Monday, November 4th, 2019

2020 Election, World’s Largest IPO & Airbnb’s Ban

All the news you need in less than 10 min:

Today's episode is brought to you by www.HelloFresh.com/newsworthy9 and www.MyWallSt.com/newsworthy

Story Summaries

All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want perusing the latest happenings...

Whistleblower Q&A:
The person who filed a complaint about President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine is willing to answer Republicans’ questions in writing and under oath, but without revealing his or her identity, according to the whistleblower's attorney.
Read more: CNN, Washington Post, FOX News

2020 Election:
We're exactly one year out (from Sunday) until the 2020 presidential election. Texas Democrat Beto O'Rourke dropped out of the race on Friday right before a major event in Iowa, where all the remaining candidates gave passionate speeches about why they should be the party's nominee.
Beto Leaves Race: The Hill, Vox, Reuters
Iowa’s Largest Political Event: Vox, USA Today

CA Fire Funding:
President Trump said the governor of California has done a “terrible job of forest management” and he wants to cut off federal funding. The governor said Trump doesn’t believe in climate change so he’s “excused” from the conversation. Trump made a similar threat last year.
Read more: LA Times, USA Today, ABC News, Weather Channel, NPR

McDonald’s CEO Out:
McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook has been fired. The leader of the largest fast-food chain in the world was ousted over a relationship with an employee. The relationship was reportedly consensual, but still broke company policy.
Read more: WSJ, FOX Business, CNN Business

Saudi Aramco IPO:
Saudi Aramco has formally started the process for what’s expected to be the world’s biggest IPO. The oil giant owned by the Saudi government supplies about 10 percent of the world’s crude oil and is the most profitable company in the world. The company is likely hoping to push its share prices toward a $1.5-$2 trillion valuation.
Read more: NPR, Bloomberg, WSJ, CNBC

NYC Marathon:
The largest marathon on the planet happened on Sunday as 50,000 people participated in the 49th annual New York City Marathon. A pair of Kenyan runners claimed the men’s and women’s titles.
Read more: NY Daily News, NBC Sports

Horse Racing Tragedy:
The high-profile Breeders’ Cup ended with another horse death. The horse, Mongolian Groom, injured a leg on the track and then had to be put down. It’s the 37th horse to die at this particular racetrack in less than a year, which has some political leaders questioning the future of the sport.
Read more: WSJ, ESPN, NBC Sports

Airbnb Bans ‘Party Houses’:
Airbnb is banning so-called “party houses” following a deadly shooting at a home rental in Northern California. Five people were killed and several others were injured. Airbnb is promising it’ll start more manual screenings of what it considers high-risk reservations to stop unauthorized parties and create a dedicated house party response team.
Read more: USA Today, FOX News, TechCrunch

Google Buys Fitbit:
Google is officially buying Fitbit. The $2.1 billion deal will likely help Google offer a better smartwatch. Some lawmakers are concerned the deal with Fitbit would give Google access to sensitive information like users’ health and location data. The deal is expected to close next year.
Read more: CNN, The Verge, Bloomberg

Box Office Winner:
Terminator: Dark Fate won the weekend box office, bringing in $29 million in North America but still falling short of expectations. Joker came in second place. The Netflix original film The Irishman opened in eight theaters in New York and Los Angeles over the weekend.
Read more: Variety, Hollywood Reporter

Money Monday - Open Enrollment:
It’s time to pick or change your health insurance plan for 2020. You can only change your plan during open enrollment or a major life event, so if you have health insurance through work, it might be time to review your plan and research your options. Things to keep in mind: individual needs, future plans and cost. For those who don’t get benefits through an employer,"Obamacare" is now open for enrollment as well as other state exchanges.
Read more: CNBC (for employees), CNBC (Obamacare), NPR