House Democrats Move to Force a Debt-Limit Increase as Default Date Looms  —  House Democratic leaders who have been quietly planning a strategy to force a debt ceiling increase to avert default began taking steps on Tuesday to deploy their secret weapon.  —  Reporting from Washington

Trump Likely to Sit Out One or Both of First Two G.O.P. Debates  —  In private comments to aides and confidants, Donald J. Trump has indicated he does not want to breathe life into his Republican challengers by sharing a debate stage with them.  —  The leading Republican candidate for president …

FOXLEAKS: Tucker Carlson's creepy behind-the-scenes comments  —  Recently dismissed ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson told a colleague preparing to interview him, “If we're going to talk about sex, I'd love to hit some of the fine points of technique,” in a new behind-the-scenes video obtained by Media Matters.

How DeSantis accidentally handed Disney a potent weapon against him  —  When the Walt Disney Co. went looking for evidence to feature in its new lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, its lawyers found much of what they needed in DeSantis's own recently published memoir.

Feinstein ‘hopeful’ she can return to Senate next week, Schumer notes say  —  The Senate majority leader did not address the California senator's absence during a press conference, but his notes said they spoke Monday.  —  Chuck Schumer spoke to Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Monday …

Leonard Leo used Federalist Society contact to obtain $1.6B donation  —  The society's close ties to Leo's network raise questions about its nonpartisan, non-political status.  —  Leonard Leo, who helped to choose judicial nominees for former President Donald Trump, obtained …

Woman arrested for allegedly throwing wine at Rep. Matt Gaetz  — A Florida woman was charged with felony battery after she allegedly threw a glass of wine on Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz.  — The woman allegedly threw the drink at the congressman after “swearing loudly” at him at a wine festival in northwest Florida.

Muslim NJ mayor demands answers after being turned away from White House Eid celebration  —  The longest-serving Muslim mayor in New Jersey said he was stunned after he got a call Monday afternoon disinviting him from an annual Eid al-Fitr celebration at the White House while he was in his car just miles away from the event.

Hollywood writers strike over streaming pay after talks fail  —  A festering dispute over how writers are compensated in the streaming era came to a head Monday night, as leaders of the Writers Guild of America called on their members to stage Hollywood's first strike in 15 years.

The Next Front in the GOP's War on Women: No-Fault Divorce  —  Steven Crowder is part of a growing right-wing chorus calling for an end to modern divorce laws  —  STEVEN CROWDER, THE right-wing podcaster, is getting a divorce.  “No, this was not my choice,” Crowder told his online audience last week.

Black turnout dropped sharply in 2022 midterms, Census survey finds  —  Turnout in last year's midterm elections fell from a century-high point of 50 percent in 2018 to 46.6 percent in 2022, and Census data released Tuesday suggest the drop was concentrated among Black voters, younger voters and college graduates.

Biden admin asks for 1,500 troops at US-Mexico border  —  The Biden administration has requested 1,500 troops for the U.S.-Mexico border amid an expected migrant surge following the end of pandemic-era restrictions, according to three administration officials.

Who paid for Ron DeSantis' trip overseas?  No one will say.  —  Florida lawmakers are also poised to pass a bill that would shield DeSantis' travel records associated with taxpayer paid travel from scrutiny  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In late February, a jet owned by the company associated …

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigns  —  Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned Tuesday less than a week after it came to light that she had taken a lucrative side job consulting for an embattled cannabis company at a time when her office was auditing the state's marijuana program.

Late-Night Shows To Shut Down Immediately After Writers Guild Strike Called - Update  —  UPDATE (Original story May 1 at 9:06pm): Nightly talk shows including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, are set to go dark starting on Tuesday after writers agreed to strike.

Republican-controlled states target college students' voting power ahead of high-stakes 2024 elections  —  Republican-controlled legislatures around the country have moved to erect new barriers to voting for high school and college students in what state lawmakers describe as an effort to clamp down on potential voter fraud.

GOP senators call on Supreme Court to ‘update’ ethics oversight  —  While Republicans at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on the high court's ethics mostly called it a partisan spectacle, some acknowledged justices needed to take action.  —  Partisan cannon fire dominated …

The aggrieved Justice Alito points fingers but offers no proof  —  Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. just wants you to know: The leaker didn't come from the conservative wing of the court.  He's not saying who slipped his draft opinion in the abortion case to Politico, though he has “a pretty good idea” about the leaker's identity.