5 things to know for Nov. 14: Shutdown aftermath, Flight cuts, Boat strikes, Severe weather, Blue Origin launch
By Alexandra Banner, CNN
Wall Street is hoping to recover today from its worst showing in a month. On Thursday, the Dow fell nearly 800 points while the Nasdaq dropped more than 500 points, raising concerns about market volatility.
Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.
1️⃣ Shutdown aftermath
The government is reopening its agencies after the record 43-day shutdown ended on Wednesday. Roughly 1.4 million federal workers who haven’t received a paycheck in over a month are still waiting for back pay. Many of these employees across the US told CNN that they’re contending with more than six weeks of backlogs and thinner staff. At the IRS, backlogs in tax filings from those who filed for extensions will take “two to three months to catch up,” said Gibson Jones, president of the National Treasury Employees Union Local 98 in Memphis. With more than 40 days of untouched mail at the IRS, he added, taxpayers expecting refunds should anticipate delays. President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser also estimates the shutdown likely led to a loss of 60,000 private-sector jobs.
2️⃣ Flight cuts
A 6% reduction in flights at 40 major US airports is still in place — despite the federal government reopening. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has emphasized that the FAA will only bring back full flight capacity when it is safe to do so and when more controllers return to work. More than 1,000 flights nationwide on Thursday were canceled and more than 3,500 were delayed, according to data from FlightAware. Some airlines have told CNN that they anticipate more disruptions in the coming hours, meaning travelers should plan for potential schedule changes and crowded terminals. Notably, Fridays and Saturdays have seen the most staffing problems throughout this time, according to data viewed by CNN.
3️⃣ Boat strikes
The US military recently carried out its 20th strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean, killing four people, a Defense Department official said Thursday. The attack brings the total number of people killed by the military’s strikes on the alleged drug boats to 80. CNN has reported that the US is using a variety of fighter jets, drones and gunships to carry out the strikes in the campaign officials say is meant to disrupt the flow of drugs into the US. Trump administration officials have acknowledged they do not necessarily know the identities of the individuals aboard the vessels before they are targeted.
4️⃣ Severe weather
A strong Pacific storm is sweeping through California, raising the risks of flooding, mudslides and debris flows — especially near burn scars in the Los Angeles area. On Thursday, the storm moved through northern and central California with a mix of strong winds and heavy rainfall. San Francisco has already received nearly an inch and a half of rain, about 75% of the city’s November average. Meanwhile, temperatures across the central and southern US are rebounding after an Arctic blast brought record-breaking cold to several states. Some Midwest cities that just saw their first snowflakes of the season could see daily record high temperatures on Saturday, forecasts show.
5️⃣ Blue Origin launch
Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Amazon multibillionaire Jeff Bezos, launched a landmark Mars mission on Thursday. The company’s New Glenn rocket was carrying a pair of satellites that are now on a long journey to the red planet to study its radiation conditions for future explorers. The two spacecraft are expected to reach Martian orbit in September 2027. Blue Origin also landed the first stage of the rocket back on a seafaring platform for the first time, a key step toward making New Glenn reusable and more cost-effective as it competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Breakfast browse
Chinese astronauts return to Earth after delay
A crew of Chinese astronauts returned home more than a week late after debris cracked a window on their spaceship.
Bus-ted: Man takes bus for joyride in Canada
A man took an Ontario transit bus for a joyride with about 10 passengers still onboard. Luckily, he didn’t even leave “a ding,” Canadian police said.
Baseball’s MVPs
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani was unanimously voted MVP for the fourth time, while New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge was named the American League’s back-to-back winner.
Tech giants tackle AI safety
OpenAI and Microsoft are teaming up with state law enforcers to form an artificial intelligence safety task force amid rising fears of AI misuse.
Why some people lose their hair when they’re on GLP-1s
Certain weight-loss medications may cause substantial hair loss for some users. Health experts explain why.
Quiz time
Which coin was minted for the last time this week?
A. Penny
B. Nickel
C. Dime
D. Quarter
Weather
🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect.
And finally…
▶️ Apple’s newest product is a ‘sock’ for your iPhone
Apple’s latest product is a knitted sling that can carry your iPhone — because apparently our pockets weren’t doing the job. See the video here.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Today’s edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN’s Andrew Torgan.
