Deal or No Deal?

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost a vote on Tuesday night to a cross-party alliance opposed to a “no-deal” Brexit. The alliance plans to propose a law today that would require the PM to ask the European Union for another delay if a deal is not reached by the October 31 deadline.

Dorian diminishes

After moving slowly through the Bahamas over the course of two days and killing at least seven, Hurricane Dorian weakened and headed away from the islands to the northwest. The storm, a Category 2 as of Tuesday, is expected to make its way up the coast throughout the week.

Tentatively agreed

The United States and the Taliban agreed on a draft peace accord agreement Tuesday. Under the deal, the US would withdraw 5,400 troops and close five bases within 135 days of signing.

Thank u, not

Singer Ariana Grande filed a lawsuit yesterday against Forever 21, alleging the clothing company used a look alike model to impersonate her for an ad campaign. The two parties were in talks to partner earlier this year but no agreement was reached - the suit also comes at a time Forever 21 is reportedly preparing for bankruptcy.

Succession

AT&T promoted WarnerMedia - a subsidiary of AT&T that owns HBO, Warner Bros, CNN, etc. - chief executive John Stankey to President and COO. The role was newly created, prompting many to declare Stankey as the heir apparent to CEO Randall Stephenson.

TikTok on the clock

Social video app TikTok and the NFL announced a two-year partnership. As part of the agreement, the NFL will create content to distribute on the platform in an attempt to reach the app’s mainly Gen Z audience.

Rideshare retreat

Both Uber and Lyft stock reached fresh lows in intraday trading yesterday, and closed at their lowest points ever. Analysts point to concerns regarding future profitability, and a proposed California bill concerning the employment status of rideshare drivers.

The taxman cometh

Michael Evans was in line at the county treasurer’s office in Detroit to pay his property taxes, when an elderly woman nearby was met with devastating news: her house had been foreclosed on, and without $5,000 to cover owed taxes, it would be put up for auction.

In tears, from her wheelchair, the woman told the cashier she didn’t have the money –– she was dealing with health issues, she said, and had recently lost her daughter in a tragic fire. Before the woman was finished talking the cashier was also in tears.

That’s when Michael Evans decided to intervene. After having lost his father just a few months prior, he couldn’t bear to see this woman lose her home. Evans ran to the bank, got the money she needed, and hurried back to the treasurer’s office, where he covered the woman’s bill in full.

Not your average Hot Wheels

Cillian Jackson, a two-year-old from Minnesota, was born with a genetic condition that slows physical and cognitive development. So at an age when toddlers tend to keep their parents on their toes, Cillian was frustratingly stuck in place.

Because Cillian was so young, insurance was unlikely to cover the cost of an electric wheelchair. And the cost without insurance –– tens of thousands of dollars –– was out of reach for his parents. So his dad enlisted the help of some teenagers at his old high school: the robotics team.

The teens, with guidance from GoBabyGo! (a university research team focused on developing mobility devices for disabled kids) went straight to work. Using an off-the-shelf toddler’s toy and the knowledge gained from building robots for competition, they set out to get Cillian moving.

When they were finished, the highschoolers had transformed the toy into a new set of wheels for Cillian, complete with a custom joystick that had his name engraved on the top. Instead of working to win a competition, they changed Cillian’s life, giving a curious two-year-old the ability to move around on his own –– and that means a lot more than a high school trophy.