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 …

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.

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.

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 …

An Anti-Trans Doctor Group Leaked 10,000 Confidential Files  —  A Google Drive left public on the American College of Pediatricians' website exposed detailed financial records, sensitive member details, and more.  —  A doctors' organization at the center of the ongoing legal fight …

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 …

State asks Montana judge to reject Zooey Zephyr lawsuit  —  Attorneys for the state of Montana on Tuesday asked a judge to reject transgender Rep. Zooey Zephyr 's attempt to return to the House floor, after she was silenced and then banished for admonishing Republican lawmakers and encouraging a raucous statehouse protest.

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 …

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 ‘Woke Mind Virus’ Is Eating Away at Republicans' Brains  —  There are a few reasons to think that President Biden might lose his bid for re-election next year, even if Donald Trump is once more — for the third straight time — the Republican nominee.  —  There's the Electoral College …

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.

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.

New documents show how Sandra Day O'Connor helped George W. Bush win the 2000 election  —  Justice Sandra Day O'Connor provided the early framework that steered the outcome in the dispute over the 2000 presidential election and ensured George W. Bush would win the White House over Al Gore …

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.

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.

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.

Clarence Thomas's ethics are not the Supreme Court's only problem  —  A central challenge for perceptions of the legitimacy of the Supreme Court was distilled succinctly by the New York Times.  —  “The ethical conduct of the Supreme Court has been under growing scrutiny,” Emmarie Huetteman wrote.

Top Biden official suggests there are too many jobs while defending climate agenda in tense exchange  —  Sen Hawley says interior secretary's comment may be ‘the most unbelievable statement I have heard from a member of this administration.’  —  Interior Secretary Deb Haaland defended …