Danger of cleaning supplies, cold snap coming, our powerful sense of smell: Catch up on the day’s stories

Health

October 14, 2024

Daniel Wine - CNN

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👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Finally, it’s fall! Time to break out your sweaters and hoodies. Millions of people across the US will get their first taste of cold weather this week when a surge of Canadian air sends temperatures plunging.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Chemical concerns: Common household cleaning supplies can be hazardous to your health. The Environmental Working Group found that more than 2,000 products may contain substances linked to problems including asthma, chemical burns and cancer risks.

2️⃣ The nose knows: Your sense of smell may be more powerful than you think. Humans can distinguish odors within a fraction of a second at a level of sensitivity on par with how our brains perceive color, a new study found.

3️⃣ Help for caregivers: Taking care of an elderly parent or seriously ill family member can be physically and emotionally draining — and expensive. But doing that while also holding down a job is a recipe for burnout. Here’s how companies can ease the strain.

4️⃣ Secret tomb: Archaeologists discovered the remains of 12 human skeletons and artifacts estimated to be at least 2,000 years old. The site in Petra, Jordan, was featured in the film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

5️⃣ Thanksgiving, eh? Gobble gobble! It’s turkey day — in Canada, that is. The traditions and foods are similar to those in the US, but a historian explains why Canadians celebrate in the middle of October.

Watch this

🐼 Panda diplomacy: Preparations are underway for the arrival of two giant pandas from China to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC. CNN gained exclusive access to their move — take a look.

Top headlines

• NASA launches mission to investigate a potentially habitable ocean world
• Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of sexual assault in 6 new lawsuits
• True Value declares bankruptcy and sells itself to a hardware rival

What’s buzzing

❄️ Snowed under: Bath and Body Works apologized for selling candles emblazoned with a winter theme that some people said looked like Ku Klux Klan hoods.

Check this out

🌧️ Rare deluge: Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after floods hit one of the driest places in the world for the first time in decades.

Celebrity corner

🎹 ‘Pure love’: Oscar-winning actor and singer Jamie Foxx hadn’t been on stage for 18 years, but he returned to perform on the piano in Atlanta for a very special reason.

Sports spotlight

⚾ Dandy defense: The Los Angeles Dodgers tied a Major League Baseball playoff record in their 9-0 blowout win over the New York Mets in the first game of the National League Championship Series.

Quiz time

🌀 Why did some federal aid for Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina have to be paused?
A. Bad weather
B. Money ran out
C. Shortage of volunteers
D. Threats to FEMA workers
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Good vibes

💆 We like to wrap things up on a positive note: Can spending time at an ultra-exclusive luxury destination help extend your life? That remains to be seen, but it’s a common theme among new social and wellness clubs, opulent high-rises and private retreats.

Thanks for reading

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
🧠 Quiz answer: D. A North Carolina man was arrested and accused of threatening to harm FEMA employees.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.