WASHINGTON – – October 31, 2026 -- The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) has awarded U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins of Maine its 2026 National Leadership Award for Science and Medical Innovation, as kidney advocates push Congress to expand research funding by up to $1.8 billion through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Orlando – October 31, 2026 -- Springbrook Software has made AI Invoicing and AI Permitting available today on its Cirrus cloud ERP platform. It also previewed natural language reporting and a resident-facing Citizen Portal at its Activate 2026 customer conference in Orlando.

The Innovation Roadmap targets three pain points the company says local governments face everywhere: reporting, ease of use and support. Attendees tested forthcoming features and gave live feedback.

Richmond, Indiana – October 31, 2026 -- Richmond Mutual Bancorporation (NASDAQ: RMBI) reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $1.7 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, down from $3.6 million, or $0.36, a year earlier. A $6.1 million credit-loss provision and $3.0 million of nonrecurring merger costs outweighed a near-doubling of net interest income after the Farmers Bancorp acquisition.

United States – October 31, 2026 -- Judah Spinner's BlackBird Financial has built a significant ownership position in Fiserv, Inc., a company that generated more than $5 billion in adjusted net income over the past twelve months and carries a market capitalization of around $33 billion.

BlackBird is a hedge fund modeled on the Buffett Partnership of the 1950s. The announcement did not state the size of the stake. Spinner said the fund looked past Fiserv's short-term difficulties and focused on its long-term position.

United States – October 31, 2026 -- BlackBird Financial LP returned 62.2% in 2025 with a portfolio of fewer than ten holdings, against a 17.9% gain for the S&P 500, according to the firm's account of its investment approach.

United States – October 31, 2026 -- BlackBird Financial returned 15.7% net of fees in the first half of 2026, beating the S&P 500's 10.2% (dividends included) by 5.5 percentage points, according to a July 30 letter to partners from Judah Spinner, CFA. All figures are as of June 30, 2026.

Austin – October 31, 2026 -- LawnPop has installed 4,800 square feet of Synthetic Grass Warehouse's TigerTurf True Putt at a residence in Austin, Texas, built to roll at 11.5 to 12 on the stimp.

San Antonio – October 31, 2026 -- Electronics manufacturing services provider SMTC has received Frost & Sullivan's 2026 North America Company of the Year Recognition in mid-tier EMS, the third consecutive year it has won the award, according to CEO Mike Buseman.

Frost & Sullivan cited SMTC's strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. The award comes as OEMs put more weight on supply chain resilience, regionalized production and faster response to market changes.

Cerritos, Calif. – October 31, 2026 -- Millennium Dental Technologies and the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry (IALD) announced the death of Professor Raymond A. Yukna, DMD, MS (1942-2026). His 2007 human histology study gave the LANAP protocol, a minimally invasive laser treatment for moderate to severe periodontal disease, some of its earliest and most influential scientific validation.

NEW YORK – October 31, 2026 -- Okta Inc. (NASD: OKTA) will move from the S&P MidCap 400 into the S&P 500, replacing Kenvue Inc. (NYSE: KVUE), S&P Dow Jones Indices announced. The changes take effect before the opening of trading on Wednesday, November 4.

Kenvue exits the S&P 500 as Kimberly-Clark moves to acquire it

S&P 500 constituent Kimberly-Clark (NASD: KMB) is acquiring Kenvue. The deal is expected to be completed soon, pending final closing conditions.