Good afternoon, and welcome to The Afternoon Sun, formerly known as Final NOTUS! Read more about our new era as The Washington Sun here, but you can expect the same newsletter and comprehensive coverage of national politics and policy.
THE LATEST
Temporary Protected Status was set to expire for around 200,000 Salvadorans today, but the Trump administration has left their status in question.
- A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said that until further notice, “Salvadoran individuals present in the U.S. under TPS retain protection.”
New financial disclosures show that Donald Trump gave several of his close aides — including executive assistant Natalie Harp — a “cash gift” of $45,000 each.
- The White House said the gifts are “entirely permissible” under the law because they “have nothing to do with any of these individuals’ official government duties.”
Trending
THE ADMINISTRATION
A Minnesota man from Somalia with no apparent criminal record — save for two parking tickets — is being held in Guantanamo Bay after being detained by immigration authorities in December. Adam Abdullah told Minnesota Public Radio that he’s one of at least eight Somali nationals being held at the facility.
The White House removed the “Build the Wall” game from its controversial arcade website, just days after the gaming company behind Tetris raised copyright infringement concerns.
The Treasury plans to buy back $6 billion of its own debt as part of its efforts to curb rising bond yields. The amount has tripled from the originally announced $2 billion buyback last month.
THE HILL
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear testimony from FBI Director Kash Patel on Sept. 15 — the day after senators are set to return from recess.
THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Abdul El-Sayed called for a pause on the development of artificial intelligence after viral warnings from several top AI researchers that the technology’s “out of control” progression could lead to widespread disruption and even human extinction.
- The Michigan Senate candidate called it a “break glass moment” in an exclusive interview with The Sun this morning.
A former top aide to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton endorsed state Rep. James Talarico in a splashy new campaign ad.
- David Maxwell, who was part of a group of Paxton aides who reported their boss to the FBI in 2020, said the Republican Senate nominee “ended my five decade career because I blew the whistle on his corruption.”
DEEP BREATHS
whoever’s in charge of comms at anthropic https://t.co/3shaxUKJFa pic.twitter.com/GqY0JgibwV
— “paula” (@paularambles) September 9, 2026
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