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.

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 …

Amanda Gorman says her inaugural poem has been banned by Miami-Dade school  —  American poet Amanda Gorman said on Tuesday that the poem she recited during President Biden's inauguration has been banned by a school in Miami-Dade County.  —  “I'm gutted.  Because of one's parent's complaint …

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 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 …

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.

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

Roberts says Supreme Court will address ethics issues  —  Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said Tuesday night that he was “confident” that the Supreme Court will convince the public that the court “adheres to the highest standards of conduct.”  —  Accepting an award at the American Law Institute …

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 …

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 …

Driver With History Of DUI Charged With Murder In Rock Creek Parkway Crash That Left Three Dead  —  A D.C. woman with a history of driving under the influence has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder for a high-speed crash on Rock Creek Parkway in mid-March that killed three people …

Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers investigate incident of a man intentionally disturbing a bison calf; incident results in death of calf  —  MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY - Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers are asking the public for information about an incident …

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.

How conservative activists worked to kill an effort to protect Florida election workers from harassment  —  Florida lawmakers were poised this year to protect election workers from harassment.  Then, conservative “election integrity” activists worked to kill the effort.

Tim Scott is not the man for the moment  —  The junior senator from the Palmetto State, Tim Scott, entered the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on Monday.  Scott laid out an optimistic message filled with faith and patriotism, a message that the lion's share of the GOP base surely agrees with.

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.