Yesterday’s Public Hearings

The House Intelligence Committee held its first public impeachment hearings Wednesday, hearing from two U.S. officials - George Kent, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of European and Eurasian Affairs, and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch is expected to testify on Friday.

Supreme Court & Sandy Hook

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that family members of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting can move forward with a lawsuit against Remington Arms. The lawsuit alleges the company targeted younger, at-risk males in marketing and product placement.

The Floods of Venice

The mayor of Venice has declared a state of emergency in response to flooding that at one point submerged over 85% of the city, leading to the deaths of two people. The city’s iconic St. Mark’s Basilica was flooded for just the sixth time in 1,200 years - four of the instances have come in the last 20 years, including twice in the past two years.

Seize the day

Yesterday, Disney announced that 10 million people signed up for Disney+ within the first 24 hours of its international launch - the company is offering a seven-day free trial, so it’s likely that not all of the sign-ups will turn into paying customers. Shares of Disney rose 7.3% Wednesday and closed at an all-time high of $148.72 a share.

Check yo’self

Per the WSJ, Google is partnering with Citigroup and a Stanford credit union to offer checking accounts to consumers, in a project dubbed “Cache”. According to a Google executive, the company will lean heavily on the partnered institutions to handle all financial and compliance activities related to the accounts.

Progress report

In a report to company investors, WeWork disclosed unadjusted losses of $1.25 billion for the third quarter, compared to revenue of $934 million over the same period. This comes after a $6.5 billion debt and equity bailout from SoftBank in late October, in which the Japanese conglomerate acquired a majority ownership stake in WeWork.

Second is the best

Chinese online retailer Alibaba has started taking investor orders for its secondary listing on the Hong Kong market. The company plans to sell 500 million shares starting Nov. 26 - with an included overallotment option to potentially sell more shares - in a sale that could raise up to $13.4 billion.

Helping Hand

Middle schooler Kayla Arqueta has learned to succeed despite challenges. The Irving, Texas native was born without her left hand and a part of her forearm, but she’s never let this stop her from pursuing what she loves. Which is why she went to tryout night for the Austin Middle School orchestra, and told orchestra director Carly Addison she wanted to play the cello.

Addison was thrilled with Kayla’s enthusiasm, but wasn’t sure that she could help make her desire a reality. Addison found a blueprint for a prosthetic arm online, but needed to find someone to redesign and 3D print the plans specifically for Kayla. Addison contacted nearby Nimitz High School, and was put in touch with engineering teacher Dwight Davison. Davison jumped at the chance to challenge his students with an assignment that would mean something, and allow them to gain real-world experience with the classroom’s new 3D printers.

Nimitz High School engineering students were thrilled to create a new arm for Kayla that allowed her to pursue the cello. This experience has taught Kayla that gifts may come from the most unexpected places. “I learned that people are willing to help, and that it’s okay to be different,” Kayla said. “I would like other students to know that life is challenging, but everyone is going to love you for who you are.”

Let’s drink to that

Have you ever wanted to save the planet by drinking alcohol? Now, that’s a real possibility. Researchers at the startup Air Co. have discovered a way to engineer vodka while entirely eliminating the carbon emissions usually needed to produce it.

Typically, the creation of a single bottle of vodka results in around 13 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. Air Co.’s revolutionary new process uses a solar-powered machine to actually take one pound of CO2 out of the atmosphere, creating a bottle of alcohol that matches the daily carbon intake of about eight trees.

The startup has been recognized by NASA and the United Nations for their radical methods to provide sustainable goods. The liquor is produced exclusively in New York City, but will soon be available to select regional markets for $65 a bottle. Air Co.’s efforts in providing the world with environmentally-friendly vodka proves that you can eat, drink, be merry AND earth-conscious at the same time.