How bullet trains changed rail travel, black plastic concerns, keys to strong relationships: Catch up on the day’s stories

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.��

👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Relationships come in many different forms. What works well for one couple might be totally unacceptable for another. There are some common threads, though, and a therapist shared the

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

5 things

1️⃣ Rail pioneers: Japan’s sleek bullet trains zoomed onto the scene in the 1960s, shrinking travel times and inspiring around the world. The next big thing could come courtesy of China: magnetically levitating trains capable of running at almost 400 mph.

2️⃣ Toxic warning: Black-colored plastic used in toys, food containers and kitchen utensils may contain alarming levels of a dangerous flame retardant, People with��high levels of those chemicals in their blood were much more likely to die from cancer, research previously found.

3️⃣ Sacred ground: Archaeologists in Denmark unearthed more than 50 “exceptionally well preserved” skeletons thought to date back to the ninth and 10th centuries. The bones were found alongside artifacts suggesting the Vikings traveled extensively for trade.

4️⃣ ‘AI companion’: Artificial intelligence chatbots often sound stilted or just downright weird. Microsoft is trying to fix that by focusing on Copilot’s “personality” and — not just what it can do for them.

5️⃣ Creepy viewing: Now that October has arrived, it’s time to get into the spooky spirit. Our entertainment team came up with 13 eerie-sistible movies and TV series heading into Halloween, so carve out some time to watch.

Watch this

🔥 Flooding sparks fire: Surveillance video shows a Tesla in a garage during flooding brought on by Hurricane Helene in Sarasota, Florida. The home burned down, but no injuries were reported.

Top headlines

• at Israel, and IDF warns of ‘serious consequences’

• at 9 p.m. ET in high-stakes vice presidential debate

• mainland US hurricane in past 50 years

Check this out

🏔️ Shifting boundary: In another sign of the impact of climate change, part of the border between Italy and Switzerland because the glaciers are melting.

2,900

✂️ That’s about how many people CVS Health in its latest cost-cutting move. The company said they are “primarily corporate roles.”

Your health

�� Mixed bag: Breast cancer deaths in the US continue to fall, but a new report warns of an increase in cases among The American Cancer Society also said significant racial disparities remain.

Quiz time

🏪 Which convenience store ranks highest for customer satisfaction among US chains?

A. Wawa

B. Sheetz

C. QuikTrip

D. 7-Eleven

⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Sports spotlight

⚾ ‘Destiny was on us’: The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves to the baseball playoffs after a dramatic doubleheader. The wild card games are underway.

Good vibes

🌲 We like to wrap things up on a positive note: Rainforests once covered about 90% of the Philippines, but now less than 3% of intact old-growth forest remains. Conservationist KM Reyes is leading