Trump’s Iran War Harming Bond Markets, Interest Rates
The U.S. military strike on Iran, launched on Feb. 28, has pushed 10‑year Treasury yields up about half a percentage point, sending mortgage rates to their highest level in nine months. Higher energy prices from the closed Strait of Hormuz have amplified inflation pressures, while the cost of servicing the national debt has surged to over $1 trillion a year—roughly three times the 2021 level. The combined effect is a tighter credit environment, dampening auto sales and raising barriers to homeownership. Former President Donald Trump has publicly questioned the war’s necessity, adding political friction to the economic fallout.
Connecticut Youth Suicide Rates Dropped 18% Since 988 Launch
Connecticut’s youth suicide rate fell roughly 18% after the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline went live in 2022, according to United Way of Connecticut data. From January through April, the state’s 211 network logged 3,553 contacts to 988, including 700...
As Americans Voice Concerns About Health Care and Lose Trust in Federal Institutions, Here’s How CT Has Responded
Americans are increasingly anxious about health‑care access and affordability, with Gallup reporting 61% worried a great deal—up from 51% two years ago. Trust in federal health agencies such as the CDC, FDA and NIH has slipped by up to 7%...
Iran War Sends Energy Costs Surging, Pushing April Inflation to 3.8%
April’s unadjusted CPI showed inflation at 3.8% year‑over‑year, driven largely by soaring energy costs linked to the ongoing Iran conflict. The energy index alone accounted for more than 40% of the month’s price rise, with motor fuel up 29.1% and...
Trump Administration Blocks More Studies Showing Vaccines Healthy, Safe
During the Trump administration, the FDA suppressed three taxpayer‑funded studies that evaluated the safety of COVID‑19 and shingles vaccines. The research, which analyzed data from millions of patients, concluded that health benefits far exceeded the risk of serious adverse events,...
Glock Machine Gun Ban Passes Senate Over Republican Objections
Connecticut’s Senate approved House Bill 5043 on a 22‑11 vote, prohibiting the sale of Glock handguns whose parts can be easily converted to fully automatic weapons. The measure, championed by police chiefs and gun‑safety groups, will become a class D...
Republicans Spend Seven Hours Discussing Their Commutes and Massachusetts Toll Booths as They Stalled Bipartisan Bill
Republican senators in Connecticut used the chamber’s unlimited‑debate tradition to turn a bipartisan transportation bill into a seven‑hour filibuster, discussing topics ranging from personal commutes to Massachusetts toll booths. The legislation authorizes diesel bus purchases, tightens electric‑vehicle charging standards, and...
Report Finds Billions in Connecticut Tax Revenue Goes Uncollected Each Year
A Pew Charitable Trusts report finds Connecticut’s tax gap at about $3 billion in 2022, enough to cover nearly all of the state’s Medicaid share. Only eight states have quantified their gaps, and Connecticut’s estimate comes from a 2023 law‑mandated Department...
Trump Appeal on Vaccines Validates Connecticut's New Immunization Law
The Trump administration appealed a federal court order that blocked its effort to strip vaccine recommendations for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis, meningitis and RSV, a move championed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Connecticut responded by passing a law that anchors the...
Capitol Dispatch Weekend Digest
The Capitol Dispatch Weekend Digest highlights a surge in March inflation to 3.5% driven by a 21% jump in gas prices linked to the Trump‑initiated war in Iran. National gasoline costs topped $4 per gallon, adding roughly $456 annually to...
Republican Senator Again Compares Financial Regulation to Racism, This Time to Shield Private Equity From Child Care Bill
Connecticut’s Senate passed Senate Bill 266, a 24‑12 vote that forces private‑equity‑backed child‑care programs to receive state early‑education endowment funds only after all other eligible providers are funded. The measure, championed by Democratic Senator Ceci Maher, aims to prioritize smaller,...
Inflation Surges, Gas Prices Spike as Trump’s War Batters U.S. Economy
U.S. consumer inflation jumped to 3.5% in March, driven largely by a 21% surge in gasoline prices amid the Iran‑Russia conflict. Pump prices now average $4.30 per gallon, with diesel climbing to $5.50, pressuring household budgets. The Federal Reserve signaled...
Connecticut Republicans Liken State Workers to Livestock, Vote Against Raises for Nurses, COs, Plow Drivers
Connecticut Senate Democrats approved a contract that gives roughly 42,000 state employees a 2.5% wage increase and step raises over the next three years. All but one Senate Republican voted against the measure, despite the party’s public complaints about the...
New State Employee Contract Advanced on a Party-Line Vote
Democrats on Connecticut's Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a three‑year labor contract for roughly 40,000 state employees, delivering a 2.5% annual wage increase through fiscal 2028 and step increases for FY2026‑2028. The agreement includes a wage‑reopener for FY2029 and was funded...
CT Governor Signs Bill Protecting State Vaccine Access From Federal Rollback
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed House Bill 5044, a law that separates the state’s immunization standards from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The legislation preserves pharmacists’ authority to administer vaccines, mandates that insurers continue covering vaccine costs,...