Bouncing back from a hurricane, making veggies tasty, California’s rattled nerves: Catch up on the day’s stories

By Daniel Wine, CNN

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👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Election Day will be here before you know it, and Americans across the country are already casting ballots. What are your questions? Let CNN know what’s on your mind so we can help.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Road to recovery: With low unemployment rates and booming home construction, Asheville and Tampa were both economic success stories before Hurricanes Helene and Milton came along. Those areas might be able to bounce back faster than you think.

2️⃣ Fighting fraud: The federal government’s use of artificial intelligence to fight financial crime appears to be paying off. Machine learning helped the US Treasury Department recover $1 billion worth of check fraud in one year, and it’s just getting started.

3️⃣ Rattled nerves: The fault lines under Southern California were quiet for a long time, but several recent earthquakes put residents on edge. Is a big one coming? Experts say it’s not a matter of if, but when.

4️⃣ Veggie bliss: When you’re planning a meal, vegetables are probably an afterthought. But they can actually be the star of the show. It all starts with expanding your understanding of the possibilities when it comes to cooking them.

5️⃣ ‘Moon face’: People on social media are buzzing about how the stress hormone cortisol can cause your cheeks and eyelids to swell beyond recognition. Is that really a thing though? This is how stress can affect your face.

Watch this

👀 Miniature challenge: A Japanese company created a Rubik’s Cube the size of a few grains of rice. Made of aluminum, it’s about 1,000 times smaller than the classic version and sells for $5,000. Think you can solve it?

Top headlines

• Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza operation, Israel confirms
• Harris and Trump in final campaign sprint as early voting begins in North Carolina
• Former One Direction members mourn death of Liam Payne: ‘We will miss him terribly’

$175 billion

💸 That’s how much money has been approved in student loan forgiveness for nearly 5 million people since President Joe Biden took office.

Check this out

🔍 Water woes: Humanity has thrown the global water cycle off balance “for the first time in human history,” according to a new report. It warned that the growing disaster will wreak havoc on economies, food production and lives.

Your health

😴 Buzzworthy feature: Your Apple Watch may be able to alert you if you’re experiencing sleep apnea. Here’s what it means if you get that notification and what you should do next.

Sports spotlight

🏀 Game-winner: Sabrina Ionescu hit a long three-pointer with two seconds left to give the New York Liberty an 80-77 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals. New York needs one more win to claim its first championship.

Quiz time

🎢 Universal Orlando just announced the opening date for its highly anticipated new theme park. What’s it called?
A. Volcano Bay
B. Epic Universe
C. Islands of Adventure
D. Hollywood Studios
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Good vibes

🇫🇷 We like to wrap things up on a positive note: It’s easy to miss the tiny, picturesque vineyard tucked away in the middle of Paris. Located near the French capital’s famous Sacre Coeur cathedral, Clos Montmartre continues a wine-growing tradition that dates back to the 12th century.

Thanks for reading

🧠 Quiz answer: B. Universal Orlando said Epic Universe will open in May 2025. Test your knowledge with CNN’s weekly news quiz in tomorrow morning’s 5 Things newsletter.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.

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