Concerns about bird flu, snow forecast, chatbot therapy: Catch up on the day’s stories

By CNN Newsource

Published December 18, 2024 3:24 PM

By Daniel Wine, CNN

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👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! AI chatbots are becoming a popular option for people to talk about their problems and get feedback. Mental health experts weighed in on this modern form of therapy.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Bird flu: A patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 bird flu, the first such case in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the person was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the spread of the disease there.

2️⃣ Powerful plans: If everything comes together, Virginia will be home to the world’s first grid-scale nuclear fusion power plant. The goal is for the facility to harness the futuristic clean power and generate electricity from it by the early 2030s.

3️⃣ Dark comets: Astronomers have spotted seven new examples of a cosmic phenomenon that could help scientists determine whether these celestial bodies helped deliver vital elements like water to Earth early in the planet’s history.

4️⃣ Squirrelly behavior: California ground squirrels typically munch on seeds and plants, but a new study found that they’re now eating other rodents. This carnivorous tendency could be in response to environmental changes.

5️⃣ Snow situation: A weak La Niña is expected to bring colder and wetter conditions to northern parts of the US this winter, while the South may be warmer and drier than normal. Here’s what you can expect.

Watch this

🚣‍♂️ That sinking feeling: After stealing $11,000 in jewelry from a shipping container near Seattle, authorities said a man and woman tried to flee on foot, then by SUV. Their final futile attempt to escape — in a sinking rowboat — was captured by a sheriff’s drone before they were arrested.

Top headlines

• After investigating January 6, House GOP sides with Trump and goes after Liz Cheney
• Exclusive: In reversal, key House panel votes to release Matt Gaetz ethics report
• Supreme Court agrees to hear case over TikTok ban

Check this out

🦉 Mimicking the moon: Many barn owls have white undersides, which researchers suggest could function as a form of camouflage. This helps the nighttime hunters prey on rodents scurrying on the ground.

Quotable

Cold case: She took a DNA test for fun. Police used the results to charge her grandmother with murder 20 years after an infant’s remains were found at a Michigan campground.

Quiz time

🌮 Taco Bell is veering away — slightly — from its Mexican-inspired cuisine and adding which item to its menu?
A. Sushi
B. Burgers
C. Mac and cheese
D. Chicken nuggets
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Celebrity corner

🎅 Ho ho ho! Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man of many talents: bodybuilder, politician and movie star. With his latest acting role, the former California governor can add Santa Claus to that list.

Good vibes

🏋️‍♀️ Double feat: Olivia Reeves became the first American weightlifter in 66 years to hold both the world title and the Olympic gold medal. “She’s just unbelievably consistent,” US head of coaching Mike Gattone said of Reeves, who also just earned a degree in sociology.

Thanks for reading

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
🧠 Quiz answer: D. Taco Bell is adding chicken nuggets to the menu for a limited time and putting its own spin on the fast-food staple.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Chris Good, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.

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