Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Troubled teens, parents 'stuck in this cycle'

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The Short List

Mon May 11 2026

Phaedra Trethan | National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hi there! I'm Phaedra Trethan, trying to wrap my brain around 80+ days of constant daylight. 🌞

In Monday's news:

•	A host of residential programs say they can help teens struggling with mental health. But parents say the largely unregulated industry is failing the kids and leaving families scrambling.
•	An American who was aboard a ship stricken with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive. What happens next, and what experts say about the public risk. 🦠
•	The Trump administration recently relaxed marijuana restrictions. Does that mean pot is legal? Well... it's complicated.

But first: Martin Short has an incredible capacity to find and share joy even in the midst of profound loss. ❤️‍🩹

Troubled teens, parents 'stuck in this cycle'

Parents whose teens struggle with mental health issues often find themselves in a desperate cycle to get their children help, only to find there are few resources available. Some turn to residential treatment programs, but the largely unregulated industry that can sometimes led to abuse or further harm, or leave families scrambling for care even after spending thousands of dollars.

“We had no prior knowledge about this whole troubled teen industry,” one parent told USA TODAY. “This sounded like legitimate mental health treatment, and we were having to make decisions quickly.”

Asheville Academy's former campus in Black Mountain, June 2, 2025.

Josh Bell, Asheville Citizen Times via USA TODAY Network

Hantavirus worries 🦠

American passengers from the cruise ship at the center of the deadly hantavirus outbreak were to return to the U.S. on Monday, stopping at an Air Force base before entering quarantine. The latest on the outbreak.

•	She contracted hantavirus as a child. It nearly killed her.
•	Covid caught us by surprise. Are we prepared for an infectious disease outbreak? 😷
•	What to know about hantavirus and the risks to the public.
•	Watch: President Trump is pressed on the hantavirus response.
•	Why are viruses so prevalent aboard cruises? What to know. 🚢

Workers in personal protective equipment (PPE) stand aboard a tanker next to the cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, at the port of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife, Spain, on May 11, 2026.

Hannah McKay, Reuters

Real quick

•	The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is "on massive life support," President Donald Trump said.
•	Cole Allen, accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents Dinner in a failed assassination attempt, pleaded not guilty.
•	The remains of six people were found in a boxcar in South Texas.
•	Texas is suing Netflix for allegedly spying on kids and collecting users' data without their consent. 📺

Is weed legal? It's a little foggy. 💨

Marijuana has become more accepted, not just socially but legally, as states move to legalize and decriminalize its possession. In April, the Trump administration eased restrictions on medical marijuana. But that doesn't mean marijuana is always legal or that it's legal everywhere in the U.S.

The Jackie and Shadow Show 🦅

Every day, millions of people worldwide are riveted as they watch Jackie and Shadow raise their offspring, Sandy and Luna, in Big Bear Lake, California. But it's not some over-the-top reality TV show — it's a live webcam trained on a bald eagles' nest in a small mountain town east of Los Angeles.

"I'm basically on the other side of the world but I tell everybody about them," said Roslyn Ward, who checks their YouTube channel daily from her home in Australia. "I show them clips and I'll say, 'Have a look at this, see how much the chicks have grown.' People think I'm nuts."

Jackie and Shadow are pictured in their nest in Big Bear Lake, California.

Friends of Big Bear Valley

A break from the news

•	My beloved Philadelphia Flyers were eliminated from the NHL Playoffs this weekend. But I'm still looking forward to the Stanley Cup Finals, if only to see The Stanley Pup. 🐶
•	A woman traveled from the U.S. to Vietnam to meet her biological mother. See their first hug. 🥹
•	Food for the soul: A soldier gets a taste of his mom's homemade tamales. 🫔

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and the food that brings you comfort (for her, it's pancit, a Filipino noodle dish). Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.