10 things you need to know today: May 14, 2016

Conservatives fight back in transgender bathroom debate, Pfizer blocks drugs from use in lethal injections, and more

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1. Conservatives fire back at Obama's transgender bathroom directive

Conservative politicians were quick to slam President Obama's directive that public schools allow transgender students to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity rather than biological sex, with Texas officials even going so far as to hint at a lawsuit. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest responded by pointing out the directive is merely "guidance" for how schools can prevent discrimination, and that it doesn't add any legal requirements, though non-compliant schools may be at risk of losing federal funding.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.