Alabama Democrat Marilyn Lands says voters ready for ‘change’ after surprise win – as it happened

Marilyn Lands talks with a voter in Huntsville, Alabama, on 20 March 2024. Photograph: Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

8.00pm GMT

Closing summary

Democrats are cheering Marilyn Lands, who managed to seize a state house seat from Republicans in deep-red Alabama, fuelled by her promises to protect IVF access and repeal the state’s abortion ban. To be clear: the party does not have the numbers to make either of those promises happen in a state thoroughly dominated by the GOP, but it’s nonetheless the latest instance of Joe Biden’s allies using concerns about reproductive rights to win elections in hostile territory. Meanwhile, in Texas, a federal appeals court maintained the block on a Republican-backed law that would allow state police to arrest suspected illegal border crossers. The legislation will probably remain on hold until either appeals judges or the US supreme court rules on its merits.

Here’s what else happened:

• Israel wants to reschedule a meeting with US officials that it called off after Washington allowed a UN security council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza to pass.

• Disney ended its feud with allies of Republican governor Ron DeSantis, which erupted after the entertainment giant criticized the state’s so-called “don’t say gay” law.

• Kansas Republicans moved to force abortion providers to ask patients the reason why they are seeking the procedure, and probably have the votes to get around an expected veto by the Democratic governor, Laura Kelly.

• Donald Trump is under a new gag order in his hush-money case. But it does not apply to the presiding judge Juan Merchan, so the former president attacked him on his social media network this morning.

• Jeffrey Clark, a former justice department official indicted alongside Trump in Georgia for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election, pleaded the fifth at a hearing that could lead to him losing his law license in Washington DC.

Updated at 8.04pm GMT

7.51pm GMT

Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis says a settlement reached between Disney and his allies over who controls Walt Disney World’s governing district “vindicated” his administration’s policies:

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on reaching settlement with Disney over the state's control of the special tax district that includes the theme park:

“There's going to be ways where we can do things that are in the best interest of...Florida. And I think Disney can be a part of that.” pic.twitter.com/4hyJqPUdwX

— The Recount (@therecount) March 27, 2024

Here’s more on the end of the long-running squabble: