The life of a cruise ship doctor, AI taking away jobs, presidential history buff: Catch up on the day’s stories

By CNN Newsource

Published January 8, 2025 2:26 pm

By Daniel Wine, CNN

Editor’s Note: CNN’s 5 Things newsletter is your one-stop shop for the latest headlines and fascinating stories to start and end your busy day. Sign up here.

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Artificial intelligence is coming for your job. About 40% of employers worldwide intend to downsize their workforce as AI automates certain tasks, according to a new survey. Postal clerks, secretaries and payroll clerks are among the jobs that are expected to experience the fastest decline in numbers in the coming years.

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

5 things

1️⃣ Doctors at sea: Few people think about what would happen if they become seriously ill while on a cruise. From heart attacks to dealing with death, the life of a cruise ship doctor can be dramatically different from one on land.

2️⃣ The next pandemic? With reports of the first human death from bird flu in the US, some Americans are feeling an uncomfortable flashback to the early days of Covid-19. Here’s what you should know about the H5N1 virus.

3️⃣ History buff: Michael Tropp has met seven presidents and visited all 39 presidential gravesites. His visit to Plains, Georgia, in 2021 produced several special moments. This week, the Atlanta man paid his respects to Jimmy Carter.

4️⃣ Questionable content: As Meta drops fact-checkers, there will be even more harmful posts on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Experts explained what you can tell your kids.

5️⃣ Turning the tables: Ryanair is going after unruly passengers. Europe’s largest airline sued for $15,400 in damages from a passenger who disrupted a flight last year, marking a new approach to tackling bad behavior.

Watch this

🚢 Show of force: China’s military just unveiled a new cutting-edge warship at a launch ceremony in Shanghai. It’s one of the world’s largest amphibious assault ships.

Top headlines

• Raging wildfires push Los Angeles first responders ‘to their maximum limits’
• Trump meets with GOP lawmakers in DC as his Cabinet picks lobby for support
• Police arrest nurse at Virginia hospital where newborn babies have been suffering mysterious injuries

94%

💸 That’s how much victims of the late Bernie Madoff have recovered of their financial losses from history’s biggest Ponzi scheme.

Check this out

🤩 Scenic views: Ginzan Onsen, a Japanese hot springs town known for its picturesque scenery and photo opportunities, started limiting entry to day trippers during the peak winter season. It’s the latest destination to tackle overtourism.

Celebrity corner

⭐ Mistaken identity: Actress Pamela Anderson said she was confronted on a plane by an angry passenger who thought she was someone else. “I was scared to fly after that,” she said. Anderson’s new movie, “The Last Showgirl,” opens this week.

Quiz time

🇸🇬 Which small city-state, pictured here, was named home to the world’s most powerful passport for 2025?
A. Monaco
B. Hong Kong
C. Singapore
D. Vatican City
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Good vibes

🔥 ‘Unbelievable’: Steve Guttenberg doesn’t just play a good guy on the big screen. When the Los Angeles County wildfires were threatening his Pacific Palisades neighborhood, the actor sprang into action and helped move abandoned cars that were hindering people’s ability to evacuate. “I haven’t seen anything like this in my entire life, and I don’t think many people have,” he told CNN’s Laura Coates.

Thanks for reading

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
🧠 Quiz answer: C. With visa-free access to 195 destinations, Singapore has been declared the world’s most powerful passport.
📧 Check out all of CNN’s newsletters.

Today’s 5 Things PM was edited by CNN’s Andrew Torgan and Kimberly Richardson.

Article Topic Follows: CNN – National

Jump to comments ↓