See You Next Spring

The Situation in Philadelphia

Police shot and killed a 27-year-old Black man with a knife, later identified as Walter Wallace Jr., on a Philadelphia street on Monday, sparking unrest that police say injured 30 officers and led to 91 arrests throughout the night. A police spokesperson confirmed that two officers responded to a report of a man armed with a knife, and said neither officer was equipped with a Taser. Wallace’s father told reporters his son was on medication and struggled with mental health issues. 

More: In a bystander video, Wallace can be seen moving into the street towards two police officers, who are backpedaling and yelling at him to drop his knife while aiming their guns at him. The camera then points down to the ground as approximately 14 shots can be heard, and moves back up to capture Wallace on the ground. (Warning: Graphic Content -- view it here)

Even More: PA Gov. Tom Wolf deployed the Pennsylvania National Guard to Philadelphia to help protect local property and support Philadelphia police ahead of more expected unrest Tuesday night.

🚨 Breaking News: Philadelphia police tweeted that a crowd of ~1k people were looting businesses Tuesday night. Separately, around 500 people reportedly gathered at a West Philadelphia park to protest peacefully.

US & India Sign Military Agreement

The U.S. and India signed an agreement yesterday to share sensitive military satellite and mapping information. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the classified data, which increases the accuracy of guided missiles and drones, will be shared with India to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

More: In June, China and India clashed in a gun-free skirmish at the border that left 20 Indian soldiers beaten to death (and undisclosed Chinese casualties). In September, both sides accused each other of firing warning shots into the air at the border.

Russia Issues Mask Mandate

Russia imposed a nationwide mask mandate in crowded public areas yesterday in response to a national rise in coronavirus cases. The government also recommended that all entertainment activities, including bars and restaurants, close nightly between 11 PM and 6 AM, though authorities in Moscow have said they are not planning to do so.

More: Russia reported its fifth consecutive day with more than 16k new infections on Tuesday.

📒 Worth Noting: Keith Raniere, head of the NXIVM cult (pronounced ‘nexium’), was sentenced to 120 years in prison on Tuesday. | WA, OR, & NV will join CA to independently review any FDA-approved coronavirus vaccine before public distribution (NY instituted a similar, but separate process last month).

Starlink Put To The Test

SpaceX launched the public beta test of its Starlink satellite internet service to an undisclosed number of people on Monday. The initial plan, called the “Better Than Nothing Beta,” is priced at $99 per month plus a $499 upfront cost to purchase the setup kit.

More: The Starlink network currently only covers a few areas of the U.S., though SpaceX expects global coverage to be achieved sometime in 2021.

Even More: What is Starlink?

AMD Chips In

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) agreed to buy rival chip-maker Xilinx in an all-stock deal worth $35B. The acquisition, which is still subject to regulatory approval in the U.S. and abroad, comes weeks after Nvidia agreed to buy UK chip manufacturer Arms Holdings from SoftBank in a cash-and-stock deal worth more than $40B.

Cut To The Chase

JP Morgan Chase created a new business to house its blockchain and cryptocurrency efforts, per a company executive in a phone call with CNBC. The unit, called Onyx, reportedly has more than 100 dedicated staffers.

More: The executive also said the firm’s digital currency, JPM Coin, is being used commercially for the first time this week by an unspecified large technology client to send payments around the world.

📺 New Product Launch: T-Mobile’s new skinny bundles of live TV and streaming services start at $10 per month. Learn more.

💬 Tech CEO Hearing: The CEOs of Google, Facebook, and Twitter will testify before the Senate Commerce Committee starting at 10 a.m. ET. Watch live.

The (Virtual) Monster Mash

At 42 years old, Greg Dietzenbach of Dubuque, IA, has long outgrown the practice of trick-or-treating. Nevertheless, he still works tirelessly each year to share his excitement for the holiday with his young children, making it a tradition to craft them elaborate Halloween costumes. This year, the fun-loving father decided to transform his daughter into a strange beast that has been terrifying and perplexing people across the globe for the past six months – the Zoom meeting.

Using a foam board, hot glue, and image editing software, Greg created a costume for his daughter in which she appears in a Zoom meeting for monsters, with participants including Dracula, a mummy, and the Invisible Man (video). The ingenious ensemble, which Greg calls the “Zoom and Gloom Meeting,” includes 666 participants, a “Share Scream” button, and a spot for the “Next Victim.”

Flight Of The Corgis

When Eduard Seiten immigrated to America from Romania in 1992, he didn’t speak a word of English. He did, however, speak Italian and was thus able to secure a job as a food runner for an Italian restaurant in Chicago. With his foot in the food industry door, the determined worker spent the next 28 years moving up the ranks, eventually opening 11 popular restaurants throughout the city.

Then the pandemic hit, and Eduard saw his almost three decades of hard work start to fall apart. Forced to close two restaurants and furlough more than 700 employees permanently, the distressed restauranter searched for a way to deliver hope to his community. Eduard – who owns an old military airplane – turned to Pilots N Paws, a nonprofit network of volunteer pilots who transport abused or injured animals to new homes across the country. To date, he has flown 40 pets to safety.

Buy The Book

Since July of this year, the El Paso, TX-based nonprofit Books Are Gems has donated more than 6,000 books to children in need. With the mission of improving literacy rates among the community’s youth, the organization offers free books to any child under 18 years old. But when a broken water heater caused a devastating flood in the facility where Books are Gems keeps its 8000-book inventory in early August, the nonprofit was forced to the brink of permanent closure.

Recognizing the positive impact that the organization has on the youth of El Paso, local power company El Paso Electric stepped in to help, pledging to donate $10,000 to the nonprofit. The funds, which will prevent Books Are Gems from closing at the end of October, will go toward purchasing new books and storage space for the organization’s inventory.

Peter, founder & CEO of the DONUT here.

I’m back to tell you about one of my favorite breakfast foods: McCann’s Irish Oatmeal.

I think McCann’s Irish Oatmeal is second to none and that’s because Ireland’s rolling fields, ideal soil, pristine water and time-perfected growing, harvesting and milling methods make the oats just taste better. Nothing artificial. Just the whole, plump grain steel cut into delectable smaller pieces.

Tomorrow is National Oatmeal Day so be sure to celebrate with a delicious bowl of McCann’s. Choose from Apples & Cinnamon, Vanilla & Honey, Maple & Brown Sugar (my personal favorite), and more -- McCann’s Irish Oatmeal has a wide variety of options to satisfy your heart’s desire.