Pete Buttigieg’s Rising Fortunes | Holding Russia Accountable | Trump Blimp’s New Home

Plus: America’s Top Givers: The 25 Most Philanthropic Billionaires

Good morning.

Former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg is a rising star in Washington D.C.—and his personal wealth is increasing, too. We also talked to U.S. financier and Kremlin critic Bill Browder about the best way to hold Russia accountable, and we cover the story of a man who spent three months hiding at O’Hare airport.

In The News Today

China and the World Health Organization (WHO) failed to act quickly and more forcefully at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an independent panel set up by the WHO.

An estimated 280,000 Californians face the prospect of power outages as utilities companies try to mitigate the risk of wildfires during unusually dry, hot, and windy weather. 

Top Take-Aways

During a 2019 democratic primary debate, presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg quoted Forbes noting he was “the only person on this stage who is not a millionaire or a billionaire.” While that’s true, the fortunes of the former mayor, nominated to be Joe Biden’s transportation secretary, are on the rise. 

World leaders have condemned the arrest of Alexei Navalny, a vocal opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Fellow Kremlin critic Bill Browder thinks it’s not words, but actions, such as going after the personal wealth of Putin’s allies, that can hold Russia accountable.

Covid-19 kicked the use of software bots into overdrive as companies turned to robotic process automation (RPA) software to boost productivity and save money. The surge in the use of bots is likely to continue, according to a new survey of 220 CIOs and tech leaders.

Anticipating and covering overdraft fees is one of fintech startup Brigit’s key offerings. The New York City-based business has raised a $35 million Series A round in early 2020, previously unannounced until now.

A California man was discovered hiding out for three months in a secured area of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport because he was afraid to fly due to Covid-19. The story sounds like a movie plot, but it also raises serious questions about the facility’s security protocols.

The Museum of London has acquired the 20-foot-tall inflatable balloon known as the "Trump Baby" blimp used to protest the American leader’s 2018 visit to the British capital.

U.S. museums are also working hard to preserve evidence of these turbulent times. From the Covid-19 pandemic, to Black Lives Matter protests, to the U.S. Capitol riot, the Smithsonian Institution deploys rapid-response teams to document the country’s history in real time.

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