Chicago teachers strike

All classes and after-school activities in Chicago public schools were canceled today as a result of a teacher strike. The Chicago Teachers Union, which represents around 25,000 public school employees, is asking for pay raises, smaller class sizes, paid prep time, and more support staff.

Hong Kong update

The U.S. House passed three pieces of legislation on Tuesday aimed at supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam was forced to abandon her annual policy address on Wednesday after being shouted down by protesters (and it happened again today) - following the address, the chief executive unveiled a package of property measures aimed at restoring confidence in her government.

Detained in Russia

Three U.S. diplomats were removed from a train in Russia yesterday and briefly detained for traveling in a restricted area. The incident took place near a military test site where a nuclear explosion killed five in August.

Battle of the banks

SoftBank and J.P. Morgan Chase will each submit financing packages to WeWork’s board in the next few days in an attempt to save the company from running out of cash by mid-November. SoftBank’s offer involves increasing its equity stake in the company in return for additional funding (currently at 29%) and J.P. Morgan’s offer relies on debt financing.

Pharma payouts

Johnson & Johnson offered ~$4 billion to settle the more than 2,000 lawsuits the company is facing regarding its role in contributing to the opioid epidemic. This comes after an Oklahoma judge ruled J&J must pay $572 million for its role in the state’s crisis (though the judge said he miscalculated and overstated the award by more than $100 million). Purdue Pharma is in the process of negotiating a $10 to $12 billion settlement with state and local governments, and the WSJ reports three other drug distributors are in talks to settle for $18 billion collectively.

Report cards

Netflix released its Q3 earnings report yesterday, outperforming analysts’ expectations in earnings while lagging slightly behind in domestic subscribers and revenue. IBM also released its Q3 report, showing a drop in revenue for the fifth quarter in a row - shares of Netflix rose over 10% in extended trading Wednesday, while IBM shares took a hit of 5%.

Big Baller Brands

Forbes released the ‘Fab 40’ - its list of the top 40 most valuable sports brands in the world. The brands are split into four different categories (business, event, athlete, and team): Nike stays atop the business ranks, the Super Bowl claims the event title, Roger Federer takes home the athlete crown, and the Dallas Cowboys remain the most valuable team brand in the world.

Every dog has its day

At 13 years old, Johnny Martin hasn’t had a regular transition into his teenage years. Instead, over the past year, Johnny’s spent most days at the hospital fighting a rare form of soft cell cancer that has required regular chemotherapy treatments and a 26-hour surgery.

In between treatments, Johnny would move over to the window to watch people walking their dogs in the park below. Before long, all he could talk about was the dog that he wanted to get someday. His dream dog – he said to anyone who would listen – was a corgi. His nurses knew just who to call.

So when Johnny walked out of the hospital one day after treatment, he was greeted by Liz - who runs a charity called the Little Wish Foundation - and a tiny, white and brown corgi puppy. Taking the 8-week-old into his arms, Johnny beamed as the puppy licked his face – it was clear they bonded immediately. And even better – a month ago, Johnny was pronounced cancer-free. While he still has some treatments to finish up, he’s got a lot of life to look forward to, and a puppy to see him through it.

An Astro’s assurance

Jalen Garcia, a 16-year-old cancer patient from Laredo, Texas, has always had a positive attitude regarding his illness. Still, the days can get long – especially when there’s not a whole lot to break up the monotony of treatment.

But last week, Jalen – a Houston Astros superfan – got a visit that he’ll never forget. Astros shortstop Carlos Correa stopped by the hospital with his fiancé to spend some time with Jalen, drop off some gifts, and to make him a deal. Carlos promised to dedicate his next home run to Jalen – he’d know when he saw Carlos pointing his finger in the air as he ran around the bases. In return, Jalen would have to fight his illness and get out of the hospital.

So when Carlos hit a homer on Sunday to beat the Yankees in Game 2 of the series, there wasn’t anything in the season that could top that for Jalen. Whether or not the Astros make the World Series, Jalen said the magic of that home run gave him the strength he needs to keep fighting.

Seeking Truth and Challenge - TOGETHER

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