That's it from us today, but it won't be the last we'll hear about any of the topics that have come up today.

If you're interested in reading more about Hunter Biden's problems, we have this article that sets them out in detail.

As far as Trump's indictments are concerned, there's plenty to dip into here, and we also have an explainer on Republican moves to impeach Joe Biden.

In the last few days we have carried excellent articles on the fentanyl problem in the US, and the latest on the investigation into the 6 January riots too.

So plenty to keep you going until the next hearing...

Today's contributors were Bernd Debusmann Jnr, Madeline Halpert, Mike Wendling, Brandon Drenon, Franz Strasser, Lisa Lambert and Courtney Lewis.

Image source, Getty Images

Even before the hearing began today, Merrick Garland's thoughts on the process were being circulated.

He said he follows the law and is not influenced by politics – in his words, he "is not the President's lawyer".

And in the face of constant questioning from Republican lawmakers about the investigations into Donald Trump and Hunter Biden, he stuck to that line.

Both investigations are being overseen by special counsel – an independent prosecutor who’s given wide leeway in making decisions about what charges to bring, he repeatedly said.

But Republicans accused Garland of influencing the course of the investigations and being influenced by President Biden in turn. Meanwhile, most Democrats on the committee defended Garland and his department.

Even though the back-and-forth did occasionally become heated, Garland repeatedly refused to talk about ongoing investigations and generally answered questions like the lawyer he is.

The hearing has now wrapped up after many hours of intense questioning for Attorney General Merrick Garland.

It's been a highly partisan hearing - here's a a brief recap:

• There were repeated questions about the DOJ's investigation into Hunter Biden, although Garland largely avoided the questions and dismissed any suggestion he is involved in the probe.
• Democrat attacked the Republican members of the committee and accused them of attempting to distract the US public from Donald Trump's legal woes.
• Garland repeatedly said the justice department is non-partisan and apolitical, working neither for the president or for lawmakers.
• We also heard a number of questions about the 6 January riot at the US Capitol, the fight against fentanyl trafficking and other politically contentious issues such as a potential government shutdown.

We’ve just seen a quite extraordinary performance from Troy Nehls, a Republican congressman from Texas.

The hearing was being shown a video of Joe Biden during his time as vice president, when Nehls shouted out mid-clip for Garland to “pay attention”.

“I’m looking,” Garland replies.

After the clip, he asks Garland a question but immediately interrupts him as soon as he starts to speak.

At this point, another lawmaker chimes in with: “Is the gentleman ever going to let the..."

But Nehls interrupts before the sentence is finished, saying “I’m on my time, pipe down” as he gestures away with his left arm.

His five minutes ends with Nehls telling Garland: “You sir, also need to be impeached”.

Image source, Getty Images

Again, more questions on Hunter Biden. This time coming from Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, a Republican in the western state.

Confused? Catch up on Hunter Biden's legal troubles here.

Two consecutive speakers show the stark difference in how each party has approached this hearing.

Victoria Spartz, a Republican from Indiana who was born in Soviet Ukraine, launches into a high-speed defence of the people who came to the US Capitol in January 2021 and compares the Department of Justice to the KGB.

“Americans don’t trust this president,” she says, before alleging a vague “cover-up” and seeming to blame Russian and Chinese propaganda efforts on the justice department.

She’s followed by Becca Balint, a Democrat, who speaks more slowly, and also makes it clear what she thinks of what she’s heard.

“What we’re doing here today is talking about a lot of conspiracy theories, and it’s frustrating and tedious for those of us in the committee, but I can tell you it’s absolutely maddening for my constituents back home in Vermont,” Balint says.

We're seeing a lot of angry exchanges today - here's one from earlier, when Garland was repeatedly asked about a notorious FBI memo about the Catholic church.

Jim Jordan has called the session back to order.

The committee is taking another break, this time for votes on other business in the House of Representatives.

Congressman Ken Buck, a Republican from Colorado, appears to be diverging from his party's approach in this hearing, speaking at-length seemingly in defence of Garland.

He talks about Garland "following the facts" when he sought the death penalty in the famous Oklahoma City bombing case, despite the death penalty being unpopular among Democrats.

Buck also mentions that Garland has a portrait hanging on the wall in his office of Elliot Richardson, the US Attorney General who stood up to former US president Richard Nixon.

Elliot had "the backbone to stand up to to the president of the United States", Mr Buck said, and it is a signal that Garland intends to do the same.

One of the Republican committee members, Tom Tiffany of Minnesota, picks up on well-worn themes - but closes his five minutes with a question about a naked bike ride in Wisconsin.

The event in June included an under age rider, and Tiffany says he sent a letter to the attorney general’s office asking about the incident.

“Do you think that’s a problem, and why did you not answer our letter from two months ago?" Tiffany asks.

Garland says his office gets hundreds of letters, adding that it seemed to be a matter for local law enforcement.

“State and local law enforcement would not act, we were hoping you would,” Tiffany responds.

Previously, police in Madison, Wisconsin said that no laws were broken by the girl’s participation in the bike ride, external.

If you're just tuning in, you might notice an extreme contrast in tone from one lawmaker's questioning to the next.

This hearing is highly partisan, led by the Republican majority of the House Judiciary Committee.

Republicans are using their questions to grill Garland, at times shouting over the attorney general as he speaks.

Democrats are using the turn to offer praise to Garland, often starting by saying "thank you for your service" as they praise his long-standing career in public service.

The use of time to make lengthy statements has also been a contentious issue throughout the hearing.

"This is a gross misuse of your time, your team's time, our time," Democrat congresswoman Madeleine Dean said at one point.

"It is a shameful circus."

Image source, Getty Images

Just before the break, a protester shouted out from the gallery and briefly disrupted the hearing.

The protester appeared to be a supporter of Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder who’s currently wanted on espionage charges in the US and is being held in Belmarsh prison in London pending extradition hearings.

The protester was wearing a shirt which read “Free press, free speech, free Assange”.

Throughout the hearing, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly peppered Garland with questions that aim to expose what they have long alleged is a "corrupt" justice department controlled by Democrats.

Democrats' questions, however, have sought to shift the focus toward other topics they say are more threatening to the US.

Abortion. Fentanyl. Gun violence. The threat of defunding the FBI.

Compared to the hot-seat questioning coming from Republicans, Garland's responses to Democrats seem to offer him a respite.

"I cannot imagine the consequences of defunding the FBI, but they would be catastrophic," Garland said.

Responding to questions about the opioid epidemic, Garland said: "We will continue to do that with every resource that Congress gives us."

The hearing has just got back from a break. Stick with us as we bring you the latest.

The hearing is now pausing for a short break before we hear more questions for US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

It's been a fractious hearing so far - one that has both covered a wide range of topics and split along party lines.

More now on the exchange about what’s been called an “anti-Catholic memo” that circulated inside the FBI.

The memo was written by agents at an FBI field office earlier this year and has been a talking point for religious conservatives ever since.

It suggests that extremists may seek to recruit traditional Catholics – those that reject some of the reforms that have happened in the last century or so, like holding masses in English rather than Latin. “Trad Catholic” ideas have become popular in some fringe online spaces.

But Van Drew goes further, accusing Garland of being biased: “Do you agree that traditional Catholics are violent extremists, yes or no?”

That's when we heard the brief back-and-forth. The attorney general calls the insinuations “outrageous” and “absurd” before finally answering: “Catholics are not extremists, no.”

In another extremely tense exchange, Garland has slammed an "outrageous" question from Representative Jefferson Van Drew on whether he considers "traditional" Catholics to be extremists.

Van Drew's question stems from an FBI field office memo from January which reportedly referred to some Catholics as "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists".

"The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous, it is so absurd," Garland says. "Both I, and the director of the FBI, have agreed that that we were appalled by that memo".

In his opening remarks, an emotional Garland explained that many family members of his perished during the Holocaust in what is now Belarus.

Lou Correa, a California Democrat, has asked Garland whether the US plans to extradite any more cartel leaders to the US as part of the fight against fentanyl and other drug trafficking.

On Friday, the US extradited Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of notorious - and imprisoned - Sinaloa Cartel boss El Chapo Guzman.

While Garland declined to get into diplomatic discussions about extraditions, Garland notes that El Chapo's other sons, widely known as Los Chapitos, are also facing US indictments for drug trafficking.

"Of course, we will seek the extradition and apprehension of everyone we've indicted," he says.

Garland adds that Mexico "works with the US", with Mexican security personnel taking significant casualties during the apprehension of Ovidio Guzman.

"Cooperation can always be better," he says.

Just a couple of topics to catch you up on from earlier.

Garland was asked about the potential defunding of the FBI - an often-repeated refrain from Republican officials in the US.

The attorney general said that doing so would "leave the United States naked to the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party, to the attacks by Iranians on American citizens and attempts to assassinate former officials, to the Russian aggression, to North Korean cyberattacks".

"I cannot imagine the consequences of defunding the FBI, but they would be catastrophic,” he added.

Democrats also repeatedly asked him about the impact of a government shutdown, which could happen as soon as 10 days from now.

Garland says he believes a shutdown would "certainly" impact the department's work, although he did not provide details.

Anthony Zurcher
At the House Judiciary Committee hearing

Image source, Getty Images

Democrat Eric Swalwell is directly addressing Republican Chair Jim Jordan, accusing him of ignoring a congressional subpoena.

The Ohio Republican seems not at all interested in his California colleague's attacks, however.

Instead, he is walking around the chamber, talking to other Republican congressmen and smiling.