From White House truck crash to a new presidential candidate: Top 5 US stories today

Authorities in Washington, DC, on Monday night detained the driver of a box truck that crashed into security barriers on Lafayette Square adjacent to the White House grounds, a US Secret Service spokesperson said. The truck was deemed safe by District of Columbia police, the Secret Service said, adding that charges would be filed by US Park Police with investigative support from the Secret Service. (Reuters)

The truck has been deemed safe by @DCPoliceDept & preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck the security barriers at Lafayette Square. Charges will be filed by the United States Park Police with investigative support from the #SecretService.

— Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) May 23, 2023

US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy both said they had a productive debt ceiling discussion late Monday at the White House, but there was no agreement as negotiators strained to raise the nation's borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default.

It's a crucial moment for the Democratic president and the Republican speaker, just 10 days before a looming deadline to raise the debt limit. As soon as June 1, Treasury Secretary Janel Yellen said in a letter to Congress, “it is highly likely” the government will be unable to pay all the nation's bills. Such an unprecedented default would be financially damaging for many Americans and others around the world relying on US stability, sending shockwaves through the global economy. (AP)

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott launched his presidential campaign yesterday, offering an optimistic and compassionate message he's hoping can serve as a contrast with the political combativeness that has dominated the early GOP primary field. The Senate's only Black Republican, Scott kicked off the campaign in his hometown of North Charleston, on the campus of Charleston Southern University, his alma mater and a private school affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

He repeatedly mentioned his Christian faith in his kickoff speech, crying, “Amen! Amen! Amen!” and at several points elicited responses from the crowd, who sometimes chanted his name. But Scott also offered a stark political choice, saying “our party and our nation are standing at a time for choosing: Victimhood or victory.”

“I choose freedom and hope and opportunity,” Scott said. He went on to tell the crowd that ”we need a president who persuades not just our friends and our base" but seeks “commonsense” solutions and displays “compassion for people who don't agree with us.”  (AP)

E Jean Carroll, the advice columnist who won a $5 million sexual abuse and defamation award against former US President Donald Trump, is seeking at least $10 million more in a court filing Monday that seeks to hold him liable for remarks he made after the verdict.

A New Jersey-based IT recruitment company has been slapped with a fine of USD 25,500 for allegedly posting discriminatory job advertisements and seeking job applications only from India.