Cold War secrets revealed, insight into teen angst, presidential bracket challenge: Catch up on the day’s stories
By Daniel Wine, CNN
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Welcome to 5 Things PM! Our data and graphics team borrowed a page from college basketball and put a fun political spin on March Madness: predicting the next president of the United States. We’ve selected a starting field of potential candidates for 2028 — 16 Democrats and 16 Republicans. Fill in your bracket and compare your picks with other readers.
Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:
5 things
Cold War secrets: A doctor was deployed to an Arctic research station during the height of tensions between the US and current-day Russia. The “city under the ice” gave rise to a new field of scientific inquiry. Decades later, he learned its covert purpose.
Survival guide: France plans to distribute a manual to every household to help citizens prepare for imminent threats. Similar booklets — on topics including military conflicts, power cuts and extreme weather — were issued in Sweden and Finland.
‘A feeling of despair’: Democratic donors and activists are struggling with muddled messaging and an emboldened President Donald Trump. A new CNN poll underscored the challenges as the party’s favorability rating tumbled to 29% this month — a record low.
Teen angst: If you feel like your kids are a mystery, new data could help give you better insight into their world. Boys and girls face similar challenges, including pressure at school and mental health concerns, but they might need different kinds of support.
Hands off: A street musician in Dublin wants people to stop groping the famous Molly Malone statue. Tourists and passers-by enjoy posing for photos with the mythical fishmonger, but her low-cut dress sometimes attracts the wrong kind of attention.
Watch this
‘We will find you’: Someone set fire to several Teslas at a dealership in Las Vegas, and police said the suspect used what appeared to be Molotov cocktails and a firearm to cause the damage. A string of similar incidents have occurred across the US.
Top headlines
• Israel launches first ground offensive since Gaza ceasefire collapse
• Trump says he had ‘very good’ call with Zelensky after speaking to Putin yesterday
• Jury finds Greenpeace liable for hundreds of millions in relation to pipeline protest
$1.65 billion
That’s how much PepsiCo is spending to buy Poppi, the popular prebiotic soda brand. It’s part of the beverage company’s shift away from sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks.
Check this out
Dog-elgängers: Have you ever noticed when pups look like their owners? Experts say there are psychological reasons behind why people choose canine companions that resemble them.
Quotable
Big move: Uprooting their three children from Wisconsin to live in Switzerland was a gamble for Eagleman and his wife, but they were confident that it would be a great place to raise their family.
Quiz time
March Madness is here! Which teams won last year’s NCAA Tournament for the men and women?
A. Duke and Iowa
B. Kansas and LSU
C. Alabama and Stanford
D. Connecticut and South Carolina
Scroll down for the answer.
Good vibes
Heart and sole: A teenager from New Zealand just became the youngest person to run a sub-four-minute mile. Sam Ruthe, who turns 16 in mid-April, ran a time of 3:58.35 in Auckland. “I’ve definitely enjoyed this one the most, with all the people here supporting me,” he said after the race.
Thanks for reading
We’ll see you tomorrow.
Quiz answer: D. Connecticut won the 2024 men’s NCAA Tournament, and South Carolina claimed the women’s title. This year, the top overall seeds are Auburn for the men and UCLA for the women.
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