Spectacle in the sky, vacation spoiler, burger wars: Catch up on the day’s stories
By Daniel Wine, CNN
👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! A few months after experiencing a medical emergency aboard the International Space Station, astronaut Mike Fincke said he’s leaving NASA. His mysterious ailment led the crew to cut their mission short and return home.
Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day.
5 things
1️⃣ Spectacle in the sky
The total solar eclipse was the first one visible from mainland Europe in more than two decades. The fun isn’t over, though — a stunning meteor shower will also peak this week. Follow live updates.
📸 Photo gallery: The best images from the eclipse
🎉 Watch: Spectators erupt in cheers in Mallorca, Spain
2️⃣ Civilian or spy?
A Russian-born defense contractor drained his bank accounts and vanished before he was killed by the FBI. CNN retraces the mystery of Ilya Beloozerov’s final days and the unanswered questions surrounding his death.
3️⃣ Vacation spoiler
You’d probably never expect a hot and sunny summer day to be the reason your flight gets delayed or even canceled. But scorching temperatures can be hazardous for flying.
4️⃣ ‘It hasn’t sunk in’
Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi’s emotional tribute to his late father revealed doubts about his future on the field. He published a farewell letter expressing his pain and struggles during the World Cup.
5️⃣ Burger wars
For the first time in a while, Burger King is living up to its name. A revamped Whopper and a beefed-up marketing campaign have helped the fast food chain’s sales numbers.
Watch this
🚁 Above it all: When police came across a helicopter in the parking lot of a sporting goods store in Wisconsin, they had questions. The pilot said he flew there because “the drive was too long.”
Top headlines
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt leaving role, Trump announces
- Exclusive: Former employee at Southern Poverty Law Center arrested on fraud charges
- LA Lakers sell for a record $12.5 billion to ex-Disney CEO Iger and Jared Kushner’s brother Josh
Check this out
💆 Five-star luxury: Private pools. Chic design. Celebrity sightings. Take a look inside the Côte d’Azur resort that’s home to the next season of “The White Lotus.”
For CNN subscribers
- Analysis: What Trump’s catering-truck escape says about a war that won’t end
- Markwayne Mullin uses Homeland Security to further Trump’s voter fraud crusade
- The rapid unraveling of a billionaire diamond dealer to the stars
Quiz time
💸 What was the US inflation rate in July?
A. 2.2%
B. 3.4%
C. 4.3%
D. 5.6%
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.
Thanks for reading
✅ Most popular in yesterday’s newsletter: Analysis: Why Trump’s secret Air Force One switcheroo is problematic
🧠 Quiz answer: B. Annual inflation slowed for the second month in a row, cooling to 3.4% as prices at the pump eased, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Today’s edition of 5 Things PM was edited and produced by CNN’s Kimberly Richardson and Chris Good.
