• President Joe Biden is set to meet again Friday with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy after debt-limit talks yesterday that the California Republican said produced “no movement” as Washington faces a deadline to act as soon as June 1. Following the meeting, Biden said he was considering the use of the 14th amendment to circumvent the standoff, while McCarthy called on leaders to negotiate the outline of a deal in the next two weeks to ensure the United States doesn’t default on its obligations. (Politico)
• Biden administration officials are said to have finalized a new asylum restriction that will allow it to ramp up deportations of migrants who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border when the COVID-19 related Title 42 policy expires on Thursday. (CBS News) On Capitol Hill, House Republican leaders agreed to changes to their immigration and border security bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security to consider E-Verify’s impact on the agricultural workforce to quell rank-and-file concerns ahead of a planned vote later this week. (Politico)
• Federal prosecutors are said to have filed criminal charges against Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican who has faced investigations for a range of lies and fabrications about his resume and his campaign’s finances. The charges were filed under seal, so it isn’t yet clear yet what they are about, but Santos is expected to appear in federal court in New York’s eastern district as soon as today. (CNN)
• A New York jury found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and defaming her. A number of Republicans expressed queasiness about the case involving the GOP’s clear 2024 presidential front-runner, with Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) saying it has a “cumulative effect” on top of the former president’s other legal problems. (The Washington Post)

Happening today (all in ET):

• 9 a.m. House Oversight Committee chair speaks on Hunter Biden probe.

• 10 a.m. Senate in session.

• 11:45 a.m. White House press secretary holds briefing. 

• 12 p.m. House in session.

• 1:30 p.m. Biden speaks in New York on the debt limit.

• 8 p.m. Trump participates in CNN’s New Hampshire town hall. 

California’s Older Voters Sour on Feinstein Amid Senate Absence
Morning Consult

Biden takes debt ceiling pitch on road amid standoff with Republicans
Arlette Saenz, CNN

President Joe Biden will take his case for raising the debt ceiling without conditions on the road to Valhalla, New York, Wednesday as he seeks to ramp up the public pressure campaign on lawmakers with the threat of default – and potential economic catastrophe – just over three weeks away.

US Trade Chief to Meet China Minister in Sign of Warmer Ties
Jenny Leonard and Peter Martin, Bloomberg

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai plans to meet China’s commerce minister in Detroit later this month, people familiar with the matter said, in what would be the most senior in-person encounter between the nations since the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides to leave post this summer
Barak Ravid, Axios

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides will leave his post this summer after nearly two years in Jerusalem, two U.S. officials told Axios.

Readiness at risk because of stalled promotions, defense secretary says
Mariana Alfaro, The Washington Post

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said a Republican senator’s delay of the quick approval of nearly 200 military promotions poses a “clear risk” to the nation’s military readiness and directly affects the lives of service members’ families.

Biden to be first sitting president to visit Papua New Guinea
Alex Gangitano, The Hill

President Biden will visit Papua New Guinea later this month, a trip that will make him the first sitting U.S. president to travel to the Pacific island country.

House Armed Services delays NDAA markups
Connor O’Brien and Lee Hudson, Politico

The House Armed Services Committee is pushing back plans to mark up annual defense policy legislation that was supposed to start this week, according to four people familiar with the process.

McCaul signals action on Blinken contempt resolution next week
John Bresnahan and Max Cohen, Punchbowl News

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is pledging to mark up a civil contempt resolution next week for Secretary of State Antony Blinken if Blinken doesn’t comply with the panel’s subpoena for documents about the chaotic 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Harlan Crow declines to provide Senate Finance Committee with list of gifts he has given to Justice Clarence Thomas
Rebecca Shabad and Liz Brown-Kaiser, NBC News

Republican donor Harlan Crow on Monday wrote in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee that he will not provide a list of gifts he gave Justice Clarence Thomas, who has faced recent calls to step down.

Clarence Thomas’s 2011 Ethics Complaints Are Under Senate Scrutiny
Zoe Tillman, Bloomberg

The federal judiciary’s handling of ethics complaints over Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s failure to disclose his wife’s income more than a decade ago is getting fresh scrutiny in the Senate.

Comer faces make-or-break moment on Biden probe
Jordain Carney, Politico

The Oversight chair has set a bar that he wants his investigation into the Biden family to be widely regarded as “credible.” So far, he hasn’t hit that mark.

Inside Tucker Carlson’s new media plan
Max Tani and Ben Smith, Semafor

Tucker Carlson’s move to Twitter is intended to preserve his influence and political relevance, a person familiar with his plans said — but doesn’t solve his, or the struggling platform’s, long term challenges.

Tucker Carlson accuses Fox of fraud, contract breach
Mike Allen and Sara Fischer, Axios

Tucker Carlson, two weeks after being ousted by Fox News, accused the network Tuesday of fraud and breach of contract — and made a host of document demands that could precede legal action.

Donor Infighting and Dwindling Subscribers: The American Conservative May Be on Its Last Legs
Caleb Ecarma, Vanity Fair

The magazine, whose executive director has no prior editorial experience, is apparently caught in an ideological tug-of-war between the Koch network and a Rockefeller heir. “I don’t see it hanging around for much longer,” one former staffer tells Vanity Fair.

A new Supreme Court case seeks to legalize assault weapons in all 50 states
Ian Millhiser, Vox

A case on the Court’s “shadow docket” could strike down state and local bans on AR-15s and similar weapons.

Biden Campaign, Barely in Gear, Inches Toward 2024
Reid J. Epstein and Shane Goldmacher, The New York Times

Some Democrats worry that the campaign’s early sluggishness shows a lack of urgency ahead of a possible rematch against Donald Trump. His aides say they know what they’re doing.

Trump world to donors: A dollar to DeSantis may as well be a donation to Biden
Meridith McGraw, Politico

A pro-Trump super PAC is trying a new tactic to woo donors, warning that any cent spent on any GOP candidate other than Donald Trump is a de facto in-kind donation to President Joe Biden.

DeSantis takes major step ahead of expected presidential bid
Gary Fineout and Sally Goldenberg, Politico

The governor’s move in Florida is the clearest sign yet that he’ll jump into the 2024 race soon.

Pro-DeSantis super PAC ramps up hiring into Super Tuesday
Thomas Beaumont, The Associated Press

The super PAC promoting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to have dozens of staff in place in the first 18 states on the Republican presidential primary calendar in the coming weeks, a move indicating that his expected 2024 announcement is drawing closer.

Steve Schwarzman Holds Off Giving Money to DeSantis After Meeting Him
Nancy Cook, Bloomberg

Steve Schwarzman will hold off donating money to Ron DeSantis for now, after a meeting with the expected presidential aspirant left him unconvinced of the Florida governor’s White House prospects. 

Rep. Bob Good endorses Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for President
Caitlyn Frolo, WSET

Representative Bob Good (R-VA, 5th District) has endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president. Gov. DeSantis has not yet declared he is running for president but some speculate he will announce in the next few weeks as Florida’s legislative session wraps up.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp hosts a private donor retreat as he plans 2024 involvement
Ryan Nobles, NBC News

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has already ruled out running for president in 2024, but he’s gearing up to be a crucial player in next year’s elections by raising millions of dollars for a pair of political action committees he will use to support Republican candidates at both the state and federal level. 

Kari Lake to meet with senators as she inches closer to Senate bid
Holly Otterbein, Politico

Arizona Republican Kari Lake, the outspoken Donald Trump supporter eyeing a run for the Senate, is planning to meet with at least a half-dozen U.S. senators and officials from the Senate GOP’s campaign arm this week in Washington, D.C.

Ohio secretary of state tells donors he’ll enter GOP Senate primary ‘soon’
Henry J. Gomez, NBC News

Frank LaRose, who has downplayed Trump’s influence over the GOP, is preparing to join a potentially crowded field seeking to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Former NC congressman Mark Walker plans announcement in 2024 governor’s race
Travis Fain, WRAL

Walker, a Republican who served three terms in Congress and ran an unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign last year, has teased a run for governor in recent months.

Angela Alsobrooks launches bid for Maryland Senate seat
Ekaterina Pechenkina, Politico

Alsobrooks is the third candidate to throw their hat in the ring to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.

Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez intends to run for Senate in 2024
Amy B Wang and Arelis R. Hernández, The Washington Post

Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D), a longtime lawmaker whose district includes Uvalde, Tex., intends to join the U.S. Senate race to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) in 2024, according to three people familiar with Gutierrez’s plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because a formal announcement has not yet been made.

Ron DeSantis Signs Bill Aimed At Weakening Public Sector Unions
Dave Jamieson, HuffPost

Florida unions have blasted the legislation as a naked power grab meant to hurt the governor’s political enemies.

DeSantis takes steps to again send migrants to Democratic-led cities
Priscilla Alvarez and Steve Contorno, CNN

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking steps to once again send migrants to Democratic-led cities as an affront to the Biden administration’s immigration policies, joining other Republican governors who have bussed people north.

In Shift, Texas House Advances Bill to Raise Age to Buy Assault Weapons
J. David Goodman, The New York Times

The mass shooting at a shopping center in Allen, Texas, has exerted an unexpectedly raw and emotional force on the State Legislature.

Texas House expels Bryan Slaton, first member ousted since 1927
Robert Downen, The Texas Tribune

The unanimous vote followed an investigation that determined the Royse City Republican had engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with an aide.

Business groups weigh in on debt limit impasse ahead of meeting
Aidan Quigley and Laura Weiss, Roll Call

GOP-leaning groups diverge on conditions, but generally agree on one thing: get it done.

TikTok Delays Full Opening of U.S. Shop
Raffaele Huang, The Wall Street Journal

TikTok’s Chinese parent has delayed the rollout of its shopping platform in the U.S. as concerns over the video-sharing app’s future deter merchants from joining, dragging on the company’s plans to earn more money from its prize global asset.

When Their Idea of Liberty Is Your Idea of Death
Thomas B. Edsall, The New York Times

At the heart of the American ethos is the contested idea of freedom. In the video announcing his 2024 re-election bid — pointedly called “Freedom” — President Biden staked out his vision.

The Debt Ceiling Wasn’t Always So Politicized
Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic

A guide to the current crisis and how we got here.

An Outlier Poll on Trump vs. Biden That Still Informs
Nate Cohn, The New York Times

A seven-point Trump lead in an ABC/Post survey is an aberration but points to some Biden weaknesses.