The House proceeds with a second impeachment attempt against President Donald Trump, an uptick in consumer prices, and new guidelines on COVID-19 vaccines are among the key news items this morning.
National
After Vice President Mike Pence declined a demand by the House of Representatives to remove President Donald Trump via the 25th Amendment, representatives are set to vote on an article of impeachment charging that Trump abused his power by inciting last week’s riot at the U.S. Capitol. Some Republicans have joined the call for Trump to be impeached and removed from office, although a trial in the Senate currently would not take place until the day before President-elect Joe Biden takes office unless the chamber agrees to return early.
Investors are watching the impeachment proceedings, and awaiting word on the stimulus deal Biden hopes to pass, in determining their near-term actions.
Consumer prices rose 0.4 percent in December, driven primarily by an increase in gas prices. Food prices were also up, with mixed movement in several other areas.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s robust rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine could bode well for the future, as the federal government is looking to update how it allocates doses to base it on how quickly states are distributing the vaccine. Distribution would also be based on states’ elderly populations, with the Centers for Disease Control expanding eligibility for the vaccine to anyone ages 65 or older as well as residents with comorbid conditions.
Connecticut’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group, meeting shortly before the CDC announcement, made a similar recommendation by asking that people over the age of 65 and those with at least one pre-existing condition be eligible for the vaccine in the next phase of distribution.
