Contractors hit hard, pollution tracker, tech overload: Catch up on the day’s stories

By Daniel Wine, CNN

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! You may think you’re exhausted because you have too many things on your plate. The real reason might be how you’re using technology.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Contractors hit hard

Unlike federal employees, contract workers typically don’t receive backpay when the government reopens after a shutdown. People in low-wage service jobs — janitors, security guards and cafeteria workers — often find they’re out of luck.

2️⃣ A global movement

From Morocco to Madagascar, Gen Z-led uprisings are driving thousands of young people from their screens to the streets. They’re demanding accountability and change — and even toppling governments.

3️⃣ ‘Everyone’s a canary’

Plastic is woven into our lives, and its pollution is in the air we breathe, the dust we inhale, the food we eat. Three CNN reporters on three continents wore chemical-tracking wristbands. The results were alarming.

4️⃣ Housing woes

After the pandemic-era boom, the market is losing steam. Buyers now have the upper hand, and they’re walking away from deals more often. So why haven’t prices budged?

5️⃣ More cats than people

Up to 10,000 people a day visit Tabarca during the high season, but once they leave, things quiet down considerably. The Spanish island is trying to strike a balance between preservation and tourism.

Watch this

🦭 Dramatic rescue: Scientists and veterinarians teamed up for a daring yet delicate operation to remove a plastic strap from around a sea lion’s neck. A drone captured the lifesaving act.

Top headlines

• Attorney General Pam Bondi deflects Democrats’ questions on Epstein and other issues
• Supreme Court’s conservative majority prepared to rule against conversion therapy ban
• Government shutdown causes air travel delays across the US

Check this out

🎷 Hometown sound: New Orleans brass bands have come to shape the city’s heartbeat by weaving culture, resilience and music into every celebration — even funeral processions.

Quiz time

💰 Gold just reached what price per ounce for the first time?
A. $1,000
B. $2,000
C. $3,000
D. $4,000
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Thanks for reading

✅ Most popular in yesterday’s newsletter: How the Milwaukee Brewers’ sausage race was made

🧠 Quiz answer: D. Gold, which is considered a resilient investment and a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty, hit $4,000 an ounce.

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