Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) suffered a fall at the Capitol on Thursday while he was being confronted by left-wing protesters.
The incident was captured on film by activists with the Sunrise Movement, who approached the 83-year-old Republican to question him about President Trump's immigration raids, the New York Post reported.
He was quickly helped to his feet and is reportedly doing fine.
In a video of the incident, McConnell was seen walking through a hallway as a woman approached to ask if he supports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "kidnapping" people.
Sen. Mitch McConnell fell in the Russell basement, while being questioned my members of The Sunrise Movement, who took this video. pic.twitter.com/BeGNEE5SgP
— Erik Rosales (@ErikRosalesNews) October 16, 2025
Moments later, McConnell lost his balance and fell to the ground.
After getting back up with help from his aide and a Capitol Police officer, McConnell turned to the person filming, waved, and shuffled away.
McConnell, a defense hawk, went on to vote for a full-year spending bill for the military that failed 50-44. Republicans proposed the bill to bring pressure on Democrats to end the government shutdown, which is now in its third week.
“He’s all good,” McConnell’s spokesperson told The New York Post. “[He] went on to vote and [is] ready to vote again … to see if Dems decide to fund our nation’s defense priorities or not.”
McConnell announced his retirement in February following a series of falls and a few incidents of blank staring that raised health concerns.
In 2023, McConnell was hospitalized after a fall that left him with a fractured rib and a concussion. When he eventually returned to work, he had two separate incidents of freezing up at press conferences that prompted more questions.
Last December, McConnell sprained his wrist and cut his face after a fall at a Republican lunch. Months later, in February 2025, McConnel fell down a set of stairs at the Capitol.
McConnell still has more than a year left of work before he retires in January 2027.
The veteran lawmaker, who led his party in the Senate for almost two decades, plans to use his remaining time in Congress to advance his hawkish defense agenda, the Lexington Herald Leader reported.
“I can guarantee Ronald Reagan would roll over in his grave if he knew that we were reluctant to give the Ukrainians what they need to shoot Russia,” McConnell said at a recent event.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's plane made an emergency landing in England over a cracked windshield, the Daily Mail reported.
The incident occurred as Hegseth was returning from a trip to Europe, where he gave a stern warning to Russia over the war in Ukraine.
According to reports, Hegseth's C-32 jet was flying over the Atlantic when it was forced to turn back for an unscheduled stop in the United Kingdom. No one was injured.
"On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe," said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
Hegseth confirmed he is doing fine in a post, writing, "All good. Thank God. Continue mission!"
During his meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, Hegseth warned that America will "impose costs" on Russia if necessary.
“If there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression,” Hegseth said. “If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do.”
Trump is facing a critical decision as Ukraine seeks Tomahawk missiles from the U.S. that are capable of striking deep into Russia.
When asked about Tomahawks on Thursday, Trump said "we can't deplete" the US stockpile, noting "we need them too... so I don't know what we can do about that."
Trump will host Ukraine's President Zelensky at the White House on Friday, and their meeting is expected to be much friendlier than Trump's Oval Office smackdown in February, when Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance upbraided Zelensky for failing to show gratitude for U.S. support.
Since then, Trump has pivoted sharply towards a more pro-Ukrainian stance as he grows frustrated with Vladimir Putin for prolonging the war with his continued military aggression.
Last month, Trump expressed his view that Ukraine could win back all of its land from Russia, which Trump called a "paper tiger."
But Trump is not abandoning diplomacy, either.
A day before meeting with Zelensky, Trump announced that he and Putin had a "very productive" talk and that they will meet soon in Hungary to continue negotiating.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has a shortlist of "three or four" candidates for President Trump to consider for the role of Federal Reserve chair, Reuters reported. It comes as Trump looks to expand his influence over the central bank, which has resisted his demands to drastically lower interest rates.
Speaking with CNBC, Bessent said that he has already narrowed the list from 11 to five. Bessent said he will present Trump with the finalists after Thanksgiving.
"So I suspect that will go on in November and then likely sometime after Thanksgiving, in December, we'll present the president with three or four candidates for him to interview."
"At the end of the day, he'll take input like he always does from dozens, hundreds of people and then make a decision," Bessent said.
Trump wants interest rates to be lowered to stimulate the economy and ease borrowing costs on housing, with affordability at all-time lows.
CNBC has reported that two of the candidates being interviewed are sitting Fed members. They are Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman and Governor Christopher Waller. The other three are Kevin Hassett, the current director of the National Economic Council, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and BlackRock Fixed Income CIO Rick Rieder.
Bessent would not say whether the next Fed chair needs to commit to lowering rates, but Bessent said candidates should "have an open mind."
The president has repeatedly railed against Fed Chair Jerome Powell, nicknaming him "too late" over his slowness to lower rates.
Trump has even threatened to fire Powell, whose term as chair expires in May of next year. Trump is also currently in a court battle with Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, a Biden appointee, whom Trump fired over allegations of mortgage fraud that she denies.
The Supreme Court will weigh Cook's firing in January, but for now, the court is allowing her to remain in her job and continue influencing monetary policy.
The Fed has two additional meetings this year, in October and December.
The Federal Reserve modestly lowered interest rates in September, marking the first rate cut in a year, but Trump wants the central bank to go further.
During a speech Tuesday, Powell signaled that the Fed would continue targeting unemployment with rate cuts.
“Based on the data that we do have, it is fair to say that the outlook for employment and inflation does not appear to have changed much since our September meeting four weeks ago. Data available prior to the shutdown, however, show that growth in economic activity may be on a somewhat firmer trajectory than expected," he said.
Former Republican presidential candidate and ex-senator Mitt Romney has issued a statement on the sudden loss of his sister-in-law, who was found dead near a Los Angeles parking garage.
Carrie Elizabeth Romney, 64, either "jumped or fell" from a five-story parking garage near a Hyatt Regency hotel in Valencia, NBC News reported. She died at the scene.
"Our family is heartbroken by the loss of Carrie, who brought warmth and love to all our lives," Mitt Romney told People. "We ask for privacy during this difficult time."
Los Angeles County Deputy Brenda Serna told the New York Post through email that it is "unknown at this moment" if Romney jumped or fell from the parking garage or a nearby building.
She was found on the street outside the parking garage around 8:30 p.m. Friday night. Police discovered her car inside the parking garage.
The medical examiner in Los Angeles has yet to make a ruling on the cause of death, with an autopsy in progress.
While an investigation is ongoing, authorities do not suspect any foul play.
Mitt Romney is known for his large, picture-perfect Mormon family, which includes five kids of his own and three siblings.
Elizabeth Romney was the third wife of his older brother, 81-year-old George Scott Romney. The couple wed in 2016 and did not have any kids together, keeping a low profile.
According to divorce records obtained by the Daily Mail, George Romney, who goes by Scott, filed for divorce in June of this year, citing irreconcilable differences.
The corporate lawyer sought to deny his wife spousal support, saying most of their property had been acquired separately before marriage, and he requested that she take back her maiden name.
As reported by the New York Post, Romney asked to "terminate the court’s ability to award support" to either party, which would have prevented his wife from receiving any assets. She had money troubles in the past, filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with a former husband.
Prior to his wife's death, Scott Romney had been out of the public eye since 2012, when his younger brother lost that year's presidential race to Democrat Barack Obama. Mitt Romney later won a Senate seat in Utah and became a consistent critic of President Trump. He is the only Republican senator to vote for both of Trump's impeachments.
Scott Romney is the father of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel through his first marriage.
Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy fears that the nation's highest court is not immune to America's growing political divide, as the language in written opinions grows sharper and more "personal."
Kennedy spoke to CBS about his new memoir, Life, Law & Liberty, which is out Tuesday, the Hill reported.
“I’m actually somewhat concerned about the Court,” Kennedy said in an interview with CBS News published Sunday. “It’s a little bit too personal and confrontational, some of the opinions. I’m hoping that will settle down a little bit.”
Kennedy was nominated to the Supreme Court in 1989 by Republican president Ronald Reagan. Eventually, Kennedy became known as the "swing" justice on what was fairly liberal Supreme Court. He wrote the opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges, which required all 50 states to recognize gay marriage, and also defended the right to abortion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which upheld Roe v. Wade.
On the other hand, Kennedy joined the majority in Bush v. Gore, a decision deplored by the left.
The 89-year-old retired during President Trump's first term and was replaced by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose confirmation hearings exposed a bitter divide in the country.
Despite sometimes sharp disagreements, the justices typically speak well of each other in public appearances. But Kennedy said there are signs that the court's well-known collegiality is fading.
“Yes, I’m concerned. Democracy presumes an open, rational, thoughtful, decent discussion where you respect the dignity of the person with whom you disagree. And if it doesn’t have that, then democracy as we know it is in danger,” he said.
Despite his role as a "swing" vote, Kennedy did not shy from controversy during his time on the bench.
In Obergefell, Kennedy was accused of replacing sound legal reasoning with flowery poetics, or what the late Justice Antonin Scalia dismissed as the "mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie." But Kennedy stands by his prose.
“Someone told me it passed the refrigerator test, [which means] if there’s something that’s interesting and well-written, you put it on your refrigerator,” Kennedy told CBS.
While most Americans now accept gay marriage, Obergefell has continued to face criticism from conservatives who regard it as a textbook case of judicial overreach. And Kennedy's whimsical definition of "liberty" in Planned Parenthood v. Casey as the "right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life" still attracts scorn in the conservative legal movement.
Since Roe v. Wade was repealed, there has been speculation that Obergefell could be overturned next. A petition is currently before the court do so just that, although it is far from clear that the justices will take that leap.
The Supreme Court's 2024-2025 term ended with a blockbuster opinion authored by Amy Coney Barrett, the new "swing" vote in the eyes of many, in which Barrett mocked liberal colleague Ketanji Brown Jackson for a passionate, legally adventurous dissent.
Barrett ripped Jackson's dissent, which predicted the end of the American Republic, as "extreme" and superficial.
The U.S. government may still be shut down, but that's not stopping President Donald Trump from making sure U.S. troops receive their next paycheck.
According to the Daily Caller, President Trump will reportedly direct War Secretary Pete Hegseth to pay U.S. servicemembers so that they wouldn't be out of a paycheck this week.
The president announced that his administration had identified the funds required to make sure troops get paid, making sure to emphasize that he will use "all available funds" to ensure 1.3 million troops don't go without a check.
The bombshell announcement came as Senate Democrats continue to play dirty in keeping the U.S. government on shutdown status.
President Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, drawing praise from Republicans, and presumably most of our troops, for ensuring that they'll get money they need to survive and feed their families.
"If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He added, “That is why I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to do this.”
Make America Great Again to Pay Troops By 15th October
US has come long way under Trump 😳 pic.twitter.com/qGOpzsI9SV
— Frontalforce 🇮🇳 (@FrontalForce) October 13, 2025
It was also reported that the funds, totaling about $8 billion, will come from unobligated research and development funds.
The Daily Caller noted:
The Office of Management and Budget notified Congress the Pentagon will pull $8 billion in unobligated research and development funds — which Congress made available for two years — to pay the U.S. service members, Politico reported.
Many social media users commented on Trump's vow to make sure that troops get paid on time.
"Our country is so much better off now that we have a president who is willing to think outside the box to assure our priorities are met even during the Schumer Shutdown," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Good to see troops taken care of. Thank you Mr. President."
It's refreshing to know that Trump will make sure our troops are taken care of, no matter what games Congress plays.
Typically, after a high-profile shooting or assassination, copycats will try to get their 15 minutes of fame by emulating the act, and that's what nearly happened in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination.
According to the Daily Mail, conservative influencer Benny Johnson was a target of a man who wanted to make headlines with another assassination of a high-profile conservative activist.
The bombshell revelation was announced by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi this week during what was described as a "fiery" press conference.
The Department of Justice announced charges against George Isbell Jr., which was a continued effort by the Trump administration to crack down on political violence.
The charges against Isbell are serious, as he reportedly sent a letter to Johnson and his wife threatening to "orphan" their children while also strangling Johnson with an American flag.
BREAKING: An internet TOUGH GUY has just discovered that his THREATS against Benny Johnson are CRIMINAL.
“You are NOT going to get away with threatening people."
FAFO to the keyboard warriors! pic.twitter.com/rGHS72L3cX
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 10, 2025
Aside from the late, great Charlie Kirk, few conservative influencers come close or beat Johnson's level of popularity in MAGA circles.
The Daily Mail noted:
Johnson commands a following of over four million on X and is one of the most outspoken conservative commentators on social media known for rubbing shoulders with Donald Trump and other influential MAGA stars.
Bondi held nothing back in her press conference, saying, "This arrest will serve as a reminder, we will find you."
She said the plot to assassinate Johnson was part of an Antifa plan to "wreak havoc on the streets of our cities," while linking the threat to the murder of Kirk last month.
Users across social media reacted to the news of the plot to kill Johnson, and many were thankful that the whackjob leftist was taken off the streets and charged.
"Any and all threats should be treated as criminal," one X user wrote.
Others warned that while threats should be taken seriously, the First Amendment seems to be in rocky territory as far as online speech is concerned.
Another X user wrotem, "I haven't seen the message, so if it contained a direct threat, action was warranted. However, I'm concerned that in this heightened environment, we may fall into the trap of censoring speech. Pam wanted to censor speech before, might use this as an opportunity."
A supermajority of the Senate has passed a nearly $1 trillion spending bill for the military, even as the bitter government shutdown continues with no end in sight.
As reported by The Hill, the Senate voted 70-20 to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), setting aside $924.7 billion for the armed services in fiscal year 2026.
The next step is for the House and Senate armed services committees to negotiate a compromise bill that both chambers of Congress accept.
The NDAA had been in limbo on the Senate floor for nearly a month, but the impasse broke Thursday as lawmakers finally agreed to debate a series of amendments.
"We simply cannot delay this process any longer,” Senate Armed Services chair Roger Wicker (R-MS) said on the Senate floor. “Let me make it clear: If we do not bring this to the floor today, this matter will not have time for deliberation on the Senate floor, and we’ll have to basically pretend that we’re having a conference between House and Senate members, and a very small group of senators will have to write this bill and bring it to the floor for final passage. That’s not the way this ought to be done.”
While the final vote tally was bipartisan, the amendment process reflected some sharp disagreements over the military's role.
Democrat senators used the "vote-a-rama" to target Trump's National Guard deployments to cities run by soft-on-crime Democrats. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who received attention as an advocate for alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia earlier this year, issued a proposal to stop Trump from deploying the National Guard without the consent of a state's governor, but the amendment failed.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) proposed an amendment, which was also rejected, to stop a donated Qatari jet from being retrofitted to replace Air Force One.
“Retrofitting this foreign-owned luxury jet to make it fully operational will cost hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. That’s money that shouldn’t be wasted,” Schumer said.
The senators also agreed to repeal the authorizations of force for the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, approving an amendment from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).
A bipartisan amendment to help protect military bases from drones also passed. The amendment was proposed by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
The troops are facing lost paychecks without a deal to end the government shutdown before Oct. 15. Senate Democrats, led by Schumer, have repeatedly rejected bills to fund the government without Obamacare-related add-ons.
“The executive branch, the president, is working on ways that he may have, as well, to ensure the troops are paid,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) at a press conference.
The White House confirmed Friday that federal layoffs have begun, as the administration tries to pressure Democrats to end the shutdown.
Dolly Parton is addressing rumors about her health after her sister left many concerned with a prayer request, People reported.
In a video shared on social media, Parton, 79, explained to fans that she had neglected her health following her husband's death earlier this year, but the issues she is having are nothing serious.
Dismissing the speculation with a light touch, Parton noted that she is very much alive and busy filming commercials at the Grand Ole Opry.
The country legend assured fans that "everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am" in the post, which was captioned, "I ain't dead yet!"
"Do I look sick to you? I'm working hard here! Anyway, I wanted to put everybody's mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate," she said. "I appreciate your prayers, 'cause I'm a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything. But I want you to know that I'm okay."
The "9 to 5" singer said she had "let things go" after her husband Carl died in March.
"Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should’ve been taking care of," she said. "So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said, we need to take care of this. We need to take care of that. Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt [University Medical Center], where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there, but I wanted you to know that I’m not dying."
Parton had announced in late September that she would have to postpone some concerts in Las Vegas to have some procedures done.
"I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts,” Parton wrote in a statement shared to social media. “As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000 check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
Health rumors began to pick up after Parton's sister Freida shared a Facebook post that some found concerning.
"Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly," Freida wrote. "Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately."
Later that same day, Freida said the request was not as grave as many assumed.
"I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly," she wrote on Facebook.
"She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister. Thank you all for lifting her up. Your love truly makes a difference."
A disturbed man was caught with more than 200 explosives before the start of an annual Mass that is normally attended by the Supreme Court.
As reported by the Washington Post, 41-year-old Louis Geri, of Vineland, New Jersey, had an arsenal of homemade bombs inside of a tent that he set up on the steps of St. Matthew's Cathedral, where the Red Mass was held on Sunday.
Throughout a tense confrontation with police, Geri threatened to set off the explosives and handed over a notebook filled with hateful ramblings.
As police approached and told him to leave, he responded, "You might want to stay back and call the federales, I have explosives."
The bomb squad was called in, and a police sergeant tried to defuse the situation by agreeing to read from Geri's notebook. But the situation escalated sharply after the sergeant noticed a butane lighter and tried to open Geri's tent.
The man flew into a rage and began pulling out vials of yellow liquid with explosives taped to them, as he warned to "step away or there’s going to be deaths, I’m telling you now.”
The police backed up and formed a perimeter. The sergeant and another officer finally arrested Geri after he left his tent to urinate on a tree. He told police that he had a bomb in the front pocket of his fleece, and a bomb squad technician found the device along with a butane lighter.
The FBI found that some of the vials contained nitromethane, which is an explosive compound often used in improvised explosive devices, including the ones deployed in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people. Other devices were modified bottle rockets with aluminum foil heads and treated in a pyrotechnic solution, but all of them were "fully functional.”
The man was apparently known to police and had been banned from the premises before Sunday's incident, according to the Catholic Standard, which is the newspaper of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. The police found him during a security sweep before Mass.
Because of his threats, no Supreme Court members attended the Red Mass, where God's blessing is invoked to guide judges and others in the legal profession. The Red Mass falls on the Sunday before the first Monday in October to mark the start of the Supreme Court's term.
According to the Washington Post, Geri's notebook included hateful writings toward Catholics, Jews, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Supreme Court. Six out of the court's nine members are Catholic.
Last week, a man was sentenced to eight years in prison for trying to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who is Catholic.
Geri is facing charges of manufacture or possession of a weapon of mass destruction in furtherance of a hate crime. He was also charged with possession of a destructive device and false report of a weapon of mass destruction in relation to a previous incident at the church that led to him being barred from the premises.
A judge ordered him held without bond.