Live Updates: Ron DeSantis Starts His Campaign, Hoping to Topple Trump  —  The Florida governor, Donald Trump's strongest challenger since 2016, entered the race on Wednesday and was set for a livestream conversation with Twitter's owner, Elon Musk, at 6 p.m. Eastern.

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 …

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.

Paralyzed man walks again using implants connecting brain with spinal cord  —  A 40-year-old man whose legs were paralyzed in a cycling accident 12 years ago can walk again thanks to implants in his brain and spinal cord.  —  The brain-spine interface (BSI) has remained stable for a year …

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 …

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.”

Out of the spotlight, Mark Meadows wields quiet political power amid Trump legal woes  —  In January, as Kevin McCarthy fought to win the House speakership through 15 rounds of grinding votes and late-night sessions at the Capitol, a few blocks away a group of right-wing holdouts huddled …

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 …

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

Donald Trump is a shameless flip flopper.  Can Ron DeSantis make voters care?  —  The News  —  As Ron DeSantis prepares to launch his campaign, he's already facing attacks from Donald Trump over his past support for proposals to raise the retirement age, cut entitlement spending, and institute a national sales tax.

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

Jack Dorsey shares Robert F. Kennedy Jr. video echoing conspiracy theories  —  Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter and the head of Block Inc, has previously supported unconventional Democratic candidates.  —  Jack Dorsey, the head of Block Inc. and a co-founder of Twitter …

Does it matter that Tim Scott isn't married?  —  Pew released a poll this week showing, “Young adults in the U.S. are reaching key life milestones later than in the past.”  —  Among those milestones measured by Pew were “full-time work,” “financial independence,” “home independent of parents,” “marriage,” and “child in household.”

National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin - May 24, 2023  —  View as PDF: National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin - Issued May 24, 2023 at 2:00pm ET (pdf, 1 pages, 287.83 KB)  —  Summary of Terrorism-Related Threat to the United States  —  The United States remains in a heightened threat environment.

DeSantis signs law clearing his path to run for president while governor  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) cleared his own path to keep his current position while running for president, signing a bill that will allow him to remain as governor while being a presidential candidate.

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 …

Kevin McCarthy's Go-To Line When Asked Any Questions About Debt Default  —  Republicans are refusing to raise the debt ceiling—something they did three times under twice-impeached criminally indicted and liable-for-sexual-abuse former President Donald Trump—unless Democrats agree to cut programs …