Caitlin Wilson
Live editor

With less than seven weeks to go until the 2024 election, Wednesday has been a busy day in US politics.

Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump made campaign stops in Washington and New York, the Federal Reserve announced a larger-than-expected cut in the country's key interest rate and the influential Teamsters Union said they will not endorse a candidate for president this year.

We are going to close our live coverage for now.

You can read more about today's stories and updates to other important US politics news below:

Largest US labour union declines to endorse either Harris or Trump

US goes big with first interest rate cut in four years

What are Harris and Trump's policies?

What do post-debate polls say about Harris v Trump?

Springfield grapples with false pet-eating rumours - and real problems

The writers for this page have been Bernd Debusmann Jr, Kayla Epstein, Madeline Halpert, Anthony Zurcher, Mike Wendling, Sam Cabral, Natalie Sherman, Jake Horton, Mike Hills and Rachel Looker.

It has been edited by Brandon Livesay, Marita Moloney and me.

Thank you for joining us.

National security and foreign policy leaders who served in past Republican administrations have issued an open letter endorsing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 race.

The letter boasts more than 100 signees across four administrations and includes nine staffers from Donald Trump's own time in the White House.

The co-signees write that any potential concerns about Harris "pale in comparison to Donald Trump’s demonstrated chaotic and unethical behavior and disregard for our Republic’s time-tested principles of constitutional governance".

They add that Trump "cannot be trusted “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic... and bear true faith and allegiance to the same".

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from Long Island

After his appearance in Manhattan earlier, Donald Trump’s rally on Long Island is getting underway. Thousands of supporters have lined up around the Nassau Memorial Colosseum.

The scene is pretty familiar: Pro-Trump t-shirts, merch, Maga hats, and more - I even met a Trump impersonator taking photos with attendees. I smelled cigar smoke as I made my way to the entrance.

I just walked into the arena, where they’re blaring Elvis Pressley’s “Suspicious Minds” on the speakers and several New York lawmakers are speaking.

“I’ve supported him since 2015,” said Maureen Liantonio, 55, from Locust Valley on the north side of Long Island. She wore a bright pink shirt showing Trump wearing Barbie-esque glasses and blowing bubble gum.

“Close the borders,” she said of her top priorities for Trump. “The economy for sure. Immigration.”

Swapping courtroom for stage is another reminder of Trump’s political momentumpublished at 22:43 British Summer Time 18 September

22:43 BST 18 September

Kayla Epstein
US reporter

Donald Trump was supposed to be in court this morning. Instead he’ll be on stage shortly at a New York arena as thousands of supporters cheer his name.

The change of fortune represents yet another extraordinary twist in Trump’s legal battles. His sentencing for his Manhattan criminal trial was initially scheduled for today, and a judge could have issued a sentence as harsh as four years in prison.

But Trump’s lawyers successfully lobbed a volley of challenges that convinced Justice Juan Merchan to delay the sentencing until after the election.

Last year as Trump was being hit with indictment after indictment, a lot of experts wondered what it would be like if Trump had several consecutive trials occurring at the same time as the election.

We know what it’s like now: nothing much has changed.

Trump may have been convicted in one case, but the rest are delayed or stalled. Trump has continued to campaign unencumbered thanks to surprisingly favourable decisions at the US Supreme Court and millions of dollars worth of legal representation, much of it paid by donations from the same supports packing the arena tonight.

It is yet another reminder of Trump’s formidable political momentum.

Mike Wendling
Reporting from Springfield, Ohio

Image source, BBC / Mike Wendling

Meanwhile, as the candidates continue their campaign pushes, things are starting to calm down here in Springfield, Ohio, a city that has been under the microscope over the last week after Donald Trump repeated unfounded rumours about Haitian migrants who live here.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” he said. “The people that came in, they’re eating the cats.”

There have been rumours about cats – nobody has been able to locate ones about dogs – but nobody I’ve talked to here puts much stock in them.

That said, there are very real issues that have come in the last few years along with the movement of somewhere between 12,000 and 20,000 Haitians into a rust belt city of 60,000. Rents appear to be higher and the city’s hospitals and schools have been stretched thin.

And all the attention has brought with it a sense of fear among the Haitian community. I’ve heard stories of harassment and even assault in the last week.

More than 30 bomb threats have been phoned into local schools and government offices over the last week. They have been deemed hoaxes, phone in from outside the country, but the Ohio governor has posted state troopers outside schools, just to be safe.

Today things appear to be getting back to normal, but it’s been a pretty tumultuous week.

Image source, BBC / Mike Wendling

Question Time is coming to America, as the BBC’s flagship political debate programme heads to the key battleground state of Pennsylvania ahead of November’s presidential election.

Presented by Fiona Bruce, the debate will be recorded at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia with a local audience of voters and a panel of politicians and prominent commentators, with a wide range of views.

It gives American voters the chance to quiz the panel on the character and policy preferences of the two contenders - Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. It will also give UK viewers a unique insight into the issues confronting US voters at such a volatile time in American politics.

Details of the panel will be confirmed soon. People in and around Pennsylvania can apply to be in the audience here. , external

The show will be streamed on the BBC website, from 15:00 EST (20:00 BST), on 10 October.

UK audiences can also watch on BBC One and iPlayer, while global audiences can also watch on the BBC News channel.

During his stop at a bar in New York City, Trump says he is feeling uneasy following the second alleged attempt on his life only a few days ago.

"I have to lead my life and I have to make America great again," he says, adding that he wants to make a push to "win New York".

That goal is unlikely, however, as a Democrat has won New York state in every presidential election since 1988, and polls from this cycle show voters there are likely to choose Vice-President Kamala Harris in November.

The former president is scheduled to hold a campaign rally on Long Island, just outside of New York City, later tonight.

Donald Trump is now making a stop at a "bitcoin bar" called Pubkey in Manhattan ahead of his rally on Long Island tonight.

He's asked about the Teamsters' decision not to endorse him or Kamala Harris, which he frames as a win.

"They're not going to support the Democrats, it's a great thing," he tells a reporter, adding that usually the union endorses Democrats "automatically".

He claims support among members was "very high for me". About 60% of rank and file members said they supported Trump according to a poll the union conducted.

Trump is also asked about a gunman who FBI officials say apparently tried to assassinate him while he was golfing last week. Trump says the Secret Service is doing good work, but needs more help and says he will carry on with his life and daily activities despite the threats.

Trump calls for government shutdown if proof of citizenship bill not passedpublished at 21:53 British Summer Time 18 September

21:53 BST 18 September

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Donald Trump has just repeated his call for a shutdown of the US government if Congress does not pass legislation requiring Americans to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

The former president’s announcement, made in a post on his social media website, external, marks his latest attempt to advance allegations that “tens of thousands” of undocumented migrants are registering to vote – although he has provided no evidence that this is the case.

It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in US federal elections.

If Congress does not pass new funding legislation by 30 September, some government operations and services will be suspended and essential federal employees will be required to work without pay.

The government narrowly avoided a funding lapse several times during the Biden presidency and shut down twice during the Trump administration, including a 35-day standoff over spending for Trump’s proposed Mexico border wall.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote later on a six-month funding bill alongside the voting legislation, but it faces unified opposition from Democrats and a handful Republicans who oppose temporary spending measures. Even if the measures are approved, they are unlikely to be accepted by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

If the government does shut down in October, it would inject a new level of uncertainty into the presidential campaign and highlight the divisions within the slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives – whose entire membership is up for election in November.

How many illegal immigrants have entered the US?published at 21:46 British Summer Time 18 September

21:46 BST 18 September

In the last hour Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance has finished up holding a rally in North Carolina, during which he repeatedly claimed that 25 million illegal immigrants had come into the US.

He didn’t provide a source for this or a timeframe - though he presumably means under the current Democratic administration.

Counting the precise number of illegal immigrants entering the US is impossible as some will evade law enforcement.

Official data measures the number of encounters with migrants recorded by border officials. These figures don't mean this many people stay in the US – as some may be sent back - and the same person can be recorded as trying to enter multiple times.

Vance's 25 million figure is more than double the 10.2 million encounters, external there have been at US borders under the Biden administration - which have reached record levels.

A report published by the Office of Homeland Security earlier this year, external estimated the number of illegal immigrants living in the US as of January 2022 at 11 million.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

The White House briefing has just ended.

But before it did, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the recent apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump and whether - or not - President Biden is satisfied with the protection that his predecessor is now receiving.

In a brief response, Jean-Pierre said that Biden has repeatedly made it clear that he wants "to make sure the former president should have the highest level of protection".

"We need to make sure the Secret Service has the resources, the capability," she added. "It's critical."

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting on Sunday, President Biden said that he directed his team to ensure the service "has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary" to keep Trump safe.

While Biden also said that "there is no place for political violence anywhere", Trump has repeatedly blamed him - and Kamala Harris - for rhetoric he believes have incited the two attempts on his life.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, EPA

Back at the White House briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the Biden administration is happy to "let the Fed speak for themselves" following its rate cut earlier.

"I think that's important here is that it's a moment of progress. I think that's how we see this," she adds. "[This is] also a recognition of top priority."

Asked whether "the battle on inflation is won", Jean-Pierre pointed to data.

"The fact is, we have seen inflation coming down," she says. "It is obvious."

Jean-Pierre also addressed unemployment, noting that the figure is "still low" at 4.2%, with 142,000 jobs created last month.

"Wages are going [up] faster than prices are," she remarks. "I think these are important points."

We've just received statements from the Trump and Harris campaigns following the announcement from the influential Teamsters union that it won't be endorsing a candidate for president.

A Harris campaign spokesperson says: "While Donald Trump says striking workers should be fired, Vice-President Harris has literally walked the picket line and stood strong with organised labour for her entire career.

"The vice-president’s strong union record is why Teamsters locals across the country have already endorsed her - alongside the overwhelming majority of organised labour.

While Trump's team says: "While the Executive Board of the Teamsters is making no formal endorsement, the vast majority of rank and file working men and women in this important organisation want President Donald Trump back in the White House.

"President Trump fights for America's working men and women. President Trump's agenda will bring tax relief and reverse the inflation that hurts working families the most."

Did the government ‘cut child poverty by 50%’?published at 20:43 British Summer Time 18 September

20:43 BST 18 September

By Lucy Gilder

While we wait to hear more from that Senate Committee hearing and the White House briefing, let's take a look at one of the remarks Kamala Harris made while addressing Latino voters earlier.

Speaking at a Hispanic Conference earlier, the VP said that "when we extended the child tax credit we cut child poverty by 50%”.

This is correct but needs context. Child poverty rates did fall by about 50% between 2020 and 2021 but they rose again the year after, so this impact was temporary.

Under the 2021 American Rescue Plan, the Biden-Harris administration boosted child tax credit from $2,000 per year per child up to a maximum of $3,600.

The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), external is one measure of poverty in the US and it shows that the child poverty rate fell 46% between 2020 and 2021.

However, when the expansion expired at the end of 2021, the record low child poverty rate of 5.2% at that time rose to 12.4% the following year., external

Kamala Harris has said that as president she would restore the child tax credit enhancement and provide $6,000 per child to families for the first year of a baby’s life.

Meanwhile, lawmakers on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence are questioning lawmakers today about how they handle misinformation and attempts from actors like Russia, China and Iran to influence the US election.

Executives from Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta are being asked questions such as why it sometimes takes so long to remove misinformation and how AI can help identify fake news.

"I think increasingly we are using AI to detect these kinds of problems," says Brad Smith, the vice chair and president of Microsoft.

The executives are also being grilled about how they protect election officials from threats, which have been on the rise before and since the last presidential election.

Kent Walker, the president of Alphabet, Google's parent company, says the company is working with a number of election officials to help them keep their personal information safe and also taking action to make officials "more cyber resilient" or "more robust against cyber attacks".

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

The White House briefing just began a few minutes ago.

As a reminder, today's briefing includes national security spokesman John Kirby in addition to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The first part of the briefing - Kirby's - is likely to focus heavily on Lebanon.

Follow updates about that here.

Jean-Pierre's portion of the briefing will focus on more domestic matters.

Stay with us for more updates.

Sam Cabral
Reporting from Washington

Image source, Getty Images

The Teamsters form America's largest union, representing some 1.3 million members in the US and Canada, including freight drivers and warehouse workers.

It was the only major union yet to make an endorsement in the 2024 presidential race - and it has now said it will not endorse a candidate for the first time since 1996.

The announcement, coming less than 50 days out from election day, is a major blow to the Harris campaign's efforts to win over working-class voters. Teamsters membership is particularly high in the all-important swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

While the Teamsters have largely allied themselves with the more labour-friendly Democrats, President Sean O'Brien has expanded outreach to Republicans over the past couple of years.

In a concerted push by the Trump campaign to snag the union's endorsement, O'Brien became the first Teamsters boss ever to speak at the Republican National Convention, addressing the party's voters in a primetime speaking slot this July although he did not endorse Trump at the time.

Democrats meanwhile did not invite O'Brien to speak at their party's national convention in August, though Teamsters membership was represented at the three-day event.

Harris met with the Teamsters board on Monday in what the New York Times described as a "sometimes tense" sit-down, but ahead of its Wednesday decision, the union released polling that showed nearly two-to-one support for Trump over Harris among its rank-and-file membership, external.

In announcing its decision not to endorse, however, the Teamsters said they were left "with few commitments on top Teamsters issues from either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris - and found no definitive support among members for either party’s nominee".

The Teamsters will not endorse any candidate for president ahead of November's election, the major US labour union announced on Wednesday, an unusual move for the group.

"After reviewing six months of nationwide member polling and wrapping up nearly a year of rank-and-file roundtable interviews with all major candidates for the presidency, the union was left with few commitments on top Teamsters issues from either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris—and found no definitive support among members for either party’s nominee," the union said in a statement.

Fed's rate cut good news for Harrispublished at 19:54 British Summer Time 18 September

19:54 BST 18 September

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Since entering the presidential race in July, Vice-President Kamala Harris has walked a fine line, attempting to take credit for the Democratic administration's successes while also distancing herself from the negative perceptions many voters have of Joe Biden’s economic stewardship.

Today’s Federal Reserve move will help make that political dance an easier one for her.

Expect Donald Trump to condemn the move as a partisan attempt to influence November’s election, while also pointing out the concerns the Fed has about rising unemployment and sagging economic growth of late.

He has criticised the central bank and its leadership in the past, and if he is re-elected he may be even more inclined now to make a move to bring the quasi-governmental agency more directly under presidential influence.

There are a handful of economic reports – on unemployment and economic growth – set to be released in the weeks ahead that will provide one final snapshot of the US economy as voters cast their ballots.

Those will be a reflection of the state of affairs in the country, however. Today’s interest-rate announcement will shape America’s economic path for months to come.

Powell said the reserve's primary focus has been on bringing down inflation.

"For much of the past three years, inflation ran well above our 2% goal and labour market conditions were extremely tight," he said.

"Our patient approach over the past year has paid dividends, inflation is now much closer to our objective and we have gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably to 2%."