The Freakin’ Weekend

Election Update (as of 5:30 am ET)

🇺🇸 Presidential Race
Joe Biden has 264 electoral votes compared to 214 for President Trump according to the AP, with four states left to be called (GA, NV, NC, & PA). Two quick notes: 1) AZ has been called for Biden by the AP and Fox News, but not other outlets and 2) As of this writing, Biden has overtaken Trump in Georgia by 917 votes with 99% of the expected vote reporting. President Trump needs to win all four states to surpass the necessary 270 electoral votes, while Biden only needs to win one.(Live updates: Left-Center | Right-Center)

• Judges in Georgia & Michigan dismissed lawsuits on Thursday filed by the Trump campaign contesting the handling of absentee ballots (in MI, the suit was to gain access to the handling of absentee ballots). It is unclear if the campaign - which filed similar suits in other states - will appeal the rulings.
• In Pennsylvania, the Trump campaign won an appellate court ruling to get party and campaign observers closer to election workers processing ballots, but lost a federal suit that sought an injunction to halt vote counting in the state.

🏛️ Senate Races
The AP has called 31 of 35 Senate elections. As it stands, Republicans will have at least 48 seats in the new Senate compared to 46 for Democrats, not including the 2 Independents who caucus with Democrats.

• The four races yet to be called are in North Carolina, Alaska, and Georgia (x2). Incumbent Republican senators are currently leading in AK, NC, and one GA race, while a runoff election was called in the second GA race after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote (which may end up being the case for both GA races).

🏠 House Races
The AP has called 400 of the 435 House seats up for election. As it stands, Democrats will have at least 208 seats in the new House compared to 192 for Republicans (current ratio: 232 D to 197 R).

• Six races have been called since yesterday -- four in favor of Democrats and two in favor of Republicans.

Economic Update

📈 All three major U.S. stock indexes rose on Thursday (Dow: +2% | S&P: +2% | Nasdaq: +2.6%). Analysts attributed the rise to investors' confidence in a gridlocked government once the election is over.

💼 The Department of Labor reported that 751K new people filed for unemployment insurance last week, slightly down from the previous week’s level (revised up by 7k to 758k).

💵 The Federal Reserve committed to keeping interest rates between 0% and 0.25% until labor market conditions improve and inflation rises past 2%. (Read the announcement)

Da-na-na... Da-na-na

🏈 ESPN plans to lay off ~300 people as parent company Disney shifts to more direct-to-consumer streaming, Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a memo to ESPN staff sent Thursday. The company will also part ways with some of its on-air talent once their contracts expire.

And the DOJ had a big day... 

💰 The agency confirmed it seized nearly $1B worth of bitcoin generated in revenue from the Silk Road online black market on Thursday. A blockchain analysis firm first reported the massive bitcoin transfer on Tuesday, which came from a wallet that had previously been dormant since 2015. The price of bitcoin rose 7% following news of the seizure, reaching $15k for the first time in nearly three years.

📂 The DOJ also filed a lawsuit on Thursday to block Visa’s proposed $5.3B acquisition of fintech company Plaid. The agency is arguing that the merger would give Visa a monopoly in the online debit market, while Visa said it plans to “defend the transaction vigorously.”

Let's Get Down to Business

Each time 11-year-old Mason Wright of Stonecrest, GA, visited his local grocery store in 2017, he would ask for a job. On every occasion, Mason was turned down because of his age. Still determined to make some spending money, the entrepreneurial youngster decided to build his own business. Using the money from a host of small jobs – such as lawn mowing and dog walking – Mason bought his own food cart.

Over the course of three years, the young boy used his food cart to sell an acclaimed assortment of hot dogs at a local college campus, earning recognition from PETA for his delectable vegan sausages. When the pandemic hit, Mason was forced to halt operations of his food cart, a setback that inspired the entrepreneur to apply for a business license. Now, at 14-years-old, Mason officially owns Mason’s Super Dogs, earning him the distinguished designation of Georgia’s youngest restaurant owner.

Saving Grace

Although the CDC reports approximately one in four adults in the United States live with a disability, people with disabilities are underrepresented in the media, a phenomenon that can result in a lack of understanding of this portion of the population. Grace Strobel, a 24-year-old who has Down Syndrome, has experienced the consequences firsthand, having been teased for her disability by a group of teenagers while working at a high school cafeteria three years ago.

Struck by the need for more educational resources regarding living with disabilities, Grace and her mother launched The Grace Effect. This campaign raises awareness about people who are differently-abled by offering presentations at schools across the country. Additionally, after a photoshoot of hers went viral in 2018, Grace began a career as a model, now serving as an ambassador for Alivia, a womenswear brand that sells clothes featuring designs created by artists with disabilities.

Food for Your Mood

Throughout the pandemic, Jennie Kelley-Crosby of Strongsville, OH, worked as a nurse at the MetroHealth Center in Cleveland. This incredibly taxing occupation compelled Jennie to develop a collection of home self-care techniques so that she can continue to give her all to fighting the health crisis. In doing so, the thoughtful healthcare worker has reflected on the increased demands placed on another group of essential workers – educators.

Last week, to show her appreciation to local teachers for adapting to the challenges of online instruction, Jennie banded together with the other parents in her community to order a food truck for the faculty and staff at the nearby Strongsville Middle School. The selfless endeavor, which provided much-needed relief for the grateful educators, also supported local businesses by hiring a local food truck named Off The GRIDle.

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