Today in one sentence: Wisconsin charged three people involved in the “fake elector” scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election to keep now-convicted felon Trump in office; Speaker Mike Johnson floated a "three-pronged approach" to punish the Department of Justice for Trump’s felony conviction; Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned the “repeated attacks” from Republicans on the Justice Department, calling them "unprecedented," "unfounded," and "extremely dangerous" during a House Judiciary Committee hearing; Biden issued an executive order that temporarily suspends most asylum claims at the southern border when unauthorized crossings exceed a daily threshold; and Biden suggested that there is "every reason for people" to conclude that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dragging out the war in Gaza to cling to power.

1/ Wisconsin charged three people involved in the “fake elector” scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election to keep now-convicted felon Trump in office. Attorney General Josh Kaul charged Kenneth Chesebro, Jim Troupis, and Michael Roman with one felony count each of conspiracy to commit forgery. The three will make their initial appearances in Dane County Circuit Court on Sept. 19. Each charge carries a sentence of up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Chesebro is also one of the 18 co-defendants named in Trump’s criminal racketeering case in Georgia. Similar slates of fake electors to overturn the results of the 2020 election to keep Trump in office were organized in several states and charges have been brought in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia. (Washington Post / New York Times / CNN / Associated Press / CBS News / NBC News / Politico / Axios)

2/ Speaker Mike Johnson floated a “three-pronged approach” to punish the Department of Justice for Trump’s felony conviction. With House Republicans’ push to impeach Biden going nowhere, Johnson announced a plan to use the appropriations process, legislation, and Congressional oversight to rein in Trump’s prosecutors at both the federal and state levels by limiting funding for the FBI, federal prosecutors, and “state prosecutors or state attorneys general involved in lawfare.” Johnson suggested that “All those things will be happening vigorously, because we have to do that, because the stakes are too high and because people are losing faith in our institutions.” Some Republicans, however, acknowledge that they don’t have enough votes to pass legislation in the House. And even if they could pass a bill, it’s unlikely to go anywhere with the Democratic-controlled Senate. (Politico / The Hill / Politico / CNN)

3/ Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned the “repeated attacks” from Republicans on the Justice Department, calling them “unprecedented,” “unfounded,” and “extremely dangerous” during a House Judiciary Committee hearing. “I will not be intimidated,” Garland said in his opening statements. “The Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.” House Republicans have advanced a conspiracy theory that the Manhattan district attorney, which convicted Trump on 34 felon counts of orchestrating an illegal conspiracy to influence the 2016 presidential election by falsifying business records, “was somehow controlled by the Justice Department.” Garland emphasized that the Justice Department is “completely independent” from the District Attorney’s office, adding: “We do not control the Manhattan District Attorney.” The hearing also comes as House Republicans have threatened to hold Garland in contempt for withholding records from Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents. Garland told lawmakers that he didn’t see a “legislative purpose” for Congress needing the audio when “the words are the same on the transcript as the audio.” (Associated Press / CNBC / Axios / New York Times / Washington Post / ABC News / CBS News / CNN / Politico)

4/ Biden issued an executive order that temporarily suspends most asylum claims at the southern border when unauthorized crossings exceed a daily threshold. Biden said he’s taking action to “gain control” of the border after convicted felon Trump and the Republicans left him “no choice” when they sunk the bipartisan immigration deal they had once demanded. Under the order, when crossings exceed a daily average of 2,500 over the course of a week, Biden can shut down the border in between ports of entry. Once the shutdown is in effect, Homeland Security can reopen the border once average crossings have fallen below 1,500 for seven consecutive days. Regular asylum processing will be restored 14 days later. Migrants who cross without authorization will not be eligible for asylum absent compelling circumstances, making the measure the most restrictive border policy instituted by Biden, or any other modern Democrat, and echoes Trump’s 2018 effort to ban migrants who cross the border illegally from claiming asylum, which was later blocked by federal courts. The ACLU, meanwhile, plans to sue the White House over the executive order, saying “a ban on asylum is illegal just as it was when Trump unsuccessfully tried it.” (NPR / Associated Press / New York Times / Politico / Washington Post / NBC News / Bloomberg / Mother Jones / Axios / CNN / CBS News)

5/ Biden suggested that there is “every reason for people” to conclude that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dragging out the war in Gaza to cling to power. The statement came in an interview with Time magazine, which was published three days before Biden revealed the details of the “Israeli plan” to bring a permanent ceasefire and hostage exchange. Netanyahu, however, has since publicly distanced himself from the deal. Biden also said although “a lot of innocent people have been killed,” he was “uncertain” whether Israel had committed war crimes. The House, meanwhile, passed legislation to sanction International Criminal Court officials for seeking arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials, including Netanyahu. Biden opposes sanctions and the bill will likely fail in the Senate, but 42 House Democrats broke with their party and voted with Republicans for it. (Politico / New York Times / NBC News / Axios / Washington Post / CNN / Mother Jones)

  • Read the full transcript of Biden’s interview. (TIME)
Three years ago today: Day 136: "This is progress."
Five years ago today: Day 866: False light.
Six years ago today: Day 501: Absolute right.