Tracking Santa, rocket’s sonic booms, modern twist on Bible stories: Catch up on the day’s stories
By Daniel Wine, CNN
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👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Just because you’re spending the holidays alone doesn’t mean you have to be lonely. Experts explain how to make the most of your solitude this season.
Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:
5 things
1️⃣ Tracking Santa: The big night is finally here! Have you been naughty or nice? When you wake up tomorrow morning, you’ll know the answer. Here’s how you can keep tabs on Santa Claus and his reindeer on their journey around the world.
2️⃣ ‘A rite of passage’: Parents who buy a gun for their child as a holiday present say it brings the family together around a shared interest and represents an initiation into the next phase of life. But there are risks too, of course — and it’s a delicate balance.
3️⃣ Sound controversy: SpaceX’s Starship — the most powerful rocket system ever built — may be a stunning spectacle, but its sonic booms have some scientists worried. They say the atmospheric shockwaves must be “carefully watched.”
4️⃣ Money in the mail: The IRS is sending cash to 1 million tax filers who were eligible for a pandemic-era rebate credit. The payments, which could be as high as $1,400 per individual, should arrive by late January.
5️⃣ Gen Z spin: A TikTok account rewrites Bible stories in popular lingo to give the ancient word a modern twist. In this youthful version, God is the “top G” and the gospel is the “holy tea.” Some say it’s relatable, but others call it blasphemous.
Watch this
🍝 Pasta pros: The Setaro family has been making pasta in Torre Annunziata, Italy, since the 1930s. The small shop near Naples produces just a fraction of what the bigger factories do, but their products are sold in gourmet stores worldwide.
Top headlines
• Most American Airlines flights are delayed after a tech issue caused a nationwide ground stop
• Former President Bill Clinton discharged from hospital after being treated for flu
• What we know about the suspect accused of setting a woman on fire in NYC subway
1 million
🏦 That’s how many delivery drivers Walmart allegedly forced to open expensive deposit accounts, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Check this out
🎄 Holiday luxury: These hotels serve up a glamorous way to brighten the Christmas season, whether it’s for an overnight stay or meeting a friend for afternoon tea.
Quotable
Finally free: Two people who were wrongfully convicted of murder 15 years ago were just released from a California prison. A judge cited new evidence pointing to other suspects.
Quiz time
✈️ Which country is building the world’s largest airport on a man-made island?
A. China
B. Japan
C. Australia
D. Russia
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.
Good vibes
🎤 A riveting return: Celine Dion sang in one of the most memorable moments of the Summer Olympics in Paris, and she shared her struggles with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional documentary. Dion showed us just how powerful her voice really is, and her triumphant year was the inspirational pop culture story we all needed.
Thanks for reading
👋 The 5 Things team is taking a little break for the holidays. We’ll be back in your inbox Sunday morning.
🧠 Quiz answer: A. China is building an airport on an artificial island with four runways and a 969,000-square-foot passenger terminal. Think you can ace CNN’s Year in Review News Quiz? Give it a try.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Chris Good, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.
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