Biden lands in Israel to begin Middle East trip as inflation soars at home – live

Good morning, US politics reader. President Joe Biden has just landed in Israel for the first visit to the Middle East of his presidency, but even there, he won’t be able to escape the troubling state of the US economy. Inflation soared 9.1% in June compared to the same month last year, the government reported just minutes ago, and indeed, that problem will be on the agenda during his visit – convincing Saudi Arabia to raise oil production in a bid to lower gas prices in America is considered one of the president’s priorities.

Here’s what else is happening today:

• The Senate health committee will at 10 am eastern time be hearing from health care providers impacted by last month’s supreme court ruling overturning the right to abortion nationwide.
• A new poll shows Democrats and Republicans are in a close race when it comes to which party voters would prefer controlling Congress.
• With Biden set to visit Saudi Arabia, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, widow of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said she had met with White House advisors and called on the US president to press Riyadh’s leadership for the release of political prisoners.