Theme news

Camden, N.J. – September 21, 2026 -- American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the U.S., has been named to the fourth edition of TIME's World's Best Companies list for 2026, a ranking produced with market research firm Statista Inc.

TIME and Statista evaluate 1,000 top global performers across three metrics

The ranking draws on survey data from more than 200,000 employees worldwide to gauge satisfaction, three-year revenue growth figures from Statista's revenue database, and sustainability transparency scored against standardized ESG KPIs. Companies were required to show positive revenue growth over the past three years to qualify for consideration.

American Water secures two additional TIME recognitions this year

Beyond the World's Best Companies list, American Water was also named to TIME's World's Most Sustainable Companies for 2026 and TIME's America's Best Companies for 2026.

Jeffersonville – September 21, 2026 -- The American Water Charitable Foundation has awarded a $25,000 STEM Education Grant to Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, funding a three-part outdoor science program for girls in Southern Indiana.

Grant funds hands-on STEM series covering conservation and pollinator habitats

The award will underwrite a three-part outdoor education series giving Girl Scouts direct experience in scientific research, environmental conservation and pollinator habitat restoration. The grant was announced during a Free Family Fun event at Origin Park earlier this month, where Indiana American Water also deployed a mobile water trailer for attendees.

Seoul – September 21, 2026 -- LG Energy Solution said its Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) has qualified as NVIDIA DSX Ready BESS, a designation reserved for partner products meeting NVIDIA's DSX reference design requirements for AI factory power infrastructure.

Qualification targets AI data center power bottlenecks

The DSX Ready program certifies building blocks for NVIDIA's DSX AI Factory Platform, which unifies compute, networking, power, cooling, facilities and software for AI factories. LG Energy Solution's AC-coupled BESS meets NVIDIA's applicable AC energy storage requirements, addressing AI load smoothing, voltage ride-through and power reliability challenges that data center operators face when scaling capacity.

Brooklyn, N.Y. – September 21, 2026 -- C&C Branding has launched Titan SoundSM, a newly service-marked offering that merges leadership development with brand strategy for executives and rising leaders.

Titan Sound targets two distinct executive moments

The service is built for leaders pursuing new roles, helping them identify industries and situations where they are best suited while shaping a voice that boards, teams, peers, and customers can trust. It also serves leaders navigating organizational transitions, forming the narrative and strategy needed to drive change internally and externally.

COLOGNE, GERMANY – 22 September 2026 – Koelnmesse will stage DMEXCO 2026 on 23 and 24 September in Cologne under the guiding theme “Scaling Intelligence,” positioning the event as a platform for moving artificial intelligence from experimentation into concrete applications, processes and business models. Europe’s leading digital marketing and tech event will bring together decision-makers from AI, media, commerce and agencies across 17 stages, more than 500 sessions and over 230 hours of programming. More than 1,000 international speakers will participate, including executives from OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta and major brands. For marketing and commerce operators, the agenda focuses on practical implementation, new business models such as agentic commerce and social commerce, and the full value chain of digital trade.

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY – 22 September 2026 – Messe Düsseldorf will stage REHACARE 2026 from 23 to 26 September in Düsseldorf, placing community creators and people with disabilities at the center of the independent living debate. The trade fair is adding a Community Hub in Hall 7, organized by X Carstens and REHACARE, as a dedicated stage for around 20 creators and influencers across all four trade fair days. The program includes personal stories, talks, roundtables, readings, entertainment and Meet & Greet opportunities, with a Community Day on Saturday, 26 September. For care practitioners, specialist retailers, associations and institutional stakeholders, the move signals a stronger emphasis on user-led perspectives in rehabilitation, prevention, inclusion and nursing care.

Taipei – – September 21, 2026 -- Unitech Electronics Co., Ltd. (TWSE: 3652) has introduced the HT730 Plus Rugged Handheld Terminal, a device built to operate reliably at temperatures as low as -30°C for cold chain logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing operators.

Integrated heater module targets cold storage downtime

The Cold Chain model of the HT730 Plus includes a built-in heater module designed to maintain stable performance at -30°C, addressing common freezer-environment failures such as slow screen response, internal condensation, and data loss. The device carries IP65/IP67 dust and water ingress protection and survives 2.4-meter drops when fitted with a bumper.

Boston – September 21, 2026 -- Nurses and clinicians across Mass General Brigham (MGB) will stage rallies outside the health system's World Medical Innovation Forum on September 22 and 23, escalating a labor dispute that culminates September 24 when 4,000 Brigham and Women's Hospital nurses vote on authorizing an open-ended strike.

Brigham nurses to vote September 24 on open-ended strike authorization

The vote runs from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at multiple locations. A "yes" result would empower the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) Bargaining Committee to call a strike, though no date has been set; nurses must give 10 days' legal notice before any walkout begins. The move follows a July 8 strike and a subsequent four-day lockout imposed by MGB, with the hospital system refusing additional negotiating sessions since August.

Austin, Texas – September 21, 2026 -- TPx, a nationwide managed services provider, has appointed Garrett Gee to lead its Channel Sales organization, elevating indirect partnerships as a core pillar of the company's growth strategy.

Gee brings over 25 years of channel-building experience across cybersecurity and telecom

An eight-time CRN Channel Chief also recognized by Channel Futures and Channel Partners, Gee has led some of the industry's largest indirect sales organizations. Most recently, he served as Global Vice President of Indirect Channels and Alliances at Trustwave, where he rebuilt the channel organization to deliver double-digit growth and exceeded targets for three consecutive years.

Minneapolis – September 21, 2026 -- Proterra Investment Partners has hired Jennie Park as Head of Capital Formation and appointed Matt Coad as Head of Investor Solutions, expanding leadership as the food value chain-focused alternative asset manager grows its institutional investor base.

Park joins from H.I.G. Capital, a $75 billion global alternative investment firm

At H.I.G. Capital, Park served as a Principal responsible for capital raising and investor relations across the firm's credit strategies in North America. She previously held Managing Director roles at Briarcliffe Credit Partners focused on private credit fundraising, and led North American business development and investor relations at Vantage Infrastructure. Earlier stops include Apollo Global Management, Anchorage Capital, and leveraged finance at Goldman Sachs, where she began her career.

Washington – – September 21, 2026 -- Elementl Power, an independent developer of utility-scale nuclear power projects, has appointed Robey Clark as senior vice president of Projects to oversee delivery of the company's 5-gigawatt (GW) development portfolio.

Clark takes charge of Elementl's 5 GW nuclear pipeline

Clark will hold executive oversight of Elementl's project management activities, coordinating closely with the company's Licensing and Regulatory Affairs team. His mandate covers the company's current 5 GW portfolio, including a 1.8 GW strategic development arrangement with Google and a 1.5 GW small modular reactor (SMR) project under active development in southeast Ohio. He will report to Elementl's Chief Projects Officer, Shawn Hughes.

San Juan, Puerto Rico – September 21, 2026 -- Crowley has committed a $40,000 sponsorship to expand a workforce-readiness partnership with Junior Achievement Americas (JAA) that will reach more than 350 students in Puerto Rico, introducing them to maritime, logistics and supply chain careers.

Puerto Rico imports roughly 80% of goods through its ports, driving demand for skilled labor

The Puerto Rico Ports Authority estimates that approximately 80% of the island's imports arrive via its ports, a figure that underscores the economic weight of maritime and logistics employment on the island. The new initiative targets students ages 15 to 19 enrolled in career and technical education programs at public high schools.

Atlanta – September 21, 2026 -- Georgia Power is donating $10,000 to launch "Georgia in Color," a fundraising initiative by Friends of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites to place free EnChroma color-accessibility glasses across all Georgia State Parks.

Georgia Power builds on prior $25,000 commitment to accessibility program

The new donation follows a $25,000 gift the utility made at the end of 2025 to help Friends develop the color-accessibility program. EnChroma glasses use specialized optical filters to enhance color contrast for visitors with red-green color vision deficiency, a condition that can make fall foliage, spring wildflowers and scenic landscapes appear less distinct. Georgia Power has also previously partnered with the Aimee Copeland Foundation to place all-terrain Trackchairs in state parks for visitor use.

Delray Beach, Fla. – September 21, 2026 -- Gateway Commercial Finance, LLC has provided a $1.25 million invoice factoring facility to AGV America, a Texas-based provider of autonomous robotics and warehouse automation solutions, to close a working-capital gap created by extended customer payment terms.

New facility replaces a bank credit line that limited borrowing against 90-day invoices

The factoring facility replaced a traditional bank line of credit that offered limited borrowing availability against invoices carrying payment terms of up to 90 days. AGV America, founded in 2020, serves several Fortune 500 manufacturers and distributors, but the creditworthiness of those customers did not translate into greater availability under its prior bank line.

Manama – September 21, 2026 -- Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha will join the speaker lineup of Fintech Forward 2026, set for October 7-8 at Exhibition World Bahrain under the theme "Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure."

Saha brings athlete-to-entrepreneur pedigree to Bahrain's flagship fintech forum

The former France international, who won the Champions League and two Premier League titles during a career spanning Manchester United, Everton, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, also holds a World Cup silver medal. Saha founded KiiMasters, a venture converting athlete influence into measurable social impact, and AxisStars, a private networking platform for professional athletes now valued at £4.3 billion.

Hyderabad – September 21, 2026 -- The global soybean oil market is set to expand from $43.87 billion in 2026 to $57.66 billion by 2031, a 5.62% compound annual growth rate, according to Mordor Intelligence. Renewable diesel mandates and the EU Deforestation Regulation are reshaping demand and sourcing patterns across the value chain, while new crushing capacity in Brazil and Argentina offsets slower North American expansion.

US biofuel mandates lock in record demand floor for soybean oil

The EPA finalized record-high Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2026 and 2027 in March 2026, with biodiesel and renewable diesel production projected to grow more than 60% versus 2025 levels. The rule strengthens crush margins for domestic processors and guarantees a structural demand base that buffers the market against swings in food consumption, according to the report.

Florence – September 21, 2026 -- The European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Ubeslo (obicetrapib 10 mg monotherapy) and Evlarco (obicetrapib 10 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg fixed-dose combination), marking the first global regulatory approval of obicetrapib for NewAmsterdam Pharma (Nasdaq: NAMS) and partner Menarini Group.

EU regulators authorize first CETP inhibitor for elevated LDL-C

The approval covers primary hypercholesterolaemia, including both heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia and non-familial or mixed dyslipidaemia. It follows a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use and stands as the first regulatory clearance of obicetrapib anywhere in the world.

Folsom, Calif. – September 21, 2026 -- Silverback Capital Inc. has launched a Second-Look Fix-and-Flip Pricing Program offering qualified California investors a 7.99% APR with a 12-month term through October 31, 2026.

Program targets investors comparing existing lender term sheets

The limited-time offer applies exclusively to business-purpose, non-owner-occupied fix-and-flip transactions in California. Investors can submit an existing term sheet to Silverback Capital for a confidential, like-for-like review covering interest rate, lender points, fees, initial loan proceeds, rehabilitation holdback, leverage and total estimated financing cost.

Valencia, Calif. – September 21, 2026 -- Bioness Medical, Inc. has commercially launched HaloPlex, an FDA-registered ceiling-mounted body weight support and fall protection system aimed at rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient clinics, and rehab centers treating patients with severe gait and balance impairments.

HaloPlex extends the Vector Gait & Safety System with multidirectional movement support

The system unloads a programmed amount of a patient's body weight while providing continuous postural support and overhead fall protection, allowing patients to practice walking, balance activities, transfers, and functional mobility tasks across a larger therapy space.

New York – September 21, 2026 -- Hartree Partners has agreed to purchase and market approximately 10,000 metric tons per year of lithium carbonate from Bridge Green Upcycle under an eight-year commercial agreement valued at an estimated $500 million to $1 billion at current market conditions.

Hartree secures exclusive marketing rights across all lithium carbonate grades produced at Bridge Green facilities

The agreement grants Hartree exclusive marketing rights for lithium carbonate produced by Bridge Green during the initial term, with an option to renew for an additional seven years. Hartree also made an equity investment in Bridge Green's bridge financing round, funding the company's planned expansion of battery recycling and critical-mineral refining. First lithium carbonate volumes under the agreement are projected for 2028.