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First Thing: the US morning briefing

First Thing: Senate Republicans pass Trump’s sweeping policy bill, clearing major hurdle

Legislation now goes to the House where it is unclear if the changes will be accepted. Plus, the heatwave scorching Europe
Senate majority leader John Thune (center), with GOP whip John Barrasso (left) and Mike Crapo, finance committee chair, at the Capitol after the chamber passed the bill on Tuesday.
Senate majority leader John Thune (center), with GOP whip John Barrasso (left) and Mike Crapo, finance committee chair, at the Capitol after the chamber passed the bill on Tuesday. Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP

Jem Bartholomew

Good morning.

Senate Republicans passed a major tax and spending bill demanded by Donald Trump yesterday, ending weeks of negotiations over the comprehensive legislation and putting it another step closer to enactment.

The bill’s passage is an accomplishment for Senate Republicans, who faced divisions in getting it passed. The push to get the legislation done intensified on Saturday when the chamber voted to begin debate, then continued with amendment votes that began on Monday and stretched all night.

Approval came just after noon on Tuesday, and required the vice-president, JD Vance, to break a tie after three Republicans joined all the Democrats in voting against it.

  • What was the significant opposition to the bill? In the lead-up to its passage, several moderate Republicans indicated unease over its cuts to the social safety net. They included Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

  • What happens next? It still has to be voted on by the House of Representatives, where it is unclear whether changes made by the Senate will be accepted. Although Republicans control both houses, factionalism in the lower chamber is particularly intense, with rightwing fiscal hardliners demanding deep spending cuts and moderates wary of dismantling safety-net programs.

Trump claims Israel ready for Gaza peace deal in attempt to boost Hamas ceasefire talks

A girl stands atop rubble
A Palestinian girl stands atop the rubble of the al-Aimawi family’s home that was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in al-Zawaideh, Gaza. Photograph: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

Trump has claimed Israel is ready to agree to a peace deal with Hamas as he seeks to broker a ceasefire to the war in Gaza that has claimed almost 60,000 lives.

Hamas responded on Wednesday saying it was open to a ceasefire agreement but stopped short of accepting the proposal Trump had announced, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, 170 non-governmental organisations yesterday called for the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to be dismantled, after the killing of more than 500 Palestinians seeking food since it launched operations.

Trump administration raises possibility of stripping Zohran Mamdani of citizenship

Zohran Mamdani at podium
Zohran Mamdani takes the stage after winning the Democratic mayoral primary for New York City on 24 June. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian

The Trump administration has raised the possibility of stripping Zohran Mamdani, the progressive Democratic mayoral candidate for New York City, of his citizenship as part of a crackdown against foreign-born citizens convicted of certain offences.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, appeared to pave the way for an investigation into Mamdani’s status after Andy Ogles, a rightwing Republican congressman for Tennessee, called for his citizenship to be revoked on the grounds that he may have concealed his support for “terrorism” during the naturalization process.

Mamdani, who was born in Uganda to ethnic Indian parents, became a US citizen in 2018. He is a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights.

  • What’s the background to this suggestion? It comes after the Trump administration instructed attorneys to prioritize denaturalizing foreign-born US citizens who had committed some crimes.

  • Why are rightwingers up in arms about Mamdani? The 33-year-old democratic socialist and member of the state assembly was virtually unknown when he launched his candidacy, but has built an energetic campaign that defeated the former governor Andrew Cuomo.

In other news …
MPs vote to pass Keir Starmer's welfare bill after last-minute concessions – video

  • Keir Starmer managed to avoid an embarrassing parliamentary defeat yesterday, after the UK prime minister was forced into significant concessions on a bill that initially planned to cut about £5bn ($7bn) from disability payments.

  • Extreme poverty is accelerating in 39 countries affected by war and conflict, leaving more than a billion people hungry, according to the World Bank. It urged western governments to step up support for war-torn countries.

  • At least 16 people have died and 400 been injured in Kenya as a nationwide demonstration to honour those killed during last year’s anti-government protests turned chaotic.

Stat of the day: Squid Game season 3 breaks Netflix viewership record with 60.1m views

Lee Byung-hun in Squid Game.
Lee Byung-hun in Squid Game. Photograph: Netflix

The third and final season of the hit Korean series Squid Game has broken records to become the biggest-ever TV launch for Netflix. Over its first three days, the series registered a record 60.1m views, with more than 368.4m hours viewed. David Fincher has been rumoured to be developing an English-language remake.

Don’t miss this: Dancing with Putin – how Austria’s former foreign minister found a new home in Russia
Karin Kneissl dancing with Putin outdoors with people in background
During Karin Kneissl’s first dance with her husband in 2018, he handed over his new bride to Putin, who was waiting to receive her. Photograph: Roland Schlager/AFP/Getty Images

Karin Kneissl made headlines around the world when she invited the Russian president to her wedding in 2018. Five years later, she moved to St Petersburg. The scandal revealed a dark truth about the ties between Vienna and Moscow.

Climate check: Record-breaking heatwave scorches Europe as Italy limits outdoor work
Person with umbrella, blue skies, and Eiffel Towere in background
The top of the Eiffel Tower was closed to tourists owing to high temperatures in Paris. Photograph: Tom Nicholson/Reuters

Italy has banned outdoor working during the hottest parts of the day in more than half its regions, as an extreme European heatwave that has smashed June temperature records in Spain and Portugal continues to grip swathes of the continent. The savage temperatures are believed to have killed at least three people, including a small boy who is thought to have died from heatstroke in Catalonia.

Last Thing: Succession creator Jesse Armstrong on his sympathy for Elon Musk
Jesse Armstong
Jesse Armstong’s Mountainhead is something very rare: a movie that feels as contemporary as TikTok. Photograph: Europa Press/Getty Images

Jesse Armstrong is the master of ripped-from-the-headlines drama, a writer who skewers the billionaire class. As his AI satire Mountainhead takes him into new territory, he talks about his nuanced view of the tech billionaire Elon Musk – and why his next project may be a bonnet drama.

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