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McConnell still in rehabilitation facility, will miss upcoming Kentucky political event, his office says

Senator Mitch McConnell and Secretary Elaine Chao, July 26, 2026. (Courtesy of Sen. Mitch McConnell)

(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office issued a statement from the Republican senator on Monday saying that he will miss an upcoming Kentucky political event in order to continue his rehabilitation following a June 14 fall that left him hospitalized.

“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. Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to make it to Fancy Farm, Kentucky this Saturday,” McConnell said in the statement of the political event and cookout held annually in Kentucky.

“As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon.”

An additional statement from the Office of the Attending Physician says that McConnell is continuing with a course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, adding that he is “not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”

“Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls,” the OAP statement reads.

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

McConnell was hospitalized on June 14, though his team initially released few details about the incident — prompting calls from many, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, for more transparency.

In a statement issued July 12, nearly a month after his hospitalization, McConnell said he was hospitalized due to a fall that left him briefly unconscious. He also had to deal with a “mild case of pneumonia.”

He has not been seen on Capitol Hill since June 11.

McConnell has said he intends to finish his term, which expires in January. The seven-term senator has already said he does not intend to seek reelection in January.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Powerball hits $1 billion for tonight’s drawing, the biggest US lottery jackpot of the year

(CNN) — The Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated $1 billion after no ticket won the grand prize Monday night, marking the first billion-dollar Powerball jackpot since a player in Arkansas took home $1.8 billion on Christmas Eve last year.Wednesday night’s drawing will be the 44th consecutive drawing in the current jackpot run, and the prize ranks as the eighth-largest in Powerball history, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association, which administers the game.The winning numbers from Monday night’s drawing were 6, 37, 54, 55 and 64, and a red Powerball 10, with a Power Play multiplier of 3.If a player hits the jackpot Wednesday, they can choose between an annuitized prize estimated at $1 billion, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump sum payment estimated at $433.1 million. Both figures are before taxes. Some states, including Florida, Texas and Tennessee, do not tax lottery winnings, and most Powerball and other major lottery winners choose the lump sum over annuity payments.Although no one won the $905 million jackpot Monday, some ticket holders still won sizable prizes, according to Powerball. One ticket sold in Tennessee matched all five white balls and included the Power Play option to win $2 million. Two other tickets, sold in California and Maryland, matched the five white numbers to win the $1 million Match 5 prize. In California, the payout can vary based on ticket sales and the number of winners.The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292.2 million. For perspective, a person has a better chance of being struck by lightning in a given year — a 1 in 1.22 million chance, according to the National Weather Service. The odds of being killed by a shark over a lifetime are roughly 1 in 4.3 million, according to the International Shark Attack File.No one has won the grand prize in more than three months, since two players in Florida and Texas split a $20 million prize on May 2.The size of this jackpot is no anomaly. Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots have grown larger over the past several years, driven by game redesigns that lengthened the odds of winning, more frequent drawings and an expanded player pool.Three winners in Florida, California and Tennessee became the first to claim a jackpot over $1 billion when they split a $1.586 billion Powerball prize in 2016.The largest Powerball prize on record — $2.04 billion — was won in California in 2022. Last year’s $1.8 billion Arkansas jackpot ranks second.Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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