UWMC Investors Have Opportunity to Lead UWM Holdings Corporation Securities Fraud Lawsuit with SBS Law

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Schall, Brown & Schwartz LLP ("SBS"), a national shareholder rights litigation firm, reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against UWM Holdings Corporation ("UWM" or "the Company") (NYSE: UWMC) for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shareholders who purchased shares of UWMC during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointments. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.

CLASS PERIOD: March 9, 2026 to August 5, 2026

DEADLINE: October 13, 2026

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.

CASE DETAILS: According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. UWM moved away from its traditional strategy by taking a major hedge position against its mortgage servicing rights. The Company created an excess hedging risk through its actions. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about UWM, investors suffered damages.

We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall or David Schwartz of Schall, Brown & Schwartz LLP, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected].

The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

Join the case to recover your losses

WHY SBS? Schall, Brown & Schwartz LLP represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. Bringing together the extensive experience and diverse skillsets of founding partners Brian Schall, Andrew Brown, and David Schwartz, SBS is dedicated to aggressively advocating for every investor.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.

CONTACT:

Schall, Brown & Schwartz LLP

Brian Schall, Esq.,

Andrew Brown, Esq.,

David Schwartz, Esq.,

www.schallfirm.com

Office: 310-301-3335

[email protected]

SOURCE Schall, Brown & Schwartz LLP

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Skanska to build a data center in Georgia, USA, worth USD 84M, about SEK 780M

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed a contract with an existing client to begin work on a data center in Georgia, USA. The contract is worth USD 84M, about SEK 780M, which will be included in the US order bookings for the third quarter of 2026.

The project includes the construction of an approximately 22,700 square-meter (244,730-SF) data center with five colocation data halls and administrative space designed for 48 MW capacity. Delivery includes all civil, structural, utilities, electrical, mechanical, security, interior amenities, and fit-out, as well as commissioning of major equipment through completion.

Work will begin in November 2026 and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2028.

For further information please contact:

Ashley Jeffery, Head of Communications, Skanska USA Building, +1 813 459 3682

Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 76 870 75 51

Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99

This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com/group.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Skanska

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology replaces Princeton after a 15-year streak atop National Universities as U.S. News introduces a major outcomes-based metric and expands rankings eligibility.

Summary

- MIT named No. 1 National University, replacing Princeton after a 15-year run at the top spot.

- New "Earnings by Major" metric introduced to evaluate graduate return on investment four years post-graduation.

- Expanded eligibility yields a record number of ranked schools, plus new rankings for in-state value and undergraduate economics.

- $5,000 scholarship sweepstakes live from Sept. 22 alongside access to 13,000+ financial aid awards.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has taken the No. 1 spot among National Universities in the U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges rankings, replacing Princeton University in the top position it held consecutively since the 2012 edition.

Rounding out the top positions in the National Universities category are Princeton University (No. 2) and Harvard University (No. 3). Meanwhile, Williams College again earned the top ranking among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 42nd edition evaluating nearly 1,700 institutions.

Addressing "Is College Worth It?" with Earnings by Major

The 2027 edition introduces significant methodology changes designed to address growing public concerns regarding higher education affordability and long-term value. Chief among these is the new Earnings by Major ranking factor, which evaluates graduate earnings four years post-graduation using data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

By focusing specifically on employed federal financial aid recipients whose highest degree is a bachelor's, this metric minimizes the influence of pre-existing family financial advantages and evaluates institutions on the true value they add. Comparing earnings strictly within specific academic disciplines ensures colleges are evaluated on institutional performance rather than degree-mix concentration in high-paying fields. The Earnings by Major metric replaces the Graduate Indebtedness factor, reflecting a broader shift toward measuring verifiable post-graduate outcomes.

"With families increasingly scrutinizing the true cost and return on investment of a college degree, our goal is to provide clear, actionable data," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The 2027 Best Colleges rankings serve as a vital decision-making tool for prospective students and parents, offering transparent metrics on outcomes, affordability and academic quality to help families make fully informed financial and educational investments."

Economic Diversity Among the Top 25

U.S. News rankings also highlight a strong commitment to economic diversity among the nation's top institutions. Among the top 25 National Universities, MIT and Princeton are No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants. Additionally, Amherst College – the No. 2-ranked National Liberal Arts College – leads in economic diversity among the top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges. See the full list here.

Expanded Eligibility & What's New for 2027

Driven by updates to the Carnegie Classification framework, roughly 20% of previously ranked institutions moved to new U.S. News ranking categories this year. Because these schools are now evaluated against a different peer group, their 2027 rankings cannot be directly compared to prior years. Separately, updates to the Carnegie framework allowed U.S. News to expand eligibility to additional types of institutions previously not included, adding several schools specialized in fields like business, engineering and health to the overall rankings for the first time.

Also new this year:

- New Specialty Rankings: U.S. News has introduced separate undergraduate specialty rankings in Undergraduate Economics.

- Inaugural Best Value Rankings: To complement the longstanding Best Value Schools rankings, the 2027 guide debuts the Best Value Schools for In-State Students, specifically evaluating public universities based on academic quality and regional affordability for residents. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill is No. 1 in the inaugural ranking.

This edition of the rankings also includes specialized rankings, such as the most innovative colleges, top performers on social mobility and historically Black colleges and universities, as well as universities with the top computer science programs for artificial intelligence.

Top Performers: 2027 Best Colleges

Overall Rankings

National Universities

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2. Princeton University

3. Harvard University

National Liberal Arts Colleges

1. Williams College

2. Amherst College

3 (tie). Bowdoin College

3 (tie). Claremont McKenna College

3 (tie). Pomona College

3 (tie). Swarthmore College

Regional Universities: North

1. Babson College

2. Bentley University

3. Providence College

Regional Universities: South 

1. The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina

2 (tie). Berry College

2 (tie). Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach 

Regional Universities: Midwest

1. John Carroll University

2. Milwaukee School of Engineering

3 (tie). Calvin University

3 (tie). Ohio Northern University

Regional Universities: West 

1. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

2. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

3 (tie). Saint Mary's College of California

3 (tie). University of Redlands, Los Angeles

3 (tie). University of Washington Bothell

Additional Rankings

Public Schools: National Universities

1 (tie). University of California, Berkeley

1 (tie). University of California, Los Angeles

3. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)

1. Spelman College

2. Howard University

3. Tuskegee University

Top Performers on Social Mobility: National Universities

1 (tie). Florida International University

1 (tie). University of California, Riverside

3. Oakland City University

Colleges for Veterans: National Universities

1. University of Chicago

2. Cornell University

3 (tie). Brown University

3 (tie). Washington University in St. Louis

Additionally, students can find rankings of programs that enhance student experience, including first-year experiences, co-ops/internships, service learning, study abroad and undergraduate research/creative projects.

Methodology

To rank higher education institutions for its Best Colleges lists, U.S. News categorizes schools by academic mission and geographic region before evaluating them on up to 17 weighted measures of academic quality and success. The methodology heavily emphasizes student outcomes – which make up more than half of a school's total score – focusing on key indicators such as graduation and retention rates, social mobility for low-income students and post-graduate earnings. These performance metrics are combined with factors like academic peer assessment and faculty resources to establish overall composite scores, with U.S. News publishing exact individual ranks for the top 90% of institutions in each category and decile ranges for the remainder.

For prospective students and families navigating the college selection process, an institution recognized in U.S. News' Best Colleges rankings may be worth considering alongside other essential factors, such as location, net price, financial aid availability, campus life and specialized academic programs.

For more information on this and the new metrics, check out the methodologies.

Student Resources 

Beyond those informational resources, U.S. News actively supports families in navigating college costs. To help them offset the rising cost of higher education, U.S. News launched a $5,000 no-essay scholarship sweepstakes, open to prospective students from Sept. 22 on USNews.com. This initiative complements U.S. News' Scholarship Finder tool, which connects students with key financial aid resources and over 13,000 scholarship opportunities.

To order a copy of the "Best Colleges 2027" guidebook (ISBN 979-8-9864591-8-9), visit the online U.S. News store.

For more information, visit Best Colleges and use #BestColleges on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok and X.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, insurance, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.

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xTool Unveils Major Atomm Upgrade, Introducing the World's First AI Creation Suite for Craft Makers

New AI-powered tools help makers create, customize and prepare designs for laser cutting, engraving and more, while a $1 Million Creator Program rewards the maker community.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- xTool, a global leader in digital desktop fabrication tools, today officially announced the major upgrade of Atomm, redefining it as the world's first AI Creation Suite built specifically for craft makers. Moving beyond simple AI image generation, Atomm empowers users to transform creativity without barriers into tangible objects by bridging the gap between digital ideation and physical creation.

The upgraded platform brings AI-powered design, editing, specialized creative tools and project resources together in one place. Makers can describe what they want to create, refine their designs through natural language prompts, and prepare files for production without needing extensive design experience or navigating multiple software programs. Alongside the platform upgrade, xTool is introducing the Atomm $1 Million Creator Program, a new initiative designed to reward content creators, generator developers and video creators who contribute to the growing Atomm community.

From Ideas to Ready-to-Make Files: How Atomm Bridges the Gap

For years, the maker community has faced a persistent bottleneck: having great ideas, but lacking the technical proficiency required to translate them into production-ready designs. Traditional creators often struggled with steep learning curves in CAD software, manual calculations for joints, board thickness compensation, and assembly relationships, or found that standard AI-generated images were useless for laser cutting, printing, or engraving. Makers frequently had to juggle multiple siloed platforms for generation, editing, vectorization, and device control, leading to high material waste and frustrating trial-and-error cycles.

Atomm changes this landscape completely. At its core, Atomm is bringing the AI creation revolution to physical creation. Unlike traditional AI tools that merely output static pictures, Atomm is an AI-powered creation platform that understands what users want to make, engages in continuous dialogue to refine creative directions, handles multi-step tasks like splitting, combining, and layering, and formats files specifically for hardware execution.

Guided by the slogan From Ideas to Ready-to-Make Files, Atomm empowers every maker by ensuring that Every File is Ready to Make Real, eliminating barriers to entry.

Feature Highlights: Atomm AI, Creative Tools, and Execution

Atomm's robust suite of features is tailored directly to the needs of the Maker Community, streamlining the journey from concept to final product through intelligent capabilities and comprehensive tools:

- Structure Build (Parametric Modeling): Transforming complex structures like drawers, storage boxes, and holiday houses, 3Dmake removes hours of manual drafting. Users can simply state what they want, iterate through natural language, and let AI generate structural builds complete with accurate joints and slots.

- Graphic Design & Editing: Makers can generate new images directly through text prompts or upload their own photos and images to converse naturally with the AI. It transforms designs into desired creative styles—such as black line art, pop art, gem art, and ink pen anime. Beyond versatile image generation and artistic transformations, this module empowers deep customization with smart background removal, contour optimization, vectorization, layer separation, smart image recognition, segmentation, and custom editable fonts in diverse styles for branding or holiday projects.

- Creative Tools & Generators: Atomm features a rich set of creative tools and specialized generators designed for craft applications, including the Halftone Maker for balanced print and texture effects, the Layered Art Laser Cut Generator for multi-layered wood or paper art, Custom Photo Frames, and the AI 3D Model Generator which translates flat photos into detailed 3D models for crystal and glass engraving.

- Mockup & Preview First: Preview the final product on t-shirts, crystal, or tote bags before making to reduce material waste and costly trial-and-error.

An Open Ecosystem and the $1M Creator Program

Atomm is more than a tool suite; it is a thriving platform connecting creators, materials, and machines. Alongside official tools, Atomm features an open ecosystem hosting over 20 third-party developer-built generators spanning holiday decor, wind chimes, and home puzzles.

Atomm features a vibrant community with a monthly active user base of 320K, over 16,000 contributing creators, and nearly 100K shared projects driving over 2 million valid uses. Top-tier creators like comp56 and SuperVectorGirl continue to inspire the community with popular assets ranging from jig templates to intricate iris boxes.

The Atomm $1M Creator Program commits at least $1 million to reward content creators, generator developers, and video creators. The program offers content creators revenue shares, material sales commissions of up to 30%, and task incentives; developers earn ongoing coin commissions per tool usage; and video creators can earn lucrative bonuses for high-performing content across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Additional perks include exclusive content coin multipliers and cash-redeemable rewards.

Vision and Availability

"Atomm was created around a simple belief: having an idea should be enough to start making," said the Atomm project lead. "By bringing AI tools, ready-to-make content, and creator knowledge together, we want to help everyone turn imagination into something real."

Atomm has completed its comprehensive upgrade and is officially live as of September 21, 2026. For more information, to explore ready-to-make projects, or to apply for the Creator Program, visit Atomm.

SOURCE xTool

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BiomeRenewables Announces Allowance of US Patent Application No. 18/942094 Directed to FeatherEdge® Windpower Technology

TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BiomeRenewables Inc., a Canadian cleantech startup that develops breakthrough technologies for wind turbines, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) allowed their US Patent Application No. 18/942094 titled "STRUCTURE WITH SERRATIONS ADAPTED TO TRAVERSE A FLUID ENVIRONMENT," covering Biome's noise-reducing turbine blade serration technology, FeatherEdge®, adding to Biome's IP chest around the technology.

The technology is related to FeatherEdge®, a patented innovative double-dip design serration technology for wind turbines inspired by the silent flight of an owl, that reduces aerodynamic noise from turbine blades and increases wind turbine power output. Other aspects of the FeatherEdge technology are covered under additional granted and pending patent rights.

"Reducing noise and improving the performance of individual or multiple wind turbines is of great interest to both original equipment manufacturers, and wind power asset owners," said Ryan Church, CEO and CTO of BiomeRenewables and named inventor on the patent alongside Evan Chou. "We are in the field conducting FeatherEdge projects with customers in North America and Europe, to illustrate the business case improvement. For some customers we can add € 1M of Net Present Value to the turbine."

The newly issued patent strengthens and expands Biome's growing intellectual property portfolio, which includes more than 75 patents in aerodynamic technologies, advanced manufacturing and control systems in 90% of the wind markets globally.

"Investment in innovation and design leveraging principles of biomimicry is both our inspiration and our competitive edge," continues Church. "Biome's intellectual property and patent rights are core strategic assets we protect fully against unauthorized use."

About BiomeRenewables Inc.:

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada with a European office in the Netherlands, BiomeRenewables combines biomimicry and aerodynamic innovation into world-leading technologies, advancing the energy transition by improving the efficiency of renewable energy.  www.biomerenewables.com 

Media Contact: Ryan Church, CEO / CTO, BiomeRenewables, [email protected] / +1 647-988-1695

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BoomRay Enters Exclusive Global License Agreement with Novartis for a Novel Radioligand Therapy Asset

SUZHOU, China, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Boomray Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. ("BoomRay"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering innovative radioligand therapies (RLTs) for precision oncology diagnostics and therapeutics, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive global license agreement with Novartis Pharma AG ("Novartis") for an undisclosed preclinical RLT asset.

The agreement brings together BoomRay's discovery and development capabilities with the global expertise of Novartis in the RLT space, to pursue the goal of delivering meaningful therapeutic benefit to patients worldwide. Under the terms of the agreement, BoomRay will be eligible to receive up to USD 900 million, including an upfront payment as well as development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments. In addition, royalties may be earned on future global net sales.

"We are honored and excited to enter into this agreement with Novartis, a recognized global leader in radioligand therapies, with an exceptional track record in delivering transformative medicines to patients," said Bo Shan, Chief Executive Officer of BoomRay. "This agreement marks a significant milestone for BoomRay and is a strong validation of our discovery and development capabilities. We believe this agreement with Novartis will unlock the full potential of this asset and accelerate its path to patients worldwide."

"Radioligand therapies represent an important frontier in oncology, and at Novartis, we remain focused on driving breakthrough science that can expand their potential for patients," said Shiva Malek, Global Head of Oncology, Biomedical Research at Novartis. "Our agreement with BoomRay complements our growing radioligand therapy portfolio and reflects our strategy of combining external innovation with our cutting-edge research and development capabilities. We look forward to advancing this promising program and helping to bring new treatment options to patients around the world."

BFC Group acted as the financial advisor to BoomRay.

About Boomray Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

Boomray Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering innovative radioligand therapies (RLTs) for precision oncology diagnostics and therapeutics. Built on deep‑rooted radiopharmaceutical expertise and fully integrated R&D capabilities spanning candidate discovery, radiochemistry, and clinical translation, the company is advancing a proprietary RLT pipeline with First-in-Class or Best-in-Class potential. Backed by a seasoned leadership team and a dedicated scientific team, BoomRay is committed to delivering novel precision radiopharmaceuticals to address critical unmet medical needs in oncology worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.boomray.com.

SOURCE Boomray Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

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- BCG Survey of 10,600 People Finds That Women Undergoing Perimenopause or Menopause Are the Most Engaged (and Among the Least Satisfied) Longevity Consumers

- These Women Already Outspend Every Other Age Group, but a Third of Them Would Spend Even More If the Right Product or Service Existed

- Women's Interest in Long-Term Health Typically Starts in Their Mid-30s, a Decade Before the Longevity Market Starts Paying Attention

BOSTON, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Women in perimenopause or menopause are the most engaged, highest-spending longevity consumers, yet their needs remain underserved. New research from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) puts a number on that care gap: applied across the roughly 1 billion women worldwide who are in menopause and are already spending on longevity, the unmet demand adds up to an estimated $350 billion.

This insight comes from BCG's 2026 global study on longevity, titled The $350 Billion Longevity Mismatch in Women's Health. The report, conducted for the St. Moritz Longevity Forum, draws on a survey of 10,608 people across 12 countries.

Among the report's findings:

- Women in perimenopause or menopause adopt longevity interventions (such as consumables, services, and specialized treatments) at rates 15 to 22 percentage points higher than other women or men. They've also tried, on average, 3.3 more interventions across categories than other women and 2.9 more than men.

- Despite this, women in this life stage report no higher satisfaction than anyone else surveyed, with every group stuck around 50%.

- Women in perimenopause or menopause already spend more on longevity than any other group surveyed (a median $84 a month, versus $68 for other women and $73 for men). Roughly a third would spend more ($108 a month) for a product or service that showed results.

- Women's interest in long-term health often starts well before menopause. Hormonal shifts and fertility challenges, which occur on average at age 36 to 38, raise their interest in long-term health by 8 percentage points—nearly double the effect of menopause itself (5 percentage points). Men show no comparable shift until roughly a decade later.

"Companies wait for menopause before they start talking to women about long-term health, but the real window opens about a decade earlier," said Parul Bajaj, a BCG managing director and partner, and a coauthor of the report. "Treating those hormonal shifts in the mid-30s as short-term symptoms, rather than the turning point they actually are, is one of the biggest blind spots in how the market serves women today."

Women's Health Needs Persistently Go Undiagnosed and Undertreated

The care gap isn't limited to menopause. BCG's survey found that just 63% of women consult a doctor about hormone-related issues such as PCOS, endometriosis, or menopause, compared with 78% who do so for cardiovascular conditions. And among women who do seek such care, only 72% say they felt taken seriously, versus 85% for those who seek treatment for heart-related symptoms.

"Women have long been asked to fit into a health care system that wasn't designed around their needs or biology," said Trish Stroman, a BCG managing director and senior partner, and a coauthor of the report. "Addressing that mismatch starts with more research and better provider training. It also means giving women a larger voice in deciding which longevity solutions get developed and funded."

"Women in perimenopause or menopause already spend more on longevity interventions than any other group, yet they're no more satisfied with the solutions available to them. We call this the longevity mismatch," said Mark Abraham, global leader of BCG's Marketing, Sales & Pricing practice, and a coauthor of the report. "They're telling the market that they're ready to spend but they aren't finding what they need. The companies that bridge that gap can set a new standard for how the longevity market serves women—and claim their share of a $350 billion prize."

Download a copy of the report here:

https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/womens-longevity-health-market-gap

Media Contact:

Kendall Kosten

[email protected] 

About Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group bridges the gap between ambition and outcomes for the world's leading companies and organizations. We are built for this era of unprecedented change — bringing strategic clarity rooted in over 60 years of deep domain knowledge, combined with applied AI shaped by our practitioners. BCG works shoulder-to-shoulder with CEOs across industries and geographies to deliver transformative impact at scale: stronger returns, transferred capabilities, and change that sticks. For more information, visit bcg.com.

SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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More than 2,300 spins on the World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel joined rare whiskey pours, industry panels and CaskX's barrel giveaway

BARDSTOWN, Ky., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CaskX concluded its 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival presence after 2,354 guests spun the World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel over the course of the weekend, culminating in one festival attendee winning an entire barrel of bourbon.

The World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel remained one of CaskX's central public activations throughout the festival. Friday brought 698 spins before Saturday set a new one-day record with 1,140. Across the weekend, guests received pours from a rotating selection of rare, limited and sold-out whiskeys, including six bottles of Pappy Van Winkle.

The weekend's largest prize came through the CaskX Barrel Competition. Fifteen finalists were eventually narrowed to five, each assigned a number from one through five. CaskX CEO Jeremy Kasler made the deciding spin, with the wheel landing on number five and awarding Paul Jones an entire barrel of 2026 Jackson Purchase bourbon. Nichole Beam and Andrew Newton of Jackson Purchase Distillery were on hand for the final spin and celebration.

A Weekend of Rare Pours and Unexpected Moments

The World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel changed throughout the festival as different selections were introduced, giving attendees the opportunity to experience a range of whiskeys over the three-day event.

One of the weekend's more unexpected moments came when comedian Jim Gaffigan stepped up to the wheel during a special Fathertime Bourbon takeover. Gaffigan spun for a bourbon from the Fathertime lineup with the winning bottle being opened and shared with guests waiting nearby.

The appearance became one of several spontaneous moments around the wheel during a weekend in which thousands of attendees participated and limited edition top shelf pours were shared throughout the festival.

Inside the CaskX Lounge

Beyond the public World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel, the CaskX Lounge served as a gathering place for CaskX clients, investors, distillers and invited guests.

Featured guests included Craig Beam and Terry Ballard of Jackson Purchase Distillery; Jade Peterson of Kentucky Artisan Distillery; Matt Gandolfo and Jake Vollmer of Rabbit Hole Distillery; Sam Rock and Ben Franzini of Bluegrass Distillers; Dan Callaway of Bardstown Bourbon Company; and Jon Newton and Brett Connors of Castle & Key.

Throughout Friday and Saturday, guests participated in tastings and conversations with whiskey makers from across Kentucky. Discussions covered topics ranging from distilling and maturation to barrel finishing, production methods and the process that takes whiskey from a newly filled barrel to a finished bottle.

The lounge also gave guests an opportunity to sample several limited and sold-out releases while hearing directly from the people involved in producing them. Featured pours included the Jackson Purchase Festival Single Barrel, Kentucky Artisan Distillery's Oldham County Reserve 11-Year-Old Bourbon, Rabbit Hole's Dareringer, Bluegrass Distillers' 19-Year-Old Elkwood Reserve, Bardstown Bourbon Company's Single Barrel Master Blender Festival Pick and Castle & Key's Experimental Series Hungarian Tokaji release.

The programming reflected a broader goal behind CaskX's festival presence: connecting people interested in bourbon with the production, maturation and people behind the whiskey itself.

CaskX Takes Part in Industry Discussions

CaskX also participated in several conversations examining developments within the broader bourbon market.

Kasler joined Craig Beam, master distiller at Jackson Purchase Distillery and Jade Peterson, master distiller at Kentucky Artisan Distillery, on the Kentucky Bourbon Festival main stage for a discussion moderated by bourbon writer Steve Coomes. The panel examined the current whiskey market and the role contract distilling plays within an industry where many brands depend on outside distillery partners to produce and mature their whiskey.

CaskX Director of Whiskey Sara Havens later participated in the Bourbon :30 Whiskey Writers' and Influencers' Panel, alongside Jesse Jones of Bourbon Showdown Podcast, Claudia Coffey of The Best Bet Podcast and spirits journalist David Thomas Tao, also moderated by Coomes.

The discussion brought together whiskey writers, podcasters and industry participants to examine current bourbon trends, which developments appear likely to continue and how bourbon culture continues to evolve.

The panels expanded CaskX's festival involvement beyond tastings and hospitality, providing an opportunity to participate in conversations about the production and market forces shaping the whiskey industry.

Festival Week Begins With CaskX Investor Showcase

CaskX began the week ahead of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival with a private Investor Showcase at Rabbit Hole Distillery in Louisville.

Guests toured Rabbit Hole's facility and sampled whiskey directly from barrels that had not been released to the public, offering a firsthand look at whiskey while it was still progressing through maturation.

The event provided additional context aroundbourbon barrel investment and the process involved in acquiring and holding whiskey barrels through maturation.

Together, the Investor Showcase, Bourbon Wheel, CaskX Lounge and festival panels gave CaskX several opportunities to connect the consumer side of bourbon with the production and barrel ownership infrastructure operating behind it.

The 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival took place Sept. 10-13 in Bardstown, Kentucky.

About CaskX

CaskX provides qualified investors access to new make and maturing whiskey from distillery partners in the United States and Scotland. Through itswhiskey cask investment platform, the company supports the process of acquiring, storing, insuring and managing whiskey casks through maturation and eventual exit.

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Xinhua Silk Road: Chinese solutions for meteorological early-warning help more countries tackle climate challenges

BEIJING, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For millennia, as her believers believe, the traditional Chinese sea goddess Mazu has been blessing safe voyages. Now, Chinese meteorological early-warning solutions named after her are helping more countries prevent meteorological disasters.

"MAZU", released by the China Meteorological Administration at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), is a set of China's homegrown AI-enabled meteorological solutions featuring universal multi-hazard early warning, alerting and zero-gap coverage.

Supporting cloud-based trials in more than 40 countries, "MAZU" has been applied in countries including Pakistan, Ethiopia, the Solomon Islands, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Djibouti, rapidly expanding its global presence.

As the first set of solutions under the UN Early Warnings for All initiative, "MAZU" integrates AI-based meteorological early-warning models, Fengyun meteorological satellite data, multi-source monitoring products and cloud computing power.

In May this year, "MAZU" was recommended by the World Meteorological Organization at the 11th Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals held at UN headquarters in New York.

Unsurprisingly, "MAZU" caters to the demand for both menu-style solution offerings and highly flexible customized solutions to help relevant countries prevent meteorological disasters caused by climate change.

In Pakistan, where monsoons and rainstorms usually cause torrential floods, an early-warning system co-developed by China and Pakistan was formally embedded in relevant platforms of Pakistan's meteorological authority.

In Ethiopia, Chinese experts leveraged the integration of data from China's Fengyun meteorological satellites and local meteorological stations to help local weather forecasters generate high-precision nowcasts via the Fenglei and Fengqing AI models.

In Sri Lanka, the meteorological bureau of southeast China's Fujian Province is assisting the country in achieving high spatiotemporal resolution precipitation and temperature forecasting.

Apart from the application cases of "MAZU", nearly 1,000 people from more than 100 developing countries and regions have come to China to receive technology training focused on early warning.

As China is a crucial partner of the Early Warnings for All initiative, its platforms, satellites and AI models have helped dozens of countries enhance their early-warning capacities, noted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the 2026 WAIC.

Such a mode of cooperation, involving technology transfer, joint R&D and local capacity building to help developing countries better protect their people, is exactly what the world needs now, added Guterres.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/352292.html

SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road

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Dangote Calls on Africa to Keep its Capital at Home as Industrialization Takes Center Stage at Unstoppable Africa

African business leaders call for a bigger share of the continent's growth, with investment and local value creation high on the agenda.

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Africa must stop sending its capital abroad and start investing in its own industrial future, Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Group, told global business leaders at Unstoppable Africa 2026, as he set out an ambitious vision for African industrialization backed by billions of dollars in investment, new refining capacity, and broader public ownership.

Pointing to Asia's economic rise, he argued that Africa cannot build comparable industrial strength while its own money continues to flow into foreign banks and markets. Emphasizing the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in creating the scale required for major industrial projects, he noted, "We must believe in our continent," urging businesses to stay focused despite the challenges involved in building major organizations in Africa. "Once you start, it gets easier. But the more you don't do anything, it becomes difficult."

With more than 3,000 African and global business leaders and heads of state gathered for the two-day forum in New York, Unstoppable Africa 2026 demonstrated the scale of global interest in Africa's economic opportunities and the appetite for stronger commercial partnerships with the continent.

Another notable highlight was the South African Business Initiative for Impact (SABII), which brought South Africa's business, investment, and partnership proposition into sharper focus. Discussions explored how local opportunities can connect with global capital and translate into tangible economic impact.

Zeine Zeidane, Director of the African Department at the International Monetary Fund, highlighted the importance of structural reforms, stronger domestic financial markets, and wider African markets through AfCFTA in attracting private investment.

The discussions also turned to the continent's rapidly expanding digital economy. Olugbenga Agboola, CEO of Flutterwave, highlighted the opportunity presented by Africa's young and increasingly connected population, pointing to digital payments, AI, and other technologies that can help businesses access markets and grow.

Elly Savatia, Founder and CEO of Signverse, highlighted technology's potential to expand inclusion through African sign languages. With $2 million in Google funding, Signverse has developed the largest publicly documented dataset for an African sign language to date and is building a framework that can expand to multiple local sign languages.

In the sporting arena, H.E. Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of Namibia, signed a partnership agreement between the Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Foundation (NNN Foundation) and the Queens of the Continent Foundation (QoTC), founded by two-time WNBA All-Star and ESPN host Chiney Ogwumike. The landmark partnership will explore opportunities to support the empowerment and development of young people in Namibia, with a particular focus on girls and young women.

African creative industries take their place on the global stage

The creative economy was another major focus, with speakers highlighting the growing ability of African brands, filmmakers, and technology innovators to build global audiences and markets.

Khanyi Mashimbiye, Manager, Creatives at Afreximbank, highlighted the Afreximbank CANEX program, which connects African fashion brands with international buyers through Tranoï in Paris and Japan and Coterie in New York. Since 2022, the initiative has secured more than 120 offtake agreements, with Zimbabwean brand Vanu Vanwerk now selling in more than 50 stores globally.

Closing the forum, UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed said, "We are entering a new age of technology and AI that will fundamentally shape the future, and Africa has a tremendous opportunity to leapfrog. Just as industrialisation transformed economies and created new forms of work, AI can open new pathways for growth, innovation and opportunity. Africa has the talent and the ideas. What we need is the opportunity, infrastructure and investment to deploy them at scale. This is a moment for Africa to shape its own AI story, combining the continent's talent with the technology and infrastructure needed to build the future."

As the conversations concluded, the focus turned to the practical work ahead: translating Africa's investment momentum into initiatives that can deliver growth, jobs, and lasting economic value.

For event photos, visit HERE. For speakers' video soundbites and highlights, visit HERE. The entire event can be viewed on Unstoppable Africa YouTube channel.

For more about GABI please visit the website gabi.unglobalcompact.org

SOURCE United Nations Global Compact

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