Middle East update

Saudi Arabia said yesterday that a preliminary investigation into the weekend attacks against state-owned oil facilities found that the weapons used were Iranian, and U.S. officials said intelligence pointed to Iran as the most likely staging ground for the attacks. Oil prices continued to climb yesterday, resulting in the biggest spike in a decade.

Israel election

Israelis head to the polls today in an election that will determine whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wins a fifth term. Voters choose one of 30 lists of candidates, each of which represents different political parties or interests.

Humberto strengthens

Tropical Storm Humberto strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane yesterday off the southeast coast of the United States, and could impact Bermuda later this week. This comes just over two weeks after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, where there are still more than 1,000 people missing.

Amazon alteration

Last year, Amazon changed its search algorithm to boost its own products instead of surfacing bestselling or most relevant products for consumers. The report from the WSJ, released yesterday, comes as the tech giant undergoes antitrust scrutiny in both the US and the EU.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Hollywood entertainment company Endeavor Group Holdings said yesterday it plans to raise more than $600 million in its IPO this fall, pricing its shares to value the company at ~$8 billion. In 2018, Endeavor reported revenue of $3.61 billion against operating expenses of $3.72 billion.

Hello, Netflix

Netflix has acquired the global streaming rights for the sitcom “Seinfeld,” and will be providing all 180 episodes of the show on its platform beginning in 2021. The deal is seen by many as a response to Netflix losing two of its most watched shows, “Friends” (gone in mid-2020) and “The Office” (gone at the end of 2020) as the streaming wars heat up.

And now, WeWait

WeWork parent, the We Company, has delayed its IPO indefinitely following concerns from investors regarding its business model and corporate governance standards. The office-sharing company needed to raise $3 billion in its public listing to secure an additional $6 billion credit line from banks - should that not materialize, WeWork will have to explore alternative funding options.

Unexpectedly expecting

After baby Jackson arrived in the world five weeks early, Claire Mills – a 25-year-old nurse in the neonatal ICU – felt an instant connection with the preemie. As the tiny baby progressed, Claire remained invested, getting to know his mother and the social worker assigned to Jackson’s case (his mother was going through a difficult time). The two were discharged while Claire was off-duty, and when she came to work to find them gone, she broke down in tears.

Claire quickly contacted the social worker, saying she was ready to do anything to help the new mom. Soon after, Claire got a life-changing phone call from Jackson’s mother – she wasn’t going to be able to give Jackson what he needed, she explained, especially considering his delicate condition. So, would Claire consider raising the baby? Claire said it felt like a sign. She called her mom and asked: What if I adopted a baby?

Though she had no immediate plans to become a grandmother, Claire’s mom was ecstatic about the idea. While it wasn’t easy at first, Claire says adopting a child is the best decision she ever made. Now, Jackson’s a happy, healthy 4-month-old with his whole life ahead of him – and a mother and grandmother who couldn’t imagine life without him.

The fine print

In 2013, a Chicago-area high school principal was seated on a plane when something caught his attention – the man next to him pulled something out of his bag that the principal, Will Wagner, recognized as having been 3D printed. It was a prosthetic hand.

They started talking, and the man told Will about a program that connects 3D printing engineers with people in need of prosthetics – especially children, who grow out of them so fast that it’s sometimes impossible for families to buy such expensive devices at each stage of growth. Will was fascinated, and couldn’t wait to bring this idea back to his school.

After Will rallied the teachers, the school launched an engineering program where students work with the organization e-NABLE to create 3D prosthetics for kids who’d otherwise have to go without. Students have become so enthusiastic about the project that they formed an after school club to continue the work outside of class. Since launching the program, they’ve made 75 prosthetics for kids in need – and they have no plans of stopping.