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Three days before her gender-affirming surgery, Chedino Martin poses for the camera in the home she shares with her fiancé, Keagan, and his deaf parents, Maria and Keith, in the Hanover Park neighborhood of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2017. Julia Gunther hide caption

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Julia Gunther

Miss Trans Africa's long wait for freedom

Chedino Martin was 23 years old when she realized she was a transgender woman. She was determined to follow her dream, but had no idea how much luck, patience and strength she would need to get there.

The Federal Trade Commission has accused Amazon of harboring children's data even when parents request it to be deleted, as well giving its Ring employees access to users' videos. Michael Sohn/AP hide caption

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Michael Sohn/AP

Amazon must pay over $30 million over claims it invaded privacy with Ring and Alexa

The Federal Trade Commission has accused the online retailer of harboring children's data even when parents request it to be deleted, as well giving its Ring employees access to users' videos.

Christina Lusk, a transgender woman and inmate at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Moose Lake, poses for a portrait on Sept. 7, 2022. Lusk and the Minnesota Department of Corrections have settled her lawsuit, and she is set to move to a women's prison. Caroline Yang for NPR hide caption

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Caroline Yang for NPR

A trans inmate wins health care and will move to women's prison after suing Minnesota

Christina Lusk sued over harassment, assault and discrimination she says she experienced while incarcerated. In its settlement of the case, Minnesota will grant her access to gender-affirming care.

Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Bharat Ramamurti, pictured at a White House briefing last August, spoke to Morning Edition after the House passed its debt ceiling bill. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

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Alex Wong/Getty Images

'This is a compromise': How the White House is defending the debt ceiling bill

The House's debt ceiling bill has critics on both sides. Bharat Ramamurti, the deputy director of the National Economic Council, says the administration was able to secure some of its key priorities.

'This is a compromise': How the White House is defending the debt ceiling bill

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Republican Reps. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina (left) and Garret Graves of Louisiana, pictured at the Capitol on Wednesday, were lead negotiators on behalf of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Don't believe the hype: Low-key lawmakers helped avert a debt ceiling crisis

The House voted overwhelmingly to approve a bipartisan deal to lift the debt ceiling and cap spending. That's in part due to the work of lawmakers who usually fly under the radar.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline would stretch 303 miles, from West Virginia to North Carolina. This 2018 file photo shows a section of downed trees on a ridge near homes along the pipeline's route in Lindside, W.Va. Steve Helber/AP hide caption

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Steve Helber/AP

The debt ceiling deal bulldozes a controversial pipeline's path through the courts

The Mountain Valley Pipeline got an extraordinary boost in the debt ceiling deal. Court challenges have stalled the controversial natural gas pipeline stretching from West Virginia to North Carolina.

In a town where private space is at a premium, this 1953 photo from Michael "Tony" Vaccaro taken for LOOK magazine shows off a stylish way to get a city view. Michael "Tony" Vaccaro /Museum of the City of New York hide caption

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Michael "Tony" Vaccaro /Museum of the City of New York

Our 5 favorite exhibits from 'This Is New York' — a gritty, stylish city celebration

The Museum of the City of New York is marking its centennial with an exhibition of NYC-inspired film, TV, music and fashion. But this is real New York, "not a love letter," says one of the curators.

Our 5 favorite exhibits from 'This Is New York' — a gritty, stylish city celebration

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A resident bails water from a flooded home in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Catano, Puerto Rico in 2017. Climate change is making hurricanes more dangerous. Carlos Giusti/AP hide caption

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Carlos Giusti/AP

How to prepare for the 2023 hurricane season with climate change in mind

Climate change is causing hurricanes to get more powerful and dangerous. Scientists weigh in on what that means for forecasts, emergency officials and you.

How to prepare for the 2023 hurricane season with climate change in mind

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John Coltrane (left) and Eric Dolphy on stage at the Village Gate in New York City in the summer of 1961. A recording of the performance, once thought lost, was recently discovered in the New York Public Library. Herb Snitzer/Courtesy of Impulse! Records hide caption

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Herb Snitzer/Courtesy of Impulse! Records

Lost John Coltrane recording, from experimental phase with Eric Dolphy, emerges

The recording made at NYC's Village Gate during the summer of 1961, when the John Coltrane quartet was joined by Eric Dolphy, was thought lost until it was discovered in the New York Public Library.

John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy's fearless experiment sets a new album ablaze

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Former President Eisenhower, addresses the nation on the American intervention in Formosa (now Taiwan) in an undated archival picture. Eisenhower was involved in the country's first debt ceiling fight when he asked Congress to raise the limit by $15 billion. The Senate refused, ushering the first tussle over the country's debt. Keystone/Getty Images hide caption

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Keystone/Getty Images

The first debt ceiling fight was in 1953. It looked almost exactly like the one today

Debt ceiling dramas have been going on a long time. The first one happened exactly 70 years ago. President Eisenhower asked Congress for an extra $15 billion and the Senate said, "No dice."

Former Vice President Mike Pence at the annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition on Nov. 18, 2022, in Las Vegas. The former vice president announced he will make a run for the 2024 presidency against Donald Trump. John Locher/AP hide caption

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John Locher/AP

Mike Pence expected to announce 2024 run for president

After distancing himself from former President Donald Trump, the former vice president is ready to announce his bid for the White House at an event in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 7.

George and Gladys Smith and their son George Jr. live across the street from the now-shuttered Woods Elementary in Englewood, Ill. Members of the Smith family have lived on the block since 1883. They say the area was in decline and the population dropping before 2013, but the closing of Woods was a turning point. Manuel Martinez/WBEZ hide caption

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Manuel Martinez/WBEZ

After 10 years, Chicago school closings have left big holes, and promises unkept

WBEZ

Ten years ago Chicago Public Schools leaders voted to close 50 public schools. WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times examined the promises made to students and communities in 2013.

Abbie Harper worked for a helpline run by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), which is now being phased out. Harper disagrees with the new plan to use an online chatbot to help users find information about eating disorders. Andrew Tate hide caption

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Andrew Tate

National Eating Disorders Association phases out human helpline, pivots to chatbot

Michigan Radio

In recent years, the demands on the NEDA helpline, and the humans who ran it, escalated. The organization says it was unsustainable. But some have worries about new plans for an online chatbot.

Alexandra Prokopenko poses at a marathon event back in Russia. She used to run in Moscow's Meshchersky Park all the time: It was her favorite place in the city. But she's doubtful she will see it again, at least for the near future. Shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, she left her country, along with hundreds of thousands of her peers. Alexandra Prokopenko hide caption

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Alexandra Prokopenko

She had a dream job. Now, she's part of a massive brain drain hammering Russia

Hundreds of thousands of people under age 35 are estimated to have fled Russia since the invasion. It's one of a handful of major challenges Russia's economy faces this year.

She had a dream job. Now, she's part of a massive brain drain hammering Russia

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Otis Taylor at his belated graduation in May, 2023. Evan Semón hide caption

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Evan Semón

He was expelled after he refused to cut his afro. 57 years later, he got his degree

In 1966, Otis Taylor was refused his high school diploma from Manual High School in Denver, Colo., for refusing to cut off his afro at the administration's request.

He was expelled after he refused to cut his afro. 57 years later, he got his degree

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Ben Roberts-Smith arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney, on June 9, 2021. Australia's most decorated living war veteran, Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith, committed a slew of war crimes while in Afghanistan, including the unlawful killings of unarmed prisoners, a judge ruled on Thursday, June 1, 2023. Rick Rycroft/AP hide caption

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Rick Rycroft/AP

Australia's most decorated soldier loses defamation case for alleged war crimes

An Australian federal court judge ruled that newspaper articles published in 2018 were substantially true about a number of war crimes committed by Ben Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan.

This image provided by Health Canada shows the final wording of six separate warnings that will be printed directly on individual cigarettes as Canada becomes the first in the world to take that step aimed at helping people quit the habit. The regulations take effect Aug. 1 and will be phased in. AP hide caption

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AP

Individual cigarettes in Canada will soon carry health warnings

The move was first announced last year by Health Canada and is aimed at helping people quit the habit. The regulations take effect Aug. 1 and will be phased in.

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