Day: July 8, 2026

CNBC   Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday asked the office of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., to provide an update on the senator’s health, escalating public pressure for more information as the 84-year-old remains hospitalized more than three weeks after being admitted. “Over the last several weeks, Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the health and well-being of Sen. McConnell,” Beshear, a Democrat, said in a statement. “As Governor — and a fellow public official who understands the commitment we’ve made to the people we serve — I am requesting the Senator provide an update on his current health status.” The governor made his request two years after the Kentucky legislature overrode Beshear’s veto to pass a law that bars Kentucky governors from appointing a temporary senator and instead requires a special election. The process has never been tested. READ THE FULL STORY   

Breitbart   Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz called upon hospitals to join the effort to make their food healthier, stating that “hospitals should be places of healing.” In a video posted to X, Kennedy announced that they were calling for hospitals to “commit to serving healthier minimally processed food” and putting nutrition back “at the center of patient care.” Kennedy also announced that they were calling for hospitals to take the voluntary, Make Hospital Food Healthier Food Pledge. “Today, we’re launching the Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge and calling on hospitals across America to join us,” Kennedy said. “Hospitals should be places of healing, that includes the food they serve. Patients deserve meals made with real nutritious ingredients that support recovery, not highly processed foods that contribute to the chronic disease crisis.” READ THE FULL STORY   

The Hill   An appeals court on Wednesday denied President Trump’s bid to pause the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center while he challenges a lower court ruling. A three-judge panel determined the administration’s lawyers did not prove the president or the performing arts center would suffer irreparable harm if his name was removed from the venue as ordered. “First, they argue that removal of President Trump’s name will inflict irreparable harm in terms of expense and time ‘squander[ed][.]’ Since that removal has already occurred, stay would not avert those harms (even assuming they would qualify as irreparable),” the judges wrote in their order. READ THE FULL STORY