General News

Ten Streaming Services Shut Down in Q2 as Consolidation Accelerates

Plano, Texas – September 23, 2026 -- Ten US streaming service profiles were phased out in the second quarter of 2026 as providers rebrand, consolidate content, or shift to alternative distribution models, according to Parks Associates' Streaming Video Tracker.

Paramount Skydance folds BET+ into flagship Paramount+ platform

Paramount Skydance ended BET+ as a standalone service, migrating its content library into Paramount+ under a dedicated BET Hub. The move reflects a broader industry pattern of consolidating niche streaming brands into larger flagship platforms rather than maintaining separate apps.

Jiaozhou Turns Factory Floors Into Tourism Draw for 15,000 Firms

Jiaozhou – September 23, 2026 -- Jiaozhou, an industrial city in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, is converting manufacturing sites into tourist attractions, with more than 15,000 industrial enterprises and over 1,000 above designated size operating in the city, the highest count among cities of its tier in the province.

Local authorities push industrial firms into cultural tourism

A growing number of manufacturers in Jiaozhou are opening production lines to visitors, converting factory floors into sightseeing routes and study-tour venues, a shift encouraged by local government policy to expand industrial chains and boost brand influence.

Mölnlycke Report Finds Hospitals Underuse Day Surgery Capacity

Gothenburg – September 23, 2026 -- Mölnlycke Health Care has released The Hidden Capacity Report, an international study identifying significant untapped capacity in day surgery that could improve surgical throughput and reduce waiting times across healthcare systems.

Survey of 256 healthcare professionals across ten countries exposes adoption gaps

The report draws on a review of international literature, a survey of 256 healthcare professionals across ten countries, expert interviews and guidance from an international expert panel of key opinion leaders. Despite strong clinical evidence supporting day surgery, adoption remains inconsistent across countries, healthcare organisations, specialties and individual clinical teams.

Noma Named Market Shaper in Gartner AI Agent Security Report

New York – September 23, 2026 -- Noma Security has been named a Market Shaper in Gartner's Emerging Market Quadrant for AI Application Security among startup vendors, placing it in the category Gartner defines as "Full-Spectrum, Context-Aware Agentic Security."

Gartner flags a new runtime risk as AI agents gain autonomy

The Gartner report states that vendors in this quadrant analyze the full spectrum of AI agent behaviors, including user intent, agent instructions, memory, tool use, data access, and system modification actions, comparing intended permissions against real-time behavior to flag deviations or misuse. Gartner notes security vendors are refining least-privilege enforcement and intent-drift detection as agents chain actions autonomously across long sessions without continuous permission verification.

STARTRADER's CSR Arm Aids 213 at Vietnam Children's Village

Ho Chi Minh City – September 23, 2026 -- STARCARES, the corporate social responsibility programme of global multi-asset broker STARTRADER, delivered gift sets, household essentials and cash support to 213 people at SOS Children's Village Ho Chi Minh City in Go Vap during a Mid-Autumn Festival event called "A Full Moon for Every Child."

Aid reaches 60 children and 213 total beneficiaries at the Go Vap village

Every child at the village received a gift set containing a lantern, cookies, a water bottle, a milk pack and a colouring kit. Hygiene, cleaning and pantry supplies were distributed to village houses, alongside financial support for operating costs, reaching house mothers and staff among the 213 recipients.

Ventura County Nonprofits Generate $3.6B but 46% Post Deficits

Ventura County – September 23, 2026 -- Ventura County's nonprofit sector generated more than $3.6 billion in economic activity in 2024, roughly 5% of the county's GDP, yet 46% of operating nonprofits recorded an operating deficit that year, the highest rate in a six-year study period, according to a new report from the Center for Nonprofit Leadership (CNL) at California Lutheran University.

Nonprofit revenue per resident trails California by 63%

The 2026 Ventura County Nonprofit Sector Report found nonprofit revenue per resident stood at approximately $4,388 in 2024, about 37% of California's statewide level. Nonprofit assets per resident reached roughly $5,836, only 29% of the state figure, despite Ventura County having a comparable number of nonprofits per capita as California overall.

WesternU Hosts Second A.P. Howells Lectureship, Launches New Honors

Lebanon, Ore. – September 23, 2026 -- Western University of Health Sciences Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine (WesternU HCOM) hosted its second annual A.P. Howells, DO, Endowed Lectureship on Aug. 29-30, 2026, training physicians in the Fascial Distortion Model (FDM) for musculoskeletal treatment.

Todd Capistrant, DO, led hands-on FDM training combining online modules with supervised clinical practice

Capistrant, a Medical Director at Foundation Health Partners since 2013 and a board-certified family medicine physician, taught participants to identify fascial distortion patterns and apply introductory osteopathic manipulative treatment techniques. He emphasized that patient activity levels remain a stronger predictor of long-term health outcomes than pharmaceutical interventions for reducing heart disease, stroke, dementia and cancer risk.

United Parks Names Miller President, Maupin Parks Operating Chief

Orlando, Fla. – September 23, 2026 -- United Parks & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: PRKS) named Kyle Miller President and elevated Scott Maupin to Chief Parks Operating Officer, effective September 23, 2026, as Chief Commercial Officer Christopher Finazzo departs the company.

Miller rises to President after three decades inside the organization

Miller moves up from Chief Parks Operations Officer to President, a role in which he will work with CEO Marc Swanson and the executive team on growth strategy and operations across the company's park portfolio. He joined Busch Entertainment Corporation in 1995 and previously served as Park President of SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove and Aquatica Orlando. "Kyle has a unique understanding of our business, our culture, and our commitment to delivering experiences that matter," Swanson said.

Aflac Delivers Robotic Ducks to Pediatric Cancer Patients in St. Louis

St. Louis – September 23, 2026 -- Aflac Incorporated brought its My Special Aflac Duck robotic companion to pediatric cancer and sickle cell disease patients at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, part of a program that has distributed nearly 50,000 units free of charge since 2018 across the U.S., Japan and Northern Ireland.

Former MLB and NFL player Brian Jordan joined Aflac U.S. President Virgil Miller to read his children's book at the event

Jordan, who played seven Major League Baseball seasons in St. Louis before founding the Brian Jordan Foundation, read his book "I Told You I Can Play" to patients and families, distributing copies alongside the duck deliveries.

PG&E Foundation, CFF Award $1M in Wildfire Grants to 75 Agencies

Oakland, Calif. – September 23, 2026 -- The California Fire Foundation (CFF), backed by The PG&E Corporation Foundation, has distributed $1 million in wildfire safety grants to 75 fire departments, fire agencies and nonprofits across Northern and Central California.

PG&E Foundation adds $50,000 to expand ninth annual grant round

The PG&E Foundation committed an additional $50,000 this year to enhance the program, which marks the ninth consecutive year of partnership between CFF and the foundation. CFF reviewed more than 200 submissions during a month-long application window before selecting recipients in high wildfire-risk areas, with awards timed to National Preparedness Month.