Co-founder of Microsoft is dead at 65

Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, died Monday Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, died Monday. He was an investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist who influenced many aspects of modern life — from technology and science to sports and music. Allen was 65, his investment firm Vulcan said in a statement announcing his death. He died in Seattle from complications related to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma two weeks after Allen said he was being treated for the disease. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, like the less-common Hodgkin's disease, is a cancer of the lymphatic system. Allen founded Microsoft (MSFT) with Bill Gates in 1975, several years after the two met as fellow students at a private school in Seattle. Allen left the company in 1982 after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Allen didn't slow down after leaving Microsoft. He stayed on the company's board of directors for several years while establishing his own philanthropic foundation, along with Vulcan, his investment firm. He bought two professional sports teams: the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. He was involved with both until his death. Allen, who Forbes says was worth $20.3 billion at the time of his death, donated more than $2 billion to charity. He also funded a $100 million museum for music and pop culture in Seattle, now called the Museum of Pop Culture. Allen was still seeking other ways to leave his mark on the world up until the day he died.

In Other News A 2,000 foot-long floating pipe nicknamed Wilson is about to start its mission to collect all the plastic in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Last month, the Ocean Cleanup foundation launched the world's first ocean cleanup system out of San Francisco to take on the notorious "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," a giant floating trash pile between San Francisco and Hawaii that is twice the size of Texas. It's the largest of five ocean trash piles on Earth. The pipe is set to arrive at its destination in the ocean on Tuesday and begin the cleanup process soon after. The pipe, which is in the shape of a U, features a 3-meter deep net underneath it to trap floating plastic under the water's surface. A boat will return to the spot every couple of months to remove the debris -- like a garbage truck for the ocean -- and return it to shore. The goal is to recycle the plastic and create new products. The hope is that the pipe will collect 50 tons of trash by April 2019 and clean 90% of the world's ocean plastic by the year 2040. In a rather unusual campaign move, Sen. Elizabeth Warren has released the results of a DNA test that says there is "strong evidence" of Native American ancestry dating back six to 10 generations, addressing a controversy that has followed her for years. The results were part of an elaborate strategy to end questions about her ancestry, possibly in anticipation of a 2020 presidential bid. At a rally in Montana this past July, Trump taunted Warren for her claims of Native American ancestry, calling her “Pocahontas.” The Cherokee Nation described the DNA test as "useless," adding that there are legal requirements for tribal citizenship. Warren has long been dogged with questions about her family history. They date back to her 2012 Massachusetts Senate race when she was accused of being dishonest about her heritage to get a professional edge.