Oh, Canada!

Canadians voted yesterday in federal elections, and results at the time of our e-print indicated that Justin Trudeau was going to secure re-election and the Liberal Party was headed for a minority government. See the most updated results at the links below.

Chilean protests

A state of emergency was declared Sunday night in Chile after weekend protests, looting, and arson left 11 dead. The demonstrations, in opposition to the cost of living in Chile, were sparked by an announcement that subway fares would be increased.

No coalition in Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu, head of Israel’s right-wing Likud party, gave up efforts to establish a new government on Monday after failing to secure a majority coalition. The decision will allow his centrist rival, Benny Gantz, to try his hand at forming a coalition.

By the ‘book

Facebook announced new security features ahead of the 2020 election, which include: prominent labeling of posts including false information, a U.S. presidential candidate spend tracker for ads, a tool to increase the security of elected officials’ accounts, and banning ads discouraging people from voting. The company also confirmed the removal of four networks of “coordinated inauthentic behavior” tied to Russia and Iran.

Pay per view

Netflix announced it will be raising $2 billion in debt for “general corporate purposes” as new competition emerges in the streaming space. Disney+ and Apple TV+ are set to launch next month - NBC’s Peacock and HBO Max are slated to launch next spring.

Into the great Beyond

Dunkin’ will offer its plant-based Beyond Meat sausage sandwich nationwide beginning November 6. The fast-food chain had planned to make the sandwich available at its ~9,000 U.S. restaurants starting in January, but decided to accelerate the timetable following a wildly successful test at Manhattan locations.

Battle of the banks (cont’d)

WeWork’s board will meet today to discuss SoftBank and JPMorgan’s separate emergency financing offers. SoftBank’s offer, through a combination of equity and debt, would raise its ownership stake to more than 50% and pump an additional $6.5 billion into the company at a ~$8 billion valuation - JPMorgan’s offer brings together a group of investors to provide ~$5 billion in mainly debt financing (numerous reports indicate WeWork is leaning towards SoftBank’s offer).

Just keep running

When Kim Lowman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012, she didn’t waste any time wallowing in self pity. Her doctor told her that the best things she could do to manage the disease were to be consistent with her medication, keep her stress levels low, and take care of her personal health. So she got to work and started running – counting the utility poles as she jogged past them to mark her progress.

Despite the hurdles that MS throws her way, Kim completed her third half marathon last weekend. And now, she’s running for more than just herself – her son, Max, who will be four next month, was diagnosed with autism.

Kim said she hopes her dedication to running is a tangible example of the main lesson she wants to pass on to Max: disability shouldn’t hold you back. She wants him to know that the only thing that matters is trying your best – even if that just means making it to the next utility pole before taking a break.

Leg of the Tiger

In 2012, a young tiger named Sahebrao was caught in a poacher’s trap, seriously injuring his leg. Luckily, he was found by an animal rescue team before the poachers returned, and has been living a peaceful life at the Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur, India.

But the injury from the trap continued to bother Sahebrao – a long-lasting infection eventually led to a medically necessary amputation. And even that procedure wasn’t enough to keep the poor tiger out of pain. That’s when Sushrut Babhulkar – an orthopedic surgeon – entered the picture, adopting Sahebrao in the hopes of giving the tiger a better life.

Sahebrao underwent a surgical procedure earlier this month to relieve his leg pain. And even better: Sushrut is working with a team of surgeons and clinicians from the United Kingdom, India, and Germany to create the world’s first tiger prosthetic for Sahebrao. “I wish to see him walk normally,” said Sushrut, “Like a human being getting a prosthetic leg, for the rest of his life.”