Democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George wins Democratic primary for DC mayor

(NEW YORK) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called on Monday for Sen. Mitch McConnell to either “verbally” show proof to Kentuckians that he can still serve in the Senate or to resign from Congress.

“Important events are happening in our country right now during your absence,” Beshear, a Democrat, wrote in a letter to the Republican senator, according to a copy obtained by ABC News.

McConnell has been hospitalized since June 14, according to his office, which said on July 12 that the 84-year-old senator was recovering from a fall that left him briefly unconscious. He also had to deal with a “mild case of pneumonia,” his office said.

“President [Donald] Trump is stuck in a war of his own making and has greatly strengthened the very country he claims is a threat,” Beshear wrote. “Prices continue to rise, crushing Americans who are working hard but not getting ahead. Americans’ voting rights are being eliminated by the Supreme Court and threatened by congressional action. All while you are absent and refuse to communicate clearly and directly to the people you serve.”

“As Governor of the state you serve, I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign,” he added.

ABC News reached out to McConnell’s office for comment, but didn’t immediately receive a response.

The letter followed a statement issued on Monday by McConnell’s office, in which the senator said he would miss an upcoming Kentucky political event in order to continue his rehabilitation.

“I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders,” McConnell said in the statement.

McConnell’s office also included a new image of the senator and his wife, Elaine Chao, that it said was taken on Sunday, July 26.

Beshear on Monday also sent a separate letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, calling on Thune to investigate McConnell’s condition and, if McConnell does not show he can continue serving in the Senate, to begin the process of potentially expelling McConnell from the chamber.

“Per our research, a vacancy in the Senate occurs when a senator dies, resigns, or is expelled by a vote of the Senate itself,” Beshear wrote in the letter to Thune. “If Senator McConnell is unwilling to voluntarily show that he still has the capacity to serve, I will insist that you as the Majority Leader of the Senate fully investigate his condition, report to the American people, and begin the process if warranted.”

Beshear as governor does not have the authority to alter McConnell’s standing in the Senate. If McConnell’s seat were to become vacant, Beshear would likely have to set up a special election to fill it.

Kentucky lawmakers previously passed legislation that blocked the governor from having the ability to appoint a temporary replacement.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a longstanding federal ban on guns for unlawful users of any controlled substance is unconstitutional as applied to a Texas gun owner who used marijuana several times a week.

The decision set new limits on federal prosecution of gun owners who are targeted simply for having a history of drug use. It was especially welcomed by millions of American cannabis users who have had to disarm or risk up to 15 years behind bars.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the court’s opinion that unlawful drug use alone cannot be grounds to seek to send someone to prison and potentially force them to give up firearms for life.

“We do not question that sometimes an individual’s unlawful use of marijuana (or any other controlled substance) may render him a danger to others,” Gorsuch wrote. “But, again, the government disclaims the need to show anything like that in this case. … affording the government that kind of broad power to designate any group as dangerous and thereby disqualify its members from having a gun would risk allowing it to quickly swallow the Second Amendment.”

The Justice Department has said it prosecutes roughly 300 cases a year in which a violation of the drug-user gun ban is a leading charge. 

Gorsuch said the opinion was narrow and did not disturb other provisions of the law, which includes a ban on guns for drug addicts, ban on guns for people presently intoxicated and prohibition of firearms for those deemed a danger to themselves or others. 

The ruling would not, for example, have prevented the prosecution of Hunter Biden under the law since he was a known and admitted drug addict while in possession of a firearm. 

The decision was most immediately a victory for plaintiff Ali Hemani, a Texas man who admitted to using marijuana “every other day” while keeping a Glock 9mm pistol in his home. He was prosecuted by federal authorities for a single charge of unlawful possession as a drug user but was neither intoxicated nor physically holding the weapon when arrested.

A federal appeals court tossed out the Hemani indictment saying the ban as applied to him was unconstitutional. The justices agreed with that decision. 

While more than 40 states have legalized marijuana in some form, it remains prohibited under federal law.

“Today’s unanimous 9-0 decision makes it clear that the government cannot make it crime for people to own a gun, which the Supreme Court has held is a fundamental constitutional right, simply because they use marijuana,” said Cecillia Wang, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union.

“With nearly half of Americans reporting marijuana use at some point in their lives, this ruling protects the rights of millions and curbs the government’s ability to impose arbitrary and discriminatory penalties,” Wang wrote in a statement. “The court has sent a strong message that the government cannot criminalize the conduct of large numbers of people by making categorical and unfounded assumptions about whether they are dangerous.”

The decision was also praised by the National Rifle Association as “a major victory for the Second Amendment and peaceable gun owners across America.” 

“No one should be deprived of their God-given right to keep and bear arms for engaging in nonviolent conduct, and there is no historical justification for doing so,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford in a statement to ABC News. 

Gun safety advocates, which had joined the Trump administration in opposing a rollback of the drug-user gun ban, said the bulk of the law remains a robust and “common-sense” public-safety measure. 

“Although the Court said that the particular law at issue in this case cannot be upheld specifically as to the person challenging it, it reaffirmed the ability of legislatures to restrict firearms access by certain categories of people,” said Kris Brown, president of Brady, a gun safety group. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Construction on the Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon is underway on the White House South Lawn ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned fights this summer to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The event, dubbed “UFC Freedom Fights 250,” will take place on June 14 — coinciding with the president’s birthday and Flag Day — and feature a lightweight title matchup between undisputed champion Ilia Topuria and interim title holder Justin Gaethje alongside four other fights.

“Selected fighters” will take home prize money — some of which will come from Crypto.com, according to UFC.

The scaffolding — which will frame and light the cage where the fight is occurring, according to renderings shared by UFC — is visible from the White House North Lawn, cresting over the historic West Wing and Oval Office. 

Trump has repeatedly touted the popularity of the fight, claiming at the congressional picnic earlier this month that he had “never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets.”

In an Oval Office event featuring some of the fighters earlier this month, including Topuria and Gaethj, Trump claimed that tickets would be free to attendees and that tens of thousands of people would be able to congregate on the South Lawn and surrounding parks to witness the event.

“Our country is invited to this, it’s free,” Trump told reporters, claiming that the Ellipse would be able to house 75,000 to 100,000 fans beyond the main stage on the South Lawn. “They’re going to set up eight big screens and they’re going to have the fight. And then out here, we’re going to have 4,000 seats right in front of the front door of the White House.”

On Saturday, UFC shared new renderings to social media of what the event is expected to look like. The images featured a large fighting cage surrounded by stadium seating as well as an overview of the “UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest” in Ellipse Park.

In a statement, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the event “will be one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history.”

“President Trump hosting it at the White House is a testament to his vision to celebrate America’s monumental 250th anniversary,” he said.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.