These news briefs are part of The Connecticut Mirror’s 2026 political coverage. For more Connecticut political news, sign up here for The Issue, the CT Mirror’s weekly politics newsletter. Impact of federal Medicaid changes U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, hosted a roundtable on Thursday morning in Norwich to discuss the impact of federal eligibility changes to Medicaid, known as HUSKY in Connecticut. Nonprofit leaders said people are confused and panicked that they will lose coverage. Representatives from groups representing patients with diabetes and multiple sclerosis said the new requirements will pose specific challenges for people with disabilities. Department of Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves walked through tools the state has created, including the website MedicaidMattersCT.org, which has a screener where residents can see if the eligibility changes apply to them. — Katy Golvala, Health Reporter CT recipients will see Social Security bump Social Security recipients in Connecticut and around the country will see a bump in their checks due to a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment. This will take effect in January for about 765,000 people in the state who get retiree, disability or survivor benefits. Outgoing U.S. Rep. John Larson, who has pushed for legislation for years to bolster Social Security, said the increase is welcome news, but it’s a reminder Congress needs to act soon. “With insolvency looming, we are only a few years away from automatic benefit cuts for everyone on Social Security if Congress does not act,” Larson said. “It is time for a vote.” — Lisa Hagen, Federal Policy Reporter Blue Ribbon Commission eyes expanding regional centers Members of Gov. Ned Lamont’s Blue Ribbon Commission on K-12 Education Funding and Accountability heard proposals on Tuesday about how to expand the state’s six Regional Educational Service Centers, or RESCs. RESCs serve multiple districts, making them a potentially powerful tool to regionalize certain services that may be too costly or cumbersome for individual districts to implement alone. Proposals included: creating state reimbursements for high-priority services; allowing RESCs to access state special education grants; staffing RESCs with fiscal advisors to help schools manage finances; creating formal state-RESC liaisons; and incentivizing districts to participate. The next full commission meeting is Oct. 29. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter CT’s latest culinary trail highlights “TV-to-table” successes Connecticut has a new interactive tourism campaign, with officials announcing a trail highlighting popular chefs and food businesses that have appeared on national television. The new “TV-to-Table” trail, announced last week in Stamford, highlights restaurants, bakeries and local chefs featured on shows like “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “Cupcake Wars.” During the launch event, Gov. Ned Lamont was joined by local chefs and television personality Scott Conant, a chef and Waterbury native. State officials hope that its slew of experiential “trail” campaigns, including ones focused on pizza, supernatural lore, and Christmas movies, will encourage visitors to journey to businesses and popular sites across the state. — P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter CT awards $15 million in afterschool program grants The Connecticut State Department of Education announced last week that $15 million in federal grant money will go to afterschool programs throughout the Nutmeg State. The money comes through Title IV of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It will support a wide range of afterschool activities, including tutoring, arts, athletics, health and family literacy. The education department said it received 55 applications, of which 25 won funding. Those include a mix of public school districts and local organizations like Boys Girls Clubs. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter ...read more read less