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WATCH: Josh Hawley issues blistering rebuke of McConnell over ‘obligation’ to country
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As questions persist about Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell’s condition, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., issued a blistering rebuke about his team’s handling of the crisis, reminding them of their «obligation to your constituents.»
The 84-year-old former Senate majority leader has been absent from the upper chamber for over a month now after a fall at his home left him hospitalized. His absence, coupled with the sudden death of late Sen. Lindsey Graham, leaves Senate Republicans down two crucial votes amid a dead sprint to wrap up key parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Speaking with Fox News Digital, Hawley, a conservative populist, said he wishes McConnell and his family well and hopes for a recovery.
At the same time, however, Hawley said that «at a certain point you do have an obligation to your constituents and the country to tell them what’s going on.»
MCCONNELL FACES FRESH CALLS TO COME CLEAN ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES
Sen. Josh Hawley (right), R-Mo., called for transparency from Sen. Mitch McConnell (left), R-Ky., following his prolonged absence from the Senate. (Courtesy of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
«To be down a vote,» Hawley continued, «We’ve got a slim majority; it’s not easy.»
While Hawley said he would «defer» to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on how to handle McConnell’s situation, he noted that the lack of GOP votes is hurting priorities like the voter integrity measure, the SAVE America Act.
«I just hear a lot from leadership that, ‘Well, we don’t have the votes for this.’ Like the voter I.D., we don’t have the votes for that. Well, we might want to do something about that,» he said.
Hawley also said that he too has been «totally in the dark» about McConnell’s condition and said, «I never had any idea about any of his health stuff.»
«I hope he recovers, but I also hope that they get the transparency out there to help people know what the situation is,» he said.
‘THIS IS NOT NORMAL’: AOC UNLOADS ON MCCONNELL’S PROLONGED ABSENCE
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 20: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is pushed in a wheelchair at the U.S. Capitol on February 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. McConnell, 83, the seven-term Senator from Kentucky who served 18 years as the Republican leader, announced he will not seek reelection and will retire after his current term. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Asked whether he believes McConnell’s condition evidences a need for age limits to serve in office, Hawley quickly shot back, «Well, I’m a term-limit guy, so I’m all for that.»
«Nothing against colleagues who are older,» he continued. He pointed to 92-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, saying, «Chuck is sharp as a tack and spry and all that stuff.»
«But I do think there needs to be term limits. People just come here and stay forever. And I think it’s what the founders intended; I don’t think it’s what people want. So, I’ve always been a big proponent of a constitutional amendment for term limits.»
McConnell is completing his seventh term in the Senate. He was first elected to the chamber in 1984. This June, he was hospitalized after a fall in his Washington, D.C., home. He later developed pneumonia while in the hospital.
After an extended period of silence, McConnell’s issued an open letter to Kentuckians in which the senator addressed his prolonged absence. McConnell attributed his fall to mobility issues left from his childhood fight with polio.
SEE IT: GOP SENATORS SPLIT ON MCCONNELL QUESTIONS AS TUBERVILLE SEEKS TIMELINE, KENNEDY DEFENDS LEADER
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) speaks at a press conference with other members of Senate Republican leadership following a policy luncheon in Washington, D.C. on October 28, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
He acknowledged that at the advice of his doctors he «won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet.»
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However, McConnell emphasized, «I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do» and said, «I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible.»
He also pledged to keep his constituents updated on the progress of his recovery.
mitch mcconnell, republicans, senate, john thune, politics
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New York City is permanently bankrolling a program that pays people up to $10 a day for used syringes, a controversial effort critics argue puts taxpayer dollars into addicts’ pockets rather than getting them treatment.
The program, known as the Community Syringe Redemption Program, was quietly made permanent through Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first city budget after the city’s $126 billion spending plan set aside $3 million to continue it beyond its pilot phase, the New York Post reported. The funding appeared in budget documents submitted to the New York City Council on June 30, shortly before lawmakers approved the budget.
Participants receive 20 cents for every used syringe they return, with payments capped at 50 syringes, or $10 a day, according to the New York City Health Department. The city operates eight redemption sites — five in the Bronx and one each in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens — where enrolled participants can drop off used needles during scheduled collection hours.
MAYORS WANT TO KEEP HANDING OUT FREE CASH AFTER FEDERAL FUNDS DRIED UP
A used syringe sits on the ground in a park as local politicians, religious leaders and members of the Harlem community participate in a Make Our Streets Safe for Our Children march and rally on Oct. 8 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The program launched as a pilot in March 2025 after legislation backed by progressive City Council members passed in 2022. It is run by Addiction Response Resources, a nonprofit that also started a similar syringe redemption program in Boston, under an $11.1 million contract that runs through the end of next year, the Post reported.
Health officials say the program has collected more than 2.3 million used syringes since it began about 16 months ago, the outlet reported. During its first year, the city paid out about $292,000 to more than 1,700 participants.
Sanitation Department data cited by the Post shows workers have collected 26,229 discarded needles so far this year, down from 64,560 during the same period in 2025.
Outreach worker Danilo with St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction participates in a weekly needle clean-up at a Bronx park that drug users often use on April 23, 2025, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
According to the Post, the city is paying for the program with more than $189 million in settlement funds it received from major opioid manufacturers and distributors — money some critics argue should be directed toward addiction treatment instead.
EX-EMPLOYEE OF TAXPAYER-FUNDED NONPROFIT CAUGHT SELLING FENTANYL NEAR LA PARK: DOCS
Queens Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola argued the opioid settlement money used to fund the program «should all be going toward addiction treatment services — not for paying users to turn in their needles for cash,» the Post reported. She added that the program «is putting money in the pockets of addicts» instead of helping them overcome addiction.
Outreach workers with St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction participate in a weekly needle clean-up on April 23, 2025 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Bronx Democratic Councilman Oswald Feliz credited the effort to remove discarded syringes but warned the city «should not recklessly create conditions that can threaten the safety of vulnerable communities,» according to the Post.
Some participants see the program differently.
Tamia Wright, 43, told the Post it had become «definitely a side hustle» after returning used needles at a park in the Bronx, adding she planned to spend the money on «weed… and cigarettes.»
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City officials say the program is meant to reduce dangerous syringe litter in neighborhoods that frequently report discarded needles. The Health Department says improperly discarded syringes can pose risks of needlestick injuries and disease transmission, and urges residents to safely dispose of sharps or report syringe litter through 311.
Health Department spokesperson Rachel Vick defended the program, saying it helps residents «live in a community free of syringe litter» while safely disposing of medical waste and connecting people in need with nearby care.
new york city, zohran mamdani, opioid crisis, health, state and local, us
Un violento ataque armado sacudió la tranquilidad del municipio de San Miguel Dueñas, del departamento Sacatepéquez, en Guatemala.
El incidente, que inicialmente se reportó como una balacera aislada, cobró la vida de dos hombres y dejó a una tercera persona gravemente herida.
La alerta se activó en horas de la noche del sábado 18 de julio, cuando llamadas de emergencia movilizaron a los cuerpos de socorro hacia la escena del crimen. Bomberos Municipales Departamentales acudieron de inmediato para brindar asistencia médica.
Al llegar, los paramédicos evaluaron a las víctimas; sin embargo, dos de ellas ya no contaban con signos vitales debido a la gravedad y multiplicidad de los impactos de bala recibidos en órganos vitales. Una tercera víctima, que sobrevivió al ataque inicial, fue trasladada de urgencia en estado crítico hacia el hospital nacional más cercano.
El caso dio un giro determinante este domingo 19 de julio tras la revelación de grabaciones procedentes de cámaras de seguridad instaladas en los alrededores de la zona. Las imágenes captaron el momento exacto en el que se perpetró el crimen y evidenciaron que se trató de una emboscada.
En los metrajes compartidos en plataformas digitales se observa cómo las víctimas viajaban en un picop rojo cuando fueron interceptadas de manera sorpresiva por un vehículo blanco que les impidió el paso. En la escena aparece una camioneta agrícola más, de donde se bajan varias personas y abren fuego de forma directa y continua.
Un ataque armado en San Miguel Dueñas, Sacatepéquez, dejó dos hombres muertos y una tercera persona herida de gravedad. Las cámaras de seguridad revelaron que el crimen fue una emboscada y no una balacera aislada. Las grabaciones muestran que las víctimas viajaban en un picop rojo y fueron interceptadas por un vehículo blanco y otra camioneta agrícola. (Redes Sociales)
En las imágenes se observa cómo un grupo de personas que estaban sentadas en un área cercana salen huyendo al escuchar los disparos.
Mientras que las víctimas tratan de escapar, pero sólo logran movilizarse unos metros de retroceso. Luego buscan huir de frente, pero la ráfaga de disparos se los impide. Tras consolidar el crimen en cuestión de segundos, los sicarios huyeron del lugar con rumbo desconocido, aprovechando los callejones de la localidad.
Elementos de la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) acordonaron rápidamente el perímetro para resguardar la escena y proteger las evidencias balísticas, mientras fiscales del Ministerio Público (MP) iniciaron la recolección de indicios y testimonios.
El material audiovisual de las cámaras de vigilancia se ha convertido en la pieza central de la investigación, ya que permite identificar cómo ocurrió el hecho, así como los vehículos empleados en la fuga.
Hasta el momento, las autoridades no han determinado el móvil del doble asesinato. Mientras que vecinos identificaron a una de las víctimas como Cristian Alexander López, más conocido como “Tiny Boy”. De acuerdo con medios locales, se trata de peligroso pandillero cabecilla de una clica que opera contra pilotos y comerciantes. Sin embargo, esta información aún no es confirmada por las autoridades.
Otra de las víctimas sería el cuñado de Alexander López, quien aún no ha sido identificado por nombre.
En tanto, autoridades del Ministerio Público y de las Fuerzas Especiales de la Policía Nacional Civil guatemalteca ya investigan los indicios y las posibles causas del ataque armado.
Guatemala,Emboscada,Ataque armado,San Miguel Dueñas,Sacatepéquez,Pandillas
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A powerful earthquake ripped through Peru’s Andes region overnight, killing at least five people and leaving hundreds displaced as homes and a church collapsed, with authorities warning Sunday that an unknown number of people remain missing.
The magnitude 5.5 quake struck shortly after 9:20 p.m. Saturday near the city of Sicaya in central Peru, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake injured more than 20 people and forced at least 300 residents from their homes, Peru’s National Civil Defense Institute said.
Officials were still trying to account for missing residents Sunday after several buildings collapsed or were left unsafe, including a local church and convent.
SECURITY GUARD SURVIVES EIGHT DAYS BENEATH COLLAPSED SHOPPING CENTER AFTER VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES
Residents walk amid the debris of homes that collapsed after an earthquake struck Pumpuya, Peru, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Ninanya)
Authorities said the region’s widespread use of traditional adobe construction likely made the damage worse. Luis Vásquez, head of the local civil defense office, said the rustic building materials «contributed to the greater impact and damage.»
A motor tricycle is stuck amid the debris of homes that collapsed after an earthquake struck Pumpuya, Peru, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jhefry Sedano)
Images from the hard-hit farming community of Chongo Bajo showed families wrapped in blankets outside damaged homes as neighbors picked through the rubble. Animals could also be seen trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
BOY, 2, PULLED ALIVE FROM RUBBLE SIX DAYS AFTER VENEZUELA’S DEVASTATING TWIN EARTHQUAKES
«My home has been destroyed,» resident Hermenegilda Guamalato told local radio while looking for shelter with her three children in the neighboring province of Huayucachi.
Residents stand next to the covered bodies of neighbors who were killed after an earthquake struck Pumpuya, Peru, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Ninanya)
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Peru sits along the Pacific «Ring of Fire,» one of the world’s most active earthquake zones. In 2007, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the coastal province of Pisco, killing nearly 600 people.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
earthquakes, americas, disasters, natural disasters, world
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