Latest Brexit Vote

Britain’s House of Commons voted 330 to 231 in favor of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (Brexit) yesterday, sending the bill to the House of Lords where it will also be voted on before becoming law later this month. The legislation outlines the details of Britain’s exit from the European Union, which is set to occur on Jan. 31.

Environmental Policy Proposal

On Thursday, the White House Council on Environmental Quality released a plan to make significant changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, which was signed into law by President Nixon in 1970. The proposal would no longer require any form of federal environmental review of construction projects that lack significant government funding, as well as widen the category of projects exempt from regulations.

House Passes Iran Resolution

The House of Representatives passed the War Powers resolution yesterday with a 224 to 194 vote, mostly along party lines. The symbolic, non-binding resolution would limit the White House’s ability to go to war with Iran without first consulting Congress.

Ad Nauseum

On Thursday, Facebook reaffirmed its policy on political advertising, saying it won’t ban, fact check, or limit the targeting of political ads on their platforms (which include Instagram and WhatsApp). Instead, the tech giant announced a new feature that will allow users to select an option to see fewer political ads.

Lime Disease

Electric scooter startup Lime told Axios yesterday that they will lay off about 14 percent of their workforce, representing roughly 100 employees. The largest electric scooter-sharing company in the world also disclosed plans to close operations in 12 markets in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe.

Skin in the Game

Silicon Valley-based personal genomics company 23andMe has signed an agreement with Spanish pharmaceutical developer Almirall to produce dermatology treatments based on an antibody developed by 23andMe. As part of the agreement, Almirall acquired exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the antibody worldwide - financial terms were not disclosed.

(Half)Pipe Dream

Robert Trulocke is living proof that you’re never too old to have the time of your life - even if you’re wheelchair or walker enabled. The 92-year-old has always held a lifelong dream of going for a ski ride, but even after retiring and moving into a senior living facility, he’d yet to experience the thrill. That’s when the staff at Care UK's Millers Grange senior living facility stepped in to grant his boyhood wish.

Through their “Wishing Tree” initiative, the staff at Millers Grange worked in concert with Snozone, an indoor ski slope, and secured an accessible ski for him to ride in. Video from the trip shows Bob having the time of his life, grinning from ear to ear like a little boy. It was the community of caregivers around Bob that made his dream a reality, proving that where there’s a wish (and plenty of love), there’s a way.

Mr. Clean

You never know if an idea or creation will change the world until it becomes a reality. 25-year-old Dutch engineer Boyan Slat has already contributed a great deal to the fight against pollution - he invented a self-contained system that captured two shipping containers’ worth of plastic bottles and waste from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch last year. Now, he’s set his sights on an equally commendable target - the world’s most polluted rivers - with plans to clean up the Klang River in Kuala Lumpur and the Cengkareng Drain in Jakarta.

The Dutch inventor created a barge specifically for catching river trash, called the Interceptor, which operates using a conveyor belt and can collect 200,000 lbs of trash per day. Slat aims to have an Interceptor in all 1,000 of the world’s most polluted rivers by 2025. Eco-conscious innovators like Boyan Slat prove that thinking outside of the box can lead to positive global impact.