Skip to Content

Trump’s growing volatility, smart glasses, deadly scam: Catch up on the day’s stories

By Daniel Wine, CNN

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Social media is flooded with videos of men trying to pick up women. They call themselves “manfluencers,” and smart glasses are their secret tool.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Growing volatility

The disciplined execution of the early months of President Donald Trump’s second term are now a memory. He’s becoming driven by the whiplash of his personal whims, CNN’s Stephen Collinson writes — and it’s putting the world on edge.

2️⃣ Scam turns deadly

The last time Mario Hall spoke to his mom, she taught him how to make pepper steak on a FaceTime call. The next morning, she was shot to death after getting wrapped up in a scheme gone horribly wrong.

3️⃣ Caffeine and aging

No, you don’t have to cut out your caffeine fix to protect your brain against dementia. New research shows that daily coffee or tea is associated with better cognitive health in the long term.

4️⃣ Future of work

Want to understand how artificial intelligence could change your job? This profession has become the ultimate case study for why AI won’t replace human workers in massive numbers.

5️⃣ Shirtless celebration

Austrian snowboarder Benjamin Karl knew exactly what he would do if he won another gold medal at this year’s Winter Olympics. His passionate reaction spread like wildfire.

Watch this

🙏 Frosty faith: Students from the University of Notre Dame and Michigan Technological University braved freezing temperatures to celebrate Mass in chapels they built out of snow and ice.

Top headlines

Check this out

🌼 ‘Really surprising’: The flowers that grow on lipstick vines in a certain part of Asia are breaking the rules of evolution. Scientists are intrigued.

For CNN subscribers

Quiz time

👔 What clothing brand did Bad Bunny wear for his Super Bowl halftime performance?
A. Gucci
B. Hermès
C. Zara
D. Ralph Lauren
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Thanks for reading

Most popular in Friday’s newsletter: Depression can look starkly different for everyone — but 6 symptoms could increase dementia risk

🧠 Quiz answer: C. He wore minimalist outfits from Zara, the Spanish fast fashion retailer.

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.

📧 Check out all of CNN’s newsletters.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Today’s edition of 5 Things PM was edited and produced by CNN’s Kimberly Richardson and Jordan D. Brown.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - National

Jump to comments ↓

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KTVZ is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.