DeSantis expected to enter 2024 presidential race next week  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to enter the 2024 presidential race next week, two Republicans familiar with the matter tell CNN.  —  DeSantis will file paperwork next week with the Federal Election Commission declaring his candidacy …

Communications director for Rep. George Santos resigns  —  The House on Wednesday voted largely along party lines, 221-204, to refer a resolution to expel Santos to the Ethics Committee.  —  Naysa Woomer, the communications director for embattled Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), has resigned, Scripps News has learned.

F.B.I. Revokes Security Clearances of 3 Agents Over Jan. 6 Issues  —  At least two of the three agents are scheduled to testify on Thursday to a House panel investigating what Republicans contend is the “weaponization” of federal agencies against conservatives.

ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED … NATIONAL RESULTS  —  Recent midterms have typically involved national waves that favor one party over the other, particularly when there's backlash against a party that controls the presidency and both chambers of Congress.  —  Figure 1.  Two-Way Democratic Support in General Elections (1976 to 2022)

Exclusive: New evidence in special counsel probe may undercut Trump's claim documents he took were automatically declassified  —  The National Archives has informed former president Donald Trump that it is set to hand over to special counsel Jack Smith 16 records which show Trump and his top advisers …

Florida Democrats think the unthinkable: We're in play  —  The Jacksonville win was just one election.  But the party hopes it represents something more.  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Democrats, long under the thumb of Ron DeSantis, are giddy the mayoral victory in Jacksonville could be the end to a long, long losing streak.

Ron DeSantis Signs Law Allowing Trans Kids to Be Taken From Their Families  —  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a horrifying bill Wednesday that will let the state take transgender minors away from their families if they are receiving gender-affirming care.

Christiane Amanpour voices dissent over Trump town hall, says she had ‘very robust exchange’ with CNN chief  —  Editor's Note: A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter.  Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here.  —  CNN —

Deutsche Bank Will Pay $75 Million to Victims of Jeffrey Epstein  —  A proposed court settlement closes another chapter in the German bank's relationship with the disgraced financier, which began in 2013 and continued up until late 2018.  —  Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay $75 million …

Military Caught Airman Mishandling Secrets Before Arrest but Left Him in Job  —  A Justice Department filing urging that Airman Jack Teixeira be held without bail said his superiors had admonished him for taking notes and conducting deep-dive searches last fall.  —  Reporting from Washington

The Durham report is a damning indictment of the FBI — and the media  —  Special counsel John Durham's report into the origins of the Trump-Russia collusion investigation is a damning indictment of the FBI — and, by extension, its enablers in the media who breathlessly reported the false allegations against Donald Trump.

Pete Buttigieg Loves God, Beer, and His Electric Mustang  —  Sure, the US secretary of transportation has thoughts on building bridges.  But infrastructure occupies just a sliver of his voluminous mind.  —  The curious mind of Pete Buttigieg holds much of its functionality in reserve.

GOP Rep. Nancy Mace Warns Republicans Will ‘Suffer’ For Strict Abortion Laws  —  The GOP South Carolina lawmaker told CNN's Jake Tapper there would be election consequences for Republicans if they promote restrictive abortion bills.  —  Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said Wednesday the Republican Party …

Prince Harry, Meghan involved in car chase with paparazzi, spokeswoman says; taxi driver says it wasn't a chase  —  Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi,” a spokeswoman for the couple said.

North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum likely to run for president  —  As potential Republican contenders Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott move closer to announcing their entries into the GOP presidential fray …

Study Offers New Twist in How the First Humans Evolved  —  A new genetic analysis of 290 people suggests that humans emerged at various times and places in Africa.  —  Scientists have revealed a surprisingly complex origin of our species, rejecting the long-held argument that modern humans arose …

New House bill would block pay for members of Congress if the U.S. defaults  —  The bipartisan legislation by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., comes amid growing fears about a debt ceiling breach ahead of a June 1 deadline.  —  WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bill set …

Democrats race to avoid a Biden embarrassment in New Hampshire  —  Democrats are searching for ways to get the president on the New Hampshire ballot after he pushed for changes to the nominating calendar.  —  NASHUA, N.H. — Top Democrats are scrambling for ways to avoid a catastrophe …

Montana Governor Signs Total Ban of TikTok in the State  —  The legislation is the most extreme prohibition of the app in the nation and will almost certainly face legal challenges.  —  The governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, signed a bill on Wednesday to ban TikTok from operating inside the state …

A Little Optimism in the Middle of a Lot of Mess  —  A First Amendment lawsuit got filed in Florida today.  It's not a First Amendment lawsuit over the new Florida law we discussed earlier this week—the one where Governor Ron DeSantis stripped academic freedom out of the classroom …