General News

Atlanta – September 29, 2026 -- The Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation (JAJF) has completed 20 years of funding fully-paid family trips for parents with terminal cancer diagnoses, a model now formally prescribed by oncologists across the United States as part of patient treatment protocols.

Foundation traces origin to a 2006 family diagnosis

Jon Albert founded JAJF in 2006 after his wife, Jill, was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Jill died two weeks after the foundation's launch, but the organization she inspired has since delivered what it calls WOW! Experiences to thousands of children and parents nationwide.

New York City – – September 29, 2026 -- Demy-Colton has released the agenda for BioFuture 2026, a two-day conference set for October 27–28 at Cure, 345 Park Avenue South, drawing more than 100 speakers and over 50 presenting companies from biopharma, investment, technology and policy sectors.

Conference agenda spans AI, oncology, biotech financing and global drug development

Speakers include representatives from Johnson & Johnson, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Schrödinger, Piper Sandler and Mizuho Securities. Sponsors backing the event include Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Russo Partners, WuXi AppTec, Blue Matter, Cure, Evotec, Ipsen, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Big4Bio, HMA Consulting, Withum and Hogan Lovells Cadwalader.

Chicago – September 29, 2026 -- Controllers Council projects that AI and automation adoption among corporate financial controllers will reach 98% by 2030, up from 86% today, according to its new Controllership 2030 Predictions Study.

Survey of controllers and CFOs maps a five-year shift in job duties

The study draws on a national survey of controllers, CFOs and related finance executives conducted between July and September 2026 across multiple industries and company sizes. It tracks how AI, automation, talent shortages and shifting business conditions will reshape the controllership function through 2030.

Draper, Utah – September 29, 2026 -- FirstDigital has surpassed 500 five-star Google reviews, achieving an overall 4.4-star rating that the fiber internet provider says outperforms most locations run by major national competitors in the same markets.

Customer outages get resolved within hours, not days

Customer Mary Tipton reported that after a series of power outages knocked out her fiber connection, a FirstDigital representative created a high-priority service ticket and restored her service within hours. Longtime customer Vance Hawkins, who has used the service for twelve years, said downtime has been "practically nonexistent" and that any disruptions were typically resolved within minutes.

San Francisco – – September 29, 2026 -- U.S. restaurant and foodservice sales are projected to hit a record $1.55 trillion this year, a 4.8% increase from 2025, according to the National Restaurant Association, as OpenTable releases its first U.S. Restaurant Impact Report quantifying the sector's economic ripple effects. Dining at OpenTable restaurants rose 11% year-over-year, with average per-person spend up 3% to $60, based on OpenTable data covering July 2025 through June 2026.

Restaurant meals trigger $138 in additional nearby spending

60% of diners spend money at neighboring businesses before or after a meal, averaging $138 per visit, per a Ripple Research survey of 1,501 U.S. consumers conducted July 28–August 4, 2026. That figure climbs to $171 for Gen Z diners and $158 for Millennials, pointing to generational differences in local economic contribution.

Indianapolis – September 29, 2026 -- Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) has signed Danish driver Christian Lundgaard to a multi-year contract to pilot the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda starting in 2027, adding a three-time INDYCAR winner to the winningest team in series history.

Lundgaard brings a career-best third-place championship finish to CGR's 2027 lineup

At 25 years old, Lundgaard has 16 podiums and 21 top-five finishes across 87 career INDYCAR starts. In 2026 he won at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Road America while securing his career-best third-place finish in the championship standings and his first oval podium. He joins teammates Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson at CGR next season.

Birmingham, Ala. – September 29, 2026 -- The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) has promoted Gregg Horn to Senior Vice President of Research and Josh Blount to Vice President of Technical Resources, elevating two veteran staffers to lead the trade group's core technical operations.

Horn takes charge of research after 40 years with the association

Horn joined DIPRA in 1986 as a Regional Engineer, became Director of Regional Engineers in 1990, and served as Vice President of Technical Resources since 2013. In his new role, he will lead DIPRA's technical research efforts, Standards activities and comparative studies of substitute materials, while facilitating the Technical Committee, Environmental Subcommittee and other groups addressing research on Ductile iron pipe. He is a Life Member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and has served on committees within AWWA, ASCE, ASTM and ISO.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – September 29, 2026 -- The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) will open applications October 1 for its ninth round of massage school grants funded by Massage Envy, offering ten $10,000 awards totaling $100,000. The fall cycle brings Massage Envy's cumulative funding of the program to $550,000.

Massage Envy doubles annual grant capacity in 2026

The program now distributes 10 grants per cycle in both spring and fall, up from five per cycle in prior years, effectively doubling annual grant availability for accredited massage schools.

Accredited schools can apply through October 31

Eligible massage schools must submit an online application via AMTA detailing how grant funds would support school programs and students. The application window runs October 1–31, 2026.

New York – September 29, 2026 -- JPMorgan Chase claimed the No. 1 spot on the 2026 Fortune AIQ 75, a ranking of Fortune 500 companies generating measurable business impact from AI adoption, jointly produced by Fortune and ServiceNow.

Ranking expands to 75 companies from 50, with 36 new entrants

Building on the inaugural 2025 Fortune AIQ 50, the list grew by 50% this year, now spanning 18 sectors including Technology, Finance, Healthcare, Energy, Retail and Industrials. Alphabet, Coca-Cola, Amazon and Nvidia rounded out the top five, followed by Mastercard, Visa, Carrier Global, Cleveland-Cliffs and Microsoft to complete the top ten.

Huntersville, N.C. – September 29, 2026 -- Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) will host 11 appreciation events across the United States ahead of National Custodian Day on October 2, personally recognizing an estimated 1,250 custodial and facility maintenance professionals.

RCP marks fifth year of Behind the Scenes of Clean initiative

The program, launched in 2022, has hosted more than 250 recognition events nationwide and honored around 25,000 custodial and facility maintenance professionals since inception, according to the company, a unit of Newell Brands.

Events span cities including Mooresville, Atlanta, Orlando, Chicago and Naples

Local teams working across workplaces, healthcare facilities, public spaces, hospitality venues, transportation hubs and entertainment destinations will be recognized face-to-face at the 11 gatherings.