{beacon} Evening Report Monday, May 22 © Jabin Botsford/Washington Post/Getty Images Biden, McCarthy hold critical meeting on debt ceiling President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) are meeting Monday evening to try to make progress on negotiations to raise the debt ceiling. The high-stakes meeting comes after a weekend of ups and...

The Supreme Court declined Monday to take up a challenge to California's ban on foie gras that was brought by duck and goose farmers who argued that the dish is the "most maligned and misunderstood food in the world." Foie gras is a specialty food product made from the liver of a duck or goose....

The Texas legislature has passed a law banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs at state universities. The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott (R). The measure — the second of its kind passed by any state, after Florida — is one that critics say could hamstring flagship state institutions like the University of Texas and Texas...

The student behind the Twitter account targeting Tesla CEO Elon Musk's private jet is now tracking the travels of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). Jack Sweeney, who ran the @elonjet account, is now tracking DeSantis' private jet through the account @desantisjet, which monitors the Florida governor's jet using publicly available flight data. However, Sweeney is...

TikTok sued Montana's attorney general on Monday over a new law that would ban the app statewide as of next year, contending it is unconstitutional. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) last week signed the first-in-the-nation law, which will bar TikTok from operating in the state and prohibit app stores from making it available to download...

Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature have introduced a bill that would make possession of child sex dolls a felony punishable by up to 25 years in jail for repeat offenders.

North Wildwood, New Jersey, has begun emergency repair work on its badly eroded dunes amid a legal battle with state environmental officials.

More than 100 former Trump administration officials have formed a coalition called "The Eight-Year Alliance" to back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the GOP's 2024 presidential nominee.

Rep. Chris Smith will hold a hearing on a "pandemic treaty" push by the Biden White House that "could cede American sovereignty" to the World Health Organization.

An MSU professor was served with a lawsuit for allegedly forcing her students to pay $99 each to her personal political advocacy organization, "The Rebellion Community."