Brexit Deal

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck a deal yesterday with European Union negotiators on the terms of a British exit from the E.U. In order to take effect by the October 31 deadline, the deal must pass through the British House of Commons.

120 Hours

The United States and Turkey issued a joint statement on northern Syria yesterday, which stipulated Turkey would pause military operations for 120 hours to allow for Kurdish forces to withdraw from the area. In return, the U.S. agreed not to pursue further sanctions against Turkey.

Maryland Rep. Passes

Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings died yesterday at 68 years old due to long-standing health complications. Cummings represented the state’s 7th congressional district for 23 years, and chaired the House Oversight Committee – one of three committees involved in the impeachment inquiry.

Mouse making moves

So far in 2019, Disney films have earned $2.7 billion at the U.S. box office and more than $8.1 billion globally, shattering the company’s previous record of $7.6 billion. The entertainment conglomerate has accounted for over a third of box office gross sales (~40% if you include its recent Fox acquisition), and will be releasing three titles before the end of the year: “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” “Frozen 2,” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

Taking part

Charles Schwab will become the first online brokerage to allow investors to buy and sell fractions of shares. This comes after the investment firm eliminated trading commissions earlier this month, and is part of the company’s larger effort to attract younger clients to its platform.

Our hearts will go on

Fitbit and pharmaceutical giants Bristol-Meyers Squibb and Pfizer have partnered to develop a method to detect atrial fibrillation (the most common type of irregular heartbeat). This comes after the company announced a premium subscription service in August that offers coaching and personalized insights mined from the health data of its 27.3 million users.

Oil change

Saudi Aramco has delayed the launch of its IPO until after its third-quarter earnings update, following a September attack on two of its plants that temporarily knocked out half of its crude output. The state-owned oil giant is expected to offer a 1% to 2% stake to the public market in what would likely be one of the largest listings ever (as we covered previously, the company is expected to be valued between $1.5 to $2 trillion).

Prodigal son

In his day, Coy Featherston was one of the most popular kids at King High School in Corpus Christi, Texas. He played football and baseball, was voted “Best All-Around Boy” by his classmates, and got a scholarship to the University of Texas upon graduation. He went on to work in music, touring with Frank Zappa. But in the mid-nineties, things took a turn for the worse.

Coy’s brother was killed in a senseless murder. Afterward he lost his job, his apartment, and couldn’t seem to get back on his feet, ending up on the streets – and that’s where he stayed for 20 years.

Then, last month, an old friend recognized a photo of Coy in the newspaper as a man representing the homeless in Austin, Texas. Immediately, his friends rallied. One friend tracked him down and picked him up, and another started a GoFundMe to pay for expenses like shoes, clothing, counseling, and identification documents. As he gets his social security sorted out, he’s staying with friends, reconnecting, and feeling hopeful for the first time in decades. “This is going to work,” said Coy. “I can only be positive about everything.”

Not all heroes wear floaties

Toddlers have a way of sneaking away the moment you turn your back – or blink, or answer a question, or turn to another child to divert a different catastrophe. But when Andie walked away from her mother toward the backyard pool, she was lucky to have a hero in the making looking on.

Andie’s parents had taken every precaution with the pool – a safety fence, beeps on the doors, and oft-repeated rules that the kids were never supposed to go near it without an adult present. Still, earlier this summer, 2-year-old Andie ventured off and toppled into the pool with only her 4-year-old brother nearby.

Thankfully, Andie’s brother Gray jumped in after her, kept her head above water, and hoisted her out of the pool. When their mother realized what had occurred, emotions swept over her – and she immediately signed Andie up for a swimming class. Their mom attributes Gray’s heroic actions to something close to supernatural. “Gray’s a hero,” she said.