Open racism, mom-and-pop shops, a divided MAGA: Catch up on the day’s stories

By Daniel Wine, CNN

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! “The Daily” has been dethroned, and there’s a new No. 1 podcast in the US. Check out Apple’s top 10 list.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Open racism

Slurs directed at Indian Americans are on the rise, and conservatives such as Kash Patel, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy have been targeted. This type of degrading rhetoric isn’t new, but it’s increasingly prominent from the political right.

2️⃣ A divided MAGA

One of President Donald Trump’s great talents as a politician has been holding together a very disparate coalition. But cracks are starting to show, CNN’s Aaron Blake writes, with these issues causing a rift.

3️⃣ ‘Hunkering down’

Tariff chaos. Payroll and health care expenses. Stressed-out workers. Small mom-and-pop businesses in the US are facing mounting pressure from the affordability crisis.

4️⃣ Kessler twins

The sisters who rose to fame in the 1950s as an entertainment duo died at age 89 by joint assisted suicide. It’s legal in Germany, and Alice and Ellen had said they wanted “to go away together on the same day.”

5️⃣ A huge gamble

Why are so many professional athletes caught up in illegal gambling? It’s not just access — it’s mindset. They’re wired to win, and that same drive makes the thrill of betting hard to resist.

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🐬 Finding Mimmo: Despite the noise and busy waterways, a dolphin with a cute nickname has been hanging out in the canals of Venice. Experts hope it returns to the open sea soon, when temperatures drop.

Top headlines

• House votes 427-1 to force Justice Department to release Epstein files
• Clay Higgins was the only Republican to vote against the Epstein files release. Here’s what he said
• Trump claims slain journalist Khashoggi was ‘extremely controversial,’ defends Saudi crown prince
• Federal court bars Texas from using new Republican-friendly US House map in midterms

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🎶 Girl power: Two years ago, six young women went from relative obscurity to internet fame when a Netflix reality show turned them into the group Katseye. Meet the mastermind behind their image.

For CNN subscribers

• New Dominion Voting owner eases concerns about a ‘MAGA takeover’
• Democrats paint an unflattering portrait of Chuck Schumer after shutdown
• Terror plot arrests reveal ‘more dangerous’ online pathway to ISIS radicalization in America

Quiz time

🛳️ The world’s oldest passenger ship made its maiden voyage in 1914. What was its name back then?
A. Sea Cloud
B. MV Astoria
C. MS Nordstjernen
D. SS Medina
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Thanks for reading

✅ Most popular in yesterday’s newsletter: Video: A community for ‘Whites only’ in Arkansas

🧠 Quiz answer: D. The SS Medina has changed names numerous times over the years and has found new life on land as a hotel.

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Today’s edition of 5 Things PM was edited and produced by CNN’s Kimberly Richardson and Sarah Hutter.