• Alvin Bragg, Manhattan district attorney, criticized a request for documents and testimony related to his Trump probe by the Republican leaders of the House’s Judiciary, Oversight and Administration committees and declined to say whether he would comply as his office continues its investigation. (The Washington Post) DeSantis criticized Bragg as a “Soros-funded prosecutor” ahead of the potential indictment, but also declined to go as far in defending Trump as some of the former president’s allies have wanted, instead saying, “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair.” (The New York Times)
• President Joe Biden issued his first veto, blocking the repeal of a Labor Department rule that authorizes retirement plan managers to incorporate environmental and social factors into investment decisions. (Politico) Meanwhile, Biden signed a resolution to block the District of Columbia’s criminal reform revisions that he and others say is weak on crime. (CNN)
• Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in prepared remarks for the American Bankers Association that the federal government is willing to backstop more banks if the banking crisis sparked by the Silicon Valley Bank collapse spreads. (CNBC)  Her remarks came amid news that officials are looking at ways to temporarily expand Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. coverage to all deposits, even those above the current $250,000 coverage cap. (Bloomberg)
• With the Senate poised this week to advance a repeal of the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force against Iraq, some House Republicans who have been cold to AUMF repeals, such as Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers of Alabama, are dropping their opposition to this effort. It remains unclear whether House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will bring the issue up for a vote. (Punchbowl News)

Happening today (all in ET):

• 1:45 p.m. Biden participates in White House Conservation in Action Summit.

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

• 3 p.m. Senate in session to consider AUMF repeals.

• 8:40 p.m. Rep. Pelosi participates in The Wall Street Journal’s Women in the Workplace Forum.  

DeSantis’ Position on Ukraine Divides the GOP Base and Has Few Backers Among the Broader Electorate

Morning Consult

Biden tells Bibi he’s never seen such anxiety over Israel’s political situation
Barak Ravid, Axios

President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their call on Sunday that he was concerned about the Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plan because in all the years he has followed Israel, he has never seen such a high level of domestic anxiety over the political situation in the country, two U.S. sources briefed on the call told Axios.

Blinken Says Xi’s Visit to Moscow Offers ‘Diplomatic Cover’ for Putin’s War Crimes
Michael Crowley, The New York Times

The U.S. secretary of state said the Chinese leader’s visit indicated that Beijing felt “no responsibility” to hold Russia accountable for atrocities in Ukraine.

Biden signs bill on Covid origins declassification
The Associated Press

President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill Monday that directs the federal government to declassify as much intelligence as possible about the origins of COVID-19 more than three years after the start of the pandemic.

Why Congress is still waiting for answers about spy balloons
Erin Banco, Politico

Officials inside the Pentagon and intelligence community still haven’t answered questions about what they know about foreign objects floating in U.S. airspace.

Biden to designate Castner Range in Texas and Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada as national monuments
Michael Collins, USA Today

President Joe Biden is designating new national monuments in Texas and Nevada. Biden will announce Tuesday that he will sign proclamations establishing the Castner Range National Monument in El Paso, Texas, and the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in southern Nevada.

Joe Biden to honor Bruce Springsteen, Mindy Kaling, more with 2021 National Medals of Arts
Charles Trepany, USA Today

President Joe Biden is gearing up to present the 2021 National Humanities Medals and National Medals of Arts. A ceremony for the occasion will be held Tuesday in an East Room ceremony at the White House with all of the honorees, minus Puerto Rican musician José Feliciano, as well as first lady Jill Biden set to attend.

Capitol Police see no current threat to US Capitol, but DC prepares after Trump calls for potential indictment protests
Priscilla Alvarez et al., CNN

The US Capitol Police force “is not currently tracking any direct or credible threats to the US Capitol” ahead of a possible indictment of former President Donald Trump, according to a department intelligence assessment obtained by CNN.

Lawmakers float ways to recapture deposit insurance discipline
Caitlin Reilly, Roll Call

Financial regulators’ actions in taking over banks on opposite sides of the country unleashed widespread discussion, including on Capitol Hill, about the core part of the rescue: guaranteeing all the deposits, including those above the $250,000 cap set by federal insurance.

Balanced budget takes back seat to paring spending to ’22 levels at GOP retreat
Lindsey McPherson, Roll Call

House Republicans gathered for their annual issues conference are lowering expectations that they can adopt a balanced-budget blueprint this year, while hyping up their commitment to cap next year’s spending at fiscal 2022 levels.

Comer, Republicans’ Investigative Chief, Embraces Role of Biden Antagonist
Jonathan Swan and Luke Broadwater, The New York Times

The fourth-term Kentuckian and chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee has become an aggressive promoter of sinister-sounding claims about the president and his family.

How Rick Scott Became the Senator Washington Loves to Hate
Sam Brodey, The Daily Beast

To understand Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), you have to understand a self-help book from the 1930s—and how he’s now applying the opposite of its lessons.

Trump probe: law enforcement don’t expect arraignment until next week, virtual option not considered
Marta Dhanis and Bradford Betz, Fox News

The grand jury has been probing former President Trump’s involvement in a hush-money payment made in 2016 to the porn actress Stormy Daniels.

Former legal adviser to Michael Cohen tries to discredit him in grand jury testimony
Kelly Garrity and Erica Orden, Politico

Attorney Robert Costello, a longtime ally of Donald Trump, slammed the former president’s onetime fixer Michael Cohen on Monday, describing him as “totally unreliable” and calling him “far from solid evidence” in the New York criminal case against Trump.

The Far-Right Is Scared Trump’s Call to Protest Is a Trap
Tess Owen, Vice

Donald Trump says he’s about to be arrested and is calling for protests. But many of his most hardline supporters are scared of a repeat of the January 6 arrests.

Trump loses last bid to keep key evidence out of rape trial
Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press

Former President Donald Trump’s effort to keep key evidence out of his civil rape trial next month was rejected by a federal judge Monday.

Supreme Court urged by DOJ and other parties to sidestep independent state legislature dispute
Ariane de Vogue, CNN

As the Supreme Court deliberates behind closed doors over a case that many believe could be one of the most consequential voting rights disputes ever to reach the high court, the Justice Department and some other parties involved are suggesting the case be dismissed due to major developments since oral arguments.

Zelensky Has an Answer for DeSantis
Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic

In an interview, the Ukrainian president makes a pragmatic case for continued American support.

World Has Less Than a Decade to Stop Catastrophic Warming, U.N. Panel Says
Brad Plumer, The New York Times

A new report says it is still possible to hold global warming to relatively safe levels, but doing so will require global cooperation, billions of dollars and big changes.

Bush Doesn’t Second-Guess Himself on Iraq. Even if Everyone Else Does.
Peter Baker, The New York Times

George W. Bush has told advisers that the world is better off without Saddam Hussein — and he has not changed his mind about that.

Trump holding his next rally in Waco, Texas, sends a message to the far right, experts say
Will Carless, USA Today

Former President Donald Trump — launching his bid to return to the White House even as he rallies supporters to protest against an arrest he claims is impending —  chose an auspicious location for one of his earliest rallies for the 2024 election: the city of Waco, Texas. 

Kamala Harris Prepares to Hit the Road for Biden Despite Cracks in Her Support
Tarini Parti, The Wall Street Journal

Vice President Kamala Harris is preparing to campaign extensively when President Biden launches his much-anticipated re-election bid, despite concerns in the Democratic Party that her performance in office, criticized by some as uneven, has made her a liability.

Wisconsin Supreme Court race heats up as gun safety group launches $500,000 ad
Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner

The largest United States gun safety organization is the latest group to give its input in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race ahead of the general election, releasing a $500,000 ad targeting the conservative candidate in the contentious race.

Scott Walker won’t challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in 2024: ‘I would be bored as a senator’
Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Former two-term Republican Gov. Scott Walker is closing the door to a potential 2024 U.S. Senate run but has left another one open for a future presidential campaign, though not in this cycle.

Trump’s lawyers move to quash Ga. special grand jury report
Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Lawyers for Donald Trump launched a broad attack on a Fulton County criminal probe into election interference in Georgia, arguing in a court filing on Monday that the conduct of the prosecutor, the judge and a special purpose grand jury tainted the investigation.

Iowa’s sharp right turn: From centrist state to ‘Florida of the North’
Annie Gowen, The Washington Post

Republicans in the Iowa legislature, empowered by the state’s recent “red wave,” have embarked on an ambitious new agenda that includes a costly school choice bill and legislation targeting the LGBTQ community, a historic divergence from Iowa’s history as a civil rights bastion.

Judge blocks California law requiring safety features for handguns
Brendan Pierson, Reuters

A federal judge on Monday blocked California from enforcing a state law requiring new semiautomatic handguns to have certain safety features, finding it violates the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

New law puts Wyoming at forefront of abortion pill bans
Mead Gruver, The Associated Press

Wyoming has pushed to the front of state efforts to prohibit the most common type of abortion by instituting the nation’s first explicit ban on pills that terminate pregnancies.

Student athlete urges Supreme Court to keep West Virginia’s anti-trans sports ban on hold
Devan Cole, CNN

A transgender student athlete challenging West Virginia’s anti-trans sports ban is urging the Supreme Court to not step into the dispute after the state asked the high court to let it enforce the controversial law.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Leading Efforts to Craft New First Republic Bank Rescue Plan
Ben Eisen, The Wall Street Journal

The discussions, while preliminary, have focused on how the industry could arrange for an investment that would boost the bank’s capital, according to people familiar with the matter. Among the options on the table, the people said, is an investment in First Republic by the banks themselves.

Signature Bank Threw a Fundraiser for the Congressman Now Probing How It Failed
Max Abelson et al., Bloomberg

Ten days before Signature Bank collapsed, the House Republican overseeing an inquiry into the bank’s failure was inside its boardroom on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

GOP to energy companies: We’re here to help. Industry: Meh.
Zach Colman, Politico

Legislation aimed at speeding approval of projects such as pipelines and power lines amounts to “half-measures,” people experienced in federal energy permitting say.

Is Ron DeSantis the Republican Michael Dukakis?
Bill Scher, Washington Monthly

The Florida governor puffs up his record, falsely claiming a vast migration away from woke states.

Stop Overthinking It: An Indictment Would Be Bad For Trump
Alexander Burns, Politico

Yes, the Trump diehards can be expected to rise up against Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. But that still wouldn’t earn him a single additional vote.

A Rough Guide of the Electoral Fallout if Trump Is Indicted
Nate Cohn, The New York Times

It would be uncharted territory, but the F.B.I. raid of Mar-a-Lago offers at least some precedent.