New research from SambaSafety examines how organizations use driving data to better understand risk and support safer decisions on the road. The report draws on responses from 740 fleet, broker, and insurance professionals, as well as an analysis of 500 million miles of driving data covering more than 135 million driver behavior events. The findings show that safety risks can vary considerably by the type of work drivers perform, and that understanding those differences can help organizations develop safety programs that address the risks their drivers face.

The report found that 84% of insurers and brokers consider distracted driving a major threat to commercial auto profitability, up nearly 10 percentage points in one year. The increase reflects a growing recognition that distraction behind the wheel threatens public safety and contributes to higher costs when crashes occur.

Telematics can help organizations identify unsafe or risky driving patterns and use those insights to influence driver training and safety programs. With 90% of fleet respondents using telematics, there’s a growing challenge in turning the technology’s data into meaningful action. More than half of fleets (53%) say interpreting and acting on telematics data is a leading challenge.

For example, severe speeding rates differed by more than fivefold across the industries analyzed. Transportation fleets recorded 48 severe speeding events per 100,000 miles, compared with 254 among Construction fleets. These differences show why a safety strategy that works for one group of drivers may not address the risks facing another.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also emerging as a means of interpreting large amounts of driver data. Sixty percent of fleets and 94% of insurers report using AI in some form, including analyzing driver risk data and reviewing footage that once required manual processing.

The research also points to a disconnect over data sharing. While 52% of brokers cite fleet distrust as a barrier, only 5% of fleets agree. This finding suggests that fleets may be more willing to share information when they understand its purpose and value.

“Understanding risk isn’t just about having more data. It’s having the right information to reveal the story behind it,” said Kristy Kennah, Head of Insurance at SambaSafety.

These findings reflect a broader shift in vehicle safety technology. As these tools become more widely used, the focus is shifting toward using this information to identify risks and support safer decisions on the road.

The 2026 Telematics Report is available from SambaSafety.

However, high blood pressure is often called “the silent killer” with no noticeable symptoms – many people may not realize their blood pressure is too high. For people diagnosed with hypertension, lifestyle changes and medications are the first steps toward gaining better control. But managing the condition can be challenging, and medications aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, up to 50% of patients become non-adherent to their medications within one year, and nearly 75% of adults with high blood pressure do not have it under control.^6,7

The good news is that additional treatment options are available, including the Symplicity™ blood pressure procedure. This minimally invasive procedure works in tandem with lifestyle management and medication which may help patients achieve blood pressure control, and also could reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.^8,9,10 The procedure works by calming excessively active nerves near the kidneys that may be contributing to high blood pressure.¹¹ The procedure doesn’t require any implant and once done, the effects keep working 24 hours a day.^{8, 9, 12}While some patients may be able to reduce the number of antihypertensive medications they take, medication may need to be adjusted overtime by a healthcare team. Symplicity may have side effects including headache, back pain, access site complications like bruising or hematoma, and in very rare cases, blood vessel injury or narrowing. 

More than 40,000 adults worldwide have received the Symplicity blood pressure procedure.¹³ In recognition of World Heart Day, we are highlighting the journeys of three individuals who took a new direction in managing their high blood pressure.

Focusing on What Matters Most

Yazmin Rodriguez, a South Jersey mother of five and grandmother of one, always strives to put her family first. But years of uncontrolled high blood pressure made that increasingly difficult, leaving her with frequent migraines and low energy despite taking multiple antihypertensive medications and making lifestyle changes.

This changed in 2024 when Dr. Kintur Sanghvi,* interventional cardiologist at Virtua Health, introduced her to a different approach: the Symplicity blood pressure procedure. After talking to Dr. Sanghvi about the risks of the procedure -  Yazmin decided to undergo the procedure. Today, she has gained more control of her blood pressure and is now able to keep up with what matters most to her: her family. 

“For patients like Yazmin who have tried medications and lifestyle changes but continue to struggle with uncontrolled high blood pressure, renal denervation offers not only an adjunctive treatment option, but a renewed sense of hope for patients,” said Dr. Sanghvi. “While results for patients may vary, seeing Yazmin have better control of her blood pressure and, with it, more control over her life is a powerful reminder of why we offer this procedure to patients.” 

Taking on New Adventures

Patrick Whitehouse, a 59-year-old from Sacramento, California, has always led an active lifestyle. Whether skiing, mountain biking, traveling with friends, or spending time outdoors, staying active has always been an important part of his life. But as his uncontrolled high blood pressure began to interfere with the activities he loved, Patrick searched for another option. The Symplicity blood pressure procedure, alongside lifestyle changes and medication, helped him return to the activities he enjoys most - including riding the iconic Denali Park Road in Alaska. This was a meaningful milestone in Patrick’s return to an active, adventurous life. 

Finding a New Path Forward

Todd "Lumpy" Kocsis, of Gibsonburg, Ohio has lived with uncontrolled high blood pressure since he was just 18 years old. Now 54, and despite decades of treatment, multiple medications, and significant weight loss, his blood pressure continued to worsen, leading to frequent trips to the emergency room. Feeling defeated and out of options, Lumpy learned about the Symplicity blood pressure procedure through his physician, Doctor Gbur at Fulton County Health Center.* Today, he works full-time and stays active caring for his horses, scuba diving, and exercising - activities that were once much more difficult while living with high blood pressure. 

If you’re living with uncontrolled high blood pressure, understanding your treatment options can be an important step toward reclaiming your health.

To learn more about renal denervation and view additional important safety and risk information, visit beyondHBP.com.

*In the past, this physician has been paid for participation in speaking events by Medtronic.

These testimonials reflect the individual experiences and opinions of the patients featured. Not every person will experience the same results.

The Symplicity Spyral renal denervation system is indicated to reduce blood pressure as an adjunctive treatment in patients with hypertension for whom lifestyle modifications and antihypertensive medications do not adequately control blood pressure. People with higher blood pressure before the procedure may see greater reductions in blood pressure and a decrease in the need for blood pressure medication following the procedure.

The Symplicity procedure has known risks that should be considered in relation to the potential benefits of the procedure. Potential procedure-related adverse events including pain, vascular access site complications, and vasospasm are most common.

1. American Heart Association. The Facts About High Blood Pressure. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure. Update May 23, 2024. Accessed on Oct 16, 2024.

2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2020. 

3. High Blood Pressure Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/high-blood-pressure/data-research/facts-stats/index.html Accessed August 21, 2026.

4. Jones DW, et al. 2025 AHA/ACC/AANP/AAPA/ABC/ACCP/ACPM/AGS/AMA/ASPC/NMA/PCNA/SGIM Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2025 Nov 4;86(18):1567-1678. 

5. High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension’s effects on your body. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/highblood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045868. Accessed August 21, 2026.

6. Berra E, et al. Hypertension. 2016 Aug;68(2):297-306.

7. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension Accessed August 21, 2026.

8. Böhm M, Kario K, Kandzari DE, et al. Efficacy of catheter-based renal denervation in the absence of antihypertensive medications (SPYRAL HTN-OFF MED Pivotal): a multicentre, randomised, shamcontrolled trial. Lancet. 2020;395(10234):1444–1451. 

9. Kandzari D, Townsend R, Kario K, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Renal Denervation in Patients Taking Antihypertensive Medications. J Am Coll Cardiol. November 7, 2023;82(19):1809–1823. 

10. Ettehad D, Emdin CA, Kiran A, et al. Blood pressure lowering for prevention of cardiovascular disease and death: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. March 5, 2016;387(10022):957-967.

11. Coates P, Tunev S, Trudel J, Hettrick DA. Time, Temperature, Power, and Impedance Considerations for Radiofrequency Catheter Renal Denervation. Cardiovasc Revasc Med. September 2022;42:171–177.  

12. Medtronic Symplicity Spyral multi-electrode renal denervation catheter Instructions for Use.

13.  Medtronic data on file, RDN Catheter Historical Data, September 2026. Data includes both Symplicity Flex and Symplicity Spyral

US-SE-2600908 v 1.0

©2026 Medtronic. Medtronic, Medtronic logo, and Engineering the extraordinary are trademarks of Medtronic. All other brands are trademarks of a Medtronic company.

Important Safety Information  

The Symplicity^™ blood pressure procedure (BPP) is a minimally invasive procedure approved to help lower high blood pressure. The procedure is approved as a complement to treatments you may already be trying, such as lifestyle modifications and high blood pressure medications that might not be adequately controlling your blood pressure.  

Receiving the Symplicity BPP should be based on a joint decision between you and your doctor. Consider the benefits and risks of the device and procedure. Please talk to your doctor to decide whether or not the Symplicity BPP is right for you. 

If you have a pacemaker or an ICD, your doctor will follow up with steps to take ahead of the procedure if you decide it is right for you. 

At the time of your procedure, your doctor may detect certain anatomical conditions (e.g., your blood vessels are too big or too small) that do not allow the blood pressure procedure to continue. 

You should not receive the procedure if you cannot tolerate medications that are required for the procedure, like atropine, nitroglycerin, systemic blood thinners, or certain pain medications. These medications are to help you in case your heart rate drops too low, you experience pain, or your blood vessels tighten during the procedure. You should not receive the procedure if you are pregnant. 

The Symplicity BPP has not been studied in patients: • Who are breastfeeding • Who are under 18 years old • Who have isolated systolic hypertension (only the “top number” of your blood pressure is high) • Who have secondary causes of high blood pressure   • Who have had a renal stent placed less than 3 months prior to the procedure • Who had a prior minimally invasive treatment in their renal arteries (stenting, angioplasty, or prior renal denervation) 

Potential risks of the Symplicity BPP (note that you may experience other problems that have not been previously observed with this procedure): • Allergic reaction to the imaging solution • Damage to your arteries • Future narrowing of your arteries • Arterio-enteric fistula (an abnormal connection between your aorta and your gastrointestinal tract) • AV fistula (an irregular connection between an artery and a vein) • Bleeding or blood clots • Bruising where the device enters your body (mild or severe) • Cardiac arrest or heart attack • Death • Deep vein thrombosis • Swelling • Slow heart rate • Infection • Low or high blood pressure • Damage to your kidneys that may cause one or both to stop working • Nausea or vomiting • Peripheral ischemia (lack of blood supply to your limbs) • Pulmonary embolism (a sudden block in your arteries that send blood to your lungs) • Pseudoaneurysm (blood collecting on the outside of a vessel wall causing a balloon-like widening) • Pain or discomfort • Skin burns from the failure of the equipment during the procedure • Exposure to radiation • Stroke 

For further information, please call and/or consult Medtronic at 800-633-8766 or the Medtronic website at medtronic.com.

While consumers may expect an insurer to simply determine what happened and pay a fair claim, the claims process can be much more complicated. Adjusters may request recorded statements, seek broad access to medical records or make settlement offers before the full extent of an injury is known.

Ryan L. Thompson, founder and managing partner of Thompson Law, says injured consumers should understand how the claims process works before making decisions that could affect their recovery. Thompson previously defended corporations before establishing his personal injury practice, giving him experience with how insurers and defense teams evaluate and resolve claims.

Here are five issues consumers should watch for after an accident.

1. The recorded statement

Soon after a crash, an insurance adjuster may ask an injured person to provide a recorded statement about what happened and how they are feeling.

In Texas, a participant in a telephone conversation generally may record that conversation without obtaining the other participant’s permission. Consumers should therefore assume an insurance call may be recorded rather than assume a conversation is off the record.

That distinction matters when injuries are still developing. Someone who says they feel “fine” shortly after an accident may later discover an injury that was not immediately apparent.

There is also an important difference between dealing with your own insurer and the other driver's insurer. A standard Texas personal auto policy contains a duty to cooperate with your own insurance company. Thompson cautions that an injured third party does not have the same contractual obligation to provide a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer.

2. The fast settlement offer

A quick check can seem like welcome news when medical bills and other expenses are mounting. But speed is not necessarily the same thing as a complete and fair evaluation of a claim.

The danger is settling before doctors know the extent of an injury or how long recovery may take. Once a claimant signs a release and resolves the claim, the opportunity to seek additional compensation for that claim generally ends.

Texas insurance law also addresses claim investigation. Thompson notes that Texas Insurance Code Section 541.060 prohibits an insurer from refusing to pay certain claims without conducting a reasonable investigation and requires good-faith settlement efforts in specified circumstances when liability has become reasonably clear. The statute does not specifically prohibit an insurer from making an early offer simply because an injury has not fully resolved.

The practical lesson: understand what is being settled before accepting an offer.

3. Broad access to your medical history

Another document to examine carefully is a medical-record authorization.

An authorization may give an insurer access to medical information extending beyond treatment directly connected to the accident. That can include older conditions or treatments that may become part of the insurer's evaluation of whether an injury resulted from the crash.

Thompson said nothing in Texas law requires an injured third party to provide the other driver's insurer with unlimited access to medical records. Consumers may instead limit an authorization by provider and date or offer to supply relevant records directly.

Read an authorization carefully before signing it and understand exactly what information it permits the recipient to obtain.

4. Computer-assisted claim valuation

Technology can also play a role in determining what a claim is worth.

In 2010, Allstate reached a multistate regulatory settlement involving the insurer's use of the Colossus claims-handling software. The insurer agreed to a $10 million regulatory settlement and reforms governing how the software was used. Among other provisions, the settlement addressed notice to claimants and prohibited requiring adjusters to settle claims solely according to a value recommended by the software.

The historical case should not be interpreted as proof that insurers today systematically underpay claims using software. New York's insurance superintendent said the examination did not find systemic underpayment of bodily-injury claims.

For consumers, the broader point is that a claim may involve standardized valuation tools as well as human judgment. Medical documentation, lost wages and the individual circumstances of an injury can therefore be important in establishing the full picture.

5. Delay and repeated requests

Finally, keep track of what happens after a claim is opened.

Dates, phone calls, documents submitted and the names of adjusters can become important if a claim stalls. Keep a simple log of every call, adjuster's name and date.

Some Texas claims involving a person's own insurer are also subject to statutory deadlines.  The consumer must distinguish those deadlines from third-party claims involving the other driver's insurer, an important difference consumers should understand rather than assuming the same timetable applies to every claim.

Keeping copies of correspondence and maintaining a timeline can help consumers know what information has already been supplied and what remains outstanding.

Know what you're agreeing to

Thompson Law handles vehicle crashes and other serious personal injury and wrongful-death cases. The Dallas-headquartered firm, with additional Texas offices in San Antonio, Houston and Waco, says it has recovered more than $2.1 billion for injured people and families as of August 2026.

For Thompson, the takeaway for injured consumers is simple: don't treat every request from an insurance company as routine paperwork. Understand what information is being requested, what rights may be affected, and what accepting or signing a document means before making a decision.

More information is available from Thompson Law / 1-800-LION-LAW or 1800lionlaw.com.

(BookTrib) - “Over the Hills and Far Away” by Daniel Mack

John Merlan is nearing retirement with an irregular heartbeat, a dwindling roster of therapy clients and a growing suspicion that the modern world is far too eager to tell people how to live. Newly settled in Central Florida, he spends his days driving the back roads of the Lake Wales Ridge, talking with clients, researching local history and wondering what free will really means — and what we are supposed to do with it.

His questions become stranger as mysterious encounters blur the line between imagination and reality. Meanwhile, half a world away, a clandestine experiment is pursuing an astonishing possibility: if the human soul is the source of free will, could that freedom be eliminated altogether?

Funny, profane and philosophical, Daniel Mack’s “Over the Hills and Far Away” combines one man’s search for meaning with a much larger mystery about choice, control and what it means to be human.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/over-the-hills-daniel-mack. 

“Dancing Through Seafoam” by Diane Skye Gropper

Poet Diane Skye Gropper explores the fleeting nature of life through a deeply personal and spiritual lens. Drawing on decades of studying Buddhism, Native American teachings and other traditions, she reflects on love, loss, past lives, healing, mortality and the connections that endure beyond a single lifetime.

The collection moves from intimate poems about family, grief and relationships into broader meditations on karma, free will, spiritual growth and humanity’s responsibility to one another and the planet. Some pieces tell vivid stories; others wrestle directly with questions of death, purpose and what we carry from one life into the next.

The title itself captures Gropper’s central image: life as a dance through seafoam, beautiful and fragile, appearing only briefly before disappearing. Yet throughout the collection, the soul’s journey continues, shaped by love, memory and the choices made along the way.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/dancing-through-seafoam. 

“Hunting the Red Fox” by W. Kenneth Tyler Jr.

In 1942, Perry Barnes’ future is shaped by a teenage mistake with an ironic twist. Given the choice between conscription in the Army and a prison sentence for stealing jewelry, Perry opts for the former. He soon finds himself in a newly formed special operations unit, where he learns espionage, sabotage, lock picking, safe cracking — and the very skills that could someday make him a first-class jewel thief.

After the war, Perry’s adventures take him from stunt work in 1950s Hollywood to professional golf alongside legends like Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer. Then he meets precious-gem investigator Sophia Toscana and becomes entangled in the theft of the famed Mecklenburg Diamond from an elusive master thief known as the Red Fox.

Blending historical fiction, spycraft, romance and irreverent humor, “Hunting the Red Fox” has earned a World’s Best Magazine Award for weaving adventure, espionage and redemption into historical fiction; an Independent Press Award for humor; and a NYC Big Book Award in the cross-genre category.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/hunting-the-red-fox. 

“From the Cyclops Cave: A Braided Memoir” by Don Schofield

Poet Don Schofield looks back on a childhood marked by abandonment, instability and a deep hunger to belong. Raised by a succession of adults after his father left him in the care of strangers, Schofield carries those early wounds into adulthood — and eventually to Greece.

From a primitive hut on the island of Kýthnos, known locally as the Cyclops Cave, he begins revisiting the past. The memoir moves between his solitary life in the Cyclades and vivid scenes from 1950s California, allowing memory to surface in fragments: painful, tender and sometimes uncertain.

Written with a poet’s attention to image and place, Schofield’s memoir explores resilience, identity, family and the complicated work of understanding the people who shaped us. Ultimately, it is a moving account of learning to care for the child he once was.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/from-the-cyclops-cave. 

For families staying in hotels or vacation rentals, one important safety consideration can be easy to overlook: carbon monoxide (CO).

Carbon monoxide is impossible to see, smell or taste, making it difficult to know when it may be present. Planning a trip already comes with plenty of details to consider, but travelers should also think about the safety features available at their destination. With no federal requirement for carbon monoxide alarms in hotel rooms or vacation rentals, checking on CO safety before arrival is an important part of travel planning.

That’s why Kidde, North America’s #1 home fire safety brand¹, has created a new line of its most advanced carbon monoxide alarms. Select models include enhanced features such as low-level CO detection², which can help users identify the presence of carbon monoxide sooner, as well as a backlit display designed to provide clear, easy-to-read alerts.

Taking Safety on the Road

Many travelers take steps to help protect their homes from fire and carbon monoxide before leaving for vacation. However, it can be just as important to think about the safety conditions at the destination.

Before checking into a hotel or vacation rental, travelers can contact the property directly to ask about its fire and carbon monoxide safety standards, including whether CO alarms are installed where appropriate.

A few minutes of preparation can help make it easier for families to focus on enjoying their trip rather than worrying about what they may have overlooked.

For travel expert Brian Kelly, packing the essentials is a non-negotiable when traveling with family: 

“Safety is everything when traveling, which is why I always bring Kidde’s AA Battery-Powered Carbon Monoxide Alarm with me,” says Brian Kelly. “As a dad, having that peace of mind is essential, especially knowing children, pets, and the elderly are more susceptible to lower levels of CO.” 

For more ways to prepare before the next getaway, travelers can review Kidde’s Travel Safety Checklist. 

Add a Portable CO Alarm to Your Packing List

In addition to checking the CO regulations ahead of a trip, travelers can also consider packing a portable carbon monoxide alarm, such as Kidde’s AA Battery-Powered Carbon Monoxide Alarm³, which features low-level alerts in certain models designed to help provide early warning and peace of mind while traveling. 

Depending on the model, features can include:

• Easy-to-read alerts: A backlit display on select models can light up with the push of a button, making it easier to check the alarm day or night.

• Fewer nighttime interruptions: Travelers can enjoy features designed to help avoid being disturbed by alerts that aren't critical during nighttime hours.

• Long-lasting battery power: Kidde AA batteries are designed to last up to a year under normal operating conditions, helping make routine battery replacement easier to remember⁴.

Travelers should also make sure any portable CO alarm they purchase is listed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). Look for an ETL Listed or UL Listed Mark on the packaging or back of the device. These marks indicate that the product has been independently tested and listed to meet specific safety performance standards.

Whether the trip involves a weekend road trip or a longer family vacation, be sure to make safety a part of the packing list, as it can help travelers head out with greater confidence and peace of mind. 

Important Product Information: Kidde portable carbon monoxide alarms are not approved for RV or boat use. Pack carefully to help avoid damage to the device. Remove batteries prior to travel and reinsert upon arrival. For use in conditioned spaces only. Test the device before use to ensure proper operation.

1 Based on total household installations as of December 2023.

2 Children, elderly adults and pets are more vulnerable to low levels of carbon monoxide and may be affected faster.

3 Children, elderly adults and pets are more vulnerable to low levels of carbon monoxide and may be affected faster.

4 Under normal operating conditions. Check User Guide for additional details on battery replacement.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) may be among the biggest shopping days of the holiday season, but new research suggests consumer activity continues well beyond those major promotional events.

During the 2025 peak shopping season, weekend order rates were twice weekday rates, even as brands sent significantly fewer marketing messages. The research also found that customers making their first purchase from a brand during BFCM spent more per order, on average, than repeat customers.

The findings come from Intuit Mailchimp’s Breaking Through Peak Season Noise report, developed with Datalily. The research analyzed more than 44 billion emails and 83 million text messages sent globally through Mailchimp from Halloween through New Year’s Eve 2025, providing insight into consumer behavior during the busiest shopping period of the year.

Here are several key findings from the research.

1. Quieter marketing days can still be strong shopping days

Some of the season’s strongest shopping activity occurred when brands were sending fewer messages.

Weekend order rates were twice weekday rates, while message volume fell by roughly 60% on weekends. On the Sunday between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, brands sent 59% fewer emails and 82% fewer text messages than they did on Black Friday.

The findings suggest that holiday shopping activity can continue even when promotional messaging becomes less frequent.

2. Text messages captured shoppers’ attention

Email remained the larger revenue driver overall, but text messaging generated strong engagement during periods of high shopping activity.

During BFCM weekend, SMS averaged a 15.7% click rate per message delivered, compared with 1.4% for email. At peak points during the season, SMS generated up to six times higher order rates than email and three times higher revenue per message.

The results highlight differences in how consumers respond to marketing channels during the holiday shopping season.

3. First-time customers spent more per order

The holiday season also brought new customers to brands. During BFCM weekend, shoppers making their first purchase from a brand accounted for 59% of email-attributed orders and nearly 70% of SMS-attributed orders.

First-time customers also had higher average order values. Through email, average order values for first-time buyers were 21% higher than those of repeat buyers. Through SMS, they were 39% higher.

For businesses, the findings suggest that holiday promotions can provide an opportunity not only to drive purchases but also to reach consumers who are shopping with a brand for the first time.

4. Some shoppers returned after the holidays

For some first-time customers, a holiday purchase was followed by another purchase in the new year.

Among shoppers who made their first purchase during peak season, 16.6% purchased again during the first quarter of 2026. Those who returned made their next purchase after a median of 26 days.

The findings point to the potential importance of the weeks following the holiday season as businesses continue communicating with newly acquired customers.

Looking Beyond the Holiday Rush

Taken together, the research offers a broader look at how consumers shop during the holidays. Shopping activity can remain strong beyond the biggest promotional days, consumers may respond differently across communication channels, and first-time customers can continue engaging with brands after their initial holiday purchase.

For businesses, understanding these patterns can help inform how and when they communicate with customers throughout the holiday season and into the new year.

To explore the full findings and interactive charts, visit Mailchimp’s Breaking Through Peak Season Noise report.

Today, there is a new question to consider:

What will artificial intelligence say about you?

As millions of people turn to tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity to research companies, products and people, artificial intelligence is beginning to change not only how information is found, but also how reputations are formed.

For today's college students, that could have important implications for everything from internships and first jobs to entrepreneurship and professional networking.

From Google Search to AI Answers

For more than two decades, building a professional presence online largely meant thinking about Google.

Students created LinkedIn profiles, personal websites and online portfolios with the expectation that recruiters or prospective employers might search for them.

That isn't disappearing. But AI is adding another layer.

Instead of searching through a list of websites, people can now ask questions such as:

“Who are some promising young software developers in Washington?”

“Who has expertise in sustainable fashion?”

“What should I know about this person before interviewing them?”

The AI system may then assemble an answer based on information it can find from numerous sources.

That means the challenge for the next generation of professionals may not simply be being searchable. It may be being understandable and credible to AI.

Your Digital Reputation Starts Earlier Than You Think

Rick Smith, founder and CEO of News USA, a content syndication company that has helped organizations gain media visibility for nearly four decades, believes students should begin thinking about their digital reputations before graduation.

“Most students understandably think about their résumé and LinkedIn profile,” Smith said. “Those are still important. But the next generation is going to enter a world where AI systems increasingly help people research companies, products and individuals. The information that exists about you online may become part of that process.”

That doesn't mean students should try to manipulate AI systems.

Instead, Smith says students can concentrate on something much more basic: doing credible things and making sure there is accurate information about those accomplishments on the public web.

Build Evidence, Not Just a Profile

A LinkedIn profile is something you write about yourself.

Third-party recognition is different.

A student who conducts research with a professor, launches a small business, leads a community project, wins a competition, develops an interesting piece of software or becomes knowledgeable about a particular subject may have opportunities to be mentioned by a university, student newspaper, professional association, local news organization or other independent source.

Those references can help create a more complete digital record of a person's work.

The distinction matters because AI systems often have many possible sources available when constructing answers. Clear, consistent information appearing across credible public sources can make a person or organization easier to understand.

There is no guarantee that a particular article or online mention will cause an AI system to cite or recommend someone. AI platforms use different technologies and constantly changing methods for generating their answers.

But students can begin building a legitimate body of evidence about who they are and what they know.

Five Things Students Can Start Doing Now

Students don't need a public-relations firm to begin.

First, develop expertise in something. Being genuinely knowledgeable about a specific subject is more valuable than trying to appear knowledgeable about everything.

Second, create original work. Research, articles, projects, businesses, software, videos and community initiatives give other people something substantive to discover.

Third, seek legitimate third-party recognition. Campus newspapers, professional organizations, competitions and local media can provide independent documentation of accomplishments.

Fourth, keep information consistent. Use your real name consistently and make it clear what you study, what you've accomplished and what subjects you know.

Fifth, periodically ask the major AI platforms about yourself. Don't be concerned if they initially know little or nothing. Instead, treat it as another way of understanding your current digital footprint.

The Same Change Is Affecting Businesses

Companies are confronting a similar issue.

News USA has traditionally helped businesses and organizations publish and distribute editorial-style content through news outlets around the country. Today, the company is also examining how organizations appear when consumers ask AI systems questions about their industries.

The company calls the broader concept AI Authority—understanding what information AI systems find about an organization, how competitors appear and what credible information may be missing from the public record.

The principle applies to individuals as well.

AI cannot discover accomplishments that were never documented.

Today's Students Will Build the AI Economy

Students entering college today may spend their entire careers working in an economy in which artificial intelligence helps people decide what to buy, where to work, whom to hire and which sources to trust.

That makes understanding AI more than a technology issue.

It is increasingly a career issue.

Learning how to use AI will undoubtedly matter. But students may eventually discover that another skill is just as important:

learning how to build a professional reputation that both people and machines can understand.

For more information about AI visibility and how organizations are measuring their presence across major AI platforms, visit NewsUSA.ai.

Ask it about the family-owned manufacturer 10 miles away, a respected local accountant, a nonprofit doing remarkable work in your community or the business that has served your town for three generations, and the answer may be very different.

Sometimes artificial intelligence simply doesn't know.

That raises an increasingly important question as millions of Americans begin using AI to decide what to buy, where to go and whom to trust:

Will local businesses and communities be adequately represented in the AI age?

AI Has a Local Information Problem

Artificial intelligence systems don't experience communities the way people do.

They don't drive down Main Street. They don't attend the Rotary Club luncheon, watch the high school football game or hear a neighbor recommend a local contractor.

They depend heavily on information that is available to them digitally.

And that can create an imbalance.

Large national companies generate enormous amounts of online information. They are covered by national media, discussed on thousands of websites and mentioned constantly across the internet.

A highly respected local business may have a website, a Facebook page and a handful of reviews.

That difference could become increasingly important.

The New Word of Mouth

For decades, local businesses grew largely through reputation and word of mouth.

Those recommendations aren't going away. But consumers now have another place to ask for advice.

Artificial intelligence.

Someone moving to a new community might ask an AI assistant:

“Who are the most respected financial advisers near me?”

A homeowner might ask:

“What local companies can replace my roof?”

A parent could ask:

“What organizations in my area provide tutoring for teenagers?”

And a business owner might ask:

“Who are the leading accountants for small businesses in this region?”

The answers AI provides depend, in part, on the information available for it to discover and understand.

Local News May Become More Important, Not Less

That creates an interesting new role for local journalism.

Local newspapers have always documented the life of their communities: new businesses, civic organizations, local experts, elections, charitable activities, economic development and the people doing noteworthy things.

Those stories aren't simply today's news.

They also become part of a community's digital history.

“Local newspapers document things that frequently aren't documented anywhere else,” said Rick Smith, founder and CEO of News USA, which has distributed editorial content to news organizations across the country for nearly four decades.

“As people increasingly ask AI systems questions rather than simply searching Google, credible local information may become even more valuable. If information about a community doesn't exist online, an AI system has very little to work with.”

Being Good Isn't the Same as Being Discoverable

Consider two local businesses.

One has operated successfully for 25 years, supports community organizations and has hundreds of loyal customers—but has generated very little independent information online.

The other is relatively new but has been interviewed by local media, publishes useful information about its industry and has developed a substantial digital presence.

A longtime resident may know immediately which business has the stronger reputation.

An AI system doesn't have that life experience.

It has information.

That doesn't mean businesses should manufacture publicity simply to influence artificial intelligence. Nor does appearing in an article guarantee that ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity or another AI system will mention or recommend a company.

It does suggest that accurate, credible information about local organizations needs to exist in places where people—and potentially machines—can find it.

A New Question for Small Businesses

For years, business owners were told to ask:

“Can people find us on Google?”

Now there may be a second question:

“What happens when people ask AI about us?”

News USA has begun examining that question through what it calls AI Authority—looking at how companies appear across major AI platforms, how their competitors appear and what credible information about the company exists online.

The answers can sometimes be surprising.

A company may have a beautiful website and excellent search-engine rankings but barely appear when consumers ask AI systems questions about its industry.

Another company may repeatedly appear because there is a larger body of independent information supporting its expertise and reputation.

Put Your Town to the Test

There's a remarkably simple experiment anyone can conduct.

Open your favorite AI platform and ask it five questions about your community:

What businesses is this town known for?

Who are some respected local entrepreneurs?

What are the best locally owned businesses?

What organizations are making a difference here?

What should someone moving here know about the community?

Then look at what's missing.

Long-established businesses may be absent. Important nonprofit organizations may not appear. Community leaders everyone in town knows may be invisible.

There may even be outdated or incorrect information.

That gap between what a community actually knows about itself and what artificial intelligence knows about it could become one of the more interesting challenges of the AI era.

America's Communities Need a Digital Record

Artificial intelligence is often discussed as though its future will be determined entirely in Silicon Valley.

But its usefulness will also depend upon the quality of information coming from thousands of communities across America.

That's where local journalism has something technology cannot easily manufacture: firsthand knowledge of a community.

The restaurant opening downtown. The third-generation manufacturer adding 40 jobs. The teacher receiving a statewide award. The entrepreneur building an unusual company. The nonprofit quietly helping hundreds of families.

Individually, they are local stories.

Collectively, they are the record of a community.

And in an era when machines increasingly help people discover information, preserving that record may matter more than anyone expected.

To learn more about how organizations can evaluate what leading AI platforms know about them, visit NewsUSA.ai.

In the report, "Looking to the Future: American Priorities for AI in 2026," majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents similarly endorsed survey responses on the need for education and regulation regarding the use of AI. The report was based on a nationally representative survey of more than 3,000 U.S. adults conducted online in June 2026 using Gallup’s U.S. panel.

"The key finding in this year's data is that Republicans, Democrats, and independents want the same things: teach STEM, train workers on the job, put safety and security ahead of speed, and let independent experts test these systems before the public depends on them," said Ylli Bajraktari, president of SCSP. "America's edge in this competition will not come from adoption alone; it will come from a public that has reason to trust what it is adopting,” he said.

Americans’ concerns about the impact of AI on the job market persist, with 70% stating that AI will destroy more jobs than it creates over the next decade, respondents consistently supported the need for AI education. 

Notably, 72% respondents support promoting STEM education as a channel to train workers to use AI in their future jobs, and 66% support creating on-the-job training programs that teach AI skills. However, respondents overall were split on adding AI skills to core K-12 classes such as reading or math, with 45% in support and 44% opposed.

In terms of security, 79% of respondents say the government should maintain safety and data-security rules even if such rules slow AI development, compared to 7% who would prioritize speed. Approximately two-thirds (60%) of respondents agreed that the U.S. government should create AI regulations, and 75% favored testing and evaluation of new AI systems by independent experts before such systems are widely disseminated.

On preparing the workforce, 72% of Americans support promoting STEM education to equip workers with the skills to use AI in their future jobs, and 66% support creating on-the-job training programs that teach workers AI skills. Republicans, Democrats, and independents express similar levels of support for both. Opinions remain split on adding AI skills to core K-12 classes like math or reading, with 45% in support and 44% opposed.

Half of the respondents (51%) say they use AI at least sometimes at work, school, or in their personal lives, up from 39% in 2025. Two in three (68%) describe themselves as knowledgeable about AI, up from 60% last year. The new report also shows increased trust among regular AI users since last year, but increased skepticism among non-users. 

"The public is becoming more experienced with AI while simultaneously becoming more cautious about its economic implications," said Gallup Principal, Justin Lall. "That combination of firsthand use and lingering concern makes workforce preparation more important than ever."

The data suggest room for compromise where attitudes towards AI diverge among parties. Republican respondents were more likely to favor mandatory age requirements, increasing AI in manufacturing, increasing energy production for AI systems, and reducing AI regulation. Democrat respondents were more likely to favor increasing government funding for AI research at colleges and universities. However, a majority of respondents across parties showed similar support for allowing companies and universities to use government resources for AI research. 

Visit scsp.ai to view the full report and learn more. 

The company currently supports eligible residents of 29 US states, subject to identity verification and programme requirements, and says it is targeting expansion to 49 states within six to eight months, subject to applicable approvals and partner readiness.

"We are excited about the states we are open in and have great expectations for the rest. That will not dampen our enthusiasm or our work ethic in growing customer acquisition. The other states will open, and in the meantime we will grow," Imonitie said.

BIX is not a new entrant. The app and its virtual card programme are already operating, and the company describes the current phase as an expansion of an established business rather than an initial launch.

The product combines a self-custody wallet with a Visa card programme. Users hold USDC or USDT across supported combinations of Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Base, Solana and Optimism, and spend against that balance at merchants worldwide. Purchases run through Visa and settle to the merchant in fiat.

Standard membership is free and a virtual Visa card costs $9.99. The company says there are no funding fees, with a 1% FX fee applied to eligible foreign-currency purchases under the US programme. Spending limits are, in BIX's description, flexible and customizable based on the user's deposited collateral, subject to programme requirements.

The business operates as Bix Ltd, registered in the Cayman Islands with operating offices in Dubai. BIX is a finance app rather than a bank, with card issuing and other regulated financial services delivered through third-party institutions under their respective arrangements.

Several additions are in development. BIX Plus, at $119 a year, will bundle access to Visa Signature cards with eligible benefits such as airport lounge access, rental-car insurance and travel discounts, with packages depending on programme and country. Lounge access does not necessarily include complimentary visits.

Plus will also introduce virtual accounts, supporting incoming payments and outgoing fiat transfers connecting stablecoin balances with ACH, SEPA and SWIFT, including details such as IBANs. Physical cards are planned at $99, separate from membership, with a 0.6% BIX ATM withdrawal fee.

The most substantial change in the pipeline is direct wallet-linked spending, under which eligible card purchases will draw against supported wallet balances without a separate top-up. Until that rollout completes, card funding uses a separate smart contract.

Crypto cards have existed for years, but the category has been held back by two problems: volatile assets unsuited to everyday spending, and custody arrangements that required users to hand their assets to a provider. Dollar-pegged stablecoins addressed the first. Self-custody models are an attempt at the second.

Imonitie said it was the simplicity of the product that drew him to the role.

"What made me decide to take this role was very simple. I wanted to be at the forefront of the future of payments. The simplicity that BIX provides was undeniable and exciting for all people, whether you understand crypto or not."

Availability remains the sector's binding constraint. No provider in the category currently offers uniform nationwide US coverage, and expansion timelines depend on approvals and partner institutions rather than on product readiness.

More at bix.fi and on Instagram.

David Imonitie is head of US sales at BIX. Find him on Instagram.

And that is only part of the picture. According to a recent survey from the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, 57% of Hispanic parents say the current immigration policy environment is at least a somewhat concerning factor in their family’s daily life. 14% have kept their child home from school, and 11% have avoided contacting a teacher or a school staff member. When fear begins to influence whether a parent attends a school event, talks to a teacher, or sends a child to class, it becomes an education issue. 

None of this is about which side of the immigration debate a parent is on. It is about what happens when fear enters a decision that used to be simple: whether to walk into your child's school. As a Latina and a mother of two teenagers in a traditional public school myself, I know what our community brings to this country: Latinos drove 28% of all U.S. economic growth last year alone, and our economy, standing on its own, would rank as the fourth largest in the world. I am proud of that. And it pains me to know how many of our children are living in this fear.

As we recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, it is also an important moment to listen to what Hispanic families are telling us about their children’s education and what they need to feel informed and supported.

When we asked parents what would actually help them navigate this moment, the answer that came back most often, ahead of legal help, ahead of mental health support, was strikingly basic. Forty-one% said they simply want clear information about their children's right to a public education, regardless of immigration status; in other words, we just want our children to be educated and to prosper like any other child. 

That right is not a matter of opinion. The Supreme Court settled it more than four decades ago in Plyler v. Doe, ruling that states cannot deny a free public education to a child because of immigration status.  Yet that protection is only meaningful if families know about it. Clear, accessible information can help ensure parents understand the rights their children already have.

That same gap between what families want and what they know shows up again when we look at school choice. 41% of the parents we surveyed said immigration concerns have led them to consider, actively explore, or choose a different kind of school or learning environment for their child in the past year. For many families, these concerns are becoming part of how they think about where and how their child learns.

And while we are talking about Hispanic families, this is not a story about one community, set apart from the rest of the country; it is about our country. Almost three in 10 public school students in the United States are Hispanic today, according to federal education data, and roughly one in four American children under eighteen are Latino, a share that has been growing for years, according to the Census Bureau. Those numbers make one thing clear: Latino children's education is not a side issue. It is part of the future of this country's classrooms, workforce, and communities. 

No child, whatever their family's background, should have to carry a worry bigger than a spelling test or a reading level. Every child deserves a school where they can grow up happy, capable, and free to build the life they choose. 

Schools, districts, and community organizations all have a role to play. That means making sure families understand, in plain language and in the language they speak at home, their child’s right to a public education. It also means helping parents understand the learning options available to them so they can make informed decisions for their children. Resources like Conoce Tus Opciones Escolares can help Spanish-speaking families explore those options and find information in their own language.

A parent who knows what learning options are available to her child can make a confident, informed choice for that child's future. That is not a partisan ask. It is simply what every family in this country deserves.

Krissia Campos Spivey is the senior director of Conoce tus Opciones Escolares, a National School Choice Awareness Foundation project that helps U.S. families who speak Spanish explore their K-12 education options and choose a great school for their children. Krissia is Salvadoran-American and lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Artificial intelligence is beginning to change that formula.

Millions of people are increasingly turning to AI platforms to research products, services and companies. Instead of simply typing keywords into a search engine and sorting through pages of links, consumers can ask conversational questions such as, “What are the best companies for this service?” or “Which businesses should I consider?”

That shift creates a new challenge for companies large and small: What information will artificial intelligence find about your organization when someone asks?

Your Website Is Only Part of Your Reputation

A company's own website remains important. But businesses naturally control what appears there.

The broader Internet tells a different story.

News articles, interviews, independent websites and other third-party sources can help establish a company's digital footprint beyond its own marketing materials.

“Companies have traditionally concentrated on what Google sees when someone searches for them,” said Rick Smith, founder of News USA, a national content syndication company established in 1987. “Now they also have to think about what AI systems find when someone asks about their company, their competitors or their entire industry.”

That doesn't mean abandoning traditional marketing. It means recognizing that being visible in credible places outside your own website has become increasingly important.

Local Media Still Plays an Important Role

The change may actually increase the value of local and regional news organizations.

Local newspapers and news websites have spent decades reporting on the businesses, professionals and organizations serving their communities. Their content helps create a public record that extends well beyond a company's own advertising.

For a local business, an informative article appearing on a credible news site can reach potential customers while also adding another independent source of information about the company and the subject it serves.

The most useful stories aren't advertisements disguised as news. They answer questions readers actually have.

A financial adviser might explain common retirement mistakes. A home-services company might offer advice about preparing a house for winter. A technology company could explain a new trend affecting small businesses. A healthcare organization might educate families about preventive care.

The company becomes part of the story by providing useful expertise rather than simply promoting itself.

From Search Visibility to AI Visibility

News USA has distributed consumer-oriented feature stories to newspapers and digital news outlets for nearly four decades. Its current network provides guaranteed placement across more than 2,500 news sites nationwide, reaching a cumulative audience of more than 170 million monthly readers. NewsUSA

The company is now applying that experience to another question: How visible and authoritative is a company when consumers use artificial intelligence to research its market?

Through its AI Authority Audit, News USA examines how major AI platforms—including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok—describe a company, which competitors appear, and what sources are being cited. NewsUSA.ai

Businesses can learn more and request an audit at:

NewsUSA.ai

There is no guarantee that publishing an article will cause an AI platform to cite or recommend a particular company. AI systems are constantly changing, and many different factors influence their responses.

But the underlying principle is straightforward.

If consumers—and the technology assisting them—are looking across the Internet for credible information, businesses have another reason to make sure useful, accurate information about their expertise exists beyond their own websites.

After decades in which companies competed to rank higher on a page of search results, the next competition may be different:

When someone asks AI a question about the problem your business solves, will your company be part of the answer?

When Utopai Studios launched in August 2025, generative AI's role in entertainment was still largely defined by individual clips, technical demonstrations and short-form experiments. The company entered the market with a far more ambitious proposition: to build an entire film and television studio for the AI era.

That rapid growth did not come from treating AI as the finished product. Utopai Studios has built its model around the infrastructure required to develop, finance, produce and distribute long-form entertainment, combining filmmakers, artists and established production practices with technology designed to help bring ambitious stories to the screen.

AI-native, in the Utopai Studios model, does not mean turning creative decisions over to technology. It means AI is integrated into the studio's production infrastructure from the beginning, allowing filmmakers and artists to determine where it can be useful while retaining control over story, style, performance and final creative decisions.

A Studio Built for Long-Form Storytelling

Utopai Studios develops, finances, produces and distributes movies and television series, including original productions and international co-productions. Led by CEO and co-founder Cecilia Shen and co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Jie Yang, the company combines creative talent, production expertise and global distribution with technology developed for the demands of sustained storytelling.

At the center of that production strategy is PAI, Utopai Studios' cinematic storytelling system. Depending on the needs of a project, PAI can support visual development, scene planning, continuity, video generation, editing and localization. It is designed to work alongside established filmmaking tools and traditional creative methods, not as a substitute for them.

The distinction matters. Much of generative AI's first wave in entertainment was defined by individual clips, technical demonstrations and short-form experiments. Utopai Studios is focused on the more difficult challenge of carrying characters, worlds and creative intent across complete films and television series, then bringing those projects to audiences across theatrical, broadcast, streaming and digital platforms.

A Global Production Network

Utopai Studios is developing more than 18 original projects in Asia. In April, the company announced a partnership with Huace, which owns one of the world's largest television IP libraries. The work is intended to support long-form storytelling, content development, creative iteration, and global localization, and includes the companies' animated series "Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years."

Three Films and Two Series in 2027

Utopai Studios' 2027 lineup includes three feature films, "Half Moon," "Cortés" and "The Most Serious Fart," along with the series "Space Nation" and "Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years." Together, the five projects demonstrate that AI-native production is not a single visual style or production formula.

Half Moon

"Half Moon" shows how Utopai Studios can use AI selectively within a live-action production. Written and directed by Hyo-joo Yang, the feature is presented by Utopai Studios, Germany's In Good Company and Korea's Paper Barn Studios. Principal photography began in Germany in August 2026, with PAI supporting select visual elements while the film remains grounded in live-action performances, director-led storytelling and traditional cinematic craft.

The film follows Yeri, a young girl neglected at home, and her aunt Ah-Jin, who lives in self-imposed exile and works as a caregiver while carrying the physical and psychological wounds of her past. During a fractured summer on a remote island in the North Sea, the estranged family members begin to understand and respect one another. The story explores loneliness, family trauma, belonging and emotional repair.

Cortés

Utopai Studios is especially enthusiastic about one of its first announced projects: “Cortés.” Set in 1519, the historical epic follows Hernán Cortés during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.

“Cortés” is a Marco Weber Production for Utopai Studios and is written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Kazan and directed by Paul Mignot. It is a Paris-based production with shooting planned for September in Spain. “Cortés” is scheduled for a wide theatrical release in 2027.

The project represents a decades-long effort to bring an unusually large and expensive historical story to life. Utopai Studios will use AI-enabled production tools to help overcome the scale and cost limitations that previously kept the project from the screen, while keeping the filmmakers in control of the creative process.

The Most Serious Fart

Scheduled for wide theatrical release in 2027, "The Most Serious Fart" is based on the 2023 children's book by Mike Bender, the screenwriter behind "Not Another Teen Movie," and illustrator Chuck Dillon. Bender will write and direct the animated feature, with Russell Hollander producing.

The story follows Siegfried, an unusually serious fart who wants to change society's perception of flatulence while searching for a sense of belonging. Beneath the irreverent premise is a story about identity, acceptance and finding one's place in the world. Traditional filmmaking craft and artists remain central, from production design and storyboarding through animation, with AI used as part of the human-led creative process.

Space Nation

“Space Nation,” an eight-episode sci-fi series being produced by Ex Machina Studios, is one of the first AI productions to be picked up by a traditional buyer, including Brazil’s Globoplay. Set in the near future, the story follows a new generation of elite pilots as they defend Earth against an alien threat.

Marco Weber, CEO of Ex Machina Studios, co-created the series with Martin Weisz, who is directing all eight episodes. Vanessa Coifman and Weisz wrote the series, with Weber and Coifman executive producing. The series is being co-produced by Utopai Studios and Globoplay.

Principal production is already underway and is expected to take place in alignment with Hollywood guilds. “Space Nation” is part of Ex Machina Studios’ broader partnership with K5 International, which is handling worldwide distribution.

Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years

Developed with Huace, "Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years" takes a more fully AI-generated approach to animation. Inspired by the classic Chinese novel, the series reimagines the untold history of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and explores why the rebellious warrior and immortal force of nature would ultimately become the protector of a monk he had never met.

The project is being produced for broadcast, streaming and digital distribution, with the potential for a theatrical version. Utopai Studios controls the rights outside China, creating a path for the story to reach global audiences.

One Studio, Multiple Production Models

Across the slate, Utopai Studios is making a broader point: AI-native storytelling does not require every project to be made the same way. On "Half Moon," AI supports selected visual elements inside a live-action workflow. On "Cortés," it is intended to help filmmakers realize the scale of a historical epic. "The Most Serious Fart" pairs AI with traditional animation disciplines, while "Journey to the West" uses a more fully AI-generated animation pipeline.

Utopai Studios has also extended its entertainment ecosystem through sports and creator partnerships. Basketball star Carmelo Anthony invested through Creative 7 Productions and became a strategic partner, while James Harden collaborated with Utopai Studios on an animated short inspired by his famous beard. Those relationships connect the studio's technology with intellectual property, talent and new production opportunities.

The 2027 slate will be the company's most important proof point. At a moment when the conversation around generative AI has been dominated by what the technology might eventually do, Utopai Studios is betting that the next phase will be defined by finished films and television series: human-led, built for audiences and ambitious enough to stand on their own as entertainment.

Whether someone is comparing investment firms, researching retirement strategies, evaluating insurance products or investigating a financial technology company, the traditional online search is increasingly being supplemented by a simple question posed to an AI platform.

That creates a new challenge for companies in financial services: What will AI find when consumers ask about you?

For years, financial companies have invested heavily in their websites, search-engine optimization and digital advertising. Those channels remain important, but AI-driven discovery introduces another consideration—the amount and quality of credible information about a company that exists beyond its own website.

That distinction can be particularly important in financial services, where trust plays such a significant role in consumer decisions.

"Companies naturally spend a great deal of time making sure their own websites explain who they are and what they do," says Rick Smith, founder of News USA, a media syndication company that has worked with more than 32,000 organizations during nearly four decades in business. "But consumers—and increasingly the technologies helping consumers conduct research—have an entire Internet available to them."

That is putting renewed emphasis on third-party media visibility.

Articles appearing on independent news and information websites can create a broader digital record of a company's expertise, products, executives and perspective. For financial organizations, that might include educational information about retirement planning, investing, insurance, credit, mortgages, taxes or other issues consumers are actively researching.

The objective is not simply to promote a company.

Useful financial content can answer questions consumers are already asking while establishing clearer connections between an organization and the subjects in which it has expertise.

AI adds another dimension to that strategy.

Businesses are beginning to examine how they appear when common customer questions are asked across major AI platforms. They can then compare those results with competitors and identify areas where their organizations have little or no visibility.

For example, a wealth-management firm might discover that competitors consistently appear when consumers ask about retirement income strategies. A mortgage company could find that competing brands are associated with questions about first-time home buying. A financial technology company might find competitors appearing prominently in discussions of a product category it considers central to its business.

Those gaps can provide a roadmap for future content and media activity.

News USA distributes editorial-style content through U.S. news and information websites, creating third-party exposure beyond a client's own digital properties. Smith believes the growing use of AI makes that broader information footprint increasingly worth examining.

No company can guarantee that an AI platform will mention, cite or recommend a particular organization. AI systems and the sources they rely upon are continually changing.

But the underlying principle is familiar to anyone in financial communications: credibility is stronger when it doesn't come exclusively from the company making the claim.

That may ultimately be one of AI's more significant effects on financial marketing.

Companies will still need strong websites, good products and traditional search visibility. But they may increasingly have to think about a broader question as well:

When an investor or consumer asks AI about the financial problem your company solves, does your organization become part of the answer?

You can get your company's own free report that shows where you and your top 3 competitors compare at newsusa.ai 

A diagnosis of SCLC can trigger a whirlwind of appointments, tests, and decisions. But amid all that noise, there is one question patients should ask their doctor as early as possible:

“Is there a clinical trial that might be right for me?”

Many patients may associate that question with running out of treatment options. But according to Dr. Ashish Saxena, Chief of Thoracic Medical Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine, that’s not always the case.

Some clinical trials are available only before treatment begins, while others are studying promising therapies as a first treatment. For someone facing a fast-moving cancer like SCLC, timing is everything.

“There are a lot of changes going on in the landscape today, more than we've seen for a very long time. Emerging treatments now involve immunotherapy, where your immune system attacks small cell lung cancer. Studies are also exploring antibody-drug conjugates, antibodies that target specific proteins in small cell cancer and deliver chemotherapy with them, rather than free-flowing chemotherapy in your bloodstream. And we’re learning more about the biology of small cell lung cancer and how certain patients may react better to certain drugs. So, all of these things should give patients a lot of hope when they are diagnosed with small cell lung cancer,” says Dr. Saxena.

Why Clinical Trials Matter

For years, people with SCLC had few treatment options. Now, research is expanding what may be possible, from new treatment approaches to a better understanding of distinct types of SCLC that could lead to more personalized care.

For patients, that progress means something especially important: hope.

Living Better, Not Just Longer

The research happening in clinical trials isn’t focused only on extending life. Researchers are also paying closer attention to how patients feel while they are living it.

Along with tracking whether a tumor shrinks or how long a treatment keeps cancer from growing, clinical trials increasingly look at how treatment affects everyday life, including fatigue, breathing problems, pain, and emotional well-being.

“The goal is to have meaningful time, not just more time,” says Dr. Saxena.

These patient-reported outcomes can also provide clues about whether a treatment is working before the next scan. A cough may improve. Breathing may become easier. Energy may return.

Your Voice Is Part of Your Treatment

Patients can play another important role in their care: Speak up.

Reporting side effects and changes in how you feel can help doctors adjust medications or dosages and better manage symptoms, helping patients maintain their quality of life and potentially stay on treatment longer.

In clinical trials, that feedback also helps researchers understand how a therapy affects a person’s daily life, not just what appears on a scan.

For Wendy Brooks, who is living with small cell lung cancer and is a member of the LCFA's Voices of Hope Speakers Bureau, the pace of change is encouraging.

“I'm more hopeful today than I have ever been,” says Brooks.

For people facing SCLC, the message is simple: Don’t wait to ask about clinical trials. Ask early. Ask before treatment begins. And keep asking as your treatment journey continues.

That one question: “Is there a clinical trial that might be right for me?” could open a door you didn’t know was there.

Learn MoreTo hear the full conversation between Wendy Brooks and Dr. Ashish Saxena on the Hope With Answers podcast and learn more about small cell lung cancer research, clinical trials, and treatment, visit LCFAmerica.org.

About LCFALung Cancer Foundation of America (LCFA) is dedicated to dramatically improving survival rates and quality of life for people diagnosed with lung cancer. Through funding innovative research, amplifying patient stories, and raising awareness, LCFA brings hope to the millions impacted by the world’s deadliest cancer. Learn more at LCFAmerica.org. 

Helping turn that mission into reality is Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company. Scholastic has served as a valued partner of the Toys for Tots Literacy Program since 1998 and has helped provide books to millions of students, teachers, and families nationwide.

Together, the organizations are giving children more than stories to read. They are opening doors to imagination, building confidence in young readers, and creating opportunities that can last a lifetime.

One of the most impactful examples of this partnership can be seen in its support of Title I funded schools.Through collaborative efforts between the Toys for Tots Literacy Program and Scholastic, 146 Title I funded schools have received book donations so far in 2026, resulting in the distribution of 79,070 books to students and classrooms. For many children, these books represent far more than stories on a page. They provide opportunities to explore new worlds, strengthen reading skills, and develop a love of learning that can influence the trajectory of their education and future success.

Scholastic’s support has also enabled the Toys for Tots Literacy Program to partner with the Kids In Need Foundation. This year, the effort has supported 3,800 teachers in Portland, Oregon; Dayton, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Wichita, Kansas; and Little Canada, Minnesota. By providing 4,021 educational resources, including 2,100 books and 1,921 teacher supplies, the organizations are helping educators create engaging learning environments where students can thrive. These resources empower teachers to focus on what matters most: inspiring a love of reading and helping every child reach their potential.

The Toys for Tots Literacy Program and Scholastic have also supported projects designed to meet unique community needs. At Atlantic Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida, the organizations provided 250 books to students, expanding access to educational resources and supporting academic achievement. In Tucson, Arizona, 210 books were distributed through a partnership with the Tucson Police Department, demonstrating how literacy can strengthen community connections and bring people together around a shared commitment to helping children succeed.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to discover the power of a book, and our partnership with Scholastic is helping make that possible for thousands of children across the Nation,” said Lieutenant General Jim Laster, U.S. Marines (Retired), President and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. “When a child turns the page of a book, they also turn the page toward new possibilities in life.”

The continued success of these initiatives and the partnership between the Toys for Tots Literacy Program and Scholastic are testaments to what can be achieved when organizations unite around a common purpose. Together, they are helping disadvantaged children across America Turn the Page Toward Opportunity, one book, one child, and one future at a time.

To learn more about the Toys for Tots Literacy Program or to donate, visit https://www.toysfortots.org/programs/literacy-program.

The “flu,” short for influenza, is a viral respiratory illness that often spreads in the fall and winter months, according to physician Matthew Heller, D.O., an associate professor of family medicine at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, February is historically the peak month for flu activity.

To reduce the chances of contracting the flu, Heller recommends getting a flu shot, adding that anyone over the age of 6 months old should be vaccinated annually. 

“Always talk to your physician about potential exceptions and find out whether the flu vaccine is appropriate for you,” Heller counseled.

The vaccine works by developing antibodies that provide protection against the flu-causing virus, Heller noted. A vaccinated person who caught the flu would experience less severe symptoms and potential complications. Even during flu seasons when the vaccine is less effective due to virus mutations, vaccination protects against hospitalizations and deaths and reduces the risk for influenza-associated outpatient healthcare visits across all age groups. Importantly, he emphasized that the way flu vaccines are developed makes them unable to cause the illness itself.

It is crucial to be proactive about getting vaccinated, as it takes about two weeks for the body to subsequently build full protection against the virus, Heller stated.

Flu symptoms can include fever, chills, body aches, cough, headache, and fatigue, Heller said. People don’t typically become symptomatic until a few days after exposure to the flu virus and will become contagious during this time. Symptoms may last for about a week.

Heller explained that while most who suspect they have the flu can recover at home with plenty of rest and fluids, those in high-risk groups for developing complications—including adults 65 and older, young children, pregnant women, and those with chronic health conditions—should contact a physician. 

Besides getting an annual vaccination, Heller noted other ways people can protect themselves from the flu virus. Frequent hand washing, using hand sanitizer, sanitizing high-traffic surfaces, avoiding face touching and large crowds, and sneezing into a tissue or elbow are also preventative steps.

As a physician, Heller emphasized the importance of remaining educated about the impact of the current flu season: “The flu spreads easily from person to person,” he said. “Remember that getting the flu vaccine will not only protect you but will also protect all those around you. By setting the example, others will follow.”

Heller is one of many New York Tech faculty lending their expertise to help tackle real-world challenges. Visit nyit.edu to learn more. 

“You just have no clue what’s happening to you,” Todd recalls. “So, you’re confused, you’re scared.”

Atrial fibrillation, commonly called AFib, is an irregular heart rhythm that occurs when the heart’s upper chambers beat out of rhythm. It impacts more than 10 million U.S. adults and can increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications.1 For Todd, receiving the diagnosis brought a new level of uncertainty as he tried to understand what AFib meant for his health and daily life. 

Over the next several years, Todd tried medication, cardioversion (a procedure intended to restore a regular heartbeat), and lifestyle changes, including adjustments to his diet and sleep schedule. Despite these efforts, his AFib remained unpredictable and disruptive. During episodes, he often felt weak and short of breath and struggled with everyday activities – even short walks with his four golden retrievers. Some of Todd’s AFib episodes would last continuously for weeks or even months at a time.

Throughout those years of uncertainty, Todd’s wife was a constant source of support. She stood beside him through the uncertainty of his AFib episodes, doctor visits, cardioversions, procedures, and recovery—caring for him through the difficult days while continually encouraging him to keep looking for answers.

“My wife was there for me through all of it,” Todd says. “When I was scared, frustrated, or just didn’t feel like myself, she was the person beside me every day.”

While cardioversions and medication helped lessen some of the symptoms, his AFib remained elusive. His doctors used in-office electrocardiograms (EKGs) and prescribed externally worn, temporary Holter monitors. These external cardiac monitoring solutions were prescribed for short durations, often less than 30 days at a time, and were often not able to record his unpredictable AFib episodes. The uncertainty remained.

“The AFib diagnosis is not necessarily the hardest part,” Todd says. “It’s the day-to-day uncertainty that comes with not knowing how to track what’s happening.” 

Determined to better understand and manage his condition, Todd began doing his own research, leaning on his son along the way. 

“He was a reassuring best friend all the way through it,” Todd says. “He helped me better understand the technologies that were available and pointed me toward information I could research and discuss with my doctors. Having someone I trusted who understood the medical device field gave me both knowledge and reassurance throughout the journey.”

After discussing options with his care team, Todd’s cardiologist recommended the Medtronic LINQ II™ insertable cardiac monitor (ICM). Placed just under the skin, the small device (about 1/3 the size of an AAA battery) continuously monitors the heart and transmits abnormal heart rhythm information to a patient’s care team.

The outpatient procedure took only a few minutes. Afterward, he downloaded the MyCareLink Heart™ mobile app, which allowed him to record symptoms on his cell phone when he felt dizzy, weak, or out of rhythm. 

“The app was easy to use and gave me peace of mind knowing I had a way to capture what I was feeling when it happened,” Todd says.

For the first time, Todd no longer had to hope an episode would occur during a scheduled test. When he felt symptoms, he could record them in the app, and his care team could compare what he felt with the heart rhythm information collected by the device. 

For several months, the ICM recorded episodes of AFib and other abnormal heart rates, providing Todd’s care team with additional diagnostic information to help inform a more targeted treatment strategy. Doctors recommended Todd would be a strong candidate for a type of cardiac ablation procedure called pulsed field ablation (PFA) using the Medtronic Affera™ mapping and ablation system and the Sphere-9™ catheter. The all-in-one dual-energy catheter uses both short electrical pulses and radiofrequency energy to target heart tissue responsible for the abnormal electrical signals that cause AFib.

More than a year after his ablation procedure, Todd is AFib-free, and his LINQ II ICM continues to monitor. Not only does Todd feel better, but the continued monitoring also provides reassurance that his AFib is under control while giving his care team a consistent view of his heart rhythm activity.

Today, Todd is enjoying life with his family and spends far less time worrying about his AFib. He exercises, participates more fully in family activities, and spends plenty of time walking and caring for their golden retrievers. He no longer organizes his entire day around trying to prevent a possible AFib trigger. 

Looking back, Todd credits the strength of his family with helping him navigate the years of uncertainty that came with AFib. His wife provided the constant love and care that carried him through the most difficult periods, while his son empowered him to ask questions, better understand the available technologies, and have more informed conversations with his healthcare team. For Todd, their support reinforced how important a strong support system can be when facing a long and uncertain health journey.

“Getting the LINQ II ICM and the ablation with the Affera system were the best health decisions I’ve ever made in my life,” Todd says. 

If you have AFib or are experiencing symptoms of an irregular heart rhythm, such as dizziness, shortness of breath, fluttering, racing, or pounding feeling in the chest, talk to your doctor about diagnosis and treatment options. This is one patient’s experience; results may vary. Learn more about atrial fibrillation and available treatment options. 

Possible risks associated with the implant of the LINQ™ Family ICMs include, but are not limited to, infection at the surgical site, device migration, erosion of the device through the skin and/or sensitivity to the device material. For important safety information, see: https://www.medtronic.com/us-en/patients/treatments-therapies/insertable-heart-monitors/getting-monitor/important-safety-information.html.

Possible risks associated with Sphere-9 may include stroke, pericardial tamponade, narrowing of pulmonary veins, damage to the blood vessels in your groin area, and a serious but extremely rare risk of atrio-esophageal fistula. Other risks include irritation, infection, or bleeding occurring where the catheter was inserted; the heart could be punctured; fluid may build up around the heart, or in rare cases death may occur. Please talk to your doctor to see if this treatment is right for you. For important safety information, see:  https://www.medtronic.com/en-us/l/patients/treatments-therapies/catheter-ablation-for-atrial-fibrillation.html#benefits-of-pulsed-field-ablation

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  https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2024/atrial-fibrillation-estimated-affect-about-1-22-americans 

“E15 can deliver better performance and bigger savings every time consumers fill up their tanks,” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “It’s approved for more than 96% of cars on the road — all passenger cars and light-duty trucks model year 2001 or later — so making the switch has never been easier. And with fuel prices at a four-year high, E15 can save drivers money and shield them from global market volatility.”

Also marketed as Unleaded 88 (UNL88), in recognition of the octane boost offered by ethanol, E15 is already offered by dozens of major retail chains. Drivers’ access to the fuel option has expanded rapidly since 2019, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented a series of regulatory and short-term measures to keep E15 available even during periods when seasonal regulations would otherwise restrict its sale.

Those measures have helped keep E15 available in recent summers, but Congress now has an opportunity to give drivers and fuel retailers more certainty by making year-round access to E15 permanent nationwide.

Bipartisan legislation that passed the House this May would update decades-old rules that limit when some gas stations can sell E15, aligning regulations with evidence that the higher-ethanol blend can reduce ground-level ozone formation, particulate emissions, and other air pollutants. Similar legislation is now awaiting action in the Senate.

“Permanent year-round E15 can help raise income in rural communities, strengthen American energy security, and deliver lower prices at the pump at a time when Americans need it most,” said Skor. “It’s not a mandate or a requirement — it simply gives our retail partners the freedom to offer another option to cash-strapped motorists.”

Drivers can find nearby stations selling E15 and other higher ethanol blends using Growth Energy’s Fuel Finder tool, available at GetBiofuel.com.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing that equation.

Millions of consumers are increasingly asking platforms such as ChatGPT, Google’s AI tools, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity for recommendations and answers instead of simply typing keywords into a traditional search box. For businesses, that raises a new question: What information will AI systems find when they try to understand a company, product or organization?

It is a question that News USA has been thinking about from an unusual vantage point.

Founded nearly four decades ago, News USA built its business around content syndication—the distribution of editorial-style articles through a large network of news and information publishers. The company has worked with more than 32,000 organizations over its history, helping companies and nonprofits place informative content in media outlets around the country.

Today, that established distribution infrastructure is finding a new role.

“Companies used to think primarily about whether people could find them on Google,” said Rick Smith, founder and CEO of News USA. “Now they also have to think about what artificial intelligence knows about them, where that information comes from and whether their competitors are more visible.”

News USA can distribute a single editorial article across thousands of news and information websites, creating a broad digital footprint rather than relying on a single media placement.

That distinction could become increasingly significant in an AI-driven information environment.

AI platforms evaluate enormous amounts of information published across the web when generating answers. While no company can guarantee what an AI system will say or cite, having accurate, useful information about an organization appearing across independent third-party websites can expand the body of information available online about that organization.

News USA is now combining its traditional syndication capabilities with a growing focus on AI visibility—examining how brands appear in AI-generated answers and how third-party media coverage may contribute to their broader digital authority.

The change reflects a larger transformation underway throughout marketing and public relations.

Traditional publicity is no longer simply about getting an article published. Companies increasingly need to consider how information travels from publishers to search engines and ultimately into AI-powered discovery tools.

For Smith, the technology may be changing, but the underlying principle has not.

“Whether someone is reading a newspaper, searching Google or asking an AI assistant,” he said, “credible third-party information still matters. Our job is to help organizations get their stories into places where people—and increasingly machines—can discover them.”

After nearly 40 years of syndicating stories, that may give an old communications model a surprisingly important role in the newest generation of information technology.