• House Democrats began taking steps to force a vote on their legislation to raise the debt limit via a discharge petition, which would bypass the House’s Republican leadership if Democrats can garner enough Republican support. (The New York Times) Meanwhile, the White House is keeping options on the table to reach a compromise with House Republicans on government spending as part of debt-limit talks ahead of a pending sit-down with congressional leaders next week. (The Washington Post)
• The Biden administration is planning to send 1,500 active-duty U.S. troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to offer administrative support ahead of an expected surge of migrants following the May 11 expiration of a coronavirus-related public health order. Mexico has also agreed to continue to accept migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua who are turned away by American authorities, as well as up to 100,000 individuals from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador who may be eligible to enter the United States. (The Associated Press)
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is “hopeful” she will return to Washington next week, according to notes seen in the hands of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) yesterday. The retiring 89-year-old has been absent from the chamber since an early March shingles hospitalization, and faced a new call to resign yesterday by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). (Politico)
• Trump is reportedly expected to skip at least one of the Republican Party’s first two presidential primary debates over concern of elevating his lower-polling rivals. (The New York Times) On a separate track, RNC officials are said to be working to bypass the Commission on Presidential Debates for the general election — going as far as privately reaching out to Democratic officials about finding another party to host them. (The Washington Post)

Happening today (all in ET):

• 10 a.m. Senate in session.

• 10 a.m. EPA administrator testifies to Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

• 12 p.m. Sens. Graham, Cornyn speak on Title 42. 

• 1 p.m. White House press secretary holds briefing.

• 2 p.m. Homeland Security officials testify to Senate Appropriations subcommittee.
• 2:30 p.m. Fed chair holds news conference. 

Trump Holds Formidable Lead Over DeSantis
Morning Consult

Is the Debt Limit Constitutional? Biden Aides Are Debating It.
Jim Tankersley, The New York Times

As the government heads toward a possible default on its debt as soon as next month, officials are entertaining a legal theory that previous administrations ruled out.

Biden’s new strategy on judges
Hans Nichols and Alex Thompson, Axios

The White House is deploying a new strategy to guide its judicial nominees through a tricky Senate process that has gotten harder with the prolonged absence of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Axios has learned.

Zelensky says White House told him nothing about Discord intelligence leaks
Isabelle Khurshudyan, The Washington Post

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not had any conversations with the White House about a massive leak of top-secret U.S. intelligence documents, he said in a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post on Monday, calling the disclosures damaging to both Washington and Kyiv.

U.S. ambassador to China says the U.S. is ready for high-level talks with Chinese
Dan De Luce and Abigail Williams, NBC News

Comments by Ambassador Nicholas Burns were the clearest signal yet that the Biden administration wants to restore a broader dialogue with China amid tensions.

Biden to send Sean Patrick Maloney to Paris as OECD ambassador
Hans Nichols, Axios

President Biden is planning to nominate former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), who led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2022, as his ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, according to people familiar with the matter.

‘You Can’t Hide Things’: Feinstein, Old Age and the Senate
Joanne Kenen, Politico

Questions about Dianne Feinstein’s future underscore the limited options available for easing out aging senators.

GOP senators call on Supreme Court to ‘update’ ethics oversight
Josh Gerstein and Katherine Tully-McManus, Politico

While Republicans at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on the high court’s ethics mostly called it a partisan spectacle, some acknowledged justices needed to take action.

GOP’s best pals in debt talks: Manchin and Sinema
Burgess Everett, Politico

Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema saved the filibuster and cut down President Joe Biden’s agenda, delighting Republicans. Now they’re breaking with Democrats on the debt limit, and Republicans hope they keep it coming.

Former CEOs of failed banks to testify before Senate panel
Stephen Groves, The Associated Press

The former top executives of two failed banks will testify before Congress this month as lawmakers dig into what caused a series of collapses at mid-sized financial institutions.

Schumer unveils new China push
Andrew Desiderio  et al., Punchbowl News

At Tuesday’s Senate Democratic lunch, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer detailed his upcoming focus on a bipartisan China package, according to a source familiar with the caucus discussion.

Gaetz to press charges against woman arrested in drink-throwing incident
Justin Papp, Roll Call

Rep. Matt Gaetz said he is pressing charges against a Florida woman who allegedly threw a drink at him over the weekend while he attended an event in his home district.

Man accused of killing 5 neighbors in Texas is apprehended after manhunt
Jon Schuppe and Marlene Lenthang, NBC News

Officials had been searching for Francisco Oropesa, 38, since Friday night when he allegedly shot his neighbors in Cleveland, Texas, after one asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard.

How Scalia Law School Became a Key Friend of the Court
Steve Eder and Jo Becker, The New York Times

George Mason University’s law school cultivated ties to justices, with generous pay and unusual perks. In turn, it gained prestige, donations and influence.

Carlson’s Text That Alarmed Fox Leaders: ‘It’s Not How White Men Fight’
Jeremy W. Peters et al., The New York Times

A text message sent by Tucker Carlson that set off a panic at the highest levels of Fox on the eve of its billion-dollar defamation trial showed its most popular host sharing his private, inflammatory views about violence and race.

New documents show how Sandra Day O’Connor helped George W. Bush win the 2000 election
Joan Biskupic, CNN

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor provided the early framework that steered the outcome in the dispute over the 2000 presidential election and ensured George W. Bush would win the White House over Al Gore, Supreme Court documents released on Tuesday show.

Trump won’t take the stand in lawsuit accusing him of rape
Erica Orden, Politico

Donald Trump will not testify in the civil lawsuit accusing him of raping a woman in the mid-1990s, the former president’s lawyer said at trial in Manhattan federal court Tuesday.

Biden, Harris planning 1st 2024 fundraisers as soon as next week
Trevor Hunnicutt, Reuters

U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are gearing up for their first fundraising events as soon as next week to help kick off their 2024 reelection campaign, according to people briefed on the plans.

Alarms raised over exiled Biden adviser’s likely return
Lauren Egan and Eli Stokols, Politico

Former White House deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo’s anticipated return has sparked debate and controversy among former Biden administration and campaign staffers.

Why CNN Gave Trump a Prime-Time Town Hall—And Why Trump Accepted
Charlotte Klein, Vanity Fair

The network says it’s treating Trump like any other presidential candidate—but what does that look like for an indicted election truther?

‘The DeSantis people are rookies’: Even Trump critics say he’s running circles around DeSantis
Sally Goldenberg and Meridith McGraw, Politico

Donald Trump has always been an agent of chaos. But these days his campaign operation is a picture of order.

Tim Scott to name longtime aide Jennifer DeCasper to run likely presidential campaign
Fin Gomez and Caitlin Huey-Burns, CBS News

As South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott prepares for a likely 2024 presidential bid, CBS News has exclusively learned he would name longtime aide and former chief of staff Jennifer DeCasper to be his campaign manager. 

There Could Be a New Batch of Battleground States in 2024
Ed Kilgore, New York

Close presidential elections are a defining feature of our political era. And thanks to the Electoral College system, that means each contest is really waged in a handful of battleground states, which draw the bulk of campaign spending and candidate elbow grease. There is nothing preordained about battleground states’ location or number.

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando announces run for Cardin’s Senate seat
Troy Pope and Adam Longo, WUSA 9

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando is running for U.S. Senate. Jawando made the announcement to WUSA9 on Tuesday after Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) announced he would not seek reelection at the end of his third term.

Former Nevada assemblyman, election denier Jim Marchant running for US Senate
Naoka Foreman and Gabby Birenbaum, The Nevada Independent

Jim Marchant, a former Republican state assemblyman and one of the state’s most prominent election deniers, is planning to run for Nevada’s U.S. Senate seat in 2024.

N.C. Republicans unveil 12-week abortion ban after secret negotiations
Caroline Kitchener and Rachel Roubein, The Washington Post

GOP lawmakers are seeking to exploit a new veto-proof supermajority in a state that has become a critical access point for abortions.

Judge rejects Zooey Zephyr bid to return to Montana House
Amy Beth Hanson and Matthew Brown, The Associated Press

Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the transgender state lawmaker silenced after telling Republicans they would have blood on their hands for opposing gender-affirming health care for kids, was barred from returning to the Montana House floor in a Tuesday court ruling that came just hours before the Legislature planned to wrap up its biennial session.

Florida GOP passes sweeping anti-immigration bill that gives DeSantis $12 million for migrant transports
Gary Fineout, Politico

Florida Republicans on Tuesday handed Gov. Ron DeSantis another legislative victory after lawmakers signed off on a sweeping anti-immigration measure that will guarantee millions of dollars more for a controversial program the governor used to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.

Florida GOP legislators agree to shield DeSantis travel records
Gary Fineout, Politico

Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature agreed on Tuesday to shield the publicly-funded travel records of Gov. Ron DeSantis, giving his administration a way to block inquiries from the media and political opponents ahead of an expected run for president.

All four defendants in ComEd bribery trial found guilty
Jon Seidel and Tina Sfondeles, Chicago Sun Times

Michael Madigan confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime City Club President Jay Doherty were all accused in the trial of a bribery conspiracy aimed at illegally swaying the powerful Democrat to benefit ComEd.

Why Washington Let JPMorgan Buy First Republic
Ben Eisen and Andrew Ackerman, The Wall Street Journal

The biggest U.S. lender beat out bids from at least three smaller peers.

U.S. House questions Nike and Adidas about possible ties to forced labor in China
Louise Matsakis, Semafor

U.S. lawmakers are probing Adidas, Nike, and Chinese-owned platforms Shein and Temu for possible links to China’s western Xinjiang region, where Chinese Communist Party officials have been accused of abusing the rights of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.

TikTok’s head of US trust and safety is leaving
Alex Heath, The Verge

TikTok’s head of trust and safety for the US, Eric Han, is leaving the company on May 12th, according to two people familiar with the matter and an internal memo to employees I’ve seen.

Why Trump Won’t Let Go of His Dream of Domination
Thomas B. Edsall, The New York Times

Throughout his life — in his overlapping business, TV and political careers — Donald Trump has attempted to portray himself as what is conventionally known as an “alpha male.” But now he has run into a buzz saw of criminal investigations and civil suits that threaten to reveal both the ludicrousness of his self-image and his failure to meet the traditional standards of leadership.

Races for governor in several states have ties to Capitol Hill
Nathan L. Gonzales, Roll Call

Even though 14 races for governor will take place hundreds, or even thousands, of miles from Washington, D.C., many of the gubernatorial battles have a connection to Capitol Hill. A batch of current and former members are either finishing their tenure in office or hoping to get started with a political life away from the nation’s capital.

How DeSantis accidentally handed Disney a potent weapon against him
Greg Sargent, The Washington Post

When the Walt Disney Co. went looking for evidence to feature in its new lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, its lawyers found much of what they needed in DeSantis’s own recently published memoir.