Daily Briefing: Crisis averted

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY

Updated June 2, 2023 at 5:09 a.m.·5 min read

An eleventh-hour deal to avoid default on the national debt is headed to President Joe Biden's desk for signature. Also in the news: The 2023 hurricane season has officially started and a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico is right on time. The Denver Nuggets bested the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Start your Friday off sweet. It's National Donut Day!

Now, here we go with Friday's news.

Senate passes bill to stop debt default

The White House announced President Joe Biden will address the nation Friday evening after the Senate approved a bipartisan agreement to avoid a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt.

The Senate acted with uncharacteristic swiftness last night, racing to complete the legislation before Monday, the earliest the federal government could be unable to pay all its bills.

"America can breathe a sigh of relief," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The 63-36 vote came a day after the House passed "The Fiscal Responsibility Act" by a wide margin.
Some senators demanded votes on amendments in exchange for not dragging out debate, but none were approved. Other Senate Republicans complained the deal doesn't include enough defense funding since the increase is below the rate of inflation.
Coming out of the debt deal, McCarthy is beginning to strut as House Republicans are poised to push for extending the Trump-era tax cuts and other objectives.

No spell-off required: Dev Shah wins 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Dev Shah, an eighth-grader from Largo, Florida, spelled "psammophile" correctly to win the 95th national Bee and the $50,000 prize on Thursday. Charlotte Walsh, the hometown kid from just across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, could not nail "daviely" in the preceding round. According to Merriam-Webster, a psammophile is "an organism that prefers or thrives in sandy soils or areas." Other words that Shah correctly spelled during the competition include: bathypitotmeter, tolsester, rommack, aegagrus, schistorrhachis, poliorcetics, Perioeci, exhortation, cocomat and ardoise. Read more

Dev Shah, 14, from Largo, Florida, celebrates after winning the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

More news to know now

Here are takeaways from Donald Trump's Iowa town hall.
A semi-truck driver in an Oregon I-5 crash that killed seven farmworkers was indicted on 12 charges.
The Senate voted to repeal Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. The White House is planning a veto.
Arizona will halt new home approvals in parts of metro Phoenix as water supplies tighten.
Artificial intelligence could ''overtake human thinking,'' Biden warned.
NASA's UFO hearing, Miami Heat, 'Succession' finale and a cheese rolling race in England. What happened in this week's news?
On today's 5 Things podcast, we explain how an HBCU online program fell short. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Hurricane season begins with a tropical depression in the Gulf

As if on cue, a tropical depression formed in the Gulf of Mexico on the first day of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. Even though the depression could see "modest strengthening" overnight and become a tropical storm by Friday morning, the center's hurricane specialists expect it to weaken on Friday as it encounters greater wind shear and dry air. The development comes as forecasters have predicted 12 to 17 named storms will form this season with five to nine developing into hurricanes. Read more

Everything to know about hurricane season 2023. Forecasts, definitions, and preparation.
What will the hurricanes of the 2023 Atlantic season be named? Here's the list.

Sweden draws closer to NATO membership

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday the alliance wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time leaders in the group meet in Lithuania next month. Turkey’s government has balked as this prospect, however, accusing Sweden of being too lenient on terrorist organizations such as Kurdish groups linked to a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. The words come as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lobbied for financial and military assistance, his nation's peace plan and NATO membership at the European Political Community summit Thursday in neighboring country Moldova. Read more

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2nd L) attended an informal meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers in Oslo, Norway on June 1, 2023.

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These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here.

Nuggets score Game 1 victory over Heat in NBA Finals

Denver’s explosive offense, loaded with size, versatility, options, quickness and talented scorers, proved too much for the Heat. The Nuggets toppled Miami 104-93 Thursday for a 1-0 series lead. It was a great start for the Nuggets, who received an efficient scoring effort from two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and his presence as a facilitator opened up opportunities for his teammates. Game 2 is Sunday in Denver. Read more

Analysis: Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are potent one-two punch. Miami must stop one of them to win.
Once a risky pick, Porter turns in big rewards for Nuggets team making debut in NBA Finals with win.

Game 1: Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo shoots the ball against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) during the third quarter.

Quick hits

"Wizards" Alex Russo was almost a bisexual icon. Now, youth are finding queer heroes on TV.
A man broke up with his dominatrix in the year's most sadistic (and sweet) romantic comedy.
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and the male privilege of having kids whenever you want.
Why so many LGBTQ community members struggle with body dysmorphia.
New movies this week: Watch ''Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,'' stream ''Shooting Stars.''

Photo of the day: Jordan's royal wedding

Jordan’s crown prince has married the scion of a prominent Saudi family in a palace celebration attended by royals and other VIPs from around the world. The marriage of Crown Prince Hussein and Saudi architect Rajwa Alseif has drawn a star-studded list but also holds deep significance for the region. It emphasizes continuity in an Arab state prized for its stability and could help Jordan forge a strategic bond with its oil-rich neighbor, Saudi Arabia. Click here to for more highlights from the ceremony.

Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Alseif sit during the wedding ceremony in Amman, Jordan, Thursday, June 1, 2023.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Debt ceiling deal, spelling bee, Ukraine, NATO, Nuggets, Heat, Jordan wedding: Daily Briefing

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