GOP unites in brinkmanship over default, rejecting Biden compromises  —  Several House Republican lawmakers have begun casting doubt on the Treasury Department's deadline for averting a financial crisis  —  During a closed meeting Tuesday morning at a GOP hangout a block from the U.S. Capitol …

Ron DeSantis Has a Problem.  It's Florida.  —  There's a reason the state has never sent a politician to the White House.  —  Ron DeSantis is set to join the 2024 campaign amid high Republican hopes that he's precisely the kind of conservative who can knock off President Joe Biden.

Twitter Is a Far-Right Social Network  —  It can no longer be denied.  —  Twitter has long been described, even by its most ardent users, as a hellsite.  But under Elon Musk, Twitter has evolved into a platform that is indistinguishable from the wastelands of alternative social-media sites such as Truth Social and Parler.

Target removes some LGBTQ merchandise from stores ahead of June Pride month after threats to workers  —  Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers.

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

Amanda Gorman's Biden inauguration poem was moved out of an elementary library at a Miami-Dade school after a parent complained  —  The acclaimed poem written by Amanda Gorman for President Joe Biden's inauguration was moved from the elementary section of a Miami-Dade County public school …

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.

Republicans' Wacky Ten Commandments School Bill Fails  —  THOU SHALT NOT  —  A bill that would have forced Texas public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom failed to advance in the Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday.  The bill, which passed the state Senate in April …

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 …

Fearing indictment is imminent in classified docs probe, Trump team requests meeting with DOJ  —  The former president's attorneys requested the meeting with AG Merrick Garland.  —  Former President Donald Trump's legal team has formally requested a meeting with Attorney General Merrick Garland …

The Dodgers Promote Anti-Catholicism  —  When businesses celebrate various identity groups among their customers and employees, it can easily descend into cloying and opportunistic pandering.  But it is mostly harmless, in the way that drinking green beer on St. Patrick's Day or wearing plastic sombreros on Cinco de Mayo is harmless.

Trump's worst judge will hear a $1.8 billion attack on Planned Parenthood  —  Remember that guy who tried to ban mifepristone?  He's back.  —  Remember Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk?  Last month, Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee to a federal court in Texas, tried to remove mifepristone …

Beware Elon Musk's warped libertarianism  —  The billionaire entrepreneur's AI initiative is disturbing in light of his selective approach to political and civic freedoms  —  Future generations might say that the big event of 2023 was when Elon Musk thought of TruthGPT — the “maximum truth-seeking AI” he plans to launch.

Hillary Clinton: Dianne Feinstein Shouldn't Retire  —  Secretary Hillary Clinton defended her friend and former colleague Senator Dianne Feinstein, whose advanced age and failing health have prompted calls for her to resign from the Senate, saying that Feinstein's resignation would not be …

Uvalde school massacre: The story and the year that changed me  —  Editor's Note: Editor's note: Shimon Prokupecz is CNN's Senior Crime and Justice Correspondent.  He and his team have covered the botched law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary school shooting since it happened one year ago.

A year after Uvalde, officers who botched response face few consequences  —  A Post investigation finds numerous higher-ranking officers who made critical decisions remain on the job  —  In the year since the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Tex., much of the blame …

Gun Violence in the United States  —  NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll  —  More Americans Say Local Schools are Not Safe from Gun Violence... Six in Ten Prioritize Controlling Gun Violence Over Protecting Gun Rights  —  One year after the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas …