Five Things to Know for Your New Day – Monday, May 19, 2014

AT&T prepares to gobble up DirecTV, California Chrome's Triple Crown bid could get sidetracked, and hologram Michael Jackson struts his stuff at the Billboard Music Awards.

It's Monday, and here are the 5 things to know for your "New Day."

1. AT&T-DIRECTV MERGER

Combining forces: Over the weekend, AT&T agreed to buy satellite television provider DirecTV. The deal is worth about $50 billion. Federal regulators are expected to give this merger a hard look because of its scope. Regulators are already considering another mega-deal that would combine Comcast and Time Warner Cable. If both mergers go through, AT&T and Comcast would control about two-thirds of the U.S. pay-TV market.

2. MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME

No longer sick: The first case of Middle East respiratory syndrome believed to have been transmitted within the United States has been identified, a doctor with the CDC said over the weekend. It involved an Illinois man who was infected and is no longer sick. He had a 40-minute business meeting with an Indiana businessman who developed MERS after visiting Saudi Arabia. So far, there have been more than 570 confirmed cases of MERS worldwide, including 171 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

3. CALIFORNIA CHROME

No horsing around: Nasal strips aren't just for humans anymore. Apparently, California Chrome - the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes - has been wearing them during the first two legs of the Triple Crown. But the Belmont Stakes might be a different story. In the past, horses in New York haven't been allowed with run with the devices, which help improve breathing. The New York State Gaming Commission would rule on the matter if a request to use them is made. The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978.

4. BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS

Slave to technology: Help us Obi-Wan Jackson, you're our only hope. The King of Pop returned in hologram form last night at the Billboard Music Awards. There was singing, dancing and even a moonwalk to "Slave to the Rhythm," the new single from his posthumous album "Xscape."

https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/468199939047424000

5. PAMELA ANDERSON

Painful memories: Pamela Anderson opens up about sexual abuse she said she suffered throughout her childhood. The former "Baywatch" star said it started at age 6 when she was molested by a baby sitter, and then raped at 12 by the brother of a friend's boyfriend. She spoke at the launch of her animal rights charity - The Pamela Anderson Foundation - at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Anderson said she found comfort in the animal world when the human world let her down.

Those are your five biggies for the day. Here are a couple of others that are brewing and have the Internet buzzing.

- Yummy or yucky? Hey look, it's a cute baby eating watermelon.

- Dolphins, lots of dolphins: When you see this many dolphins together, it's called a superpod. Richard O’Flynn recorded it off the coast of Cork, Ireland.

- Jam session: A guy playing guitar and singing by himself outside a store is soon joined by two more singers. Try not to smile.

- Human transformer: The kids love it, and it's a lot less expensive than going to the movies.

- Friends Down Under: Who's to say a kangaroo and Rottweiler can't be best buds?

There you go. All you need to know to get an early start to your morning.
Be sure to tune in to "New Day," from 6 to 9 a.m. ET, join us at NewDayCNN.com and go and have a GREAT NEW DAY!