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Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced on Thursday that he wont seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, chose his 83rd birthday to share his decision not to run for another term in Kentucky and to retire when his current term ends. He informed The Associated Press of his decision before he addressed colleagues in a speech on the Senate floor. Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate, McConnell said, as aides lined the back chamber and senators listened from seats. Every day in between Ive been humbled by the trust theyve placed in me to do their business right here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last. His announcement begins the epilogue of a storied career as a master strategist, one in which he helped forge a conservative Supreme Court and steered the Senate through tax cuts, presidential impeachment trials and fierce political fights. Yet with his powerful perch atop committees, and nearly two years remaining in his term, McConnell vowed to complete his work on several remaining fronts. I have some unfinished business to attend to, he said. McConnell walked gingerly to the podium, sporting a walking boot. Senators from both sides of the political aisle seemed to listen most intently as he told them that while there are any number of reasons for pessimism, the strength of the Senate is not one of them. The Senate is still equipped for work of great consequence, he told them. As he concluded, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., motioned for the audience of senators, staff and Capitol visitors be allowed to applaud, which is usually not allowed under Senate rules. Republican senators then lined up to greet McConnell, beginning with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who hugged him, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who patted him on the back. He took out a tissue and made a joke, prompting the group to laugh. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota gave him a warm handshake, and a dozen others senators soon did so as well. Sen. Lindsey Graham said McConnell reshaped the American judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court. He has a lot to be proud of, and I am sure he will work hard to the very end of his term, Graham said. McConnell, first elected in 1984, intends to serve until his term ends in January 2027. The Kentuckian has dealt with a series of medical episodes in recent years, including injuries sustained from falls and times when his face briefly froze while he was speaking. The famously taciturn McConnell revered the Senate as a young intern long before joining its back benches as a freshman lawmaker in the mid-1980s. His dramatic announcement comes almost a year after his decision to relinquish his leadership post after the November 2024 election. McConnell’s looming departure reflects the changing dynamics of the Trump-led GOP. He’s seen his power diminish on a parallel track with both his health and his relationship with Trump, who once praised him as an ally but has taken to criticizing him in caustic terms. In Kentucky, McConnell’s departure will mark the loss of a powerful advocate and will set off a competitive GOP primary next year for what will now be an open Senate seat. Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, seen as a rising star in his party for winning statewide office in Republican territory, has said he has no interest in the Senate. Beshear’s chief political strategist, Eric Hyers, reiterated that stance Thursday, posting on X: He is not running for the Senate. Beshear is widely seen as a potential candidate for the White House in 2028. Kentucky Republicans considering the race for McConnell’s seat quickly weighed in with reaction. U.S. Rep. Andy Barr said he would make a decision soon about his future. Former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron seemed to tip his hand, posting on X: Kentucky, its time for a new generation of leadership in the U.S. Senate. Lets do this. Another looming GOP candidate is businessman Nate Morris. One common denominator among them their professed loyalty to Trump and his agenda. McConnell, a diehard adherent to Ronald Reagans brand of traditional conservatism and muscular foreign policy, increasingly found himself out of step with a GOP shifting toward the fiery, often isolationist populism espoused by Trump. McConnell still champions providing Ukraine with weapons and other aid to fend off Russias invasion, even as Trump ratchets up criticism of the country and its leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The senator made it clear Thursday that national defense remains at the forefront of his agenda. He and Trump were partners during Trump’s first term, but the relationship was severed after McConnell blamed Trump for disgraceful acts in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack by his supporters. A momentary thaw in 2024 when McConnell endorsed Trump didn’t last. Last week, Trump referred to McConnell as a “very bitter guy after McConnell, who battled polio as a child, opposed vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s confirmation as the nations top health official. McConnell referred to Trump as a despicable human being and a narcissist in a biography of the senator by The Associated Press’ deputy Washington bureau chief, Michael Tackett. Before their falling out, Trump and McConnell pushed through a tax overhaul largely focused on reductions for businesses and higher-earning taxpayers. They joined forces to reshape the Supreme Court when Trump nominated three justices and McConnell guided them to Senate confirmation, tilting the high court to the right. McConnell set a preceent for hardball partisan tactics in 2016 by refusing to even give a hearing to Democratic President Barack Obamas pick of Merrick Garland to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Putting the brakes on the Senate’s advise and consent role for judicial nominees, McConnell said the vacancy should be filled by the next president so voters could have their say. Trump filled the vacancy once he took office, and McConnell later called the stonewalling of Garland’s nomination his most consequential achievement. Later, when liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died weeks before the 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden, McConnell rushed Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation through the Senate, waving off allegations of hypocrisy. McConnell also guided the Senate and Trump through two impeachment trials that ended in acquittals. In the second impeachment, weeks after the deadly Capitol attack by a mob hoping to overturn Trumps 2020 reelection defeat, McConnell joined all but seven Republicans in voting to acquit. McConnell said he believed Trump couldnt be convicted because hed already left office, but the senator also condemned Trump as practically and morally responsible for the insurrection. McConnell over the years swung back and forth from majority to minority leader, depending on which party held power. He defended President George W. Bushs handling of the Iraq war and failed to block Obamas health care overhaul. McConnell, the longest-serving senator ever from Kentucky, ensured that the Bluegrass State received plenty of federal funding. Back home he was a key architect in his party’s rise to power in a state long dominated by Democrats. He is married to Elaine Chao, and they have long been a power couple in Washington. The senator referred to her as his ultimate teammate and confidante. Chao was labor secretary for Bush and transportation secretary during Trump’s first term, though she resigned after the Capitol insurrection, saying it had deeply troubled her. Bruce Schreiner and Kevin Freking, Associated Press
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Another food recall is underway: “Berry Buddies, berries & pancakes” breakfast snack packs sold at Kroger and Meijer supermarkets in 13 states have been recalled after it was discovered that packaging failed to list wheat and eggs as ingredients on the label, according to an announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The item includes fresh blueberries and mini pancakes, and is generally found in the refrigerated section, produce aisle, or deli departments of the stores. Not including these ingredients on the label poses a risk of serious reactions to those allergic to either or both wheat and eggs. Here’s what you need to know about the recall. What’s happened? Naturipe Value Added Fresh LLC is recalling 694 of its bento box snack packs and is coordinating with regulatory agencies. According to the recall, which was first published on the FDAs website on Wednesday, February 19, “people who have allergies to wheat and/or eggs run the risk of serious allergic reactions if they consume these products.” The FDA announcement also stated that no illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this recall. Which Berry Buddies, Berries & Pancakes products are part of the recall? The products included in the recall can be identified by the following details, which are printed on the back of the package, near the barcode: Size: 2.1 oz (60 grams) packages Lot Number: 1097901 Best By Date: 02/25/2025 Dates sold: Between early February 2025 and February 18, 2025 What states are affected by the recall? The affected products were distributed in the following states: Arkansas Michigan Ohio Tennessee Virginia Minnesota Kentucky Indiana Illinois Missouri Mississippi West Virginia Wisconsin What should I do if I bought the recalled snack pack? Consumers can return the products to their place of purchase for a full refund, according to Consumer Affairs. If it’s not possible to return the item, it is recommended to discard the snack pack. What should I do if I ate the recalled snack pack? Individuals who have wheat or egg allergies and have consumed the product should watch for signs of an allergic reaction, which may include difficulty breathing, hives, swelling, or gastrointestinal distress, according to the FDA recall notice. Seek medical attention if symptoms appear. How can I get a refund or replacement? Contact Naturipe by phone, 239-598-6045, or by email, info@naturipefarms.com. Customer service is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m ET.
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E-Commerce
When some 33,000 Boeing machinists walked out of their airplane assembly factories in Seattle in September 2024, it was one of the largest strikes of the year. But it was also just one labor action that contributed to more than 5 million strike days across the country. Though the labor movements wave of landmark strikes ebbed slightly compared to 2023, there was still a surge of action in 2024 that resulted in 359 work stoppages, involving more than 290,000 workers. Thoe numbers come from the ILR-LER Labor Action Tracker, a joint project involving labor researchers at both Cornell University and the University of Illinois. That project began tracking strikes in late 2020 and into 2021, cataloging how the labor movement has gained traction since the pandemic. Last year, the trackers report on 2023 highlighted a significant boom: 539,000 workers who went on strike that yeara 141% increase compared to 2022and were involved in 470 work stoppages, totaling a whopping 24,874,522 days of strikes. [Image: courtesy Cornell University/University of Illinois] That high was buoyed by landmark actions like the United Auto Workers Stand up strikes, the Hollywood writers and actors strikes, and multiple strikes by Starbucks workers. The number of strikes, workers involved in strikes, and total strike days did drop in 2024 compared to 2023but are still higher than in 2021, the year that kicked off a resurgence in labor action. The main reason for that decline, researchers say, is the drop in the number of strikes by Starbucks Workers United, which held multiple actions across hundreds of stores in both 2022 and 2023. There also werent as many large unions with contracts expiring in 2024 as in 2023, noted Johnnie Kallas, a labor professor who first launched the tracker. When a unions contract expires and it bargains its next contract, thats often when workers strike to win improvements like better pay and benefits. [Image: courtesy Cornell University/University of Illinois] But workers are still striking to improve their wages and working conditions, Kallas notes. In 2024, the top three demands from workers on strike were better pay, improved health and safety, and increased staffing. Thats held true over the last two years, per the report. But new in 2024 was the fact that the majority of striking workers, 32.7%, were from the education sectorthanks to large strikes by union members at California State University, University of California, and University of California Health. The manufacturing sector was responsible for the highest number of strike days, claiming 40%. How the labor movement will keep up momentum under President Trump is unclear. The Trump administration has already threatened workers rights by gutting the National Labor Relations Boardhobbling its ability to decide any cases. (This move also makes it harder for unionized workers to get a first contract.) It also outlined how it plans to roll back Biden-era protections, like by reversing the NLRBs decision to ban captive audience meetings, which allow an employer to force workers to listen to arguments against joining a union. [Image: courtesy Cornell University/University of Illinois] Though Trumps pick to head the Labor Department, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, has some union support, its not clear if shell be able to uphold her reputation in an administration that has fired thousands of federal workers, closely aligned itself with anti-union Elon Musk, and is already planning to roll back worker protections. But Kallas says workers may not give in so easily. It is certainly difficult to predict what the impact of the Trump administration will be with regards to strike rates, he says, but workers may increasingly resort to taking action into their own hands due to the further erosion of the NLRB and other legal institutions.
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