CNN 5 Things

'Hi from CNN, this is Madeleine Thompson with five things you need to know for Friday, November 22nd. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to offer Kelly Loeffler the role of secretary of agriculture. That's what two people familiar with the matter tell CNN. Loeffler is co-chairing Trump's inauguration and raised millions for him during the campaign. She briefly represented Georgia in the Senate, and first lady Melania Trump has also announced her first hire for her second term at the East Wing. She's appointing longtime aide Hayley Harrison as chief of staff. CNN has previously reported that the first lady is unlikely to move to Washington, D.C., full time, but will maintain a platform and key priorities.

'The vibe among Democrats right now is measurably not good. A new Pew Research Center poll released today finds that in the aftermath of the 2024 elections, Democrats are less optimistic about their party's future than they've been at any point in the last eight years. CNN's Ariel Edwards-Levy has more.

'Hi Madeleine, Pew Research has checked in with Americans after each of the last few elections to get a sense of what people make up the result. And this year, roughly half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say they're pessimistic about the party's future. That's up from 38% in the wake of Donald Trump's 2016 victory and just 17% after Joe Biden won four years ago. In the latest poll, Democrats younger than 50 are more likely than older people aligned with the party to say they're not optimistic. Still, most Americans across party lines say they're not surprised by the results of the presidential election.

A new study published in the journal Science contains a breakthrough many years in the making. CNN's Jen Christensen explains.

For decades, scientists have wondered what a particular contaminant was and treated drinking water using advanced technology. An international team of scientists did some serious detective work for more than a decade. And on Thursday, they announced that they have finally solved the mystery. They call it chloronitramide anion. It's a byproduct of chloramine, a chemical many water treatment plants use to make water safe to drink. Scientists don't know if the byproduct is toxic or not, but they hope the government will investigate. About 113 million people in the United States drink tap water that exposes them to this contaminant.

McDonald's menu is getting a makeover in hopes of winning back customers after several dismal quarters. The value perception of the chain has dimmed over the past five years. According to the company, the average price of its menu items has soared around 40% during that time, in line with rising costs. The chain had been making some progress before an E coli outbreak last month caused sales and traffic to nosedive. It will now offer the McValue menu featuring its existing $5 meal deal at U.S. locations starting on January 7th, 2025. It's McDonald's largest value minded effort since 2018, when it priced some items from 1 to $3. Coming up, the kids are all right.

A 17 year old, won the International Children's Peace Prize earlier this week for her advocacy for Afghan girls. Before the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan in 2021, nila Ibrahimi gained an online following when she pressured Kabul educational authorities to overturn a ban on schoolgirls singing. Ibrahimi recorded herself singing, her brother uploaded the video to social media, and within weeks, the ban was overturned. But over the past three years, Afghan authorities have only cracked down on efforts to silence women. The Taliban has closed schools for girls over 12 and prohibited women from being heard at all outside of the home. Ibrahimi fled to Canada a few years ago, but she continues to advocate for Afghan women by founding an organization called Her Story that highlights the voices of women and girls still in the country. That's a wrap. Tune in tomorrow for a new episode of Five Good Things.