Debt limit drama reaches pivotal votes

The House is on track to vote on the debt ceiling deal before the government runs out of money. The Republican primary is getting a little crowded. And are UFOs real? 👀 A NASA panel is looking into it.

👋 Hey! I'm Laura Davis. It's Wednesday. Here's all the news you need to know.

🤩 Good golly, Miss Dolly! Country music legend and absolute queen Dolly Parton just snagged not one, not two, but three brand-spankin' new Guinness World Records. See all of her titles here.

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House approves debt ceiling deal; Senate up next

The House on Wednesday approved an agreement by President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy to suspend the nation's debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default with a package that also includes spending cuts pushed by Republicans. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants a vote Friday. Congress needs to send an agreement to Biden's desk before Monday, June 5, or the government won’t be able to pay bills coming due, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned. The "Fiscal Responsibility Act" passed by a wide margin.

• To default or not to default: What debt ceiling deal means for your wallet.

• Bill that would repeal Biden’s plan for mass student debt relief faces vote in the U.S. Senate.

Pence, Christie to join crowded pool of GOP candidates

The next presidential election is almost a year and a half away, but the race for commander-in-chief is getting awfully crowded. And the two newest names will all but certainly focus their fire on Trump. On Wednesday, it was reported that former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence would throw their hats into the ring.

• Christie has spent months launching anti-Trump attacks and is now zeroing in on the early primary state of New Hampshire.

• Pence, who served as Trump's vice president, is prepared to announce next week in Iowa, home of caucuses that will select the first delegates in the Republican race.

• Who else is in? Trump faces at least seven known and decently funded candidates: Pence, Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Asa Hutchinson, and Vivek Ramaswamy.

What everyone's talking about

• Is 'Ted Lasso' over for good? It should be. (Spoilers!)

• Why did Biden accuser Tara Reade suddenly leave U.S. for Russia?

• Is the housing market headed toward a crash? What experts expect.

• 'I paid for it': SZA talks plastic surgery, pressures of fame.

• Well, this is awkward: How much is Twitter worth? A lot less than Elon Musk paid for it, Fidelity says.

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🛸 Are UFOs real?

Drones, weather (or spy) balloons, alien spaceships? All kinds of things are flying around out there, and NASA finally held its first public meeting on UFOs Wednesday. A year after launching a study into unexplained sightings, NASA televised the hearing featuring a panel of scientists, astronauts and other experts. Technically the group is studying unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, and trying to determine how data gathered from various sources can be analyzed to shed light on them. The panel's final report is expected this summer. Here's what they're talking about.

Those weren't tourists. They were spies.

Chinese citizens posing as tourists but suspected of being spies have made several attempts in recent years to gain access to military facilities, according to U.S. officials. Details about the incidents remain mostly classified, but officials say the military is taking a number of steps to make sure those bases are secure.

• In one incident, a vehicle with Chinese citizens blew past a security checkpoint at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska, several soldiers told USA TODAY. The vehicle was eventually stopped, and a search found a drone inside the vehicle. The occupants claimed they were tourists who had gotten lost. A closer look at what's been happening.

A break from the news

• 😤 Is your partner getting on your nerves? It's not that uncommon.

• ✨Manifestation✨ is trendy on TikTok. But does it actually work?

• 🤿 What you'll need before you hit the pool for a swim workout.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Debt ceiling votes, UFO NASA hearing, 2024 election: Wednesday's news