News

New York – September 25, 2026 -- Spring Health has expanded VERA-MH, the first open-source AI safety benchmark for mental health, to add a second clinical safety area covering harm from others, as more users turn to AI systems for emotional support.

New rubric measures AI response to interpersonal violence risk

The VERA-MH Harm-From-Others rubric evaluates how AI systems respond when an adult describes being at risk of physical or sexual violence from another person. It scores responses across five areas: detecting risk, confirming it, guiding the person to human care, supportive conversation, and adherence to AI boundaries. The rubric draws on 100 realistic personas and was developed with clinicians, subject-matter experts in interpersonal violence, and people with lived experience.

San Jose, Calif. – September 25, 2026 -- Overlord Labs, Inc. has closed an oversubscribed Seed round, lifting total funding to $10 million as the fabless semiconductor company moves its GENESIS Battery Intelligence IC from tape-out into product validation.

Seed extension totals $4.35 million led by Band of Angels

The financing comprises $7.25 million in Seed capital and the remainder in non-dilutive strategic development funding. The $4.35 million extension was led by Band of Angels, with participation from Foothill Ventures, Unlock Pacific Ventures, NuFund Venture Group, Sand Hill Angels and Castle Fund, alongside returning angel investors from earlier rounds.

Columbus, Ohio – September 25, 2026 -- The U.S. Senate has passed two aeromedical reform bills -- S. 3257, the John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act, and S. 3258, the Aviation Medication Transparency Act -- prompting the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) to press the House of Representatives for swift companion action.

NJASAP represents more than 3,800 professional pilots flying for NetJets Aviation, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) subsidiary.

Washington – September 25, 2026 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior has appointed Dr. Robert "Robbie" Kröger, founder and executive director of The Origins Foundation, to the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation and Access Council, the agency announced Sept. 21.

Kröger joins the council as a primary member representing wildlife-associated recreation interests

The federal advisory council delivers recommendations through the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting and shooting sports, conservation partnerships and public land access.

Toronto – September 25, 2026 -- PomeGran Inc. has been named the #1 Telecom Services provider for the second consecutive year in The Globe and Mail's Report on Business magazine 2026 ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies, placing #82 out of 375 companies nationwide on verified three-year revenue growth of 348% between 2022 and 2025.

PomeGran repeats as Canada's top-ranked telecom growth company

The Toronto-based fibre infrastructure provider previously ranked #62 overall among 400 companies in 2025, with three-year revenue growth of 557%. The company is listed in the ranking's Technology and Telecom category, based on its expansion of sovereign fibre networks and neocloud services across Ontario and Quebec.

Bridgetown, Barbados – September 25, 2026 -- NCL GT20 Canada, the country's professional T20 franchise tournament, will stage its 2026 edition in St. Vincent and the Grenadines during the October-November window, marking a one-year departure from Canadian soil before the league returns to Canada in 2027.

Cricket West Indies secures direct franchise investment under new governance framework

Under a collaborative structure between Cricket Canada and Cricket West Indies (CWI), CWI will handle governance, compliance and regulatory coordination for the 2026 edition while also holding a direct franchise investment stake. The arrangement is designed to build sustainable sporting and commercial connections across the Americas rather than relocate the tournament permanently.

Piscataway, N.J. – September 25, 2026 -- Parker Health Group has named Mark Lenhard, MS, LNFA, as its next President & CEO, succeeding Roberto Muñiz after nearly 28 years of leadership at the nonprofit aging services provider.

Lenhard joins Parker in December 2026 from United Methodist Communities

Lenhard currently serves as President & CEO of United Methodist Communities (UMC) and the UMC Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit network spanning nine senior living communities, a home- and community-based services platform, a consulting arm, and a philanthropic foundation. He is expected to join Parker in December 2026.

Shanghai – September 25, 2026 -- IASO Biotechnology reported an 88.9% objective response rate for its dual-targeted CAR-T therapy RD140 in a first-in-human Phase 1 trial of nine heavily pretreated multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia patients, with the response rate reaching 100% in the higher-dose cohort.

RD140 achieves 88.9% MRD negativity in high-risk relapsed patients

The investigator-initiated trial (NCT06655519), led by Professor Jin Lu of Peking University People's Hospital, enrolled patients who had failed at least three prior lines of therapy, including two who had previously received BCMA-targeted treatment. All nine patients were triple-class exposed, and six were penta-exposed. As of the May 6, 2026 data cutoff, with a median follow-up of 6.05 months, 88.9% of patients achieved MRD negativity at the 10−5 threshold, with six reaching this benchmark as early as day 28. Median progression-free survival has not been reached.

New York – September 25, 2026 -- Meiyume has signed a distribution agreement with Pinard Beauty Pack, a European bottle manufacturer for the beauty industry, granting Meiyume rights to distribute Pinard's packaging solutions across the US market.

Meiyume gains a new route into the US prestige beauty ecosystem

The deal pairs Pinard Beauty Pack's bottle manufacturing expertise for the beauty and dermocosmetics sectors with Meiyume's existing US market presence and global sourcing network. Meiyume said the collaboration extends beyond a standard distribution arrangement, combining complementary manufacturing and market-access capabilities to give US beauty brands a broader packaging portfolio and a faster path from development to launch.

Cary, N.C. – September 25, 2026 -- Small financial institutions rank ahead of similarly sized insurers, government bodies, health care providers and life sciences firms on AI adoption, with 64% of small banks and credit unions using AI in IT operations, according to a new SAS and IDC study.

The report, "AI for SMBs: Closing the Readiness-Reality Gap," surveyed 1,600 small and midsized business leaders across 28 countries in five regions. SMBs were defined as organizations with 100 to 999 employees in the U.S. and 100 to 499 employees elsewhere.

AI adoption in small banks concentrates heavily in IT functions

Among small financial institutions, 64% report AI use in IT, compared with 47% in finance and risk, 44% in marketing, 42% in customer service and 39% in product development.