Voters weigh in, Target’s new strategy, planetary love fest: Catch up on the day’s stories

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5 things

1️⃣ Voters weigh in

Today’s primaries in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas could deliver a verdict not just on President Donald Trump’s second term but on how both parties see themselves and their futures. Several marquee races are on the ballot — follow live updates.

🗳️ Check back later for results: Texas | North Carolina | Arkansas

2️⃣ Power structure

Iran’s government isn’t a one-man show — it’s a system born out of a revolution, with power distributed throughout several layers. Built to sustain an attack on its leaders, that makes it harder for adversaries to topple.

3️⃣ Targeting a turnaround

Target’s new CEO believes adding new, buzzy brands can win back shoppers after a brutal few years. The struggling company plans to introduce new items in food, beauty, apparel and home furnishings.

4️⃣ A planetary love fest

Every February, people flock to the town where Pluto was discovered. Its demotion to “dwarf planet” status doesn’t stop the faithful from showing up for several days of lectures, pub crawling and birthday cake.

5️⃣ ‘I’m just opinionated’

A young Staples employee in upstate New York became TikTok famous for her videos about the office supply chain’s products and services. Her sights are set on other opportunities.

Watch this

🚴 A wheel adventure: Ian Andersen spent five years traveling around the world on his bicycle. He visited six continents and faced some unexpected challenges along the way.

Top headlines

• Iran renews retaliatory attacks after new strikes targeted its leaders
• Lutnick to appear voluntarily before House Oversight Committee about relationship with Epstein
• Father of Georgia school shooter found guilty of murder and manslaughter

Check this out

📸 ‘Love Letters to Donbas’: Serhii Korovayny has warm memories of the region in eastern Ukraine where he grew up. His photos capture how much life there has changed.

For CNN subscribers

• He killed the man accused of sexually abusing his teenage daughter. He’s awaiting trial — and running for sheriff
• One month into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, three questions hang over the investigation
• Analysis: Trump’s new tariffs rely on an untested section of a 1974 law that may be illegal. It might not matter

Quiz time

📺 Paramount+ plans to combine with which other streaming service after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger?
A. Hulu
B. Netflix
C. Peacock
D. HBO Max
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Thanks for reading

✅ Most popular in yesterday’s newsletter: How the Iran war set off a MAGA fight over Charlie Kirk’s legacy

🧠 Quiz answer: D. HBO Max and Paramount+ are set to become a single streaming service after the deal closes. (HBO, like CNN, is currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.)

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