Kentucky’s Governor Andy Beshear said Sunday that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “absolutely refuses” to make a two-minute proof-of-life video to reassure his constituents he is healthy and able to serve.

While speaking to CBS News’ White House political correspondent Ed O’Keefe on Face the Nation, Beshear explained:

I’ve heard absolutely nothing back from Mitch McConnell. And while I do hope that he is getting better, I’ve known him my entire life. I wish him no harm, I actually wish him good health. His boss are the people of Kentucky, and this is why the Senate, the Republican-controlled Senate, feels so broken. They feel like they’re not accountable to anyone. All he needs to do is call into this show for two minutes, or Fox News for two minutes, or do a video for two minutes to the people he’s supposed to serve. But you know what? He absolutely refuses to do it. And then John Thune, as the leader of the Senate, you’ve got a duty to make sure all of your senators have the capacity to serve. And what is he saying? Not my job. That’s not surprising. None of them will do their job right now and stand up to a president that is running over the Constitution at every turn.

McConnell returned home on August 6 after a weeks-long stay in a D.C. area hospital.

A statement he issued that day read, “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.”

The statement continued, “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.”

Watch the above via CBS News.

The post Kentucky Gov. Beshear Says Mitch McConnell ‘Absolutely Refuses’ to Make a Proof-of-Life Video first appeared on Mediaite.

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President Donald Trump is getting a lot of attention Sunday, but for reasons that may mystify.

Video from a Trump event in New York on Friday Aug. 14 prompted plenty of speculation about what exactly might be going on with the president’s backside — which, according to many left-leaning observers, purported to show Trump harboring a mysterious bulge, or box-shaped item. The president spoke to a group of supporters on Long Island highlighting his administration’s efforts to fight crime, but the focus from the progressive pundits was on his posterior.

“Seriously, what is going on with Trump’s rear end here? It looks like he has some sort of contraption back there,” wrote progressive influencer Aaron Rupar — who shared a video that was taken by outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“It depends,” George Conway answered — an apparent reference to the line of adult incontinence products.

Czech-American tennis legend Martina Navratilova also noted, “That’s a big diaper, I think:).”

Other left-wing social media notables also commented on the video, which has quickly gained traction on X:

——

The post ‘What is Going on With Trump’s Rear?’ Viral Clip Sparks Speculation and Mockery from Left-Wing Pundits first appeared on Mediaite.

MS NOW anchor Eugene Daniels bluntly asked Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin why people were leaking accusations of paranoia inside the organization.

Martin appeared on MS NOW’s The Weekend Saturday, where he painted a rosy picture inside the organization weeks after reports claimed he threw a phone in frustration.
He denied the claims, calling them inaccurate:

JACQUELINE ALEMANY: Chairman Martin, I wanted to give you an opportunity to respond to some allegations made by some of your staffers, current and former.

The Times reported at the end of last month that you threw a phone at a junior staffer’s desk, that it prompted an HR complaint.

Multiple sources also described a growing sense of paranoia inside DNC headquarters under your leadership and that the staff had become afraid of leaks and decisions that you were making in isolation.

I’m wondering if this reporting is accurate, if you recognize this description of yourself and whether you have changed at all the way that you manage your staff.

MARTIN: Well, the reporting is not accurate, but what I would say is every day when I go into the DNC, what I see is a staff that works extremely hard. They’re working overtime. I’m usually the first one in, the last one to leave.

And I can tell you that the team at the DNC is doing exceedingly great work to prepare for these upcoming elections. And what we’re focused on is that in the next 80 days, right? We have to take this vote on the calendar and, of course, we have to look ahead a little bit.

But where the staff at the DNC that I’m so proud to work with every single day is focused is actually on winning this November. And we’ve been winning, by the way, 90% of the elections over the last 18 months we’ve been winning and I’m proud of that record.

I’m proud of the money that we’ve raised, I’m what we’ve able to do to make the investments to help us win up and down the ballot both in our candidate campaigns, both in the infrastructure, both in state parties. And that is a testament to the work at the DNC and the great colleagues that I get to work.

And I will just say this, our motto at the DNC is pretty simple, all gas, no brakes. At this point, we’re drowning out the noise and we’re focused on actually winning.

And so while other folks want to focus on, you know, everything, all the noise on the outside, what the DNC staff is, as they put their heads down, they’re focused on the work ahead.

EUGENE DANIELS: But to be fair, Mr. Chairman, some of this noise is coming from the inside, right?

And I guess we’re trying to, and I think Democrats, I know you guys at the DNC think Democrats don’t want to talk about this and they just want to focus on the calendar and moving forward and the winning.

But there is a question to some of these specific allegations.

And I guess why do you think these leaks are happening, even when you ask folks to keep the leaks inside, the leak, that’s so sure for our way to make sure the leaks come out when you guys are having private conversations, but if none of the reporting is true, why are people saying it about you?

MARTIN: You know I don’t know but as I travel across the country Eugene what I hear from American people, they’re not focused on any of that.

They’re focused on the fact that they can afford their lives that they’re paying $4 more in gas that they can’t put groceries on the table that they were worried about their job they’re worried about their family actually being able to get ahead and not just get by.

Watch above via MS NOW.

The post MS NOW Anchor Bluntly Asks Ken Martin DNC ‘Paranoia’ Accusations: ‘Some of This Noise Is Coming from the Inside, Right?’ first appeared on Mediaite.

CNN’s Pamela Brown defended Karoline Leavitt’s reasons for leaving her White House role as “pretty legit” on Saturday’s The Arena.

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Leavitt was leaving her role as press secretary. She will remain an advisor to the administration as she focuses more on family after having given birth to her second child in May. At 27, she became the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary.

On The Arena, Dana Bash argued it’s good to have more women like Leavitt in top roles because it brings motherhood and the difficulty of work/life balance into the conversation more.

“I have one. You have three babies,” she told Brown. “It is hard, but there’s — and we all have demanding jobs. People out there have more than one job that they have to do in order to make ends meet — but this is one of the, frankly, one of the benefits of having these discussions of having more women in public life in the workforce,” she said.

Leavitt’s departure from the White House sent shockwaves through Washington, D.C. Brown and others on her panel were stumped when trying to name a worthy replacement as an effective communicator for the president.

Brown said she sees only personal reasons in Leavitt’s decision and joked that most who cite family as the reason for leaving a job are usually viewed as just spewing hot air:

By the way, someone made a joke, I forgot who it was, just like in Washington, so often when people leave a job, you know, they say, I want to spend more time with my family, and everyone kind of brushes it off.

I think in this case, it seems pretty legit. You can’t, you can’t blame her for wanting that. And she’ll still be a top outside advisor. But it’s a loss for President Trump. I mean, she has been one of his key messengers.

Watch above via CNN.

The post CNN’s Pamela Brown Defends Karoline Levitt’s Reason for Leaving White House: ‘Seems Pretty Legit’ first appeared on Mediaite.

AP Photo/Ryan Murphy

The family of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson called Luigi Mangione’s guilty plea “an important step toward justice,” as the now-confessed killer’s sentencing date was officially set.

In their first public statements since the father of two was brutally gunned down on a Manhattan street, the Thompson family noted more potential prosecutions ahead for Mangione following Friday’s emergency hearing in Manhattan Federal Court.

“Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family. While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable,” the family said in a statement.

“Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime. We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.”

Thompson, 50, shared two teenage sons with wife Paulette Thompson, who attended the emergency hearing in which Mangione, 28, coldly described his early morning assassination of the healthcare executive.

Mangione, whose sentencing on federal stalking charges has been set for Dec. 18, said in court that he had endured “years of pain” from a broken back when he learned UnitedHealthcare would hold its annual investors conference on Dec. 4, 2024, getting the specific location in New York City after some online research.

He admitted emailing the company posing as an investor before shooting Thompson outside the New York Hilton Midtown. The executive was alone, without security, as he headed to the conference.

“Before traveling to New York, I used a 3D printer to make a gun. I traveled to New York with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson. On the morning of Dec. 4 2024 I shot Mr. Thompson,” Mangione said, according to Fox News.

“I knew what I was doing,” he added.

Mangione was arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five day manhunt. He also faces state murder charges in New York, but could escape that case because arguments his attorneys are expected to make regarding the Fifth Amendment’s prohibition on double jeopardy.

The post Brian Thompson’s Family Speaks Out After Luigi Mangione’s Guilty Plea as Sentencing Date Is Set first appeared on Mediaite.

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The era of the boombox as we knew it in the 90s might be over, but if you still want an audio powerhouse that’ll give you better sound than your average portable speaker, there are several options that fit the bill, along with modern features like the ability to float in water and lighting effects. The popular Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus Bluetooth speaker is one of them—and right now, it’s 32% off ($169.98, originally $249.99).

Soundcore Boom 2 Plus Portable Speaker By Anker, 140W

$169.98 at Amazon

$249.99 Save $80.01

Get Deal

Get Deal

$169.98 at Amazon

$249.99 Save $80.01

This speaker gets seriously loud thanks to two 50W woofers and two 20W tweeters, delivering up to 140W. This is enough to create immersive sound during a backyard or pool party, camping trips, and beach get-togethers. PCMag, which gives it an Editors’ Choice Award, says it has a “powerful low-frequency response” and gives “serious thump” with plenty of bass. When BassUp 2.0 mode is activated (it’s on by default), the sound gets even bassier. Battery life lasts up to 20 hours with BassUp off and volume at 50%. 

The Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has an IPX7 rating that lets the speaker be submerged up to a meter for 30 minutes, and it even floats. Despite being mostly plastic, the speaker still has a rugged build. While it clocks in at 8.4 pounds, a removable, adjustable strap and built-in handle make it easy to carry around. The standout feature that sets it apart from similar speakers in its class is the bright, customizable LED lights that pulse with the beat of the music. The app controls both the sound and the lights, allowing you to further customize colors. 

If you’re craving robust audio that can hold its own outdoors, a rugged build, and fun lighting effects to set the vibe, the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has the right combination of features, making it a go-to for indoor and outdoor use. At its lowest price yet, this portable party starter should be on your radar.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

If you work from home or just travel a lot for work and dread being forced to use a single screen to do your job, the solution could cost you less than $100. Right now, Amazon has discounted the Asus ZenScreen MB16AHV portable monitor by 37%, taking it down to $95—the lowest price it has ever reached, according to price tracking tools.

Asus ZenScreen MB16AHV 15.6" 1080p USB-C IPS Portable Monitor

$94.40 at Amazon

$149.00 Save $54.60

Get Deal

Get Deal

$94.40 at Amazon

$149.00 Save $54.60

Asus reliably produces some of the best affordable productivity portable displays, and the MB16AHV, which came out in 2023, is a solid option. It has a matte anti-glare 15.6-inch 1080p display with 250 nits of brightness, a dual USB-C port, and a Mini-HDMI port. There is a built-in foldable kickstand so it doesn't need any other accessories to do its job, and it comes with a protective sleeve that you can use to carry it or prop it up.

It's easy to use, with a plug-and-play setup: You just need a single USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, which will provide both image connectivity and power. There is a 1/4" threaded hole in the back for a tripod accessory if you want to prop it up. It will also automatically rotate from landscape to portrait if you turn the screen, which is helpful for reading long documents or doomscrolling (there is no touchscreen support, however).