McConnell opens up in forthcoming biography

Why it matters: "In the long history of American government, few Senators have wielded as much power as Kentucky's Mitch McConnell," the publisher notes.

• Tackett drew on "thousands of pages of archival materials, letters, and more than 100 interviews with associates, colleagues, and McConnell himself" to piece together the story of the senator's life.
• The book examines everything from McConnell's childhood battle with polio, to his "rightward drift" after joining the Senate in 1985 as a pragmatic moderate, to his relationship with Donald Trump. McConnell endorsed Trump earlier this year even after condemning him over Jan. 6.

State of play: McConnell announced in February that he'd be stepping down as Senate GOP leader following November's election. His current Senate term runs through Jan. 2027.