Theme news

Langhorne, Pennsylvania – – September 19, 2026 -- TEN Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: XHLD) has authorized a new $2.0 million share repurchase program running through December 31, 2026, while simultaneously approving a strategic technology and engineering relationship with GLSoft Corp. The dual moves mark a shift in capital strategy for the virtual-events technology company, which operates its platform through subsidiary Ten Events, Inc.

New York – September 19, 2026 -- OutKick has signed Matt Calkins, the former Seattle Times sports columnist who resigned in August after the paper declined to publish his column on two female student-athletes opposing competition against biological males.

Calkins brings eleven years of Seattle Times coverage and three National Sports Columnist of the Year titles to OutKick

Calkins covered local college and professional sports plus national events including the Super Bowl and World Cup during his tenure at The Seattle Times. He previously worked as a preps writer at the Riverside Press-Enterprise and as a columnist at the San Diego Union Tribune. He joins OutKick immediately as a columnist covering sports and culture.

Vancouver – September 19, 2026 -- APPLY, the Agentic Customer Experience (ACx) firm backed by Interlock Equity, has appointed Adam Steingart as Global General Manager, Entertainment, tasking him with building out the company's sports, media and live-experience practice.

Steingart exits GameSquare to lead APPLY's entertainment strategy

Steingart joins from GameSquare Holdings, where he served as Head of Commercial Strategy and Business Development, unifying go-to-market strategy across the company's creator, media, content, experiential and esports units. He will now direct APPLY's global entertainment practice, expanding its ACx capabilities across sports, media, the creator economy and live experiences, and working to convert client content and data into commercial outcomes.

Pittsburgh -- September 16, 2026 -- An InventHelp client from Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, has developed the LQ SAFETY SENSOR, a patent-pending device designed to automatically open a garage door when carbon monoxide is detected inside the space.

Device targets a common household risk from remote-start vehicles

The inventor said the design addresses situations where drivers using remote-start systems or leaving in a hurry forget to open the garage door, creating conditions for carbon monoxide buildup. The sensor monitors carbon monoxide levels within the garage and triggers the door to open automatically when unsafe levels are detected, allowing the gas to dissipate.

Miami – September 19, 2026 -- Miami-Dade County has already logged 194 home sales of $10 million or more through August 2026, surpassing its entire 2025 total of 170 transactions by 14.1% with four months still remaining in the year.

At the current sales pace, the county is projected to close 2026 with roughly 291 ultra-luxury transactions, obliterating the prior record of 230 set in 2021 during the pandemic buying surge, according to data released by MIAMI REALTORS® + RWorld, the MIAMI MLS, and BeachesMLS.

South Florida Averages One $10 Million Home Sale Every Day

The region posted the most $20 million-plus condo sales in its history during 2025 and the second-highest total of $10 million-plus home sales ever recorded. South Florida single-family owners who bought 15 years ago hold over $500,000 in home equity, compared with $333,700 nationally as of Q2 2026.

Jupiter, Florida – September 19, 2026 -- Myosin Therapeutics, Inc. has been selected as one of just 30 companies for the National Cancer Institute's 2026–2027 Investor Initiatives Showcase, a distinction drawn from NCI's full portfolio of funded companies following a competitive review by more than 70 third-party investors and strategic partners.

NCI selects Myosin from a competitive field of oncology innovators

The 2026–2027 cohort spans biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics and digital health, covering first-in-class therapeutics, cell and immune therapies, radioligand therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, RNA medicines, precision drug delivery, AI-enabled cancer technologies, liquid biopsy and multi-omics platforms. Myosin enters this group with a mechanics-based approach that targets molecular nanomotors underlying cancer cell growth, invasion and survival.

Houston – September 19, 2026 -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation will roll out enhanced Walmart+ Gas Savings and Club CITGO loyalty benefits across 16 cities during its Light Oils Marketer Roundtable Meetings running Sept. 17 through Oct. 29, 2026.

CITGO expands Walmart+ Gas Savings partnership to boost pump-side value

Eligible Walmart+ members enrolled in the Club CITGO Loyalty program will receive additional savings at participating CITGO locations under the newly announced partnership. The rollout accompanies broader loyalty enhancements CITGO says are designed to drive value for both consumers and its branded retail network.

Las Vegas – – September 19, 2026 -- Endra unveiled Endra Power Studio, the first agentic AI platform purpose-built for electrical engineering, and simultaneously acquired Swiss AI firm Planlabs to bring mechanical engineering capabilities in-house.

Power Studio compresses a two-month electrical design job into under a day

The platform runs electrical design end-to-end: engineers load a building model, set requirements, and instruct agents to execute the design while signing off at each stage. Endra says a code-compliant electrical design for a 500,000 square foot commercial building, traditionally a two-month process, can now be completed in less than a day.

Miami – September 19, 2026 -- CEO Coaching International has named GreenBanana SEO, a three-time Inc. 5000 digital growth agency, as its newest Platinum Strategic Partner, giving its global CEO client base direct access to AI search visibility services.

Partnership targets the shift from Google rankings to AI-driven answer engines

Founded in 2009, GreenBanana SEO specializes in Search Engine Optimization, Answer Engine Optimization, Generative Engine Optimization, and AI search visibility across platforms including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. Under the Platinum Partnership, GreenBanana will provide CEO Coaching International's client network with diagnostics on how companies appear across Google Search, Google Maps, AI Overviews, and emerging AI discovery tools.

Pittsburgh – September 19, 2026 -- An Indianapolis-based inventor has filed a patent application for the U-TURN FLASHER, a signaling device designed to warn other motorists before a vehicle executes a 180-degree turn at an intersection.

Device targets a specific gap in existing turn-signal communication

Standard turn signals do not clearly indicate a U-turn maneuver, leaving other drivers to guess a vehicle's intentions. The U-TURN FLASHER is engineered to give advance, unambiguous notice of an impending U-turn, aiming to reduce collisions caused by miscommunication at intersections.

Baton Rouge – September 19, 2026 -- The Inner Circle has named Asia Alexus Alexander, M.S.M., a Pinnacle Professional of The Year for her work in marketing education. Alexander teaches marketing at Southern University and A&M College, where she structures coursework around live case studies, industry guest speakers, and analytics-driven projects to replicate the pace of modern marketing agencies.

Curriculum design mirrors agency workflows to prepare graduates for immediate industry contribution.

Pittsburgh – September 19, 2026 -- An inventor from Nampa, Idaho, has developed the Hike & Hide, a multipurpose attachment that combines a trowel, stake driver, and trekking pole accessory into a single lightweight tool, according to a submission filed with InventHelp.

Device merges three camping tools into one trekking pole attachment

The invention adds a trowel head to a standard trekking pole, allowing users to anchor and remove tent stakes, retrieve dropped stakes or poles, dig a cat hole, extinguish campfires, and garden without bending. The design eliminates the need for a separate hammer when driving stakes into the ground.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – September 18, 2026 -- Axon Enterprise Inc. (Nasdaq: AXON) has priced $1.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of 0% convertible senior notes due 2031, with underwriters holding an option to purchase up to an additional $150.0 million to cover over-allotments.

Axon expects to net $986.0 million from the offering, or $1,134.3 million if the over-allotment is fully exercised

The sale to underwriters is expected to settle on September 18, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. The public safety technology maker will direct $99.9 million of net proceeds, or $114.9 million with the over-allotment, toward capped call transactions, with the remainder earmarked for general corporate purposes including potential acquisitions of, or investments in, other businesses.

Chicago – – September 18, 2026 -- Old Republic International Corporation (NYSE: ORI) has entered a national charitable partnership with the American Red Cross through its Disaster Responder Program, committing advance funding to strengthen the humanitarian organization's emergency-response capacity.

Red Cross handles 60,000 disasters annually across the US

The American Red Cross responds to roughly 60,000 disaster events each year nationwide, delivering shelter, meals, emotional support, relief supplies and recovery resources to affected families. The Disaster Responder Program pools advance contributions from corporate members to fund the personnel, infrastructure, supply chains, technology and training the Red Cross needs to mobilize quickly when disasters strike.

Cincinnati and Indianapolis – September 18, 2026 -- L2 Aviation has appointed Jason Marshall, former Director of Business Development at AMETEK, as its Vice President of Sales and Business Development, tasking him with converting qualified opportunities into bookings across commercial, business, military, and special-mission markets.

Marshall to lead expansion into Advanced Air Mobility and new commercial verticals

In his new role, Marshall will direct business development efforts, strengthen customer and partner relationships, and align sales strategy with L2 Aviation's engineering, manufacturing, certification, aircraft modification, repair, and field-support capabilities. His mandate extends to Advanced Air Mobility, a vertical the company is targeting alongside existing commercial and defense markets.

Oklahoma City – September 18, 2026 -- Continental Resources, Inc. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) to operate and develop the Ayacucho 2 Block in Venezuela's Orinoco Oil Belt, a region holding an estimated 30 billion barrels of resource in place.

Continental targets 126,000-acre block with 100% operating control

The Ayacucho 2 Block sits north of the Orinoco River in Anzoátegui state. Upon execution of a long-term Contrato de Participación Productiva (CPP) agreement, expected in the coming weeks, Continental will hold a 100% working interest and operate the block directly.

Austin, Texas – September 18, 2026 -- LeanDNA has named 26 finalists for its second annual APEX Awards, expanding the program from four to six categories as it recognizes measurable supply chain transformation across its manufacturer customer base.

Program adds two categories and opens nominations to customers for the first time

LeanDNA introduced the APEX Architect Award, honoring individual power users of its newest platform capabilities, and the APEX Synergy Award, recognizing teams that unified departments around APEX as a single source of truth. For the first time, nominations were opened beyond LeanDNA staff to the broader customer community, allowing customers to nominate themselves, peers, and teams.

San Francisco – September 18, 2026 -- Aristotle, a voice-first AI tutoring platform, has closed $5 million in seed funding led by True Ventures, with participation from Wicklow Capital and angel investors from Anthropic, OpenAI, Sierra, Ramp, and Cognition.

Closed beta logs 1,500 tutoring hours before nationwide launch

The startup is launching nationwide after a closed beta in which more than 1,000 students completed over 1,500 hours of one-on-one tutoring sessions. The platform targets students ages 13-18 across STEM subjects, standardized testing, and language learning.

Boca Raton, Fla. – September 18, 2026 -- The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) has designated Florida Atlantic University (FAU) as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) University, placing it among just over 90 higher education institutions nationwide to hold the credential.

FAU secures national recognition after review of over 1,000 stakeholders

The designation followed an independent, rigorous review process that engaged more than 1,000 internal and external stakeholders, including students, alumni, faculty, community partners, local employers, entrepreneurs, nonprofits and public agencies. The IEP status recognizes universities that collaborate with public and private sector partners to drive economic development through innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and workforce development.

Washington – September 18, 2026 -- The National Press Club will host a screening of "Contaminated: The Carpet Industry's Toxic Legacy" on September 30 at 6:00 p.m., spotlighting a joint investigation into PFAS chemical contamination linked to carpet manufacturing across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

Five newsrooms collaborated on a multi-state PFAS contamination probe

The documentary was produced by FRONTLINE (PBS), The Associated Press, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Post and Courier and AL.com. The investigation draws on thousands of pages of documents and court depositions, alongside interviews with former regulators, industry insiders, doctors and scientists studying illnesses linked to PFAS exposure.