Good morning, Early Birds, and a special good morning to the U.S. women’s national soccer team for landing a “game-changing” deal to close the pay gap with the men’s soccer team. Tips? [email protected]. Thanks for waking up with us.

In today’s edition … President Biden is heading out on a trip to Asia where he will try to reassure allies he is still committed to leading a coalition to counter China … Poll Watch: The Senate is poised to clear $40 billion in aid for Ukraine on Thursday. What do polls tell us about where American stand on all that funding? … The Senate next week plans to take up a domestic terrorism bill that the House passed Wednesday night… but first …

First in The Early: More than 1,300 children’s book authors, including Judy Blume and Dav Pilkey, have signed a letter condemning the rash of book bannings across the country. “When books are removed or flagged as inappropriate, it sends the message that the people in them are somehow inappropriate,” author Christina Soontornvat wrote in a letter addressed to Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee’s Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee, respectively.

Donald Trump's continued effort to discredit or manipulate the electoral process is playing out in two distinct but related ways in the wake of Tuesday's primary contests in Pennsylvania.

First, he is casting doubt on the result of the Senate GOP primary by once again...

Read Full Story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/19/trump-uses-pa-primary-cont...