'Miracles really do happen': Steve Scalise returns to US Congress after shooting

United States Republican congressman Steve Scalise, who lay dying on a baseball field 15 weeks ago following a mass shooting, has made a dramatic return to US Congress, receiving rapturous applause and a standing ovation from both side of politics.

The House Majority Whip was at “imminent risk of death” when he was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound on June 14 after lone gunman James T. Hodgkinson opened fire on politicians practising for a charity baseball game.

Scalise returns to Capitol Hill after …

Scalise returns to Capitol Hill after shooting

Members of the US House of Representatives gave a long standing ovation as Representative Steve Scalise returned for the first time since he was shot and wounded in June.

US embassy staff to leave Cuba

Sources say the US is getting ready to withdraw some staff from the American embassy in Havana in response to a series of mysterious attacks that have harmed the health of some US diplomats there.

OJ Simpson set to be released

The football hall-of-famer, who was granted parole in July after serving nine years of a 33-year sentence for armed robbery, could be released from a Nevada prison by Monday.

Museum Brings Model T Driving to the Masses

Museum Brings Model T Driving to the …

Museum Brings Model T Driving to the Masses

A different kind of driving lesson is gaining traction in Michigan, where more than 500 people have learned to drive Henry Fordâ€™s historic Model T.

Islamic State releases audio of leader

Believed to have been killed months ago, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi purportedly emerges in a new recording making reference to recent world events.

Twitter’s ‘inadequate’ response to Russia meddling

Twitter’s ‘inadequate’ response to Russia …

Twitter’s ‘inadequate’ response to Russia meddling

The top Democrat probing Russian interference in the US election says he is deeply disappointed with Twitter’s response ‘at almost every level’.

Arrest made in killer clown cold case

Police say advances in DNA technology led to an arrest 27 years after a Florida woman was fatally shot on her doorstep by someone in a clown costume.

Wray installed as FBI director

Chris Wray has been formally installed as the new FBI director He replaced James Comey, who was fired in May by US President Donald Trump.

Scalise returns to Capitol Hill after shooting

Members of the US House of Representatives gave a long standing ovation as Representative Steve Scalise returned for the first time since he was shot and wounded in June.

Scalise entered the House chamber on crutches on Thursday, local time, to a roar of bipartisan applause, embracing several of his colleagues.

House Speaker Paul Ryan’s voice cracked as he introduced Scalise. “The chair wishes to mark the return of our dear friend and colleague from Louisiana, Mr. Steve Scalise,” Ryan said. “Our prayers have been answered.”

“You have no idea how do this feels, to be back at work in the people’s House,” Scalise said, adding, “I’m definitely a living example that miracles really do happen.”

In an emotional speech, he said that, as he lay on the baseball field with no feeling in his body, he found immense calm in praying. He pointed to the public gallery to signal out his personal security detail and members of his medical team who he credited with saving his life.

His office said that Scalise would resume work on Thursday while “also completing an extended period of out-patient rehabilitation over the coming months”.

Get the latest news and updates emailed straight to your inbox.

The return of Scalise, a jovial back-slapper who counts close friends in both parties, was a cause for relief and celebration for lawmakers who have worked under a cloud since the shooting.

“He’s been wanting to come back forever,” said Republican congresswoman Diane Black, who joined a crowd waiting in the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall for Scalise to make his way to the chamber. “You can’t keep a good man down.”

I’m back. pic.twitter.com/vuqYQorM6U

— Rep. Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise)

September 28, 2017

Scalise broke his silence on the incident in his first interview since the shooting on “60 Minutes,” saying a single bullet did serious damage when it struck him in the hip.

“My femur was shattered,” he said. “The hip and pelvis had serious damage where the bullet went through and, you know, did some damage to areas that had to be shored up with steel plates. And then they did a phenomenal job of rebuilding – you know, kind of the, rebuilding Humpty Dumpty. I mean, there were, there was a lot of damage inside that had to get fixed.

“They put me back together again,” he said.

James T. Hodgkinson, 66, opened fire on the GOP’s early-morning practice in Alexandria, Virgina, shooting four people before he was killed in a gun battle with police.

He had a history of posting angry messages against Republican President Donald Trump.

Doctors said the congressman was at “imminent risk of death” when he was first admitted to the hospital.

Wounds to the pelvic region are extremely dangerous because that region of the body is crowded with organs and blood vessels. Among them, the iliac blood vessels that include major arteries branching off from the aorta – the main route that carries blood to the body.

He was finally discharged in late July to begin what doctors called “intensive inpatient rehabilitation.”

The Washington Post, Reuters