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Christian persecution concerns rise in Egypt as State Department presses religious freedom

July 27, 2026 3:11pm EDT / Fox News

US sends $1.3B annually to Egypt, where Christians make up an estimated 10% of the 120 million population

By Ben Evansky, Fox News

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A series of violent attacks on Egyptian Christians, including the incarceration of a man who converted from Islam to Christianity, prompted the U.S. State Department to urge that religious freedom be respected in the Muslim-majority country of Egypt.

The situation of the Christian minority in Egypt has implications for religious freedom in the northern African nation that receives $1.3 billion in annual funding from the U.S.

Raymond Ibrahim, an expert on Christians in the Muslim world, wrote on the website of the Gatestone Institute, that “Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, a Muslim convert to Christianity, has become one of Egypt’s most prominent religious freedom cases.

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“After embracing Christianity in 2016, he endured years of harassment, detention, and abuse. On April 13, prosecutors referred him to a terrorism court, while his lawyers were denied access to the case file. He remains imprisoned, with advocates reporting torture, physical abuse, denial of adequate medical care, and repeated postponements of his trial.”

In another case, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) reported that a mob of Muslims tossed stones at a church in Upper Egypt on July 8, injuring Christians and causing damage to the building and a priest’s car.

Just days later, a group of men attacked Father Matta Roushdy, 49, a priest at the Virgin Mary and Saint Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church in Dahab, South Sinai Governorate.

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A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that President Trump has stated that “America will always defend the right of every person to live out their faith openly, freely, and without fear.” The spokesperson added that “Religious freedom is a fundamental American value. We aspire for all others to enjoy the same freedom, protection, and benefits.”

However, there has been some progress in combating bias against Coptic Christians. The organization Coptic Solidarity wrote last week that a breakthrough unfolded with respect to the alleged longstanding discrimination against Coptic athletes in soccer.

Egyptian Coptic Christians attend the Resurrection Mass at the Monastery of Saint Simon Al-Kharaz during Holy Saturday services on April 19, 2025 in Cairo, Egypt. The Coptic Church observes the same liturgical calendar as the Eastern Orthodox Church, whose Easter date coincides with that of the Western Christian calendar this year.(Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)

“In an unprecedented move, Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports announced that its investigation found sufficient evidence of misconduct by a coach at Alexandria’s Al-Ittihad Club who allegedly excluded a junior football player, Makari Younan, because of his Christian name.”

The organization added that, “The decision deserves recognition. Whether motivated by public pressure or a genuine policy shift, the Ministry’s response represents a notable departure from the longstanding official tendency to dismiss such allegations.”

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL CHAPLAIN WINS SETTLEMENT AFTER FIRING OVER LGBTQ SERMON

The organization added, “It appears to be the first official acknowledgment that discrimination against Copts Christians in Egyptian sport is not merely an allegation raised by disappointed families or human rights organizations, but a matter requiring government intervention.”

Open Doors, a global organization that aids persecuted Christians around the world, said of the attack on the priest that, “These types of attacks are usually committed by members of radical Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

Their statement added, “Their actions reflect a broader anti-Christian sentiment, especially in rural and village societies across the country where weak law enforcement leaves Christians vulnerable to attack.

“Though violent cases like this have decreased in the last decade, these attacks will continue until the state takes anti-Christian fanaticism as seriously as it deserves,” the Open Doors statement concluded.

Fox News Digital sent multiple press query Emails to the Egyptian embassies in Washington and Tel Aviv and called the embassy in Washington.

Coptic Orthodox Christians gather for an Easter service at the Monastery of Saint Simon the Tanner, located in the Mokattam Mountain area of Cairo on April 19, 2025. Christians believe Holy Saturday is the day Jesus lay in the tomb after His crucifixion, a time of quiet reflection and waiting. It marks the transition between His death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday.(Ahmed Sayed/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Dalia Ziade, an Egyptian Middle East Scholar and Research Fellow at The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, told Fox News Digital that “These cases represent only a small fraction of what Coptic Christians endure in Egypt every day. We are speaking about a population of more than 20 million Egyptians. On paper, they are labeled a minority. In reality, they are at the essence of Egyptian identity. They are the preservers of the country’s history and cultural memory.”

According to Ziade, “Women and Coptic Christians constitute President El-Sisi’s most important political base. These were the two vulnerable groups that felt most threatened by the Muslim Brotherhood in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. They strongly supported El-Sisi then, and they continue to support him today. Consequently, he must maintain the appearance of protecting and pleasing them by visiting their church on Christmas every year. But beyond that, nothing is actually happening to make them less vulnerable.”

The U.S. State Department 2025 report on Christians depicts a bleak situation for the Egyptian Christian community. The community makes up an estimated 10% of the nation’s 120 million people.

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According to the State Department report on Egyptian Christians, “Despite efforts for greater representation, Christians remain underrepresented in senior positions across the public sector. Currently, only two Christians – the minister of local development and the minister of parliamentary affairs – serve in Egypt’s 31-member cabinet,” wrote the State Department, adding: “Of 27 appointed governors, only one is Christian. In the senate, 24 Christians (17 elected and seven appointed) hold seats, out of 300 senators. One serves as deputy speaker. A Coptic Christian is the head of the constitutional court. No Christian serves as president of any of the country’s 27 public universities. Employment discrimination against Christians – especially within the security services, judiciary, and senior civil service – remains a significant issue.”

According to an April 29 Christian Today report, a Coptic Christian YouTuber, Augustinos Samaan, was sentenced to five years in prison for insulting Islam because he published videos defending the Christian faith.

Ben Evansky is a senior international news editor at Fox News Digital. He previously worked for the Fox News Channel as a field producer covering national and international news.

The biggest weather risk for homeowners? It’s no longer hurricanes.

July 27, 2026 2:40 PM EDT / CBS News

Tornadoes, hail and powerful winds linked to climate change now pose a bigger threat to homeowners than floods, hurricanes and other forms of extreme weather, according to new research.

In 2025, insurance payouts from “severe convective storms” (SCS) surpassed those resulting from cyclones, making them the costliest insured natural disasters in the world, climate risk modeling firm First Street has found in a new study.

Such weather events have “become top of mind for insurance companies, for anybody that owns assets and for residential homeowners,” First Street chief economist Jeremy Porter told CBS News.

Global insurance payouts triggered by intense convective storms over the last 25 years total $794 billion — more than flooding, earthquakes and drought losses combined, according to the firm, which based its findings on data from risk management consulting firm Aon.

U.S. in the eye of the storm

In 2025, severe convective storms accounted for one-third of global natural disaster economic losses, according to First Street. Insured and uninsured losses from SCS totaled $82 billion, more than any other natural disaster; of those losses, $68 billion were concentrated in the U.S.

Financial losses caused by damaging wind, hail and tornadoes are particularly prevalent in the U.S. due to the concentration of insured residential, commercial and industrial properties.

“In the U.S., we have a lot of really valuable real estate,” Porter said. “So if you start to combine insured assets with the increases in severe convective storms, that’s where you see those numbers balloon.”

SCS are generally covered by homeowners’ insurance, meaning most Americans with a mortgage are insured against such risks. However, as these storms become more frequent with the world’s changing climate, homeowners could face higher insurance premiums.

Insurance costs are increasing faster in some parts of the U.S., notably the Midwest and northern Texas, than in other regions due to severe storms becoming more widespread, Porter told CBS News.

“We haven’t seen private insurance companies pull out of those markets yet,” he told CBS News. “We have seen them raise rates relatively rapidly.”

Illinois and Ohio stand out as particularly vulnerable, given their sizable urban areas and valuable real estate, First Street found, with Porter describing the two states as lying along a “severe convective storm belt.” North Carolina and Georgia are also at risk given the real estate density in Atlanta and Charlotte, he added.

Epic hail

“Convection” describes the upward movement of heat and moisture in the Earth’s atmosphere, which can create thunderstorms and clouds, according to the National Weather Service.

First Street describes severe convective storms as “short-duration but high-impact weather events” — the type of storm that passes through a region quickly but can leave serious destruction in its wake.

“Unlike hurricanes or earthquakes, which concentrate losses in a small number of catastrophic events, SCS generates recurring losses through frequent hail, wind, and tornado outbreaks,” First Street said in its report.

Of the different types of weather that qualify as a severe convective storm, hail is the biggest driver of insurance payouts, followed by severe winds.

“When a big hailstorm hits an area, it tends to damage everything in the area: homes, cars and infrastructure — whatever’s there,” Porter said.

If current trends continue, First Street projects that SCS will become the world’s third-costliest natural disaster in the next decade in terms of lost economic growth. Such losses generally stem from factors including mass transit closures, reduced retail shopping and lower commercial productivity.

“We’re expecting to continue to see growth in frequency, exposure and damages from these types of events,” Porter said.

Edited by Alain Sherter

Amazon plans to deploy more than 5,000 satellites for new space-based telecom platform

July 27, 2026 / 3:54 PM EDT / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

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Amazon wants to build a telecommunications platform that would put thousands of satellites in space to offer voice, messaging, emergency and other services in connectivity-starved areas.

The technology giant’s Leo subsidiary said Monday that it has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission to launch a “direct-to-device” telecom service comprising more than 5,100 low Earth orbit satellites.

“There are billions of customers around the world living in places beyond the reach of existing communications networks,” Amazon said in a statement. “The core Amazon Leo system will help bridge this divide by providing high-speed, low-latency broadband to a wide range of consumer, enterprise and government customers.”

If approved by telecom regulators, the network would launch in early 2028, according to the company. The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Amazon Leo’s application.

Leo follows Amazon’s April acquisition of Globalstar, a leading mobile satellite services provider, in an $11.6 billion deal. Amazon Leo has since partnered with telecom operators including DirecTV, HeroTel and Vodafone, according to the unit.

“In addition to personal use, the D2D service will enable capabilities like uninterrupted communications for disaster response, global fleet management, remote operations across worksites and supply chains, IoT connectivity for remote sensors, and emergency messaging when ground-based networks are unavailable,” Amazon said in its announcement on Monday.

Edited by Alain Sherter

Trump urges Senate to end twice annual clock switching

2026-07-27T19:35:23.992Z / Reuters

July 27 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on ​Monday called on ‌the Senate to pass a bill ​to make ​daylight saving time permanent ⁠amid opposition ​to the measure.

The ​U.S. House of Representatives this month passed the bill ​to make ​daylight saving time permanent, ‌but ⁠it faces an uphill battle in the Senate. ​Trump is ​personally ⁠calling senators urging them ​to support ​it. “Hopefully ⁠the Senate’s going to approve that ⁠one,” ​Trump ​said.

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Reporting by David Shepardson; editing ​by Michelle Nichols

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Biden’s Hur interview tapes could now go public after his attorneys wave white flag

July 27, 2026 12:43pm EDT / Fox News

The Justice Department can now release tapes of Biden’s conversations with memoir ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer

By Ashley J. DiMella Fox News

Fox News senior political analyst Juan Williams discusses why former President Joe Biden is suing the Justice Department to block the release of audio recordings on ‘Special Report.’

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The months-long legal battle over the release of former President Joe Biden’s recordings from interviews with his memoir ghostwriter — obtained during special counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation — came to an end on Monday.

Biden’s attorneys filed a motion last week to drop their case blocking the release of the audio recordings and transcripts after fighting to keep the material under wraps, noting that Biden is now a private citizen and is not seeking public office.

Obama-appointed Judge Tanya Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia accepted the voluntary dismissal.

BIDEN’S FIGHT TO KEEP HUR INTERVIEW TAPES UNDER WRAPS SUFFERS FRESH COURT BLOW

President Joe Biden carries a milkshake while visiting Nantucket for the Thanksgiving holiday in 2023.(Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

The Justice Department obtained recordings of Biden’s 2016 and 2017 conversations with Mark Zwonitzer, his ghostwriter for the memoir “Promise Me, Dad.” Hur’s team, meanwhile, prepared transcripts during its investigation into Biden’s handling of classified information.

Now, the Department of Justice can release the audio recordings and transcripts to the House Judiciary Committee after the Friday motion was accepted.

Hur investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents dating from his time as vice president in the Obama administration and as a U.S. senator from Delaware. He declined to pursue criminal charges because he concluded prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Biden willfully retained or disclosed the material.

He also said, in shocking reasoning for the lack of prosecution, that Biden could appear to a jury as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” rather than an intentional violator of classified document laws.

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U.S. Attorney Robert Hur speaks at a news conference on Sept. 19, 2018, in Baltimore, Maryland.(Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

The plaintiff, Mike Howell formerly with conservative think tank Heritage Foundation and now at Oversight Project, has fought for more than two years to obtain the materials through FOIA requests, arguing that the public has an interest in reviewing the recordings and transcripts on which Hur based his decision.

“We are looking forward to reviewing these tapes that Joe Biden and his administration were allowed to hide for too long. They should show his mental decline as far back as 2016/2017. Yet his Party ran him as President,” said Oversight Project’s Vice President for Litigation Jeff Clark in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

A previous ruling favored Heritage after Biden’s attorneys filed an emergency request last week to block the release of the tapes.

“We conclude that any remaining incursion on personal privacy from disclosure of the now-redacted materials likely does not outweigh the public interest in disclosure,” a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit wrote in its ruling.

BIDEN SCORES TEMPORARY COURT VICTORY AS TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE DELAYS RELEASE OF HUR INVESTIGATION MATERIALS

Joe Biden speaks during the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois.(Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images)

Hur’s report repeatedly referenced Biden’s recorded conversations with Zwonitzer and described some exchanges as “painfully slow.”

He said Biden, at times, struggled to recall events and relay information, which further fueled scrutiny of Biden’s cognitive abilities during a time when he was still running for re-election for president.

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The Justice Department reversed its earlier position in February and said it intended to disclose redacted versions of the recordings and transcripts to the plaintiffs and the House Judiciary Committee.

Biden’s attorneys did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.

Savannah Guthrie pleads to her mother’s alleged kidnappers to “do the right thing” in new video

July 27, 2026 / 2:47 PM EDT / CBS News
By Kiki Intarasuwan

Savannah Guthrie appealed to her mother’s alleged kidnappers to “do the right thing” on Monday, saying in a new video message that her family has been living in a “nightmare that will not end.”

In her Instagram post, the “Today” show host said her family had “done our part” and would “never stop looking for” their 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing since February.

“The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way,” Savannah Guthrie said. “So I am asking you, begging you, to do the right thing now.”

She captioned the post: “bring her home.”

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Monday’s post marks the Guthrie family’s first major public appeal regarding her mother since June 23, when Savannah Guthrie gave a teary address during her NBC show from the anchor desk.

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Sunday, Feb.1, after not showing up for church. The sheriff said at the time that it appeared she was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona.

Two ransom notes were addressed to the Guthrie family days after her disappearance, including a note that said she had died, according to authorities who believe they were likely sent by the person or group of people who abducted her.

The first note demanded millions in bitcoin for Nancy Guthrie’s release. In the second note, sent a few days later, the apparent abductors revealed that she had died. The note indicated that they did not mean for her to die, according to sources who reviewed the notes.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/new-details-from-original-nancy-guthrie-ransom-note/

Andrew, Tristan Tate to seek release from US jail while fighting extradition

2026-07-27T19:24:00.236Z / Reuters

MIAMI, July 27 (Reuters) – Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will press for their release from a U.S. jail as they fight the British government’s efforts to extradite them to face charges of rape, assault and facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, the brothers’ lawyers told reporters on Monday.

Andrew Tate, 39, and Tristan Tate, 38, were arrested in Miami on July 18. Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said on July 19 it had brought new charges against the brothers relating to alleged offenses involving four alleged victims between July 2010 and August 2017.

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The Tate brothers, both former kickboxers who have dual U.S. and British citizenship, have denied any wrongdoing. They are being held in a federal jail in Miami as a U.S. judge weighs Britain’s extradition request.

The arrests marked a new chapter in the widening legal troubles for the brothers, who have built a large online following promoting their views on masculinity and wealth. Andrew Tate has previously described himself as a misogynist.

Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate had previously faced rape and human trafficking charges in Britain related to three alleged victims, the Crown Prosecution Service said. A British judge issued a warrant for their arrests in January 2024. They have not appeared in British court to enter a plea to those charges.

Britain is seeking to extradite the brothers to face both sets of charges.

DETENTION HEARING ON AUGUST 13

Prosecutors with the Miami U.S. Attorney’s Office said in court papers that U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis should keep the brothers detained because there was a risk they could flee and because they posed dangers to the community.

Joseph McBride, a lawyer for the Tate brothers, denied that the brothers were a flight risk, noting that they had attended their required court hearings in Romania, where they have been under criminal investigation since 2022 on human trafficking allegations.

“Innocent men don’t flee from justice. Innocent men lean in to justice because justice vindicates them at the end of the day,” McBride told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Miami after a status conference before Louis.

The brothers will file a legal motion seeking their release on bail by August 5, and a hearing over their bid for release will take place on August 13, defense lawyer Jacqueline Perczek said.

RUBIO TO DECIDE ON EXTRADITION

The legal process for determining whether the Tate brothers may be extradited could take months. Britain has until September 16 to submit its full extradition request to the State Department, U.S. court records show.

Louis or any other judge who takes up the Tate brothers’ case would be responsible for determining whether Britain has supplied enough evidence to provide probable cause that the brothers have committed the crimes of which they are accused, prosecutors said in court papers.

It would then be up to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to decide whether they should be extradited, the prosecutors said.

Rubio told reporters in Manila on July 22 that he did not expect to intervene in the case for now.

“There’s no role for us to play at this moment or maybe ever,” Rubio said.

Reporting by Jose Perez in Miami Writing by Luc Cohen Editing by Matthew Lewis

Trump urges Senate to pass legislation ending clock changes

2026-07-27T19:43:46.275Z / CNN

By Alejandra Jaramillo

Updated 2 min ago

Updated Jul 27, 2026, 3:48 PM ET

PUBLISHED Jul 27, 2026, 3:43 PM ET

Congressional news Donald Trump

The US Capitol, pictured during sunset on June 29.

Finn Gomez/Getty Images/File

President Donald Trump on Monday renewed his push to end the nation’s twice-yearly clock changes, urging the Senate to pass Daylight Saving Time legislation.

“By the way, speaking of that, let’s get rid of Daylight Saving Time stuff,” Trump told a crowd in Michigan after an unrelated comment about clocks.

“Hopefully, the Senate’s going to approve that one. The House approved it,” he added.

The House earlier this month passed a measure that would establish year-round Daylight Saving Time nationwide. The legislation would next need to be taken up by the Senate, but its prospects remain uncertain.

Proponents of the legislation argue it would spare Americans from having to change their clocks, disrupting young children’s sleep schedules and arguably causing more seasonal depression.

But critics say it could have economic consequences, particularly for farmers who would have to wrestle with later sunrises.

Related aNALYSIS WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 23: The rising sun flares through the windows of the U.S. Capitol Dome as it illuminates the U.S. Flags circling the base of the Washington Monument on March 23, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by J. David Ake/Getty Images) J. David Ake/Getty Images/FILE The downside of making Daylight Saving Time permanent 5 min read

Trump has long criticized the semiannual clock change, though his position on whether the country should remain on Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time year-round has shifted over time.

In May, he praised the advancement of the Sunshine Protection Act out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, saying he’d work hard to make it law. The legislation passed the full House 308 to 117.

“I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time. “It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it!”

CNN’s Ellis Kim contributed to this report.

US appeals court upholds Colorado congestion fee on rental cars

July 27, 2026 4:14 PM UTC / Reuters

By David Shepardson

Cars are parked near Hertz car rental signage at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York City, U.S., March 30, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) – The 10th U.S. Circuit Court ​of Appeals on Monday upheld Colorado’s $3-per-day congestion impact charge ‌on rental cars, turning down a challenge from an industry group representing Avis, Hertz, Enterprise and others.

Colorado approved the fee in 2024 on rentals of 30 ​days or less to address the impact of rental cars ​on public roads. The state said the funding would ⁠support investments in transit and rail services, reducing traffic congestion.

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The fee ​is raised annually to adjust for inflation and applies to car-sharing ​programs and larger vehicles like moving trucks.

The American Car Rental Association, which brought the legal challenge, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The appeals ​court upheld a lower court ruling that previously found the ​fee legal.

At issue are laws passed by Congress since 1972 that expanded prohibitions on ‌local ⁠taxes on air passengers and air commerce to businesses located at commercial service airports and businesses. A 2018 law said local taxes could not be imposed for airport businesses unless wholly utilized for airport ​or aeronautical purposes.

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The ​court in ⁠a 2-1 ruling found the fee was valid since the payers are the people who rent vehicles ​and not car rental businesses, and added that the ​travelers ⁠are those who will benefit from the services provided by surface transportation infrastructure projects funded by the fee.

In March, a U.S. judge in New ⁠York ​said the U.S. Transportation Department’s effort to ​force an end to Manhattan’s congestion pricing program was illegal, a blow to President Donald ​Trump’s attempts to eliminate the charge.

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McConnell out of hospital, still not ‘medically cleared’ to return to Senate

July 27, 2026 12:05pm EDT / Fox News

The longtime Senate Republican undergoes multiple daily physical therapy sessions as childhood polio complicates his mobility, his office says

By Alex Miller Fox News

SEE IT: GOP senators split on McConnell questions as Tuberville seeks timeline, Kennedy defends leader

Sen. Tommy Tuberville says the Senate needs answers on Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health as key votes approach, while Sen. John Kennedy dismisses speculation and says colleagues should “leave Mitch alone.” (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)

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Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is out of the hospital and on the mend after suffering a fall last month, but he still isn’t “medically cleared” to return to the Senate.

His office on Monday released the latest update on the longtime Senate Republican, who has been absent from the upper chamber and the public eye for over a month. The Office of the Attending Physician said in a statement that McConnell “continues his recovery from a fall at home in June.”

“OAP physicians visit with the senator every day, discussing all aspects of his rehabilitation care,” the Office of the Attending Physician said. “Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls.”

TRUMP’S SAVE AMERICA ACT STALLS AS MCCONNELL’S ABSENCE COMPLICATES SENATE PATH

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is still recovering from a fall he suffered at home last month and is not “medically cleared” to return to the Senate, per the Office of the Attending Physician.(Courtesy of the Office of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.)

“His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility,” they continued. “He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”

The latest update from McConnell-world comes after weeks of speculation and allegations that the longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history was dead or in a vegetative state.

McConnell’s extended absence from the Senate and murky timeline for his return come as Republicans are sprinting to clear the decks of several legislative priorities where his vote could be needed, including advancing a Russia sanctions package and confirming blockbuster nominees.

MITCH MCCONNELL BREAKS SILENCE ON MYSTERY HOSPITALIZATION AFTER GRAHAM’S DEATH

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401041450112

The newest release included a photo of McConnell and his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, taken on Sunday, along with a statement from the lawmaker where he lamented that, because of his recovery, he would not be able to attend the annual barbecue at Fancy Farm, Kentucky, which has become a staple for him and politicians to speak in the Blue Grass State.

“I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders. Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to make it to Fancy Farm, Kentucky this Saturday,” McConnell said.

MCCONNELL FACES FRESH CALLS TO COME CLEAN ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., revealed that a fall, spurred by his childhood bouts with polio, led to his hospitalization. But he gave no clear timeline on his return to the Senate.(Courtesy of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office/Reuters)

“There’s no place I’d rather be on the first Saturday in August than with the good people of western Kentucky, feasting on pork and mutton,” he continued. “When I first attended forty-two years ago, Fancy Farm was a pretty lonely place to be a Republican. But, my, how times have changed. Today, western Kentucky is a conservative Republican sea of red. So I hate that I’ll miss the fun this year, but I’m sending my best wishes to the St. Jerome community for a successful picnic.”

“As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon.”

His prolonged absence has prompted lawmakers in both chambers to call for more clarity and transparency about his condition and has led some to question the protocol for lawmakers going missing for months at a time.

Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., just came back to the House after dealing with depression for months but kept the reasons tight-lipped until his return late last month.

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It also comes two weeks after the most recent official update from his office, which came the same day that the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death was announced. It similarly included a photo of McConnell and Chao.

His doctors noted in that update that McConnell had suffered a fall at home last month, but had not suffered fractures, broken bones, cardiac abnormalities, or a “stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage.” However, early into his hospitalization he “developed pneumonia, which responded rapidly to antibiotic treatment.”

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.