James Talarico returned to the campaign trail after missing several days while recovering from the flu, as the Texas Senate candidate pushed back against a rumor that he had been receiving treatment at a mental health clinic.

Talarico, 37, last appeared in person at a fundraiser in New York City on September 29. The next day, he joined a business council meeting virtually, explaining that he had become ill and did not want to risk infecting anyone else.

‘I was starting to feel under the weather a few days ago,’ he told the audience, according to The New York Times.

‘Last night, it got so bad I went to the urgent care here in Dallas, and I was diagnosed with the flu, so I’m running a fever and I’m at my most contagious right now,’ he said. ‘I guess I’ve been shaking too many hands on the campaign trail.’

The Democrat is in a closely contested race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. He told the audience that protecting others was his priority while he was sick.

‘If I was passing on this illness to somebody and got someone’s grandmother or someone’s baby sick, I couldn’t live with myself,’ Talarico said.

He resumed public campaigning at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday, 10 days after his previous in-person appearance. Talarico said he had been dealing with a ‘nasty case of the flu’ and had spent the time ‘home, stuck in bed.’

His absence, coming only weeks before the midterm elections, nevertheless fueled a wave of online speculation. Among the rumors was a claim that Talarico had been admitted to a mental health clinic in Ohio.

The speculation intensified after Paxton hinted online that Talarico was concealing an underlying issue. Paxton and his allies also produced mock ‘missing’ posters targeting the Democratic candidate.

At one point, the attorney general even challenged Talarico to pose for a photograph holding a newspaper with the date clearly visible as proof that he was alive.

‘We’ve tried posters. We’ve tried a formal proof-of-life request. Now we’re asking every Texan to join the search for Jimmy,’ the Paxton campaign said.

Republicans also set up a telephone hotline called the ‘Tala-Freak-Out Tip Line,’ inviting Texans to report any sightings of their political rival.

President Donald Trump added to the speculation on Wednesday, posting that Talarico was ‘MISSING IN ACTION!’

‘No one has seen him for an extended period of time. Where is he? What is wrong with him?’ Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that ‘Bad rumors are coming out.’

Later that evening, Paxton led thousands of supporters at a rally with Trump in a chant of ‘Where is James Talarico?’

The following day, US Senator Ted Cruz joined the campaign online by sharing an image of Talarico’s face on a milk carton modeled after a missing-child poster. The image read: ‘Have you seen this man?’

The rumors soon took another turn, with some people online claiming that Talarico had been admitted to a mental health facility. Republican influencers even said they had recorded a call with the facility while pretending to be his cousin.

Talarico told MS Now the rumor was ‘the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.’ 

‘It’s wild that someone can just put up something on the Internet, and then the media just runs with it,’ he noted, before dismissing the speculation as ‘silly season in our politics’ and issuing a fresh challenge to Paxton.

‘He asked for proof of life from me. I’m asking proof of spine from him,’ Talarico said, referring to his repeated invitations to Paxton to debate him.

‘I’ve heard credible reports that Ken Paxton has a serious medical condition that causes clinical level of cowardice,’ he then joked. 

He also told NBC DFW that the conspiracies are ‘a good reminder you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet.’

‘I had the flu and I’m feeling much better, and I’m glad I had a chance to recover,’ he asserted. 

‘You know, if you don’t take the opportunity to get well, sometimes you can get even sicker and so I’m glad we made the decision to just take the week, get better and now I’m glad to be back on the trail.’

Kendall Scudder, chair of the Texas Democratic Party, meanwhile, told NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt on The Hill Sunday that  the campaign is now ‘full steam  ahead.’

‘And of course, you’re going to see people in the swamps of the internet making up conspiracy theories. That’s what they always do,’ he said.

‘But the fact of the matter is, people sometimes get sick when you’re diabetic,’ Scudder said, referring to Talarico’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis.

‘It takes you a little while to get recovered.’ 

JT Ennis, a spokesman for the Talarico campaign, also noted that he held ‘more than 100 public events’ and shook ‘tens of thousands of hands’ before getting sick.

Still, Paxton questioned his opponent’s explanation.

‘James Talarico claims he was missing for 13 days because he had the “flu.” Who actually believes that?’ he posted on Saturday, including an inaccurate number of days Talarico had been off the campaign trail.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the clinic where the Republican influencers say Talarico had been admitted for comment. 

Former NATO commander Philip Breedlove warned Sunday that President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a diesel agreement with Russia could give Vladimir Putin additional revenue to finance the war in Ukraine, while allowing Moscow to prolong negotiations it may have no intention of honoring.

Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, who previously served as NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe and led U.S. European Command, told News Media that Washington could also weaken Ukraine’s war effort by reaching an agreement with what he described as “the enemy.”

“And so we are cutting a deal with the enemy,” Breedlove said. He warned that “all of this money will go into fueling Mr. Putin’s continued attacks in Ukraine.”

The Russian government announced Saturday that it had immediately eased its ban on diesel exports, following a new agreement between Putin and Trump for Russia to supply diesel to U.S. and international markets, Reuters reported.

As News Media previously reported, Trump’s proposal calls for Russia to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel “to the American and global marketplace,” followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and an additional 1 million tonnes later.

The diesel arrangement came before Trump’s announcement Sunday of what he called an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine. Trump said both countries had agreed to stop attacks on energy infrastructure.

“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, however, that Kyiv had not received confirmation of a finalized ceasefire agreement. He indicated that Ukraine was prepared to stop striking Russian energy facilities if Moscow did the same, while accusing Putin of repeatedly rejecting peace initiatives and continuing attacks on Ukraine’s energy network.

“Ukraine has proposed many de-escalatory steps. Putin had one answer to all of them – ‘nyet,’” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

“We do hope that he will finally say something to America, Ukraine, and the entire world that will lead to a real and dignified peace,” he added.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces had launched more than 200 attacks against Ukraine’s electricity generation and transmission facilities during the previous week, as well as 17 strikes on gas and oil infrastructure.

According to Zelenskyy, those attacks killed more than 150 people and injured more than 700 over the same period.

Trump’s announcement of an “energy ceasefire” came after tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries. Ukraine has said strikes on the facilities are intended to reduce the energy revenue Moscow uses to support its military campaign.

Breedlove said Russia and Ukraine are fighting toward fundamentally different objectives. He accused Moscow of targeting Ukrainian civilians and vital infrastructure, while describing Kyiv’s attacks on Russian energy sites as an attempt to cut off the revenue helping sustain Putin’s war.

“Russia is carrying on a campaign of what we call counter value. In other words, Russia is attacking the Ukrainian people and trying to force their society to separate themselves from their president, President Zelenskyy,” Breedlove said.

He also predicted that the United States would pressure Zelenskyy to halt attacks on Russia’s oil industry, despite Kyiv’s view that those operations are strategically important.

“What I expect will happen is the United States will force or try to force Zelenskyy to stop bombing the petrochemical business in Russia,” he said.

Trump has vehemently criticized Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, arguing that they are disrupting global diesel supplies and driving up costs for American farmers and ranchers.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the administration’s efforts to increase diesel supplies.

“We’re going to do it with all the legal authorities we have,” Bessent said Sunday on Fox News. “This is good for the American people, bringing these diesel prices down,” he said of the new deal.

Separately, appearing on ABC News’ “This Week,” Zelenskyy offered to organize Ukrainian elections if Putin agreed to a reciprocal 60-day ceasefire, although holding a vote would face legal and logistical obstacles under Ukraine’s martial law.

Breedlove also expressed deep skepticism that Putin would honor any such ceasefire, citing what he described as a pattern of Russian attacks following negotiations with Trump. “Russia has never kept a promise to this president in this war,” Breedlove said.

“He’s never changed his expectations, and he’s never delivered on his promises. Three out of four of the big cases, the very next day or that same night after the president and Mr. Putin talked, Mr. Putin launched huge attacks in Ukraine,” Breedlove continued.

Breedlove also called for a tougher U.S. response.

“We now need an administration that leads from power. We say all the time, ‘strength through power,’ but when it comes to Russia, our demonstrated position is continued conflict through weakness,” Breedlove warned.

“He started this war. This war is to benefit Russia, and this war is to keep Mr. Putin in power. And our administration needs to tell him to stop.”

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was visibly furious after a costly clock-management failure denied his team a victory on Sunday.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels returned to the lineup for Washington’s Week 5 meeting with the New York Giants, but he was unable to deliver a win as the divisional contest went down to the final seconds of overtime.

With only 12 seconds left in overtime, the Commanders appeared to be positioning themselves for a potential game-winning field goal.

Instead, a stunning sequence involving Daniels erased that opportunity before Washington could even attempt the kick.

After taking the snap from center Nick Allegretti on second-and-eight, Daniels scrambled behind the line of scrimmage and allowed valuable time to run off before intentionally taking a knee.

The Commanders had no timeouts remaining and just eight seconds on the clock. They could not get set quickly enough to spike the ball, leaving the game clock to expire.

Washington’s wide receivers were still well downfield, making it impossible for them to return to the line and help stop the clock in time.

The final seconds vanished, leaving the Commanders with a 27-27 draw against their division rivals rather than the victory that had appeared within reach.

As the television cameras turned toward the Washington sideline, they captured Quinn’s immediate reaction to the blunder.

The head coach ripped off his headset and threw it to the ground in frustration.

The mistake sparked disbelief among fans online, including NBA legend Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, a minority owner of the Commanders, who sharply criticized the team’s execution.

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‘I’m in total disbelief my Commanders had such poor clock management in today’s overtime game against the Giants,’ he wrote on X. ‘All we had to do was kick the field goal and we would have won the game!’

Several other fans placed the blame directly on Daniels, arguing that the quarterback appeared unaware Washington had already used all of its timeouts.

‘JAYDEN DANIELS AND THE COMMANDERS CHOKED,’ one account posted. ’13 Seconds left and they FORGOT THEY DIDN’T HAVE A TIMEOUT.’

‘What was Jayden Daniels thinking???’ another user asked. ‘He forgot they didn’t have a timeout. Absolutely ZERO game awareness. One of the dumbest mistakes ever.’

‘The Commanders put together the worst clock management you will ever see to end in a tie vs. the Giants,’ Awful Announcing’s account shared.

Daniels addressed the mistake in his postgame press conference as he admitted that the team needed to do better. 

‘We just gotta be better, like, overall. Like, the whole team with just situational football,’ Daniels said. ‘You know, we had a chance early in the game to finish the game – offensively, defensively – and we didn’t capitalize on that. And then we still have the opportunity at the end of the game to win the game, and we didn’t do that.

‘It’s not a win, so not really feeling that one.’

The quarterback accepted responsibility for the gaffe, adding: ‘Yeah, we just gotta communicate that. That’s the whole thing.

‘Like I said, it starts with me communicating to the whole offense in the huddle. And I think everybody would say that, top down. Just gotta be better. Ultimately, it’s on me.’

A Republican-aligned Super PAC supporting gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman and funded by Knicks owner James Dolan is preparing to pour substantial resources into the attorney general’s race, The Post has learned.

Strong and Safe New York is backing Republican AG nominee Saritha Komatireddy in her challenge to two-term Democratic incumbent Letitia James. The group is rolling out suburban billboards highlighting Komatireddy’s focus on public safety and security.

The billboards are slated to appear across Long Island, Westchester County’s northern suburbs and Rockland County as part of a “seven-figure investment” in Komatireddy’s campaign, according to a spokesperson for the group.

“New York finally has a chance to restore safety and security by electing Saritha Komatireddy as the next Attorney General,” Strong and Safe New York spokesperson Carson Steelman said.

Steelman accused Gov. Kathy Hochul and AG Letitia James of pursuing “soft-on-crime policies” and placing political ambitions ahead of public safety. “Crime continues to stay above pre-COVID levels, homelessness continues to plague Manhattan, and hate crimes continue to skyrocket,” he said.

Strong and Safe New York has primarily focused on helping Blakeman challenge Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. The PAC is funded by Dolan, retired casino mogul Steve Wynn and other donors.

Komatireddy, 42, a former federal prosecutor, has drawn increased attention since performing strongly in last week’s NY1/Spectrum News debate. She pressed James on the incumbent’s support for the controversial cashless bail law, as well as her record on combating antisemitic hate crimes and Medicaid fraud.

While serving as a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, Komatireddy handled high-profile cases involving international terrorism, cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, fraud and foreign public corruption. Her prosecutions included terrorists connected to al Qaeda and ISIS, along with members of Mexican drug cartels.

She later served as chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration and began her legal career clerking for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, before he joined the US Supreme Court.

Komatireddy earned degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law School and teaches at Columbia Law School.

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The Super PAC’s spokesperson said Komatireddy brings “the experience, leadership and vision” needed to improve safety across New York.

“She has spent her life protecting New York from criminals, terrorists, and drug cartels, proving she has the backbone to take on the tough fights,” Steelman said. “Strong and Safe New York is proud to endorse Komatireddy for her next fight of restoring public safety and rooting out corruption as the state’s next Attorney General. As Saritha says, ‘if New York isn’t safe, nothing else matters.’”

James’ campaign rejected the PAC’s backing of Komatireddy and sought to tie the Republican candidate to President Trump.

“Saritha Komatireddy is Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate, and now his deep-pocketed allies are bankrolling her campaign,” a spokesperson for James’ campaign said. “New Yorkers deserve an Attorney General who answers to them, not to Trump’s billionaire cronies.”

Komatireddy faces an uphill battle against James in heavily Democratic New York. The state has 6 million registered Democrats and 2.8 million registered Republicans, according to active enrollment data from the state Board of Elections. Another 3.4 million active voters are not affiliated with a political party.

The last Republican to win a statewide election in New York was former Gov. George Pataki in 2002.

James, 67, has gained national prominence through her prosecution of President Trump and the Trump Organization over alleged fraudulent practices, as well as through multiple lawsuits against the administration.

She also commissioned a sexual misconduct investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, an inquiry that contributed to his resignation in 2021. Cuomo denied wrongdoing.

Before becoming attorney general, James served as New York City’s public advocate and represented Brooklyn as a City Council member.

New York’s attorney general earns $220,000 annually and serves a four-year term.

Election Day is Nov. 3.