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United States – – September 23, 2026 -- JPMA and Umoja Health have launched a pilot program enabling WIC participants to shop online and receive home delivery through WICShopper Online, targeting families facing transportation and mobility barriers to in-person redemption.

Pilot removes in-person PIN redemption requirement for WIC benefits

Traditional WIC redemption requires participants to shop at an authorized retailer and enter a Personal Identification Number in front of a cashier, a process participants have cited as a source of embarrassment and logistical difficulty. WICShopper Online allows users to identify eligible foods, build an order, redeem benefits digitally, and schedule delivery without visiting a store.

Miami – September 23, 2026 -- PRIMA VIP INC has appointed Gil Antolin, founder of Luxury World Traveler, as a strategic partner to expand its hospitality booking network on both the supply and distribution sides.

Antolin brings a 5-million-follower media platform and 2,000-hotel network to PRIMA

Antolin founded Luxury World Traveler in 2013, building it into a global luxury travel media and marketing brand with more than 5 million followers across social platforms. He has worked with over 2,000 hotels and organized more than 30 influencer marketing events worldwide. He is also co-founder of two AI-powered hospitality software companies, Worldie AI and M2Lux.

New York and Amsterdam – September 23, 2026 -- AI communications infrastructure company Bird.com has closed a $450 million debt financing led by J.P. Morgan, Capital One and Citi, pairing the raise with the launch of a revamped platform that lets AI agents send messages, place calls and manage email without human intervention.

Bird structures $450 million facility as dividend recapitalization

The financing comprises a $400 million term loan and a $50 million revolving credit facility, arranged across a syndicate of seven banks. J.P. Morgan served as joint lead arranger, joint bookrunner and administrative agent, with Capital One and Citi as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners; Silicon Valley Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Flagstar and Huntington round out the lender group. The deal is structured as a dividend recapitalization, providing liquidity to existing shareholders, including current and former employees holding equity.

Philadelphia – September 23, 2026 -- Love & Honey Fried Chicken is seeking franchise operators to enter Massachusetts for the first time, expanding a Northeast footprint that recently added a Cranston, Rhode Island location.

Brand targets Greater Boston, Worcester and five other Massachusetts markets

The fast-casual chicken concept has identified Greater Boston and its suburbs, Cambridge and Somerville, Worcester, Springfield, and the South Shore and North Shore regions as priority growth markets. The company is recruiting experienced, multi-unit operators to develop the territory.

Centennial, Colo. – September 23, 2026 -- AlloSource has named three physicians recipients of its 2026 Dr. Steven Gitelis Inspiration Award, recognizing clinical use of donated human tissue in reconstructive, burn and orthopedic care.

Three physicians recognized for advancing tissue-based medicine

Dr. Victor Stams, a plastic surgeon at Carle Foundation Hospital in Champaign, Illinois, was cited for reconstructive surgery leadership using AlloSource's AlloMend® tissue product. Dr. Sigrid Blome-Eberwein, Associate Director of the Regional Burn Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was recognized for treating severe burns with split-thickness skin allografts. Dr. Robert Meislin, a hip specialist at NYU Langone Health, was honored for using AlloSource's pre-sutured fascia product, AceConnex®, in orthopedic mobility restoration.

Chicago – September 23, 2026 -- Fishman Public Relations has been named the No. 1 franchise PR firm in Entrepreneur magazine's Top Franchise Suppliers ranking for the ninth consecutive year, based on a survey of more than 1,000 franchise brands.

Entrepreneur's survey scores suppliers on quality, cost and value across the franchise industry

The annual ranking draws on responses from franchisors and franchisees who rate the suppliers they work with, covering both emerging brands and long-established chains. Each supplier receives a composite score, with top performers ranked within their category.

Gillette, Wyoming – September 23, 2026 -- Well depth in Wyoming oilfields, where wells often extend thousands of feet below the surface, directly dictates the strength of equipment, the length of maintenance windows, and the safety protocols crews must follow, according to insights from Lydia Cogburn of True Grit featured in a HelloNation article.

Deeper wells demand heavier tubing and stronger pumps

Higher pressure conditions at extreme depths require heavier tubing to support production, while pumps must be engineered to lift oil from far below the surface. Equipment selection becomes a critical factor in sustaining consistent output.

Oilfield service rigs require reinforced lifting systems for deep-well repairs

Service rigs used to maintain deep wells must feature strong lifting systems and precise controls to safely handle the greater mechanical stress placed on tubing, pumps, and other downhole components.

Milan – September 23, 2026 -- Four cashmere manufacturers from Yulin, China signed Brand Market Entry Cooperation Agreements with Italian buying companies Casile & Casile and IWC on September 22, 2026, establishing direct access to Europe's high-end retail networks.

Yulin companies secure direct entry into Italian luxury retail channels

The agreements were signed at the "Oriental Cashmere Radiance: Milan Moment" promotion event held at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. Yingguo Industry, Shaanxi Tuocheng Cashmere Industry Technology, Yulin Yanglaoda and HBEH presented their brands and full-chain manufacturing capabilities before finalizing the deals with the two Italian buyers.

Shenzhen, China – September 23, 2026 -- TENNIIX, an official sponsor of the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, unveiled the ULTRA MAX embodied AI tennis robot, a joint development between Shenzhen Enhanced Power Technology Co., Ltd. and LimX Dynamics.

Robot challenges professional player with varied topspin and deep shots on court

In an on-court demonstration with Chinese tennis player Wang Qiang, ULTRA MAX delivered topspin shots and high, deep looping balls, varying placement to move her around the court. The exchange tested ball quality and sustained pressure, giving a professional-level opponent a demanding workout.

Munich – September 23, 2026 -- Hofbräu Munich has equipped its brewery logistics operation with more than 20 noax industrial touch panel PCs, eliminating lost orders and downtime during peak demand periods such as Oktoberfest.

Rugged terminals eliminate lost orders during Oktoberfest peak

Jürgen Breitsameter, Head of Logistics and Purchasing at Hofbräu Munich, said the terminals have become the backbone of the operation, ensuring every barrel reaches its destination on schedule during the festival's high-volume service periods. Since introducing the forklift-mounted terminals, the brewery has significantly reduced downtime and improved process reliability across receiving and delivery.

Dallas – September 23, 2026 -- HudsonLake, the strategic communications firm acquired by MikeWorldWide (MWW) in May 2026, has elevated Quinton Crenshaw to president, giving him full executive oversight of the firm's Dallas-based operations.

Crenshaw takes the helm after a decade as executive vice president

Crenshaw, who has spent ten years in leadership roles at HudsonLake, will now direct strategy across the firm's 25-year-old organizational transformation and labor communications practice. He previously advised Fortune 500 executives across North Texas on corporate communications, internal change and brand transformation. "By combining our specialized workforce expertise with MWW's scale and multi-channel reach, we are unlocking extraordinary new opportunities for our clients, our culture and our people," Crenshaw said.

Chicago – September 23, 2026 -- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, working with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), has launched an initiative to embed evidence-based nutrition training into U.S. medical school curricula, citing rising attention from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a catalyst for the effort.

Academy rolls out a microcredential framework to standardize nutrition training

The ACEND Nutrition in Medical Education Microcredential Framework allows accredited nutrition and dietetics programs to convert existing coursework into microlearning units aligned with ACEND curriculum competencies and the HHS Medical Education Nutrition Competency Framework. The tool is designed to give medical schools a structured, program-level path to add nutrition content without building curricula from scratch.

Brentwood – September 23, 2026 -- FreightWise, which manages over $1 billion in annual freight through its Kuebix TMS platform, has been named to the 2027 FreightTech100 list by FreightWaves, an industry recognition awarded to just 100 companies out of a record nominee pool.

More than half of this year's FreightTech100 list consists of newcomers, underscoring rapid sector turnover

Now in its eighth year, the FreightTech Awards saw FreightWaves' Research team evaluate nominees on documented innovation, market impact, and year-over-year technology evolution. FreightWise's inclusion follows what CEO Chris Cochran called one of the most active product development years in the company's history.

Fort Lauderdale – September 23, 2026 -- Air New Zealand has partnered with Business-Class.com to give premium travelers advisor-led booking support for long-haul flights to New Zealand, Australia, and the South Pacific.

Advisors gain direct access to compare cabin options and fare conditions before booking

Through the partnership, Business-Class.com's travel advisors will help customers compare cabin layouts, routing, connection times, and fare flexibility on Air New Zealand flights, with Air New Zealand managing the onboard experience. The service includes concierge-level support for trip modifications and 24/7 assistance.

Washington – September 23, 2026 -- App-based rideshare and delivery platforms supported $414 billion in U.S. economic activity in 2025, according to a new study commissioned by Flex, the trade association representing the sector's leading companies.

Drivers and couriers completed 6.3 billion orders, earning $8.9 billion in supplemental income

Some 9.4 million drivers and couriers completed a combined 6.3 billion rideshare and delivery orders with Flex member companies last year, generating $8.9 billion in additional income for workers. Order volume rose 29 percent since 2022, the report found.

Hsinchu – September 23, 2026 -- Phrozen has launched the Sonic Mighty Revo 16K MAX, a 14-inch 16K large-format MSLA resin 3D printer priced at USD 1,600 and now available in the United States, targeting studios and print-service providers scaling into batch and production-grade resin work.

Dual heating system targets long-print failures in cold or high-viscosity conditions

The printer's dual-fan chamber heating brings the build chamber to 30°C, while an optional heated resin vat directly warms the resin to reduce thickening and improve layer consistency across long print runs.

2L resin vat cuts mid-print refill interruptions

The vat holds up to 2.5 standard 1 kg resin bottles, giving users enough capacity for overnight prints and full build-plate batches without pausing to refill — an approach Phrozen positions as simpler and less failure-prone than auto-feed pump systems, which can suffer clogs and leaks.

New Orleans – September 23, 2026 -- HOTWORX, the 24-hour infrared sauna fitness franchise, has surpassed 900 open studios worldwide and now serves more than 400,000 members, putting the brand on track to hit 1,000 locations by spring 2027.

Franchise Network Crosses 900 Studios Nearly a Decade After Launch

HOTWORX opened its first studio in Oxford, Miss., in 2017. The brand has since expanded across the United States, Canada, Ireland and Dubai, with 408,693 members recorded this year and new studios in development in Mexico and Kenya.

Member-to-Owner Pipeline Drives Majority of Franchise Growth

A majority of HOTWORX franchisees joined the system as members before converting to ownership, according to the company. Founder and CEO Stephen P. Smith said the model is working at scale, noting that most owners experienced the infrared workout firsthand before signing a franchise agreement.

Ketchum, Idaho – September 23, 2026 -- Skilled trades workers reach financial break-even by age 19, nearly seven years faster than bachelor's degree holders who hit that mark at 26, according to new commissioned research from truck-storage manufacturer DECKED. The findings, drawn from an economic trajectory study and a proprietary survey of 500 tradespeople, anchor the company's new Built for Those Who Build campaign, launching with a Builder's Day event on Sept. 30 at DECKED's manufacturing facility in Defiance, Ohio.

Chicago – September 23, 2026 -- WovenX Health, a Chicago-based specialty care platform, has won the Industry Disrupter Award at 1871's 19th Annual Momentum Awards for its model expanding access to gastroenterology care.

National GI wait times average 40 days as two-thirds of U.S. counties lack a specialist

One in five Americans is affected by a gastrointestinal condition, yet the average wait for a GI consult has grown to 40 days nationally, according to the company. GI-related visits account for 10% of all emergency department visits, 86% of which WovenX says are avoidable with timely specialty access.

Washington – September 23, 2026 -- Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has joined the Rare Access Action Project (RAAP), adding a major biopharmaceutical player to a coalition working to resolve coverage and access barriers for rare disease patients.

RAAP expands coalition with BMS to tackle patient access barriers

RAAP, a coalition of patient advocates and life sciences companies, confirmed BMS's membership as part of its ongoing effort to develop policy solutions for structural access and coverage gaps affecting rare disease patients. Michael Eging, Executive Director of RAAP, said BMS brings a long history of scientific innovation and a strong commitment to patients facing serious and complex diseases.