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.

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

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 …

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

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Poet speaks up after Miami-Dade school bars elementary students from reading her poem  —  A nationally known poet said Tuesday she is “gutted” after learning that a school in Miami-Dade barred elementary school children from reading her poem and three other library titles following the complaint of a parent.

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 …

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 …

Emails Show SpaceX Bungled Elon Musk's Private Jet Privacy  —  FOIA docs reveal that SpaceX enrolled Elon Musk's jet in a federal program to prevent tracking, failed to implement it properly, then asked for help during the @ElonJet meltdown.  —  Jason Koebler

Clarence Thomas's image takes a hit  —  While favorable views of other justices have declined during a rough stretch for the Supreme Court, ethics issues have taken a greater toll on his  —  The Supreme Court has hit a low point in the public's estimation, particularly after its broadly unpopular decision …

White House U-Haul ramming suspect Sai Kandula jailed until next week, charges downgraded  —  The alleged neo-Nazi man accused of ramming a rented U-Haul truck into White House security barriers will be held in federal jail pending a detention hearing next week, according to reports.

Elon Musk is dying to be funny.  These eight comedians have some notes  —  You'd think Elon Musk, the second-wealthiest person in the world, would have bigger worries than whether or not strangers on the internet find him funny.  —  Yet despite the long list of business concerns demanding his attention …

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.