Happy Saturday! Today’s edition is 945 words, a 3 minute read.

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Saturday’s Quick Hits

Rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse will cross the U.S. on Saturday

A solar eclipse will be visible across the entire continental U.S. today. Viewers in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as slivers of California, Idaho, Colorado, and Arizona will be able to see the moon almost completely cover the sun. The eclipse will create a rare fiery, orange-hued ring around the moon’s shadow called the “ring of fire.” In all other continental states, a partial solar eclipse will be visible. The next annular solar eclipse that crosses over the contiguous U.S. isn’t until February 2046. (More)

Why Trader Joe's is mad at Trader Joe

Trader Joe’s has filed a federal lawsuit against the cryptocurrency exchange Trader Joe, seeking compensation for damages and litigation expenses. It wants the exchange to stop using the grocery store’s brand. The complaint details instances where the exchange uses the possessive “Trader Joe’s” in its documentation, exactly copying the grocer’s corporate name. However, Trader Joe’s argument that its potential customers will be confused by the exchange is unlikely. Will consumers begin shopping for unique frozen appetizers only to find themselves buying the latest animal-themed digital currency? Probably not. (More)

Steve Scalise withdraws from speaker's race

Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., informed Republicans that he was dropping his bid to be House speaker, one day after he was nominated for the job. Some Republican lawmakers said they should move forward with Jim Jordan as their choice. However, others have already said they would never vote for him because his politics are too right-wing. (More)

Update: Jim Jordan wins internal vote to become GOP’s speaker nominee.

Microsoft closes $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard

Microsoft is finally closing its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, almost two years after it announced the bid. The deal is the biggest acquisition in Microsoft’s history, and the biggest ever in the games industry. In order to get the deal done, Microsoft agreed to allow some of Activision’s game portfolio to be played on rival game systems, such as PlayStation and Nintendo. (More)

Palestinians flee northern Gaza after Israel orders 1 million to evacuate as ground attack looms

More than 1 million Palestinians began a mass exodus from northern Gaza Friday after Israel’s military told them to evacuate to the southern part of the territory ahead of an expected ground invasion against the Hamas militant group. The U.N. is urging Israel to rescind the order because of the danger involved with moving a million people in such a confined space. However, Israel said it needed to target Hamas’ military infrastructure, much of which is buried underground in civilian areas. Hamas militants operate in civilian areas, where Israel has long accused them of using Palestinians as human shields. (More)

National monument honoring freed enslaved Black people slated for 2024

Nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative will construct a new monument in Alabama honoring four million enslaved Black people who were emancipated at the end of the Civil War. The “National Monument to Freedom” will sit near the Alabama River in Montgomery and is expected to open next year. It will be part of the planned Freedom Monument Sculpture Park — set to open in 2024 — which is a 17-acre site of large-scale sculptures that will tell the story of enslaved Black Americans. (More)

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Weekly Dose of Positive

Little boy’s lemonade stand helps raise over $20,000 for Lahaina fire victims

A five-year-old named Edison had always wanted to run his own lemonade stand. He and his family were visiting the Big Island when the fire broke out on Maui. After returning home, he was inspired to set up shop and donate the proceeds to Maui Strong Fund. So far, he has raised $20,000. (More)

Domino’s unveils new emergency pizza program

Domino’s has a new free pizza program for personal emergencies. The program is designed to help out when life gets chaotic, like when you burned dinner, or maybe your in-laws dropped in without notice. The way it works is that customers enroll in the Domino’s loyalty program and then must spend $7.99 on a pizza. At this point, you will earn an emergency pizza credit. The program will run until Feb. 11th. (More)

Billionaire Manages To Give Away His Entire Fortune During His Lifetime

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Charles Francis Feeney had a goal of giving away his entire fortune before he died. He peacefully passed away on Oct. 9 in San Francisco at the age of 92 after dispensing over $8 billion in grants across five continents through his foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies. "I had one idea that never changed in my mind—that you should use your wealth to help people," Feeney wrote in his biography. "Try it, you'll like it," he added. "It's much more fun to give while you are alive than to give when you are dead." (More)

MIT's Breakthrough: Ocean Water Transformed Into Affordable Freshwater

MIT and China engineers are working on a project to turn seawater into clean drinking water using a solar-powered device. The device imitates natural ocean processes and uses sunlight to evaporate water, leaving salt behind. The water vapor is collected as safe drinking water, and the salt is removed. When upscaled, the system can produce 4-6 liters of clean water per hour and last for years. This could make clean drinking water more affordable than tap water. (More)

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