Closing summary
This brings our live coverage of the day in US politics to a close. We’ll be back on Tuesday. Here are some of the day’s developments:
Texas Democrats in the state legislature denied Republicans a legislative quorum by leaving the state, preventing, at least for now, plans proposed by the White House to aggressively redistrict Texas’s congressional lines in their favor. The state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, said he he had ordered the Texas department of public safety to “locate, arrest and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans”. He also directed the Texas Rangers to go after Democratic lawmakers, claiming Democrats accepted money as part of their plans to leave Texas and avoid a legislative special session. More here.
The former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioners and non-partisan economic groups have criticized Donald Trump’s shock firing of BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer after the July jobs report data revealed jobs growth stalled this summer. Trump, without any evidence to back his claims, alleged McEntarfer “faked” employment numbers in the run-up to the 2024 election to boost Kamala Harris’s chances and said that the recent data was “rigged” to make Trump and Republicans look bad. More here.
About 600 former Israeli security officials, including previous heads of the Mossad and the military, have urged Donald Trump to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza as the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, considers expanding the conflict. In an open letter, the former officials said an end to the war was the only way to save hostages still held by Hamas. Read the full story here.
More than a dozen Democratic members of congress have signed on to a letter – addressed to the president and secretary of state Marco Rubio – that calls for the United States to recognise Palestinian statehood, in a draft seen by the Guardian. Congressman Ro Khanna of California is leading the letter, and is joined by several House progressives. Including Congressman Greg Casar of Texas and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington. Here’s the full story.
Mike Johnson became the highest ranked US official to visit the occupied West Bank on Monday, the Republican House speaker drawing measures of praise and condemnation for his trip in support of Israeli settlements amid a worsening starvation crisis in Gaza. The excursion followed Johnson’s arrival in Israel on Sunday on an unannounced visit with other Republican lawmakers, and his meeting with Israeli defense minister Israel Katz and foreign minister Gideon Saar. Read the story here.
The US state department has prepared plans to impose bonds as high as $15,000 for some tourism and business visas, according to a draft of a temporary final rule. The bonds would be issued to visitors from countries with significant overstay rates, under a 12-month pilot program. More here.
Marjorie Taylor Greene asked President Donald Trump to pardon George Santos, the disgraced former Republican representative who began his seven-year prison sentence last month.
Greene said she sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking them to present a case to Trump for clemency consideration for Santos, who served as a representative for New York’s third congressional district before he was expelled.
She said Santos’ sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges “extends far beyond what is warranted”.
“George Santos has taken responsibility. He’s shown remorse. It’s time to correct this injustice,” Greene said on X.
Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in August 2024 after running a fraudulent campaign for the United States House of Representatives.
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