Equity Insider News Commentary

WOODS CROSS, Utah, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The global market for refined petroleum products is valued at approximately $3.25 trillion in 2026 and is projected to reach roughly $3.89 trillion by 2030, a compound annual growth rate of about 4.6%, according to The Business Research Company. The firm points to demand for low-sulfur fuels, refinery modernization investment and petrochemical integration as drivers over the forecast period. In the American West, however, the more pressing question is not global demand. It is where the barrels will come from as refining capacity inside the region shrinks. Active Companies from around the markets with current developments this week include: Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYQ), Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO), Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC), PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE: PBF), HF Sinclair Corporation (NYSE: DINO).

Mordor Intelligence, which sizes the oil refining market on a capacity basis rather than on product value, estimates the market at approximately $64.44 billion in 2026, rising to about $75.08 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of roughly 3.11%. The two firms measure different things, but both point the same way: steady demand for refined fuels, served by a refining base that is being modernized in some regions and retired in others.

The West Coast sits firmly in the second category. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has noted that the Phillips 66 refinery in Los Angeles and Valero's Benicia refinery together accounted for about 17% of California's refinery capacity and 11% of West Coast (PADD 5) capacity. Phillips 66 ended refining at its Los Angeles plant in late 2025, and Valero moved to wind down refining at Benicia in early 2026, removing a meaningful share of in-region supply in less than a year.

The effects do not stop at the California border. California refineries have historically supplied the large majority of Nevada's motor fuel, with reporting by The Center Square putting that share at approximately 86%. Nevada has no refining hub of its own on the scale of its neighbors, and fuel moving into the state depends heavily on pipeline and truck links running out of California and the Rockies.

State policymakers have taken notice. Governor Joe Lombardo's office has stated that Nevada relies entirely on imported transportation fuels, primarily from California, and the Governor moved in October 2025 to create a fuel resiliency body under the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security. The resulting Fuel Resiliency Committee was approved in December 2025 and held its first meeting in January 2026, with industry participants that include HF Sinclair, Marathon Petroleum and PBF Energy. At the same time, U.S. refiners have reported sharply higher second-quarter earnings on stronger margins, which puts a premium on any refining capacity positioned close to underserved demand.

Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYQ) Restarts Nevada's Only Crude Oil Refinery

Received an air permit from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.

Restarted operations at the Eagle Springs Refinery near Ely, Nevada, the state's only crude oil refinery.

Completed approximately $300,000 in repairs and upgrades identified through a TAR360 assessment commissioned in 2025.

Stated nameplate capacity of approximately 5,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Approximately 15,000 barrels of crude oil inventory on hand, with additional supply expected as operations progress.

Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYQ), an energy infrastructure company focused on domestic refining and resource development, has announced that it received an air permit from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and has restarted operations at its Eagle Springs Refinery near Ely, Nevada. The refinery is operated by the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Foreland Refining Corporation, and is Nevada's only crude oil refinery.

In preparation for the restart, Sky Quarry completed approximately $300,000 in repairs and upgrades identified through a TAR360 assessment commissioned in 2025. Eagle Springs has a stated nameplate capacity of approximately 5,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The Company reported approximately 15,000 barrels of crude oil inventory on hand and said it expects additional supply as operations progress. With the restart complete, the focus now shifts to ramping the refinery toward its full operating potential.

"Receiving this permit and restarting Nevada's only crude oil refinery is a major step for Sky Quarry," said Marcus Laun, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Sky Quarry. "Nevada has relied on fuel refined elsewhere for too long. Our job now is to ramp Eagle Springs toward its full operating potential and make Nevada-refined products a more meaningful part of the region's supply."

Sky Quarry presented at a Nevada Fuel Resiliency Committee meeting earlier in 2026 and said it intends to remain engaged as the state considers fuel supply and infrastructure initiatives.

The Company also supports previously announced, proposed initiatives to expand oil exploration and production in Nevada. It cites a U.S. Geological Survey estimate that federal lands in Nevada contain approximately 1.4 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil resources, and says that if more Nevada crude comes to market, Eagle Springs could refine suitable barrels in-state and grow alongside the state's oil industry.

Separately, Sky Quarry continues discussions regarding its previously announced farm-in opportunity at PR Spring and potential collaboration involving its 7-megawatt power generation capacity, and expects to provide updates as those discussions progress.

Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYQ) is an energy infrastructure company focused on domestic refining and resource development. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Foreland Refining Corporation, the Company operates the Eagle Springs Refinery near Ely, Nevada, which the Company says produces diesel, vacuum gas oil, naphtha and liquid paving asphalt. Sky Quarry is also developing its PR Spring facility in Utah to recover hydrocarbons and other marketable materials from waste asphalt shingles and oil-bearing resources.

There are several risks associated with the Company's plans. The refinery has only just restarted, and ramping toward nameplate capacity is an objective rather than a demonstrated rate; there can be no assurance that operations will be sustained or reach full capacity. Operations depend on securing adequate crude oil feedstock at competitive prices, and results will be affected by crude and refined product prices, refining margins, equipment reliability and regulatory compliance. The proposed Nevada exploration and production initiatives are not Sky Quarry projects with committed capital, and the U.S. Geological Survey figure is an estimate of undiscovered resources on federal lands, not a resource held by Sky Quarry. Sky Quarry is a small-capitalization company that competes with far larger refiners and suppliers, will need adequate liquidity to support operations, and its shares may be volatile. Readers should review the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and the forward-looking statements in the Company's releases before making any decision.

CONTINUED... Read this and more news for Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYQ) at: https://equity-insider.com/

In other industry developments and happenings in the market this week include:

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO), one of the largest independent refiners in the U.S. and the operator of the Benicia refinery referenced in the EIA's West Coast capacity analysis, recently reported second-quarter 2026 net income attributable to Valero stockholders of $3.7 billion, or $12.62 per share, compared to $714 million, or $2.28 per share, for the second quarter of 2025. The Refining segment reported operating income of $4.5 billion, up from $1.3 billion a year earlier.

"We are pleased to report a strong second quarter, driven by excellent operations and commercial execution across all three of our business segments," said Lane Riggs, Valero's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. Valero reported stockholder cash returns of $2.6 billion for the quarter, declared a regular quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share on July 16, 2026, and said its St. Charles FCC Unit optimization project is still expected to be completed and begin operations in the third quarter of 2026.

Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC), which operates the nation's largest refining system, recently reported second-quarter 2026 net income attributable to MPC of $5.1 billion, or $17.73 per diluted share, compared with $1.2 billion, or $3.96 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $8.5 billion, compared with $3.3 billion a year earlier.

The company said yield-enhancing investments at its El Paso and Robinson refineries came online during the quarter, and that it returned $2.8 billion of capital to shareholders. MPC also said MPLX's natural gas and NGL growth strategy is expected to support 12.5% annual distribution growth in 2026 and 2027. "The completion of two high-return, yield-enhancing refining investments further position us to deliver incremental value," said Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Maryann Mannen.

PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE: PBF), whose refining system includes the Martinez refinery in California, recently announced second-quarter 2026 income from operations of $1,272.1 million, compared with $43.0 million for the second quarter of 2025. Net income attributable to PBF Energy Inc. was $906.4 million, or $7.54 per share, and the company reported that it reduced gross debt by more than $1 billion during the quarter.

The company said the Martinez refinery returned to full operations in May 2026 following repairs related to the February 2025 fire.

"Shale's Golden Years, Part II: The Cost of Aging" finds U.S. oil reserve replacement continuing to weaken despite significant efficiency gains, while natural gas resources remain abundant

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimmeridge, an alternative asset manager focused on the energy sector, today published "Shale's Golden Years, Part II: The Cost of Aging," a new white paper examining the growing divergence between the outlook for U.S. oil and natural gas.

The paper follows Kimmeridge's 2024 publication, "Shale's Golden Years", which argued that consolidation could help offset an aging shale resource base through greater scale, lower corporate costs and more efficient development. Two years on, Kimmeridge's analysis finds that while the industry has delivered much of the initial playbook, underlying capital efficiency has continued to deteriorate.

Ben Dell, Kimmeridge Co-Founder and Managing Partner, said: "The shale industry has become exceptionally good at developing the resource it already has, but efficiency can only take you so far. Oil is becoming harder to replace while gas remains abundant, and that divergence should increasingly shape capital allocation. For oil, that means rebuilding exploration capabilities. For gas, it means moving further downstream to capture value beyond the wellhead. And across both, consolidation remains important to improve development economics through greater scale."

The paper is the latest in Kimmeridge's longstanding series of proprietary research examining the evolving economics of the U.S. energy sector and its implications for companies and investors.

Key findings from the white paper:

- Oil reserves are not being fully replaced: The industry is currently adding approximately 95 barrels of proved developed oil reserves for every 100 barrels produced, while gas reserve replacement remains above 120%.

- Capital efficiency has weakened despite better execution: The industry's three-year value-weighted recycle ratio fell from 184% in 2019 to 167% in 2025, despite higher revenue per barrel of oil equivalent (boe) and improvements to corporate costs and drilling efficiency.

- Oil-weighted producers are becoming gassier: In 2025, reserve additions for oil-weighted companies were only 41% oil, versus approximately 50% of current production.

- Efficiency gains have bought time, but cannot create new resource: Since 2018, SG&A per boe has fallen approximately 48%, interest expense 46% and exploration expense 71%, while drilling and completion efficiency has improved materially.

About Kimmeridge

Founded in 2012 by Ben Dell, Dr. Neil McMahon and Henry Makansi, Kimmeridge is an alternative asset manager focused on the energy sector. The firm is differentiated by its direct investment approach, deep technical knowledge, active portfolio management, proprietary research, and data gathering.

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Gastops and Vestas Renew Agreement for MetalSCAN Oil Debris Monitoring Technology

HAMBURG, Germany, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gastops, a global leader in intelligent condition monitoring solutions, today announced the renewal of its long-term supply agreement with Vestas Wind Systems A/S, one of the world's leading wind turbine manufacturers.

Announced today at WindEnergy Hamburg 2026, the new long-term agreement will see Gastops continue supplying its MetalSCAN oil debris monitoring technology for use across Vestas' turbine platforms.

The agreement extends a successful collaboration between the two companies and reinforces MetalSCAN's role in supporting turbine reliability, condition monitoring, and predictive maintenance initiatives across the wind energy sector.

MetalSCAN is an online oil debris monitoring technology that provides real-time insight into machinery health by detecting and monitoring metallic wear within lubricated systems. The technology helps operators identify developing issues earlier, supports condition-based maintenance strategies, and reduces the risk of unplanned downtime.

Beginning January 1, 2027, Gastops will continue supplying MetalSCAN technology to support equipment health monitoring across Vestas' turbine platforms.

"The wind industry continues to focus on reliability, performance, and maximizing the value of existing assets," said Dirk Kusters, Business Development Manager at Gastops. "We are proud to continue our relationship with Vestas and support operators with technologies that provide earlier insight into equipment condition and more informed maintenance decision-making."

"This agreement reflects the confidence Vestas has placed in MetalSCAN technology over many years of collaboration," said Brennan West, Vice President, Energy, Marine & Land at Gastops. "Real-time condition monitoring continues to play an increasingly important role in modern maintenance strategies, and we look forward to supporting Vestas and its customers in the years ahead."

The renewal represents another important milestone for MetalSCAN, which has been deployed across aerospace, marine, energy, and industrial applications worldwide. To date, more than 50,000 MetalSCAN sensors have been delivered globally to help operators improve equipment availability, reliability, and safety.

About Gastops

Gastops is the world's leading provider of intelligent condition monitoring solutions used in Aerospace, Defence, Energy, and Industrial applications to optimize the availability, performance, and safety of critical assets. We offer peace of mind to our customers with innovative online monitoring sensors, at-line analysis, complex modeling and simulation, world-class laboratory testing, engineering, design, and MRO services that predict performance to enable proactive operating decisions. We have been providing powerful insights into the condition of critical equipment since 1979. Gastops is the intelligence inside what moves you.

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CALGARY, AB, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Friends of Science Society report by retired energy economist, Robert Lyman, titled, "Climate Monster - The Heavy Hand of Climate Regulation," highlights how climate ideology burdens business and consumers with net zero regulations that are based on implausible scenarios.

Environment and Climate Change Canada recently issued an update to its 2019 report, "Canada's Changing Climate Report 2026 (CCCR2026)," from which media outlets amplified the claim that climate change is "irreversible." Friends of Science Society points out in a video explainer titled "At First Glance - Canada's New Climate Report's Curious Anomalies" that the new report, as in the previous version, continues to use implausible, catastrophic climate scenarios that, as of April 2026, have been officially retired by the climate science modelling community. In 2019, Environment Canada's report was responsible for the subsequent declaration of a climate emergency in Canada. Friends of Science Society issued a rebuttal report, "Climate Change Your Mind," which debunked the hype and noted the misuse of those implausible scenarios.

Environment Canada and related media outlets claim direct attribution of human-caused climate change and the use of fossil fuels to various extreme weather events like wildfires, floods and extreme heat. Dr. Madhav Khandekar, a 40-year veteran of Environment Canada debunked this faulty logic years ago in his presentation for Friends of Science Society's event "Extreme Climate Uncertainty."

More recently, long-time climate policy analyst, Roger Pielke, Jr., wrote an article titled "Taking Us for Fools." He replicated the WWA attribution methodology as used in 96 WWA reports. He found that the WWA methodology attributes any recent event that can be compared to similar historical events, to climate change, which is an unscientific outcome. [The method requires comparing a trend of similar events to the trend of the global mean surface temperatures (GMST).]

In The Firebreak Substack, titled "What is Climate Attribution?", the author explores the funding of WWA and its stated goal of using weather attribution for climate litigation against energy companies.

Climate ideology has broader economic impact, including affecting Canada-US trade, says Friends of Science Society. In a new video, Friends of Science Society asks, "Is the Climate Cartel Behind the Canada-US Trade War?" referring to the 2024 Republican House Judiciary Committee report "Climate Control: Exposing the Decarbonization Collusion in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing." The Trump administration is busy dismantling climate regulation that is stifling business and costing consumers, while the Carney administration is keen to go all in on Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the European climate tariff, as Friends of Science Society reported in January 2025.

While Canada is actively seeking diverse global markets and planning to "Build Canada Strong" with a raft of major projects, climate regulations and climate activists will likely hamper forward progress, as Robert Lyman outlined in his commentary "Supporting Timely-Decision-Making for Major Projects."

As detailed in the Friends of Science Society's Oct. 17, 2025, analysis, Facts on Global Trade - An Open Letter to Bank of Canada's Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers, "…despite having diversified our global markets, van den Berg explains that Canada's obsession with restrictive climate and Net Zero policies has led to massive cumulative prosperity opportunity losses of ~US$1.741 trillion (2015-2025). This is based on the estimated economic loss that would have been forthcoming due to the cancellation of large infrastructure projects and the effect of delays on a 4th project (Keystone, Northern Gateway, EE and TMXEP)."

UK energy analyst and historian, Dr. Tammy Nemeth, producer of "The Nemeth Report: Energy Realism for a Complicated Century," is featured in a series of short videos on Friends of Science Society's YouTube channel, on topics like Canada's energy history, the Transnational Progressive Movement, the Tar Sands Campaign, the energy crisis and more.

Friends of Science Society is pleased to announce their upcoming November 16, 2026, event in Calgary, featuring Anthony Watts, meteorologist, author and founder of "Watts Up with That?" - The world's most viewed site on global warming and climate change! The theme will be "Why You Should No Longer Fear Global Warming aka "Climate Change." Details for in-person and live stream options at: friendsofscience.org

About

Friends of Science Society is an independent group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens that is celebrating its 24th year of offering climate science insights. After a thorough review of a broad spectrum of literature on climate change, Friends of Science Society has concluded that the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2).

Friends of Science Society

PO Box 61172 RPO Kensington

Calgary AB T2N 4S6

Canada

Toll-free Telephone: 1-888-789-9597

Web: friendsofscience.org

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: climatechange101.ca

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New subsidiary combines business leadership, management consulting, and intellectual property experience to support companies from idea to commercialization

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- McNees Wallace & Nurick today announced the launch of Ryepeck Ventures, LLC, a management and commercialization consultancy firm that helps businesses turn innovative ideas into commercially successful ventures.

Ryepeck Ventures is a subsidiary of McNees and will be led by Geoffrey White, who will serve as president. White is an attorney in the firm's Intellectual Property Group, with extensive experience in intellectual property and patent law. Walt Vester, an experienced management consultant, investor, and business leader, will serve as executive vice president.

The launch expands the range of professional solutions McNees and its affiliated companies provide to businesses and organizations, adding C-suite business consulting and commercialization support to legal, human resources, public relations and marketing services.

"Cultivating excellence and championing growth are among our core values at McNees," said McNees Chair Brian Jackson. "With Geoff's extensive background in corporate management and intellectual property law, we believe Ryepeck's efforts will cultivate excellence for innovative organizations and create substantial growth for those organizations."

Ryepeck works with innovators, entrepreneurs and organizations through three primary service areas:

- Ryepeck Venture Studio, which partners with clients to develop, launch, and commercialize intellectual property.

- Fractional Executive Engagement, which provides experienced leadership to help organizations execute their vision and strategy through fractional CEO, chief financial officer, chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, chief information officer, and other C-level roles.

- Management Consulting, which provides hands-on, business-led support to strengthen operations, address complex business challenges, and execute organizational priorities.

"Ryepeck was created to help organizations with strong ideas navigate quickly through the commercialization race with the right combination of business judgment, operating support, and intellectual property awareness," White said. "Our approach enables innovative companies to reach their finish line: commercialization of new and disruptive innovation."

White brings significant commercialization experience to Ryepeck through his legal practice and prior corporate leadership roles. He previously served as president of Innovative Product Manufacturing, chief operating officer of Advanced Construction Robotics, chief innovation officer and general counsel of Grouse Ridge Capital, and general counsel and longtime board member of SilcoTek Corporation.

Vester has held leadership roles across management consulting, investing, and business operations. Most recently, he was with Boston Consulting Group, where he advised organizations on strategy, growth, operations, and organizational design. He previously served as managing director in Blackstone's Private Equity Group, co-founded Blackstone CleanTech Ventures, and held an investment role with AllianceBernstein's Early Stage Growth Venture Fund.

Together, White's background in intellectual property and Vester's management consulting and investment experience position Ryepeck to help companies strengthen operations, increase the value of their intellectual property, and evaluate early-stage investment opportunities.

"Ryepeck was created to help companies move from the idea phase to commercialization and long-term growth," White said. "We're guiding ideas across the finish line and providing a platform to help companies turn those strong ideas into commercially successful businesses."

Ryepeck joins McNees' network of affiliated businesses that provide services beyond traditional legal counsel, including Apollo Communications, HR Influenced, Keystone Advisors, Keystone Municipal Solutions, Pine Street Land Company, and McNees Government Relations. Together, these businesses connect clients with resources across strategic communications, human resources, government relations, municipal consulting, real estate transactions, and other business needs. Ryepeck expands those capabilities to include commercialization and management consulting.

About McNees

McNees is a multidisciplinary law firm founded in 1935 with more than 170 attorneys representing businesses, associations, institutions, municipalities, and individuals. The firm serves clients worldwide from 12 offices in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Plymouth Meeting, Pittsburgh, Radnor, Reading, State College, and York, Pa.; Columbus, Ohio; Frederick and Towson, Md.; and Washington, D.C.

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About Ryepeck Ventures

Ryepeck Ventures, LLC is a commercialization partner that helps enhance the value of ideas and organizations by bringing resources, relationships, and experience to the commercialization process. Ryepeck services include the Ryepeck Venture Studio, Fractional Executive Engagements, and Management Consulting.

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- ClaimIQ: Speeds up claim decisions with AI-assisted intake and instant policy validation. Multimodal AI agents let policyholders and adjusters work across voice, chat, text, and email. For a leading insurer, this approach lifted straight-through processing rates by 84%.

- Underwriting Engine: Automates underwriting with AI-powered risk analysis, submission summaries, and decision insights. Explainable AI is built in by default: every inference is qualified, the reasoning is logged for audit, and sources are cited.

- Document Intelligence: Reads complex policies, amendments, and endorsements in seconds, flags obligations, surfaces hidden risks, and answers precise questions, with every insight linking back to its source for audit. For an MGA, it reduced contract processing costs by 90% and cut turnaround time from 48 hours to 4 minutes.

"Unlocking genuine value from AI requires moving past off-the-shelf models toward tailored, domain-aware intelligence," said, Chella Palaniappan, President, Client Services, Trigent. "These solutions bring that approach to insurance, combining Advanced AI with our deep engineering and insurtech domain expertise."

Attendees at ITC Vegas (September 29 to October 1, 2026) can meet the Trigent team, see the solutions in action, discuss custom integration strategies, and explore how to move from prototype to enterprise deployment.

About Trigent

Trigent is a data-first, AI-driven global technology solutions provider helping organizations modernize operations and build next-generation customer engagement models that deliver measurable business outcomes and bespoke experiences. We enable customers to lead the shift in insurance with trusted, scalable solutions that help them maximize their IT investments. With decades of experience, deep domain expertise, and strong technology capabilities, Trigent has delivered end-to-end solutions to ISVs, enterprises, and SMBs since 1995. To learn more, visit https://trigent.com/.

Media Contact:

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Trigent Software, Inc.

[email protected]

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New five-stage framework shows how business, HR, technology, and finance leaders can deploy agentic AI for measurable gains

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As AI agents move beyond experimentation, companies must decide not just where to deploy them, but how work itself should change.

A new report from The Conference Board offers a five-stage framework for redesigning work around AI to produce measurable business value. The framework draws on interviews, focus groups, and hands-on research with senior HR, talent, and AI leaders.

The stakes are rising as AI investment accelerates. In The Conference Board C-Suite Outlook 2026, 43.6% of executives identified AI and technology as an investment priority, more than any other investment choice. But capturing value requires more than buying tools or launching pilots. Leaders must decide on the desired business outcomes, determine how work will be divided between people and AI, put the right governance in place, measure results, and decide how any gains will be used.

"AI agents can complete more and more work, but capability alone doesn't create value," said Allan Schweyer, Principal Researcher, Human Capital, The Conference Board. "Companies need to know what outcome they're trying to improve, what the agent should—and shouldn't—do, and whether the redesigned process actually performs better. Otherwise, more automation can simply mean doing the wrong work faster."

The report outlines five stages:

1. Start with the desired business outcome.

- Identify the outcome the organization wants to improve first, then determine where AI agents can add value.

- Avoid deploying agents simply because the technology is available.

2. Redesign and allocate work before deploying agents.

- Break workflows down task by task to determine what AI should handle, what people should handle, and where they should work together.

- Consider quality, judgment, accountability, the consequences of errors, employee impacts, and customer value.

- People should remain accountable for the results, even when agents perform work autonomously.

- Deliberately redesign the human role, including the skills, training, job level, and potentially compensation required for the work that remains.

3. Build the infrastructure, governance, and budget agents require.

- Leaders need to account for data, permissions, controls, monitoring, maintenance, and human supervision.

- The full cost of operating an agent can extend well beyond vendor or model fees. In one illustrative model, direct AI-model use represented just 9.4% of an agent's recurring monthly cost.

4. Measure what people and agents produce together.

- Track whether redesigned work improves quality, speed, cost, or other business outcomes, not simply whether an agent completed a task.

- Time freed by AI should not automatically be counted as a financial gain; the organization should first demonstrate how that time was used and what measurable result it produced.

- The report recommends distinguishing among three types of gains:

- Cash savings: Spending that actually disappears, such as overtime, contractor costs, or other expenses.

- Avoided future costs: Planned spending or hiring that is no longer required.

- Higher-value work: Employee time redirected to other work that produces a measurable result.

5. Decide where the gains go.

- Verified gains can reduce costs, help organizations handle more work without equivalent hiring, support reinvestment, or deliver benefits to employees and customers.

- Leaders should clearly communicate how those gains will affect jobs, staffing, and employees.

Protect early-career talent pipelines.

- When AI takes over routine work, organizations risk eliminating tasks through which employees traditionally build judgment and experience.

- Leaders should replace that learning deliberately through mentoring, rotations, supervised practice, and progressively more complex work.

HR and IT need to work together.

- IT may own the technology, but HR should help shape roles, skills, staffing, training, and change management wherever AI alters how work gets done.

"Agentic AI is not simply an IT initiative, nor is it solely an HR initiative," said Diana Scott, US Human Capital Center Leader, The Conference Board. "Business leaders need to own the outcome, technology needs to provide secure and dependable tools, finance needs to test the economic case, and HR needs to ensure roles, skills, staffing, and employee experience evolve along with the technology."

This research was produced in collaboration with SkillsRight, a nonprofit organization that aligns workforce strategy, organizational capability, and change management to help employers translate skills-first commitments into scalable systems, practices, and talent pipelines.

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is the global, Member-driven think tank that delivers Trusted Insights for What's Ahead®. Founded in 1916, we are a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization.

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American drone manufacturer adds fixed-wing aircraft, purpose-built software platforms, and upgraded hardware to its family of flying robots

SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Skydio, America's leading drone manufacturer, today announced F10 Lightrunner, its first fixed-wing aircraft, alongside MegaDock, Asset Command, Security Command, and a series of platform upgrades at its annual Ascend conference in Summerlin, Nevada.

F10 Lightrunner extends Skydio's robot offerings beyond the quadcopter for the first time to allow our customers in critical industries to fly farther and faster to respond to emergencies and issues that are necessary to keep our communities safe and our power on. The aircraft is designed to launch and land from a MegaDock with a robotic arm and fly at speeds up to 100 mph with a 30-mile flight radius, giving a single launch location coverage of nearly 3,000 square miles. F10 is deploying to customers in 2027.

"F10 Lightrunner is the most advanced fixed-wing drone that has ever existed," said Adam Bry, CEO of Skydio. "It will bring the benefits of Drone as First Responder and fully automated drone inspection of critical infrastructure to a scale that's never been possible before, with 100 mph speed and up to a 30-mile coverage radius."

F10 Lightrunner and MegaDock

F10 launches and lands without a ground crew, using a Robotic Takeoff and Landing (RTOL) system built around a suction-based robotic gripper. MegaDock, the dock built for F10, houses up to five aircraft and supports concurrent missions from a single location. F10 was designed around one of the most critical components, the camera. Its SideEye design positions its camera outside the rotor plane, keeping the aircraft's wing from blocking the video, allowing pilots continuous coverage that keeps their focus on the mission for safer outcomes. Foresight, Skydio's autonomy software built for fixed-wing flight, plans and adjusts F10's flight path in real time to reduce the strain typically placed on pilots. Additionally, the Skydio Airspace Assurance System (SAAS) eases use even more by maintaining regulatory compliance and collision avoidance throughout each flight.

Asset Command and Security Command

Skydio also introduced two new software platforms, Asset Command and Security Command. Both of these platforms extend off the model the company has created through its DFR Command offering to provide systems that uniquely support the critical industries we serve.

Asset Command is built for organizations managing large portfolios of fixed infrastructure, importing asset data directly from GIS and CMMS systems to plan and route inspections automatically. Critical infrastructure providers including AEP, Chevron, Dominion Energy, and Southern Company have been early partners in its development.

Security Command turns fleets of drones into a continuous security capability, dispatching a drone with live video to provide security teams with aerial awareness that will help inform better decision-making and reduce the opportunity for individuals to enter dangerous situations.

"We're now tapping the true potential of software-defined, autonomous, dock-based drones with industry-specific applications for public safety, energy infrastructure, and physical site security," said Bry. "Each Command brings together specialized autonomy, customized workflows, and deep integrations with the systems our customers already use, making drones easier to adopt and integrate than ever before, and orders of magnitude more effective once they're operating them."

Both platforms are available for purchase starting at Ascend, with general availability in early 2027.

Additional Announcements

Skydio also introduced a suite of products and applications that will enhance our customers' abilities and provide upgraded tools to educate their communities.

- Controller 2, a hand-flown controller with a 7-inch, sunlight-readable display, kickstand, and 5.5-hour battery life;

- a new Skydio Mobile App for secure live-video sharing;

- camera software updates including ThermalBoost and Low-Light Enhance, arriving this winter and next spring respectively.

- The company's Transparency Dashboard, used by public safety agencies to publish flight and policy data to their communities, is being rebuilt with expanded transparency tools rolling out later this year.

About Skydio

Skydio, the largest U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in flying robots, leverages breakthrough AI-backed autonomy to create drones that are easier to operate, safer to fly, and more capable in complex environments. Skydio systems are trusted by every branch of the U.S. military, the armed forces of 29 allied nations, and more than 4,000 agencies and organizations across the U.S. in the public safety and critical infrastructure sectors.

Skydio designs, assembles, and supports its products in the United States from its headquarters in San Mateo, California. For more information, follow Skydio on LinkedIn or visit skydio.com.

SOURCE Skydio

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- New 2027 Subaru Impreza base trim level starts at $24,595 MSRP, $2,000 lower than entry price for 2026 model

- 2027 Subaru Impreza RS retains same price as outgoing model

- Refined 2.5-liter, 180-horsepower SUBARU BOXER® engine standard across Impreza lineup

- Arriving at Subaru retailers in late 2026

CAMDEN, N.J., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc., today announced the 2027 Subaru Impreza will start at $24,595 MSRP when it goes on sale later this year. The new pricing lowers the starting price for the all-wheel-drive hatchback by $2,000 compared to the outgoing model, making it the most affordable all-wheel-drive compact vehicle on sale. The 2027 Subaru Impreza adds a well-equipped base trim equipped with a 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER® engine and a streamlined lineup focused on affordability. The 2027 Subaru Impreza will be offered in base and RS trim levels and will go on sale later this year.

The 2027 Impreza lineup is powered by a 180-horsepower, 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER® engine paired with a Lineartronic® CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) and legendary Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. Both 2027 Impreza trim levels are equipped with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and an 8-speed manual mode, allowing drivers to select among preset ratios, and dual-mode SI-Drive with Intelligent and Sport settings.

Interior materials in the 2027 Subaru Impreza lineup have also been improved, including updated stitching on the center console and revised door panel materials. Inside, the 2027 Impreza offers 20.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats upright. With the rear seats folded, the 2027 Impreza offers an impressive 56.0 cubic feet of cargo space.

2027 Subaru Impreza Base

Starting at $24,595 MSRP, the base trim level of the 2027 Subaru Impreza is impressively equipped. It includes popular features such as dark gray 17-inch alloy wheels, EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology, Keyless Access with Push-Button Start, and Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility.

Durable Tricot cloth upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, and USB-A and USB-C charging ports offer comfort and convenience to the driver and front passenger. The base trim level is equipped with Subaru dual 7.0-inch Multimedia System touchscreens with wired Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility, SiriusXM satellite radio (4-month free trial included), HD Radio®, and Bluetooth® connectivity. The upper touchscreen handles vehicle infotainment, while the lower touchscreen is available for climate controls and vehicle functions.

Subaru's award-winning EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology is standard and includes Pre-Collision Braking, Lane Departure and Sway Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering, Emergency Stop Assist, and more. Standard LED steering responsive headlights with high beam assist help light the road ahead.

2027 Subaru Impreza RS

Returning for 2027, the Subaru Impreza RS trim level adds expressive interior and exterior styling elements and upgraded technology for $29,495 MSRP, which is the same price as the outgoing model.

The 2027 Subaru Impreza RS adds dark gray 18-inch alloy wheels, black RS cloth interior upholstery, fog lights, and a Crystal Black Silica roof spoiler. Inside, a Subaru 11.6-inch Multimedia System with wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility, SiriusXM® with 360L (4-month free trial included), HD Radio®, and Bluetooth® connectivity is standard, and an upgraded wireless smartphone charger with enhanced performance is newly added. MySubaru Connected Companion services are standard on the 2027 Subaru Impreza RS (5-year trial included) and offer SOS Emergency, Advanced Collision Notification, Vehicle Condition Check, and more. MySubaru Connected Services Companion+ (3- or 5-year plans offered) includes Connected Companion services and adds Remote Engine Start with Climate Control, Remote Lock and Unlock, Curfew and Boundary Alerts, and more.

An all-weather package with heated front seats, mirrors, and windshield wiper de-icer is standard on all Impreza RS model. It also adds Blind-Spot Detection with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Emergency Lane Keep Assist to its suite of EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology.

An optional package for the 2027 Subaru Impreza RS is available and adds a Harman Kardon® 10-speaker system with 432-watt equivalent amplifier, power moonroof, and a 10-way power-adjustable front seat with lumbar support for $2,070 MSRP.

The 2027 Subaru Impreza is available in Crystal Black Silica, Crystal White Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Magnetite Gray Metallic, Sapphire Blue Pearl, and newly available Ignition Red exterior colors. Citron Yellow Pearl premium paint is available for $395 MSRP.

The 2027 Subaru Impreza is assembled in Gunma, Japan. It will arrive at Subaru retailers in late 2026.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of about 640 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants, including Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc., the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise®, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $340 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged over 115,000 volunteer hours. Subaru is dedicated to being More Than a Car Company® and to making the world a better place. For additional information, visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.

Aaron Cole

Product Communications Manager 

856.488.3697

[email protected]

Miranda Jimenez 

Product Communications Specialist 

856.438.2820 

[email protected]

Karley Dowdy 

Product Communications Specialist 

856.488.8527 

[email protected]

SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.

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Paris Baguette Expands Their Footprint With a New Café Opening in Clovis, California, on September 24th

Nikki and Anvar Tulyag set to open their Paris Baguette café at 3640 Shaw Ave.

CLOVIS, Calif., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Paris Baguette and franchise owners Anvar and Nikki Tulyag are proud to announce the opening of the newest bakery café at 3640 Shaw Ave., Suite 101, on September 24th. The new bakery café will bring Paris Baguette's signature assortment of artisan pastries, cakes, breads and handcrafted beverages to the Clovis community. With more than 4,000 locations worldwide and 300+ bakery cafés operating across North America, the brand continues to expand their footprint, with multiple locations in development. The established and growing concept is rapidly strengthening its presence in key markets.

For the Tulyags, opening their third Paris Baguette café in California's Central Valley is the realization of a long-held dream. After a successful career as an executive, Anvar decided to pursue business ownership centered around creating a welcoming gathering place where people could enjoy coffee, pastries, and lunch with family and friends.

Anvar and his wife first discovered Paris Baguette in the Bay Area and were drawn to the quality of the products and the welcoming atmosphere. Their experience led them to bring the brand to the Central Valley. The Clovis café will be their third location in the region, and they are also planning to open a fourth café in Riverbank later this year.

"Our goal has always been to create a place where people can come together and enjoy great food, coffee, and meaningful moments," Anvar said. "From our very first visit, Paris Baguette captured both my heart and my wife's. We're excited to continue spreading the joy of Paris Baguette throughout the Central Valley while becoming part of the Clovis community."

The Clovis café opening is a milestone for the brand and the 82nd Paris Baguette café in California. Paris Baguette plans to reach 1,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada by 2030 and is expanding through meaningful partnerships with local entrepreneurs who show a genuine interest in bringing people together over fresh-baked goods and artisan coffee beverages.

"We're on a mission to re-establish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community across the U.S., and we're excited to see Anvar and Nikki bring this to life in their local trade area," said Darren Tipton, CEO of Paris Baguette. "In our cafés, we like to say, 'Happy to see you. Happier to serve you.' And we know the Tulyags will wholeheartedly embrace this approach in their neighborhood."

About Paris Baguette

With a projected 1,000 bakery cafés in North America by 2030, Paris Baguette is on a mission to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community. Paris Baguette serves craveable baked and brewed treats and creates warm and welcoming experiences through a blend of gracious service, expert craftsmanship, and community connections. From decisions made behind a desk to smiles offered behind a counter, the desire to spread joy and make the world a happier place drives everything we do. Being a neighborhood bakery café means caring about those around us and finding ways to make a real impact. We do so through our "Love Baked In" programs that bring to life our commitment to serving local communities through various charitable programs and initiatives. Paris Baguette is a leader in the hospitality industry with their commitment to creating unique consumer experiences and a network of successful franchisee relationships. For information and to find the Paris Baguette location closest to you, please visit www.parisbaguette.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Julie Maw

Mainland

209.617.6518

[email protected]

SOURCE Paris Baguette

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