Democrats unanimously back debt ceiling discharge petition  —  Every House Democrat has endorsed the discharge petition to force a vote on legislation to hike the debt ceiling and prevent a default, party leaders announced Wednesday.  —  The signatures of the last final holdouts …

More than 8 in 10 Republicans either supporting or would consider backing Trump and DeSantis: poll  —  More than 8 in 10 Republican respondents say they are either supporting former President Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for the GOP nomination for president in 2024 or are open to doing so, according to a poll.

G.O.P. Split in Texas Breaks Wide Open With Drunkenness Accusation  —  Attorney General Ken Paxton's accusation against the House speaker came as the House investigated Mr. Paxton's request for $3.3 million to settle a suit accusing him of corruption.  —  Reporting from Houston

Jan. 6 rioter who put his feet on desk in Pelosi office sentenced to 4.5 years in prison  —  A photo of a smiling Richard “Bigo” Barnett in Pelosi's office became one of the most notorious images from the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.  —  The Arkansas man who was photographed on Jan. 6 …

As staff shield Feinstein from the press, a picture really is worth a thousand words  —  Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter.  It's Wednesday, May 24.  I'm Kent Nishimura, a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times based out of Washington.  I cover politics and national news.

Tina Turner, ‘Queen of Rock n Roll’, dies aged 83 in Switzerland  —  Tina Turner - one of rock's great vocalists and most charismatic performers - has died aged 83, her spokesperson has confirmed.  —  In a statement, they said: “Tina Turner, the 'Queen of Rock'n Roll' has died peacefully today …

The deepening radicalization of Donald J. Trump  —  Watch how the former president's positions and rhetoric have grown more confrontational and extreme as he seeks a second term  —  In the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6, 2021, President Donald Trump stayed mostly silent …

Prigozhin says war in Ukraine has backfired, warns of Russian revolution  —  RIGA, Latvia — Fresh off his claim of victory in capturing the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Russian mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin warned that Moscow's brutal war could plunge Russia into turmoil similar …

Target removes some Pride Month products after facing threats  —  Target will remove some of its LGBTQ+ merchandise from its Pride Month collection after facing customer backlash that threatened the safety of its workers, the company said.  —  The company's website features hundreds …

Georgia GOP Chair Goes Full Flat-Earth, Says Globes Are Part of a Conspiracy  —  “Every store, you buy a globe.  There's globes everywhere.  Every movie, every TV show, news media — why?  It doesn't make sense.”

DHS warns of attacks against government buildings, minority groups ahead of 2024 election  —  The new bulletin points to recent incidents and public online communications to take a pulse of the current and most threatening terror threats in the United States.

Malware Discovered in Guam Raises a Question: Is China Prepping the Battlefield?  —  The code, which Microsoft said was installed by a Chinese government hacking group, set off alarms because Guam would be a centerpiece of any U.S. military response to a move against Taiwan.  —  Reporting from Washington

Ukrainians Were Likely Behind Kremlin Drone Attack, U.S. Officials Say  —  American spy agencies do not know exactly who carried out the attack this month, but suggest it was part of a series of covert operations orchestrated by Ukraine's security services.  —  Reporting from Washington

Scoop: Myrna Morrissey files for divorce  —  Myrna Morrissey initiated divorce proceedings against Sen. Joe Morrissey last week. … - Joe Morrissey denied the allegations in the filing. … - He was 55, and she was 17 when they met.  — Former Gov. Ralph Northam pardoned him last year before leaving office.

Why aren't we talking more about Trump's business with the Saudis?  —  The Republican-led House Oversight Committee has spent most of the past five months hard at work trying to link “the Biden family” (read: relatives of President Biden but not Biden himself) to millions of dollars proffered …

Clean Debt Deal Preferred by 2:1  —  Few say dire predictions from default are exaggerated  —  West Long Branch, NJ - Half of Americans say the debt ceiling issue should be dealt with cleanly, while just 1 in 4 want to tie it to federal spending negotiations, according to the Monmouth ("Mon-muth") University Poll.