Ocean trash patch, meteor shower, secret cheese bank: Catch up on the day’s stories
By Toni Odejimi, CNN
👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Want to see a shooting star? A spectacular meteor shower will light up the sky Wednesday morning — just be sure to set your alarm.
Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day.
5 things
1️⃣ Trash nightmare
There’s a massive heap of plastic garbage in the Pacific Ocean that’s more than twice as big as Texas, and it’s churning microplastics into the air. Scientists have discovered that’s not the only way it contributes to the environmental crisis.
2️⃣ It’s primary time
Voters in Indiana and Ohio headed to the polls today in what’s shaping up as a test of the strength of President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party. Here’s what is at stake. ➕ Follow live updates. ➕ Watch California governor contenders in a CNN debate at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET
3️⃣ ‘Treasure trove’ of evidence
A murder trial in Virginia. The Palisades Fire in California. The killing of two graduate students in Florida. What links these tragedies together isn’t just the loss of life, but an emerging technology with little privacy protection.
4️⃣ Fact or fiction?
A trend sweeping social media suggests that taking an allergy drug and an acid reducer can reduce perimenopause and menopause symptoms. A doctor explains what you need to know.
5️⃣ Banking on cheese
The adage about making money might be “get that cheddar,” but at this bank, it’s about getting that Parmigiano Reggiano. It’s more than expensive cheese — it’s also considered collateral.
Watch this
🎸 ‘We’re so thankful’: Three teenage musicians known as the Mariachi Brothers were held in ICE detention for nearly two weeks before being released. A country star heard about their story and invited them to play at some of her Texas concerts.
Top headlines
- Rubio says Operation Epic Fury ‘is over’ as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz remain high
- Exclusive: VA conducted internal investigations into employees who attended vigil for Alex Pretti
- Analysis: Trump’s ballroom is becoming a political boondoggle
Check this out
🦇 Batwoman: This Nigerian ecologist has spent her career saving bats, which are often associated with witchcraft in her country. When a huge wildfire destroyed the habitat of an endangered bat she discovered, she learned how to protect them.
For CNN subscribers
- Trump’s sagging approval rating in charts and graphs
- How Dr. Oz became Trump’s Medicare and Medicaid fraud fighter
- K-pop is becoming more popular than ever — and less Korean
Quiz time
⚰️ What country did archaeologists discover a mummy with a literary text held at its abdomen?
A. Egypt
B. Mali
C. Algeria
D. Ethiopia
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.
Thanks for reading
✅ Most popular in yesterday’s newsletter: Indian wedding shuts down New York City’s Fifth Avenue
🧠 Quiz answer: A. The mummy found in Egypt had a passage from Homer’s “Iliad” stuck to its abdomen.
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Today’s edition of 5 Things PM was edited and produced by CNN’s Daniel Wine and Meghan Pryce.
