News

Bardstown, Ky. – September 22, 2026 -- CaskX closed out its presence at the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival with 2,354 spins recorded on its World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel, capped by a single attendee winning an entire barrel of 2026 Jackson Purchase bourbon.

Saturday spins hit a one-day record of 1,140 as rare pours drew crowds

Friday produced 698 spins before Saturday set a new one-day high of 1,140, according to CaskX. Guests sampled a rotating lineup of rare, limited and sold-out whiskeys over the three-day event, including six bottles of Pappy Van Winkle.

Beijing – September 22, 2026 -- China's AI-powered meteorological early-warning system "MAZU" has been deployed for cloud-based trials in more than 40 countries, including Pakistan, Ethiopia, the Solomon Islands, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Djibouti, since its 2025 launch.

China Meteorological Administration unveils AI system as first tool under UN Early Warnings for All initiative

Released by the China Meteorological Administration at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, "MAZU" combines AI-based forecasting models, Fengyun satellite data, multi-source monitoring products and cloud computing infrastructure into a single early-warning platform. The system offers both standardized menu-style solutions and customized configurations for country-specific disaster risks.

New York – – September 22, 2026 -- Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Group, told more than 3,000 African and global business leaders and heads of state that Africa must stop exporting its capital to foreign banks and markets if it wants to replicate Asia's industrial rise. His remarks came at Unstoppable Africa 2026, a two-day forum in New York organized around the theme of continental industrialization and investment.

Dangote Calls for Domestic Capital Retention to Fund Industrial Projects

Dangote argued that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides the scale needed for major industrial ventures, but only if capital stays on the continent to fund them. "We must believe in our continent," he said, adding that early movers face the steepest hurdles but that momentum builds once projects begin.

Virginia – – September 22, 2026 -- Virginia Housing has named Davon Gray and Michael Olivieri to its Board of Commissioners, the panel that sets policy, approves budgets and oversees operations for the state's public mortgage and housing finance authority.

Gray brings 25 years of advocacy and policy strategy to the board

Gray currently serves as Vice President of Policy for Purpose Built Communities. He previously held roles at the American Institute of Architects, including Managing Director of Advocacy and Engagement programs. A 12-year veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard and Reserves, Gray holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master's degree in public administration from DeVry University.

Hsinchu – September 22, 2026 -- ICP DAS will demonstrate its iTLC-9000 Series Redundant Multifunctional Traffic Signal Control System at APTA 2026 TRANSform & EXPO, running October 4–7 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. The company will occupy Booth 4625, running a live simulated intersection where the iTLC-9000 operates two actual sets of traffic signals in real time.

System supports up to 16 signal phases across 32-way intersections

Cleveland – September 22, 2026 -- Inglewood Associates and Gordon Brothers confirmed that the court-appointed Receiver overseeing the sale of 925 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland has not selected a stalking horse bidder, despite months of marketing the 1.45 million-square-foot historic tower.

Bidders opt for open auction over stalking horse role

Hangzhou, China – September 21, 2026 -- A joint survey by asmag.com and Hikvision found that 38.2% of video security professionals call storage cost or capacity a "major challenge," while another 43.2% rate it "moderate," together accounting for 81.4% of respondents.

Storage costs have climbed over the past 12 months for most operators

Asked how the storage challenge has changed compared with a year earlier, 43.2% of respondents said pressure has "increased moderately," pointing to persistent upward cost trends across video security deployments rather than a one-time spike.

Hong Kong – September 21, 2026 -- Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH; HKEX: 6686) hosted its 2026 Global Investor Summit in Hong Kong, gathering investment professionals from Global Infrastructure Partners (a part of BlackRock), Macquarie Asset Management, Bridgepoint, HarbourVest Partners and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management to discuss AI-driven shifts in global asset allocation for Chinese high-net-worth families.

Noah pairs global manager network with AI to systematize investment judgment

The summit, themed "The Year of Realization: A New Chapter in Global Allocation," was organized jointly with Noah's global asset allocation platform, Olive Asset Management. Noah said its ongoing investments in funds worldwide have built long-term relationships with managers and accumulated underlying research data, which the company now combines with AI tools to validate investment judgments for client portfolios.

Jinan – September 21, 2026 -- Bestzyme, a synthetic biology unit of GenScript Biotech, has completed what it calls the world's first dedicated, automated smart production line for sweet proteins at its Jinan facility, integrating R&D, mass production and application for the ingredient category for the first time globally.

Jinan facility delivers 100 tons of annual capacity equal to 300,000 tons of sucrose sweetness

The 5,000-square-meter plant runs a fully automated fermentation-purification-freeze-drying process for Bestzyme's flagship Mellia® Brazzein sweet protein. Once operational, the line will produce over 100 tons annually, a volume the company says matches the sweetness output of 300,000 tons of sucrose. Bestzyme expects capacity to potentially double within two years.

Dallas – September 21, 2026 -- AI Hospitality Group (AIHG) launched with $7.5 million in seed funding and a pledge to deliver more than 500 basis points of gross operating profit margin improvement to hotel owners through a fully AI-native management model. The company, founded by former Remington Hospitality CEO Sloan Dean, signs hotel management agreements directly with owners and takes responsibility for the P&L rather than licensing software to existing operators.

Hotel EBITDA margins have eroded to 20% from roughly 30% over the past decade

AIHG says U.S. hotel EBITDA margins have fallen approximately 20% since 2019, while CMBS delinquency rates for limited-service hotels hit 8.35% in July 2025, more than double their 2022 low. The company cites 65% of North American hotels reporting staffing shortages in 2025, with labor costs rising 11.2% year over year.