Kill(s) Bill

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced the withdrawal of an extradition bill yesterday following months of protest. The bill, which was introduced in April, would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China.

Thirty-none flavors

The governor of Michigan used executive power yesterday to ban flavored e-cigarettes for six months. Marketing of vaping products will also be restricted under the emergency rules, which the governor said she hoped would protect youth.

Deal or no deal? (Cont’d)

Parliament voted to prevent a “no-deal” Brexit yesterday, with members of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s party voting against the leader. The lawmakers also voted down the Prime Minister’s call for an October 15 general election.

Slack attack

Workplace software provider Slack released its first earnings report since its debut on the public market. The company posted revenue of $145 million last quarter and incurred a net loss of ~$360 million, largely due to stock based compensation following its direct listing.

We ready, for y’all

The We Company, owner of WeWork, announced its CEO would return a $5.9 million payment made over the trademarked word “We.” The company also announced an additional board member, Harvard Business School Professor Frances Frei, who will be added as a director after the company’s IPO later this month.

How bout them ‘Boys

Forbes unveiled its 2019 list of the NFL’s most valuable teams yesterday. Topping the list was the Dallas Cowboys (surprise!) at $5.5 billion, with the Patriots, Giants, Rams and 49ers rounding out the top 5.

Happy and Incogmeato

Kellog’s and Hormel announced the creation of their own plant-based meat brands. Hormel’s brand Happy Little Plants launched this week in stores - Kellog’s product line will be sold under the newly created Incogmeato brand and will hit stores in early 2020.

Test fright

Max Sylvester, a 29-year-old father of three, stepped into a little Cessna two-seater plane on Sunday afternoon for his first lesson in the tiny aircraft, his third overall.

Just an hour into the lesson, his instructor collapsed, unresponsive in the pilot’s seat. Sylvester quickly radioed the flying school and described the emergency. With surprising calm, he explained to air traffic control that he’d never landed the aircraft before.

After several passes by the runway, Sylvester descended toward the earth. The plane bumped along the pavement, making gentle contact, and then slowed to a stop – it was a perfect landing.

His wife and kids were there to greet him and celebrate an incredible first “solo” flight. The flight instructor was whisked away to the hospital where it was determined he’d had a small seizure, but no lasting damage. A happy ending for all!
 

The Road Less Traveled

When a shortcut into town was fenced off by a private landowner, villagers outside of Kaganda, Kenya, were forced to walk miles to get to school, church, or the shopping center. While land had been set aside for a road through the bush, the local government had failed to get the project moving. So one farmer decided to do something.

After finishing his morning work at his tea and coffee farm, 44-year-old Nicholas Muchami used his farming tools to clear away dense foliage and roots to create a path in the bush. After several weeks of fighting the plant life that grows so quickly in the lush Kenyan highlands, he had built a wide footpath a quarter mile uphill into the town.

Muchami didn’t expect anything in return; he said it made him feel good just to see his community happy and using the road. But his hard work was noticed by local government officials, and as a thank you, Muchami received a new roof on his house. Officials also promised to add gravel to his road and maintain it. No longer the road less travelled...