Inspector General’s Report

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a 434-page report yesterday morning regarding the FBI’s investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The report found several procedural errors in the investigation but concluded there was “no political bias” by the agency.

New NAFTA Agreement

According to multiple sources close to the talks, trade negotiators from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico have agreed to changes in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) after congressional Democrats indicated they would support the revised trade deal. Per Politico, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is traveling to Mexico City today to sign the new agreement.

Russian Olympic Ban

The World Anti-Doping Agency on Monday issued a four-year ban on all major sporting events to Russia as punishment for manipulating lab data handed over to investigators in January 2019. Under the ban, Russian athletes not implicated in the doping scandal will still be allowed to compete in next year’s Olympics under a neutral flag.

Merger Mania

Opening statements were heard in Manhattan yesterday as attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia expressed their opposition to a $26 billion merger between telecom giants T-Mobile and Sprint. The trial is expected to last three weeks, featuring testimony from Sprint Chairman Marcelo Claure and soon-to-be former T-Mobile CEO John Legere.

JEDI Fallen Order

An Amazon Web Services complaint with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington was made public on Monday. The 103-page document argues that AWS lost the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract as a result of repeated public and private attacks against Amazon - and CEO Jeff Bezos - by President Donald Trump.

Prescriptions, filled

Two of the largest drugmakers in the world made separate multi-billion dollar acquisitions of cancer-drug producers on Monday. Merck said it had agreed to acquire ArQule for $2.7 billion, paying a 107 percent premium on the deal, while Sanofi said it will spend $2.5 billion, a 172 percent premium, to acquire Synthorx.

Cast Away

Popular luggage brand Away has announced co-founder Steph Korey is stepping down from her position as CEO, though she will remain executive chairman of the company’s board. Former Lululemon executive Stuart Haselden will replace Korey, who had received public backlash in recent days over leaked company documents that highlighted examples of what activists have called a toxic work culture.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

As a hardworking father of four, Shane McCann deserves a small holiday break. After his wife became ill, he started working at his children’s school as a safety monitor in order to match their schedules. Holidays are tough for those who struggle to get by, and a small gift from the community can go a long way. When the Secret Santa Surprise program - a local news organization’s initiative to give $500,000 away to the community this holiday season - heard about Shane’s situation, they knew they were in a position to provide such a gift.

Shane was nominated for the program by his coworkers, who described how they watched him go above and beyond each day as a parent, husband, and guardian of kids. Shane says it’s his greatest pleasure in life to be able to help keep the kids at Cloverdale Elementary School safe, and that he barely considers it a job.

When the reporter handed Shane his $15,000 holiday check, wrapped in a red box and gold bow, Shane could barely keep his emotion concealed. He began to cry and hugged the anchorman. His takeaway from this touching moment are words we can all live by this month and throughout the year. “This is what humanism is. It’s unmotivated love. This is what it’s all about. This is why we’re here. People matter.”

Climb Ev’ry Mountain

Nirmal Purja, a former British soldier born in Nepal, just showed the world what’s possible when humans set their minds to accomplishing great feats. Purja has spent the last six months climbing the 14 highest peaks in the world, climbing mountains in Nepal, Pakistan, and China during his voyage.

There are 14 mountains on Earth higher than 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) - all of them are located in the Himalayas. Purja shattered the previous record for this astonishing achievement, which had been completed by South Korean Kim Chang-ho over the course of seven years and 10 months. Amazingly, Nirmal even had time to stop and help rescue someone from another expedition nearby, saying that as a formal military officer, he’d never leave anyone behind.

Purja said his incredible journey offered him insight into the importance of caring for the planet. “I think we as human beings have to do something about it because the Earth, the planet, is our home. It is a very serious matter of concern." Nirmal’s journey is an inspirational look into one ordinary human doing an extraordinary thing, all while still being able to enjoy the view.