Ebola hotspot, dramatic rescue, finding inner peace: Catch up on the day’s stories

By CNN Newsource

Published May 21, 2026 4:31 PM

By Kimberly Richardson, CNN

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! President Donald Trump’s vision for the world’s tallest arch is one step closer to reality, but it’s not taking shape exactly as planned. Take a look.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Ebola hotspot

The virus has killed more than 100 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and triggered a global health emergency — highlighting the persistent factors that keep this region at risk.

➕ Visualizing the outbreak in maps and charts.

2️⃣ Resilient living

From devastating floods to scorching heat, extreme weather is impacting every corner of the US. Experts say these moves can help protect your home.

🌦️ Sign up for the CNN Weather newsletter.

3️⃣ ‘Chud the Builder’

He wasn’t widely known — until suddenly he was everywhere. Dalton Eatherly’s arrest in a Tennessee shooting shows how fast and easy it is to become notorious.

4️⃣ Mounting pressure

After a seven-month hiatus, SpaceX is preparing to launch a more powerful Starship rocket. It’s a make-or-break step toward solving major challenges and returning astronauts to the moon. Follow live updates.

5️⃣ Finding inner peace

Martial arts legend Jet Li’s career has always carried some degree of risk, but no amount of training could have prepared him for his real-life brushes with death.

Watch this

🔥 Dramatic rescue: A mother and baby were trapped on the second floor of a burning home in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Watch as she drops the child from the window into a police officer’s arms.

Top headlines

Republicans revolt over Trump’s $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
‘Mastermind’ of $250M Minnesota theft scheme gets 500-month prison sentence as feds charge more people with fraud
Mortgage rates climb to highest level in 9 months

Check this out

🏔️ Courageous climb: A staggering number of people just summited Mount Everest from the south side in a single day. The total might surprise you.

For CNN subscribers

What’s in the long-awaited DNC ‘autopsy’ of the 2024 election
Analysis: How much damage has the Iran war done to the US economy?
Why Castro’s indictment could lead to war between the US and Cuba

Quiz time

🍕 Which city is being credited with a rising “pizza scene” that some now claim rivals or even surpasses the world’s best?
A. Tokyo
B. Atlanta
C. London
D. Denver
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Thanks for reading

✅ Most popular in yesterday’s newsletter: Two fighter jets collide at Idaho air show

🧠 Quiz answer: C. “London pizza” has grown popular in the city the past few years, ushering in a wave of new restaurants.

▶️ Make sense of what’s happening with unlimited articles and exclusive insights. Subscribe here.

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.

Today’s edition of 5 Things PM was edited and produced by CNN’s Daniel Wine and Chris Good.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - National

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