Fake AI image of Brad Pitt used to scam woman out of thousands of dollars

Europe

January 27, 2025

Daniel Wine - CNN

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👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! If you’re already struggling with that New Year’s resolution, you’re not the only one. A new study suggests that forming healthy new habits takes a lot longer than we thought.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Fascinating find: Astronomers say a small space rock that lingered near Earth several months ago and was referred to as a temporary “mini-moon” may actually be a chunk of the moon that chipped off thousands of years ago.

2️⃣ Bucking the trend: Some of the biggest companies in the US — including Amazon, Meta, Walmart and McDonald’s — have ended or scaled back their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. One of America’s biggest beauty brands is standing firm.

3️⃣ Moving experience: While hiding from the Nazis, Anne Frank and her family lived inside a tiny secret annex atop an Amsterdam home. That famous space can now be explored remotely in New York.

4️⃣ Weaponizing wildfires: Thousands of wildfires tear through southern Italy every year, fueled by scorching temperatures and dry winds. The climate crisis is pouring gasoline on these blazes, but new research suggests the Mafia is exploiting them for power and profit.

5️⃣ ‘They are incompetent’: Five years ago, French chef Marc Veyrat took the prestigious Michelin Guide to court over an unfavorable soufflé review — and lost. Now he’s banning the publication’s inspectors from his new restaurant.

Watch this

🤖 AI scam: A woman in France was conned out of $850,000 after fraudsters used fake images of actor Brad Pitt to trick her into believing he was undergoing cancer treatment.

Top headlines

• Trump to reshape the military, including banning transgender service members
• A shocking Chinese AI advancement called DeepSeek is sending US stocks plunging
• Trump’s Justice Department fires officials who investigated him and launches ‘special project’ into January 6 cases

What’s buzzing

☕ Déjà vu: Some of the changes that Starbucks rolled out today might look familiar for the coffee chain’s longtime customers. Here’s what is different.

Check this out

🥀 Funky flower: Visitors are flocking to a botanic garden in New York City so they can get a whiff of a plant that smells like a rotting corpse.

Quotable

🎭 Oscars snub: When the Academy Award nominations were announced, many people were disappointed that “The Last Showgirl” star didn’t receive one — but she wasn’t.

Quiz time

🍺 Food and drinks for a Super Bowl party with 10 people will cost about how much this year?
A. $139
B. $177
C. $200
D. $229
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Good vibes

✍🏻 ‘Junk journaling’: The creative hobby that combines collage, scrapbooking and traditional journaling is having a moment right now. Part of the fun is that there are no rules, and it’s a great way to decompress and channel your energy into making something pleasing.

Thanks for reading

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
🧠 Quiz answer: A. Store-bought Super Bowl snacks for 10 people will cost $139 — about the same as last year.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Chris Good, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.