Stunning images from space, memes gone wild, iron-tipped lizard teeth: Catch up on the day’s stories

By CNN

Published July 24, 2024 2:25 PM

CNN

By Daniel Wine, CNN

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! After a slow start at the summer box office, Hollywood has something to celebrate. “Inside Out 2” became the highest-grossing animated film of all time, raking in $1.46 billion globally and dethroning former record holder “Frozen 2” from 2019.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Out of this world: A glowing supernova remnant, a nebula shaped like a cat’s paw and the iconic “Pillars of Creation” are just a few of the celestial objects among the batch of never-before-seen images captured by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to mark the telescope’s 25th anniversary.

2️⃣ Kicked off: A reality show contestant who killed and ate a protected bird was let off with a warning after New Zealand wildlife officials said cast members were tired, hungry and placed in a “unique” situation. But he and his teammate were disqualified.

3️⃣ Royals go green: King Charles III championed environmental causes long before he ascended to the British throne. The monarchy has introduced a slew of measures to tackle rising carbon emissions, including solar panels on palaces and biofuel-powered Bentleys.

4️⃣ Meme movement: From coconut trees to “brat” summer laughs, the emergence of Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee generated a big buzz on social media. Here’s a primer.

5️⃣ Metal mouths: Komodo dragons — the world’s largest lizards — have iron-tipped teeth that help them rip their prey apart. The metal acts as a protective layer that keeps them sharp.

Watch this

🐋 Close call: A whale surfaced and then crashed down on a boat in Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire, nearly sinking the vessel. The two passengers were rattled but not hurt.

Top headlines

• Israeli prime minister attacks critics and Iran during speech to Congress
• Trump shooter searched online for ‘how far away was Oswald from Kennedy’
• CNN Poll: Harris improves on Biden’s performance against Trump

Check this out

🔍 Underwater find: A mosaic from the floor of an ancient Roman villa was discovered on the seabed in the waters off the coast of Naples. It’s mostly made of irregularly shaped pieces of reused marble.

Quotable

🏠 Toxic mix: Surging rent prices and vanishing support for renters have catapulted evictions above pre-pandemic levels in some cities.

Your health

💉 Promising results: Twice-yearly shots of a drug used to treat HIV were dramatically effective at preventing infections in a study among young women and adolescent girls.

Quiz time

Which US city was just confirmed as host for the 2034 Winter Olympics?
A. Seattle
B. Denver
C. Anchorage
D. Salt Lake City
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Celebrity corner

⭐ Back story: Twenty-five years ago, Hugh Jackman landed a role that changed his career, becoming Wolverine in “X-Men.” But he wasn’t the first actor chosen for the part.

Olympics update

💃 Strike averted: Hundreds of dancers threatening to disrupt the Opening Ceremony over pay have reached an agreement with Paris 2024, according to the union.

Good vibes

🎨 We like to wrap things up on a positive note: Madagascan artist Tara Shakti’s paintings will be sent to the moon as a lasting memorial to human creativity as part of the Lunar Codex project. Her work sheds light on issues such as human trafficking and systemic oppression, and Shakti hopes to empower other women through her paintings.

Thanks for reading

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
💬 What did you like about today’s 5 Things PM? Did we miss anything? Email us: 5ThingsPM@cnn.com
🧠 Quiz answer: D. The International Olympic Committee announced that Salt Lake City will host the Winter Games in 2034.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - National

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