US-China Deal

President Trump has reportedly signed off on a phase one trade deal with China after meeting with top economic and trade advisors on Thursday. Under the terms of the deal, the U.S. will agree to reduce existing tariffs and cancel new tariffs (set to take effect on Sunday) in exchange for a boost in Chinese purchases of U.S. farm goods.

UK Election Results

The pro-Brexit Conservative Party - led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson - secured a majority in UK’s general election on Thursday. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn announced that he would not lead the party in the next election following their defeat.

India’s Citizenship Bill

On Wednesday, India’s upper house of parliament voted 125 to 105 in favor of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which grants Indian citizenship to certain religious refugees who fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan before 2015. The bill has received criticism for not extending citizenship to Muslim refugees, sparking widespread protests in northeast India over the past weeks that have resulted in three deaths.

Mission: Accomplished

Saudi Aramco briefly reached a market valuation of $2 trillion on Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul stock exchange on Wednesday. Shares rose as high as 38.7 riyals apiece ($10.32) but ended the day trading at 36.8 riyals, valuing the company at $1.96 trillion.

Tackled for a loss

Ten retired NFL football players, including former Washington Redskins star Clinton Portis, have been indicted on charges of conspiracy, health care fraud, and wire fraud. The players are accused of defrauding the NFL’s healthcare plan by claiming almost $3.9 million in reimbursements for expensive medical equipment that was never purchased.

Set to Jet

Delta Airlines announced on Thursday it’s selling its private-jet charter business to aviation startup Wheels Up for an undisclosed amount. Delta will also receive an unspecified equity stake in Wheels Up, who now owns a fleet of more than 190 private aircraft with over 8,000 members and customers.

Rent-a-Ride

Ride-share service Lyft announced yesterday that it plans to introduce a car rental service accessible from within their app, bypassing the need to wait in line. The company said the rental option will offer unlimited miles and will be initially available to select customers in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

Joy to the World

It’s often said that you should never forget where you come from - Virginia native Adam Armstrong has taken those words to heart, making it his mission to give back to the children of his hometown each holiday season. Since 2013, Armstrong has distributed toys to children in need of some holiday cheer. This year was no different, as he focused his efforts on Harris Gardens, a low-income, Section 8 apartment complex in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he gave out $12,000 worth of high-quality children’s toys.

Armstrong’s motivation is both simple and pure - he himself was once a poor child growing up in Harrisonburg. After amassing his wealth by running a successful business selling vacation properties, Armstrong wants to remember the children during the holiday season and to see the big smiles that new toys bring to little faces.

Harris Garden’s property manager, Sara Lewis-Weeks, was astonished to see the toys were carefully chosen and that no expense was spared - name brand Barbie Dolls, remote-controlled cars, bicycles, you name it - much to the delight of the surprised, but grateful kids. While wearing a Santa hat, Armstrong enjoyed the reactions of delighted children, who reminded him of the true meaning of the season: spreading love and joy.

Strong Suit

Anyone who has overcome any large obstacle will tell you that the power of positive thinking can’t be underestimated. Daniel Stein has made it his business to help others by harnessing that positive power, putting it to work each and every day to make other people’s lives better.

Daniel is a specialized personal trainer whose business, Special Strong, focuses mainly on training those with special needs, and his focus on affirmative rhetoric, inner strength, and determination has worked wonders. When Daniel began working with 17-year-old Brandon Neal, who was born with a variety of conditions that required a multitude of surgeries, the teenager was confined to a wheelchair and hadn’t walked in eight years. Following one such surgery, Brandon became so traumatized by physical therapy that he lost the desire to learn to walk again.

Daniel was able to help Brandon focus on the positive, refusing to let him use language like “I can’t” - after only weeks of training and a lot of work for both Brandon and Daniel, Brandon was able to walk completely unassisted. Daniel and Brandon succeeding together proves that perseverance, patience, and partnership can make all the difference when facing great challenges.