Hope for cancer patients, ghost hunting, a dramatic escape: Check out the day’s stories

By Sarah Hutter, CNN

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Tired of stiff legs? Stretching might not be the key to fixing that short hamstring feeling — you may need to address weak glutes or tight hip flexors instead.

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

5 things

1️⃣ New hope for cancer treatment

Some Covid-19 vaccines may do more than prevent illness — they might help certain patients fight tumors by boosting their immune systems. Despite recent funding cuts to mRNA research by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., scientists are pushing ahead with a larger study after seeing promising early results.

2️⃣ Staying afloat

Andrés Fernando Tufiño Chila survived a US military boat strike last week. Even after being arrested, convicted and jailed in 2020 for smuggling drugs off Mexico’s coast before being deported, his family says he’s just a fisherman caught in Trump’s war at sea.

3️⃣ ‘Their history is just erased’

Google is dropping a key program for boosting women in tech, another sign that the search giant is unwinding certain projects following political pressure over diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

4️⃣ Something goes bump

A skeptic spent the night at Mississippi’s McRaven House — an antebellum home steeped in Civil War history and eerie legends. From phantom footsteps to ghostly touches, the experience left even the doubters wondering: “Did you hear that?”

5️⃣ Permanent scars

A decade after retiring, Olympic cyclist Emma Pooley is still dealing with the effects of under-fueling during her career. She describes “unscientific bullying” around food and the lasting health impacts of a sport where eating disorders are alarmingly common.

Watch this

👑 Mission (im)possible: Four days after historic jewels were stolen from the Louvre, new video appears to show the thieves making their getaway — descending a mechanical lift mounted on a truck.

Top headlines

• NBA stars arrested in massive mafia-linked gambling probe
• Mortgage rates fall to lowest level of 2025
• US strikes two boats in Pacific, expanding attacks on alleged cartels

Check this out

🏝️ Carving new paths: In the heart of the Amazon Basin, where the borders and cultures of Peru, Colombia and Brazil converge, a tiny, shape-shifting island has become the unlikely setting for a diplomatic tug of war.

Quiz time

🎤 Which famous rock star is going back on tour with his band for the first time since undergoing vocal surgery?
A. Elton John
B. Jon Bon Jovi
C. Mick Jagger
D. Bruce Springsteen
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Thanks for reading

✅ Most popular in yesterday’s newsletter: Oscar nominations are already three months away. Here’s where the race stands so far

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
🧠 Quiz answer: B. Jon Bon Jovi, who founded the rock band Bon Jovi in 1983, will kick off his group’s tour in July 2026 in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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Today’s edition of 5 Things PM was edited and produced by CNN’s Kimberly Richardson and Chris Good.