High electricity bills, flu vaccine myths, flying under the influence: Catch up on the day’s stories

By Jordan D. Brown, CNN

Welcome to 5 Things PM! With the flu making people miserable from coast to coast, you may be wondering: Will a shot even help? Is it riskier than getting sick? We break down the most common vaccine myths and what the science actually shows.

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

5 things

1⃣ Plague of power prices

High electricity bills have hit mid-Atlantic states hard for years, and it’s not getting better anytime soon. Utility customers in Maryland and Washington, DC, are some of the first to see the effects of the data center boom.

2⃣ Families seeking change

Character.AI has agreed to settle multiple lawsuits alleging the artificial intelligence platform contributed to mental health crises and suicides among young people. It marks the resolution of some of the most high-profile cases related to chatbots.

3⃣ Pessimistic expectations

Americans are feeling hopeless after new data showed the odds of finding a job hit a record low in December, while fears of job loss hover near recent highs. Few bright spots remain.

4⃣ Bottle-to-throttle

It’s rare for pilots to attempt to fly under the influence, but a string of recent events raises the question: What safeguards are in place to ensure they’re sober in the cockpit?

5⃣ A year later

California wildfire survivors are living on empty lots and face skyrocketing rebuilding costs. CNN’s Kyung Lah spoke with Altadena residents about the harsh realities of being unable to rebuild, but unable to leave.

Watch this

Finding love: Samantha Wynn Greenstone fell head over heels with her best friend, knowing he was gay. Together, she and Jacob Hoff document life in their mixed‑orientation marriage as new parents.

Top headlines

Minnesota governor authorizes National Guard as protests erupt after fatal ICE shooting
Trump’s controversial ballroom could solve a decades-long problem — and is taking the first formal steps for construction
Senate moves to check Trump’s war powers as Venezuela makes announcement on political prisoners

Check this out

‘Extraordinary’ discovery: An Iron Age battle trumpet dating back around 2,000 years has been uncovered in England. Known as a carnyx, the instrument was found among an “internationally significant” collection of artifacts.

Quiz time

After the firing of Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel, how many NFL teams currently have a vacant head coach position?
A. 4
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8
Scroll down for the answer.

Thanks for reading

Most popular in yesterday’s newsletter: Meet the first flock of gay sheep

Quiz answer: D. Miami becomes the eighth franchise looking for a head coach. Here are the other coaches who have lost their jobs since the regular season wrapped on Sunday.