News

Milwaukee – September 16, 2026 -- The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has released a whitepaper mapping how artificial intelligence is being embedded into agricultural machinery to help farmers manage rising operational pressures. The report, titled "AI in Agriculture Equipment: Supporting Productivity, Efficiency, and Decision-Making Through Technology," is now available on AEM's Insights & Resources page.

AEM defines three tiers of AI integration in farm machinery

The whitepaper categorizes AI deployment into Assist-Level AI, which supports operators through guidance systems, implement control and automated equipment functions while keeping humans in control; Advise-Level AI, which processes machine and operational data to generate recommendations; and Act-Level AI, which enables machines to execute tasks autonomously, including targeted spray applications and unmanned field operations.

New York – September 16, 2026 -- U.S. Latinos now generate $4.4 trillion in economic output, ranking as the world's fifth-largest GDP and growing 2.7 times faster than the non-Latino economy, according to figures released ahead of the sixth annual We Are All Human and Hispanic Star Gala.

Latino GDP set to overtake Germany and Japan by 2051

Organizers project the Hispanic economic bloc will surpass Germany's and Japan's national GDP within 25 years, positioning the community as a central driver of U.S. workforce, housing, and consumer spending growth. The data underpins the Gala's framing of what organizers call "The Hispanic Opportunity" tied to the nation's 250th anniversary.

Irving, Texas – September 16, 2026 -- Michaels plans to hire more than 10,000 seasonal Team Members across the U.S. and Canada, with National Hiring Day events set for Saturday, September 12, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time at all store locations.

Nearly half of last year's seasonal hires converted to permanent roles

Michaels reported that nearly 50% of seasonal in-store positions transitioned into regular roles following the 2025 holiday season, creating pathways into store leadership and Support Center teams. The company operates over 1,300 stores across 49 U.S. states and Canada.

Candidates can apply online or interview in person during the hiring event

Applicants may submit applications in advance through Careers.Michaels.com or attend in-store events on September 12, where qualified candidates will be interviewed on the spot.

Chattanooga, Tenn. – September 16, 2026 -- Fenix24 has been named a Cool Vendor in the Gartner Coolest Vendor Innovations in Cyber Resilience report for its Argos99 Cyber Resilience and Recovery Intelligence Platform.

Gartner projects 30% of large enterprises will deploy dedicated cyber resilience platforms by 2029

Gartner's report, authored by Arthur Sivanathan, Wayne Hankins and Niyati Daftary and published September 7, 2026, forecasts that by 2029, 30% of large enterprises will deploy dedicated cyber resilience platforms that continuously validate recovery readiness and orchestrate business-led incident response.

Indianapolis – September 16, 2026 -- Picklr Keystone Crossing will host Special Olympics Indiana's inaugural pickleball state tournament on Sunday, September 13, with 82 athletes from across the state competing for gold, silver, and bronze medals starting at 9:15 a.m.

Tournament follows 2025 training clinic that drew 36 athletes and 27 coaches

Picklr Keystone Crossing hosted Special Olympics Indiana's first pickleball training clinic in 2025, attracting 36 athletes from 12 counties and 27 coaches from 14 counties as participants prepared for the sport's debut competitive season in 2026.

Cary, N.C. – September 16, 2026 -- Mattamy Homes, North America's largest family-owned homebuilder, has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Raleigh/Durham by Triangle Business Journal for the sixth consecutive year, placing it among 50 total honourees.

Independent survey drives the recognition

The award is based on an independent employee survey administered by Quantum Workplace, evaluating factors including employee engagement, workplace culture, trust and leadership effectiveness across Mattamy's Raleigh Division.

Leadership ties the win to workforce retention strategy

Bob Wiggins, President of Mattamy's Raleigh Division, said the recognition reflects contributions from staff across the division rather than any single team. He said the company remains focused on maintaining a supportive, collaborative culture as it continues to grow, aiming to help employees build long-term careers within the organization.

Natick, Mass. – September 16, 2026 -- Franklin Pierce University has partnered with Uwill to expand mental health and wellness support for its graduate students, granting them unlimited access to licensed counselors through Uwill's teletherapy matching platform.

Nearly 40% of graduate students report anxiety or depression symptoms, six times the general population rate

The partnership responds to survey data showing 90% of adults believe the U.S. faces a mental health crisis, with graduate students facing disproportionately high rates of psychological distress tied to academic, career and family pressures.

NEW YORK – September 16, 2026 -- Intrinsic Advanced Materials is widening commercial deployment of its CiCLO® fiber technology into home and hospitality textiles through new collaborations with ADVANSA and HeiQ Materials AG, ahead of a joint activation with Lonely Whale during NYC Climate Week on Sept. 21-22.

ADVANSA integrates CiCLO into its premium Suprelle fiberfill line

ADVANSA is launching Suprelle® fiberfill made with CiCLO fibers for bedding, home and hospitality applications, embedding the microplastic-persistence-reduction technology into an established fiberfill portfolio built around comfort attributes such as cooling, down-like feel, loft retention and moisture management. Jean-Christophe Rouyer, head of global business development at ADVANSA, said the addition lets customers differentiate Suprelle products without altering core fiberfill performance.

San Francisco – September 16, 2026 -- Medeo AI has launched VideoClaw, an AI video agent that merges trend discovery, idea development, and video production into a single workflow, eliminating the need for creators to switch between separate research and editing tools.

VideoClaw unifies trend research and video generation into one platform

The tool allows users to identify trending topics on TikTok and Instagram, develop YouTube concepts, and produce promotional or educational videos without leaving Medeo's environment. Once an idea is identified, users can develop scripts, generate visuals, create voiceovers and music, and assemble scenes directly within the platform to produce publish-ready content.

Culver City, Calif. – September 15, 2026 -- Pocket Entertainment, parent company of AI audio drama platform Pocket FM, has surpassed $500 million in annual revenue run rate, growing 70% year-over-year.

Revenue retention nearly doubles as listener engagement strengthens

Revenue retention on Pocket FM rose from 44% to 76% over the past year, a shift the company attributes to deeper listener engagement rather than pure subscriber growth. Listeners now spend an average of 155 minutes daily on the platform, with 51% of weekly active users returning every day.

96 titles cross $1 million in revenue, 13 surpass $10 million

Pocket FM's catalog now includes 96 titles that have each generated more than $1 million in revenue, with 13 titles exceeding $10 million. The platform draws on a network of more than 550,000 creators producing 2.6 million hours of content annually.