FiveThirtyEight’s top stories this week

A [FiveThirtyEight]( email [Popular This Week] Sunday, April 30, 2023 [1. The Real Reason Presidential Candidates Form Exploratory Committees]( [Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)]( Earlier this month, Sen. Tim Scott put out a slick campaign-style video and announced that he was forming an “exploratory committee” for president. But does that mean he’s actually running? [Read more]( [2. Asa Hutchinson Promises To Be A Drama-Free President. Is That What GOP Voters Want?]( [2024-TOC-ASAHUTCHINSON-4×3]( Asa Hutchinson has a vision for the future of the presidency … and he’s in it. The former governor of Arkansas kicked off his campaign for the Republican nomination for 2024 at a rally in Bentonville, Arkansas, yesterday, after months of public statements about the need for a kinder, gentler sort of commander in chief. “The Presidency is not and should not be an office of vengeance or retribution,” he said on Twitter on March 8. “Instead, it should be an office of consistent and unwavering leadership.” [Read more]( [3. Andrew McCutchen Is Hitting It Big Again With The Pirates]( [Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen high fives his teammates before a game]( A year after Albert Pujols found the fountain of youth and spent his final season setting major league pitching on fire, the old-guy star of the 2023 season hasn’t been a positional contemporary like Joey Votto or Miguel Cabrera. Instead, April’s ultimate veteran revival has belonged to Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Much like Pujols, McCutchen returned to the club that drafted him after experiencing some ups and downs elsewhere. Now that he’s back in Pittsburgh, both McCutchen and his team are turning back the clock and playing their best baseball in years. [Read more]( [4. Biden Is Running For Reelection. What Are His Chances For 2024?]( [2024-TOC-BIDEN-4×3]( After months of prognosticating and tons of built-up anticipation, the day is finally upon us: President Biden has announced that he’s seeking a second term in 2024. [Read more]( [5. Can Fernando Tatis Jr. Still Mash After A Year Away From MLB?]( [Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres warms up]( Bob Melvin played 10 years in the big leagues, and has managed for another 20. Yet the San Diego Padres’ skipper freely admitted that he has no idea exactly what to expect from Fernando Tatis Jr., now that the 24-year-old superstar has returned to the field after missing the entire 2022 season. [Read more]( [6. Why Is Anthony Richardson Suddenly The NFL Draft’s Hottest Prospect?]( [Quarterback Anthony Richardson of Florida participates in a drill during the NFL Combine]( Each spring, NFL prospects rocket up mock draft boards for both obvious and inscrutable reasons. Sometimes it’s due to a player’s performance at the NFL combine or pro day where they flash unexpected athleticism (think receiver Denzel Mims’s 4.38 second 40-yard dash at the combine in 2020 or linebacker Jamin Davis and his 4.37 pro-day 40 time in 2021). In other cases, rumors of a particular team’s enthusiasm drives the ascent (think Mac Jones and the talk of San Francisco’s interest in 2021). [Read more]( [7. Trump Is Racking Up Endorsements In Florida. Should DeSantis Be Worried?]( [Florida Governor Ron DeSantis]( The first one came all the way back in November. The second was on March 20. Then there were a couple more in the first two weeks of April. [Read more]( [8. Why Dianne Feinstein Might Actually Have To Resign]( [Sen. Dianne Feinstein]( Senate Democrats are in a bind. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California is on an extended medical absence due to a case of shingles, depriving Democrats of their majority on the Judiciary Committee. There is no way of knowing when, or even if, the octogenarian will return, and recent efforts to replace her plum committee seat have failed. Of course, Feinstein could resign of her own accord, and she’d swiftly be replaced by a senator able to perform his or her duties, but she’s so far refused to bow to such pressure. That effectively robs Democrats of their ability to easily advance federal judges for confirmation — which is one of the few things the party can do without control of the House. [Read more]( [9. Earth Day Is The Victim Of Its Own Success]( [GettyImages-1201610071-4×3]( Hey everybody, it’s Earth Day again. Time to kick off your shoes, stretch your toes in the warm grass and inhale the stench of a million PR firms trying desperately to capitalize off your positive impressions of the natural world. [Read more]( [10. The Bucks Would Be In Big Trouble Without Brook Lopez]( [Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks' Brook Lopez]( When two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo tumbled to the court in the first quarter of the Milwaukee Bucks’ series-opening loss against the Miami Heat, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference knew it would need to rally around the rest of its core. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly Listen [Play]( [Politics Podcast: Are America’s Favorite Governors Really All Republicans?]( [FiveThirtyEight] [View in browser]( [ABC News]( [Unsubscribe]( Our mailing address: FiveThirtyEight, 47 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023.