Kentucky Gov. Beshear demands McConnell provide health update or resign

Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is demanding that Senator Mitch McConnell justify his weeks-long unexplained absence from Congress—or resign.

"I am addressing this letter to Senator McConnell under the assumption that he is capable of reading and responding verbally, and not incapacitated by means of consciousness or cognition. If the Senator is unable to respond for either of those or other conditions, consider this letter a demand for his Senate staff to be honest and transparent with the people of Kentucky," Beshear wrote Monday in a letter to McConnell obtained by CNN.

McConnell has been in the hospital for 43 days with no explanation. He has not disclosed what is ailing him or when he will return. He has not spoken directly on camera, leading to speculation that he is verbally incapacitated after being found unconscious in his Washington, D.C., home. His only public updates have been two photos in which he is sitting and smiling blankly with his wife, Elaine Chao.

His office last released an update on Monday, writing in a statement (in first person, in McConnell's voice) that he would not return to Congress anytime soon but was "looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky."

In an accompanying statement, the Office of the Attending Physician noted that doctors were meeting with McConnell every day. That was not enough for Beshear.

"Even the attending physician's written statement does not discuss your actual condition, including whether you can speak, reason, or carry out your duties as a senator. I understand anyone's desire for privacy, but when you run for office and serve as one of a state's two US senators, you willingly abdicate much of your personal privacy," Beshear wrote. "As Governor of the state you serve, I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign."

Beshear also urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to press McConnell's office for real information in an effort to "be honest and transparent with the people of Kentucky."

While the language in Beshear's letter is strong, it is unlikely to have any effect. McConnell, like every member of Congress, can essentially take paid medical leave for as long as he wishes. The fact that elected officials do not have to prove they can walk, talk, and think coherently—while still being paid—is disgraceful.

Acting DNI Fires 30% of Intelligence Workforce

The man temporarily serving as director of national intelligence has decided to fire 30 percent of America's remaining intelligence community.

The news came via a Trump-style X post early Tuesday, in which acting DNI Bill Pulte wrote that "in addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago."

Pulte took over the office on June 19 following Tulsi Gabbard's sudden exit. Gabbard had previously claimed she fired 500 people—also about 30 percent of the agency's workforce at the time—during her 16-month tenure at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

"The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class," Pulte added.

It is unclear exactly how many employees Pulte has laid off at ODNI—an office created after 9/11 to improve communication between America's national security agencies. Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported that 200 ODNI employees had been laid off or reassigned since June 1.

The fifth layoff announcement came two days after Pulte released a batch of recently declassified documents detailing threats by foreign governments.

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