Hong Kong Protests

Tens of thousands took to the streets of Hong Kong on Saturday, making this the 22nd weekend of pro-democracy protests in the Chinese special administrative region. Last night, six were injured in a shopping mall after a man attacked family members with a knife following a political disagreement.

UAW Leader on Leave

United Auto Workers President Gary Jones is taking a paid leave of absence, effective yesterday, amid a federal corruption probe into the organization’s leadership. The announcement comes just two days before the union’s members vote on a four-year labor agreement with Ford.

East Africa Flooding

Flooding is affecting more than 1 million people in South Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia after higher than normal rainfall. Dozens have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced as floods destroy crops, homes, and hospitals across East Africa.

Oil change

State-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco officially announced its initial public offering plans on Sunday - the company will be listed on the Saudi Arabian stock exchange in early December before attempting an international IPO. Per the WSJ, the energy giant is aiming to sell 2% to 5% of its shares and is targeting a base valuation of $1.7 trillion.

Fit for a king

Google will acquire Fitbit in an all-cash deal that values the wearable technology company at $2.1 billion. The acquisition marks a new push into wearables for the tech giant and follows Google’s $40 million purchase of a large chunk of IP from watchmaker Fossil in January.

Not Lovin’ It

On Sunday, McDonald’s announced CEO Steve Easterbrook was fired for violating company policy by engaging in a consensual relationship with an employee. The company said Easterbrook will be replaced by Chris Kempczinski, who previously oversaw the chain’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants.

In a tight spot

According to a WSJ report, Under Armour is the subject of investigations by the DOJ and the SEC into its accounting practices - the probe is reportedly examining whether UA shifted sales from quarter to quarter to appear healthier. Under Armour in a statement confirmed it had been responding to federal information requests since July 2017.

All in the Family

At just 27 years old, Jonathan Pinkard was at work when he suddenly lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital. After four months of tests and hospital visits, doctors said he needed a heart transplant. But in order to stay on the transplant list, he needed someone that would agree to help him after the operation – and Jonathan, who also has autism, didn’t have anyone.

Jonathan’s main caretaker, his grandmother, died in 2012 and his mother has substance abuse issues that make it hard for her to be the constant that he needs. But then, Lori Wood, a nurse at the hospital and single mother, came across his case.

After learning about his situation, Lori offered to become Jonathan’s legal guardian so he could get the transplant. He moved into her spare bedroom where she could monitor his progress and help him organize his post-surgery medications – 34 pills per day. They bonded over game shows during Jonathan’s recovery and he quickly became part of the family. Now, they’re focused on getting Jonathan back to work and self-sufficiency. Through this process, Jonathan’s received more than just a new heart – he has a new family.

In The Air Tonight

Though humans have proved to be pretty efficient at putting carbon dioxide into the air, we haven’t yet found a great way to get it back out. Most methods we have now require a high concentration of carbon in order to have any significant effect, making it hard to address polluted air that isn’t coming directly out of a power plant or exhaust pipe.

But researchers at MIT have developed a new way to scrub the air clean of carbon. It works at a much lower density level than most other methods, while also requiring less energy and cost. This is accomplished by using what’s essentially a very large battery: when air passes over the electrodes while the battery is charging, it absorbs the carbon dioxide. As the battery discharges, the carbon dioxide gets released – allowing the researchers to isolate and capture the carbon, producing fresh air.

The carbon dioxide captured during this process can be used for other things like carbonating beverages or feeding plants in greenhouses, eliminating the need for farmers or soft drink factories to burn fossil fuels to get the carbon they need. That – and the method’s scalability – is what’s most exciting, according to researchers. They’ve created a system to clean the atmosphere while limiting the need for the burning of fossil fuels – a win-win!