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 …

Person believed to be the man accused of killing 5 neighbors in Texas is apprehended after manhunt  —  Officials had been searching for Francisco Oropesa, 38, since Friday night when he allegedly shot his neighbors in Cleveland, Texas, after one asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard.

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 …

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 …

Elon Musk threatens to re-assign @NPR on Twitter to ‘another company’  —  Elon Musk has threatened to reassign NPR's Twitter account to “another company.”  —  In a series of emails sent to this reporter, Musk suggested he would transfer the network's main account on Twitter, under the @NPR handle, to another organization or person.

DeSantis signs bill targeting ‘discriminatory ESG’ in Florida  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law Tuesday a sweeping ban on sustainable investing.  —  House Bill 3 bars state and local governments from factoring in environmental, social or governance (ESG) …

Cops Just Revealed a Record-Breaking Dark Web Dragnet  —  Operation SpecTor likely drew on leads from multiple dark web market busts, including the secret takedown of Monopoly Market in 2021.  —  A decade ago, US law enforcement was content to swat down a dark web black market for drugs …

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.

FBI says former agent arrested over Jan. 6 called officers Nazis and encouraged mob to 'kill ‘em’  —  Jared L. Wise, who worked at the FBI for 13 years ending in 2017, was arrested Monday in Oregon.  —  WASHINGTON — The FBI this week arrested a former bureau supervisor in connection …

Texas Women Hit Back After Husband Sues Them for Aiding Wife's Abortion  —  Marcus Silva said three women helped his ex-wife obtain an abortion pill.  Now, two of them are claiming that he knew about her plan all along.  —  A man in Texas who sued his ex-wife's friends for helping her to obtain an abortion …

The Corrupt High Court  —  THE BACKCHANNEL  —  The fact that one or more of the Supreme Court Justices appear to be venally corrupt in a rather fulsome fashion is a new addition to the story of the early 21st century.  But the heart of it remains this: The current corrupt majority wants …

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.

Canadian folk music icon Gordon Lightfoot dead at 84  —  Legendary singer died Monday night, according to his publicist  —  Canadian folk music icon Gordon Lightfoot, whose evocative and poetic songs are etched into the musical landscape of Canada, has died at the age of 84, according to his longtime publicist Victoria Lord.

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.

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.

Rep. Ilhan Omar Statement on Vandalism of Her Office, Arson Charges Following Fires at Two Minneapolis Mosques  —  MINNEAPOLIS—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the following statement on the arrest and charging of Jackie Rahm Little, aka Joel Arthur Tueting, for arson at two Minneapolis mosques …

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 …

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.

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 …

Arkansas owes a Jewish man $500 but won't pay up because he refuses to sign a pledge to not boycott Israel  —  A Jewish dermatologist from North Carolina with family ties to Israel fell victim to Arkansas's anti-boycott requirement this year, and now he's out $500.

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 …