The House passed a bill Wednesday that mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration. The bill, championed by Republicans, addresses election integrity despite research indicating that non-citizens rarely register or vote illegally. The legislation, passed mostly along party lines with five Democrats joining the GOP, faces slim chances in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The vote allows Republicans to highlight border and election security issues – two key elements of their platform.

HOW THE BILL PLAYS INTO TRUMP'S FALSE ELECTION CLAIMS

The US will soon permanently end its problem-plagued effort to deliver aid to Gaza via a temporary pier, officials said on Thursday. The $230-million pier has repeatedly been detached from the shore due to sea and weather conditions since its initial installation in mid-May, and the project also faced problems with the distribution of assistance due to conditions onshore. The pier was detached from the coast last month due to high seas. An effort to reattach it Wednesday was unsuccessful.

US EXPLORING OTHER OPTIONS FOR DELIVERING AID TO GAZA

The IRS revealed on Thursday that it has collected more than $1 billion in back taxes from the wealthiest Americans, crediting the increased collection efforts to passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in Congress. The announcement showed the eagerness of the Biden administration to make public the results of the IRS funding, particularly in cracking down on millionaire tax cheats. Republicans called it wasteful spending.

HOW THE IRS IS USING ADDITIONAL STAFF TO COLLECT DEBTS

Which US state has the highest tax burden? Which one has the lowest?

Thursday's answer: A pair of Russian cosmonauts currently hold the records for spending the most time in space -- Valeri Polyakov (437 days, consecutively) and Oleg Kononenko (878 days, cumulatively).