McConnell discharged from rehab, says he will continue recovery at home

Mitch McConnell Discharged from Rehabilitation, Returns Home for Recovery

Senator Mitch McConnell has been discharged from a rehabilitation facility after nearly two months of hospitalization, marking the most significant health update from the 84-year-old Republican since his medical emergency in June.

"Earlier today, I was discharged from the rehabilitation center to continue my recovery at home. Elaine and I are grateful for the many well wishes and support from friends, colleagues, and Kentuckians, and for the attentive care I've received from excellent doctors, nurses, therapists, and hospital staff," McConnell wrote in a statement released Thursday afternoon.

"On the advice of my doctors, I'll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I'll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business."

McConnell has been absent from public view since June 14, when he was found unconscious on the floor of his Washington, D.C., home and taken to the hospital by ambulance. Until this announcement, his office had released only two photos and a press statement. Rumors of his death or incapacitation have circulated throughout his absence, with staff offering little clarification.

It remains unclear when McConnell will return to work, despite warnings from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat.

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Trump Administration Awards $150 Million No-Bid Contract for Migrant Children's Legal Representation to Texas Firm

The Trump administration is awarding a $150 million contract to provide legal representation for immigrant children to a small Texas law firm with ties to the president—where only two of the 26 attorneys practice immigration law.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) plans to give the contract to the Houston-based Burke Law Group, the Trump administration announced late Tuesday. Marcella Burke, one of the group's four founders, was previously appointed by Trump to the Senior Executive Service for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department.

According to the Associated Press, the contract was a "single source cooperative agreement," meaning the firm was selected without a standard bidding process.

Of the 26 attorneys currently employed by Burke Law, only two practice immigration law, per the firm's website.

Michael Lukens, executive director of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, a group providing legal representation to children in the Washington, D.C., area, told reporters the group was "clearly unqualified."

The contract is set to begin on August 15, while the existing contract already expired last Friday, according to the Associated Press.

ORR officials previously said they had offered to extend the existing contract if providers agreed to share information about their clients with the government. However, several nonprofit leaders said the government had requested confidential information about the children and their sponsors, raising concerns that the information would be used to target families during immigration enforcement operations.

The decision comes as the Trump administration has rapidly expedited the removal of immigrant children. Immigration hearings for children are reportedly being moved up by weeks or even months, making it increasingly difficult for children to obtain legal resources or relief. At the same time, the administration has made it increasingly difficult for immigrant children to be allowed to stay in the United States. Sponsors in the U.S. now face stricter documentation requirements and even risk arrest themselves.

Immigrant children are often subjected to extended stays with the ORR, during which they can face alleged mistreatment and abuse, either at government shelters or elsewhere.