Tension as Senate, Reps hold joint executive session

The US Senate has voted 51 to 49 against proceeding with the Women's Health Protection Act. The bill sought to ensure access to abortions nationwide.

Police in the US town of Uvalde, Texas are facing questions over why it took an hour to neutralise the gunman who murdered 19 small children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. The tragedy comes amid increasing calls for greater gun control measures. Among the demands of campaigners are a ban on assault weapon sales, as well as universal background checks and so-called red flag laws. Pastor Mike McBride, director of the LIVE FREE gun violence prevention campaign with the Faith in Action network, joined us on Perspective to tell us more.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Friday.

Results from races for more than 400 congressional seats will come in when election polls close on Tuesday. Can't stay on top of them all? Then keep a close eye on Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The fight for a majority in the Senate has come down to three key races, with Georgia heading to a runoff.

Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock has defeated Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a run-off vote in Georgia. It was the final Senate seat left undecided from the 2022 midterms. While the Democrats already held the majority, Warnock's victory now gives the party an outright, 51-seat hold on the Senate.

The Senate has approved President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms, but the bill will be adjusted ahead of a final vote. Protesters say time is running out to oppose the changes.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Tuesday.⁣

The U.S. should require companies to be licensed by the government if they want to develop powerful artificial intelligence systems, the head of one the country's top AI companies said at a Senate committee hearing Tuesday.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that AI will "address some of humanity's biggest challenges, like climate change and curing cancer," but admitted he was "anxious" about how it could change the way we live.

A divided U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling on Wednesday, with majority support from both Democrats and Republicans to overcome opposition led by hardline conservatives and avoid a catastrophic default.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday.⁣