New York – September 22, 2026 -- Thousands of costumed dogs and their owners will descend on the East Village on Saturday, October 17, 2026, for the 36th Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade.

Texas Hill Country – September 22, 2026 -- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch has announced the birth of its third southern white rhino calf in three years, a rare feat among fewer than 10 such births publicly documented at U.S. facilities in 2026.

The milestone follows more than two decades of work toward the Ranch's first successful southern white rhino birth, which arrived in late 2023. Two more calves have followed within three years, turning that initial breakthrough into what officials call a sustained breeding program.

Anchorage, Alaska – September 22, 2026 -- Explore.org and Katmai Conservancy have opened the 12th season of Fat Bear Week, running September 22-29, 2026, inviting the public to vote online for the plumpest brown bear at Brooks River.

Voting decides the 2026 champion on September 29

Fans can cast votes in head-to-head matchups on the Fat Bear Week website starting September 22, with new rounds advancing bears each day. The 2026 Champion will be crowned September 29 at 5 p.m. Alaska Time.

Orlando – September 20, 2026 -- GameSir has unveiled its first officially licensed Fortnite controller collection, giving mobile players console-style hardware paired with in-game digital bonus items.

Two controllers headline the initial launch lineup

The collection debuts with the GameSir G8 Plus Fortnite Edition and the GameSir X5 Lite for XBOX Fortnite Edition. The partnership was facilitated by IMG Licensing and brings Fortnite-inspired designs to gear built for Battle Royale, Zero Build, Reload, and developer-made game modes.

Belize City – September 20, 2026 -- Crypto gaming platform BC.GAME says its BC Engine reward system has now distributed more than 8.6 million BCD tokens, equivalent to over US$8.6 million, to eligible $BC holders since launching on April 8, 2026.

Guilford, Conn. – September 16, 2026 -- Families planning a funeral in Guilford now have more ways than ever to shape a service around a loved one's actual life, according to a new HelloNation feature spotlighting George Sullivan III of Guilford Funeral Home.

New York – September 15, 2026 -- A new report from maternal care brand Momcozy and NielsenIQ (NIQ) finds that 91% of mothers identify as the primary caregiver in their household, while more than half struggle to find personal time amid caregiving, work and daily pressures.

The 2026 U.S. Mother & Baby Market Trends Report, released in August, surveyed 1,240 U.S. female caregivers ages 18-45 through NIQ's consumer panel in March 2026. Respondents were either pregnant with their first child or raising children between 0 and 24 months old.

Dallas – September 15, 2026 -- Match released its 15th annual Singles in America study, surveying roughly 5,000 U.S. singles between March and April 2026 in partnership with researchers from The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University.

Portland, Ore. – September 15, 2026 -- Rasa Legal, a legal technology company that helps people clear eligible criminal records, has expanded its services into Oregon, where more than 1.3 million residents are estimated to be struggling with a criminal record.

The expansion marks Rasa's fourth state, joining Utah, Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Schwerin – September 15, 2026 -- Ulrich "Uli" Durst, 59, from Ostfildern near Stuttgart, has won a pool villa on Lake Plau in Germany's Mecklenburg Lake District through the Omaze house lottery, a prize worth roughly €2.5 million including €100,000 in starting funds.