podcast
CNN 5 Things
We bring you 5 stories that will get you up to speed and on with your day. Updates every weekday morning, midday and evening. Plus, 5 Good Things and One Thing on the weekends.

The two fatal ICE shootings in Maine and Houston raise questions about body camera deployments nationwide. We have details on the latest military actions from the US on Iran. A family member of Lindsey Graham’s has been sworn in to finish the late Senator’s term. There’s a significant move in the three-year legal saga between President Donald Trump and E. Jean Carroll. Plus, a dinosaur fossil skeleton has made history at an auction.
Jul 14, 2026
The Trump administration is trying to exert authority over the Strait of Hormuz – but some US allies are not on board. Residents of Biddeford, Maine are reeling after yesterday’s deadly ICE shooting. We break down some good news about inflation. Parts of Texas ravaged by last year’s historic floods are getting more rain dumped on them. And Capitol Hill gets a rare visit from a pair of Supreme Court justices.
Jul 14, 2026
An ICE agent killed a 26-year-old Colombian man in Maine. The US strikes Iran for the third night, and is set to reimposed its blockade. Lindsey Graham’s sister will temporarily fill his Senate seat. Michigan officials believe the Cyclospora outbreak is linked to greens. Plus, Norwegian Soccer star Haaland brings home a taxidermy raccoon.
Jul 14, 2026
We start with a judge’s scathing opinion in a controversial lawsuit related to President Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. We have new details about ICE shootings in Maine and Houston. A media mega-merger is facing a new legal challenge. Journalists from CNN and other outlets were attacked on the one-year anniversary of a deadly West Bank beating. Plus, we’ll tell you how an annual trip for a man and his grandson ended up in a hospital.
Jul 13, 2026
President Donald Trump says the US will restart the blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz as US strikes increase and expand beyond coastal areas. For the second time in less than a week, ICE is involved in a deadly shooting. French authorities are taking water from the River Seine to fight a raging wildfire south of Paris. British counter-terror police are now leading the investigation into the suspected murder of a former UK lawmaker. And we look back on the life of one of the stars of “Jurassic Park.”
Jul 13, 2026
President Trump orders flags at half-staff in honor of the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The US Military says it hit Iran with strikes after a weekend of attacks. Senator Mitch McConnell posted a hospital photo and explained why he’s been under care for the last month. At least 27 people have been killed in a Bangkok pub fire. Plus, a summer camp teaches skilled trades to teens.
Jul 13, 2026
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has been hospitalized for nearly a month, but it remains unclear why or what his condition is. His prolonged absence comes just after Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) disappeared for over 100 days, for what he later revealed was treatment for depression. These incidents are reigniting a prickly debate over what information lawmakers owe voters, the limits of medical privacy, and if Congress is just too old.
Note: This episode was recorded before McConnell's statement revea...Show moreling that his hospitalization was due to a fall. Read more here.
It was also recorded before the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham.
---
Guest: Casey Burgat, The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Photo: Tom Brenner/Reuters
Jul 12, 2026
No one has carried their partner to more world championship wins than this Finnish man. Meet one of this year’s CNN Heroes who offers more than a roof over the heads of people experiencing homelessness in Syracuse, New York. Kelsey Pfendler completed a record-breaking row from California to Hawaii. These furry airport employees in West Virginia have helped solve a costly problem that's plagued aviation for decades. Plus, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, take this neuroscientist’s advice...Show more.
Sign up for the CNN 5 Good Things newsletter here.
Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco
Producer: Eryn Mathewson
Senior Producer: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Bryce Urbany, Christie O'Reilly, Meg Dunn, Kareem El Damanhoury
Jul 11, 2026
We start with President Donald Trump’s comments on an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate him and the security measures he’s taking. A bipartisan bill is set to become law without Trump’s signature. A 1-in-1000-year rainfall prompted dozens of rescues in Missouri. We’ll tell you how one company is equipping trains in Europe to beat the heat. Plus, the flight that had one passenger fearing for his life.
Jul 10, 2026
President Donald Trump says talks with Iran are back on but reiterated that the ceasefire is over. Witnesses are casting doubt on ICE’s story in the killing of a Houston father. The parents of a Black teenager found dead on July 4th in Mississippi are begging for answers. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly reiterating his crackdown on facial hair in the military. And the exits of World Cup host nations have lowered ticket prices (sort of).
Jul 10, 2026






