Democratic debate: Protesters interrupt Joe Biden during his closing segment

10 presidential hopefuls took to the stage in Houston

The Democratic debate: a wrap-up video

The leading 10 candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination took to the debating stage, bringing heavyweights in the field Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders all on to the same stage for the first time.

The presidential hopefuls tackled healthcare, gun control, education and more, with several heated clashes between the rivals.

In the last section of the debate, former Vice President Biden was interrupted when he went to answer a question about his “most significant professional setback”.

Although it was unclear what the protest was about, people in the hall have said the demonstrators chanted: “We are DACA recipients. Our lives are at risk.”

Earlier in the debate Mr Biden had been questioned about deportations under the Barack Obama administration, a question which he deftly dodged.

He came under particular fire from Julian Castro, both over who could claim the mantle of being the true successor to Barack Obama and, controversially, over Mr Biden's memory.

Beto O'Rourke focused on gun violence and said he would institute a mandatory buyback scheme for assault rifles, saying: "Hell yes, we are going to take your AR-15s."

Tonight’s candidates were: Mr Biden, Ms Warren, Mr Sanders Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, and Andrew Yang.

Catch-up on events as they happened below.

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[12 September 2019 14:22 · Chris Riotta]

The House Judiciary Committee has begun its debate on a vote to begin impeachment proceedings in Congress against Donald Trump. 

Chairman Jerrold Nadler said Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski will be present at a 17 September meeting. 

[12 September 2019 14:54 · Chris Riotta]

The debate in the House Judiciary Committee has had its tense moments so far, with several Republicans claiming Democrats are "trying to have an impeachment without actually putting it up to a vote in the House." The GOP members on the committee are saying the House should have a chance to vote on whether or not to have impeachment proceedings right away. 

[12 September 2019 14:58 · Chris Riotta]

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said: “Some call this process an impeachment inquiry. Some call it an impeachment investigation. There is no legal difference between these terms and I no longer care to argue about the nomenclature."

[12 September 2019 14:59 · Chris Riotta]

The House Judiciary Committee has now begun voting on whether to consider future hearings towards impeaching Donald Trump.

[12 September 2019 15:01 · Chris Riotta]

The clerk is reporting the numbers on the official vote tally: 

24 yes and 17 nos. The resolution is agreed to. The markup is adjourned, and the House Judiciary Committee has now voted to hear future proceedings about launching an impeachment of Donald Trump.

[12 September 2019 15:10 · Chris Riotta]

And Donald Trump is now tweeting about impeachment after the House Judiciary Committee votes to adopt guidelines towards future proceedings: 

[12 September 2019 15:20 · Chris Riotta]

While the House Judiciary Committee debates whether to formally begin impeachment proceedings, it appears Hillary Clinton has found her emails. 

[12 September 2019 15:30 · Chris Riotta]

It's interesting the explosive Politico report about Donald Trump's alleged declining to do anything about the spying devices planted near the White House was published the same day the president retweeted something like this. A coincidence, almost certainly, but no less a sign of where the president's sentiments stand when it comes to Israel: 

[12 September 2019 15:36 · Chris Riotta]

The Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee has successfully passed a vote to establish rules for hearings on impeaching Donald Trump in a move seen as a major step forward in the panel’s investigations into the president. 

The resolution passed on Thursday is a technical step, and the committee would still have to introduce impeachment articles against Mr Trump and win approval from the House to bring charges against him. It’s unclear if that will ever happen, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has urged caution on the issue, saying the public still isn’t yet supportive of taking those steps.

And yet the House Judiciary Committee pressed forward, with Chairman Jerrold Nadler saying: “We have a constitutional, historical, and moral obligation to fully investigate these matters.”

“Let us take the next step in that work without delay,” he said just before the vote. “I urge my colleagues to adopt this resolution, and I yield back."

However, even if the House does recommend impeachment charges against the president, the Republican-led Senate is unlikely to convict him and remove him from office.

Additional reporting by AP. Story to come. 

[12 September 2019 15:50 · Chris Riotta]

While most North Carolinians were remembering the lives lost on September 11, 2001, the Republican leaders in the General Assembly took advantage of a half-empty House and voted to override the governor's budget veto Wednesday morning.

Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said in a news conference that House Republicans called for a "surprise vote" while he and House members were honouring first responders on the anniversary of 9/11.

"Republicans called a deceptive surprise override of my budget veto," Mr Cooper said. "Unfortunately, it's the people of North Carolina who lose."

House Minority Leader Darren Jackson, a Democrat, said he told his caucus members that they did not need to be in attendance and that David Lewis, a Republican, chairman of the Rules, Calendar and Operations Committee, gave Mr Jackson his word that there would be no votes, according to the News and Observer.