Red flags for the economy, redefining ‘sex,’ Coke’s new direction: Catch up on the day’s stories
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👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Amazon MGM Studios is taking creative control of the James Bond franchise. The team that brought the 007 films to theaters for more than 60 years is handing over all future production to the Jeff Bezos-founded company.
Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:
5 things
1️⃣ Red flags: Shoppers usually flock to Walmart for groceries and clothing, looking for good deals on essentials. But the retail giant said 2025 will be trickier as consumers grow increasingly frustrated with inflation and President Donald Trump’s tariffs. That’s a bad sign for the economy.
2️⃣ Redefining terms: In one of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first moves as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the agency issued new definitions of words like “sex,” “man” and “woman.” Critics say the new guidance ignores science.
3️⃣ Back to basics: People have been drinking less sugary soda, signaling to Coca-Cola a need to diversify its offerings. Thanks in part to social media popularity in the health and wellness space, milk could be the next big thing for the beverage giant.
4️⃣ Faux masterpieces: Italy’s arts and culture police uncovered a workshop in Rome that had been used to produce hundreds of fraudulent works sold online. They said the fake Picassos and Rembrandts were part of a “clandestine painting laboratory.”
5️⃣ Me me me! Narcissists tend to be excluded in social situations because of their polarizing behavior. A new study suggests that if they feel left out, their arrogant and aggressive ways will only intensify.
Watch this
🔥 Fiery rescue: A police officer freed a trapped driver whose truck was engulfed in flames after a crash in Chandler, Arizona. Officer Brian Larison said the accident happened right in front of him — an example of good timing.
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Top headlines
• Senate confirms Trump loyalist Kash Patel as FBI director
• Sen. Mitch McConnell won’t seek reelection in 2026
• How Trump turned so dramatically against Zelensky in just 48 hours
Check this out
👻 Chasing ghosts: In his new book, photographer Michael Kenna captures the peaceful vibe of Venice, where architecture and nature merge into one.
Quotable
Targeted for termination: For many employees who were fired because of Trump’s government cutbacks, the way they were let go made things much worse.
Quiz time
👟 Nike is in a slump, so it’s partnering with which celebrity on a new brand called “NikeSkims”?
A. Selena Gomez
B. Taylor Swift
C. Kim Kardashian
D. Jennifer Lopez
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.
Celebrity corner
⭐ All in the family: Turns out Mayberry was smaller than we knew. Ron Howard just revealed that he was related to his “Andy Griffith Show” co-star Don Knotts.
Good vibes
👌 Hands-on approach: Imagine a language tutor who is available anytime to teach you new words or check on a student’s progress. Nvidia just launched a platform, called Signs, to do just that for people learning American Sign Language. It uses artificial intelligence, featuring a 3-D avatar to demonstrate signs.
Thanks for reading
🧠 Quiz answer: C. The new Nike collection is based on Kim Kardashian’s popular shapewear line. Test your knowledge with CNN’s weekly news quiz in tomorrow morning’s 5 Things newsletter.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Chris Good, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.