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How bullet trains changed rail travel, black plastic concerns, keys to strong relationships: Catch up on the day’s stories

By Daniel Wine, CNN

Editor’s Note: CNN’s 5 Things newsletter is your one-stop shop for the latest headlines and fascinating stories to start and end your busy day. Sign up here.

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Relationships come in many different forms. What works well for one couple might be totally unacceptable for another. There are some common threads, though, and a therapist shared the six ingredients for a successful relationship.

Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:

5 things

1️⃣ Rail pioneers: Japan’s sleek bullet trains zoomed onto the scene in the 1960s, shrinking travel times and inspiring a revolution in high-speed rail travel around the world. The next big thing could come courtesy of China: magnetically levitating trains capable of running at almost 400 mph.

2️⃣ Toxic warning: Black-colored plastic used in toys, food containers and kitchen utensils may contain alarming levels of a dangerous flame retardant, according to a new study. People with high levels of those chemicals in their blood were much more likely to die from cancer, research previously found.

3️⃣ Sacred ground: Archaeologists in Denmark unearthed more than 50 “exceptionally well preserved” skeletons in a large burial site thought to date back to the ninth and 10th centuries. The bones were found alongside artifacts suggesting the Vikings traveled extensively for trade.

4️⃣ ‘AI companion’: Artificial intelligence chatbots often sound stilted or just downright weird. Microsoft is trying to fix that by focusing on Copilot’s “personality” and how it makes users feel — not just what it can do for them.

5️⃣ Creepy viewing: Now that October has arrived, it’s time to get into the spooky spirit. Our entertainment team came up with 13 eerie-sistible movies and TV series sure to freak you out heading into Halloween, so carve out some time to watch.

Watch this

🔥 Flooding sparks fire: Surveillance video shows a Tesla bursting into flames in a garage during flooding brought on by Hurricane Helene in Sarasota, Florida. The home burned down, but no injuries were reported.

Top headlines

Iran launches wave of missiles at Israel, and IDF warns of ‘serious consequences’
Vance and Walz prepare to face off at 9 p.m. ET in high-stakes vice presidential debate
Helene is the second-deadliest mainland US hurricane in past 50 years

Check this out

🏔️ Shifting boundary: In another sign of the impact of climate change, part of the border between Italy and Switzerland will be redrawn because the glaciers are melting.

2,900

✂️ That’s about how many people CVS Health plans to lay off in its latest cost-cutting move. The company said they are “primarily corporate roles.”

Your health

👩 Mixed bag: Breast cancer deaths in the US continue to fall, but a new report warns of an increase in cases among women younger than 50. The American Cancer Society also said significant racial disparities remain.

Quiz time

🏪 Which convenience store ranks highest for customer satisfaction among US chains?
A. Wawa
B. Sheetz
C. QuikTrip
D. 7-Eleven
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Sports spotlight

‘Destiny was on us’: The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves both advanced to the baseball playoffs after a dramatic doubleheader. The wild card games are underway.

Good vibes

🌲 We like to wrap things up on a positive note: Rainforests once covered about 90% of the Philippines, but now less than 3% of intact old-growth forest remains. Conservationist KM Reyes is leading a grassroots movement to save them.

Thanks for reading

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
🧠 Quiz answer: A. Wawa received the highest marks for customer satisfaction, a new survey found.
📧 Check out all of CNN’s newsletters.

5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.

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