The US senator has been recovering at his residence after being hospitalised following a fall on June 14 – as calls mount for the 84-year-old to provide proof of his capacity to serve

Video footage has captured the moment US lawmaker Mitch McConnell is wheeled onto the Senate floor for the first time in months.

McConnell, 84, had been recovering at his residence after being hospitalised after a fall on June 14 and case of pneumonia, he said in previous comments provided by his office.

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The Republican senator was seen on Monday, September 14, when his colleagues reconvened on Capitol Hill after a five-week recess.

His office remained largely quiet for most of the day.

He has stayed out of the public eye since his fall and his office previously said that the Kentucky Senator would continue his physical recovery at home while working on official business.

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McConnell has not participated in any interviews or made any public appearances since he was first hospitalised, but he has released three written updates on his health and two photos of him and his wife, which were distributed through his staff.

This has done little to quell speculation and pressure, with some calling for him to resign.

In July, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, called on McConnell to “provide proof of his capacity to serve, or resign.”

‘What I really want is to be a mom. That’s my next starring role.’

Those were the words of Lady Gaga, speaking to late-night host Stephen Colbert in October last year. Nearly 12 months to the day, she is living out that dream with her first child.

Gaga, 40, has welcomed the baby with fiancé Michael Polansky, 42, after disappearing from the public eye for nearly five months.

Now, exclusive new photos obtained by the Daily Mail show the pop megastar looking every inch the Hollywood mama as she disembarked a private jet in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Cradling her baby, the Born This Way singer wore an elegant trench coat, full-length gown and towering heels. And she had even found time for a blowout, with her bleach-blonde hair looking perfectly coiffed. 

Perhaps that had something to do with her retinue of staff, seen in the photos carrying a car seat for the baby and even one of Gaga’s French bulldogs off the plane and into a waiting SUV on the tarmac.

Gaga’s glamorous get-up was a striking contrast to her low-key new mom look just days ago, when she was spotted in Northern California in pajama pants and her baby tucked into a front sling.

‘She has been in full nesting mode and has never been happier in her life because being a mother was a very large goal, even more than becoming a successful musician,’ a source told the Daily Mail.

The Born This Way singer wore an elegant trench coat, full-length gown and towering heels

Looking every inch the Hollywood mama, Gaga disembarked the private jet

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A staff member was also seen carrying the baby’s car seat as the new family made their arrival

Gaga, 40, welcomed the baby with fiancé Michael Polansky, 42, (above) after disappearing from the public eye for nearly five months

New dad Polansky, who began dating Gaga in 2019, carried a backpack as the couple arrived with their newborn

‘This is a dream for her, she is in heaven and relishing every moment.’

That newfound happiness has played out largely behind closed doors, with Gaga keeping a notably low profile in recent months as she prepared for life as a parent with Polansky.

The singer’s retreat from the spotlight has also fueled whispers that she and Polansky may have already tied the knot, though Gaga has not commented publicly on either a secret wedding or the arrival of her baby.

Since her sold-out Mayhem Ball world tour wrapped in April, she has been laying low at her new $10 million mansion in Marin County, California, where she and Polansky are said to have been enjoying their family bubble away from the cameras.

Her social media presence has slowed, too, with the singer largely sharing promotional posts for her makeup brand Haus Labs every few weeks rather than giving fans any glimpses behind the scenes of her personal life.

‘The baby is a few months old and she has been a mom for a while, she just kept the baby news quiet,’ the source said. ‘She has been able to do so because she has mostly been at her new home in Marin County, which is extremely private.’

But Gaga’s first public outings with her little one were not about making a splash, the source insisted – they were simply the result of a doting mom refusing to spend a second apart from her baby.

‘She never leaves the baby, only if she runs out for a quick errand. She is there in the nursery all the time because she doesn’t want to miss a moment,’ the insider said. ‘She holds the baby all the time because she wants to bond.’

Another staff member was seen carrying one of Gaga’s French bulldogs

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The singer was dressed to the nines in a gorgeous floral gown

The doting mother kept her newborn close as she made her stylish arrival

Gaga kept a low profile behind a pair of oversized sunglasses

For now, the native New Yorker (real name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) is said to be happiest hunkering down in the Marin County home, though she also owns a $22.5 million mansion in Malibu.

‘She wants to stay home, but she also has to travel and she really wants to spend some time in New York with her family so they can get to know the baby, so watch for her to go back east soon,’ the insider said.

Her new arrival comes after Gaga spent years fending off pregnancy speculation. The singer had been dogged by rumors since April 2024, when she and tech entrepreneur Polansky got engaged. 

That summer, footage emerged of Gaga performing at her sister Natali Germanotta’s wedding in Maine. One excited fan wrote on social media: ‘Lady Gaga randomly being pregnant and married.’

But the star swiftly shut down the claims, writing on TikTok: ‘Not pregnant – just down bad crying at the gym.’

Still, the notoriously private star has never hidden the fact that she longed for motherhood.

In a March 2025 interview with the New York Times, she said she was ‘excited to be a mom’ despite once having ‘a lot of apprehension about it.’

‘I’m also kind of at war with myself sometimes as I get ready to, hopefully, become a mom soon,’ she said. ‘Like, today is wonderful, but the whole day has revolved around me. There’s an incredible amount of narcissism in this.’

But any former apprehension appears to have melted away now that Gaga has welcomed her baby with Polansky.

‘She is also more in love with Michael than ever. He has been so wonderful, he has done everything to make her happy and feel safe. She feels like she won the lottery with him,’ our source said. ‘She says he is the perfect man in every way.’

‘She feels like she won the lottery with him. She says he is the perfect man in every way,’ a source told the Daily Mail of Gaga’s relationship with fiance Polansky; Above, in 2024

The pair began dating in 2019 after meeting at fellow tech entrepreneur Sean Parker’s 40th birthday party in Los Angeles. They went public that New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, before making their relationship Instagram official weeks later with a loved-up boat photo.

Polansky proposed on April Fools’ Day in 2024, while they were out rock climbing.

And while the star may now be enjoying a quieter chapter, her Little Monsters need not fear that she is about to hang up her microphone.

‘Gaga will make music soon, she can never not make music because her brain is always on songs, she is super creative,’ our insider said.

‘She has already written her baby some lullabies, she told friends. She is so creative that way. She sings to her baby all the time, of course.’

Representatives for Lady Gaga have been contacted for comment. 

By JAMIE BOYS, REPORTER

Published: 22:59 BST, 14 September 2026 | Updated: 23:15 BST, 14 September 2026

By DANIEL MATTHEWS, US SENIOR SPORTS WRITER

Published: 14:43 BST, 14 September 2026 | Updated: 23:04 BST, 14 September 2026

ESPN is facing calls to axe John McEnroe after he controversially pleaded for Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to return to their best in wake of Alexander Zverev‘s US Open win.

Zverev sealed a second Grand Slam of the year with a four-set victory over home favorite Ben Shelton on Sunday.

The No 1 seed, whose service routine has sparked calls for a rule change, broke the hearts of a New York crowd who hoped Shelton would become the first American man to win a major since 2003.

But he was beaten 6-3 7-6 5-7 6-2 by Zverev and afterwards a clip went viral from ESPN’s coverage of the US Open final.

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‘So the drought continues but the rebirth of Sascha Zverev also continues into 2027 – Down Under awaits, huh?’ lead announcer Chris Fowler said, looking ahead to the Australian Open.

‘Get healthy Carlos and Jannik!’ responded McEnroe, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion who serves as an analyst alongside his brother Patrick.

This is how the commentary feed ended after the Zverev and Shelton US Open trophy ceremony.

“Get healthy Carlos and Jannik.”

“Please”

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😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/sUbWxJXQAa

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 13, 2026

John McEnroe is facing a backlash over his comments after Alexander Zverev’s US Open win

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Zverev sealed a second Grand Slam of the year with a four-set victory over Ben Shelton

Both Alcaraz and Sinner have battled injury issues over recent months, with world No 1 Sinner missing the US Open with a knee problem, while Alcaraz returned at Flushing Meadows after more than four months out with wrist damage.

But McEnroe’s comments sparked fury among some fans, who accused the tennis legend of being ‘unprofessional’ and ‘belittling the sport.’

‘Sorry, this should be the final straw for John McEnroe,’ one supporter wrote. ‘Unprofessional, belittling the sport and stealing the spotlight from the champion and runner up seconds after victory.’

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Another added: ‘McEnroe has to go. Carlos is healthy and he played, It’s not Zverev’s fault that Jannik’s knee doesn’t work. It’s his moment and he won fair and square… this is honestly pathetic.’

Others defended the 67-year-old, however, insisting his comments were part of a discussion looking forward to the 2027 season. ‘It’s exactly what most tennis fans are thinking,’ one said. 

It is not the first time that McEnroe has faced a backlash over comments he made at this US Open. He was earlier accused of being ‘disrespectful’ in the wake of Novak Djokovic’s first-round exit.

After Djokovic was beaten by world No 49 Mariano Navone, McEnroe joked that the Argentine would be ‘playing [his] second round on Court 21.’

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We carry a map of our bodies around in our brains. It’s not a literal picture, but an organised pattern of brain activity. So, touch different fingers and different parts of the brain respond. Remarkably, this arrangement is highly consistent from person to person.

Known as the somatopic map, where somato means “body” and topo means “place” in ancient Greek, this is one of the oldest and most recognisable ideas in neuroscience. But we still do not fully understand why the brain has a body map, or how important its precise organisation is.

A new study by my colleagues and I looks at whether the brain’s hand map changes after surgical repair of a nerve in the hand. We found that it does, which could have useful implications for rehabilitation.

Touch your thumb, index finger or little finger and each produces a pattern of activity in the part of the brain involved in our sense of touch: the primary somatosensory cortex, or S1. Neighbouring parts of the body tend to activate neighbouring parts of the brain. The orderly spatial arrangement that this creates is what we mean by a somatotopic map.

It dates back to the 1930s, when Canadian-American neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield stimulated different parts of the exposed brain during surgery. This showed that different locations corresponded to sensations in different parts of the body.

Similar body maps have been found across mammals and are considered one of the fundamental organisational features of the brain. We can look at the spatial pattern of brain activity produced when different fingers are touched. In our study, it is this organisation of finger responses that changes after surgery.

When a repaired nerve grows back

Peripheral nerves – the network connecting your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body – have an extraordinary capacity to regenerate. If one of the major nerves supplying the hand is cut, surgeons can reconnect its severed ends. New nerve fibres can grow back into the hand, allowing sensation and movement to return.

But nerve regeneration is not precisely guided. The growing fibres don’t receive instructions telling them exactly where to reconnect. They can therefore take different paths and connect with different parts of the hand from those they supplied before the injury.

Communication between the hand and brain can be restored, but the information reaching the brain may no longer have exactly the same organisation. Someone might touch their index finger but feel the sensation in the middle finger.

We know from experiments involving monkeys that nerve repair alters the brain’s hand map, changing the usual arrangement of responses to different fingers. These findings became influential in thinking about rehabilitation in humans, with some theories proposing that recovery might involve restoring a more normal hand map.

We used functional MRI to map brain responses to each finger being touched in 21 people who had undergone surgical repair of one or more major hand nerves, and compared them with 30 people without nerve injuries.

In people with repaired nerves, the normal organisation of responses to the different fingers was altered and more variable from person to person. The pattern resembled the irregular maps previously observed in monkeys after nerve repair.

The altered maps were not simply the result of weaker responses to touch. Quite the opposite: touching the repaired hand produced unusually strong responses in the relevant brain area.

The map changes could partly reflect how the regenerating nerves have reconnected in the hand. We didn’t directly measure those connections, however, and the unusually strong brain responses suggest that changes within the brain itself are also involved.

What does an altered map mean?

We still do not fully understand how the precise organisation of somatotopic maps contributes to perception and behaviour. Nerve repair gives a rare opportunity to study what happens when the normal relationship between the body and the brain changes.

We found that the map can change, but we did not find a clear relationship between the extent of that change and how well people could use their hands. People with more altered maps were not reliably worse at localising touch, nor did they show greater impairment on broader measures of hand function. That finding challenges a simple assumption: that a more “normal” brain map must necessarily be a more functional one.

Successful recovery may not require the brain to recreate its original map. Instead, the nervous system may learn to make effective use of a new relationship between the hand and brain.

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That could also be important for rehabilitation. Recovery after serious nerve injuries is often incomplete, with people experiencing lasting problems with sensation, movement or pain. Understanding how the brain adapts as a nerve regrows, and why recovery varies, will require following people from surgery through nerve regrowth and rehabilitation, tracking brain maps alongside behaviour and how the peripheral nerves reconnect.

That could ultimately tell us two things: how changes in the brain relate to recovery after nerve injury, and something more fundamental about the brain itself. For all the history and importance of the body’s maps in neuroscience, we still do not know exactly what their detailed organisation is for. By seeing what happens when that organisation changes, we may have a powerful way to investigate that question.

He has previously admitted five counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, six counts of assault by penetration and one count of sharing intimate photos or film.

He has now pleaded guilty to a further 45 charges, bringing the total to 60.

The further charges include 16 counts of rape, nine counts of assault by penetration, eight counts of other sexual offences, seven counts of sexual assault, four counts of attempted rape and one count of administering a substance with intent.

The man cannot be identified because this would risk revealing the identity of the victim, who has lifelong anonymity.

Charges include offences involving drugging, rape, sexual assault, assault by penetration, attempted rape and sharing intimate photos or film against his wife.

Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson said: “Our focus remains on supporting the victim of this horrific campaign of abuse through what is a very complex investigation.

“Specialist support continues to be provided to the victim at the centre of this case.

“If you are concerned you or someone you know may be affected by drug-facilitated sexual abuse, please know that you do not need proof, certainty, or a clear memory to be taken seriously.”

Police said they expect to make further arrests in the ‘coming weeks’

Two people have suffered serious injuries after reports of “violent disorder” in a Cambridgeshire town. Cambridgeshire Police was called to The Broadway in St Ives on the evening of August 29.

Officers received reports of “violence and criminal damage” in the town centre. Two men were taken to hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries.

Since the incident, police have arrested six people, with further arrests expected in the coming weeks. The people arrested were:

• A 19-year-old man from Hartford on suspicion of a public order offence;
• A 19-year-old man from St Ives on suspicion of a public order offence;
• A 20-year-old man from Huntingdon on suspicion of a public order offence and possession of drugs;
• A 29-year-old woman from Wyton on suspicion of a public order offence;
• A 19-year-old man from Whittlesey on suspicion of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

They have all been bailed pending further enquiries. A sixth man, from Chatteris, was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence. He was released without charge.

Detective Inspector Luke Pedlar, who is leading the investigation, said: “Violence and disorder of this nature has no place in our communities and we know this incident will have caused concern among residents, businesses and visitors in St Ives.

“Our investigation has progressed quickly and we have already made a number of arrests, with further enquiries ongoing. We are committed to identifying everyone involved and ensuring they are held accountable for their actions.

“I would like to thank the community for their support so far and continue to urge anyone with information, footage or who witnessed the disorder to come forward and speak to us.”

But the backlash against Macklemore only grew louder, and included a petition by the Israeli-American Council urging Sheeran to remove him from the tour.

“This was an Ed Sheeran concert – not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event,” the council said, adding that the rapper used “biased messaging and disputed claims.”

In his statement on Instagram, which was nearly 1,000 words long, Macklemore said that after a week of “difficult conversations” with Sheeran, that ultimately ended “in a place of fundamental disagreement”, he was dropped from the lineup.

Tour promoter, Messina Touring Group, told Rolling Stone magazine that it had been told by venues that they would not allow Macklemore to perform, “which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.”

American businessman Robert Kraft, who owns the Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, said he banned Macklemore because the venue would not “provide a platform for hate speech,” accusing the rapper of “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric”.

“I agree with Macklemore, too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate,” Kraft said.

In his statement, Macklemore said he empathised with the difficult position Sheeran was in, but criticised the English singer for not taking a stance.

“Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed,” he wrote.

He also addressed the accusations of antisemitism, writing that “one of the most effective ways to enforce silence has been to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism”.

Macklemore added: “When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying “Free Palestine” gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn’t protect Jewish people. It protects Israel from accountability.”

But he emphasised that even though he only did two shows on the tour, if his words succeeded in “turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.”

Cllr Katie Lomas spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) and answered Press readers’ questions before the council sets its budget for 2027/8 in the new year.

How is the council ensuring money raised through a second home premium on council tax is helping people struggling to afford homes in York?

Cllr Lomas said the 100 per cent council tax premium on second homes introduced in April 2025 was helping to fund efforts to help people with expensive living costs in York.

She added it came alongside the council’s aim for all homes on its sites to be affordable.

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The executive member said: “We charge the premium on second homes because we think it’s the right thing to do.

“If people choose to have a second home they should contribute more to help those struggling to afford to live here.

“Receipts from the premium and council tax generally goes into our budgets which is spent on areas including housing and supporting the homeless, along with all the other services the council delivers.”

What’s happening with the York Outer Ring Road, Haxby Station projects and the £34 million Station Gateway overspend?

Cllr Lomas said progress was set to be made on the York Outer Ring Road scheme despite the almost £100 million funding gap it faced as of last year.

She added she understood frustration about the more than £34 million overspend on the regeneration of the front of York Station which has sparked political rows and calls for an explanation.

Cllr Lomas said: “When we took over the York Outer Ring Road project we immediately recognised that the money we had wasn’t enough.

“Funding has been delivered for that project but we’ve had to break it down into phased work.

“We’re about to deliver the first phase of improvements that will pave the way for further work as we secure funding to do that.

“That further work is important for residents, visitors and commuters, so we’re hopeful we can look at other sources of funding such as the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The overspend on the Station Gateway scheme now stands at more than £34m (Image: City of York Council)

“Haxby Station isn’t being led by the council, it’s led by Network Rail, but we’re working with them on the infrastructure while they progress with the design work.

“Station Gateway continues to be one of our more problematic projects, the contract the council inherited made us liable for extra costs.

“It wasn’t designed in a way that we would have but the contract was signed when we took over so we have to got on and deliver it in the best way we could.

“Once the project got underway we found additional things like an underground water tank that it cost money to deal with.

“We asked for an independent audit and the findings of that were helpful, we’ve brought in project management staff and we’ve worked to complete it as fast as we can.

“We’ve also been living through economically turbulent times and inflation in construction has consistently been running much higher than has been generally, so many of these projects are costing more especially when you’re working in a complicated place that has surprises waiting for us.”

What do you think about proposals for a visitor levy?

Cllr Lomas was asked about a visitor levy, or tourist tax as a study commissioned by York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith found a £1-a-night charge could raise £26m.

Cllr Lomas said: “The visitor levy will be hugely important for York and North Yorkshire, although we don’t know the details of what it will look like yet.

“We have an enormous visitor economy thanks to our beautiful, interesting city which people want to come and see but it costs money to provide services for them, keep our streets clean and do projects that provide transport for them.

“A levy on tourists could be used to fund these things, improve the places that people visit and relieve a bit of the financial pressure on councils for providing services visitors use.

“York must be one of the few places that has its own in-house stone mason working for the council to look after the city walls.

“The burden is falling on people who live to pay, it’s right that people who visit contribute to help keep York so nice.”

The series marks the second of Norton’s novels to be adapted for television and sees the Lostock-born actress take the lead role of Carol Crottie.

Originally set in a small Irish town, the story has been relocated to Northumberland for its television adaptation. Amy stars as Carol, a divorcee living with her new partner whose life is thrown into turmoil as long-buried secrets begin to surface.

Undated Handout Photo from Forever Home. Pictured: Amy Nuttall as Carol Crottie and Kevin Whately as Silent Dave. See PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Forever Home WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Forever Home. PA Photo. Picture credit should read: Helen Williams/ Channel 5 NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Forever Home (Image: Helen Williams)

Speaking about the drama on BBC Breakfast, Amy said the scripts kept her hooked from the start.

She said: “There’s something for everyone in this. When I got the scripts, I literally would be on my own and I’d get to the end of each episode and let out audible gasps because I couldn’t believe what I’d just read and I wanted to share it with someone.

(Image: Helen Williams/ Channel 5)

“On one page I’d be crying and really moved and the next page I’d be laughing out loud. And at the same time I was just so desperate to know what was going to happen next.”

Amy stars alongside The Revenge Club actor Douglas Henshall as Carol’s partner Robert Barrie, Emmerdale star Lewis Cope as his son Kaden and Heartstopper actress Jenny Walser as his daughter Sally.

The 44-year-old grew up in Lostock and attended Bury Grammar School before going on to become one of Bolton’s most successful television stars.

(Image: PA)

She first found fame as Chloe Atkinson in ITV’s Emmerdale, appearing in the role between 2000 and 2005.

Amy’s late mother, Elaine Nuttall, was well known on Bolton’s amateur dramatics scene and for her work as an artist and seemingly Amy followed in her footsteps.

Amy has performed at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre, including in A Streetcar Named Desire, before finding success on television.

STAR: Amy Nuttall at The Octagon Theatre where she will be appearing as Hermione in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale

In recognition of her achievements, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree by the University of Bolton in 2011.

Over the years, Amy has appeared in a string of popular television dramas, including Downton Abbey, Hotel Babylon, The Musketeers, Death in Paradise, Liar, All Creatures Great & Small, The Chemistry of Death, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Silent Witness and The Feud.

Most recently, she appeared in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, playing the adult Jane Butterfield.

Away from television, Amy has also enjoyed a successful stage and music career. At the age of 17, she became the youngest actress to understudy and perform the lead role of Christine in the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera.

Her theatre credits include My Fair Lady, Cabaret, Boeing-Boeing, Spamalot, Noises Off and The Hired Man at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre.

As a singer, she has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Festival Hall and Old Trafford. She also won an edition of Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes as Sarah Brightman.

In 2005, Amy released the classical album Best Days, which reached number four in the UK classical chart and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2006 Classic BRIT Awards.

Following the death of her mother, she also recorded the song Thank You Mother, written by John Hurley, to help raise awareness of brain tumours through The Brain Tumour Charity.