Why frequent flyer programs are so profitable, Apple dives into AI, ‘forever chemicals’: Catch up on the day’s stories
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👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Apple just unveiled the new iPhone 16, marking the tech giant’s first foray into artificial intelligence. The upgraded phones also come in different colors and have a faster processor. Catch up on the highlights, including changes to the Apple Watch and AirPods.
Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:
5 things
1️⃣ Loyalty programs: Buying groceries or paying to fill your gas tank with a credit card might contribute more to the profits of the airline industry than a plane ticket. That’s because frequent flyer programs have become a crucial part of airlines’ financial success.
2️⃣ Help wanted: Americans may find it tougher to land a job these days, but a few industries are bucking that trend. Police departments and sheriff’s offices are looking for new recruits after seeing a sharp drop in applicants and a wave of retirements following George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
3️⃣ ‘Forever chemicals’: Substances commonly found in cookware, food, water, clothes and furniture can cause health problems. These chemicals don’t fully break down in the environment and have been used in consumer products since the 1950s. Here’s what you need to know.
4️⃣ Ambitious plan: A Dutch engineer wants to transform a huge stretch of barren desert into green, fertile land teeming with wildlife — and in the process, change the weather. He believes he can bring Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula back to life.
5️⃣ Big trouble: The beleaguered discount retailer Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after previously warning of “substantial doubt” about its ability to survive. A private equity firm will take over the company’s stores and business operations.
Watch this
🐕 Surf’s pup: Dogs wearing costumes and goggles caught some waves as their owners cheered them on during Surf-A-Thon in San Diego, the longest-running canine surf competition in the US.
Top headlines
• Trump and Harris prepare to face off in Tuesday’s presidential debate
• Tropical Storm Francine forces evacuations along Gulf Coast
• James Earl Jones, known for his iconic voice work as Darth Vader and Mufasa, dies at 93
What’s buzzing
🤠 Country awards: Morgan Wallen led the way with seven nominations for this year’s CMA honors, but there was one notable absence among the nominees.
Check this out
🇫🇷 Au revoir, Paris: Thousands braved soggy conditions inside the Stade de France, with athletes from 169 delegations parading and dancing to mark the end of the Paralympics.
32 million
⛲ That’s the number of people expected to visit Rome for the 2025 Jubilee, a year-long Roman Catholic event. However, be warned the city might limit access to one of its most popular monuments ahead of the influx.
Celebrity corner
⭐ ‘Last dance’: Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates said starring in the reboot of the television drama “Matlock” will be her swan song.
Quiz time
🪖 Camp Humphreys in South Korea is the US military’s largest overseas base. About how many people call it home?
A. 14,000
B. 20,000
C. 32,000
D. 41,000
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.
Good vibes
🎾 We like to wrap things up on a positive note: Ukrainian tennis player Lyudmyla Kichenok was supposed to get married last week in New York, but she and her doubles partner, Jelena Ostapenko, just kept on winning and claimed the US Open championship. Needless to say, the wedding was postponed. Kichenok said she and her fiancé Stas Kumarsky will tie the knot soon — maybe in Las Vegas or Europe.
Thanks for reading
👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
🧠 Quiz answer: D. Camp Humphreys is home to 41,000 people and covers more than 3,500 acres.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.
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