US latest: Democrats sweep first major elections of Trump’s term – as government shutdown hits historic milestone

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage on what promises to be a busy day across the Atlantic.

Before we begin with our updates, here’s a round-up of what we’re focusing on today.

Longest US government shutdown

The government shutdown in the US is now the longest in the country’s history.

As of today, it has surpassed the 35-day funding lapse that began in December 2018 during Donald Trump’s first term.

This historic political impasse will have huge implications for normal Americans.

Democrats celebrate elections

We’ll also have the latest from New York, where Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is celebrating victory in a mayoral race serving as a bellwether referendum on Trump’s second term as president.

Democrats are also celebrating in Virginia and New Jersey after Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill won their races to become state governors, respectively. 

Year since Trump won US election

It all comes on the day that marks a year since Americans went to the polls and elected Trump as their 47th president.

Follow our live coverage here as we bring you all the latest news, updates and context.