The costs of AI, feeling crabby, double meteor shower: Catch up on the day’s stories

By CNN Newsource

Published July 30, 2026 3:58 PM

By Gina Park, CNN

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Sky-gazers are in for a real treat, especially those in the Southern Hemisphere. A double meteor shower is set to peak tonight.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Price we pay

The promise of longer-term gains often is preceded by short- and medium-term pain. In the case of AI, that has included job losses, slower wage growth, widening wealth inequity and higher inflation.

2️⃣ ‘People are angry’

A Black teen in Austin, Texas, was fatally shot by police after reporting a possibly armed person. His death is prompting calls for accountability.

3️⃣ Stop the scroll

Spending too much time online may have effects similar to eating disorders, addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder, a new study finds. The next time you feel the urge to reach for your phone, try this instead.

4️⃣ Awkward to promote

What could be so hard about doing press for movies? Tom Holland, star of “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” revealed that he doesn’t want us to watch some of his old projects.

5️⃣ Turn the tide

Warming waters, tropical storms and dying coral reefs: Two generations of marine conservationists have united to defend our oceans. They’ve also shared five ways you can help save them.

Watch this

🔥 ‘Firenado’: Wildfires in a Utah national forest spawned massive spinning towers of smoke, prompting evacuations in a nearby town. ➕ Download the CNN Weather app

Top headlines

White House nominee for CDC director advances to full Senate vote
Father of Georgia school shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison in landmark murder case
FIFA’s plan to inject private money into the World Cup hit with abrupt UEFA boycott

Check this out

⭐ Century of stars: Since 1900, the Michelin Guide has been ranking restaurants across the world. Take a look at eight iconic dishes.

For CNN subscribers

Here’s what to know before you upload your medical data to an AI program
Troy Jackson ran anonymous account to troll Republicans online
She wanted one last epic trip after a devastating diagnosis. Being stuck for days in a pitch-black cave was not the plan

Quiz time

🚫 Elon Musk is constantly accusing people of being what?

A. A “liar”

B. “Corrupt”

C. A “traitor”

D. “Complicit”

⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Thanks for reading

✅ Most popular in yesterday’s newsletter: ‘I have a lot more life here’: She couldn’t afford retirement in the US, so she relocated from California to Portugal

🧠 Quiz answer: C. In a recent interview, Musk accused The Economist’s editor-in-chief of being “a traitor to the West.” Zanny Minton Beddoes is only one of many public figures that he has pointed a finger at.

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.

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

Article Topic Follows: CNN - National

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