Trump trial live: Bombshell texts show tabloid editor calling Stormy Daniels story ‘final nail in the coffin’

Donald Trump’s hush money trial got back underway with further testimony from Gary Farro, the banker for former Trump fixer Michael Cohen who took the stand at the end of last week. Cohen was instrumental in making a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair with Mr Trump.

Judge Juan Merchan began proceedings began on Tuesday by saying he would give the trial a day off to allow Mr Trump to attend his son Barron Trump’s high school graduation before ruling that he found the former president in contempt of court on nine of the first ten violations of the gag order, fining him $1,000 for each.

Further violations may result in “an incarceratory punishment”.

Meanwhile, over the weekend Mr Trump met with Ron DeSantis to resolve their differences after a bruising primary rivalry. The Florida governor’s campaign for the GOP nomination ended in disappointment and the former president now hopes to capitalise on his influence with Sunshine State conservative donors.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward is covering Mr Trump’s trial at Manhattan Criminal Court and will be bringing us regular updates...

Gustaf Kilander and Eric Garcia report from Capitol Hill:

House Democrats have announced that they will vote to save Speaker Mike Johnson if far-right Republicans choose to trigger a motion to vacate to remove him.

The motion is being pushed by MAGA Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, but it has struggled to garner support even among some of the Republicans who voted to oust Mr Johnson’s predecessor as speaker, Kevin McCarthy.

Mr Johnson has faced criticism from the right flank of his party after going ahead with a vote to sendaid to Ukraine as part of a $95bn foreign aid package that also