Storm's windy conditions lead to power outagesHARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - The rain and wind from Tuesday night carried on into Wednesday, making for tricky driving conditions and power outages. A wind advisory remained in place for Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties until 1 p.m. Meteorologist Mark Dixon said the rain was essentially over, as well as the worst of the wind. "As expected, we had wind gusts 40-50 mph and rainfall totals from 1 to 3 inches throughout the state," Dixon said. Channel 3 declared an Early Warning Weather Alert, but it has since expired. The storm was the result of a cold front that pushed through the state. Power outages were reported. As of 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Eversource reported nearly 23,700 customers without power. United Illuminating had a little more than 1,440. Eastern and Western CT are the hardest hit areas with Bethel, Danbury, and Plainfield the communities with the most outages. Crews have been dispatched and are working in these locations. We know most of the storm damage is from trees falling on lines.— Eversource CT (@EversourceCT) <a href="https://twitter.com/EversourceCT/status/1311317809423626246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2020</a> By 11 a.m. those numbers dropped to fewer than 10,000 and 40 respectively. Eversource said communities in western and eastern Connecticut experienced the most outages. "For the rest of [Wednesday], we’ll see an increasing amount of sunshine as drier air filters in on a northwesterly breezy. The humidity also drops," Dixon said. "Temperatures should reach 70-ish [Wednesday] afternoon." Wednesday night will be partly cloudy to clear, and much cooler with lows 50-55. Some upper 40s are likely in the Litchfield Hills. "[Thursday] will be a pleasant day temps start out in the upper 40s and lower 50s, then highs should top out between 70 and 75," Dixon said. Friday, another cold front arrives. However, it's only expected to generate some scattered showers. Temperatures will be on the cool side with highs in the 60s. The upcoming weekend looks unseasonably cool with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s. Both days appear to be dry. The overnight and morning rain was needed due to the state's drought situation. Nineteen days had passed since any kind of measurable rainfall. Conditions ranged from abnormally dry in southwestern Connecticut to severe or extreme drought conditions in portions of northern and eastern Connecticut. Read the complete technical discussion <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/weather/technical_discussion/" target="_blank">here</a>. For weather updates on smartphones and tablets, head <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/site/station_info/apps" target="_blank">here</a> or text "WFSB" to 23765 to download the Channel 3 app.

School in Fairfield closes for 2 days after more COVID cases linked to weekend activitiesFAIRFIELD, CT (WFSB) - Fairfield Ludlowe High School will be closed for the next two days following three more positive COVID-19 cases. Superintendent Mike Cummings said that 30 students were asked to quarantine, which brought the total number of students and staff in quarantine to more than 80. More than two dozen people outside of Fairfield Public Schools were identified as having been in close contact with the cases and were also asked to quarantine. "As more students are tested, we should expect more positive results," Cummings wrote to the Fairfield Public Schools community. The superintendent said the cases were not related to those that happened last week, when six high school students tested positive in connection with weekend gatherings. <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/news/up-to-100-people-in-quarantine-after-six-fairfield-high-school-students-test-positive-for/article_12242506-fe09-11ea-a779-9f155ee5d0b6.html" target="_blank">RELATED: Up to 100 people in quarantine after six Fairfield high school students test positive for COVID</a> About 100 people in Fairfield were quarantined as a result of those cases. The new cases were also the result of weekend activities, Cummings confirmed. "For the second week in a row, we find ourselves having to deal with the consequences of our students participating in weekend activities without masks and without appropriate social distancing," he said. "In this case, it wasn’t parties, but seemingly innocent activities like playing pick-up football or basketball, or any sponsored event." Cummings reaffirmed the need for masks and social distancing. "We can and do ensure that students wear masks and socially distance when they’re at school, but what our students do outside of school has a serious impact on our ability to safely keep school open," he said. School officials and the Fairfield Health Department have been working around the clock to identify, reach out to, and monitor close contacts to ensure that individuals who need to isolate or quarantine do so as quickly as possible. "They are doing an amazing job, but it’s not enough unless everyone does their part," Cummings said. The superintendent said the school closure could extend if the situation changes.

Facebook takes a big step in linking Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp(CNN) - Some Instagram users will now be able to message their friends on Messenger, without needing a Facebook account. The move is the first step in Facebook's plan to integrate Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/06/tech/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-privacy/index.html" target="_blank">announced last year</a>. The effort could effectively cement Facebook's dominance over the messaging market for years to come, and arguably make it harder to break up the company, which is <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/29/tech/tech-antitrust-hearing-ceos/index.html" target="_blank">facing anti-trust scrutiny</a> in Washington. Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger each boast over 1 billion active monthly users. The ability for Instagram and Messenger users to message or video chat with each other is currently being tested in select markets and will expand globally in the coming months. The company did not elaborate further at a media briefing, but it said people on Instagram will opt-in to the new experience. It began testing the functionality this summer but is now rolling it out more broadly. The company declined to provide a timeline for when the same functionality would be available for WhatsApp. Facebook first teased plans in March 2019 to intertwine its various services, including WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. The idea was that people who only have WhatsApp accounts could message friends on Instagram or Messenger and vice versa, without having to download an app or switch between multiple apps to send messages. Facebook <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2012/04/09/technology/facebook_acquires_instagram/index.htm" target="_blank">acquired Instagram</a> in 2012 and <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2014/02/19/technology/social/facebook-whatsapp/index.html" target="_blank">WhatsApp in 2014</a>, and spun off Messenger into <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2011/08/09/facebook-launches-standalone-mobile-messenger-app-and-it%E2%80%99s-beluga/" target="_blank">its own app</a> in 2011. When asked in a briefing with reporters ahead of Wednesday's announcement about how difficult it would be to undo the integration if regulators wanted to separate its business, Instagram's head of product, Vishal Shah, said the effort was a "massive investment from an infrastructure perspective." "The back end systems that we were sitting on top of were not the same. We had to get to a place where they were similar infrastructure. We had to move features and important things over across both Facebook Messenger, as well as on [Instagram] Direct," Shah said, but he also noted that a lot of the "underlying architecture" between Messenger and Instagram is already shared, such as advertising and commerce. In addition to being able to chat with each other, Instagram and Messenger will also get some upgrades. Users who opt into the new experience can send "selfie stickers" -- a hybrid of Boomerang, selfies and stickers -- watch IGTV or Facebook Watch videos together, and turn on a new "Vanish Mode," in which messages automatically disappear after they're viewed. When asked about the possibility that cross-app communication could open the door to harassment, Instagram responded that users can block someone across apps. Additionally, new privacy settings have been added so users can decide who can contact them, and Instagrammers can decide to not receive messages from Facebook users, and vice versa.

Disney is laying off 28,000 employees as pandemic hammers its theme parks(CNN) - Disney is laying off 28,000 people in the United States as the coronavirus pandemic hammers its parks and resorts business. The cuts will affect the Disney's Parks, Experiences and Products unit. The company said 67% of the employees laid off will be part-time workers. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2020/07/09/media/disney-world-reopening/index.html" target="_blank">Disney's parks and resorts</a> division has more than 100,000 US employees. Disney's theme parks shut down globally this spring as the pandemic hit, dealing a huge blow to the company's bottom line. The company's <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/media/disney-earnings-q2-2020-coronavirus/index.html" target="_blank">profit dropped a whopping 91%</a> during the first three months of 2020. Josh D'Amaro, the chairman of Disney Parks, said the staffing cuts were necessary because of the "prolonged impact" of coronavirus on business. That included "limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements and the continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic." "As difficult as this decision is today, we believe that the steps we are taking will enable us to emerge a more effective and efficient operation when we return to normal," D'Amaro said in a statement. D'Amaro added that Disney's employees have always "been key to our success, playing a valued and important role in delivering a world-class experience." "We look forward to providing opportunities where we can for them to return," he said. D'Amaro also placed partial blame on the state of California for its "unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen." Disneyland and California Adventure, the company's flagship resorts in California, have been closed since March. The California governor's office did not immediately respond to request for comment. Disney originally planned to reopen the resort located in Anaheim, California, on July 17, but that reopening was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/media/disneyland-reopening-postponed/index.html" target="_blank">delayed indefinitely.</a> Disney World, the company's resort in Florida, closed its doors in March as well, but it began a phased <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2020/07/09/media/disney-world-reopening/index.html" target="_blank">reopening for its parks in July</a>. The resort reopened with with safety protocols and health measures that included reduced capacity at its parks and requiring all employees and guests to wear masks. Disney notified its employees in April that because of coronavirus it would <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/business/disney-world-disneyland-furloughs/index.html" target="_blank">furlough employees</a> "whose jobs aren't necessary at this time" starting on April 19. "As you can imagine, a decision of this magnitude is not easy," D'Amaro wrote in a memo to employees that was obtained by CNN Business. "We've cut expenses, suspended capital projects, furloughed our cast members while still paying benefits, and modified our operations to run as efficiently as possible, however, we simply cannot responsibly stay fully staffed while operating at such limited capacity." Disney has been hobbled by the coronavirus pandemic in many ways, but its theme parks and resort business has arguably <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/09/media/disney-world-reopening/index.html" target="_blank">taken the biggest hit of all.</a> Disney's parks unit, which brought in more than $26 billion in fiscal 2019, was crushed during <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/media/disney-earnings-q2-2020-coronavirus/index.html" target="_blank">the second quarter of this year</a>. The segment's operating profit fell 58% compared with the previous year, and Disney reported a loss a billion dollars in profit just a few weeks into the global health crisis. -- CNN's Jon Passantino contributed to this report

2 Madison schools switch to distance learning due to power outageMADISON, CT (WFSB) - Two schools in Madison will distance learn on Wednesday as a result of power outages. Brown Intermediate School and Ryerson Elementary School will have students learn from home. Storms rolled through the state overnight and knocked out power to more than 23,000 Eversource customers. <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/news/heavy-rain-wind-make-for-stormy-morning-commute-power-outages/article_64fb73a8-017c-11eb-ba77-8fa980e958d3.html" target="_blank">RELATED: Heavy rain, wind make for stormy morning commute, power outages</a> As of 9:15 a.m., 1,348 customers in Madison were without power.

I-95 in Bridgeport reopens after tractor trailer crash, but with lane closuresBRIDGEPORT, CT (WFSB) - Delays along I-95 south in Bridgeport mounted after a crash involving multiple tractor trailers early Wednesday morning. The highway was closed between exits 29 and 27. One lane has since reopened. Congestion of up to 6 miles was reported by the Department of Transportation. State police said the crash happened just after 4 a.m. and involved at least three tractor trailers. One of the tractor trailers involved rolled over and jackknifed. Minor injuries were reported. For real-time traffic updates, check the Channel 3 traffic map <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/traffic/" target="_blank">here</a>. Stay with Ch. 3 on air, online, and in our app for the latest updates.

Bradley Airport expected to make announcement about testingWINDSOR LOCKS, CT (WFSB) - Travelers heading to and from Bradley International Airport will soon be able to get tested on site for the coronavirus. The airport said it is partnering with a Connecticut-based lab to launch the testing site. More information will be unveiled during a news conference on Wednesday at 2 p.m. State treasurer Shawn Wooden and Connecticut Airport Authority officials are expected to talk about the testing. <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/news/bradley-airport-exploring-the-idea-of-having-on-site-covid-testing/article_b9009b50-f7f3-11ea-8306-7f515c47bf4d.html" target="_blank">RELATED: Bradley Airport exploring the idea of having on-site COVID testing</a> Currently, travelers who come to Connecticut from a state with a high infection rate can skip a required two week quarantine if they produce a negative test. <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/news/colorado-added-to-cts-travel-advisory-list-two-states-removed/article_d1701dc6-b632-11ea-8e9d-4fa6c9e5695d.html" target="_blank">RELATED: Colorado added to CT's travel advisory list, two states removed</a> Tuesday, the state of Colorado was added to Connecticut's travel advisory list. Arizona and Virginia were removed.

CT park robbery suspect caught after being pulled over for speeding in NYNORWALK, CT (WFSB) - A man from Bridgeport was one of four suspects in a park robbery that happened in Norwalk earlier this month. Police said they arrested Carlye Moss, 22, after pulling him over for speeding in New Bedford, NY. According to Norfolk police, Moss was one of the suspects who robbed two people in Flax Hill Park on Sept. 1. The victims reported that the suspects approached them and robbed them at gunpoint. A physical altercation followed during which one of the victims was struck in the head with a gun. The victim was not seriously hurt. Police said a chain valued at $800 was taken from the victim's neck. Detectives were eventually able to identify Moss as one of the suspects. An arrest warrant was granted. Moss was pulled over for speeding in New York on Sept. 27. He waived extradition and was transported back to Norwalk. Police charged him with first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, criminal use of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, criminal attempt at larceny, third-degree assault and two counts of violation of probation. His bond was set at $520,000.

Drivers beware: It's deer mating season(WFSB) - AAA is urging drivers to be on the lookout for deer this time of year. The auto club said the fall is deer mating season and the animals are often distracted. AAA said drivers should look for them at both dawn and dusk. That's when they are the most active. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said there were nearly 3,000 deer strikes last year across the state. "We don't want drivers distracted," said Amy Parmenter, AAA spokesperson. "We want to make sure they're looking out for the deer, driving defensively and just taking every precaution they can take." AAA recommended that drivers make sure their insurance covers deer strikes. If it doesn't, AAA said the average claim is around $4,000.

Debate veers from 'How you doing?' to 'Will you shut up?'CLEVELAND (AP) — It started out civilly enough, with President Donald Trump striding deliberately to his lectern, and Democrat Joe Biden nodding to his opponent and offering a “How you doing, man?” But within 15 minutes, the debate had devolved into a series of endless interruptions, with Biden, seemingly unable to complete a sentence, finally blurting out, “Will you shut up, man?” It was a chaotic and unusually bitter first presidential debate of the 2020 general election, made all the more unusual by the the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. There was no friendly handshake to kick things off, no room full of supporters in each candidate's court. Instead, the debate played out before a socially-distanced audience of about 100 people in a makeshift debate hall built in an atrium that had been previously set up as an emergency hospital for patients with COVID-19. Even without the pandemic, the 90-minute faceoff was jarring. Trump came out of the gate looking to challenge Biden and badgered him throughout the debate, drawing a string of rejoinders from the Democrat, including a plea to “just shush for a minute” at the half-hour mark. At other points, the two candidates dialed down their rhetoric, only to resume their interruptions once again. When Trump was fielding a question about a report that he paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, Biden was the one interjecting: “Show us your taxes. Show us your taxes.” Roughly 50 minutes into the debate, moderator Chris Wallace’s frustration came to a boil as he tried to regain control. “Gentlemen, I hate to raise my voice, but why should I be any different than the two of you?” Wallace said, drawing some muffled laughter from both sides of the otherwise mostly quiet room. Trump blamed Biden, but Wallace firmly pushed back to the president, “Frankly, you’ve been doing more interrupting.” The reaction from the mask-wearing crowd, warned not to make a sound, was inaudible on television, though there were several moments when they could be heard laughing or jeering inside the atrium — including when Biden used his “shut up” line. But was no discernible response when the former vice president called the sitting president a “clown” and told him to “keep yapping.” The television cameras also eliminated the difference in speaking volume between Trump and Biden that made Trump seem even more combative. Inside the atrium, Biden was sometimes hard to hear and spoke far more softly than Trump, who often yelled, and even Wallace, who repeatedly tangled with Trump as he tried to get the candidates to abide by the no-interruption rules their campaigns had agreed to. The debate was hosted by the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University in the 27,000-square-foot (2,500-square-meter) atrium of the Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion on the clinic’s Health Education Campus. Notre Dame, the original debate host, withdrew because of the pandemic. Earlier this year, the building had been transformed into a temporary, 1,000-bed surge hospital, named Hope Hospital, for expected coronavirus patients. Though it never ended up needing to be used, the floor where the debate stage was built <a href="https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2020/04/15/health-education-campus-will-temporarily-convert-as-a-medical-surge-hospital-location/" target="—blank">was not long ago</a> lined with beds for patients and copper piping to bring in oxygen. This time it was turned into a makeshift debate hall with a stage, red carpeting and elevated platforms for cameras. About 100 people watched, all of whom were tested for the virus and sat with plenty of distance between them. Guests were required to wear masks, though some — including members of the president's family — didn't. Seats were set with programs and antibacterial wipes. Most in the crowd did abide by the social distancing and mask-wearing rules. At least one audience member even wore a bright red “MAGA” face mask, technically a violation of rules prohibiting campaign paraphernalia. Some in Trump’s section tried to greet the first lady with a standing ovation as she walked in, but with the sparse crowd it didn’t quite come together. The emptiness of the room only made the sharpness of the candidates’ verbal slugfest, which often took the tone of a schoolyard squabble, more notable. “The fact is that everything he’s saying so far is simply a lie,” a flustered Biden snapped when Trump suggested that the vice president stole the nomination from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. “I’m not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows he’s a liar.” After just over 90 minutes, the faceoff was done — but not without more interruptions. “This is the end of this debate," said Wallace, as Trump continued to boom his objections. “We're going to leave it there, to be continued," the moderator said as he finished what he deemed an “interesting” debate. ——— Pablo Martínez Monsiváis contributed to this report. Madhani reported from Chicago.