News

Wilmington – September 22, 2026 -- U.S. Bank ranked first overall among 17 leading U.S. retail banks in Keynova Group's Q3 2026 Mobile Banker Scorecard, topping both mobile app and mobile web experience categories.

U.S. Bank and Bank of America lead the only banks offering native voice-enabled virtual assistants

Keynova found that only U.S. Bank's Smart Assistant and Bank of America's Erica currently support native in-app voice interactions for tasks including bill payment scheduling, transfers, card controls and credit score display. Erica additionally handles Zelle transaction display and P2P payment initiation via vocal commands. Across the broader panel, 35% of Scorecard banks now offer advanced text-based virtual assistants using natural language processing, though voice capability remains rare.

Malibu, Calif. – September 22, 2026 -- BIRKENSTOCK Americas has opened its 24th company-owned US retail location in Malibu, California, marking a continued expansion of its direct-to-consumer footprint on the West Coast.

New store anchors Malibu's Cross Creek Ranch mixed-use development

The store is situated at Cross Creek Ranch, 23465 Civic Center Way, Suite #850, a recently opened retail and dining destination in Malibu's Civic Center. The location carries the full BIRKENSTOCK range for women, men and kids, including sandals, clogs, sneakers, shoes and boots, alongside the brand's Care Essentials line and a new plant-based nail polish collection.

Hallandale Beach – September 22, 2026 -- The Hallandale Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (HBCRA) has authorized up to $11.2 million in proposed payments to Vessel Technologies to build 53 affordable homes across two HBCRA-owned properties, marking the housing product company's first-ever partnership with a community redevelopment agency and its entry into South Florida.

HBCRA board approves two-site affordable housing package on September 14

The HBCRA Board of Directors voted at its September 14 meeting to move forward with Vessel on developments at 128-132 S.E. 2nd Terrace, planned for 23 units, and 414 S.E. 3rd Ave., planned for 30 units. Both sites are HBCRA-owned properties identified for affordable housing redevelopment, putting underutilized land back into productive use.

Dallas – September 22, 2026 -- Integrity, LLC, a Dallas-based distributor of life and health insurance and wealth management solutions, has partnered with Mint Health Insurance Agency, a Southern California independent marketing organization led by Miriam and Albert Vega. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mint gains access to Integrity's AI-powered IntegrityCONNECT platform

The partnership gives Mint's agents access to IntegrityCONNECT, which provides on-demand leads, instant quoting, application and enrollment tools, and ongoing plan management. Integrity also offers its voice-activated digital assistant, Ask Integrity, which delivers real-time coverage recommendations and policy lifecycle reminders.

Charlottesville, Va. – September 22, 2026 -- RIVANNA has filed its 100th patent, U.S. application #64/080,862, covering an AI-powered ultrasound pathology detection pipeline for automated computer-aided diagnosis on its Accuro XV platform, marking 15 years of continuous intellectual-property development at the medical technology company.

New York – – September 22, 2026 -- New York City Regional Center (NYCRC) has closed $20 million in New Markets Tax Credit financing to fund construction of an 87,000-square-foot healthcare facility in the South Bronx.

NYCRC deploys portion of $75 million federal tax credit award

The $20 million transaction draws on a $75 million New Markets Tax Credit allocation from the U.S. Department of Treasury to NYC Regional Community Development, an entity managed by NYCRC. To secure the allocation, NYCRC had to demonstrate a track record of directing investment capital into low-income communities.

Arlington, Va. – September 22, 2026 -- 2U has partnered with CodeSignal to bring more than 400 hands-on, practice-based courses to its edX online learning platform, marking CodeSignal's first appearance on edX. The initial courses are live now, with the full catalog set to roll out by year-end.

Survey data shows workforce AI skills gap widening

A 2U survey found 58% of workers report a lack of AI expertise in their industry, while nearly two-thirds of managers plan to upskill their teams to keep pace with demand.

Philadelphia – September 22, 2026 -- Health Union and DTC Perspectives have launched a strategic partnership to stage an invitation-only executive summit focused on redefining commercial models for rare disease and niche oncology marketing.

Summit convenes senior biopharma marketers in Boston on November 5, 2026

The Rare Marketing Summit: Redefining the Commercial Model for Rare Disease will run from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at The Westin Copley Place in Boston, MA, followed by a cocktail reception. Attendance is capped to preserve intimate peer exchange among senior-level biopharma marketing leaders.

Jersey City, N.J. – September 22, 2026 -- Soltage's 55 Drive battery storage facility, New York City's first such asset from the independent power producer, discharged at full capacity during peak summer demand this year, completing its second full operating season on the Con Edison network.

New York's reliability margin has collapsed to 417 MW, down from 2,227 MW in 2018

The New York Independent System Operator reported the drop heading into this summer, the lowest margin in recent history. NYISO has flagged reliability needs in New York City over its five-year planning horizon, with the state targeting 6 GW of storage capacity by 2030, prioritizing downstate projects.

Chicago – September 22, 2026 -- Republic Business Credit has provided a $750,000 factoring facility to a temporary staffing firm based in the Southeast United States, marking the first funding deal to originate from its newly announced partnership with Meritus Capital.

Republic structures $750,000 facility for staffing firm's cash flow needs

The staffing company, which uses technology-driven recruitment strategies, will use the funding to take on larger clients, add recruiters, expand into new markets and manage payroll obligations without cash flow constraints tied to the cyclical nature of the staffing sector.