Hot vacation spot, trees in trouble, how to avoid added sugar: Catch up on the day’s stories

Published October 28, 2024 3:56 PM

By Daniel Wine, CNN

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👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Halloween is nearly here, and a lot of people are going to be gorging on candy — including me with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! Halloween leftovers are a challenge to anyone’s willpower. To keep your sweet tooth under control, try these five tips to wean yourself off added sugar.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Hot spot: Majestic icebergs, many of them formed by glaciers that are tens of millions of years old, are a major attraction in Antarctica. Here’s how the coldest place on Earth became one of the world’s top vacation spots.

2️⃣ Trees in trouble: A staggering number of tree species are teetering on the brink of extinction, according to a new global analysis. In addition to fossil fuel pollution, major threats include deforestation, agriculture, invasive species and diseases.

3️⃣ Stroke survivor: Puzzle master Will Shortz’s latest challenge involves piecing together his recovery from a stroke. He shared the details of his rehabilitation and how strategies that he uses to tackle crosswords have helped him through the hardest parts.

4️⃣ Smooth move: With more than 4 million followers across Twitch and YouTube, Hikaru Nakamura is the face of online chess. The American grandmaster — ranked No. 2 in the world — got in on the streaming revolution early, and it has really paid off.

5️⃣ Chic cheddar: Scammers stole more than 24 tons of artisanal cheese from one of Britain’s most famous dairy companies. A top chef is asking his followers to be on the lookout for “posh cheese going for cheap.”

Watch this

🦘 Pouch patrol: Someone called 911 after spotting a baby kangaroo wearing a diaper and hopping down the street in Durango, Colorado. “This was one of the best calls of my career so far,” a responding police officer said.

Top headlines

• Here’s what Harris and Trump are proposing for the economy
• Philadelphia DA sues Elon Musk and his super PAC over $1M sweepstakes
• Virginia asks US Supreme Court to permit voter roll purge aimed at suspected noncitizens

Celebrity corner

❤️‍🩹 Aid for addicts: Actor Matthew Perry often talked about how much he wanted to help people. A year after his death, Perry’s loved ones are making his wish a reality for people struggling with addiction.

Check this out

📸 Passion project: Photographer Khashayar Javanmardi spent a decade documenting changes affecting the Caspian Sea. His striking images capture environmental decay on the world’s largest inland body of water.

Quotable

🇮🇹 Controversial move: Italy criminalized surrogacy abroad in a decision critics called “medieval.” They worry the decision will disproportionately affect the LGBTQ community.

Quiz time

🍶 Once illegal, the Japanese alcoholic drink doburoku is making a comeback. It’s also known as mitsuzoushu. What does that translate to in English?
A. Whisky
B. Everclear
C. Moonshine
D. White Claw
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Good vibes

⛳ We like to wrap things up on a positive note: Steven Alderson was bullied at school for being autistic. Decades later, his historic victory in a golf tournament made him a national hero in Australia.

Thanks for reading

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
🧠 Quiz answer: C. The cloudy liquor mitsuzoushu translates to “secretly produced alcohol,” or moonshine.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - National

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