Scoop: How Trump's team egged him on during CNN town hall  —  President Trump got more aggressive — and more dismissive of moderator Kaitlan Collins — as last week's CNN town hall continued.  Now we know one reason why:  — Backstage during the first commercial break, Axios has learned …

Trump puts DeSantis in a bind on 2020: Can he bring himself to say Trump lost?  —  The Florida governor is making the case that he's more electable than Trump.  Just don't ask him if Trump lost.  —  Donald Trump falsely insisting that the 2020 election was “rigged” last week was nothing …

Dems' great hope to hold the Senate: GOP primary implosions  —  Despite Republicans' new strategy, Democrats are looking for “extreme candidates” to come out of Senate GOP primaries and give them a leg up in an otherwise bleak electoral map.  —  Most Democrats stay quiet about GOP primaries …

What Happens if President Biden Caves on the Debt Ceiling?  —  Today's X-Date: A two-year spending cap is going to harm millions of Americans.  —  President Joe Biden speaks on the debt limit during an event at SUNY Westchester Community College, May 10, 2023, in Valhalla, New York.

Rick Wilson hands Democrats their top talking point to turn 2024 GOP candidates ‘radioactive’  —  During an appearance on MSNBC on Sunday morning, former Republican party campaign strategist Rick Wilson said Democrats have their work cut out for them in the 2024 election cycle …

DeSantis signs bill to defund DEI programs at Florida's public colleges  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into law Monday barring the state's colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and limiting how race can be discussed in many courses.

Wagner chief offered to give Russian troop locations to Ukraine, leak says  —  Yevgeniy Prigozhin said he would tell Ukraine's military where to attack Russian troops if they pulled their own forces back from the beleaguered city of Bakhmut, where Wagner mercenaries were taking heavy losses

Chinese court sentences elderly US citizen to life in prison on spying charges  —  An elderly American citizen who is a Hong Kong permanent resident has been sentenced to life in prison by a Chinese court.  —  John Shing-Wan Leung, 78, was detained on April 15, 2021, by state security authorities …

EXCLUSIVE: Capitol Hill Staffer Is A Prominent Follower Of Neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes  —  Evidence shows Congressman Paul Gosar's digital director is behind an online persona that Fuentes called one of his “strongest soldiers.”  —  Nick Fuentes was under attack.

Eric Adams Is Starving New York City's Universal Pre-K Program  —  One of America's most ambitious child-care experiments is playing out, in part, at a public-housing complex at the far end of Manhattan's East Village.  Tucked behind one of the 13 brick towers that make up the Jacob Riis Houses …

‘They are missing’: Marjorie Taylor Greene confirms GOP has lost several Biden ‘whistleblowers’  —  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) confirmed on Monday that Republicans were out of contact with all but one “whistleblower” in their investigation of President Joe Biden and his family.

A Cancer Surgeon and Patient Is Biden's Pick to Lead N.I.H.  —  President Biden said on Monday that he had selected Dr. Monica M. Bertagnolli, who has led the National Cancer Institute since October, to be the next director of the National Institutes of Health.

IRS tests free e-filing system that could compete with tax prep giants  —  The prototype program developed by the federal government could be available for a small group of taxpayers by January  —  The Internal Revenue Service has quietly built its own prototype system to allow Americans …

The Ratcatcher  —  The Ratcatcher  —  In an exclusive interview with The American Conservative, Florida's Ron DeSantis explains his war with Disney for the soul and sovereignty of America.  —  (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)  —  “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that is all.”

Supreme Court to consider South Carolina plan that ‘exiled’ Black voters  —  The Supreme Court will consider South Carolina's attempt to reinstate a congressional redistricting plan that a lower court found had “exiled” 30,000 Black voters to create a district winnable for a White Republican candidate.

Why Smartmatic's case against Fox News is even stronger than Dominion's  —  There are reasons Smartmatic is seeking a tidy $2.7 billion.  —  ∙ Paid … Last month, Fox News agreed to pay an eye-popping $787.5 million sum to settle a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems.

Nail-Biter Turkish Election Heads for Round 2 as Majority Eludes Erdogan  —  After two decades in power, a struggling Recep Tayyip Erdogan has two more weeks to persuade Turkish voters that he should continue as president.  —  ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's presidential election appeared on Sunday …

In Black-led Compton, a Latino majority fights for political power  —  The city known for its Black culture has flipped majority Latino, but its leadership remains all Black.  A group of Latino vaqueros want to change that.  —  COMPTON, Calif. — The riders on horseback clopped past corner stores …

Florida teacher investigated by state agency for showing Disney movie in class  —  A Florida teacher is under investigation by the state Department of Education after what she believes is a targeted attack by a school board member who took issue with a Disney movie shown in her classroom.

Supreme Court rejects Alabama's bid to use lethal injection against inmate's wishes  —  Alabama officials sought to execute death row inmate Kenneth Smith by lethal injection despite his preference for lethal gas.  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Alabama's bid to execute …

Why Clarence Thomas's Troubles Have Just Begun  —  The scandal that forced Abe Fortas's resignation from the Supreme Court in 1969 revolved around $20,000 he had accepted from the family foundation of an indicted financier (he returned the money).  That $20,000 would be around $167,000 today.

Rep. James Comer is looking for anti-Biden evidence.  Also, his informant.  —  Allegations that energize Fox News and the New York Post weaken his argument everywhere else.  —  Soon after the 2020 election, a senior vice president at the Fox Business Network sent a warning to the network's president …

How Kyrsten Sinema Uses Campaign Cash for Her Marathon Habit  —  Sen. Kyrsten Sinema loves to run marathons—and to use campaign cash to pay for her stays at swanky hotels during those marathons. … When Kyrsten Sinema ran the Boston Marathon last year, it was a proud moment the Arizona senator …