These teens are transgender. So what?
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Identity stretches beyond one label, and these transgender teens are here to prove it. And what's brewing in the Gulf of Mexico as hurricane season officially begins?
👋 Hey! It's Laura Davis. Y'all doing OK? Drinking enough water? Grab a snack and settle in – it's time for Thursday's news.
But first: Say hello to Pi, Pat and Flora! 🦅 Three 10-week-old eagles who have been livestreamed their entire lives from their nest finally have names.
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Meet 3 thriving transgender teens who are 'more than just the label'
Chazzie greets each day with an affirmation and some yoga. Max can play just about any string instrument. Gia is a bright rising college sophomore with her eyes on the horizon. These teens are embracing passions, mapping futures – and they just happen to be transgender. No big deal. Their identities are "really the least interesting thing about us," Chazzie says. In a year that has seen an unprecedented torrent of bills targeting the LGBTQ community, particularly those who are transgender, advocates say people such as Chazzie, Max and Gia are thriving despite the backlash. And support for the community is skyrocketing. 📣 How they’re telling their stories to make a change.
Why so many LGBTQ community members struggle with body dysmorphia.
Pentagon cancels Pride Month drag show at Air Force base.
Debt ceiling deal out of the frying pan, into the fire
The debt ceiling deal has cleared the Republican-controlled House, but as it heads to the Senate, now the pressure's really on. The agreement struck by President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy to suspend the debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default ahead of the June 5 deadline now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants a vote Friday. There's no time for funny business, Schumer warned during a floor speech, making it clear that whatever reservations senators might have, there's no time for changes. 👉 Here’s what to know.
Student loan debt: The Senate approved a bill Thursday that would repeal Biden's plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers. Biden has promised to veto it.
See the 117 lawmakers who voted against the House bill to raise the debt ceiling.
What everyone's talking about
Black men were offered a second chance at college – then the pitfalls piled up.
Are Taylor Swift and Matty Healy dating? Digging into the rumors and why he’s controversial.
Al Pacino and the male privilege of having kids whenever you want.
Why don’t live-action Disney remakes ever live up to the animated movies?
🦝 Everyone runs on Dunkin – everyone. Raccoon seen on video grabbing a donut from the drive-thru.
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Hurricane season begins on East Coast. Why doesn't West worry?
The Atlantic hurricane season is here. And millions of people from Texas to New England might be feeling a familiar sense of dread. Meanwhile, though plagued with risks of wildfires and earthquakes, coastal cities up and down the West Coast barely batted an eye when the Eastern Pacific hurricane season started on May 15. Why aren’t hurricanes as much of a threat on the West Coast? And in a world where climate change is disrupting nearly every weather pattern, could that someday change? 🔍 Here’s a closer look.
🌀 As if on cue, a tropical system is bubbling up in the Gulf of Mexico. The system has a 70% chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm within the next two days, the National Hurricane Center said. Here’s the forecast.
Who will Bee the best speller?
Chartooterie board. 🛎 Restraunt. 🛎 Definitly. 🛎Ding! Ding! Ding! It’s time for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which will hold its finals Thursday night at 8 p.m. EDT in National Harbor, Maryland. To get ready for this year's Bee, we asked our audience for some words they always need autocorrect on – and they seriously delivered.
🤔 Now, I can't help but wonder: Are these smartypants spellers s-m-a-r-t-e-r than us? It's a fascinating question.
A break from the news
💌 Religion, your faith and how it impacts your sex life.
🏳️🌈 36 brands that are giving back for Pride Month 2023.
🚢 Oh no! Your cruise was canceled. Now what?
🤷♀️ Paid subscriptions out of control? How to decide what to keep paying for.
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: Pride Month, hurricane season, National Spelling Bee: Thursday's news