, Law Enforcement, Fire Fighters, Health Care Professionals and Teachers. If they buy or sell a house with Homes for Heroes, they will receive a check at closing from Homes for Heroes! Their website states that heroes save on an average $1,700 when working with Homes for Heroes as their real estate specialist
Ray and Joe D: Disability Employment Awareness Month
October 24, 2019 13:22 - 7 minutes - 7.19 MBMary Dale Walters, senior vice president at Allsup Employment Services, a Social Security authorized Employment Network, discusses Disability Employment Awareness Month. October is Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), where we celebrate the many varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities and provide education about the resources and support available to help them return to work.
Ray and Joe D: School by School Vaccination
October 24, 2019 13:15 - 7 minutes - 7.32 MBSenate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) is pleased the request to block the release of school-by-school vaccination data was denied. He explains why, now, the public can see the facts.
Ray and Joe D: Teens Getting Their Licenses Younger
October 22, 2019 13:40 - 6 minutes - 5.8 MBAmy Parmenter, Manager of Public and Government Affairs with AAA Allied Group, explains why more teens are getting licensed younger. A new AAA Foundation study shows more teens are obtaining their license before the age of 18... why is that?
Ray and Joe D: Lobbyists vs. Public Indifference
October 22, 2019 13:39 - 8 minutes - 7.71 MBChris Powell, columnist with the Journal Inquirer, explains why lobbyists are far from the caricature of bribing officials, and far more important to democracy. It isn't lobbyists that corrupt government process, it's public indifference.
Ray and Joe D: Ferry and Transportation Plans
October 22, 2019 13:28 - 7 minutes - 6.63 MBJim Cameron, Founder of the Commuter Action Group, discusses the ferry service and his thoughts on the latest transportation plans.
Ray and Joe D: Is The Financial Armageddon Upon Us?
October 21, 2019 13:29 - 8 minutes - 7.82 MBJill Schlesinger, CFP® CBS News Business Analyst and host of Jill On Money, asks is financial Armageddon upon us? Jill On Money is brought to you by Asset Strategies in Avon.
Ray and Joe D: The Latest On Komisarjevsky and Dulos
October 21, 2019 13:27 - 7 minutes - 7.03 MBJames Bergenn, Partner at Shipman and Goodwin, discusses the attorney for Cheshire home invasion killer Joshua Komisarjevsky, who argued last week for new trial before Connecticut's Supreme Court. Bergenn also shared an update on the Fotis Dulos case.
Ray and Joe D: Paving The Roads
October 21, 2019 13:25 - 6 minutes - 6.38 MBJason Rojas, House chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, and a member of the State Bond Commission, talks the state’s Town Aid Road [TAR] grant to pay for summer road repaving work, which still has not been received by towns. Now the winter season is coming, and towns don't know what to do for snow removal funds.
Ray and Joe D: Coyotes and The Dangers They Bring
October 21, 2019 13:24 - 6 minutes - 6.39 MBSen. Kevin Witkos, member of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding committee as well as the General Law committee, has organized a forum on coyotes, with presentations from Mark Rudewicz, an animal control officer, and Chris Vann, a DEEP biologist. The forum will be held from 7-8:30pm on October 23rd at the Simsbury Public Library.
Ray and Joe D: Are Tolls Unavoidable?
October 18, 2019 04:00 - 7 minutes - 6.63 MBDan Haar, Columnist and Associate Editor at Hearst Connecticut Media, explains why the looming $600 million gap means tolls are unavoidable.
Ray and Joe D: The Latest Out of Washington
October 18, 2019 04:00 - 7 minutes - 6.57 MBDavid Lightman, National political correspondent and veteran congressional reporter for McClatchy Newspapers, shares his weekly Washington DC update.
Ray and Joe D: Remembering Elijah Cummings
October 18, 2019 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.98 MBCongressman Joe Courtney talks the passing of Congressman Elijah Cummings, the House Education & Labor Committee vote to Approve H.R.3, and the Lower Drug Costs Now Act.
Ray and Joe D: Connecticut's Opportunity Zones
October 18, 2019 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.97 MBDavid Kooris, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), says opportunity zones are one of the hot topics in economic development right now. Connecticut has 72 "Opportunity Zones" that were created to attract private investment to improve economic growth and community wealth.
Ray and Joe D: Storm Hits and The Power is Out
October 17, 2019 14:57 - 6 minutes - 5.53 MBMitch Gross, spokesman for Eversource, discusses what to expect next after Wednesday's Nor'easter which left thousands in Connecticut without power.
Ray and Joe D: First Time Home Buyers Expo
October 17, 2019 14:55 - 6 minutes - 6.04 MBPatty Mason, Vice President of Real Estate Lending with American Eagle Financial Credit Union shares details on the First-Time Home Buyer Expo happening on October 22nd.
Ray and Joe D: Democratic Debate Recap
October 16, 2019 14:58 - 7 minutes - 6.65 MBAna Radelat, CTMirror Washington DC Correspondent, provides a recap of last night's Democratic Presidential Debate. Who did well? Who didn't?
Ray and Joe D: Offshore Wind Contracts and Immunization
October 16, 2019 14:57 - 6 minutes - 5.75 MBChristine Stuart, CTNewsJunkie, talks two recent stories: Connecticut gets closer to awarding an offshore wind contract; and a Bristol couple appeals the ruling that paved the way for release of immunization data.
Ray and Joe D: Diamonds in the Ruff Gala
October 16, 2019 14:55 - 6 minutes - 6.26 MBSusan Wollschlager, marketing and communications manager with the Connecticut Humane Society, shares a preview of the Diamonds in the Ruff Gala, taking place November 9th from 6-10pm.
CT Business Now: Marketing CT In CT
October 16, 2019 04:00 - 7 minutes - 7.07 MBTony Mazzarella, President and co-founder of Mazz Media, a marketing and media consulting firm based in CT, talks about the positive aspects of a CT database of local and CT businesses. Register here.
Ray and Joe D: What We Know About Lamont's Transportation Plan
October 15, 2019 16:01 - 7 minutes - 6.59 MBChris Keating, The Courant's Capitol Bureau Chief, runs down what we know about Gov. Lamont's transportation plan.
Ray and Joe D: Simsbury Spooktacular Chili Challenge Preview
October 15, 2019 14:43 - 6 minutes - 6.1 MBLisa Gray, Executive Director of the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce, shares a preview of the 5th Annual Simsbury Spooktacular Chili Challenge presented by the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce on October 20th. Ray is a judge!
Ray and Joe D: Why UConn's New President Needs To Be Different
October 15, 2019 14:41 - 7 minutes - 7.05 MBChris Powell, columnist for the Journal Inquirer, explains why UConn needs a new President, not a clone of the last one.
Ray and Joe D: Connecticut's Cybersecurity Defenses
October 14, 2019 14:55 - 6 minutes - 5.88 MBMark Raymond, Connecticut’s Chief Information Officer, discusses the annual report evaluating the strength of Connecticut’s cybersecurity defenses. This year’s report focuses on four utility companies: Aquarion, Avangrid, Connecticut Water, and Eversource.
Ray and Joe D: Mayor Monday with Middlefield's Edward P. Bailey
October 14, 2019 14:53 - 7 minutes - 7.24 MBEdward P. Bailey, First Selectman, Town of Middlefield, calls in for Mayor Monday.
CT Business Now: Building a Business Innovation Gateway
October 09, 2019 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.51 MBKathleen Crispino, founder of bigct.biz, talks building a business innovation gateway in CT. Register here.
Ray and Joe D: Rebecca Lobo Talks YMCA Champions Dinner
October 09, 2019 04:00 - 6 minutes - 6.19 MBRebecca Lobo, NCAA National Champion, Olympic gold medalist, WNBA all-star and hall of famer, shares a preview of the YMCA Champions Dinner happening Thursday, October 17th at the Connecticut Convention Center. Funds raised from the Champions event will support the Wilson-Gray YMCA community today, for the next 10 years and beyond.
Ray and Joe D: Product Endorsement Rights For College Athletes
October 09, 2019 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.85 MBState Senator Derek Slap, Deputy Majority Leader and member of Human Services; Commerce; Higher Education & Employment Advancement, explains why he supports product endorsement rights for CT college athletes.
Ray and Joe D: New Laws In CT 10/8/19
October 08, 2019 14:33 - 5 minutes - 4.73 MBJohn Matulis, attorney with Januszewski McQuillan & DeNigris and host of WTIC's Law Talk, looks at some of the new laws that took place on October 1st. The new laws range cover everything from distracted driving, to manufacture of a firearm.
Ray and Joe D: Are Vape Stores The Problem? 10/8/19
October 08, 2019 14:33 - 6 minutes - 6.3 MBDan Haar, Columnist and Associate Editor at Hearst Connecticut Media, explains why vape stores say they're not the problem.
Ray and Joe D: 'Sanctuary State' for Bears? 10/8/19
October 08, 2019 14:30 - 5 minutes - 4.97 MBChris Powell, columnist for the Journal Inquirer in Manchester, talks a "Sanctuary State" for Bears? And, why nanny-staters should rejoice.
Ray and Joe D: CBD Regulation 10/8/19
October 08, 2019 14:30 - 7 minutes - 6.91 MBSen. Richard Blumenthal, member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, discusses CBD safety. Sen. Blumenthal is urging the FDA to properly regulate CBD. The Senator also questioned the FAA about vintage plane safety exemptions, after last week's WWII-era plane crash at Bradley Airport.
Ray and Joe D: The September Jobs Report 10/7/19
October 07, 2019 04:00 - 7 minutes - 6.95 MBJill Schlesinger, CFP® CBS News Business Analyst and host of Jill On Money, explains how the September jobs report rescued what was shaping up to be a tough week for investors, after one measure of U.S. manufacturing fell to a decade low in September and a separate service sector index dropped to a three-year low. Jill On Money is brought to you by Asset Strategies in Avon.
Ray and Joe D: National Fire Prevention Week 10/7/19
October 07, 2019 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.9 MBPaul Januszewski, Chief of the North Haven Fire Department, shares fire safety precautions. With National Fire Prevention Week kicking off this weekend, the Fire Department would like to remind residents about safety precautions to take to prevent house fires and the appropriate actions to take in the event of a fire.
Ray and Joe D: Veterans In Apprenticeship 10/7/19
October 07, 2019 04:00 - 6 minutes - 5.81 MBPaul Femia, Regional Apprenticeship Representative with the Connecticut Labor Department, talks veterans in apprenticeship.
Ray and Joe D: Update on the Plane Crash at Bradley Airport
October 04, 2019 14:57 - 6 minutes - 6.11 MBKevin Dillon, Executive Director of the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA), discusses Wednesday morning's tragic plane crash.
Ray and Joe D: Accounting Is My Major
October 04, 2019 14:57 - 7 minutes - 6.99 MBBonnie Stewart, Executive Director Connecticut Society of CPAs, says approximately 300 high school students from around Connecticut will learn all about the opportunities, challenges, and rewards of majoring in accounting when they attend AIM – “Accounting Is My Major” – a series of three conferences co-sponsored by the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Ray and Joe D: What Message Is UConn Football Sending?
October 04, 2019 14:57 - 6 minutes - 5.68 MBMike Anthony, Courant's sports columnist, says Randy Edsall’s latest strange reaction, and consistently vague comments, are not helping UConn football send the best messages.
Ray and Joe D: An Update From Washington DC
October 04, 2019 14:56 - 8 minutes - 8.06 MBDavid Lightman, McClatchy NewsPapers Washington correspondent, shares an update from Washington D.C.