Disappearing glaciers, Brian Walshe convicted, reviving ‘Tar-zhay’: Catch up on the day’s stories

By Daniel Wine, Jordan D. Brown, CNN

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Gift cards are a simple present for the holiday season — for a picky teenager or that person who insists they don’t want anything — but scammers love them too. An expert offers advice on how to avoid fraud.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Peak extinction

Thousands of glaciers have vanished over the past few decades, and as the world continues to heat up, they’re expected to disappear at an increasing pace. New research gives a glimpse of how quickly that might happen.

2️⃣ Brian Walshe trial

After about six hours of deliberations, a Massachusetts jury convicted him of first-degree murder in the 2023 killing of his wife Ana. He left the courthouse in handcuffs and shackles and is expected to be sentenced Wednesday.

3️⃣ From boom to bust

Donald Trump’s return to the White House set off a gold rush on Wall Street and in the crypto world as companies and projects linked to the president and his family exploded in value. Now some have fizzled out.

4️⃣ Reviving ‘Tar-zhay’

Target has been struggling, and the retail giant hopes to spark a turnaround by recapturing its cultural cachet. It’s turning to a fashion-forward New York neighborhood to get started.

5️⃣ Never-before-seen images

New photos of Rosa Parks from the Civil Rights Movement were made public for the first time in seven decades. They illustrate aspects of her legacy that are often overlooked.

Watch this

👹 ‘Little tyrant’: Every December, families in Guatemala set giant devil effigies on fire. It’s a tradition intended to clear out bad energy before Christmas. An organizer explains why this year’s celebration turned political.

Top headlines

• Rob and Michele Reiner’s son ‘responsible’ for their deaths, police say
• Police release new surveillance video that shows person of interest in Brown University shooting
• Suspects in killing of 15 people at Bondi Beach named

Check this out

🌇 Sky high: The world’s tallest hotel just opened in Dubai, but it wasn’t meant to be a record-setter. The building grew unexpectedly as blueprints were redrawn. Take a closer look at the Ciel Tower.

For CNN subscribers

• Your grocery store is a bewildering sea of overly processed food. Here’s why and what to do
• This US citizen went on his lunch break and ended up in a chokehold by a masked federal agent and detained, video shows
• Is Snoopy a sellout?

Quiz time

🤖 The US government is launching a hiring and talent development program to bring more technology and AI employees to the public sector. What’s it called?
A. “Instant Insight”
B. “Project X”
C. “Tech Force”
D. “Code Craft”
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Thanks for reading

✅ Most popular in Friday’s newsletter: New photos released from Epstein’s estate showing Trump, Bannon, Bill Clinton and other high-profile people

🧠 Quiz answer: C. “Tech Force” is designed to address a technical and early career talent gap across the government.

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.

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