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Experienced Team With Over $110 Million in Assets Joins Ameriprise Financial For Client-First Culture, Technology and Robust Solutions

Experienced Team With Over $110 Million in Assets Joins Ameriprise Financial For Client-First Culture, Technology and Robust Solutions

Ameriprise welcomes JMOD Financial Services, led by financial advisor Joe Kelly, from LPL Financial

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Financial advisory practice JMOD Financial Services recently joined the independent channel of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) from LPL Financial with over $110 million in assets. The practice is led by financial advisor Joe Kelly and includes financial advisors Frank Del Busto, CFP®, and Dave Fedrizzi, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, RICP®. The team has offices in Florida and New York, with Kelly and Del Busto based in Miami, and Fedrizzi in Rochester, New York.

Kelly shared several key reasons why the team chose to make the move to Ameriprise:

  • Trusted brand and client-first culture: “Ameriprise has been helping clients plan for their financial futures for more than 130 years, and that legacy matters to us and our clients. Their strong name recognition and reputation for integrity give our clients confidence. Importantly, Ameriprise shares our belief that strong, personalized relationships are the foundation of this business.”
  • Advanced technology to enhance client experience: “Ameriprise has made substantial investments in technology that will help us operate efficiently and serve our clients more effectively. From streamlined workflows to intuitive client-facing tools, the platform will help us deliver a truly modern, personalized and elevated client experience. Our clients are already recognizing the impact and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”
  • Robust investment platform: “We’ve built our practice around an evidence-based investment philosophy rooted in research and a deep understanding of market dynamics. Ameriprise not only supports our approach but enhances it with the resources of their Investment Research Group and a powerful brokerage platform. We now have access to tools and oversight that will help us refine asset allocation and deliver even greater value to our clients.”

“We’re energized by the opportunity to grow our practice at Ameriprise. This move will allow us to expand the scope of our offerings and deepen the relationships we’ve built with our clients,” said Kelly. “With the strength of Ameriprise’s platform behind us, we’re well-positioned to take our service to the next level.”

JMOD Financial Services provides comprehensive advice to clients to help them achieve the goals they have for themselves and their families. The practice is supported locally by Ameriprise Franchise Field Vice President Sabrina Tacheny and Ameriprise Regional Vice President Tres Rouquette.

Ameriprise has continued to attract experienced, productive financial advisors, with approximately 1,700 joining the firm in the last 5 years1. To find out why experienced financial advisors are joining Ameriprise, visit ameriprise.com/why.

About the Ameriprise Ultimate Advisor Partnership

The Ameriprise Ultimate Advisor Partnership offers a differentiated experience for advisors that helps them accelerate growth while delivering an excellent client experience. Combined with the company’s culture of support and independence, the Ultimate Advisor Partnership enables advisors to scale their businesses, deepen client relationships and drive referrals for future growth.

About Ameriprise Financial

At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 130 years2. With extensive investment advice, global asset management capabilities and insurance solutions, and a nationwide network of more than 10,000 financial advisors, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of individual and institutional investors’ financial needs.

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1 Ameriprise Financial Q4 2024 Earnings Release.

2 Company founded June 29, 1894

Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results.

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.

Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value.

Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser.

Securities offered by Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC.

©2025 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

Allison Harries, Media Relations

612.678.7035

[email protected]

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INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Asset Management Professional Services Finance

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Paving the Way: Insights from Recent Driver’s Education Study Uncovers Key Opportunities for Parents and New Drivers

PR Newswire

A new Progressive Insurance survey reveals that young drivers felt more empowered when they spent more time practicing behind the wheel.


MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio
, Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As part of its commitment to driving progress on the road, Progressive Insurance® surveyed 513 new drivers aged 18 to 25 who got their license in the last five years to understand what was most effective in preparing them for the road. The results suggest that the key to building driver confidence and competency is supervised practice time. Experts say that more hours practicing behind-the-wheel with either a professional instructor or a licensed adult is essential to improving safety rates for teen drivers.

The survey is being released in time for National Teen Driver Safety Week this Oct. 19-25, which raises awareness of the driving dangers teens face. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for kids aged 15 to 18.

Could driver’s ed play a bigger role in reducing that risk for young drivers?

One study found that regular, more frequent supervised driving practice hours reduced crashes among new teen drivers by 39%. Cathy Chase, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, says that the classroom instruction in driver’s ed builds a strong foundation, and that coupled with increased supervised driving practice is a proven tactic for preparing young drivers. Her organization is encouraging states to adopt 70 practice hours as a standard to improve road safety.

In the Progressive survey, 86% of all respondents said supervised practice best prepared them for driving. Of those required to take driver’s ed, only 11% spent more than 60 hours practicing with supervision — highlighting an opportunity in driver’s education programs to prioritize more supervised practice.

For those who took driver’s ed voluntarily because it isn’t required where they live, 14% were supervised for more than 60 practice hours. This higher rate could be because those who took driver’s ed voluntarily did so to be a safe driver (36%) and to feel comfortable driving (36%). 

Key survey findings:

  • 65% of respondents took driver’s ed because their state required it.
  • Drivers who obtained their license at 16 were more likely than drivers who obtained their license between 17 and 21 to spend 41-60 hours driving with supervision, which reflects current state graduated driver licensing (GDL) program requirements.
  • A majority of drivers who took driver’s ed felt prepared for the basic rules of the road (56%) and driver safety (50%), but 30% felt less prepared to drive on the highway, and 22% for avoiding accidents and understanding situational collision scenarios.

Lynn Rogers, President of the Driving School Association of the Americas, says, “A novice driver is always wired to think the technical maneuvers (like parallel parking and reversing) are the hard thing, but instructors say it’s hazard detection. For instance, approaching intersections is the hardest because that’s where the lack of skill shows itself.” He notes that hazard detection and situational awareness are critical skills that develop with experience behind the wheel.

This National Teen Driver Safety Week, parents and new drivers have a powerful opportunity to work together. Focusing on supervised practice hours and critical skills like hazard detection, should help to foster a new generation of confident and well-prepared drivers.

Parents can learn more about how to make their teens safer on the road with tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

About Progressive

Progressive Insurance® makes it easy to understand, buy and use car insurance, home insurance, and other protection needs. Progressive offers choices so consumers can reach us however it’s most convenient for them — online at progressive.com, by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, via the Progressive mobile app, or in-person with a local agent.

Progressive provides insurance for personal and commercial autos and trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, and homes; it is the second largest personal auto insurer in the country, a leading seller of commercial auto, motorcycle, and boat insurance, and one of the top 15 homeowners insurance carriers.

Founded in 1937, Progressive continues its long history of offering shopping tools and services that save customers time and money, like Name Your Price®, Snapshot®, and HomeQuote Explorer®.

The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, trade publicly at NYSE: PGR.

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SOURCE Progressive Insurance

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XA Investments Reports a Record 300+ Interval / Tender Offer Funds in its Third Quarter 2025 Market Update

Interval and Tender Offer Fund Market Reaches New Milestones, Sees Interval Fund Dominance and Shift Toward Greater Investor Accessibility

CHICAGO, Oct. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XA Investments LLC (“XAI”), an alternative investment management and consulting firm, announced the publication of its latest research report, the XAI Non-Listed Closed-End Fund Third Quarter 2025 Market Update. The report covers interval fund market trends and notes that marketwide fund counts exceed 300 funds, a milestone that shows the dominance of daily valued interval funds due to demand for greater investor accessibility.

“The interval and tender offer fund market reached a major milestone of 304 funds, showing the increased popularity of interval and tender offer funds in recent years,” stated Kimberly Flynn, the president of XAI. “As more assets continue to flow into the interval / tender offer fund market, we believe the market’s trajectory will remain positive, with significant opportunities for expansion throughout the rest of the year and in 2026,” she added.

XAI’s market update is a comprehensive research report detailing current market trends and industry highlights. The non-listed closed-end fund (CEF) market includes all interval and tender offer funds. The report highlights new fund sponsors entering the interval fund market and gives a comprehensive market update.

The non-listed CEF market now stands at a combined net assets of $215 billion and $252 billion in total managed assets, inclusive of leverage, as of September 30, 2025. The market includes 158 interval funds which comprise 58% of the total managed assets at $145.9 billion and 146 tender offer funds which comprise the other 42% with $105.7 billion in total managed assets. Market-wide net assets increased $19 billion in Q3 2025 from the prior quarter.

Daily valued interval funds have now overtaken the number of tender offer funds in the market, because of strong investor preference for electronic ticketing. In Q3 2025, 20 new funds entered the market, 70% of which were interval funds. Among the new funds launched in Q3 2025, there were seven new fund sponsors, including Adams Street Partners, Blue Owl, and Coatue.

Alternative investment firms continue to dominate the interval fund market with 69% market share. In total, there are 157 unique fund sponsors in the interval and tender offer fund space, with 57 fund sponsors that have two or more interval and/or tender offer funds currently in the market. Twenty new funds launched this quarter, with the most, 11 funds, launching in the credit category. Newly launched non-listed CEFs spent around seven months in the SEC registration process.

“The number of funds in the SEC registration process decreased by 10 funds from 51 at the end of Q2 2025 to 41 at the end of Q3 2025. This is due to the high number of funds launching and the slowing number of new registrations,” Flynn noted. “With the recent government shutdown, the time spent in the SEC registration process will likely increase, as initial registration statements will not be reviewed and Statements of Effectiveness will not be issued. New funds also cannot secure EDGAR codes and therefore must wait to file with the SEC,” she added.

As the interval fund market expands and diversifies, the market share of the top 20 funds continues to decrease, falling to 58% in Q3 2025 from 59% in Q2 2025. In aggregate, the top 20 largest interval/tender offer funds accounted for 38% of total net flows including many of the market leaders such as the Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund, Partners Group Private Equity, LLC, and ACAP Strategic Fund.

In the report, XAI covers the Q2 2025 net flows which are lagged by reporting cycles. Interval and tender offer funds had positive net flows, totaling over $13 billion, with 63% of funds reporting positive net flows. Funds with a monthly net asset value (NAV) performed well in Q2 2025, accounting for 49% of net flows, up from 37% in Q1 2025. Daily NAV funds continued to perform well in Q2 2025, also accounting for 49% of net flows.

At 55%, the majority of interval and tender offer funds do not have any suitability restrictions for investors imposed at the fund level with 26% of funds available to accredited investors and 19% only available to qualified clients. Since the change in a SEC staff position in Q2 2025, 16 funds have filed prospectus supplements removing accredited investor requirements. As the accredited investor designation is now largely self-imposed, XAI expects to see the number of funds with accredited investor limitations to decrease and the number of funds with no suitability restrictions to increase.

According to Flynn, “We expect more funds to reduce their suitability requirements in the next six months and for many new funds filed to forgo accredited investor requirements.” Alternative funds without suitability restrictions also prove to be more accessible and have gathered more assets at $147.7 billion in managed assets or 59% of market-wide assets.

For more information on the interval fund market and to read our full quarterly report on non-listed CEFs, please visit the CEF Market research page linked here and click ‘Subscribe’ for access to XA Investments’ online research portal and pricing information. In addition, please contact [email protected] or 888-903-3358 with questions.

About XA Investments

XA Investments LLC (“XAI”) is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in 2016. XAI serves as the investment adviser for two listed closed-end funds and an interval closed-end fund, respectively the XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust, the XAI Madison Equity Premium Income Fund, and the Octagon XAI CLO Income Fund. In addition to investment advisory services, the firm also provides investment fund structuring and consulting services focused on registered closed-end funds to meet institutional client needs. XAI offers custom product build and consulting services, including product development and market research, marketing and fund management. XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. For more information, please visit www.xainvestments.com.

Note: Net flows are reported in Form NPORT-P (“NPORTs”), which are filed quarterly with the SEC. NPORT filings are typically lagged 60 days from the end of the reporting period. The net flows data in this report is as of 6/30/2025 and represents the latest publicly available data.

Sources: XA Investments; CEFData.com; SEC Filings.

Notes: All information as of 9/30/2025 unless otherwise noted. Total managed assets is inclusive of leverage. The non-listed CEF market is subject to lags in reporting and limited data availability. Data such as asset levels, net flows, and performance are delayed up to 90 days after quarter-end and are not available for all funds. All data in the report is the most current available. Please contact our team if you have any questions about the non-listed CEF marketplace.

CONTACT: Kim Shepherd
 
[email protected]
  312-623-5123



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Inside the New Burford Quarterly: Navigating Global Business Disputes

PR Newswire

Legal finance continues to transform how businesses and law firms
manage risk, unlock capital and pursue opportunity amid increasing complexity and change


NEW YORK
, Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Burford Capital, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, today releases its latest Burford Quarterly, a journal of legal finance that explores the top trends at the nexus of law and finance.

This edition of The Burford Quarterly showcases how legal finance provides liquidity and offsets risk amid evolving market pressures and economic headwinds. The Quarterly delves into the strategic and practical dimensions of legal finance across sectors including pharma and construction and details how Burford’s innovative leadership helps companies and law firms navigate complex disputes.

“The landscape of business disputes is evolving rapidly, with companies facing increasingly complex litigation, regulatory scrutiny and cross-border challenges,” said David Perla, Vice Chair at Burford Capital. “Legal finance is no longer just a financing tool—it’s a strategic resource that helps businesses unlock capital tied up in legal claims and manage risk across portfolios. This edition of The Burford Quarterly highlights how businesses can move ahead with greater confidence by offsetting legal risk through legal finance solutions.”

Articles in the Burford Quarterly No.4 2025 include:


  • Making the case for legal finance in the generic drug market


    Generic and branded pharmaceutical companies face significant litigation and development expenses when bringing products to market. Increasing financial pressures are leading many to turn to legal finance as a strategic tool to manage risk, unlock capital and support growth.

  • Global construction disputes reflect shifting market pressures


    Rising project complexity and supply chain disruption are driving an uptick in high-value construction disputes worldwide. As timelines lengthen and costs escalate, parties are increasingly turning to arbitration and innovative financing solutions to manage risk and maintain project momentum.

  • Ten years of opt-out collective actions in the UK


    Since the Consumer Rights Act 2015 introduced opt-out collective actions, the UK regime has matured from cautious beginnings to a credible tool for securing redress in competition cases. Legal finance has been central to this evolution, enabling claims to proceed despite high costs and risks—and it will remain essential as policymakers consider expanding collective redress to new areas of harm.

About Burford Capital

Burford Capital is the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law. Its businesses include litigation finance and risk management, asset recovery and a wide range of legal finance and advisory activities. Burford is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUR) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BUR) and works with companies and law firms around the world from its global network of offices.

For more information, please visit www.burfordcapital.com.


This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any ordinary shares or other securities of Burford Capital or any of its affiliates.

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SOURCE Burford Capital

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Trick-or-Tech: New Verizon survey reveals how families stay safe and connected on Halloween

  • Seventy-eight percent of parents see technology as a helpful tool for keeping their kids safe on Halloween.
  • Nine in 10 parents will monitor their trick-or-treaters, with most using a smartphone or wearable devices — and Latino parents are more likely to use this tech than all other parents.
  • Over a third of parents want an SOS button on their child’s device for safer trick-or-treating.
  • Black/African American and Latino parents are more likely to use technology — like phones, smartwatches, and location-sharing apps — to monitor their kids while trick-or-treating compared to all other parents.

NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As ghosts and goblins prepare to hit the streets, a new survey from Verizon, conducted in collaboration with Morning Consult, shows that parents are increasingly turning to technology to find the perfect balance between Halloween fun, their children’s independence and their own peace of mind.

The survey reveals a common parental dilemma: while 61% of parents with children 6 and over worry more about their child’s safety on Halloween than on other holidays, a strong majority (72%) say that allowing their kids some independence on Halloween is important. Technology is bridging that gap, with just over three in four parents (78%) viewing it as a helpful tool for keeping their children safe during trick-or-treating.

The data shows that the overwhelming majority (over 9 in 10) of parents with children 6 and over plan to monitor or check in with their kids while they are out. The most common methods include phone calls or texts (88%), location-sharing apps (75%) and wearable devices (69%).

This survey highlights the delicate balance parents maintain every Halloween between fostering independence and ensuring safety. We want parents to know that when it comes to staying connected to and protecting what matters most, we got you.

With award-winning network reliability and the unmatched support of family-focused technology tools, Verizon helps give families that extra layer of reassurance, so they can focus more on the fun and less on the fear.

Key findings from the Verizon Halloween Family Survey

Frequent check-ins are the new norm: Of parents using a smartphone to monitor their trick-or-treaters, 59% plan to check in multiple times an hour, with 78% checking in at least once an hour. And 24% of Black/African American parents monitor kids via phone calls/texts every few minutes, compared to 8% of parents of other backgrounds.

Location, location, location: Three-quarters of parents (75%) will use location-sharing apps to keep track of their kids’ routes, and 69% will use wearable devices with location capabilities.

SOS is a top priority: When asked what feature would make trick-or-treating safer, more than one-third of parents (35%) said they would want their child to carry a device with an emergency SOS button.

For families looking to add that extra layer of security to their Halloween plans, we got you.

Verizon tools for a safer Halloween

Verizon offers a suite of products and services designed to give parents peace of mind not just on Halloween but all year round.



Gizmo Watch 3


: Designed for kids, the Gizmo Watch 3 allows parents to track their child’s location with real-time GPS, set safe zones and communicate easily. It also features an SOS button that, with a simple press, alerts a designated emergency contact. Want to be a secret agent for Halloween? The Gizmo Watch 3 also lets kids video chat with pre-approved contacts for up to three minutes.



Verizon Family


: This service lets parents manage their kids’ screen time, filter content and monitor their device’s location right from their own phone. Responding directly to the safety features parents want most, it also includes Safe Walk with SOS, allowing parents to track their child’s walk home in real time. This offers a comprehensive view of their digital and real-world safety. Download Verizon Family for free, or sign up for the Verizon Family Plus perk on myPlan for a more premium experience and save $4.99 a month, because everyone gets a better deal with Verizon.

Visit verizon.com/family to learn more about Verizon Family and check out Parenting in a Digital World for additional resources and parent-proven tips.

About the survey

This survey was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Verizon CMI & Golin between October 3 – October 6, 2025 among a national sample of 671 US parents with children ages 6 and older that will trick-or-treat this year or did last year, with oversamples of 242 Black/African American parents and 209 Latino parents. The interviews were conducted online in English and Spanish. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.

VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at verizon.com/news. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.

Media contact:

George Koroneos
[email protected]
Social: @GLKcreative



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UBS Hires Financial Advisor Robert Lauer in Franklin, Tennessee

UBS Hires Financial Advisor Robert Lauer in Franklin, Tennessee

FRANKLIN, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
UBS Wealth Management today announced the hiring of Financial Advisor Robert (Bob) Lauer in Franklin, TN. Bob and his team join the UBS South Market, which is led by Market Executive Greg Achten and is part of the firm’s Southeast Region, led by Regional Director Julie Fox. Robert reports to Market Director Ryan McCann.

“We are pleased to welcome Bob and his team to UBS,” said Greg Achten, South Market Executive at UBS. “Bob’s extensive experience will be a valuable addition to our team as we continue to strengthen our capabilities across Tennessee. We are confident that he will be able to leverage our world class wealth management platform and resources to better serve clients.”

“Bob’s experience and focus on working with clients across generations is a strong fit for our team,” said Ryan McCann, Market Director at UBS. “We look forward to supporting Bob and his team as they grow their business and expand the suite of financial services they provide to clients.”

Bobbrings more than two decades of experience in financial services to UBS. He previously spent over 19 years at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Franklin and in the Chicago area. Bob advises high net worth business owners and families on comprehensive financial planning, cash flow management and investment matters to ensure their wealth lasts across multi-generations. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University.

Also joining Bob is Client Service Associate Heather Pollina.

Notes to Editors

About UBS

UBS is a leading and truly global wealth manager and the leading universal bank in Switzerland. It also provides diversified asset management solutions and focused investment banking capabilities. With the acquisition of Credit Suisse, UBS manages 6.1 trillion dollars of invested assets as per fourth quarter 2024. UBS helps clients achieve their financial goals through personalized advice, solutions and products. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the firm is operating in more than 50 markets around the globe. UBS Group shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).https://www.ubs.com

https://www.ubs.com

© UBS 2025. All rights reserved. The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. For press use only.

Scott Gamm

Strategy Voice Associates

[email protected]

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/C O R R E C T I O N — Microsoft Corp./

PR Newswire

In the news release, Microsoft extends AI advancements in Dragon Copilot to nurses and partners to enhance patient care, issued 16-Oct-2025 by Microsoft Corp. over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the third paragraph after the second set of bullets is missing two hyperlinks. The complete, corrected release follows:

Microsoft extends AI advancements in Dragon Copilot to nurses and partners to enhance patient care


REDMOND, Wash.
, Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Microsoft Corp. on Thursday unveiled AI innovations, leveraging ambient and generative technologies, to improve the patient journey, reduce the workflow burden across care teams and enhance the financial integrity of healthcare provider organizations. Microsoft is expanding the capabilities of its leading AI clinical assistant, Dragon Copilot, by introducing the first commercially available ambient experience created for nursing workflows and new extensibility capabilities that allow partners to unlock additional value for Dragon Copilot users. These advancements will enable secure integration of partner AI apps and agents directly into Dragon Copilot, allowing clinicians to gain efficiencies without leaving their workflow, and empower nurses with tailored AI capabilities. Together, these updates reinforce Dragon Copilot’s role as a powerful, adaptable ambient intelligence solution that can rapidly deliver additional value for revenue cycle management, clinical intelligence, workflow automation, and streamlined care delivery through its extensible architecture.

“Microsoft continues to advance Dragon Copilot as a leading enterprisewide AI clinical assistant for healthcare provider organizations — now adding support for specialized nursing workflows and an ecosystem of third-party AI extensions,” said Mary Varghese Presti, CVP and Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Health and Life Sciences. “By enabling our customers to extend ambient capabilities across clinical staff and connect their preferred third-party AI apps and agents, we are accelerating the value of their investments across care settings and use cases.”

Dragon Copilot advances clinical intelligence at the point of care with partner AI innovations 

Clinicians and the healthcare provider organizations they work for will have access to specialized capabilities without leaving their native workflow by enabling partners to develop AI apps and agents that customers can enable directly in the AI clinical assistant.

Research shows that over half of family medicine visits involve multiple issues, with physicians managing an average of 2.7 concerns and performing eight actions — such as ordering tests, prescribing medication and making referrals — per encounter. Clinicians also handle prior authorizations and coding, while healthcare organizations update CRMs, track referrals, and manage patient engagement through education and surveys. With visits averaging just 15 minutes, this administrative load can compromise care quality and revenue integrity.

To address these challenges, Microsoft is working closely with partners to make new AI innovations available to Dragon Copilot customers. Examples include:

  • Trusted clinical insights: Clinicians need reliable, evidence-based information to make informed decisions quickly. Through partnerships with Elsevier,OpenEvidence and Wolters Kluwer UpToDate, Dragon Copilot will provide access to curated clinical content directly within the workflow. Beyond credible reference content, other partners will extend these capabilities to drive smarter, faster decisions through solutions like clinical decision support with Atropos Health, vocal biomarker analysis with Canary Speech, clinical insights to manage at-risk patient populations with Lightbeam Health Solutions and addressing care gaps with Pangaea Data.
  • Streamlining revenue cycle management: Access to applications that help streamline and automate critical revenue cycle processes such as revenue cycle intelligence with Ensemble and Regard, and prior authorization with Cohere Health,Humata Health and Rhyme, in addition to precision care economics at the point-of-care with RhythmX AI, can help reduce administrative complexity and improve patient experiences.
  • Enhancing patient experience: Patient engagement doesn’t end at the point of care. Press Ganey will leverage Dragon Copilot’s ambient listening to turn patient-clinician conversations into actionable insights — combining real-time dialogue with patient experience data to help healthcare organizations anticipate patient needs, reduce clinician burden, and create more connected, human-centered care experiences.
  • Integrating smart hospitals and virtual care: Partners such as Artisight and hellocare.ai are exploring how voice and other contextual data from clinical interactions captured by AI-driven smart hospital and virtual care platforms can be converted into documentation aligned with standard Dragon Copilot workflows.

These advancements represent the next wave of capabilities designed to enhance care delivery, improve efficiency and elevate the patient experience.

Select early adopters are already exploring these capabilities. Canary Speech, for example, is currently available in preview, with organizations like Baptist Health evaluating how these partner solutions can be seamlessly integrated into clinical workflow.

“The ecosystem Microsoft is creating with Dragon Copilot is essential for scalable innovation in healthcare,” said Brett Oliver, MD, chief medical information officer for Baptist Health. “Rather than relying on isolated point solutions, we’re able to adopt multiple tools — like Canary Speech — within a unified, ambient workflow. This approach allows us to advance diagnostics and care delivery without disrupting the clinician’s experience.” 

Building on this momentum, Microsoft is extending its commitment to partner-driven innovation with the general availability of our healthcare agent service in Copilot Studio. Built-in knowledge sources and clinical safeguards help ensure that generative AI outputs are reliable and trustworthy — supporting safe, informed decision-making at the point of care. This robust, compliant foundation enables partners to build solutions that can be connected into Dragon Copilot, accelerating the delivery of specialized capabilities within the clinician’s native workflow.

Reducing nurse burnout and improving patient experience through the industry’s first generally available commercial ambient AI solution for nursing

Amid growing demands and mounting pressures in healthcare settings, nurses are facing unprecedented challenges that impact both their well-being and their ability to deliver care. A recent survey found that 65% of nurses report high levels of stress and burnout, and another survey found that more than 25% of a nurse’s shift is consumed by documentation and administrative tasks.1

Dragon Copilot now equips nurses with an advanced suite of tailored, ambient-enabled AI capabilities that streamline documentation, surface clinical insights and automate routine tasks directly within their workflow:

  • Streamline documentation: Nurse-patient interactions are ambiently captured at the point of care or on the go, then intelligently transformed into flowsheet documentation that, once reviewed and approved by the nurse, can be seamlessly transferred into the Electronic Health Record (EHR) — reducing administrative burden and freeing up time for direct patient care. Nurses can pause while recording to preview what’s been captured and edit for accuracy, and access organization-provided guidance within the workflow to stay aligned with internal policies before filing documentation into the EHR.
  • Surface information: Nurses can seamlessly access trusted medical content resources within the workflow, reducing tab-hopping and elevating care quality.
  • Automate tasks: AI takes on routine tasks, enabling nurses to more efficiently draft notes and summarize patient interactions — reducing clicks, accelerating documentation and closing the loop faster.

These innovations are a direct result of Microsoft’s multiyear collaboration with nurse leaders and frontline nursing staff across several healthcare organizations in the U.S. to deeply understand and support the complexities of the largest workforce in healthcare.

“Partnering with Microsoft to shape the nursing solution has been transformative for Mercy nurses,” said Tracy Breece, Mercy executive director of nursing informatics. “We not only adopted a technology — we co-created one that reflects the realities of nursing. We’ve heard from nurses with decades of experience, many of whom were first reluctant to use the new technology, how appreciative they are for it in reducing anxiety and staying on time for admissions and discharges. These breakthroughs happen when technology is built with — and for — those who use it daily. This technology helps nurses feel more confident, connected and supported in delivering care.”

Read more about the new Dragon Copilot capabilities here. To learn more about Microsoft for Healthcare, please visit the Microsoft health press site here, or visit us at booth #3860 at HLTH.

MEDICAL DEVICE DISCLAIMER: Microsoft’s Dragon Copilot is not designed, intended or made available as a medical device, and is not designed or intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or judgment and should not be used to replace or as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or judgment.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

1
Nurses’ job burnout and its association with work environment, empowerment and psychological stress during COVID‐19 pandemic – PMC

A 36-Hospital Time and Motion Study: How Do Medical-Surgical Nurses Spend Their Time? – PMC

 

Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microsoft-extends-ai-advancements-in-dragon-copilot-to-nurses-and-partners-to-enhance-patient-care-302585681.html

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.

Posted on

Smart Logistics Global Limited Announces Closing of Initial Public Offering

Hong Kong, Oct. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Smart Logistics Global Limited (Nasdaq: SLGB) (the “Company”), a Hong Kong-based business-to-business contract logistics solution provider, today announced the closing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 1,000,000 ordinary shares (the “Ordinary Shares”) at a public offering price of $5.00 per share for total gross proceeds of $5,000,000, before deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. The Ordinary Shares commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on October 15, 2025, under the ticker symbol “SLGB”. The Offering closed on October 16, 2025.

The Company has granted the underwriters an option, exercisable within 45 days from the closing date of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 150,000 Ordinary Shares at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts, to cover over-allotments, if any.

The Offering was conducted on a firm commitment basis. Craft Capital Management LLC acted as the representative of the underwriters, with Revere Securities LLC acted as the co-manager (collectively, the “Underwriters”) for the Offering.

The Company intends to use 50% of the proceeds from this Offering for infrastructure investments, 30% for working capital and the remaining 20% for research and development expenses.

A registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-288664) relating to the Offering, as amended, has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and was declared effective by the SEC on September 30, 2025. The Offering was made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus related to the Offering may be obtained, from Craft Capital Management LLC: 377 Oak St, Lower Concourse, Garden City, NY 11530, or via email at [email protected] or telephone at (800) 550-8411. In addition, a copy of the final prospectus can also be obtained via the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and other documents the Company has filed or will file with the SEC for more information about the Company and the Offering. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Smart Logistics Global Limited

Since 2018, Smart Logistics Global Limited has been a business-to-business (B2B) contract logistics provider in China, focusing on industrial raw materials transportation. The Company offers tailored, cost-efficient logistics solutions primarily through land-only transportation services for large institutional clients with long-term contracts. By leveraging its proprietary Transportation Management System to optimize routes and equipment, the Company also commits to a scalable model via investments in advanced logistics infrastructure, including its 110,000-square-meter smart logistics park in Jiangxi Province and 7 full-truck load centres strategically located in China, which effectively enhances its operations and growth potential. For more information, please visit: https://www.smartlogisticsglobal.com/.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may, “will, “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

For more information, please contact:

Underwriters:

Craft Capital Management LLC
(800)550-8411
[email protected]

Revere Securities LLC
(866)991-8918
[email protected]

Investor Relations:
WFS Investor Relations Inc.
Janice Wang
Email: [email protected]
(628) 283 9214



Posted on

Cunard’s Dazzling Queen Elizabeth Arrives to Miami for the First Time to Begin a Full Season in the Caribbean

PR Newswire


Caribbean Voyages Will Feature New, Locally Inspired Dining and Elevated Entertainment Starring Award-Winning Broadway and West End Performers


A plaque-and-key ceremony celebrated the arrival in Miami where the Cunard ship will homeport from October to April, offering sun-kissed voyages ranging from nine to 21 nights



Patricia Altschul, the Grand Dame of Bravo’s Southern Charm, led the welcome celebration




Queen Elizabeth press kit


MIAMI
, Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the recently refreshed Queen Elizabeth arrived at PortMiami for the first time to begin a season of highly anticipated Caribbean voyages. For 185 years, Cunard’s Queens have embodied the pinnacle of British luxury travel, and now Queen Elizabeth will homeport in Miami for the first time in Cunard history, bringing its renowned White Star Service to the region for a two-season residency of luxurious nine- to 21- night itineraries.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/cunard/9360251-en-cunard-queen-elizabeth-port-miami

“At Cunard, we believe true luxury is as much about warmth and joy as it is about sophistication,” said Liz Fettes, Senior Vice President of Commercial for North America at Cunard. “With Queen Elizabeth’s arrival, we are redefining luxury cruising in the Caribbean with our gracious service, sumptuous Art Deco design and new, heart-stirring entertainment – all paired with the Caribbean’s charm, lively rhythms and genuine hospitality.”

Throughout its history, Cunard has hosted many iconic stars of the screen, theater, fashion and music. To toast the Miami arrival, Patricia Altschul, author, philanthropist and the Grand Dame of Bravo’s Southern Charm, joined the celebration as a guest aboard the inaugural Caribbean voyage.

“To me, Queen Elizabeth is a kindred spirit, and I am thrilled to help welcome her to this stunning city,” said Patricia Altschul. “Cunard is a cruise brand for anyone who appreciates traveling with timeless glamour.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth to PortMiami,” said Hydi Webb, PortMiami Director and CEO. “I also want to commend Cunard’s investment in our community. With the addition of Cunard to Miami’s roster of cruise line offerings, passengers will be able to sail aboard ships with a legacy of elegance and comfort. We are grateful for this new partnership and continued growth at the Cruise Capital of the World®.”

New World-Class Onboard Experiences

Cunard is expanding its legacy of luxury experiences with a new slate of offerings exclusive to the Caribbean season. Guests can expect nearly 120 limited-time theatrical performances and an array of innovative culinary experiences that reflect the vibrant culture and flavors of the Caribbean, ensuring every voyage is both indulgent and inspiring.

Culinary highlights include Karibe, a new dining concept celebrating Caribbean coastal cuisine with bold spices and modern twists, and “The Whispering Hour,” a lively happy hour experience hosted with Whispering Angel wines. Locally inspired street food, tropical cocktails, and special Sunset Celebrations and Deck Parties on the Lido Deck will offer guests new opportunities to socialize and savor the region’s spirit in signature Cunard style.

The entertainment lineup is equally ambitious, led by the first-ever at-sea production of the multi-Olivier and Tony Award-winning musical Come From Away. Caribbean voyages will also feature Broadway and West End performers, including Tony Award-winner Sutton Foster, performing on board January 20, to alumni from acclaimed productions such as Wicked, Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King and more.

The Commodore Club has been reimagined as the Abbey Road Listening Lounge, where guests can enjoy legendary recordings and film soundtracks alongside curated cocktails. Complementing the live and audio entertainment, a series of guest lectures will feature Olympic medalists, astronauts, and other prominent figures including actor Hugh Bonneville during select voyages, deepening Cunard’s dedication to exceptional enrichment and artistry at sea.

A Reimagined Queen Elizabeth

Following a stunning refresh earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth now boasts revitalized signature spaces that elevate every aspect of life onboard. Guests will enjoy performances in an enhanced Royal Court Theatre; dancing in a redesigned Queens Room perfect for Gala Evenings; leisurely swims at the new Lido Pool Club; and stays in refined Grills Suites offering enhanced amenities, new culinary experiences, and butler service. Each venue combines modern sophistication with the timeless elegance that defines Cunard, creating an atmosphere that perfectly balances innovation and tradition.

For those seeking rejuvenation, Caribbean guests can unwind at the Pavilion Wellness Café and indulge in the Harper’s Bazaar® Wellness at Sea program, which offers three bespoke wellness journeys featuring curated treatments, nutrient-rich smoothies, masterclasses, and ELEMIS products designed to restore body and mind.

Dazzling Caribbean Voyages

Guests can enjoy nine to 21-night Caribbean voyages aboard Queen Elizabeth from October 2025 – April 2026, with rates starting from $1,078 per person for an ocean view stateroom, based on double occupancy. The nine- and 12-night voyages explore Eastern Caribbean – visiting ports including San Juan, Puerto Rico; St John’s, Antigua; Castries, St Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados; Philipsburg, St Maarten; Road Town, Tortola – or Western Caribbean – with port visits such as Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico – while 21-night voyages visit ports in both the east and west.

Summer 2026 in Alaska

Following a sun-soaked winter in the Caribbean, Queen Elizabeth will continue her North American residency, repositioning to Seattle in May, where she will homeport for her second and final season of Alaskan voyages during summer 2026. Meticulously crafted itineraries through Alaska’s captivating beauty including Ketchikan, Glacier Bay National Park, Skagway, Juneau, and Victoria, British Columbia will return along with onboard experiences including Cunard’s partnership with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) and the “Locals Onboard” speaker series.

For more information about Cunard or to book a voyage, travelers can contact their Travel Advisor, call Cunard at 1-800-728-6273, or visit www.cunard.com.

For Travel Advisors interested in further information, please contact your Business Development Manager, visit OneSourceCruises.com, or call Cunard at 1-800-528-6273.

About Cunard

Cunard is a luxury British cruise line, renowned for creating unforgettable experiences around the world. Cunard has been a leading operator of passenger ships since 1840, and this year celebrates an incredible 185 years of operation. 2025 is a momentous year in Cunard’s history, which will be marked with several iconic land-based events and special Event Voyages. The Cunard experience is built on fine dining, hand-selected entertainment, and outstanding White Star Service. From a partnership with a two-Michelin starred chef, to inspiring guest speakers, to world class theatre productions, every detail has been meticulously crafted to make the experience unforgettable. A pioneer in transatlantic journeys and round world voyages, destinations sailed to also include Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, the Far East and Australia.

There are currently four Cunard ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and new ship, Queen Anne, which entered service in May 2024. This investment is part of the company’s ambitious plans for the future of Cunard globally, with the brand now boasting four ships in simultaneous service for the first time since 1999. Cunard is based at Carnival House in Southampton and has been owned since 1998 by Carnival Corporation & plc. www.cunard.com (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).

Photography

Photos are available in our image library, Asset Bank:


https://cunard.assetbank-server.com/

Please note, once directed to the page you will need to “Register for an account.” Your request may take up to 24 hours for approval to access the library of assets. You will be notified via email to complete your registration.

Social Media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cunard
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cunardline
YouTube: www.youtube.com/wearecunard
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cunardline

Media Contact:

Cunard: [email protected]

 

Queen Elizabeth arriving to/at PortMiami

 

On Oct. 16, 2025, Patricia Altschul, of Bravo’s Southern Charm, leads Cunard's celebration as Queen Elizabeth begins a season of highly anticipated Caribbean voyages.

 

The Queen’s Room aboard Queen Elizabeth

 

Queen’s Grills 2 Suite aboard Queen Elizabeth

 

Commodore Club aboard Queen Elizabeth

 

Queen Elizabeth at Sea

 

Cunard Logo

 

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cunards-dazzling-queen-elizabeth-arrives-to-miami-for-the-first-time-to-begin-a-full-season-in-the-caribbean-302586654.html

SOURCE Cunard

Posted on

IDACORP Schedules Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Release & Conference Call

IDACORP Schedules Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Release & Conference Call

BOISE, Idaho–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
IDACORP, Inc. (NYSE:IDA) will report its third quarter results on Thursday, October 30, in a news release before the stock markets open. The company will hold an analyst conference call that day at 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss the third quarter 2025 earnings.

All parties interested in listening may do so through a live Webcast or by calling 855‑761‑5600 for listen-only mode. The passcode for the call is 9290150. The conference call logistics are posted on the company’s Website (www.idacorpinc.com) and will be included in the company’s earnings news release. Slides will be included during the conference call. To access the slide deck, please visit www.idacorpinc.com/investor-relations. A replay of the conference call will be available on the company’s website for a period of 12 months and will be available shortly after the call.

About IDACORP INC.

IDACORP Inc. (NYSE: IDA) is based in Boise, Idaho, and was formed in 1998 as a holding company. IDACORP subsidiaries include Idaho Power, a regulated energy company; IDACORP Financial, an investor in affordable housing projects and real estate; and Ida-West Energy, an operator of small hydroelectric projects. IDACORP’s origins lie with Idaho Power and operations beginning in 1916. Today, Idaho Power employs approximately 2,100 people who serve more than 650,000 customers throughout a 24,000-square-mile area in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. To learn more, visit idacorpinc.com or idahopower.com.

John R. Wonderlich

Investor Relations Manager

Phone: 208-388-5413

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: Idaho United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Other Energy Commercial Building & Real Estate Utilities Construction & Property Finance Energy Professional Services Residential Building & Real Estate

MEDIA:

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