Overdose deaths decline, a cross-species kidney transplant, poems help conservation efforts: Catch up on the day’s stories
Morgan Severson, CNN
Welcome to 5 Things PM! Do you consistently clock in overtime? Working long hours could come with a cost. Along with physical and emotional overexertion, new research found “significant changes” in the brains of people who are overworked.
Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:
5 things
Unprecedented drop: US drug overdose deaths in 2024 hit the lowest they’ve been in five years, according to a new estimate from the federal government. Last month, the Trump administration laid out its drug policy priorities for 2025, but cuts to funding for agencies like the CDC could threaten the progress made.
Costs an arm and a leg: Home-renovation professionals tell CNN that they’ve been bracing for higher prices due to tariffs. From Tuscan tilework to Chinese refrigerators, the US imports billions of dollars worth of home goods from around the globe. Here’s how tariffs are threatening this booming industry.
A shot at living: In the US, nearly 90,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. The typical wait is three to five years, but that time was doubled for Tim Andrews, who also has a rare blood type. Now, Andrews is thriving as one of only a handful of patients to undergo an experimental cross-species transplant of a kidney from a genetically modified pig.
Poems & porpoises: The Yangtze finless porpoise — a smaller dolphin-like creature — has faced extreme declines in numbers in the past four decades. A research team in China used ancient poems to find clues as to where the animals historically thrived, to help with conservation efforts.
‘A magical place’: This extraordinary desert country aims to be a major tourist destination by 2030. In January 2023, its government introduced changes, making a once-challenging-to-obtain visa guaranteed upon arrival after paying fees. As a result, tourism has significantly increased.
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Tiny time: The world’s thinnest tourbillon watch — which costs $678,000 — weighs just 43 grams and squeezes intricate mechanisms into a timepiece only 1.85mm thick.
Top headlines
• Trump’s embrace of Syria could reshape the Middle East
• First on CNN: New book reveals how Biden’s inner circle kept Cabinet from him in final two years of presidency
• Defense cross-examination of Cassie Ventura will begin Thursday in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial
375,000
That’s how many people McDonald’s says it plans to hire this summer. It’s the fast-food chain’s biggest employment initiative in five years.
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Fossil find: A cicada pressed into rocks approximately 47 million years ago is so well preserved that you can see the veins in its wings. The discovery gives scientists new hints about how the bug evolved.
Celebrity corner
Speaking out: Robert De Niro used his acceptance speech at the Cannes Film Festival to criticize President Donald Trump, calling him a “philistine president.”
Quiz time
What did ESPN name its new flagship streaming service?
A. Disney+ Sports
B. Sports on Demand
C. ESPN
D. Sports Now
Scroll down for the answer.
Good vibes
Surprise! Celine Dion made an unexpected video appearance at Eurovision, 37 years after winning the contest. The Canadian-born star delivered a heartfelt message to contestants, organizers and viewers at the semi-final event.
Thanks for reading
We’ll see you tomorrow.
Quiz answer: C. ESPN. “There’s power in our name, and there’s trust in our name,” network chairman James Pitaro said on the decision to stick with the company’s four letters.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Chris Good, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.
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