How bullet trains changed rail travel, black plastic corporations, the keys to strong relationships: catch up on the stories of the day

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Welcome to 5 Things PM! Relationships take many forms. What works well for one couple may be completely unacceptable for another. However, there are some common threads and the therapist shared six ingredients of a successful relationship.

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

1⃣ Railway pioneers: Sleek Japanese bullet trains burst onto the scene in the 1960s, cutting travel times and inspiring a revolution in high-speed rail travel around the world. The next big thing may come courtesy of China: magnetically levitating trains that can travel at nearly 400 miles per hour.

2⃣ Toxic warning: A new study finds that black plastic used in toys, food containers and kitchenware may contain alarming levels of a dangerous flame retardant. People from Previous studies have shown that high levels of these chemicals in the blood significantly increased the risk of dying from cancer.

3⃣ Holy land: Archaeologists in Denmark have discovered more than 50 “exceptionally well-preserved” skeletons at a large burial site believed to date back to the 9th and 10th centuries. The bones were found alongside artifacts suggesting that the Vikings traveled widely for trade.

4⃣ “AI companion”: AI-based chatbots often sound artificial or just plain weird. Microsoft is trying to remedy this by focusing on Copilot’s “personality” and how it makes users feel, rather than just what it can do for them.

5⃣ Scary Watching: Now that October is here, it’s time to get into the spooky spirit. Our animation team has prepared 13 amazing movies and TV series that are sure to give you Halloween scares, so take some time to watch them.

Flood causes fire: Surveillance footage shows a Tesla bursting into flames in a garage during flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in Sarasota, Florida. The house burned down, but no injuries were reported.

• Iran fires a wave of rockets at Israel, and IDF warns of ‘serious consequences’
• Vance and Walz prepare to face off at 9 p.m. ET in the all-important vice presidential debate
• Helene is the second deadliest hurricane in the continental United States in the last 50 years

The shifting frontier: Another sign of the impact of climate change will be the redrawing of part of the border between Italy and Switzerland due to melting glaciers.

That’s about how many people CVS Health plans to lay off as part of its latest cost-cutting move. The company said these are “primarily corporate roles.”

Mixed bag: Breast cancer deaths continue to decline in the U.S., but a new report warns of an increase in cases among women under 50. The American Cancer Society also found that significant racial disparities persist.

Which convenience store ranks highest in customer satisfaction among U.S. chains?
A. Wawa
B. Sheetz
C. QuikTrip
D. 7-Eleven
Scroll down to see the answer.

“Destiny was with us”: The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves advanced to the baseball playoffs after a dramatic doubleheader. The wild card competition is underway.

We like to end everything on a positive note: Rainforests once covered about 90% of the Philippines, but now less than 3% of intact old-growth forests remain. Conservationist KM Reyes is leading a grassroots movement to save them.

See you tomorrow.
 Quiz answer: A. A new study shows Wawa received the highest marks for customer satisfaction.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.