CNN 5 Things

This week, one male and one female teenage athlete from every state and US territory will take place in the first-ever ‘Patriot Games,’ an athletic competition tied to America’s 250th birthday celebrations. But the politics of the moment and comparisons to the dystopian ‘Hunger Games’ stories are complicating the optics of the event. We hear from multiple participants about why they are trying to block out the noise and explore how Trump has worked to reshape sports – and America’s 250th birthday – in his image.

For more: Trump’s Patriot Games are billed as a youth sports contest. They’re also a test of patriotic branding

---

Guests: Isabelle Khurshudyan, CNN Senior Enterprise Reporter & Cari Champion, CNN Contributor

Host: David Rind

Producer: Paola Ortiz

Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin

Senior Director of Podcasts: Zach Goldbaum

Editorial Support: Piper Hudspeth Blackburn

Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As firefighters battle blazes around the world, one man is reviving a generations-old wildfire prevention strategy. At this summer camp, grieving kids find support, friendship and fun. We have updates on the internet’s favorite bald eagle couple and the great lengths fans went to protect their nest. We revisit a 2018 CNN hero who turned a life-changing accident into a mission to help people with mobility challenges. Plus, we’ll tell you how a new dating experiment is using a photo booth to play matchmaker for strangers in NYC.

Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco

Producer: Eryn Mathewson

Senior Producer: Zach Goldbaum, Felicia Patinkin

Editorial Support: Daniel Olivares Gallego, Christie O’Reilly
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We start with what US intelligence believes could be Russia’s next move and how it could test NATO’s unity. President Donald Trump is weighing in on the GOP’s prospects in the November midterms. The Senate has passed a major bill in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Three men are expected to return to Mississippi’s Horn Island, in an unofficial effort to investigate a Black teen's death. Plus, a federal appeals court has ruled on the legality of President Trump’s new White House ballroom.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A key Republican senator says he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general. The July jobs report is out, and it isn’t pretty. A deadly school shooting rocks Thailand. A new defense pact involving Saudi Arabia is taking shape in the Middle East. And a major water source in the Southwest is in major trouble.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Washington state arson suspect tells police he started two dozen more fires. Growing calls from GOP senators for Ohio Rep. Max Miller to resign. The DOJ is reviewing Senator Rand Paul’s referral to charge Dr. Anthony Fauci with contempt of Congress. A New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $567 million into a youth mental health fund. Plus, a 97-year-old breaks her own wing walking world record.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices