Bloomberg gets official

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially filed as a Democratic presidential candidate with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday. The move legally allows Bloomberg to begin raising and spending money on a 2020 run, although he reportedly has yet to make a final decision on the campaign.

Vaping Update

The U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention have announced a rise in the number of cases of illnesses and death linked to vaping, upping the numbers to 47 deaths and 2,290 illnesses. Additionally, health officials have published a case of a different type of lung injury, known as “popcorn lung,” linked to heavy e-cigarette use.

Marijuana Legislation

The House Judiciary Committee approved a proposal late Wednesday to decriminalize and tax marijuana at the federal level, removing the drug from the Controlled Substances Act. The bill, which passed by a vote of 24-10, has more than 50 co-sponsors and would enable states to set their own policies on marijuana.

Won’tWork

Office-space company WeWork announced it will cut around 2,400 jobs, a process that began overseas weeks ago and now has spread to the U.S. The layoffs represent around 17 percent of its workforce, and comes after an IPO attempt that was shelved in September amid concerns about the company’s corporate governance and total worth.

Pickup artist

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the company’s first all-electric pickup truck at the Los Angeles Auto Show last night. Known as the Cybertruck, the electric vehicle will enter production in late 2021/2022 and hopes to compete with similar offerings from General Motors and Ford-and-Amazon-backed EV startup Rivian.

Going for a TD

Per CNBC, Charles Schwab is in talks to acquire fellow financial giant TD Ameritrade in a potential $25 billion deal that would consolidate more than $5 trillion in combined assets. Shares of TD Ameritrade climbed 16.9 percent on Thursday in response to the news, while Schwab’s stock rose 7.3 percent.

Let’s get political

Google announced a new political ad policy on its platforms that prohibits heavily targeted political ads - under the new guidelines, political advertisements can only be targeted based on users’ age, gender, and postal-code location. Fellow tech giants Facebook and Twitter have also announced changes to their political ad policies in recent weeks.

More than a Teacher

It’s every mother’s greatest nightmare to have to leave a child that needs them. That’s why Jean Manning had a heart-wrenching decision to make after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Manning’s son, Jake, is a 14-year-old with Down syndrome who had recently moved with his mother to Massachusetts where he was attending a new school. It was there that one of his new teachers approached Manning with a bold proposition.

Knowing the severity of his condition, Kerry Bremer offered to be the guardian for Jake in the event of Manning’s passing. Bremer said for her this was a no-brainer and that she fell in love with Jake instantly. Fighting back tears of gratitude, Jake’s mom agreed to the adoption. When Manning passed on November 13th, Jake moved in with the Bremers and gained three siblings in the process. Now, he gets to have sleepovers every night with his favorite family.

Although Jean Manning’s passing is tragic, the love that existed between the two families will now carry on with her son. The Bremers and Mannings bring new meaning to the idea of passing the torch, proving that the definition of family is those who show up with love in times of need.

Tickled Pink

When Amy Pettenato went out for a casual breakfast at a local diner, she didn’t expect to make a lifelong friend. Pettenato has been battling breast cancer and recently shaved her head, opting for a baseball cap adorned with a pink ribbon. She was out to eat with her husband and daughter when a woman approached their table and shared her own story of surviving breast cancer, offering wisdom, encouragement, and support.

Not long after the woman left with her own family, the Pettenatos came to find that their check had been paid for, dessert and all. Pettenato was so touched and grateful that she took to social media to share her encounter in a Facebook mom’s group. Pettenato and Kerry Holmes-Vallario found each other through a mutual friend and immediately reached out to connect with one another. Holmes-Vallario reminded Pettenato to stay positive as she battles chemo and kidney failure.

Pettenato says she’s grateful that they’ve found each other and calls Homes-Vallario her “pink sister”. Although life’s trials bring adversity, they can also bring together those who have shared experiences, as it did with these two warriors.