These news briefs are part of The Connecticut Mirror’s 2026 political coverage. For more news about the 2026 legislative session, campaigns, elections and more, sign up here for The Issue, the CT Mirror’s weekly politics newsletter. Blumenthal’s Russia sanctions bill gets boost U.S. S en. Richard Blumenthal’s bill to ramp up economic pressure on Russia and its oil and natural gas exports got an initial victory this week. On the same day as the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, the Senate took a procedural vote to advance it. Graham was a main sponsor and worked closely on the bill with Blumenthal. Tuesday’s vote brought it closer to final passage. With some hesitation from Democrats on granting President Donald Trump more power over tariffs, the overwhelming bipartisan vote came together after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with senators at the U.S. Capitol. — Lisa Hagen, Federal Policy Reporter Judge grants temporary restraining order in mental health grants lawsuits A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s efforts to end certain school mental health grants, including $3 million awarded to Connecticut. The administration tried canceling the grants last year, but a group of state attorneys general, including Connecticut’s William Tong, successfully sued to restore funding. The administration has continued trying to end the grants by other legal means, prompting Tong and others to file a second lawsuit in mid-July. A temporary restraining order now prevents the administration from canceling grants until Aug. 24. A hearing on a longer-term preliminary injunction is expected before then. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter Electric Boat secures massive sub contracts Electric Boat got a major boost: a $76.6 billion contract from the U.S. Navy that’ll go toward the construction of nine Virginia-class submarines and five Columbia-class submarines. The funding was authorized by Congress through annual defense policy bills that passed in 2023 and 2025. U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, the ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, celebrated the news as the “biggest shipbuilding award in modern American history.” He said they’ll help the Groton-based submarine manufacturer as it prepares for the sale of three Virginia-class subs as part of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States security pact known as AUKUS. — Lisa Hagen, Federal Policy Reporter Survey suggests support for schools sharing services, with a caveat Over 1,000 people have responded so far to a survey on how Connecticut could better support its public schools. The results will inform the Blue Ribbon Commission on K-12 Education Funding and Accountability as it seeks to reimagine CT school funding. One noteworthy stat for a state not known to favor regionalization: A majority of respondents agreed schools should share more services. The survey will remain open through the summer. Some members of the commission expressed concerns that white respondents were overrepresented, suggesting the survey may be missing other perspectives. The survey can be accessed here. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter Summit addresses threat of swatting, violent extremism in schools Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection convened several public safety organizations Thursday to share resources and discuss threats to schools. High on the list: nihilistic violent extremism, in which perpetrators pursue violence for the sake of violence. This often involves manipulating vulnerable youths into self-harming on camera, as well as swatting schools (calling in a fake emergency to draw a SWAT team to a target). The FBI is investigating nihilistic violent extremism cases across the United States. Speakers warned that swatting incidents are expected to increase once schools are back in session in August. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter Connecticut Innovations reports record year The state’s venture capital arm is experiencing growth and record deals, arguing that its recently ended fiscal year shows the strength of Connecticut’s developing innovation economy. In late July, Connecticut Innovations reported that it generated close to $70 million from recent portfolio exits in the state, while investing close to $60 million into early-stage startups and venture funds. The quasi-public agency was involved in multiple projects in the 2026 fiscal year, including the launch of a $50 million AI/Q Fund dedicated to supporting artificial intelligence and quantum companies. The fund is expected to play a key role in the state’s growing quantum computing ecosystem. — P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter ...read more read less