Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was escorted out of his leadership news conference Wednesday after freezing midsentence for about 20 seconds, leaving reporters and senators in stunned silence.
Why it matters: The 81-year-old GOP leader, described by colleagues as one of the most effective political operators in modern history, was hospitalized in March with a concussion after suffering a serious fall at a fundraising dinner.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared suddenly unable to speak during a press conference on Wednesday, and was briefly led away by concerned GOP colleagues after he was unable to complete his opening remarks.
Driving the news: McConnell, who has been described by colleagues as one of the most effective political operators in modern history, returned to the press conference and assured reporters he was "fine" after being asked about his health.
Nearly half of the lawmakers in the 118th Congress are Baby Boomers, despite people born between 1946-1964 making up just 21% of the U.S. population, according to data from Quorum.
By the numbers: The average age of members of Congress is now 58 years old — one year younger than last Congress, which was the oldest in recent history.
A growing number of House Republicans are involved in an effort to remove language from an annual spending bill restricting access to abortion pills, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The bloc has the numbers to kill legislation to fund the Department of Agriculture, where language about the pills is buried, and further heightens the risk of a government shutdown.
Hunter Biden's plea deal on two misdemeanor tax charges was in jeopardy on Wednesday, as Biden pleaded not guilty after a judge said she wasn't ready to accept the terms of a revised deal.
Why it matters: Hunter Biden's legal team was stunned by what it expected would be a formality of a hearing that would allow the president's son to avoid prison time.
Moderate and swing district House Republicans are openly worrying about political backlash that could result from a half-baked impeachment effort against President Biden.
Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who was freed in a Russian prisoner swap last year, is expected to make a full recovery after being injured while fighting in Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter told Axios on Wednesday.
Driving the news: "Mr. Reed has been transported to Germany, and he is receiving medical care," State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a press briefing Tuesday.
Pilots urged Congress on Wednesday for more government transparency around an ever-elusive issue: unidentified objects in space.
Why it matters: The hearing underscored a recent bipartisan U.S. Senate measure pushing to declassify government documents related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
The symbolism was hard to miss: Former President Trump, fighting to return to the White House and avoid prison, dropped in on a night of UFC fights in Las Vegas this month and was a guest on a UFC podcast.
Why it matters: It was a collision of two longtime Trump obsessions — combat sports and crafting a macho image — at a time when he faces the prospect of being indicted for a third and potentially fourth time.
Joe Lewis, the British billionaire owner of the Tottenham Hotspur soccer team, has been indicted in the U.S. for allegedly "orchestrating a brazen insider trading scheme," prosecutors announced Tuesday evening.
Driving the news: Prosecutors accuse Lewis of engaging in "multiple schemes to violate the securities laws through insider trading and submitting false and misleading filings" with the SEC from 2013 to 2021, per an indictment. He denies any wrongdoing.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is lagging far behind former President Trump on a crucial metric for the longevity of a presidential campaign: small-dollar donations.
Why it matters: Donations of $200 or less are one of the clearest signals of grassroots enthusiasm behind a candidate. These donors are able to give more than once, while wealthy donors often max out on their contributions early in the campaign.
