‘Junk fees’ for school lunches, changes at Spirit, Nollywood’s ambitious goals: Catch up on the day’s stories
👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! The changes in the airline industry keep coming fast and furious. Spirit Airlines, the budget carrier known for charging passengers for anything and everything, plans to offer business class seats. This news arrives on the heels of Southwest getting rid of open seating.
Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:
5 things
1️⃣ ‘Junk fees’: The extra charges that parents pay to make online deposits into their children’s school lunch accounts are under scrutiny. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that some parents pay up to 60 cents in fees for every dollar they deposit. That can add up to tens of millions of dollars for the payment processors.
2️⃣ Amazon products: A US safety regulator voted unanimously to hold the retail giant responsible for faulty or unsafe items sold by third parties on its website and app. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said it found more than 400,000 defective products sold on the platform.
3️⃣ Spending slump: With cash-strapped consumers cutting back, one of the world’s biggest drink makers reported its first drop in sales since the pandemic. Diageo — the company behind Johnnie Walker whisky, Casamigos tequila and Guinness beer — is the latest business to take a hit.
4️⃣ DNA detective: University professor John Portmann was taken in by nuns as a baby and knew nothing about his ancestry. A few years ago, he learned he was “100% Irish,” and that started him down the path toward citizenship.
5️⃣ Global goals: Nigeria’s vibrant film industry, also known as Nollywood, aims to become a cultural phenomenon along the lines of Afrobeats. Its diverse storylines and improved production values have started to get the attention of streaming giants like Netflix.
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🥵 ‘Everything feels tiring’: This environmental testing chamber can alter temperature, altitude, pressure and oxygen levels. CNN’s Laura Paddison subjected herself to extreme heat and humidity to understand how these conditions can quickly become deadly.
Top headlines
• Project 2025 director steps down amid backlash from Trump• Israel’s military says its strike in Beirut killed Hezbollah’s most senior military commander• Simone Biles, alone on the floor, completes an incredible comeback
43%
🤯 The increased risk of early death among those who view stress negatively, a study found. If you see stress as something to fear rather than a challenge, check out these tips to develop the winning brain of an Olympian.
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🏄 Riding high: Gabriel Medina of Brazil posted a near-perfect 9.90 score during the surfing competition. It was the highest score in Olympic history, and his celebration proved memorable as well. Medina leapt from his surfboard, raised his finger aloft, and his board just managed to fly parallel to him as photographer Jerome Brouillet snapped the shot.
Quotable
😂 Stage presence: On the stand-up circuit, some women comedians are pushing back against outdated expectations and dressing to the nines in vintage luxury fashion and statement shoes.
Olympics update
🎾 Heated exchange: A tearful Coco Gauff lost to Croatia’s Donna Vekić in women’s tennis after a controversial call from the umpire. Gauff is still alive in the doubles competition.
Quiz time
🐭 Disney created a line of furry plush toys called “Duffy and Friends” to target fans in what region?A. EuropeB. AsiaC. Latin AmericaD. Middle East⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.
Good vibes
😎 We like to wrap things up on a positive note: The flowers on the false mermaid-weed are the size of a pinhead. Experts thought the rare tiny flower had been extinct since World War I. Now it’s a symbol of hope.
Thanks for reading
👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.💬 What did you like about today’s 5 Things PM? Did we miss anything? Email us: [email protected]🧠 Quiz answer: B. Disney fans in Asia often dress up like LinaBell, a pink fox who is part of “Duffy and Friends,” when visiting Hong Kong Disneyland.📧 Check out all of CNN’s newsletters.
5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.
In terms of airline industry changes, Spirit Airlines plans to offer business class seats, while Southwest has gotten rid of open seating. Moving on to financial news, the extra charges that parents pay for online deposits into their children’s school lunch accounts are under scrutiny. This is relevant to us as consumers, and it's important to stay informed about such matters.
